Porsche Cayenne: Even when sales are down, it's still good when average transaction prices span $50,000 to $150,000 and more.

The Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle is a sales phenomenon, but the GTS model is disappointing considering its $86,000 price tag. The five-passenger Cayenne is engineered with Volkswagen and is a spinoff of VW's Touareg. The foundation is sturdy and practical, built to be an ultimate car-truck for Volkswagen.

The BMW X6 is one of those design experiments that worked as a concept vehicle. Too bad it didn't remain that untouchable dream car. BMW boldly takes credit for creating a segment in which to sell its all-wheel-drive X6 Sports Activity Coupe. Except this coupe has four doors and four seats.

DETROIT – When I took a 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid on a road trip recently, I expected to write about the small crossover's great fuel economy. But the impressive fuel numbers didn't fascinate me as much as Ford's new in-vehicle technology offerings, which provided entertainment and information, including five-day weather forecasts and sports scores.