Crossover, Minivan, SUV, Station Wagon, or All Four?

Our Managing Editor Brandy Schaffels and our Editorial Director Rich Truesdell have known each other for almost 15 years, starting with their time at Motor Trend where Brandy was a Copy Editor and Rich was a Contributing Editor (and in those days Rich's copy needed lots of editing). From that beginning they worked together on motortrend.com where they teamed up to produce international auto show coverage. Last year Rich called on Brandy to help launch Automotive Traveler where her contributions in managing details has been invaluable.

As both test drive dozens of new vehicles each year, they look at these vehicles from different perspectives; Brandy as a working mom with two boys, and Rich as a gearhead who sees things a bit differently.

This week both have driven Ford's new Flex crossover and are here sharing their impressions.

GM's Saturn Division continues to reinvent itself with a Euro-focused replacement for the Ion.

Saturn is a company that is in the process of reinventing itself. Started on the premise of a clean sheet of paper and making the process of buying a new car hassle-free, Saturn has evolved a long way from its origins as a new kind of car company. Nowhere is this more evident than with the introduction of the made-in-Belgium Astra three- and five-door hatchback models.

GM is a global car maker and one of its most mportant components is its European Opel subsidiary. When the plastic-clad Ion was introduced in 2003 it was launched at a time when Americans were preoccupied with trucks and SUVs. While sales were initially respectable, the market was looking elsewhere, especially in a category populated by exceptionally competitive entry-level cars from Asia.