When I drove the 2011 Toyota Sienna for the first time a year ago, I was intrigued to find that Toyota would offer a four-cylinder engine in addition to the V-6. It begged the question: Is a 187-hp four-cylinder really enough to haul a fully loaded minivan?

The only way to find out was with a road trip. Toyota obliged with a 2011 Sienna LE with the necessities, but not much else. The $29,703 van included the $2,735 LE Preferred Package, which added remote power sliding doors, a power driver's seat, auto-dimming rear view mirror with Homelink, a backup camera on the dash, an auxiliary input and USB port for portable music devices, Bluetooth, and a few other goodies. About the only option lacking was automatic climate control, but otherwise the LE covered the basics nicely. Of course the main attraction was under the hood. With the four-cylinder, the Sienna LE has a 78-hp deficit compared to V-6 models, but it weighs the same. Clearly, this isn't a minivan for speed freaks.

Speed isn't really a minivan's strength. Road trips are though, and with the van loaded with two adults, three children, and a classic example of overpacking crammed in the cargo area, we were off on our 250-mile drive from Los Angeles to the central California coast.

The devil is in the details, or so the cliché goes. In the world of minivans, there was no better example of this than the 2008-2010 Dodge and Chrysler models. The vans offered up plenty of interior room, lots of features, comfortable seats, and other minivan essentials. However, they also offered cheap interiors, noisy engines, and sloppy handling. I drove a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country a few months ago, and although I Recommended it, it came with several caveats, including a suggestion to wait for the heavily revised 2011 model.

I hope you were listening, because I just spent a week in a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan (the Town & Country's twin), and it was definitely worth the wait. Through a combination of sound engineering, clever design, better materials and maybe a little holy water, the Grand Caravan's demons have been exorcised. The new van doesn't just fix what was wrong with the previous one. It substantially upgrades everything about the van, sharpening its competitive edge. It's not perfect, but what flaws remain can be overlooked because the rest of the van is so markedly improved.

When my wife saw the bright red 2010 Ford Transit Connect parked in our driveway, her first comment was, "What is that, a German ambulance?"
Had she asked "German plumber's van," she would have hit the nail on the head. As much a part of the European landscape as hilltop castles, the funky looking Transit Connect made its U.S. debut a year ago, mostly targeting smaller businesses like mobile dog washers and cupcake deliveries.

So why the heck am I driving a compact work van? Because of the Wagon model, which adds a second row of seats and side windows, transforming it into a utilitarian passenger van. The combination of a huge cargo area and room for five begged the question: Can the Transit Connect Wagon work as a family vehicle? I decided to find out.

Dodge was a relative latecomer to the crossover market, so there was a lot riding on the all-new Dodge Journey when it was introduced for the 2009 model year. On paper it had the goods: Five passenger seating that expanded to seven with an available third row; a choice of four-cylinder or V-6 engines; available all-wheel drive; plentiful safety features. it also boasted some clever touches, like a storage compartment under the passenger front seat, coolers under the floor in the rear, and even optional pop-up booster seats. It was even priced right.

But the Journey suffered from a problem common to all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles developed in the past few years: A horrible interior. And of the bad interiors to come out of the company, the Journey's was one of the worst. Not only was it simply unattractive and filled with ergonomic flaws, it was constructed of the cheapest-feeling plastics and materials around. Still, the Dodge Journey's strengths could very well outweigh its weaknesses, so I got behind the wheel to find out.

While the technology-laden 2011 Chevrolet Volt may be stealing all the headlines, the reality is that it's a limited production and rather expensive four-passenger sedan, all of which limits its appeal. For everyday fuel economy for the rest of us, Chevrolet is introducing the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a replacement for the plain Jane Chevy Cobalt.

Historically speaking, General Motors' small cars have been nothing to crow about. From the Vega in the 70s to the Cavalier of the '80s and '90s to the soon-to-depart Cobalt, the cars have been at best mid pack, but more often trailed far behind the class leaders. The 2011 Chevy Cruze, however, may change that perception for good.

It all starts from the driver's seat. This doesn't feel like an inexpensive car inside. The LTZ model I drove featured soft, comfortable, heated leather seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter, automatic climate control, and high-quality plastics all around. Most impressive was the panel on the dash upholstered in the same soft leather as the seats. Along with the contrasting dark/light brown colors, it brought an air of sophistication to a car whose predecessor -- the Cobalt -- was known more for its bare-bones interior. More about the 2011 Chevy Cruze when you click Read More.

If you'd told me five years ago that Buick would be one of GM's hottest brands, I wouldn't have believed it for a second. Yet here we are today, with Buick on a tear with models like the Enclave, the 2011 Buick Regal, and today's subject, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

I recently got behind the wheel of a 2010 Buick LaCrosse CX and came away quite impressed. The LaCrosse is available with two different engines. V-6 models compete against entry-level luxury vehicles like the Lexus ES 350 and Lincoln MKZ. Four-cylinder models like the LaCrosse CX I drove go head to head with sedans such as the Volkswagen Passat, Honda Accord EX and the Toyota Camry XLE.  It made me wonder: What does this big Buick have that those others don't? Click Read More to find out.