At $27-$35 grand, the new Buick Regal has managed to squeeze itself between two very formidable bowls of porridge.

On one side of the table lies the premium sedan. These big four-doors, like the Ford Taurus, Chrysler 300, and Nissan Maxima, tend toward bold styling and powerful V6 or V8 engines.

On the other side lay small luxury cars, like the Acura TSX, Audi A3, and Volvo S40. These offer lighter fare: zippy handling, premium appointments, and an extra helping of cachet.

The Regal, with its generous size, stylish cabin, and thrifty engines, attempts to bridge these two segments. But with buyers so clearly divided, the risk is that this Buick may only appeal to a few picky eaters.

On the plus side, the Buick offers a whisper quiet cabin that makes highway miles evaporate around you. Grab hold of the Regal’s chunky steering wheel and you’ll swear that the silky smooth leather was stolen from a Lexus.

Entertainment and technology options abound, too, with a USB port for music, Bluetooth connectivity for phones, and optional sonar assist or backup camera for tight parking maneuvers. At night, the mood lighting glows a sophisticated phosphor blue.

The trunk is enormous, as well.  If you can’t fit a week’s worth of vacationing in there, I suggest you book passage on a cargo ship for your next adventure.

But given the Regal’s premium mission, I was disappointed to find such obvious cost-cutting inside the cabin. Many panels and buttons had rough, unfinished edges and the faux wood and aluminum appliques looked unconvincing in person.

At the Regal’s base price of $26,245, these trespasses would be entirely forgivable. But at the $29,980 that my optioned up CXL test car demanded, I felt somewhat cheated.

As if to make amends for the sticker shock, the Regal CXL comes powered by a modern 2.4-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine that knocks out a frugal 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

Key to this miserly MPG is a 6-speed automatic transmission that allows the engine to sip regular unleaded while humming quietly near idle.

The transmission is eager to upshift, though, and it takes a determined right foot to elicit a downshift for faster acceleration.  And with only 182-horsepower on tap, you’ll need those lower gears frequently. Zero to sixty takes a leisurely nine seconds.

Blame all those heavy sound-deadening materials for the relaxed pace. The Regal may be as quiet as a library, but at 3,600 pounds it also weighs nearly as much as one.

Speed demons should opt for the Regal’s optional 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, which boosts output to 220-horsepower at a $2,500 hit to your bottom line. Fuel economy remains respectable at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway.

Fortunately, the hushed cabin and thrifty base engine makes the Regal a great highway car. I found it a smooth and confident cruiser, though the “performance-tuned” suspension did hop a bit more than I’d prefer over expansion joints.

All things considered, the 2011 Regal falls into an interesting niche. It’s nicer than a mid-range family sedan, more affordable than a luxury car, and more efficient than a big four-door.

If there’s a problem to be found with this Buick, it’s that thirty grand opens up a lot of possibilities in today’s market. The Regal’s price invites you to make a lot of tough comparisons and only you can decide if this stealthy cruiser is too hot, too cold, or just right for your palate.

Held at the beautiful Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the event was a debutante ball to introduce the striking and seductive Evoque to San Francisco’s most elite trendsetters.

As we reported a few months ago, Land Rover is trying something new with the Evoque. This is a Range Rover for a new era and has a much greater focus on efficiency, technology, and design. If the reaction from these Bay Area hipsters is positive, the company can likely look forward to sales success when the Evoque hits the road this fall.

“The people we appeal to have an entrepreneurial spirit and are very discriminating about the products they buy,” explained Andrew Polsinelli, Land Rover’s general manager of product planning. “You can’t define a Range Rover customer by their demographics,” he continued. “It’s much more about a mindset.”

Polsinelli says that Range Rover customers are looking to make a statement and he believes that the Evoque – daring, luxurious, capable, and environmentally sensitive – is the right statement for today’s market.

Finbar McFall, Land Rover’s head of marketing for North America, confirmed that this is the direction the company is headed: intelligent design that doesn’t require the customer to sacrifice luxury or performance.

Case in point: McFall boasts that the Evoque’s turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and lightweight construction will allow it to rocket to 60 miles per hour as fast as today’s V8-powered Range Rover Sport.

Judging by the enormously positive response at the party, I’d say that Land Rover is right on the money. The crowd swarmed the white show car as soon as the cover was lifted, with a long line forming at each door.

