$46K Sport Sedan Shootout & 2013 Chevrolet Traverse/Buick En

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK!

JOIN US FOR A COMPACT SPORTS SEDAN SHOOTOUT AND FIND OUT WHO'S GUNNING FOR TOP HONORS.

PAT GOSS SHOWS US THE HITS AND MISSES OF TIRE ROTATION.

AUTO WORLD CHAUFFEURS US AROUND LAS VEGAS IN GREEN EYESHADE STYLE.

AND WE'LL CHECK OUT A TRIO OF THE GENERAL'S LATEST FOR STYLISHLY HAULING BIG FAMILIES.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... AND THAT IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM.

DAD, I HAVE A QUESTION.

YOU DO?

DOES THE ASYMMETRICAL TREAD PATTERN OF A TIRE HAVE ANY EFFECT ON STOPPING DISTANCE?

Announcer: THERE'S A BETTER PLACE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TIRES.

UH... GO ASK YOUR MOTHER.

Announcer: TIRERACK.COM CAN HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED AND HELP YOU FIND WHICH TIRES ARE BEST FOR YOU.

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.

John: WHEN YOU TALK SPORTS SEDANS, EVENTUALLY ONE NAME COMES UP, AND THAT'S THE BMW 3-SERIES.

AND WITH GOOD REASON, AS IT HAS LONG BEEN THE GLOBAL BENCHMARK THAT ALL OTHERS HAVE AIMED AT.

WELL, THERE'S BEEN A LOT MORE AIMING RECENTLY, AND SOME BRANDS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT MORE ACCURATE.

SO WE PUT SIX OF THE LATEST SPORTS SEDANS TO THE TEST TO SEE WHICH ONES HIT THE BULLS EYE.

YEAH, WE KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH JOB.

BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE PLENTY OF OFFERS TO HELP FROM THE FOLKS AT CARS.COM AND USA TODAY IN WHERE ELSE BUT SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THE RULES OF THIS CHALLENGE WERE SIMPLE... BRING US A SPORTS SEDAN COSTING LESS THAN $46,000.

THESE 2013 MODELS COULD HAVE ANY DRIVETRAIN AS LONG AS IT CAME IN UNDER THE PRICE CAP.

SIX BRANDS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE, AND HERE'S WHAT THEY BROUGHT... FROM ACURA, IT'S THE STYLISH AND HIGH VALUE TL.

AUDI JUMPS INTO THE FRAY WITH THE POLISHED BUT POTENT A4.

AND OF COURSE THERE'S A BMW 3-SERIES, A 328I TO BE PRECISE.

AND MOTORWEEK 'S DRIVERS' CHOICE BEST OF THE YEAR, THE CADILLAC ATS.

MERCEDES-BENZ IS WELL REPRESENTED BY THE C250.

AND OUR FINAL ENTRY, VOLVO'S OH SO UNDERSTATED SWEDE, THE S60.

WE WASTED LITTLE TIME IN GETTING TO THE TRACK, SO WE WON'T WASTE ANY HERE EITHER.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS...

SPEED MAY BE RELATIVE, BUT IT'S ALSO MEASURABLE, AND SOMEONE HAD TO BE THE SLOWEST OF THE BUNCH.

AND THAT WOULD BE THE MERCEDES-BENZ C250 WITH AN 8.2-SECOND 0 TO 60, BUT ITS 1.8-LITER TURBO I4 WAS ALSO THE SMALLEST IN OUR TEST.

BEATING THE BENZ BY TWO-TENTHS IS THE CADILLAC ATS, DESPITE ITS TWO-LITER TURBO FOUR HAVING THE SECOND HIGHEST HORSEPOWER AT 272.

Jim Healey: THE CADILLAC ATS HAS A LOVELY CHASSIS.

IT'S JUST REALLY RESPONSIVE, YOU TURN, IT TURNS.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF LEAN, NOT A LOT OF WEIGHTING.

