2004 Cadillac Srx Sun Roof Leather Loaded Swatrepos on 2040-cars

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These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.

GM recalling 2013 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX over transmission software

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued recalls for the 2013 Buick LaCrosse and 2013 Cadillac SRX due to a problem with the software for the transmission controller. On about 27,000 SRX and LaCrosse models, the transmission could accidentally be shifted to Sport mode, which would reduce the amount of engine braking drivers experience.
NHTSA says this could increase the risk of a crash, but, fortunately, the required fix is simply an update to the software.
While we're on the subject of General Motors vehicle recalls, a small number (48) of compressed natural gas versions of the 2011 Chevrolet Express are also being recalled for a potential risk of fire or explosion. Yikes. Both official recall notices are posted below.

Mercedes leads in US luxury car thefts

Mercedes-Benz makes some fine automobiles. The Silver Arrow'd cars are so good, apparently, that thieves can't help but try to steal them. The German brand is at the top of the charts for luxury car thefts in the US, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with New York City leading the way. (And those New Yorkers complain about Detroit being bad!)
The C-Class was the most stolen model, with 485 ganked between 2009 and 2012 in NYC alone, while the E-Class and S-Class (which also boasted the worst recovery rate, at 59 percent) both finished in the top ten. Following the C-Class was the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G. Not surprisingly, each of these were the most common models in their respective lineups. Los Angeles and Miami are also prime hotspots for luxury car thefts, according to the Detroit News report.
While getting your car stolen is pretty awful, there was one inspiring statistic compiled by the NICB - the average recovery rate across the board was 84 percent, with the Cadillac CTS getting recovered 91 percent of the time.