Blog Posts by Aki Sugawara

When shopping for a $20,000 commuter, the things you look for are simple and practical, like whether there’s enough rear headroom, of if frogurt stains will wipe off fabric seats. But how do you gauge the value of a $200,000 Aston Martin DB9, an iconic, James Bond-branded exotic? That’s enough scratch to buy a house in most parts of the United States — or a whole Detroit city block.

Hybrids largely come in two categories: the oxymoronic performance cars like the underwhelming Honda CR-Z, or pragmatic fuel-sippers with the allure of a Whirlpool dishwasher, like a Toyota Prius C. So it’s a delightful surprise that the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi not only satisfy behind the wheel, but also live up to its EPA figures (unlike Ford’s C-Max Hybrid).

Targeting finicky youth buyers has proved to be a double-edged sword for Scion. Although it successfully tapped into the sports compact niche with the first-generation TC, selling a brisk 79,125 units in 2006, demand has since dwindled, with the second-gen averaging about 20,000 units. It doesn’t help for the front-wheel-drive coupe that the acclaimed FR-S is the new cool kid in class either.

Given that the current-generation Golf is a thinly veiled, cost-conscious facelift of the fifth generation, the people's hatch has been on cruise control for a number of years. Thankfully, it receives a chiseled upgrade for the 2015 model year: longer, lower and lighter, the all-new Golf and GTI unveiled at the 2013 New York Auto Show strike a sleeker profile, thanks in part to Volkswagen’s new MQB architecture.

If there's a valuable design lesson to be learned from the Nissan Juke and Pontiac Aztek, it's that dual headlights rarely work. And Jeep adopted that look not just on any name plate, but on an all-new Cherokee — a classic brand with a loyal following for its utilitarian, no-nonsense style despite its absence from production since 2001.

Not surprisingly, reactions to its dramatic resurrection, which has been called "contemporary" by Chrysler/Jeep design chief Ralph Gilles, have been brutal, especially in social media.

The BMW X6 and its sloped hatch is—well, ugly. And opinions further polarize when talking about Mansory’s outlandishly customized X6 M, which has air inlets up front big enough to inhale a deer. But it’s captivating in black from this rear, low-angle shot, courtesy of Stefan Sobot. If you have an eye-catching photo of your own to share, add to the Motoramic group on Flickr, or send us a message via Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

This stunning candy red 1956 Ford Fairlane was captured by Michael Brannon at the Autos for Autism Classic Auto Show in Tarpon Springs, Fla., which showcased vintage American cars ranging from ‘50s Hudson Hornets to Ford Thunderbirds from the ‘80s. If you have a show-stopping photo of your own to share, add to the Motoramic group on Flickr, or send us a message via Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Times have been tough for Mitsubishi Motors. In spite of a growing industry, the company's sales fell 27 percent last year to 57,790 units. That's only a couple thousand more than how many F-150s Ford moves — in a single month. And since the once-respected Galant and Eclipse badges have faded into obscurity, the only bright spots for the three-diamond brand is the pocket-rocket Lancer Evolution and the crossover styled after it, the Outlander Sport. But can the company succeed beyond the Evo? Mitsubishi hopes so with the 2014 Outlander.