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2017 Aston Marin Lagonda could live on Mercedes M-Class platform

A few weeks ago, we brought you news from the launch of the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante that the British brand, which is formally known as Aston Martin Lagonda, was still planning on going ahead with a Lagonda-badged crossover. Now comes word that that vehicle could very well be based on a Mercedes-Benz M-Class.
When the first Lagonda Concept debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, it sat on a Mercedes-Benz GL-Class platform, some four years before Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG deal was inked. And with that partnership, which will see Aston Martin gain access to AMG electrics and "bespoke, V8 powertrains," the opportunities for platform sharing are many.
Dr. Ulrich Bez, the boss of Aston Martin, told the UK's AutoCar, "I look at what Porsche is doing with the 911 as its core business and then it is able to do models like the Cayenne based on the Volkswagen Touareg. It is good business." We've said many times that we'll tolerate exotic CUVs and SUVs if it means keeping the beloved core models alive, which has been the case with Porsche. We see no reason Aston Martin wouldn't be able to do the same.

Consumer Reports declares most and least loved cars [w/video]

Consumer Reports is crunching the numbers from its annual owner-satisfaction survey, and part of that process is finding out how attached drivers are to their cars. CR simply asks readers of models up to three years old if they would buy the same vehicle again in light of their entire ownership experience, and tallies the results. After looking at the responses for about 350,000 vehicles, it turns out that people really love a certain California-built, electrically powered luxury sedan. That's right, this year's the overall winner was the Tesla Model S with a whopping 98 percent of owners saying they would purchase another one (the Model S also won this award last year, with 99 percent satisfaction). The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray came in a close second with 95 percent of drivers hoping to park another one in their garage. A few models weren't quite so favored, though. The Nissan Versa Sedan was the least loved model among its owners; a mere 42 percent said that they would purchase another. The aging Jeep Compass didn't do much better, with just 43 percent of drivers willing to buy the softroader again. On average, about 70 percent of owners say they would buy their car again, and only four cars ranked below 50 percent in CR's findings. Check out the video above to see some of the winners and losers in a few of CR's categories. If you're a subscriber, you can check out the full list on its website. Related Gallery Consumer Reports Most Loved Cars 2014 Related Gallery Consumer Reports Least Loved Cars 2014 News Source: Consumer Reports - sub. req., Consumer Reports via YouTube Chevrolet Ford Mazda Mercedes-Benz Porsche Subaru Tesla Ownership Videos car ownership

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Quick Spin [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz product guru Bart Herring strode to the middle of a crowded conference room in Atlanta and succinctly explained the 2016 GLC. "What's different from the outgoing car? Everything." That's getting right to the point, and it's accurate. The GLC is lighter, larger, and more comfortable than the long-running GLK that it replaces. It's wrapped in a simple yet elegant design that's a departure from the polarizing looks of its off-road-themed predecessor, and the "C" in the name now clearly aligns it as the SUV counterpart to the C-Class sedan. We'll always have a soft spot for the GLK, but the widespread appeal of the GLC is undeniable. Driving Notes The GLC300 runs Mercedes' widely used 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, rated at 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Maximum twist is served up at just 1,300 rpm, which makes passing smooth and easy. We pick off semis and slower moving traffic with confidence. During these bursts of acceleration, we notice the engine note, which has a deep timbre. The turbo four is a solid replacement for the GLK's naturally aspirated V6. Still, we like that engine. It serves up 302 hp in no-frills fashion. But Mercedes is moving away from six cylinders, inline with market trends, and this turbo delivers 20-percent better fuel economy. Though the I4 and V6 are both rated at 273 lb-ft, the turbo's max output is available much sooner. Coupled with the lighter weight, it almost makes up for the turbo four's 61 fewer hp. 0-60 times are expected to be comparable, Herring says. The GLC's nine-speed automatic transmission replaces the GLK's seven-speed auto gearbox. The new transmission shifts smoothly when we're cruising, though it will hold gears longer in Sport and Sport+ modes when we want to spice things up. We pull the paddles during acceleration, but found this sophisticated unit is best left to its own devices. We spend most of our test in a 4Matic all-wheel-drive version, which provides a little extra peace of mind on a chilly, wet morning as we navigate the busy highways and quiet rural routes of northern Georgia. Generally, it's hard to actually test all-wheel-drive capability on the street, but we definitely notice when we don't have it. During our brief test in a rear-drive model, the tires spin when we get on the throttle aggressively, and the vehicle feels a little more unbuttoned over the wet leaves strewn across the damp pavement.