It's hard to figure out exactly who the intended customer is for the Cadillac XTS. General Motors would love to win over some Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series shoppers; doing so is crucial to nurture the cutting-edge luxury performance image Cadillac wants. Based on our first drive of the XTS, the large luxury sedan isn't on target.

In the latest salvo of the in-car technology wars, Cadillac has launched its much-touted CUE (Cadillac User Interface) system as standard equipment on the new XTS luxury sedan arriving in showrooms now.

As gasoline prices continue to climb, the cliché "pain at the pump" is being thrown around with great frequency. But, how much pain is it really? Inspired by anecdotal complaints of drivers boasting of wallet-denting fill-ups, we crunched the data to see what the most expensive tanks are to fill, and we found more than 20 vehicles go beyond the $100 mark.

Each year, the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue featuring the latest ratings, rankings and expert insights garners significant attention. The focus invariable turns to Top Picks and the automaker report cards. Both special reports given a quick snapshot of how makes and models compare, informing car buyers, as well as auto industry trivia enthusiasts. While everyone loves a winner, what about those brands that just never made the Top Pick cut?

Our Annual Autos Issue presents a dizzying array of facts and figures, all aimed at helping car shoppers choose the right model for their needs and budget. While we rate the automakers and present numerous best and worst lists, we haven’t offered a simple guide to the best and worst models by brand. Until now.

Most shoppers focus on the purchase price and resultant monthly payments, if financing, when buying a new car. While it may be the most visible cost, the purchase price is really just the beginning. There are many real costs that are not so clear upfront and can vary widely between models and car segments.

Following annual tradition, it’s time again for our American Top Picks list spotlighting the top-scoring domestic-branded models in Consumer Reports testing. An alternative compilation to our official 2012 Top Picks, here we show the buyer who favors buying an “American” car the many strong choices that have stood out in our tests.

We all want a car to be safe, reliable, and perform well, but since we all spend too much time behind the wheel (and making payments!), it might as well be fun to drive, too. Our automotive engineers have combined their test data and notes to come up with the cars they have found to be the most fun to drive.

The future of vehicle safety depends on talking cars. That is, cars that can communicate wirelessly, sharing data on their speed and positioning, giving them the ability to alert drivers of potential dangers.

Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota have a commanding lead in car brand awareness, as determined from interviewing car owners for the 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey.

Consumer Reports’ 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey reveals how consumers rank car brands across seven purchase-influencing factors, such as safety, quality, and value. And the research also sheds light on what brands consumers are likely to purchase from for their next new car. Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet lead purchase intent, though Honda has a higher brand loyalty rate than its domestic competitors.

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 Cadillac XTS, introduced earlier at the LA Auto Show, replaces two discontinued Cadillac sedans—the STS and DTS—with just one model. At first glance, the XTS might just manage to combine the best qualities of both.

The ATS aligns Cadillac’s sedan line-up with the import competition. Before the ATS, the smallest sedan in Cadillac’s stable was the CTS, a well-finished and enjoyable to drive car. But like many GM products, the CTS is a “tweener”—dimensionally and price-wise, it straddles two different classes. For example, you could compare it to a BMW 3 Series, or you could compare it to a BMW 5 Series. Neither of which can be considered entry level.

Shopping for any used car is enough to make some buyers feel like they’ve entered the netherworld, but how about specifically shopping for a vehicle designed to take you there? On Saturday, January 21st, the Barrett-Jackson car auction company will put on the block the 1964 Cadillac Hearse (lot number 1293) that it claims transported assassinated President John F. Kennedy from the Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas to the city’s Love Field Airport, where Air Force One was waiting to take the president back to Washington, D.C.