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Goldilocks never had it so hard.

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.

Some parties you just don’t want to miss. So when Land Rover called with a last-minute invitation to see the red-hot new Range Rover Evoque in person, I eagerly cleared my calendar.

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.

Volkswagen executives are probably wishing they had toned down the hubris a few years ago. Back then, they touted the compact Jetta as a legitimate competitor to entry level sports sedans like the Acura TSX and Audi A4.

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.

After so many years of anticipation, it’s hard to believe that we’re only a few weeks away from Nissan’s first mass-produced electric vehicle going on sale. The first 20,000 cars are already spoken for but that hasn’t stopped the company from reaching out to more potential customers.

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.

It’s fair to say that the Honda Insight has not been living up to expectations. Despite excellent fuel economy and a futuristic interior, Honda’s compact hybrid hasn’t done much to dent sales of its major rival, the Toyota Prius.

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.