New models

If you're looking for a good price on a new car, you'll want to start your search on eBay this week. AutoNation will be selling 29 vehicles for half their retail price on the auction Web site.

AutoNation Direct is the online sales arm of the AutoNation national auto dealership group. Until Friday, the company will post four vehicles on eBay each day on sale for half the MSRP. The vehicles range from budget-friendly commuter cars, such as a 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid for only $16,385 to halo vehicles, including a the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro … Read more

During a drive program in the Santa Cruz mountains, I had the chance to drive the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R and GTI, if not back-to-back, at least on the same day. The Golf R proved a speedy, sure-footed little hatchback, but ultimately I had more fun in the GTI.

On paper, the Golf R looks great: 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged, direct-injection, 2-liter, four-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive for added cornering grip, and a six-speed manual, the only transmission available, setting the tone for driver engagement.

With 56 more horsepower than the GTI, I expected the Golf R to show a lot of lag from a larger turbo.… Read more

Those familiar with past 911s will notice something missing in the cabin of the 2012 911 Carrera S -- the emergency brake lever no longer sticks up from the console. Instead, a switch by your left knee activates an electronic parking brake.

The console now plays host to an array of buttons activating sport modes, active exhaust, and damper stiffening. In my opinion, these buttons are more accessible, and look much better, than the tiny plastic buttons that used to sit below the navigation screen.

Of greater loss to the traditionalists is hydraulic power steering, replaced by an electrically boosted … Read more

We're starting to get just a little excited about impending U.S. launch of the Toyobaru twins: the 2013 Subaru BRZ and 2013 Scion FR-S. We've taken more than a few longing looks at each of these cars since their announcement, Subaru's pre-order page is already up, and now (thanks to the EPA's fuel economy web site) we have an idea of what fuel economy you can expect, should you chose to make one of of these vehicles your daily driver.

The Subie and Scion feature identical 2.0-liter, four-cylinder boxer engines that make use of … Read more

A few years ago, BMW debuted a new, smaller SUV in Europe, suggesting it would also export the car to the U.S. But the X1 never made it to our shores as demand for the car in its existing markets took up all of its production, and the dollar fell against the Euro.

Those unfortunate circumstances seem to have changed enough, as BMW will now be showing off the X1 at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. Bringing it to a major U.S. show means one thing: the X1 will hit U.S. dealers as a 2013 model near the end of this year.… Read more

We've seen a lot of start-stop tech showing up hand in hand with turbocharging, direct injection, and partial electrification. What's its role in the foursome and when is it poorly implemented?

Come take a spin in the 2012 BMW 650i for a taste of the connected-car era that is well and truly joined.

The humble Nissan Altima may not stir up much excitment, but when the fourth generation burst onto the scene in 2007, its blend of value and performance was enough to give pause to the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. That was half a decade ago--since then both the Camry and Accord have undergone serious overhauls, leaving the current-generation Altima looking a bit dated. We're looking forward to seeing how Nissan plans to strike back in New York.

Automakers typically don't take too many chances with their D-segment large sedans, so we're not expecting anything too revolutionary where the Altima's power train is concerned. The safe bet is that the base model will be powered by a more efficient and slightly more powerful version of Nissan's four-cylinder engine, displacing about 2.5 liters. There will likely be a step-up V-6 trim level that leaves enough power on the table to give the Maxima and Infiniti G breathing room. Of course, a hybrid model is in the pipeline that should take advantage of the lithium ion electrification tech developed for the Infiniti M hybrid, albeit at a lower displacement with a stronger emphasis on efficiency than on winning "world's fastest hybrid" contests.

On the other hand, we do have a pretty good idea of what the next Altima will look like thanks to a trio of video teasers released via the automaker's official YouTube channel that show off the vehicle's front and rear ends, as well as a bird's-eye view of the 2013 model. Check out all three videos after the jump. … Read more

During a brief drive in the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth, we stopped for a photo shoot. But as CNET editor Antuan Goodwin and I circled the car with our cameras, the idling Abarth suddenly gave a vicious growl.

The engine decided a few extra revs were in order, resulting in a burbly rumble from the exhaust. The car was either camera-shy or annoyed that we weren't driving it.

The Abarth scorpion badges look pretty cool, but the first thing that will make you sit up and take notice of this Fiat 500 is the exhaust note. It grumbles loudly running at a steady speed. Run up the revs, then let them drop, and it backfires, which makes me unreasonably happy.… Read more