Lest Reliable cars of 2013 (Consumer Reports)

Unfortunately for Ford this list does not help them. Out of the top ten, five are made by Ford Motor Company. But then Volkswagen, which is also in Consumer Reports top 10 most reliable car companies, is also on this list. However, people love hatters, so I will not talk about how one bad apple does not always spoil the batch, but instead, how one bad apple means that every apple to come from that tree will be bad, always.

If a company like Toyota had five cars on this list instead of Ford, I would probably be defending them or not even talking about this article. So, I will do my best to be fare and non bias.

Coming in third place is the Mini Cooper Countryman. I honestly do not know what to think about the Countryman, so I do not know if I care or not that it is on this list. It counteracts the name "Mini" by being 14.5 inches longer then the Cooper. If this was the rally version I would be mad that it is on this list, but since it is not I can care less.

In second place is the Ford Escape (1.6L Ecoboost). I feel the same way about the Escape as I do about the Countryman. I think that compact SUV are the best cross of utility and a family sedan, so if a family car is not reliable, according to Consumer Reports, then it is not a good family car. You don't want to have to be worried about breaking down on a road trip with small kids in the back of the car in the middle of Nevada. I, however, have never been drawn towards the Escape, so since it is on this list then thats fine by me.

In first place on the list, is the Ford C-MAX Energi (Plug-in Hybrid). I have actually driven the non plug-in version (#4 on the list), unlike most of the cars I review, and its different then any thing I have driven. I cant say if I like it better then the Toyota Prius, which is the C-MAX's biggest rival, because I have never driven a Prius. I think that it is "funny" that Ford has other hybrids then the C-MAX, but both the C-MAX versions are on the list of least reliable cars even though the other ones are not.

However, since we are humans, not every thing we do the first time is perfect. So, when a list like this comes out, it can only make cars better, because it tells the companies that that car is needs to be improved, and not something that is already perfected.

Ford C-MAX Energi

Ford Escape

Mini Cooper Countryman

Italdesign Parcour Concept

The Italdesign Parcour breaks a rule that automotive companies have either been too scared to do or don't want to do it. That is you don't mix a SUV with a sedan or a sports car with an SUV. But it has been broken. And it was broken with the coolest looking piece of metal that has ever laid foot apon this earth. Backed by the Lamborghini and Audi portion of VW, Fabrizio Giugiaro set off on a child hood dream to mix a mid engine super car with a SUV type feel.

 The outcome? Well, the outcome you could say is the new Lancia Stratos, but with a Lamborghini V10, enough said. To clarify for those who don't know the legendary Lancia Stratos, the Parcour is a very fast sports car that can also go very fast off road. That's scary to think of driving a very expensive sports car on dirt, fast. But they seem to know what they are doing at VW because the Parcour can deliver all 540 hp through an all-wheel drive system on any surface. Its awesomeness does not stop with the design or the idea.

To make it possible for either a sports car feel or a SUV feel, the Parcour can be set at three different ride heights: 8.3, 9.8, or 13.0 inches thanks to hydraulic suspension. Thats not all though. To get better performance off road, the chassis incorporates two shock absorbers at each corner, but not how you would think. One shock is mounted more or less vertical and the other horizontal. The shocks are set up for a pushrod-style setup but there are no pushrods, instead employing lockable rocker arms for maximum suspension versatility. In the firmest setting, the rod locks and removes the higher, horizontal shocks from the equation. Raise the ride height, and the rocker arm unlocks, bringing all eight shocks into play. Instead of mirrors there are cameras, which makes way for an interesting aerodynamics system that pushes air close to the body and back over the Lamborghini V10. That air pushes the heat and fumes from the exhaust, which is above the transmission to keep it safe from off road obstacles, away from the car keeping things cool and clean. Now thats German enginering.

If VW brings this car to the public, I will devote all my free time and money into buying one of these, even if it kills me. Well, maybe not that extreme, but you get the picture. It looks great, sounds great, and is an idea I have been wanting to see in a car for a long time. Unfortunately in the world we live in it will stay a concept. But then, VW is the company that owns Bugatti, so you never know what will happen. Anything is possible if you own Bugatti.

(Both a coupe and roadster form was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.)

Jaguar XFR-S

With the release of the XFR-S, Jaguar has found their inner teen again. Re-birthed from the old man days, Jaguar is trying to appeal to a younger audience, and its self again. I'm not saying that Jaguars in the past 10 or so years were bad, but they definitely were not appealing to a younger crowed. With the XFR-S they have not just slapped on a rear wing and a extra letter in the name. Instead Jaguar has throughly morphed the XFR into a power hungry hooligan. They have done so by stiffening the front and rear suspension by 40 percent. They also stiffened the bushings and changed the knuckles. The have morphed the front and rear facias to drop lift down by 68 percent. The biggest change to the R-S, is the engine management controls and exhaust system, which squeezes 40 more horsepower and 41 feet-pound of torque of the already powerful 5.0-litre V8, for max hp of 550 and 502 ft-lb torque. Those numbers help propel the 4400 lbs sedan from 0-60mph in just over four seconds. Top speed is limited to 186 mph, unfortunately.

To me, this is is the coolest car to come from Jaguar since the release of the F-Type, and most of their cars. Other than all the other cools cars to come from Jaguar this is my favorite. It seems like, from what I've read and watched, its fast. Not only in a straight line but also up the mountain road. It is also a very appealing car. It looks powerful yet still elegant, like a Jaguar. It may be fairly heavy but its a Jag, so its all good.

Jaguar hopes that the R series of cars to come will be a competitor to AMG, M, V and Quattro. Its price tag is definitely more along those line at more then 16 grand more then the XFR. At a base price of $99,895 and only 100 to be shipped to the US in 2014, they probably will not be swarming us like Camry but we can keep our hopes up for 2105.

Spyker B6 Venator Concept

In April at the Geniva Auto Show, there were a lot of cool and exciting releases. One that did not catch my eye, unfortunately, until now was by the Dutch auto company, Spyker. Unlike the other Spyker models, the B6 Venator, and its sister model, the B6 Ventura Spyder, are not as crazy. Even though Ventur means 'Hunter' in Latin. It looks sleek and sexy, just waiting to be driven. The interior is still very Spyker, which means its like sitting inside of a 1930's stereotypical luxury plain but with the 21st century thrown in. Also there are almost no plastics used in the interior, unlike most sports cars. Instead of a key for ignition, Spyker throws in some aviation and adds a switch and a button to start up the 375+ hp V6 that is located between the driver and the rear axles. Even with large amounts of leather, the B6 Ventor only weighs about 3,090 lbs. I think this is the best looking car that has come from Spyker, and it looks like it will be the best performing car to come from them also. It seems like it is not some crazy product of an engineer's wet dream. Instead it looks civilized but it is still ready to pounce at your slightest move. I cannot wait for 2014 when it comes out, so I can drool while Top Gear does a road test. Until then we will just have to drool over these beautiful pictures.