Waiting my own turn to step inside, I heard some attendees whisper concerns about the snug size. Fortunately, the Evoque’s cabin proved surprisingly roomy. Several NBA-sized guys were able to sit up front comfortably with head and legroom to spare.

The rear seats are cozy but livable, offering enough space for adults to relax and stretch out a bit. I met several moms and dads who were eager to ditch much larger SUVs in favor of the tidy Evoque. After close inspection, they assured me that the back seat was kid-friendly and that the cargo hold large enough for a diaper bag, stroller, and other vital parent gear.

Whoever is in the back seat will no doubt enjoy the gorgeous glass roof, which offers uninterrupted views of the sky. High-strength boron steel in the surrounding structure allows Land Rover to skip unsightly cross-braces without compromising safety.

One of the Evoque’s most controversial elements, the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, drew solemn nods of approval from the green-leaning crowd. Several people I spoke with expected to find a V8 engine under the bonnet and were pleasantly surprised by the company’s fuel-efficient choice. “I’m just waiting for gas prices to go back up,” explained one venture capitalist. “This seems like a very smart move.”

Based on the warm welcome from this hard-to-impress San Francisco crowd, it’s clear that Land Rover has much to look forward to when the Evoque comes to market in late 2011. Just make sure you’re not late to the party or you may find yourself stuck waiting in line.

But sales never kept up with the fifth-generation Jetta’s nimble handling. The Vee-Dub’s premium appointments required a premium price and most shoppers chose to save a few pennies and invest in segment stalwarts like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

With pressure on to triple sales volume by 2018, the folks at VW chose to abandon the premium path and take the road most traveled. The all-new 2011 Jetta went on a strict pricing diet and came to market about $1,700 lighter. It now stares down its rivals with a very competitive base price of $15,995.

To reduce price by that much, Volkswagen had to unleash a swarm of bean counters and engineers to get costs back under control. Their work was extensive but thoughtful and Volkswagen was able to retain much of the Jetta’s premium appeal while trimming away key items that were over-spec’d and under-valued.

Gone is the multi-link rear suspension of the fifth-generation car. Same for the expensive soft-touch plastics in the cabin. Even the rear brakes received scrutiny, with lower “S” and “SE” trim levels now leaving the factory with old-school drum brakes in place of modern disc brakes.

Enthusiasts and owners of the previous Jetta may notice a few of these cost-cutting moves, but shoppers who are new to the brand will not. The 2011 model is what Jettas have always been: a business class car for an economy class price.

Getting down to the nuts and bolts, this new Vee-Dub is a smidge larger than its predecessor and stretches rear seat leg room by 2.7 inches. That’s a mere 0.3 inches shy of the back seat found in the long wheelbase BMW 7-Series, the company notes. Trunk space is a suitcase-swallowing 15.5 cubic feet; half-a-cube larger than the midsize Toyota Camry.

Inside, the Jetta’s cabin is missing a few chrome accents here and there, but still manages to impress with high quality switchgear and controls that are clear and easy to operate. It’s a very tidy, smart place to be and a pleasant alternative to the space-age interior of the Civic and the dreary gray of the Corolla.

Spend a few extra bucks and you can equip your new VW with keyless entry and ignition, touchscreen navigation system, and bluetooth hands-free phone system. All of these features are nice to have, though the Jetta is not unique in offering them.

The only major disappointment is the abundance of hard plastic for the dashboard and door panels. These components sound hollow and cheap if you knock on them, though they are no worse than what you’ll find in the segment’s best-sellers.

German cars tend to come with a bevy of engine options and the 2011 Jetta is no exception. By the end of 2012, shoppers will have five engine choices in a segment that generally offers two.

The base engine – found only in the entry “S” trim level – generates a mere 115 horsepower and has 0-60 acceleration times that are a class below. You won’t find many of these on dealer lots, though, as these cars tend to exist primarily so that Volkswagen can advertise a low base price and lure people into their showrooms.

The engine that you are likely to find is a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine with a generous 170 horsepower rating. Acceleration performance is solid and the 24 city /31 highway fuel mileage bests the optional engines found in the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3.

Alternative fuel fans will soon have their choice of diesel or hybrid power, too. The popular 4-cylinder TDI diesel engine is untouched from last year’s model and achieves fuel economy in the mid-30’s while still managing to produce 140 horsepower.

