BMW Active Tourer Concept: First Look

• Looks like: BMW's take on the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class
• Defining characteristics: Three-cylinder plug-in hybrid drivetrain, panoramic roof with tint-changing glass
• Ridiculous features: Backseat passengers can play a BMW-developed eco-racing game called Seismic Surf
• Chances of being mass-produced: Depends how the market accepts the latest wave of premium small cars

BMW says it expects premium small cars to grow 5% per year in popularity, and the automaker's i sub-brand will have at least one car — the i3 hatchback — to tap the demand. The front-wheel-drive Active Tourer concept follows in that mold, with a turbocharged, 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine assisted by a plug-in hybrid motor and lithium-ion battery. It will debut at this month's Paris Motor Show.

At 171 inches long and 72 inches wide, the Active Tourer has a similar footprint to Ford's C-Max Hybrid. BMW maintains that the car "unmistakably retains" BMW's corporate face, but the bumpers depart from said face. The twin-kidney grille and eyebrow-laced lights remain, but the arcing portals ahead of each fender show hints of the same indentations on a Mazda CX-5 or Hyundai Tucson. Taken as a whole, Mercedes' new A-Class is the obvious doppelganger, especially with its horizontal cut-lines.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover Starts at $83,500

Land Rover's biggest SUV is all-new for 2013. Along with getting updated styling, a lightweight aluminum exterior and a new eight-speed automatic transmission, the Range Rover also gets more expensive: the 2013 model sees a $3,200 price hike.

The fourth-generation Range Rover will start at $83,500, including destination. Top-of-the-line Autobiography models will start at $130,950.

Aside from its new look, the lighter, more fuel-efficient Range Rover gets a re-engineered air suspension and Land Rover's newer Terrain Response adaptive suspension system.

The new Range Rover will arrive at U.S. dealerships this winter and also will be sold in 170 markets worldwide.

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Worst. Cars. Ever.

The folks at Car Talk have been discussing some of the worst cars they've owned in their history all this week. We thought we'd join them with a run down of our staff's least fondly remembered cars that they've kept in their own garages.

Kelsey Mays
Industry Editor
1989 Toyota Van

My parents bought Toyota's people-mover in 1990, an era when the automaker built cars with names like Van and Pickup. The rear-wheel-drive minivan had every bad styling cue from the 1980s, and it didn't drive any better than it looked. Toyota put a gutless four-cylinder beneath the front seats, and the carpeted partition ahead of the second row would heat up as road trips wore on. The drum brakes took forever to slow you down, so you had to brake early and pray the Van would stop in time — because the hood-free design meant your knees were the crumple zone. Ours came optioned to the hilt with swiveling captain's chairs, dual sunroofs and a console refrigerator, but it drove like a nightmare. We sold it to a guy who planned to drive cross-country and said the refrigerator would be a good place for his "stash." You could probably find it at a police auction today.

2013 Mini Cooper Paceman: First Look

• Competes with: Nissan Juke, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
• Looks Like: A flattened, more aggressive version of the Countryman
• Drivetrain: Base versions use a 122-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder, and S versions use the same engine, tuned to make 184 hp. Europe’s two diesel versions include a 112-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter and 143-hp 2.0-liter
• Hits dealerships: March 16 in the U.K. No word yet on when it will hit the U.S.

We first saw the oddly named, stocky, little Paceman in concept guise at the 2011 Detroit auto show. It looks like the production version is on its way. The Paceman, essentially a two-door version of the Mini Cooper Countryman, will go on sale first in Europe next spring.

The seventh member of Mini’s expanding family, the Paceman is the same length as the Countryman, but it has only two doors and seats only four passengers. It’s also more squat-looking, with a lowered suspension, sloping roofline, long doors and an integrated spoiler.

Used-Car Prices Could Fall Over Next 12 Months

Used-car prices could fall 4% to 5% over the next 12 months, residual-values predictor ALG said in its latest monthly report.

The collapse in new-car sales during the recession left the market with fewer late-model used cars, and used-car prices have increased since mid-2009. In turn, buyers switched. In 2010, shoppers bought 3.2 used cars for every new car, according to data from Automotive News and CNW Marketing Research. That declined to 3.0 used cars for every new car in 2011, and through last month, it's at 2.9. As demand for new cars has picked up faster than demand for used cars, ALG said it "expects used market prices to drift back toward historical norms."

That could take some time, however. Used cars are still in short supply. It could take up to three years for used-car prices to decrease 8% to 10% from today's levels, ALG said, and prices wouldn't hit pre-recession levels anytime soon.

2013 Toyota Highlander: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: New trim level, and some versions get standard backup camera
• Price change: $630 more
• On sale: Now
• Which should you buy, 2012 or 2013? Prices are up slightly, but new standard features, such as Bluetooth (base) and a backup camera (all other trims), are appealing  

Toyota's midsize crossover gets more features and a new trim level for 2013. The midlevel Highlander Plus joins the roster, and many versions get more standard features. 

The three-row crossover is again available with four-cylinder and V-6 power, and with front- and all-wheel drive (V-6 only). The V-6 can again tow up to 5,000 pounds with a towing package; the four-cylinder tow package has been discontinued this year.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Acura ILX

The all-new 2013 Acura ILX is a compact sedan that’s based on the popular Honda Civic. This luxury five-seater is short on high-end features for its high starting price of $26,795, says Cars.com Family reviewer Carrie Kim. The ILX’s interior is better suited for date night than carpool. Carrie and her toddler fit well in the ILX, but if they added another passenger, it felt cramped.

2013 Acura ILX Review

More Tesla Models and Service Centers on the Way

We've already seen the Tesla Model S, which is on sale now, and the new midsize Tesla Model X crossover that's due out in early 2014. A compact, entry-level Tesla priced around $30,000 also should be coming in 2015. Now we're learning that the automaker also plans to build a compact crossover and a new Tesla Roadster by 2016, Tesla founder Elon Musk told Wired Magazine. That would bring the carmaker's lineup up to five vehicles from today's one.

The Roadster and the compact crossover are being designed and engineered in tandem, according to Musk, and would go on sale at the same time in 2016. Like the now-defunct Tesla Roadster, Musk says the new model will have supercar performance, but, unlike the old Roadster, it will be less expensive. A base 2011 Tesla Roadster cost $109,000.

2013 Buick Enclave Starts at $39,270

Model-year 2013 pricing for GM's midsize crossovers is slowly rolling out. It was the updated GMC Acadia on Wednesday. Today, it's the Acadia's upscale sibling, the 2013 Buick Enclave.

The three-row crossover will start at $39,270 including an $825 destination charge. It's up about $2,000 compared to the 2012 model, but the new version includes more standard equipment.

For the new model year, the Enclave gets a refreshed exterior with LED-accented head- and taillights, an upgraded interior and GM's new multimedia system, IntelliLink. More standard features also join its equipment list, like a new center airbag for front-row passengers, a backup camera and a rear parking assist system.

Recall Alert: 2004-2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe and Spyder

Lamborghini is recalling 1,491 model-year 2004-2006 versions of the Gallardo coupe and Spyder due to problems with the power-steering system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles are equipped with leaky high pressure steering pipes near the steering assistance hydraulic system. A leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

Lamborghini started notifying owners earlier this week, and dealers will replace the affected parts free of charge. Owners can call Lamborghini at 1-866-681-6276 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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