IT'S RIGHT THERE FOR YOU.

John: THE AUDI A4 ALSO SPORTS A 2.0-LITER TURBO AND HITS 60 IN 7.7-SECONDS.

Joe Wiesenfelder: I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THE A4 DRIVES.

IT'S REALLY GOOD ON THE STREET, AND ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD ON THE TRACK, TOO.

John: OUR THIRD FASTEST, THE ACURA TL, SPRINTS TO 60 IN 7.1-SECONDS THANKS TO THE ONLY V6 IN THE GROUP.

Jim Healey: THE ACURA TL MAKES A REALLY GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION BECAUSE IT'S COMFORTABLE, IT HAS A NICE SMOOTH FEEL, THE V6 IS A GREAT ARGUMENT FOR GETTING RID OF TURBO-4s ACTUALLY.

OVERALL, A PRETTY NICE CAR.

John: OUR SILVER MEDAL SPEEDSTER IS THE VOLVO S60 WITH A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 6.8-SECONDS, WITH ITS TURBO POWER, THE INLINE-5 VARIETY.

Brian Robinson: IT'S HARD FOR ME TO LOOK AT THE S60 AS A TRUE SPORTS SEDAN JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE.

BUT IT ACTUALLY HOLDS UP VERY WELL ON THE TRACK, AND OFFERS MORE PERFORMANCE THAN PROBABLY ANY OF ITS BUYERS WILL EVER NEED.

John: AND OUR STRAIGHTLINE CHAMP, BLASTING TO 60 IN ONLY 6.6-SECONDS, IS THE BMW 328I, ALSO WITH 2.0-LITERS WORTH OF I4 TURBO POWER.

Kelsey Mays: THE 3-SERIES IS ALL ABOUT DRIVING AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.

THE TURBO-CHARGED 4-CYLINDER HAS TONS OF TORQUE.

IT REALLY PICKS UP STRONG AS SOON AS YOU GET OFF THE LINE.

IT'S THE CAR THAT YOU WANT TO DRIVE FASTER AND FASTER.

John: BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN TRACK NUMBERS TO MAKE AN ULTIMATE SPORTS SEDAN, AND TO HELP US PICK A WINNER WE ENLISTED A LOCAL COUPLE IN THE MARKET FOR A SPORTS SEDAN THAT ALSO HAD TO SERVE AS AN ALL-AROUND FAMILY CAR.

AND AFTER ALL WAS TESTED AND TRIED, WE HAD A WINNER.

FOR A COMPLETE RUNDOWN OF SCORES AND SPECS, HEAD TO CARS.COM, BUT FOR NOW, HERE ARE OUR TOP THREE FINISHERS.

THE ACURA TL EARNED THIRD SPOT IN OUR CHALLENGE, WITH ITS 305-HORSEPOWER V6, THE PROVERBIAL GUN IN THIS KNIFE FIGHT.

BUT IT WAS MORE THAN HORSEPOWER THAT GARNERED IT THE BRONZE.

Brian Robinson: THE ACURA TL IS A BIGGER CAR THAN MOST HERE.

IT'S ALSO GOT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AND THE ONLY V6 HERE, SO IT CLEARLY HAS A FEW ADVANTAGES, BUT ITS PRICE IS ONLY MID-PACK, SO YOU DO GET A LOT FOR THE MONEY.

John: OUR SECOND PLACE FINISHER WAS A SURPRISE, THE VOLVO S60.

WHAT IT LACKS IN ON-TRACK PERFORMANCE, IT MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IN NON-TRADITIONAL SPORTS SEDAN ATTRIBUTES; LIKE EXTREME COMFORT AND CARGO ROOM, AND A PRICE LEADING $38,170 STICKER THAT WAS ALMOST EIGHT GRAND UNDER OUR CAP.

