Join us as we test the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S at Miller Motorsport Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are only slight design modifications for 2009, with the major changes occurring behind the scenes with the new dual clutch system, PDK, that replaced the old Tiptronic transmission. The performance of the 911 has improved, getting 30 more horsepower from the same 3.8 L direct injection engine. With the 385 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 310 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, the Carrera S still managed to get an increase of two mpg, now getting 19 mpg in city and 27 on mpg highway.

To hear the 2009 Carrera S mic’ed up on the track, watch our video review:

For more commentary about the new 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S, please visit the Porsche 911 Forum.

The Nissan Maxima is back and better than ever. With the two version offerings, the Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, Nissan has reclaimed it’s place in a very competitive market with it’s flagship sports sedan. With pricing starting below $30,000, around $28,000, and not topping out above $35,000, a buyer would be hard-pressed to not consider the newly re-designed 2009 Nissan Maxima when shopping for a sports sedan.

The 2009 Maxima comes with the new 3.5L V6 engine that produces 290 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 261 lb-ft of torque at 4,400, an increase of 35 horsepower over the last year. Even more impressive is the fact that Nissan managed to add one mile per gallon to the EPA ratings even with this power increase, getting 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. But, if you are looking for a manual transmission you’ll have to settle for the only option offered, the revised Xtronic CVT™ with manual mode. For 2009, Nissan added a new “Ds” (drive sport) mode that is an electronic control logic, that enhances sport driving through increased acceleration feel with higher engine revolutions, automatic engine braking and maintaining engine speed during cornering.

On the interior, the available packages allow the buyer to customize the vehicle to meet their needs, while also incorporating things like the dual panel moonroof that’s usually only expected in luxury vehicles. In the Premium package, you can load up on technology. A few perks in the Premium package are the iPod integration, navigation system, climate and entertainment control panels in the back seat, and wood-grain paneling, whereas in the Sport model, navigation is not available and the interior console is more utilitarian without the wood-grain touch. The Sport model also does not have the 60/40 rear seat split but instead has a pass-through for your skis that improves torsional rigidity by 17 percent for stiffer suspension alongside the 19″ rims with low profile tires to provide a sportier driving experience.

But, to see how good the new 2009 Maxima looks both inside and out, and to hear the sounds of the new V6 engine, you’ll have to watch our car review video.

Click here for 2009 Nissan Maxima pictures.

Driving the all-new 2009 Nissan Murano, I had a flashback to winter, 2002, when a blizzard struck the Washington, D.C. area. My niece, who suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia, was having a crisis, and had to be quickly transported to Children’s Hospital in Washington. The only problem was the snow was so deep, even emergency vehicles were having a rough time getting through.

But I had a trump card in the driveway, as the advanced all-wheel drive system on my tester 2003 Murano, coupled with sensible driving, would take us all the way from Crofton, Maryland where my niece lived to the care she desperately needed at Children’s.

Fast forward January, 2008, and I’m in the new ’09 Murano in the foothills of Atlanta, Georgia. No blizzard here, but there were enough snaking turns to fully evaluate the road prowess of the second generation of the strong selling Crossover Utility from Nissan. With a totally revamped, more rigid platform, advanced version of the “Xtronic” Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and intuitive all-wheel drive, the 2009 Murano has the road savvy of the first generation model taken to the next level.

Styling for the new Murano is pleasantly evolutionary. Nissan wisely left well enough alone by keeping the basic dimensions within inches of the original. A dramatic new grille, fascia and headlights define the front. The side view is dominated by large fender openings and a defined “character” line. Available 20-inch wheels are a must have feature (they’re standard on the Murano LE trim), as they give Murano a muscular look. The rear features a redesigned hatch with LED tail lights. Dual exhausts with chrome finishers complete the fresh re-do of an already good design.

The first gen Murano enjoyed sales growth over its five year life span. The only real complaint about that model was the so-called “rubberband” effect of Murano’s CVT. CVTs enjoy variable gear ratios suited to whatever the current driving situation is. There’s no gear shift feeling like you have in a conventional automatic transmission. But the first model’s tranny seemed to wind up forever, kind of like rolling up a rubber band on a pencil and waiting for it to unwind, except it never did. Nissan has fixed the “flaw” by introducing the Xtronic CVT, which exhibits none of the quirky characteristics of the first gen unit. Shifts are seamless and well defined. Xtronic features advanced shift control logic with a high speed computer processor, offering shift patterns that adapt to the driver’s style and driving environment. Like to accelerate quickly? Xtronic remembers this and sets shift parameters accordingly. Slippery outside? Murano’s powerful CPU can sense this as well, tailoring shift points so you don’t get into sideways trouble. The new unit features more slick engineering that reduces overall internal component friction by 20%, a plus for better fuel economy. Overall shift speed is improved by 30% over the previous generation CVT.