There are few details on the gasoline-electric hybrid right now, though Volkswagen has confirmed that their system is a “full hybrid” that’s capable of running at low speeds on electric power alone, just like the Toyota Prius.

A sporty GLI trim level will rejoin the Jetta lineup in a few months, packing a 200-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The GLI will also boast a few cosmetic changes and a sport-tuned suspension that returns the missing multi-link rear suspension to the spec sheet.

If you’re clamoring for a Jetta with more cargo capacity, the SportWagen will receive fresh sheetmetal sometime next year. The current model offers nearly 67 cubic feet of storage space, making it one of the best family cars you can buy for the money. Wagons have a retro-hip appeal for young parents these days and we won’t be surprised if sales jump thanks to the new and improved pricing.

The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is on sale now and we’re anxious to see if the company’s new direction will resonate with buyers in this segment. Though the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are the most obvious competitors, VW must also stand out against the refined Chevrolet Cruze, lively Mazda 3, and handsome Kia Forte. And in a few more months the pressure will build with the launch of the all-new Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra.

With competition this fierce, Volkswagen is going to need all the fahrvergnügen it can get.

Nissan is in the midst of their nationwide Drive Electric Tour, which gives ordinary people a chance to get behind the wheel of a Leaf and experience firsthand the smooth, silent acceleration of an electric car.

Eager to experience the feeling, myself, I attended the event in San Jose this past weekend. Though my drive through downtown streets lasted only a few minutes, the Leaf made a very big and very positive impression on me.

By now you probably already know the basics about this car: four doors, five seats, 90-mile per hour top speed, and about 100 miles of driving range on a full battery.

But what those numbers don’t tell you is how remarkably pleasant the Leaf is to drive. Drop into the cushy driver’s seat and you’ve got plenty of head, leg, and shoulder room to stretch out. There’s ample space in the back seat for two adults, though three across would be a tight squeeze.

All in all, the Leaf feels about as big inside as the Nissan Versa hatchback, which is no surprise considering the two vehicles share a similar foundation.

Out on the road, the Leaf is an absolute pleasure to drive. The car surges forward with surprising vigor thanks to a compact electric motor that produces V6 levels of torque. Floor the accelerator and the smooth, uninterrupted power makes it feel as though you’ve been swept into a strong ocean current.

0-60 miles per hour will still take a leisurely ten seconds – on par with a Toyota Prius – but acceleration in the Leaf feels much stronger and more rewarding because of the immediate response and lack of engine noise.

And man, oh man, is the Leaf quiet. Think $90,000 luxury sedan quiet. Think pin-drop quiet. Think tyrannical librarian quiet.

Nissan has done a wonderful job deleting road and tire noise as the car motors along. All you hear inside is the faint whine of the Leaf’s power inverter rising and falling as you gain or lose speed; a charmingly futuristic soundtrack.

The silence gives the car a stately, luxurious presence on the road. And with the weight of the 600-pound battery pack nestled safely inside the center of the car, Nissan was able to imbue the Leaf with a refined ride, too. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a family car that can accommodate potholes and bumps with such grace.

Nissan’s mobile spa treatment is enhanced further by the soothing interior. Rather than build the command center from a science fiction novel, the Leaf’s cabin is clean and uncomplicated.

Cupholders are present and accounted for. The standard navigation system is easy to use. And there are no strange colors or buttons to interfere with your zen-like calm.

The only aspect you might find unusual is the new transmission shifter, which resembles a fancy computer mouse. But if you’ve ever driven the joystick-clad Toyota Prius before, the movements will feel entirely natural. Slide left and down to engage Drive, or left and up to engage Reverse. Push the button in the middle for Park.

In front of the driver is a futuristic gauge cluster lit up in crisp white and blue. Most readouts are similar to what you’d find in a gasoline-powered car: a digital speedometer, a temperature gauge for the battery pack, and a state-of-charge meter to show you how full the battery is.

In place of a tachometer for engine speed, however, there is an arc of small circles that light up to indicate how much energy you’re spending during acceleration or recovering during regenerative braking. The circles soon fade into the background, offering a quick reference only when needed.

Nissan also supplies what must be the world’s most accurate distance-to-empty readout. It adjusts constantly to account for your driving style and road conditions, among many other things.

You can even use the standard navigation system to see exactly how far that range will get you. And if you program a destination beyond your available driving range, the Leaf alerts you and suggests public charging stations along your route.

