A latecomer to the small SUV market, Volkswagen introduced the Tiguan in 2009, after the segment pioneers were well into their third generation. Competing in a popular category that is seeing several key models redesigned, we bought an updated 2012 Tiguan SEL 4Motion to see how it has progressed and chart how it stacks up.

The upcoming March 2012 issue of Consumer Reports magazine features road tests of the BMW X3, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Toyota Prius V. These new or updated models were treated to the full battery of more than 50 tests, and the full results are available now to online subscribers.

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.

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.

If much of the country is still focused on value for the 99 percent, the Detroit auto show still has plenty of room for the remaining 1 percent. For those with money to burn, some of the finest hardware anywhere is on display.

Volkswagen’s recent redesign of the Jetta-bigger, less nimble, cheaply-trimmed inside - left us concerned about the 2012 redesign of the Passat. The good news: The Passat is a lot more competitive than the Jetta. But we’re not exactly putting it on any Consumer Reports “Car of the Year” lists, either.

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.

Volkswagen of America is recalling its 2012 Audi A6 cars for an issue with the vehicles' front air bags, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Approximately 317 of the vehicles have improperly stitched air bags that may prevent the proper deployment of the safety device during a collision.

We realize that times are tough all over. Let’s say you really, really want a cool sports sedan (Audi A4; Infiniti G37; or BMW 3 Series with a few options) but simply can’t swing the payments. Well, here’s an entertaining alternative: Volkswagen’s fun (and affordable) Jetta GLI.

When a consumer reads a road test—from any source—they want to know that the reviewer isn’t playing games with the results, such as holding back data to make one product gain an unfair advantage. Equally, consumers want to know that the product delivers as advertised: that the smart phone battery does last the 8 hours between charges….that the music player does hold 16 gigs of data…that the toaster does accommodate Texas Toast.

With Southern California considered by many as the Mecca of automotive coolness, we were pleased to see so many exciting debuts at the end of the first day at the show. Here’s a look at some of the most significant cars we saw.

The doors are set to open at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Wednesday morning, November 16th, to give auto industry insiders and the media access to the major new-car show two days ahead of the public opening. Several Consumer Reports staffers will be on hand to witness the more than 50 scheduled vehicle debuts and share the highlights here in the Cars blog, as well as in the special LA Auto Show section. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @CRCars to catch the news and photos uploaded direct from the show floor.

Volkswagen will introduce an updated version of its swoopy CC at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.

The other issue inherent to electric cars, in addition to their limited range, is how long it takes to recharge them. A “quick” 30-minute recharge could make a big difference for electric car drivers, albeit it’s still longer than a fill-up. And one reason such fast chargers have been slow to appear—other than cost, who pays for them, and how do they become profitable—is that it can be hard to get a bunch of car companies to agree on anything. So when seven automakers agree to a new standard for charging, it sounds like a breakthrough. Except when the rest don’t.

In such a large, diverse country as America, long-distance road trips feel like a birthright. But going the distance coast-to-coast isn’t for just any jalopy. It requires a good, safe, reliable car that excels in comfort and other factors. In anticipation of the long weekend, the Consumer Reports’ Cars team has been debating which model is the best road trip car, and below we present our picks.