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General Motors and Ford load up on small cars for bigger profits

Ford has no qualms about charging nearly $23,000 for a fully loaded 2011 Fiesta, which is smaller than the Focus. The Fiesta sedan, which goes on sale this summer, starts at $13,995, including shipping. The Fiesta, with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed transmission, gets 40 mpg on the highway.

Lexus gets new focus

Battered by recalls and public inquisitions, Toyota is hoping to restore its once-pristine image with new hybrid products and a renewed focus on Lexus. Lexus increasingly will be positioned as a “global premium brand,” the company said on Wednesday, and see improved styling, more hybrids and better service. The brand's sales have fallen 9 percent this year, to 26,674 in the United States.

Autoweek's 2014 Best of the Best Finalists -- sneak peek

Every year, as hundreds of new cars and trucks pass through our fleet for evaluation, we are always on the lookout for those dazzling few deserving more careful scrutiny for our top honors, the Autoweek Best of the Best. It's down to three cars and three trucks that our regular readers quickly will recognize in the video above, designed to whet your appetite as we get further along in the judging. We'll be bringing you full details on our Best of the Best/Car and Best of the Best/Truck finalists in the coming days, along with updates as we get closer to announcing our winners in the December 23 issue of Autoweek.