Jose &Jimmee Medina: OVERALL TO US, IT WAS PROBABLY OUR FAVORITE, JUST BECAUSE THE INTERIOR AND THE HANDLING EXPERIENCE WERE GREAT, AND WE HAD A GOOD TIME DRIVING THAT CAR, TOO.

I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT KIND OF POWER OUT OF THAT CAR, AND THE HANDLING WAS VERY TIGHT.

John: THAT LEAVES US WITH OUR WINNER, AND WE'RE SURE IT WON'T COME AS A SURPRISE, AS THE BMW 328I IS THE BENCHMARK OF THIS SEGMENT FOR A REASON.

IT'S NOT ONLY THE FASTEST AND BEST HANDLING, BUT ALSO HAS A GENEROUS INTERIOR, THE BIGGEST TRUNK, AND THE BEST FUEL ECONOMY AT 26-COMBINED.

Dave Thomas: THE 3-SERIES DOMINATED AT THE TRACK, BUT I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW GREAT IT WAS AROUND TOWN, TOO.

I THINK IT'S A BIG WINNER HERE.

John: BUT HERE'S THE POINT, WHILE EACH CAR IN THIS TEST REPRESENTS A UNIQUE TAKE, ALL SIX CANDIDATES WERE IMPRESSIVE TO DRIVE AND SCORED INSIDE THE SWEET SPOT OF WHAT WE EXPECT FROM A WORLD CLASS SPORTS SEDAN.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD NOT HAVE SAID LESS THAN A DECADE AGO.

SO, WHILE THE BMW 3-SERIES CONTINUES ITS REIGN, THE CHALLENGE FOR THIS BENCHMARK TO REMAIN SO WILL ONLY GROW STRONGER.

John: OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK CHRONICLES WASTE MANAGEMENT'S ALTAMONT LANDFILL IN LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA.

IN THE LATE 1980s IT BECAME A "WASTE TO WHEELS" PIONEER BY USING LANDFILL METHANE GAS TO POWER TURBINES TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY; ENOUGH TO RUN 8,000 AREA HOMES AND A LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS PLANT.

THAT PLANT NOW PROVIDES 'RENEWABLE' NATURAL GAS FOR SOME 300 REFUSE VEHICLES.

AN ELABORATE NETWORK OF WELLHEADS CAPTURES THE LANDFILL GAS EMITTED FROM THE NEARLY 3,500 TONS OF WASTE RECEIVED EVERY DAY.

Tianna Nourot: IT'S AN ENGINEERED SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, LOTS OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND SOUND WAY.

John: THE EAST BAY CLEAN CITIES COALITION HELPED WASTE MANAGEMENT SECURE FUNDING TO ADD A CNG FUELING STATION TO THEIR EXISTING LNG STATION.

CONVERTING LANDFILL GAS INTO CLEAN ENERGY SHOWS THAT NOTHING GOES TO "WASTE" FOR THE RESIDENTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

John: WHEN PLANNING OUR RECENT MOTORWEEK ULTIMATE AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE IN LAS VEGAS, WE CAME ACROSS AN INTERESTING ENVIRONMENTAL STORY PLAYING OUT BEHIND THE SCENES.

ALMOST LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF ALL THE VIP PERKS AND CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION IS ONE COMPANY'S BID TO WIN RESPECT BY BETTING ON GREEN.

WE WERE THRILLED TO HOST MOTORWEEK VIEWERS MIKE AND TAMMY BINDER FOR A FEW DAYS OF AUTOMOTIVE OVERLOAD BACK IN DECEMBER.

WE KICKED OFF THEIR TRIP OF COURSE WITH A VIP GREETING AT MCCARRAN AIRPORT, BUT NOT OF THE USUAL VARIETY.

WE WHISKED THEM AWAY IN GREEN LUXURY -- A FIRST OF ITS KIND CNG-POWERED LIMOUSINE FROM THE CLEAN FLEET OF MGM RESORTS CITY CENTER.

