1955 Chevrolet Bel Air "cruisin" Tin Metal Sign on 2040-parts.com

Consumer Reports gets top vehicle picks mostly right

Despite the publication's uncomfortably broad definition of reliability -- it spans everything from "the engine fell out" to "the touchscreen display shows fingerprints too easily" -- automakers still clamor to get on the Consumer Reports recommended vehicle list. This year's winners cover a broad spectrum of vehicles, and for the most part, we're in agreement with the magazine's editors, with one significant exception at the top of the list. Best overall vehicle went to the Tesla Model S.

Honda Civic (2012): teaser info, photos and video

Honda's third new 2012 Civic announcement - 31 August 2011 And today Honda shows us this tantalising glimpse of the rear of the new Civic, a couple of weeks before its full unveiling at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. It reveals an interesting rump clearly inspired by the (at-the-time) space-age rear end of the outgoing Civic, with arrow-shaped back lights seguing into a horizontal spoiler which appears to bisect the rear screen. We'll see the full car on 13 September.

Volkswagen preps the Golf EV for 2013 launch

Volkswagen AG has begun delivery of a second test fleet of Golf blue-e-motion EVs to customers in Germany, the automaker said in a statement. Of the 80 cars being tested in the fleet, 53 will be delivered in Berlin, with the rest going to Hannover and Wolfsburg. The vehicles will be distributed to businesses, public bodies and private motorists, although the majority of cars in Berlin will be tested by corporate customers, as VW views this group as the largest market for EVs in the future.