The new Jaguar XJ is sporting a brand new engine and it’s a diesel one to boot. The XJ Supersport model has been praised for fact that it’s incredibly fast . . . just what you would expect from a Jaguar, really. This car can go from 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds, which should satisfy pretty much every speed demon out there.

Not only does the new Jaguar XJ sport a diesel engine, it also has some very impressive technology inside. The flat screen dashboard offers dynamic graphics, pulling up the information that you need. The engine computer will show you a variety of options to check out the vehicle setup and function, while it’s also easy to see the usual information and gauges, such as fuel, rev counter and fuel gauge, among others.

Though not as fuel efficient as some models out there, the new Jaguar offers some pretty good mileage, nonetheless. Drivers can expect to see 40 mpg on the highway. It’s so impressive that the police have their own version, albeit one with a slightly smaller engine.

The only problem? The Jaguar XJ Supersport is only available in the UK at the moment. American fans are pushing for the company to bring the hot new vehicle to the US, where it’s sure to be appreciated. At the moment, we can only dream of driving such an awesome vehicle and settle for the gas powered XJ models that are already in the country.

The 2010 Ford Taurus model has proven its value over the past several months. To many people’s surprise, the sleek car has increased 39% in value over Tauruses from the 2009 model year.

What contributed to that jump in value? The two vehicles are essentially identical when it comes to mechanical systems. The engines are the same and there’s nothing much added to the 2010 model. What did change was the exterior.

The 2010 model was redesigned inside and out, giving it a more modern look and jazzing things up a bit. The previous years’ sedans were somewhat blah looking, and obviously, looks matter when it comes to buying a car. How does that translate into value? Well, a 2010 Taurus is worth just over $7,000 more than the 2009 model. That’s a good resale value for a car that’s already a year old.

For those looking to buy a 2010 Ford Taurus, that’s not necessarily good news. However, if you’re looking to trade up to a more recent model, then it’s very good news . . . your car is worth more than expected! Not only is the car more popular, it’s also more expensive than previous models, which has also helped the value stay higher longer. Overall, the 2010 Ford Taurus is a good model to have in your hands, whether you are looking for used or new. This is one of these vehicles that holds its value very well over time, making it a sound investment.

GMC is offering a lot of deals these days. As an example, you can get a 2010 GMC Acadia for 0% financing for 72 months . . . not a bad deal at all. For those who missed the dealership cleanouts back in the fall, now is an excellent time to take advantage of the need to get rid of those older models.

We’re two months into 2011 and that means dealers want those 2010 models gone. With GMC offering special deals to help move the vehicles, it’s likely that we’ll see some more sales throughout this month.

In order to get rid of their 2010 vehicle stock, GM dealers are promoting the deals on the GMC Acadia, Sierra and several other models, all of which have special pricing and deals to offer. From low down payments to 0% interest rates and even cash back, there are plenty of choices out there.

How do you take advantage of these offerings? Your best bet is to do a quick online search to find the 2010 version of the car or truck you’re interested in. Once you find a dealership that stocks them, you’ll need to ask them about the incentives. These may vary between dealerships and with the various models, so it’s best to get all the facts before you buy.

For those who are hoping to find a cheap GMC Acadia or Sierra, this could be an excellent way to get hold of a brand new one, albeit last year’s model, for a good price.

Which cars should parents be looking at for their youngest drivers? While common sense says bigger is better, the experts suggest steering away from SUVs and toward a smaller, more agile vehicle, like the Honda Accord.

Just what is it that makes this vehicle so useful to teens? There are a number of factors that have to be considered when it comes to the ideal vehicle for a teen driver. These include:

Visibility. Many SUVs and trucks don’t offer the best visibility, so you want a car that has plenty of window space. The Honda Accord provides a full view thanks to plenty of windows.

Safety: Every parent wants their child to be safe on the road, but the truth is that teens crash more than more experienced drivers. Keep your kids safe by making sure they are in a secure vehicle that has top safety ratings and full air bags.

Stability: More and more cars have electronic stability control these days and those are good picks for your teen driver. This type of system helps keep teens from getting distracted and wandering over the center line or out of their lane. It’s good for all ages, but especially for new drivers.

Of course, the Honda Accord isn’t the only car that fits the profile for ideal teen vehicles. Other cars that are ideal for new drivers include the Mazda3, Scion xB and the Hyundai Elantra. Larger vehicles that are good choices include the Nissan Rogue and Kia Optima.

The Detroit Auto Show was an excellent chance for drivers to check out the new Honda Civic concept cars this year. The next generation of Hondas is going to be pretty impressive, from the looks of it.

The Honda Civic Concept Sedan is a futuristic looking vehicle with a slick angled front that incorporates the hood and the windshield into the same slant, giving it a pointed nose. The slightly lifted back end makes this sedan look like it’s about to take off, even while parked. The all new grille is pretty good looking, too, making for a hot new car for the future lineup.

The new Honda Civic Si model is another concept car with flash. It’s definitely more of a standout than the sedan version, but it features similar lines in the front. You’ll find that this is a sportier vehicle, however, and it comes in some interesting colors, including a burnt orange that will certainly be noticed on the street.

In addition to these two concept models, Honda Civic’s 9^th generation will include a coupe, two Si versions and a hybrid car, as well as a natural gas alternative fuel car. They are really going all out this time around and we can expect to see some pretty impressive vehicles in the near future.

The new Honda Civic line isn’t large, but it doesn’t need to be. With a coupe, sedan and two different performance vehicles, it has everything it needs.

The 2011 pick of International Car and Truck of the Year award was given to both the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Sportage this year. The winners were announced at the Detroit Auto Show last month and were proud to receive the award.