MGM RESORTS SHARES OUR BELIEF THAT AMERICA'S ENERGY RESOURCES NEED NOT BE COMPROMISED IN THE NAME OF LUXURY.

Cindy Ortega: WELL, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AT MGM RESORTS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS THAT THE CUSTOMER'S OVERALL EXPERIENCE HAS A BACKDROP OF SUSTAINABILITY.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WEAR ON OUR SLEEVE AND PUT OUT FOR EVERYONE TO READ AND SAY, "OH GEE, AREN'T WE ENVIRONMENTALLY GREAT."

BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE TRY TO SHOW SUBTLE AREAS THAT SHOW WHAT OUR COMMITMENT IS TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

OUR MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMERS ARE GENERALLY PICKED UP IN A LIMOUSINE AT THE AIRPORT, AND WE THINK THAT IS A GOOD FIRST REPRESENTATION OF THE COMPANY AND ITS COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

John: BUT YOU CAN'T JUST STOP BY THE LOCAL LINCOLN DEALER AND PICK UP A STRETCHED TOWN CAR.

EACH ONE IS HAND-CRAFTED, AND CONVERTING TO CNG ADDS ABOUT 30% TO THE COST.

MGM RESORTS INITIAL ORDER WAS FOR 26 CNG LIMOS, AND THEY HAVE SINCE ADDED 16 MORE AT OTHER LAS VEGAS PROPERTIES.

Ortega: IF YOU LOOK AT A LIMOUSINE THE WAY IT IS BUILT, WE BUY A LINCOLN TOWN CAR OR THAT TYPE OF A CAR AND THEN WE DO A PROCESS WITH WHAT'S CALLED A FABRICATOR, OR A FITTER, AND WHAT THAT PERSON DOES, OR WHAT THAT COMPANY DOES, IS THEY CUT THE CAR IN HALF, STRETCH IT WAY OUT, AND THEY BUILD THE INTERIOR AND MAKE A CAR.

AND SO WHAT WE HAD TO DO FOR THE CNG LIMOUSINES IS WE HAD TO BRING IN ANOTHER COMPANY THAT WAS ABLE TO FIT IT WITH COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FIXTURES.

John: FUELING UP ON CNG TAKES NO LONGER THAN A CONVENTIONAL GASOLINE STOP, AND THERE IS A PUBLIC-ACCESS CLEAN ENERGY CNG STATION LOCATED JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE HOTEL, SO CONVENIENCE IS NOT COMPROMISED.

ARIA RESORT GUESTS CAN ALSO RECHARGE THEIR ELECTRIC VEHICLES - AND GET A PRIMO PARKING SPOT- AT THIS ON-SITE CHARGING STATION IN THE HOTEL GARAGE.

WE APPLAUD MGM RESORTS DECISION TO MAKE SMART ENERGY CHOICES, AND WE BET OTHER COMPANIES WILL SOON FOLLOW IN THEIR WINNING WAYS.

John: TIME NOW TO CHECK THE WEAR ON THOSE TIRES AS WE ROLL ON DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat Goss: RECENTLY I DID A SEGMENT ON TIRE ROTATION, AND I GOT A LOT OF COMMENTS ON IT.

WE WERE DEALING WITH CONVENTIONAL TIRES, AND A LOT OF YOU SAID THAT MY METHOD OF ROTATING THE TIRES THAT GO ON TO THE DRIVE WHEELS FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CAR TO THE OTHER, THAT THAT WAS COMPLETELY WRONG.

WELL, I STAND BY THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY IDEA, THAT COMES FROM INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY VARIOUS TIRE MANUFACTURERS.

HERE'S THE DIAGRAM IN THIS BOOK FROM FIRESTONE.

SO, THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IN THAT SEGMENT WAS TIRES THAT ARE DESIGNED LIKE THIS ONE.

THIS IS A DIRECTIONAL TIRE.

WE CAN SEE THE TREAD WORKS IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY.

