Car Tech

Tires, oil, brakes, and gas are just about the only common service items left on modern cars, and of those the tires are the ones most people understand the least. The sides of a modern tire are covered in tech specs that tell you exactly what you're buying--if you know how to read them. Brian Cooley shows you how.

The Honda Civic is new for 2012, but don't expect massive changes. Body styling has evolved and so has the screen-based tech inside the car, much to our overdue delight. Brian Cooley takes you for a walk around the new 2012 Civic to check the tech.

The new Ford Focus is a completely different car than what you are imagining right now. It descends clearly from the Euro/Global Focus the rest of the world has been quite fond of and there's plenty of reason for the U.S. to fawn as well. But it's not perfect. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

(You can also read CNET's full review of the 2012 Ford Focus.)

Last time we drove the TL, it had a huge proboscis and a tasty six-speed manual. Now both have changed, along with a few bits of cabin tech. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive in the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD to check the tech.

The X3 is all-new, more like an X5 in size, and now with the goodness of Google baked right in! Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

(You can also read CNET's full review of the 2011 BMW X3)

Fore! The Smart Electric Drive Passion Coupe is, for all intents and purposes, a golf cart. And we mean that with love and respect. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech and how this beast is both the salvation and damnation of the whole Smart thing.

(We also have a CNET First Drive writeup of the Smart Electric Drive.)

You can literally count the truly influential new cars of the postwar era on two hands with a couple fingers left over. With the arrival of the Chevy Volt, there's one less finger free. But does that guarantee the Volt will do all it's expected to? Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

The Acura TSX wagon is sold as the Honda Accord wagon overseas, which is telling. It's a nice car, but it is basically an Accord and just doesn't quite print "Acura" enough. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

(Full CNET review of the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon)

If you want a vehicle that's fast, big, and economical (sort of), can you get all of that in a VW? That's seemingly the promise of the supercharged 2011 VW Touareg Hybrid. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

(Full CNET review of the Touareg Hybrid)