Small cars bring higher risk while SUVs are safer, insurance-group study finds

As late as 2007, parents were warned against buying their driving-age teens SUVs because of the rollover risk. Now it seems those are some of the safest rides on the road, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study released on Thursday. The Nissan 350Z sports car and the Titan pickup were on the low end of the list, along with the Chevrolet Aveo and the compact Cobalt sedan.

2013 Kia Carens price & specification. Costs from £17,895.

That’s a subjective call, but the new Carens is a decent looking effort from Kia at a sensible price point with decent equipment levels and offers plenty of family lugging abilities in to the bargain. All Carens models in the UK come with 7 seats and yet is 20mm shorter than the old Carens, But thanks to an extra 50mm in the wheelbase Kia reckons it offers all the space if bigger rivals and, with a flexible configuration for the seating, means the new Carens can accommodate the needs of a mix of load and people carrying with alacrity. The new Carens comes in three trim levels – catchily named 1, 2 and 3 – with 7 seats, cornering lights  LED running lights, electric heated door mirrors, AirCon, electric windows, Cruise, Radio/CD with iPod connectivity and Bluetooth and a rear conversation mirror.

Lexus LFA, from design to dealership in six minutes: Video

Seeing the Lexus LFA in person makes it easy to forget that the supercar has been in development for more than 10 years. But you do get a wondrous amount of technology for $375,000, the carbon-fiber body, a retractable rear wing and a compact V10 so fast that analog gauges couldn’t keep up with it. Add to that 553 hp, 354 lb-ft of torque and a 202-mph top speed, and we just had to put the LFA to the test at our favorite local racetrack.