IT ACTUALLY HAS AN ARROW ON THE SIDEWALL THAT TELLS YOU THE DIRECTION THAT TIRE HAS TO TURN IN.

WELL, THAT MEANS THAT IF WE MOUNT THIS TIRE SO THAT IT GOES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, IT MUST ALWAYS STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR.

AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU CAN'T DO A PROPER TIRE ROTATION.

NOW, TO TAKE THAT FURTHER, IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE DIFFERENT SIZE TIRES ON THE FRONT AND THE REAR, YOU CAN'T EVEN SWAP THEM FROM FRONT TO REAR.

AND THAT ULTIMATELY MEANS THAT YOU MAY WIND UP WITH TIRES THAT ARE VERY, VERY NOISY LONG BEFORE THEY'RE WORN OUT.

NOW, WE'RE SEEING A GRADUAL MOVE AWAY FROM DIRECTIONAL TIRES.

THIS BMW HAS A NEW STYLE OF TIRE ON IT THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF.

THIS IS ASYMMETRICAL, NON-DIRECTIONAL.

NOW, ASYMMETRICAL BECAUSE THE TREAD ON THE INSIDE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE TREAD ON THE OUTSIDE.

AND IT IS NON-DIRECTIONAL BECAUSE IT CAN GO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CAR; IT CAN TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION.

NOW, THE WAY YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE: YOU HAVE THE DIRECTIONAL ARROW ON THE TIRE THAT ALWAYS HAS TO TURN IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY.

HERE WE HAVE "OUTSIDE" STAMPED INTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE, AND "INSIDE" ON THE OTHER.

NOW, ON THESE TIRES, YOU CAN SWAP THEM FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER; IF ALL FOUR TIRES ARE THE SAME, YOU CAN DO THE MODIFIED "X", WHERE YOU CROSS THE TWO TIRES THAT GO ONTO THE DRIVE WHEELS.

BUT IF THEY'RE DIFFERENT SIZE FRONT TO REAR, YOU SIMPLY GO RIGHT TO LEFT, LEFT TO RIGHT, ON THE FRONT AND THEN ON THE REAR.

IT MEANS THAT THESE TIRES CAN GET A LOT MORE MILES OUT OF THEM, AND THEY CAN STAY QUIET FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: YOLANDA VAZQUEZ IS BACK FROM THE ROAD WITH THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: IT'S THE BIG SHOW IN THE BIG APPLE, AS THE 2013 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW REVEALS SOME LONG-AWAITED WORLD DEBUTS AND A FEW SURPRISES, TOO.

THE MOST "BUZZ-WORTHY" UNVEIL WAS A RETHOUGHT JEEP CHEROKEE, MATCHING "ITALIAN STYLE" WITH A 9-SPEED AUTO, AND A LOCKING REAR-DIFF FOR THE TRAIL-RATED TRAILHAWK MODEL.

CADILLAC UPPED ITS GLOBAL STATUS WITH A LARGER CTS, SPORTING A NEW TWIN-TURBO V6 FOR DIRECT BATTLE WITH THE BMW 5-SERIES AND MERCEDES E CLASS.

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW, AUDI GAVE US A PEEK AT THE MUCH ANTICIPATED A3/S3 SEDANS, AIMED SQUARELY AT AMERICAN BUYERS, AND THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLA, WHO UPPED THE ANTE WITH A 355 HORSE CLA45 AMG.

THE THREE-POINTED STAR ALSO ANNOUNCED ITS FIRST EV FOR AMERICA, THE B-CLASS ELECTRIC DRIVE.

BUT THE SHOW'S BIG SURPRISE WAS THE RETURN OF THE CAMARO Z/28.

TRACK READY, IT DROPS WEIGHT AND ADDS A DRY-SUMP 7 LITER V8.

SPEAKING OF TRACK STARS, THIS SRT VIPER TA, OR TIME ATTACK, ALSO SHEDS WEIGHT BUT STIFFENS THE DAMPERS.