On all-wheel drive models, Xtronic is linked to the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system that connects yaw, wheel slip and steering angle sensors for maximum traction and control. Torque is initially set in a 50/50 split front to rear. If conditions are ideal, torque is split 100% to the front wheels, essentially making this AWD model front-wheel drive. The system is variable, with no less than 30% of torque going to the rear wheels under tricky road conditions. The result, Nissan claims, is that Murano is more secure and stable in various road conditions than vehicles without AWD or even with traditional AWD systems found on other vehicles.

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Under the hood lies Nissan’s tried and true 3.5-liter V6 with a healthy 25% bump in horsepower over last year’s model (now at 265 hp). This engine is quiet, powerful and very smooth, and returns respectable 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway fuel economy.

Perhaps the nicest feature of all on the new Murano is the inviting interior. Gone are the days when buying a Nissan meant compromising on interior style and comfort. Cheesy plastics have been replaced with real wood and aluminum trim. Hard surfaces are now soft to the touch. Poor quality audio has been replaced by concert quality systems. An available dual panel glass moonroof brightens your road travels. A nifty, multi-function cargo divider pops up in the cargo area to help you sort out groceries and gear. Once folks find out about Nissan’s interiors, Honda and Toyota better watch out. With Mazda coming on like gangbusters, and Nissan raising its own quality bar, the war for number one in the Japanese car arena is sure to heat up.

The 2009 Murano is available in front wheel drive or all-wheel drive with various trim levels. Prices range from $26,399 for the FWD “S”, to $35,910 for the premium “LE” AWD.

Nissan refers to the upgrades in this terrific offering as”Murano-ness”. It’s a word that could become a standard bearer when defining the near luxury SUV class.

The Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster is perhaps the standard-bearer for the quadroon of small, sporty German drop-tops. It debuted in 1997, with a revolutionary power folding hardtop and styling that was drop-dead gorgeous. It was visually superior to the BMW Z3 and the Porsche Boxster, but not as dynamic in terms of performance. It gave up a little ground to the Volkswagen Golf-based Audi TT in the style department, but was a better performer with its genuine RWD platform. It was a Benz through and through, focusing more on style and luxury than on outright speed. As such, it became stereotyped as a bit feminine.

In a 2004 redesign, Mercedes-Benz has addressed all of the SLK’s shortcomings. Not most of them – all of them. It has shed its cute, stubby styling for something entirely different. Its nose is inspired by the McLaren Formula1 cars that use Mercedes-Benz engines, and brings the SLK in line with the SLR supercar, the high-dollar joint venture between McLaren and Daimler-Benz. In contrast to the old car’s slab sides, the new car is made of more contoured (and therefore more expensive) sheetmetal, giving the car a healthy dose of that visual massiveness that Mercedes-Benz has mastered.

Like the TT, the SLK was criticized for putting style before substance, and buyers looking for a driver’s car got into BMW Z3s, Boxsters, and Honda S2000s. The SLK now has the chops to play with those cars, with new engines and transmissions, as well as more traditional sports-car handling. It’s remarkably agile, considering the added weight that a folding hardtop mechanism inevitably brings with it.

Our test car was the mid-level SLK 350, which falls between the entry-level SLK 280 and the brawny SLK 55 AMG. It seems to be the perfect compromise. Its 3.5-liter V6 delivers 268 horsepower at 6.000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque over the spread from 2,400 to 5,000 rpm. That propels the SLK 350 from zero to sixty in just 5.4 seconds, and gives it instant torque at almost any engine speed. The high torque at low rpm is something you’d normally associate with a turbocharged or supercharged engine, and it makes the SLK 350 incredibly tractable.

Ordinarily the AMG models are the enthusiast’s choice, but the SLK 55, with its 355-hp V8, doesn’t come in a manual like our 350 did. Both the 350 and the 55 are electronically limited to 155 mph, but the 55 is only listed as .6 seconds quicker to sixty (4.8 versus our 350’s 5.4) and gets worse gas mileage (16 city/22 highway, against our six-speed 350’s 18/25).

Another stopwatch figure worth quoting is 22 seconds – the time it takes the SLK to drop its top. Or to put it back on, for that matter. It’s darn quick, and so quiet that it can sometimes lead you to take off with the process still in motion.

