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The Cadillac CTS, a solid sales success, is more expensive, startinat $35,915. It is available in what I call  "CTS mild" and "CTS the way you want it to be," which is the super-sporty CTS-V. Now cometh the smaller ATS, les expensive, starting at $33,095," and more fuel efficient at 11 mpg city and 33 mpg hwy. I have yet to drive it, but plan to do so, soon. Stay tuned.

Consider the Chevrolet Equinox, or the GMC Terrain, if you want more lux. Or go back to Subaru with its new, larger, reasonably fuel-efficient and definitely dog friendly, based on our Chocolate Lab's rating, Outback wagon/crossover utility vehicle.

Sell your car. Make sure it does not have any issues (that you know about) that can ruin a friendship. Take the money and go to Carmax to by used. (I like the way Carmax backs what it sells.) Or, take the money and go to Hyundai and put it down on a new, excellent Hyundai Elantra.

The Chinese are as concerned about vehicle safety as anyone else. They have to be...in a country of mostly new and recently licensed drivers. They certainly are concerned about money, which is derived from good product reputation. Most of the money being invested by Volvo's new owner is going directly into product development and quality. Witness the new S60 with its innovative pedestrian protection devices. Volvo remains a recommended buy in this quarter.

Toyota Prius V, excellent mileage, good for a family of five, excellent safety, reasonable price....But it is a wagon, a small wagon. Can your ego live with that?

I think you just answered your own question. It's the Acura TSX Sportwagon. It is just as luxurious, practically speaking. Less expensive to buy and maintain. Just as safe as the BMW. But less prestigious. What do you want?

Chevrolet Equinox, which is a station wagon masquerading as an SUV. If he prefers to live without that pretense, go with the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Diesel, which starts a bit above $25k.

German politicians are smarter than our people. They know that diesel is at least 30-percent more fuel-efficient, in terms of mpg, than gasoline. So, they place a higher tax on gasoline. And they put pressure on petroleum refiners and automobile manufacturers to develop advanced diesel fuels and advanced, clean-burning diesel engines and exhaust devices. Whattaya know? You get better fuel efficiency and better air quality that European car drivers prefer and are willing to pay for. Meanwhile, back in the Good Ole USA, we have Tea Party Republicans and Left Is Best Democrats who much prefer beating up one another than actually doing something good for the people--like making advanced diesel fuels and user technology more accessible.

That has to be a mistake on my part. It is. ATS Cadillac is 22 mpg city and 33 mpg hwy. My sincere apologies for that unfortunate typo.

As always, thank you, Clifton. Fortunately, for Cadillac and BMW, most people shopping the ATS probably won't know that it's competeing against the 3-Series.

Has Honda lost its mojo? Not in the least in terms of product innovation, quality, and reliability. It is more the victim of the Palm Sunday Greeting Syndrome (PSGS). Works like this: Today, we greet you as a beloved hero. By Friday, we're nailing you to a cross for nothing that is actually your fault. Like, in Honda's case, a tsunami/earthquake that hampered product development and some production. But Honda has overcome that. Honda's products are as good and solid as they have ever been. And that includes the latest version of the CR-V.

Most automobile marketers were lousy language students--bad on spelling, syntax and definition. But they've turned their intellectual deficit into something they think is cute, such as Xterra and a bunch of actually confusing alpha-numeric names. Now cometh the coupe that actually is a sedan, because the marketers think that coupes are sexier and believe that you will, too, if they forcefully and expensively push the erroneous message that the new 6-Series sedan is actually a coupe because, in their minds, it looks like a long-waisted coupe. The DMV people, however, probably will think otherwise. Their world is devoid of poetry, misleading or otherwise. They most likely will list your "coupe" as a four-door sedan.

Hey, Clifton, if you are still with us, help us out with this one. Thanks.

It goes on sale in the Fall 2012. Ford promises to get it to me well before then. I'm waiting.

If the Environmental Protection Agency sticker says it gets 22 mpg city, that means it gets 22 mpg city under ideal conditions--good weather, great roads, light onboard load, little traffic congestion. Most of us don't drive under ideal conditions. Thus, your mileage is likely to vary from that on the EPA sticker. But you are much more likely to spend less on gasoline in a four-cylinder car than you are in a six or a eight. Also, check the transmission. Generally speaking, five-speed gearboxes are more fuel-efficient than four, and six-speed gearboxes are more efficient than five. Go ahead an buy the Sorento, one of the best, most complete and affordable crossover utility vehicles out there. Your mileage will vary depending on driving conditions, driving style and onboard loads. Don't worry about it.