AUTO REVIEW—As one of the pioneering examples of sport utility vehicles, the Nissan Pathfinder started life as a truck platform-based SUV. The second-generation Pathfinder went with a unibody design, but the third generation returned to its truck-based roots. For 2013 (dubbed the R52), Nissan veered off the beaten path again and went for a car-based platform. Editor-at-large Zoran Segina reports

AUTO REVIEW—It sips gas like a hybrid, but it walks and talks like a turbocharged VW. Introducing the 48-miles per gallon, 7-speed DSG, turbocharged Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid SEL. Now you can have your hybrid and eat the roads like a GTI too.

AUTO REVIEW—The off-road purists may lament the fact that the 2013 Audi allroad 2.0T quattro is not a true off-road performer, but among modern station wagons/crossover utility vehicles, the allroad has few peers. Zoran Segina reports.

AUTO REVIEW— Unless one is engaged in earth excavation business or commercial cargo hauling, there is really no need to have a vehicle with a five-liter engine and 624 horsepower. This is especially true in California, where the maximum speed limit is set at 70, even in the remotest desert areas. But try to tell that to a car aficionado who is staring at the dashboard of the 2013 Shelby GT350.

AUTO REVIEW—Am I dating myself to say that I’m experiencing Fahrvergnügen? Yes, I’m referencing an ad slogan from 20 years ago, but if Volkswagen can continue to re-introduce the ever-popular Beetle, I can do the same. After all, the word Fahrvergnügen means “driving enjoyment” and that’s the way I describe the 2013 VW Beetle Turbocharged Direct Injection Diesel (a/k/a TDI) Convertible.