There aren’t many of those charging stations available right now, but Nissan says there will be about 12,000 public chargers nationwide within a year’s time. The company has been working with cities in key markets to plan charger installations and to streamline the paperwork required to install a charger at home, should you be so inclined.

In a sign of Nissan’s commitment to their new electric vehicle, the Leaf’s navigation system will automatically update so that newly installed charging stations don’t go unnoticed.

For maximum flexibility, the Leaf can also charge at three different voltage levels.

Nissan expects most charging to be done via a mid-range 240-volt power supply. This is the voltage that an electric clothes dryer runs from and Nissan claims that it is fairly easy for a certified electrician to run an extra 240-volt circuit to your garage. Most public chargers will also be at this level.

Charging a battery from zero to 100% at 240-volts takes about 8 hours. The idea is to plug the car in at night and wake up to a full battery. Or plug in for a few minutes here and there while you’re out running errands. It’s like allowing your car to scamper off to the gas station for a few sips while you pick up your dry cleaning and order a latte.

Yes, it’s a different way of thinking. But it’s one that buyers of this car will no doubt be happy to embrace as more and more infrastructure is rolled out. Don’t forget that Ford’s Model T went on sale in similar conditions over a century ago.

And if you do drive to grandma’s house and don’t have a 240-volt charger available, Nissan supplies a spare cable that can be plugged into a conventional 110-volt outlet. It takes about 20 hours to charge from zero to 100% at this voltage, so plan accordingly.

A new standard for 440-volt “fast charging” is also being developed that juices up a battery from zero to 80% in less than 30 minutes. This makes longer trips possible if not quite as practical as with a gasoline-powered car.

But as Nissan gently reminds, it’s best not to fixate on the time it takes to fill up a battery from zero to full. The Leaf will be a second or third car for many households, providing a way to get to the office and run errands without any tailpipe emissions whatsoever. Plug it in at night and you’ll always have a full battery in time for your morning commute. For these households, longer trips can simply be taken with the other car.

And at a nationwide average of 11 cents per killowatt-hour, those households will be spending less than three dollars to fill up that battery. The Leaf starts off at a pricey $32,780, though federal, state, and local incentives quickly drop that price down to the low-$20k range. And because there is no engine or transmission in the Leaf, maintenance costs will be substantially less than comparable gasoline vehicles.

So is the Nissan Leaf right for you? That all depends on how eager you are to jump into this new electric vehicle paradigm.

What we can tell you is that this first modern, mass-produced electric car delivers what Nissan promised. The Leaf is a real car – not a science experiment or prototype available to a select few.

Nissan has built an upscale vehicle loaded with great features, plenty of space inside, and lively performance. And it comes backed with the support of a major car company and its network of dealerships. Once factory retooling is completed in another year or so, the Leaf will even be built right here in the US of A.

Maybe the idea of an electric car for the people isn’t so shocking, after all.

Honda once boasted a goal of selling 90,000 Insights during the vehicle’s first year on the market but was on track to achieve less than a third of that target by summer’s end.

Though Honda claims the Insight was never intended to compete directly with the Prius, the two hybrids share a windswept, five-door profile and are frequently cross-shopped. The Honda’s 41 mpg rating falls short of the Toyota’s 50 mpg, but the Insight is priced about $2,000 less.

To combat the Insight’s free-falling sales, Autocar reports that Honda will make changes to boost fuel economy. New software will triple the amount of time the hybrid’s start/stop system can leave the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and in the driver-selectable Eco mode.

The current software assumes worst case scenario conditions: five passengers on board in near-tropical levels of humidity. Conditions like these force the Insight’s gasoline-powered engine to fire up after only 30 seconds of rest so that the air conditioner can dehumidify the cabin and keep the windows from fogging. The new software extends the engine-off time to as much as 90 seconds, saving more fuel.

Honda’s new software will no doubt improve the Insight’s mileage in the real world, but it’s unlikely that this change will have a positive impact on the official EPA rating that appears on the Monroney Label window sticker. Those government test procedures require all vehicles to run in default mode, effectively rendering the Eco mode off-limits.

While the Insight’s new software will be nice to have for owners trying to maximize their fuel savings, it’s unlikely to steal many sales away from the popular Prius.

The Blue Oval’s new compact car will hit the tarmac this spring in sedan and hatchback form, with a starting price of $16,270. Based on our test drive of the hugely impressive 2011 Fiesta subcompact, we expect great things from this new Focus.

