Aston Martin AM310 Vanquish

Stepping in for the DBS, Aston's new range-topping AM310 Vanquish looks to improve both performance and usability. The updated 5.9-liter V-12 adds variable valve timing; output rises to 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to a six-speed automatic transaxle (no manual this time). A new launch-control system helps drivers race from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds. The engine sits lower in a new iteration of Aston's bonded-aluminum chassis, which again features adaptive dampers and standard carbon-ceramic brakes. The Vanquish's body takes design cues from the limited-edition One-77 supercar and makes more extensive use of carbon fiber than ever before, including in the hood, front fenders, trunk lid, trunk enclosure, door surrounds, and roof (the last of which may be left exposed if a buyer so chooses). Weight is held to just 3613 pounds and is distributed 50/50 front/rear. Despite casting nearly the same shadow as a DBS, the new Vanquish has a roomier two-place cabin (two-plus-two seating is optional), along with more stowage and a greatly enlarged trunk. Capacitive-touch switches and a new rotary controller lend modern flair to the characteristic Aston Martin jewel-box interior.
Price $280,000 (est.) 
Engine 5.9L V-12, 565 hp, 457 lb-ft 
Terminal velocity 183 mph

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Acura ILX

Ever since the demise of the RSX, nee Integra, Acura has been without a true entry-level model. (The TSX has become too close to the TL in size, design, and price to perform that function.) Enter the smaller, cheaper ILX. Is it the second coming of the Integra, the frisky subcompact that once attracted young people to the brand? Not really. The ILX has a bit of an identity crisis, as it comes in three distinct iterations. The car is based on the Honda Civic sedan, and although Acura designers did a good job of disguising that fact, we wouldn't exactly call it handsome. The interior, at least, is a wholesale improvement over the Civic's more downmarket cabin. The chassis also has been comprehensively upgraded, with more sophisticated dampers for better ride quality and retuned, quicker steering that's more lively and precise. There's also additional sound deadening and NVH control. The volume-model ILX has a 150-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (up from 1.8 liters and 140 hp in the Civic) that is hitched to an automatic transmission with only five speeds. Acura reaches out to greenies with a hybrid ILX, which lifts the Civic Hybrid's powertrain intact for a 39/38 mpg EPA city/highway rating. The most interesting ILX variant uses the Civic Si as its starting point. Priced at $30,095, it features the Si's 201-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. One problem for the ILX may be that it's not that much cheaper than a TSX: when adjusted for the TSX's extra equipment, the difference is less than $1000. That factor may hinder this outreach effort.
Price $26,795-$35,295
Engines 2.0L I-4, 150 hp, 140 lb-ft; 2.4L I-4, 201 hp, 170 lb-ft; 1.5L I-4/electric hybrid, 111 hp, 127 lb-ft 
Smaller than...a TSX, by 6.5 inches in length, 1.8 inches in width, and 1.1 inches in height.

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2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Welcoming An Alfa-infused Dodge Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1301_2013_dodge_dart_sxt_introduction/#ixzz2HnPUKuDx

The story behind the Dodge Dart goes back nearly four years to the period when Chrysler was entering bankruptcy. Italian automaker Fiat stepped in to help rescue the American giant, but the U.S. Treasury set several conditions for the takeover. Among them was a provision that Fiat help Chrysler build a 40-mpg car on American soil. The Dodge Dart was that car, and launching it allowed Fiat to up its stake in Chrysler by five percent to 58.5 percent.

Our 2013 Dodge Dart SXT won't break the 40-mpg barrier -- only the economy-minded Dart Aero does, with a 41-mpg highway rating -- but it is EPA-rated at 37 mpg on the highway. We skipped the standard 2.0-liter Tigershark four, and instead spent $1300 for the optional 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-four engine (the same one found in the Fiat 500 Abarth). Another $1100 got us a dual-clutch automatic transmission that is sourced from Fiat, the first-ever dual-clutch unit offered in a Dodge vehicle.

We chose the Dart SXT because it provides a good balance between equipment and pricing. Our car started at $18,790 after a $795 destination charge, but the upgraded powertrain and several other options bumped the final bill to $23,195. We paid $595 for the Uconnect touchscreen and an illuminated dashboard accent, $495 for navigation and a backup camera, $195 for SiriusXM satellite radio, and $225 for LED taillights that resemble those on the Dodge Charger. Finally, the $495 popular equipment group added cruise control, remote starting, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, illuminated cupholders, and an enhanced trip computer.

Because the Dart arrived at our offices in the middle of winter, we immediately called our official tire and wheel sponsor, Tire Rack, to order some cold-weather rubber. The factory Continental tires will wait patiently in our garage while we use Pirelli Sottozero Serie II tires for the rest of the winter. The Pirellis set us back $797.92, plus another $100 for mounting and balancing. Already they have proven their worth by providing plentiful traction in ice, snow, and below-freezing temperatures.

Shortly after arriving, the Dodge Dart took a 480-mile road trip to deputy editor Joe DeMatio's ancestral homeland, rural West Branch, Michigan (where the car posed for a photo-op alongside sheep and a llama at a local farm). DeMatio's first impressions: "The little turbo four has plenty of energy but is coarse, hoarse, and gravelly. The dual-clutch transmission seems to lack the smoothness and refinement of VW's unit, but perhaps it will improve with time."

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