Gadgetory

people ask me all the time hey coolie what's your favourite car you've driven lately that is a surprisingly tough question because to me a great car is one that succeeds at what it's set out to do not win some industry-wide popularity contest I'm Brian Cooley with my top 5 favourite cars I've driven in the first half of 2013 based on that essential litmus test number 5 the Mazda 6 the new one let's give the Miata a rest for a minute and shine some light on this all-new 6 it went from 0 to 60 in terms of styling inside and out it was once one of the dopiest looking cars in its class now it's about the most handsome and possibly most comfortable the SKYACTIV engine technology is very smart but a little hard to explain to consumers in less than a half an hour and it's not a standout as a sporting car but I'll tell you what I think I would drive past a slew of Toyota and Honda dealers if I was in the market for a midsize sedan this guy's worth a look number 4 the BMW 750li were raising the price here a bit I love the 750 because it's a big car that gets smaller when you press it at one moment it's this big pompous opulent thing that says uh-huh I make more money in the time it takes you to key this car then you'll make all day and then it turns into this quick nimble Road machine at a moment's notice and then back again the styling has been sexier and the price lower but the long wheelbase 750 is really a car for all seasons number three the New Beetle Cabrio I'm a big enough man to admit I love this new new New Beetle I've lost track the ragtop no less I was expecting a disaster active VW EOS but instead I found a really nice driving car with real drivable power great audio a convertible top that makes you laugh at the weather and the styling the New Beetle should have had from the beginning it's a fun car without being silly VW's cabin tech remains nothing to write home about but the coming eye beetle version from pwhen Apple should change that number to the Subaru BRZ the BRZ is a simple proposition it's meant to zip along twisty roads making a great noise hanging this little rump out once in a while and inviting you to use all of its OOP which isn't much a 200 horse and 151 foot-pounds of torque but that's what sports cars are all about being a little bit less so you connect with the road a little bit more the cabin of the BRZ has none of the charm of classic sports cars and if you're over 30 everyone will think you're borrowing your kids car when you drive by but for 25 grand or so you'll have enough left over to buy a Mazda 6 as well but my number one favorite car so far in 2013 is the head-turning Cadillac ATS Cadillac has for a while had this inferiority complex about the Europeans really the Germans it's a neurosis recent caddies have been healing but they've never been quite able to wash off the stink of the Tommy Bahama set the 80s does it it's the first really honest original Cadillac in a long time completing this path of redemption they started back in 1999 it doesn't just exist as a comparison to something from Germany that it's almost as good as QED is one of the most promising cabin tech platforms out there two of the three engines they offer on this car are modern and very cool and cadillac has finally dialed down that creased and chromed look to great effect I can live without the driver's seat that vibrates these nonsensical warnings to your butt but in general Cadillac can stop seeing its shrink to stay on top of all my new favorite hi-tech cars check out CNET on cars at CNET on cars.com i'm brian coulis thanks for watching