The production 2013 Acura RDX debuts today at the Chicago Auto Show, right on the heels of the initial concept reveal last month in Detroit. The RDX coming to a dealership near you this spring closely resembles the original concept, with a hint of platformmate Honda CR-V.

Acura will take the wraps off the production version of its ILX compact sedan at the Chicago Auto Show today, and we present a sneak peek here before the doors open at the convention center.

The people have spoken: Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Chevrolet excel over other brands in the minds of adult car owners, though the brand’s advantages are less this year than in the past. These are among the findings of the 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

The first-generation RDX small upscale SUV was something of a miss for Acura. Its turbocharged four-cylinder engine was unrefined. Its overall fuel economy of 18 mpg in our tests fell below that of many rivals’ V6 engines. Handling was agile, but the ride was very stiff and the cabin was narrow. Add in somewhat awkward styling and the RDX was a modest seller that was completely overshadowed by its three-row MDX big brother. Acura seeks to remedy these problems with the redesigned RDX unveiled at the Detroit auto show.

At the Detroit auto show, almost every other introduction mentioned going after the youth market. In some alternative universe, young professional buyers graduate into a robust economy and treat themselves to an upscale sedan or SUV. Acura is hoping that, in the real world, there are enough young buyers to be attracted to their new ILX. It slots in beneath the TSX in Acura’s crowded sedan lineup. (See the Acura ILX in our Detroit show coverage.)

As I made my last tour of the Cobo Center show floor in Detroit, it struck me how few new models stood out to me this year. I love that most unveilings were practical, or at least skewed toward the practical, from traditional mainstream models edging upscale to prestige brands reaching down toward mainstream budgets. The cars that etch themselves into my memory are distinctive in appearance, function, and/or mission, leaving so many others anonymous in an army of clones.

With the swarm of media around the new NSX Concept, you’d think the car was destined to be next year’s bestseller. But no, it's just that the NSX lounges on the show floor like a supermodel - one enthusiasts have coveted since before the first production NSX was ever built. It has launched countless automotive love affairs, and sonnets (no, not the Saab) have even been written about the NSX. (OK, I wrote it, but I threw it away.)

As the end of 2011 draws near, we decided to take a look and see which new and used vehicles were most popular on ConsumerReports.org for the year. Every day potential buyers seek our independent test scores and reliability ratings to aid their research and help determine the best vehicle to buy for their needs. While we maintain a list of the most popular searches of the month on the main Cars landing page, it is time to reflect on the year in review. For this, we looked at visits to our model overview pages to compile a list of the top 10 most popular new and used cars.

A total of 115 vehicles have earned the 2012 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) including 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans and 3 pickups. Eighteen new models make the list this year including the Acura MDX, Acura TL, Acura TSX, BMW X3, Buick Verano, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Honda CR-Z, Honda Fit, Honda Insight, Honda Pilot, Honda Ridgeline, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Scion xD, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius V, and Toyota Yaris.

Honda has expanded a previously announced recall of certain 2001 through 2003 Honda and Acura vehicles, to include about 273,000 additional vehicles, because driver's air bags can deploy with too much force, potentially causing injury or fatality.

While the stores are promoting door-busting discounts for Black Friday, it can also make a great time for getting deals on a new car. We've found some attractive discounts on good models. And being the end of the month, dealers may be a bit more willing to negotiate to meet their quotas.

If you are looking for a reliable car, don’t assume that certain brands are always shoe-ins. Each manufacturer has models that have a range of reliability in Consumer Reports’ annual car reliability survey.

Four upscale sedans tested for November issue of Consumer Reports—Acura TL, Chrysler 300, Hyundai Genesis, and Toyota Avalon—delivered a strong performance. Also included in this latest test group were the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Nissan Leaf.

The Consumer Reports Cars team simply won’t stop talking about cars. If we’re not discussing the finer points of new models in our test program, the conversation eventually settles on a what we would personally buy based on myriad criteria. This time, we’re focused on “collector” cars under $30,000. That covers a lot of ground, and we invite you to join in the conversation. Post your picks in the comments below.

Recent water-cooler conversations have had the Consumer Reports Cars team talking about cool cars from the 1990s that they drove, or even would consider buying today. That decade brought a wide range of cars with outlandish looks and the performance to back it, especially in contrast with the more tepid 1980s performance machines. So what cars do we remember fondly?