After decades of low expectations for affordable compact sedans, the market for plain, stripped-down products is simply withering away. Shoppers might be happy with a small car, but with a new generation and more tech-savvy comes less of a willingness to skimp on everything else.

A sharpened exterior, interior upgrades, and improved fuel economy are just a few of the improvements Nissan has announced for a modestly revamped 2011 version of its Rogue compact crossover.

Among models that go out on the edge with respect to design, there are those that are obviously a little too forced, and others for which the whole package just feels cohesive and complete. The 2010 Ford Flex is one of the latter; its boxy look and bold details might just match to your practical and fashionable needs, and the new EcoBoost turbo engine finally gives it a sprightly feel without bumping fuel economy close to the single digits.

It's the peak of summer-job season. And while in the past savings from teens' summer jobs used to often go towards buying a first used car, today it's more likely to go be used for a smartphone, and young drivers are more likely to share the family car—a safer option, anyway—or stay out of the driver's seat altogether.

BUYERS of collector cars sometimes justify purchases in terms of their investment potential, which can be significant even in times when stocks and real estate are shaky. But in recent years, the returns have been strongest for cream-of-the-crop classics -- cars typically so pristine and valuable that they are rarely driven.

TESTED 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

FOR more than 30 years, Formula One racecars have benefited from powerful brakes that vastly outperform the systems available on any showroom model. The gap may be narrowing, though: high-tech materials similar to those on the racetrack began showing up in exotic sports cars about 10 years ago, and some luxury models now offer them as well.

BLACK art is an apt description of tire design, an activity whose major advances include the invention of the pneumatic tire in the 19th century and, in the 20th century, the development of steel-belted radials and tubeless tires.

DETROIT -- The government's bailout of the U.S. auto industry last year sparked political hand-wringing about the end of capitalism and allegations that President Barack Obama aspired to be CEO of what critics dubbed "Government Motors."

For the fifth time in the last six years, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was named the most desirable model in the entire industry.