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Consumer Reports says these are the worst new cars of 2014

Consumer Reports has announced its annual list of worst vehicles, a cringe-inducing contrast to its list of top vehicles. Ignominiously leading the way in 2014 is Chrysler, which has a staggering seven models listed.
Jeep nearly sweeps the small SUV segment by itself, with its Compass, Patriot and 2.4-liter version of the new Cherokee, while the only midsize sedans listed by CR were the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger. The new Dodge Dart and the Dodge Journey round out CR's condemnation of Chrysler.
Ford is taking heat as well, with the Taurus, Edge and their counterparts from Lincoln all listed as the worst vehicles in their respective segments. Toyota doesn't fare much better, with its Lexus IS, Scion iQ and tC also making the list.

Ward's Automotive Ten Best Engines of 2014 dominated by diesels, turbos

With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.
The latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year.
"We weren't looking to throw the bums out, as they might say about an election. We were just really impressed with the flood of new powertrains," said Ward's Automotive Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. Those new powertrains include the 83-kilowatt electric motor from the Fiat 500e, the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Ford Fiesta and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel from the Chevrolet Cruze.

Honda Project 2&4 is our kind of sidecar sideshow [w/video]

Honda makes cars and Honda makes bikes. It makes a whole lot of other things, too, but those are the two areas of expertise that have given rise to the thoroughly enticing Project 2&4 concept. It's one of the smallest vehicles unveiled here at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, but also among the most enticing. The result of a global in-house design competition, Project 2&4 was envisioned by the company's motorcycle studio in Asaka and brought to fruition with help from the automotive studio in Wako. It's powered by the 1.0-liter V4 engine Honda developed for MotoGP competition, driving 212 horsepower and 87 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed, dual-clutch transmission. With less than 900 pounds to motivate, that adds up to blistering performance of the kind we'd give most anything to experience firsthand. The 14,000-rpm redline would be enough to make our heart sing all on its own, but the novelty of Project 2&4 is its design. As you can see, it hands the driver's seat and controls off the side, with room for a hold-on-for-dear-life passenger seat on the other side. The neo-retro styling is inspired by the company's RA272 grand prix racer from the Sixties, but gives up on the center driving position for an altogether more original configuration. The result looks ready to take on the likes of the Ariel Atom and BAC Mono... to say nothing of the curbs of Suzuka and Fuji. If only Honda were (able) to put it into production.