RACEWAYS ALSO BECKON JAGUAR'S XKR-S GT COUPE, WHILE THE SAME SUPERCHARGED V8 MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE NEW XJR SEDAN.

CARVING UP STREETS WILL BE FUN WHEN THIS UNEXPECTED SUBARU WRX CONCEPT IS REALITY.

IT OVERSHADOWED THE NEW XV CROSSTREK HYBRID, THE BRAND'S FIRST GASOLINE-ELECTRIC EFFORT.

AMONG NEW FAMILY PLEASERS WAS THE REVAMPED HONDA ODYSSEY MINIVAN ADDING A NOVEL, BUILT-IN VACUUM CLEANER.

TOYOTA'S ALL-NEW HIGHLANDER CROSSOVER NOW SEATS 8 AND IT WILL AGAIN OFFER 4, 6, AND HYBRID POWERTRAINS.

KIA'S QUIRKY SOUL KEEPS ITS LOOK BUT GROWS IN SIZE; AND THEIR FORTE LINEUP EXPANDS WITH A NEW KOUP.

OTHER NOTABLE DEBUTS INCLUDED A NEW ALL-ALUMINUM RANGE ROVER SPORT, THE PRODUCTION READY ACURA MDX, AND A TWEAKED DODGE DURANGO SUV WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

SCION UPDATES ITS MOST POPULAR MODEL, THE FRONT DRIVE TC COUPE.

AS DID BUICK WITH ITS FLAGSHIP LACROSSE AND SPORTY MID-SIZE REGAL SEDANS.

AND FINALLY, THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ARRIVED STATESIDE, AND WAS PROMPTLY ANOINTED "WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR."

AND THAT'S ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEW YORK AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: LET'S GRAB SOME CAR KEY'S FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS AND SEE WHAT IMPRESSES US.

AFTER YEARS OF DECLINE, MITSUBISHI'S SALES HAVE TURNED AROUND.

AN ALMOST CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING HAS NOT ONLY KEPT THEM IN BUSINESS, BUT RELEVANT.

AND THE ALL-NEW 2014 OUTLANDER IS THE BRAND'S BEST SHOT YET AT BREAKING BACK INTO THE MAINSTREAM.

STYLING IS CLEAN AND SIMPLISTIC FOR THIS THIRD GEN CROSSOVER, WITH ITS SMOOTH, SWEEPING DESIGN SERVING FUEL SAVING DUTIES AS WELL.

SUBTLE ACCENTS LEND A MORE PREMIUM LOOK, MORE SO THAN COMPACT LEADERS LIKE THE RAV4 AND CR-V.

INTERIOR FIT AND FINISH IS IMPRESSIVE, IF A LITTLE MUTED.

BUT COMFORT IS TOP NOTCH.

THE STANDARD THIRD ROW IS A BIG SELLING POINT, THOUGH LEGROOM IS JUST FOR KIDS.

UPGRADES INCLUDE A LOW SPEED COLLISION PREVENTION SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC BRAKING AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL.

A REVISED 166 HORSEPOWER 2.4-LITER I-4 SERVES BASE DUTIES MATED TO A CVT.

IT IS EFFICIENT, BUT WE LOVED THE IMPRESSIVE POWER OF ONE OF THE FEW V6s LEFT IN ITS CLASS; A 3.0-LITER WITH 224 HORSES AND A SIX SPEED AUTOMATIC.

COMBINED WITH MITSUBISHI'S SUPER ALL-WHEEL CONTROL SYSTEM, OUTLANDER REALLY SHINES IN LOW TRACTION DRIVING.

RIDE AND HANDLING ARE MORE COMFORT TUNED, YET IT'S STILL QUITE CAPABLE IN CORNERS AND OFF PAVEMENT.

NOW THEY MUST ATTRACT MORE BUYERS.