We had a chance to take a sneak peek at the new car at last year’s New York Auto Show and were smitten by the energetic design. With its angry trapezoidal grille and chiseled lines, the Focus sedan and hatch are easily the most aggressive looking cars in a segment that’s long been dominated by the staid Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Inside, Ford has loaded up the car with a long list of standard features. You’ll find power locks, windows, and mirrors on the comfort side and a full complement of air bags and electronic stability control on the safety side.

For $995, you can add a Sony audio system and MyFord Touch with enormous 8-inch color touchscreen display. A $1,395 Premium Package adds leather, rain-sensing windshield wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels and a few other goodies. There will even be a $695 Parking Technology Package that can automatically parallel park your Focus for you, trumping most luxury cars in the process.

Those features do add up, though. We loaded up a Focus hatchback with the Titanium package and every goodie we could find and ended up at $28,555. We’ll have more real-world pricing information for you car-shoppers once the new Focus launches and TrueCar can tell us what people around the country are actually paying at the dealership. Stay tuned.

Under hood is a new 2.0-liter engine that’s been fitted with Ford’s Ti-VCT technology, an advanced feature that boosts power, responsiveness, and fuel economy.

Final horsepower and mileage figures have not yet been released, but we’ve sampled this technology in the Fiesta and were mighty impressed with the results. We’re expecting about 150-160 horsepower and 35-38 miles per gallon on the highway.

How will you outfit your 2012 Focus? Sedan or hatchback? Automatic or manual? We’ll take our hatch loaded in Tuxedo Black Metallic, please!

The car leaps forward with supernatural urgency, swatting you back like an angry horse trying to throw its rider. The 5.6-liter V8 engine hits its stride a moment later and lets loose an angry bellow as you sink deeper and deeper into the thick padding.

Behind you, rear tires strain against 420 unrelenting horsepower as the traction control system meters out maximum thrust. Tick tock. The seven-speed transmission shifts into second gear and mild panic sets in as you realize that you, too, are having trouble keeping pace with the blurring scenery.

This two-ton executive express is on a collision course with the horizon but panic turns to exhilaration as you finally embrace the power and take inventory of all that’s happening. The M56 is brutal, composed, and still accelerating very hard at this point.

The speedometer needle sprints past sixty and it’s time to ease off the throttle. You linger a moment longer to savor the polished roar of the engine and then all is quiet.

Whew.

Infiniti calls this ‘Inspired Performance.’ Whatever it is, I wanted more of it after my test drive of the M56 in the rolling hills of Napa, California.

Resist the urge to mash the throttle at every traffic light and the M56 is lavishly serene. This is a luxury sports sedan, after all, and there is no shortage of refinement or comfort. The M56 is happy to whisk you and your passengers from penthouse to art house, gracefully accommodating potholes and bumps in the road with a supple ride and silky-smooth shifts.

The cabin in this new Infiniti is just as elegant as the engine is ballistic. Warm and contemporary, the interior features beautiful materials and a soft-touch dash that swoops elegantly from driver to passenger.

Step up to the Deluxe Touring package and you’ll be treated to white ash wood trim that has been dusted with actual silver powder. The effect is stunning in person and you’d be hard pressed to find nicer veneer this side of a Bentley.

Infiniti offers the M in four models, beginning with the V6-engined, 330-horsepower M37 at $46,500. The M56 with aforementioned 420-horsepower V8 engine starts at $57,900. All-wheel drive is available with either engine and comes on the M37x and M56x. A fully-loaded M56x with every option box checked will top out just north of $68,000.

And if you can wait just a few more months, a new M35 Hybrid is set to debut featuring an all-new hybrid powertrain of Infiniti’s own design. The company promises the fuel economy of a 4-cylinder compact car and the power of a V8 engine. Pricing for the M35 Hybrid should fall somewhere in the middle of the M range.

No, it isn’t cheap. But so far as big luxury sedans go, the Infiniti M is well priced and loaded with features.

Looking beyond price, I found the Infiniti M nearest to the BMW 5-Series in feel. But where the 5-er can sometimes feel cool and detached as it goes about its business, the Infiniti is very warm-blooded. Both cars are extremely capable, but the M feels more playful and eager to flex its muscles.

The Infiniti’s design may not have the charm of the immense charm of the Jaguar XF but it is nonetheless very striking in person. The front view is my favorite, with swept back headlights and a pursed mouth that gives the car a coy serpentine grin.

