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Jaguar ousts Lexus from atop J.D. Power 2013 Sales Satisfaction Index

Jaguar has taken the top spot among luxury brands in the 2013 Sales Satisfaction Index, an annual survey conducted by J.D. Power that measures customer satisfaction with the experience of purchasing a new vehicle. The English brand, not even among the top three luxury automakers on the list last year, vaulted ahead of Lexus, which placed third this year after leading the list in 2011 and 2012. Porsche, meanwhile, moved into second place.
The rankings are based on a point score out of 1,000, with Jaguar earning 740 points, Porsche right behind with 739 and Lexus with 737. Volvo, meanwhile, made the biggest improvement among luxury brands with a 30-point jump to 708, bring it up from 11th place to 9th this year.
J.D. Power has a separate ranking for mass-market brands, and this year Mini again tops the list with a score of 718, far outpacing second-place Buick with a score of 694 and making it the fourth time Mini has lead this list. After Buick, the next two ranked brands are both American and both from General Motors, with Chevrolet and GMC sharing third place with a score of 686.

Third-generation Mini Countryman looks all grown up in official spy shots

Mini's Countryman crossover is about to receive a significant makeover. While the third-generation model won't make its debut until later in 2023, the BMW-owned company published a set of official "spy" shots to preview the model and released details about where it will be built. Although the original Mini released in 1959 is an emblem of the British car industry, BMW is responsible for successfully transforming the model line into a full-fledged brand, and the third-generation Countryman will roll off the assembly line with a "made in Germany" label. It will be built alongside the 1 Series, the 2 Series Gran Coupe, and the 2 Series Active Tourer in Leipzig, Germany, so it will be the first German-built Mini (the current-generation Countryman is made in Holland). It will also stand out as the first Mini built under the same roof as BMWs. The crossover remains fully camouflaged, but it looks bigger and more rugged than the outgoing model; it notably sits higher and has a less tapered roof line. While the psychedelic black and yellow wrap hides most of the finer design details, we can tell that the Countryman loses the clamshell hood, but keeps the thick headlight bezels that have characterized the nameplate since its 21st-century reboot in 2010. The exterior door handles are now mounted flush with the door skins, and the big sensor in the grille hints at a wide selection of driving aids. Mini hasn't released technical specifications, but it clarified that gasoline- and battery-powered versions of the next Countryman will be available. An unverified report claims that the lineup will also include a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain rated at about 322 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive will come standard, and all-wheel-drive will be either optional or standard on more expensive powertrains. BMW will begin building the next Mini Countryman in late 2023, and we expect to hear more about the model in the coming months.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mini blows up over women applying makeup in cars

Distracted driving is a very real problem. From drivers with phones dangling from their ears to those constantly adjusting the stereo or dealing with rowdy children in the back seat, anything that diverts attention away from the act of driving is a potential danger. And yes, that would indeed include applying makeup while driving.
Publicis, the advertising agency used by Mini in Mexico, came up with an inventive (or offensive, depending on your point of view) way of reminding female drivers "that there's a time and place for everything." And while we're not quite sure of the veracity of the statistics cited in the video below, or even the necessity of its production in general, perhaps we'll just take it as a reminder to pay attention while driving... no matter what else happens to be on our minds. Or faces, as it were.
Scroll down below for the explosive demonstration.