1. Improved CVT. The usual continuously variable transmission is rather noisy and doesn’t improve the performance of a vehicle much, but in the new Nissan Altima, you’ll find that they have perfected the CVT and turned it into a rather efficient way to boost the 2.5 L four cylinder engine.

2. Good looks. There’s nothing shabby about the Altima and just because it hasn’t seen an update in a while doesn’t mean it looks old . . . quite the opposite, in fact. The last redesign gave the vehicle the lines to look good for at least a decade and the car is living up to that.

3. Impressive performance. This car is designed to be efficient, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any punch. For a mid-size sedan, it’s pretty fast, accelerating from 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. It also handles very nicely and the brakes are pretty good, too.

Overall, there are plenty of reasons you might consider trying the Nissan Altima as a possibility for your next vehicles. It’s been honed to perfection and is ready to go places, even without a major redesign in the works.

It’s obvious that the new Ford Fusion has a whole new front end, with more triangular lights in place for headlights. There are new lines along the side of the vehicle, as well, which add a more streamlined look to the whole thing. With a slightly raised back end, this is obviously a performance vehicle.

Speculation suggests that there are solar panels on the roof of the new Ford Fusion, which was spotted driving around with a top cover, preventing a good view of the roof. That can only mean the company is hiding something new and improved there.

What we do know for sure is that the car manufacturer has developed a next generation powertrain to make the car more efficient and to save on fuel. The back end of the vehicle is also camoflauged, so we assume some serious reworking has gone on there, as well. Overall, it’s a good looking car and will definitely make a splash, even if we have to wait another couple of years. The 2013 Ford Fusion looks like it’s going to undergo a few more changes before its release date, so stay tuned for updates.

While there are a few complaints about the sport sedan model, such as the fact that its safety features only work at high speeds, the vehicle is a well liked one overall. It includes a voice command system, which many feel is just a little too difficult to use as it requires extra attention to keep it functioning well. However, the vehicle can handle up to seven passengers and while it is certainly functional, you might not expect it to be a good choice for off roading, but this is a sedan that can hold its own on just about any terrain.

The Acura MDX Advance features quite a bit of technology, but the best part is under the hood. You’ll find the same 2.7 L V6 engine in this vehicle that is used in the TL and the TSX models from Acura. Since the MDX is heavier than either of these two vehicles, it gets a little boost, bringing it up to 300 hp. Unfortunately, this also drops the fuel economy to just 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The Acura MDX isn’t just a good looking vehicle, it also performs well and has a surprising amount of power under that sleek hood.

What’s changing?

Exterior: On the outside the new BMW X5 will have a more elegant flow to it, with character lines and curved surfaces. The current front grille will be replaced with a larger, more forbidding kidney grille and the headlights will be changed over to LED lights, a more energy friendly way to illuminate the night.

Interior: We don’t know much about the interior at this point, but it will likely hold up to 7 passengers, as the current model does. Overall, it sounds like this new model will enjoy a more masculine feel, inside and out.

Under the Hood: Expect the new ActiveHybrid technology with the brand new BMW X5. The 2.0 L four cylinder engine is diesel and has an additional electric motor that adds 17 hp to the 204 produced by the main engine. It also offers Brake Energy Regeneration to recharge the lithium ion battery pack.

Overall, the new BMW X5 sounds like a winner. We’ll probably start seeing prototypes on test drives later this year.

The Infiniti G35 is a great choice for a luxurious car. To ensure that you get a decent vehicle and not one that has a bad history, you will want to look for a certified used vehicle from a trusted dealership. This will give you the choice of taking a car that has already been examined and has a guarantee, something that you just won’t get if you’re purchasing private.

Opt for a fairly recent model year, if possible. This will help eliminate problems that are inevitable with age and you should still find plenty of options for an affordable price. The older the car, the more you will end up paying for it, so it’s a toss up between lower price and higher quality. Your budget will likely be the deciding factor in whether you purchase an older Infiniti G35 or a fairly recent one.

Audi Q7: Singer Katy Perry was recently seen in a black Audi Q7, heading to a plane in Australia. The Audi is a high level vehicle, but still quite affordable for the general public.