There are hints of Infiniti’s seductive Essence concept car, too, in the sinewy character lines that grace the profile. Handsome 18-inch wheels come as standard equipment. The optional Sport package adds a tighter suspension and dramatic 20-inch wheels that bulge inside the fenders like the biceps of a heavyweight fighter.

As you’d expect from a luxury car of this caliber, there are gadgets galore. Like the Six Million Dollar Man, the 2011 Infiniti M56 uses technology in a way that makes it better, stronger, faster. And like Colonel Steve Austin, the end result is organic and natural in operation.

Case in point: the M’s new Forest Air system alternates fan speed and temperature from the air conditioning system to simulate the gentle breeze of a forest. It sounds fluffy and cute on the surface but is based on extensive research that shows that driver fatigue is reduced when the system is active.

Call it better living through science.

Infiniti has been at the forefront of high-tech “active” safety features for several years now, being the first brand in the US to debut a Lane Departure Warning system that watched the road ahead and alerted drivers if the vehicle drifted out of its lane.

The company’s engineers have no doubt been hard at work since then, as the M sedan now features LDW, LDP, DCA, IBW, IBA, FCW, BSW, and BSI. Don’t let the alphabet soup of acronyms scare you away, though, because these new features are largely m’mm m’mm good.

Lane Departure Warning has become Lane Departure Prevention. Drift out of your lane unintentionally and the system alerts you with a chime and then gently applies the brakes on the opposite side of the car to tug you back. I expected LDP to feel spooky out on the road but Infiniti has tuned the system so well that the intervention was subtle and comforting, like an electronic guardian angel.

Blind Spot Warning and Blind Spot Intervention act similarly, using radar sensors to watch out for approaching cars in your blind spot. Veer toward another car inadvertently and the system can tug at the brakes just like Lane Departure Prevention to keep you from side-swiping the other motorist. Very cool.

The other systems use a front-facing laser rangefinder to operate everything from the Intelligent Cruise Control – which can now bring the car to a full stop in heavy traffic – to a Forward Collision Warning and Intelligent Brake Assist that can alert a driver to an impending collision and even apply the brakes on their own to mitigate damage.

This new M sedan is undoubtedly the best Infiniti yet. It’s appointments, performance, and technology are first class. But it’s the artful way the M56 ties everything together that makes this car feel truly special.

Just make sure you’ve got plenty of open road in front of you before you let the car stretch its legs.

As if winning multiple Super Bowls and being QB for the Patriots wasn’t enough, the guy had to go ahead and marry your favorite supermodel, Gisele.

Sorry to disappoint, but Tom Brady’s life is even sweeter than you thought. When he’s not on the gridiron or hanging out with his stunning wife, he gets to drive free luxury vehicles from Audi through a sponsorship deal the automaker has with Brady’s favorite charity, Best Buddies.

After crashing his VIP loaner in September, Mr. Brady’s newest runabout is the striking 2011 Audi A8, an $80,000 luxury sedan that’s so advanced it can literally read your handwriting. Yes, really.

The weekend car is better yet.  It’s Audi’s exotic R8 sports car – the same speedster that Robert Downey Jr. piloted as Tony Stark in Iron Man.  The R8 looks like it’s from another planet and can run from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds if you can afford the $115,000 price tag.

If you can’t secure an endorsement deal of your own, you can get nearly all the style of Mr. Brady’s wild rides for thousands less if you know where to shop.  Instead of the ultra-luxe A8, shoot for the baby brother Audi A4, which offers similar style in a smaller package. In lieu of the R8 exotic, you can get your kicks in the very handsome 354-horsepower S5 coupe.

And if all else fails, I hear that Bridget Moynahan is still single.

Ford’s just-released 2011 Fiesta promises to inject some fun into this ultra-practical class. Their new hatchback and sedan are easily the most emotional choices in the segment, combining sharp styling with lively handling and cutting edge technology.

The formula has been a hit in Europe, with the Fiesta racking up numerous Car of the Year awards and sales records since its launch for the 2009 model year. But will good looks and a long list of features be enough to win the hearts and wallets of American consumers on this side of the pond?

Here at Honk HQ, we’ve been wanting to wrap our hands around the Fiesta’s thick-rimmed steering wheel for quite some time. The company’s Fiesta Movement advertising campaign went into play 18 months before the car even came to the US and quickly wrote the book on how car companies can use social media to get the word out.