AND THEY'LL HAVE THEIR CHANCE WHEN THE $23,000 OUTLANDER HITS DEALERS THIS SUMMER.

AND WHEN A NEW CAR, THE TINY, 3-CYLINDER MIRAGE ARRIVES IN FALL.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE CAR KEYS FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS SOON!

GENERAL MOTORS PRETTY MUCH INVENTED THE LARGE 3-ROW CROSSOVER WITH THE 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK.

THAT LAMBDA PLATFORM QUICKLY SPREAD TO GMC, BUICK, AND CHEVROLET, AND THE GENERAL SOON HAD QUITE A HIT ON THEIR HANDS.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, A LOT OF NON-GM BRANDS ARE TRYING TO MIMIC THAT SUCCESS.

SO, FOR 2013, WHILE THE OUTLOOK IS HISTORY, THE REMAINING GM TRIO GETS SOME MUCH NEEDED UPDATES.

SO LET'S SEE WHAT THE "OUTLOOK" IS FOR THIS "BIG 3".

THE 2013 BUCK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND CHEVROLET TRAVERSE MAY NOT BE THE ONLY FULL-SIZE, SEVEN AND EIGHT PASSENGER CROSSOVERS AROUND ANYMORE, BUT THEIR POPULARITY REMAINS.

WE'LL START OUR TOUR THROUGH THE UPDATED TRIO WITH THE LUXURIOUS BUICK ENCLAVE.

AMONG THIS GROUP, THE ENCLAVE BOASTS THE MOST FEATURES, AND LOOKS THE CLASSIEST.

UPDATES INCLUDE A NEW INSTRUMENT PANEL, STANDARD INTELLILINK VOICE PROMPT AND TOUCH SCREEN RADIO WITH MUSIC APPS, AMBIENT LIGHTING, AND RICHER MATERIALS THROUGHOUT.

HIGH-TECH SAFETY ADDITIONS INCLUDE: AN INDUSTRY-FIRST FRONT CENTER AIRBAG, STANDARD BACKUP CAMERA, AND AVAILABLE BLIND ZONE AND CROSS TRAFFIC ALERTS.

THE ENCLAVE IS ALREADY THE SALES LEADER IN 3-ROW LUXURY CROSSOVERS, BUT BOTH RIDE AND PERFORMANCE HAVE BEEN IMPROVED THANKS TO A RE-WORKED SUSPENSION AND REPROGRAMMING OF THE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

EXTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS ARE FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE FOR A MID-CYCLE REFRESH.

MORE THAN JUST THE USUAL UPDATED FASCIAS, THE ENCLAVE GETS RESHAPED FENDERS, A NEW HOOD, AND CHROME SIDE MOLDINGS.

THE CABIN IS VERY COMFORTABLE, AND THE WOODEN STEERING WHEEL LOOKS AND FEELS GREAT, BUT GAUGES AND CONTROLS STILL SEEM A GENERATION BEHIND, AND WHILE THE AMBIENT LIGHTING IS WELCOMED, THE AQUA GREEN COLOR DIVIDED US.

OUR ENCLAVE'S SECOND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS WERE VERY COMFORTABLE, BUT THE SMARTSLIDE FEATURE WASN'T AS SMART OR AS EASY TO OPERATE AS SOME NEW RIVALS.

MAXIMUM CARGO ROOM REMAINS AT THE TOP OF ITS CLASS THOUGH, AT A HUGE 115.2 CUBIC FEET.

ON THE ROAD, THE ENCLAVE IS ULTRA-SMOOTH WITH BUICK'S "QUIET TUNING" TUNING OUT ALL BUT A LITTLE ENGINE NOISE.

MOVING ON TO THE CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, YOU MIGHT THINK IT WOULD BE A HUGE STEP DOWN FROM THE ENCLAVE.

BUT SAVE FOR THE ENCLAVE'S STEERING WHEEL AND TRIM, THEY ACTUALLY SHARE A LOT; FROM SIDE BODY PANELS TO HILL START ASSIST BRAKES.