The Truck of the Year award went to the Kia Sportage and Hyundai took home the Car of the Year Award.  Both vehicles have earned their awards through careful design and elegant looks. Judges for the awards for the ICOTY judge based on performance, design, and these two vehicles made the cut.

The International Car and Truck of the Year awards were started back in 1996 and consist of 12 judges who decide which vehicles earn the honor of the award. Previous winners include the Honda Accord, Dodge Ram 1500, Nissan GT-R, Ford Taurus and the Volvo XC60.

Before 2010, the ICOTY awards covered a wide range of top vehicle awards, including top crossover, most respected, sedan of the year, SUV of the year and a wide range of other choices. These days, the awards are only given to the top truck and car in general. Cars manufactured anywhere in the world are eligible, as long as they are made available to the US market. The awards are presented by Road and Travel Magazine and announced at the North American International Auto Show.

This year’s winners, the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Sportage, are both top of their class in the world of new vehicles and the 2011 models have been well received by consumers. The awards were well earned.

People like safe cars and the 2011 Honda Odyssey just passed its safety tests with flying colors. That’s impressive, considering that the new standards from The National Highway Safety Administration are much harsher than the previous ones. Most cars are getting far lower numbers than before, but not the Odyssey.

With just 11 vehicles out of 50 receiving five star safety ratings, the Honda Odyssey is one of the safest vehicles on the road today, though it hasn’t been selected as one of the Top Safety Picks just yet, since the roof hasn’t been thoroughly tested. The vehicle took home five stars in front impact and side impact tests, and received four stars in the rollover. That’s still very good, since even a four star rating in rollover is a fairly good score.

Just how did the Odyssey get this score? Honda chalks it up to their all new Advanced Compatibility Engineering body. This new type of body is designed to absorb the impact from anything the minivan might hit and to protect the passengers from these impacts. As shown in the safety tests, the ACE system does exactly what it’s supposed to.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Honda Odyssey as a Top Safety Pick once the roof has been carefully tested. It’s rare to find a vehicle with such a weak spot when they’ve thought of everything else and it’s looking good for this quality minivan.

Unlike most other cars, the Infiniti M35 hybrid is biding its time and won’t be released for another month or two. It’s already received enough interest, however, that the car company is seriously considering further hybrid models.

Nissan designed the Infiniti hybrid drivetrain in such a way that it should fit all the rear wheel drive models in the entire line up from Infiniti. It’s not just an M series drivetrain, and that was good foresight on part of the company. This will make it a relatively simple operation to turn any Infiniti vehicle into a hybrid.

While there isn’t a huge market for hybrid sedans just yet, it’s not likely that will last. The 2015 fuel economy regulations will affect car manufacturers and consumers will be buying more and more economical cars, which include hybrids like the Infiniti M35. Chances are, though Nissan could easily turn all their vehicles into hybrids from the Infiniti line, they’ll wait to see just how well their first hybrid does.

Hybrid cars are still fairly new and while they’re improving rapidly, many people are still shying away from them, often because they aren’t sure just how good a buy it is. Other popular rear wheel drive sedans that are hybrids include the GS 450h and LS 600h from Lexus, the Mercedes Benz S400 and the ActiveHybrid from the BMW 7 series. This spring, the Infiniti M35 hybrid will join their ranks and we’ll see just how well it does.

To celebrate its 70^th anniversary, Jeep has come out with some special editions. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is just one of the five models that will be offered in a special version. The Jeep Wrangler , Liberty and other models will also be offered in a unique styling for this year only.

If you’re interested in owning a special edition new Jeep, it’s not that difficult. You can choose any of the five models from the car company and order it in Bronze Star, Bright Silver and Black. Each of these colors comes with badges that proclaim it to be a 70^th anniversary model.

The interior of these special edition vehicles is all in dark leather, Dark Slate or Dark Olive, and features Berber carpets, one of a kind cluster overlays and logos to celebrate the fact that it’s a 70^th anniversary model. Each of these fancy new Jeep models will have some special touches to ensure that they are more than just a fancy paint job, but something really worth investing in.

More and more car companies are coming out with special edition models and overall, these models seem to do pretty well. The Jeep Cherokee and the Jeep Wrangler are both very popular options from the line and will likely be the most purchased in the unique colors. However, Jeep has made it clear that each of their five models will be available in these new stylings. They’ll only be available during 2011, so if you’re interested, now is the time to grab one.

If you are looking for a lower cost vehicle, the Kia Koup is an excellent alternative. Not only is it thousands of dollars less than the competition, this sporty coupe is full of features that appeal to a wide audience.

The car manufacturer has always had the goal of providing vehicles for a younger audience. They’ve finally made that dream happen with the Kia Koup.  The car is a snazzier version of the four door Kia Forte sedan and features plenty of premium offerings to make sports car drivers feel right at home.

With a Sirius radio, USB jack and Bluetooth connectivity, entertainment is easy in this car. Add to that the other standard features like heated outer mirrors, audio controls on the steering wheel and even a trip computer that will help you get the best possible mileage and you have a top of the line car at a nice, affordable price.

There are plenty of options on the 2011 Kia Koup, as well. Everything from steering wheel mounted paddle shifters and push button start to auto climate control, heated leather seats and a navigation system can be added. For the true sports car enthusiast, a power sunroof is another option.

While the price is considerably lower than the nearest competition, by at least $2,000, the Kia Koup is still comparable in price and gas mileage. The closest competitors include the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Mini Cooper, among others. The Forte Koup is definitely in the same class, but at a more affordable price.