You can also watch the 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 Video on YouTube.

The main drawback to power folding roofs (aside from the added weight, which doesn’t seem to bother the 350 very much) is the restrictive effect they have on trunk space. But Mercedes has found a way to minimize this consequence – the SLK’s boot has 9.8 cubic feet of cargo volume with the top up, and 6.5 cubic feet with the top stowed inside. Most hardtop convertibles find their trunk space cut in half or more, but the SLK has an ingenious solution – the glass rear window swivels during the folding process, to match the curvature of the top panel. That makes for a much more compact package when stowed, and minimizes the practical compromises one makes when owning a car with such a roof.

Mercedes has also endeavored to make the SLK as much of a year-round convertible as possible. Our test car came with the Heating Package, which features a high-quality cloth windscreen, heated seats, and the killer “AIRSCARF” neck-level heating system. This does just what it sounds like. Hot air blows out of vents built into the SLK’s seats, activated by the push of a button on the dash. The combination turns the SLK into a convertible for the late fall, and that’s provided you’re not wearing gloves or a hat. If you were really determined and properly attired, putting the top down in the dead of winter would be OK for short periods of time.

The Heating Package was one of the more worthwhile selections on a long list of options for our particular SLK 350. ‘Storm Red’ paint added $700, automatic climate control was $710, and the six-disc changer was $440.

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The multiple packages equipped added a new dimension of luxury (and cost) to our test car. An appearance package ($990) added exotically named wood trim and upgraded wheels, the Lighting Package ($1,000) added Bi-Xenon headlamps, corner-illuminating fog lamps, and headlamp washers. The “Premium III” package was a monster. It added $4,850 to the SLK’s price, and included a host of luxury upgrades: Eight-way power seats, power steering column, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, the COMAND DVD-based navigation system, an infrared function to remotely open the roof, an ambient lighting package for the interior, and a Harman/Kardon surround sound system. That’s not even all of it, either.

After all that, our SLK’s starting MSRP of $47,400 had ballooned to $57,835 including a $775 destination charge. That pretty much removes the SLK from bargain territory. If it were our money, we’d skip everything but the Heating Package, as that is absolutely essential to the SLK’s character as a year-round convertible. Everything else is expendable, really. Power seats are less important when you don’t have a rear seat to accommodate, and automatic climate control is not essential in an open-top car with a very small passenger compartment. So, you can buy an SLK 350 on a budget for less than $50K, and that’s very good news.

We finally got some real seat time in the all-new M-Class–and it was worth the wait. The new Mercedes truck is everything the old ML wasn’t, beginning from bare metal. Where the old M was a body-on-frame, overweight truck with a leather-and-wood wrapper over sturdy but plebian mechanicals, the new crossover structure gives the M a refined nature the previous iteration could never hope to match. Where the old M had quality problems and suffered owner complaints for years into production, the new M is the product of a more meticulous Mercedes-Benz–having implemented stringent new quality controls on the assembly lines and sworn off the complicated electronics they included simply for their own sake. Overall, where the old M was more status symbol than sensible automotive choice, the new M oozes not just class, but competence.

Outside the change isn’t so evident; the new M looks a lot like the old, re-rendered in hi-def. The corners and bodyside lines are a little more creased; the trim and sparse chrome bits a little more defined. The saw-tooth grille insert is reminiscent of machined industrial equipment. Jeweled taillamps and HID headlights complete the high-tech theme. One thing hasn’t changed, though–that oversized, tri-pointed star on the grille is still suitable for Flava-Flav’s accessory drawer.

Under the skin, the M has grown up, too. Engine choices are mostly new or updated, from the bread-and-butter V6 ML350 to the tested ML500, with prices increasing concurrent to horsepower. We’ve driven the 268-horse ML350 model (at around $39,000 to start), and found it to be smooth if not exactly powerful. Zero-to-sixty acceleration is claimed to be an utterly adequate 8.4 seconds. In other words, it’s entirely sufficient for the soccer mom stereotype that we often see behind the wheel of these machines.

And then there’s that V8. The heart of the $48,500 ML500, we’ve enjoyed this same motor in a number of Benzes–and even in this second-heaviest of applications (the new R-Class ‘non-minivan’ is just a smidge stouter), it’s a beaut. With 339 lb.-ft. of torque, there’s no shortage of off-the-line grunt–and the 302 horsepower rating means the M pulls to way beyond our own limits on public roads (self-imposed restraint is prudent when piloting somebody else’s spanking-new luxury vehicle, especially a tall one). Even more go is available with the 510hp AMG ML63, but we figure in an SUV, enough is enough. The ML500 hits 60 m.p.h. in under 7 seconds, which even we never found lacking. (For science’s sake, we will reveal that the 0-60 time of the ML63 is said to be 5 seconds flat, with top speed limited at over 155 m.p.h.)