Thanks to clever YouTube videos and cheeky Twitter accounts, an estimated 38% of Americans under the age of 30 knew of the car before it even went on sale. Yowzahs.

With so much buildup, the Honk team was practically salivating by the time Ford was able to loan us a Fiesta for a week of testing. A hatchback model slathered in sunny Yellow Blaze Metallic paint arrived at our office in downtown San Francisco loaded up with push button ignition, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, mood lighting, 16-inch alloy wheels, and Ford’s excellent voice-activated SYNC system.

The only option boxes left unchecked were for a power sunroof, leather seats, and Ford’s new PowerShift automatic transmission, which can nudge fuel economy to a hybrid-like 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Even with all the fancy tech features, our Fiesta carried a sticker price of only $18,215. Factor in the wallet-friendly fuel economy and it’s clear that this Ford is a phenomenal value.

Despite being an American car, the Fiesta feels decidedly European. The suspension is taut and there’s a reassuring heft to all the controls. Even the doors shut with a pleasing thunk. All this refinement adds up to a Fiesta that feels and drives like a much more expensive car.

I scored the first stint behind the wheel and decided to head north to the Golden Gate Bridge. Squirting my way around downtown traffic was devilish fun thanks to the Fiesta’s impish size and agile handling. This car loves to play and I was grinning ear to ear before I even reached Market Street.

It wasn’t just me who was smiling, either. The little yellow Fiesta was a hit everywhere I went, drawing admiring stares and thumbs up from people all over the city.

One woman shouted, “That is a VERY cool car!” as she jogged past at a traffic light. Two cabbies gave me a thumbs up and one elementary age kid snapped a photo from the back of his dad’s car.

The only other car I’ve driven that attracted this much attention was the uber-charming Mini Cooper, which typically retails for thousands more.

After a few miles of celebrity treatment in the Fiesta, I started to wonder if maybe Ford had built more than just a car. The mango-colored hatchback was starting to feel like a 120-horsepower goodwill ambassador.

Back at the office, the Ford continued to impress. Dave took the car for a spin up the winding road to Twin Peaks and declared the Fiesta, “a pleasure to drive.”

Ali played with the SYNC system and remarked, “it was neat to play my music and make calls through the dashboard without ever taking my phone out of my pocket.” Katie agreed on the value of SYNC, noting, “If I were in the market for a new car today, I’d probably buy a Ford just for that alone.”

On my next stint in the car, I cruised down to San Jose and found that our manual transmission-equipped Fiesta had no problem achieving its government rating of 37 miles per gallon. There was sufficient power to merge and pass, though as with most entry-level cars, the Fiesta’s cabin does fill with engine noise at highway speeds.

With four average-size adults in the car, the Fiesta’s back seat is tight but not terrible. Rear occupants will be fine for a half-day road trip but you should think twice before loading up for a cross-country jaunt. Cargo space is excellent for the class, though, with generous trunk space and standard fold-down rear seats.

In short, this car delivers the goods. It’s smart, fashionable, eco-conscious, tech-savvy, high-quality, and loads of fun.

Ford’s new entry adds a level of style and sophistication that others in the segment simply cannot match. The Honda Fit may hold more cargo and the Nissan Versa may afford more legroom, but neither can match the Fiesta’s charm and joie de vivre.

The Fiesta is the kind of car you want to drive. And if you’re anything like me, that’s all the math you need.

We’re told that the vehicle is about the same size as today’s M-Class, though you can expect Mercedes to adopt new engines under the hood. Car shoppers will be pleased to know that both the V6 and V8 engines will offer more power and significantly better fuel economy.

At a press event earlier this year, Mercedes said to expect 306-horsepower and 24-percent better fuel economy from their new 3.5-liter V6. The new 4.7-liter V8 has been turbocharged to produce 435-horsepower with 22-percent better fuel economy.

It’s worth noting that most of those mileage gains are the result of a new stop/start system that shuts off the engine when the vehicle is not moving. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the system will make it to the US because of concerns over cost and whether or not government fuel economy ratings will give enough credit to the system.

Inside, we’re expecting Mercedes to equip the new ML with it’s latest generation of active safety equipment. Several new or improved technologies like Blind Spot Assist, Distronic Plus, and Attention Assist are available now on the E-Class family and it’s likely that they will make their way into the new ML when it hits the market next year.