WE ALSO FOUND THE TRAVERSE VERY ATTRACTIVE INSIDE, AND GM HAS ADDED LOTS OF SOFT TOUCH MATERIALS WITH EXPOSED STITCHING, AND AGAIN, AMBIENT LIGHTING.

CHEVROLET'S MYLINK APPS RADIO WORKS VERY WELL, INCLUDING ITS MANY VOICE ACTIVATED FEATURES.

THE ONLY UP-TO-DATE ITEM THE TRAVERSE LACKS IS PUSH BUTTON START.

TRAVERSE ALSO GETS AN EXTERIOR MAKEOVER, BUT ONE THAT PRETENDS MORE OF A SPORTY THEME THAN ENCLAVE'S LUXURY ESSENCE.

THIS FULL-BODIED THREESOME ALL SHARE THE SAME POWERTRAIN, A 3.6-LITER DIRECT-INJECTION V6 WITH OUTPUT BASED ON SINGLE OR DUAL EXHAUSTS, BUT MAXING OUT AT 288 HORSEPOWER AND 270 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THAT'S ENOUGH TO TOW 5,200 POUNDS.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE FINAL MEMBER OF OUR TRIO, THE GMC ACADIA, WHICH WE CHOOSE FOR TRACK WORK.

WITH A SLOW BUT STEADY FEEL, WE THINK THAT 8.0 SECONDS TO 60, AND 16.4 FOR THE QUARTER MILE AT 84 MILES-PER-HOUR, IS PRETTY GOOD FOR SUCH A BIG VEHICLE.

AND IF YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE SOME CURVES ON THE WAY, THE ALL-INDEPENDENTLY SPRUNG ACADIA PROVED MORE THAN CAPABLE HERE AS WELL; ATTACKING OUR CONE COURSE WITH CONFIDENCE, GOOD GRIP, AND FEELING MUCH SMALLER THAN IT IS.

ACADIA ALSO GETS A FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO THE INTERIOR, AS WELL AS THE EXTERIOR.

THE ACADIA IS BY FAR THE MOST RUGGED LOOKING OF THE THREE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR A BIG FAMILY HAULER, WITH OUR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ACADIA RATING 16-CITY, 23-HIGHWAY AND 18-COMBINED.

WE MANAGED 21.0 MILES-PER-GALLON OF REGULAR.

MAKING THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE A BIT WORSE THAN AVERAGE AT 18.3 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL USE WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 8.1 TONS.

WITH SUCH EXTENSIVE UPDATES YOU EXPECT A JUMP IN PRICE, AND INDEED, PRICES HAVE CLIMBED A BIT, RANGING FROM $31,370 FOR A BASE TRAVERSE TO $48,840 FOR A TOP OF THE LINE GMC ACADIA DENALI.

WE SURE DO LOVE THESE BIG CROSSOVERS, BOTH FOR THEIR ROOM AND FOR THEIR EASY TO MANEUVER NATURE THAT BELIES THEIR SIZE.

BUT WE DON'T THINK THEY'VE CHANGED ENOUGH TO LEAPFROG NEWCOMERS LIKE THE INFINITI JX AND NISSAN PATHFINDER.

STILL, THE ENCLAVE, TRAVERSE, AND ACADIA PROVIDE A WIDE CHOICE OF BIG FAMILY PEOPLE MOVERS WITH AN "OUTLOOK" THAT REMAINS GOOD.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN SOON FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , WHEN WE'LL HAUL AROUND ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY IN THE SPLASHY BMW M6.

THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT'S NEW WITH THE NEW SUBARU FORESTER.

PAT GOSS TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

BRIAN ROBINSON SNEAKS A RIDE ON THE KAWASAKI NINJA.

AND WE'LL GET MORE CAR KEY'S FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY TIRE RACK.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.