In true over-engineered Mercedes tradition, the rest of the greasy bits are more than up to the job of harnessing all that go. 255/55 rubber on 18-inch rims give grip suitable for sports-cars; 50-series tires on 19s are optional. Vented disc brakes of 13.8″ and 13″ diameter front/rear provide plenty of contrasting ‘whoa.’ The transmission is that famous 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic, which reacts quickly yet serenely to driver inputs, never really feeling stressed. And the suspension, comprised of double wishbones up front and 4-link coils out back, plus gas-charged shocks, is softly compliant on rough roads, yet far from tippy or floaty when pushed.

We didn’t go too far off road, but we’ve tested MLs before and found them more than capable of traversing rougher terrain than most owners will ever see. Still, Mercedes outfits the ML500 with 4MATIC full-time all-wheel-drive, so the truck can at least back up the claims its rugged shape makes for it. For extra off-road prowess, Mercedes further fits a standard hill-ascent/descent control system, ESP and Traction Control, and four-channel ABS with off-road programming for better stopping on loose surfaces.

Of course, your average Benz pilot probably never pops the hood, much less investigates the hardware under the car. For these folks, the true allure of a vehicle like this–besides the status afforded by that aforementioned badge–is the opulence to be found inside. And as you’d expect, the new ML doesn’t fall short.

You’d expect leather seats and wood trim–and you wouldn’t be disappointed. But you can feel the difference between Nappa leather from Italian bulls and leather from, say, Flint’s finest milk cows–Mercedes’ hides feel twice as thick and yet twice as pliant as your average cow skin. The wood, too, feels not so much like an appliqué as a structural part of the dashboard. Even the interior bits your average driver doesn’t often touch are high-class; the dashtop, for instance, has more give than some cars’ third-row seats.

For a mid-size SUV, the ML is pretty roomy, too. Clever packaging gives this new model more passenger space than the outgoing soft-roader, especially in critical areas such as leg-room and elbow-room. An 8-speaker standard stereo, tilt/telescope multi-function steering wheel, automatic climate control, auto up/down windows, rain-sensing wipers and ambient lighting round out the best of the M-Class’ standard fare. Throw in the coffee table-sized sunroof, power everything, and full gauges with a gorgeous backlighting glow, and you get a truck that imparts a serious feeling of wealth to the driver–even if it’s just a loaner.

Too bad, then, that the navigation system is as disappointing as it is. Not that we haven’t seen worse, but this $1,240 option’s list of faults begins with a lack of touch-screen capability and continues from there. In typical German fashion, the software here is logical–but requires expert-level understanding for any level of comfort. Menus, sub-menus, and a plethora of buttons to either side of the unit simply add to the confusion. Bottom line: if you’re going to invest in this toy, be prepared to study the (separate) operator’s manuals (there are two).

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Visibility is excellent in all directions; there’s a lot of glass here. The ride is serene but taut; the road’s character is felt at all times but never becomes intrusive. Cargo space is improved due to the growth in length and height; there’s 29.4 cubic feet available with the seats up and 72.4′ when they’re down. Fuel economy is less impressive; we averaged 18.5 m.p.g. in mostly city driving.

Passenger safety, too, is addressed comprehensively. Standard airbags include curtain, side and frontal units; the latter of which deploy in two stages depending on impact harshness. 3-point seatbelts are fitted to all five positions, as are belt tensioners. Optional life-saving gear includes active head restraints (in company lingo–all caps, of course–NECK-PRO), as well as the PRE-SAFE system, which anticipates accidents and attempts to mitigate damage by applying brake force, positioning the power seats, tensioning the belts, and closing the sunroof. 24-hour roadside assistance and TeleAid communications mean you’ll never be stuck alone.

There’s no doubt that the new M-Class eclipses the old in every objective measure. Where the previous generation was somewhat ungainly, too trucky, and not luxurious enough, the new ML feels more than anything like an E-Class that happens to be a couple feet higher off the ground. Just as important, what with Mercedes’ recent gains in quality and owner satisfaction studies, we expect the new M-Class to be a better buy, too–all in all, a better, more reliable representation of what a Mercedes-Benz should be.