The FJ Cruiser is Toyota’s all-new retro-styled off-roader. I’ve had the opportunity in the past to take the FJ off-road, and found it to be extremely capable. However, this was my first chance to see how it takes on day to day driving.

The bold styling of the new FJ Cruiser is a big attention getter. Available in a number of bright colors, my tester was painted Voodoo Blue. It seems that everything about this vehicle is big: it’s got big tires, large grille, oversized mirrors trimmed with running lights (carry over from the original concept) – even the door handles are super sized. And one-upping all of the competition, the FJ Cruiser has three front windshield wipers, where all others just have two.

This big theme carries over to the interior, where knobs were designed to be operable while wearing gloves. Unfortunately, the back seat is not as large as everything else. Rear seat passengers are a bit cramped, and given the small rear windows, it’s also somewhat claustrophobic back there. Access to the rear seat is easy with rear-hinged access doors unless you’re parked in a narrow parking spot, in which case it’s almost impossible to access the rear seat. Cargo space is plentiful, and rear seats can be folded flat to extend the space.

The FJ Cruiser has plenty of power from its 239-hp V6, and it rides rather smooth on the pavement. Handling is not bad for a big SUV, however it is not terribly maneuverable in parking lots. The FJ needs almost 42 feet to turn around compared to a Hummer H3 that can make the same maneuver in five fewer feet. Visibility is also an issue – there is not much window between the back door and the rear of the vehicle. A very large blind spot.

Overall, Toyota has built the FJ Cruiser with the purpose of handling severe off-roading. And while a higher percentage of FJs will leave the pavement (intentionally) than most other SUVs, it’s still likely that most will never leave the road.

--Perry Stern

It may not be as exciting as the Honda Fit, but the Yaris is a good, solid small car.  Inside is surprisingly roomy, with comfortable, supportive seats. Rear seat passengers have impressive legroom, and the trunk provides considerably cargo space. Styling is clean but nothing exciting, and that is not unusual for Toyota sedans. Like the Scions, the gauges are in the center of the dashboard. I know that this make it easier to sell the car in right or left hand drive markets, but I find it annoying.

With only 106 horsepower, Yaris won’t be winning any races, but it feels peppy and can hold its own on the freeway. Handling is decent, and ABS is available. Dual front airbags are standard, and Yaris can be equipped with side airbags and airbag curtains.

Of course, one of the biggest draws of the Yaris in today’s market is its fuel economy. Rated in the mid 30s in the city, near 40 in the highway. The other draw is the base price – Yaris starts at just over $10,000. Our tester was the Yaris S 4-door sedan. S adds a better audio system as well as additional front and rear under-bumper spoilers. Well loaded with all the safety equipment, our Yaris was priced around $17.000. Still a good deal for everything that you get.

--Perry Stern

Just spent some time in the new Buick Lucerne. This is one of the models that is supposed to help resurrect the Buick name, much in the same way that the CTS helped return the Cadillac name to prominence. However, while the CTS and other models changed the demographic of Cadillac buyers, the Lucerne still feels like a car for an older crowd.

The Lucerne replaces the LeSabre and brings back a number of styling cues from past Buicks, including the all-important (for some reason) portholes in the front fenders. Buick has also given the Lucerne a 275-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. What I can’t figure out is – why? Buicks are not typically driven by drivers that want high performance, and while this V8 sounds good, I was surprised at how bad my fuel mileage was. In a mix of city and highway driving, I averaged just over 14 mpg. I was able to get better fuel economy in the 425-horsepower Chrysler 300C SRT8 (not by much, but still…).

Still, the Lucerne does what it was designed to do. Very soft ride, comfortable seats and tastefully appointed interior. It has heated and cooled seats, roomy rear seat and a large trunk. Also has remote start, which I think is one of the greatest inventions, especially on cold mornings.

Overall it’s not a bad car. I guess I’m just not a Buick guy.

--Perry Stern