Cadillac Escalade: This luxury SUV is one that can set the bank account back a bit, but when you’re a celebrity, that’s just fine. Colin Farrell drives a dark colored one and he’s not the only one who prefers this top of the line vehicle. Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani are also partial to the Cadillac Escalade, as are Katherine Heigl, Will Smith and Jennifer Aniston.

 Porsche Cayanne: This hot vehicle is one that tends to be for the family members of celebrities . . . Miley Cyrus rides in her mother’s Porsche Cayenne GTS and Spencer Pratt’s wife owns a black one. Actress Sharon Stone has her own, however.

BMW X5: Eva Longoria rides in one of these sleek luxury cars, which isn’t surprising, given her love of all things luxurious.

All these luxury vehicles are worth it for anyone, but celebrities definitely know how to scope out the top vehicles for luxury rides and these are just a few of the favorites.

The students will be spending the next three years turning the Chevrolet Malibu into a more eco-friendly vehicle, competing against the other universities. Their choices include hybrid or fuel cell technology.

For the first year, university students will be working on a design for their vehicle. This will take the full year to design and the following two years will be spent implementing it. They will then test and tweak their ideas until they have a working prototype that can be tested by GM. Finally, the car manufacturer will put the vehicles from each university through a series of tests that will take around a week to complete. These are the same types of engineering tests that test to see if a prototype is ready for the marketplace.

The contest requires students to follow the same Vehicle Development Process that GM uses, to create a vehicle that is at once efficient and still appealing to consumers in terms of security and performance, as well as looks. Each university will receive a donated Chevrolet Malibu to work with. It will be interesting to see what sort of designs come out of the Eco contest.

Since teens are more prone to crashing, it’s not necessarily a good idea to spring for a brand new car. Keep in mind that a vehicle with just a couple of years on it can be a much more suitable car for your child. The price will be lower and it won’t be as bad if something happens to it.

Which models are your best bet for a young driver? We’ve already mentioned the Honda Civic, but there are several other models that work very well. Scion is one of them. This line was actually designed for young drivers and is available for a decent price, but offers lots of safety options that will help parents feel better.

The Honda Fit is another excellent choice, particularly because it gets 34 mpg and is fairly cheap to insure. The Mazda 3 is also quite popular among teens and looks great. It’s also quite economical in price and has enough space and performance to keep everyone happy.

When choosing a car for your teen driver, make sure you pick something like the Honda Civic or a Mazda 3 which will be better able to handle anything your young driver puts it through.

The EcoBoost technology has already proven itself in smaller vehicles like the Ford Taurus and The Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex, but these are all cars that can handle less power. A truck is usually the opposite . . . looking for more power, rather than dropping it. Ford has dealt quite nicely with this potential issue, however.

Rather than allow their half ton pickup a weaker model because of its efficiency, Ford added the EcoBoost, but included two small turbochargers to reduce the effect. The result? The Ford F150 is now one of the more powerful trucks on the market, with 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Not only did they do away with the worries that the vehicle would be less powerful, they boosted it enough that consumers are more than happy to choose this option . . . in fact, forty percent of buyers go with the EcoBoost engine instead of the standard 5.0 L V8.

The car manufacturer has also kept prices low, the new Ford F150 EcoBoost option is just $750 more than the standard engine and offers better mileage, better fuel efficiency and extra horsepower and torque, making the V6 an even better deal than the V8, something most people didn’t see coming at all.

The Toyota Camry has undergone some interesting changes in the 2012 model. A longer wheel base means extra space for passengers and the sleek lines of the car have been tweaked to make it even more aerodynamic. It is also available with a six speed automatic transmission, though the five speed is the standard. Its four cylinder engine is quite fuel efficient, no matter where you’re driving, getting around 33 mpg in the city and a similar 34 mpg on the highway.

While the Camry may be looking slightly different this coming year, the Toyota Sienna is also a hot commodity that has drawn many new customers into the fold. For starters, the look is quite different . . . it seems more like a crossover SUV than a minivan, which is definitely a pleasure to drive. It also features extra leg room and a full complement of airbags throughout the vehicle. The Toyota Sienna also offers two different engines, a 2.7 L four cylinder and a 4.5 L V6, both with some decent power.

Whether you like the Toyota Sienna or the Camry more, the fact remains that these vehicles are helping Toyota make a comeback where it once seemed there was no chance of the car company being popular again.