Subtract Matthew McConaughey. Then What? The 2015 Lincoln MKC

The 2015 Lincoln MKC.

This is the 2015 Lincoln MKC. A crossover SUV you have probably seen in a TV commercial more than you have ever seen it on the street.

New Milennium Roadmaster: The 2015 Buick LaCrosse

The 2015 Buick LaCrosse.

The headline above refers to the great Buick Roadmasters of the 30s, 40s and 50s, not the station wagon of the 90s.  Those uber-Buicks lived up to their name.  They were masters of the road, a superior means of travel.

The 2015 Buick LaCrosse has captured that spirit in a fully contemporary package.

Updating A Throwback: The 2015 Dodge Charger SXT

The 2015 Dodge Charger.

This is the kind of car that some will tell you is not supposed to exist anymore, that there is supposedly no more market for. Politically incorrect, unapologetically American.  The anti-Prius.

And yet, it not only lives, it thrives. And now it has been refreshed and renewed.

That Was Quick: The 2016 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring

The 2016 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring.

Four and a half months ago, we reviewed the 2015 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring, which was just arriving in showrooms.  Now, it's last year's model.

The 2016 Mazda 6 is not all-new, but rather a "major refresh".  So what's new with this perennial inhabitant of the TireKicker's Best Cars list on the right side of this page?

The Definition of "Premium Compact": The 2015 Audi A3 TDI

The 2015 Audi A3 TDI.

"Solid as a bank vault".  "Feels as though it's been carved out of a block of granite".  Those are the phrases a generation of automotive journalists used in the 80s and 90s to describe the strength and solidity conveyed by that era's German sedans.  The phrases became cliche' and fell into disuse, but not because they were any less accurate than before.

The Gold Standard Of Compact Cars: The 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI SEL

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI.

If you have not noticed it, there is a game of follow-the-leader that's been going on in small cars for exactly 40 years now.  It began with the original Volkswagen Rabbit (which was the Golf in Europe). Each time a new generation of the Golf is introduced, it is so right, so clearly focused, that it becomes the template for a contemporary compact.  And then, over the next five years, competitors catch up. Thankfully, five years is the product cycle for the Golf.  The previous generation came along in 2010. Now, in 2015, we have a new Golf.