Cars.com Reviews the 2008 BMW M3

In the video I shot for the new M3, I say something to the effect that I have the best job in the world because I get to drive cars like the M3. Let me make myself clear: I did not mean to rub that fact in anyone’s face. I was just trying to make a joke. In the video, it sure doesn’t sound that way.

So, did you know I have the best job in the world? Check out the full review to get my take on the all-new M3 and you’ll find out why. I had a manual sedan for a week here in town, and then was able to test a dual-clutch-equipped coupe on the track at Road America before trying out the convertible around the track in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

2008 BMW M3 Expert Review

Best Cash-Back Finds: 5.16.08

There aren’t a lot of big offers this month, despite slow sales in April. Automakers are slowing their production so rows of new cars don’t sit on lots, leading to rebates. However, we have found a trio of new 2008s that are easy to recommend and offer a sizeable amount of cash back.

Many of our past picks still have significant rebates as well, including the 2008 Nissan Sentra, 2008 Hyundai Elantra and 2008 Ford Edge. Check Cars.com's Incentives page for more deals.

2008 Ford Focus sedan
MSRP: $14,755
Cash back: $1,500-$2,000
Percent off MSRP: 10.2% – 13.6%
Expires: 6/2/08
5-Year Ownership Costs

The 2009 Focus coupe was recently unveiled, and we saw minor changes to the exterior of the car. There weren’t any substantial changes to important parts, like the engine, transmission or interior. The Focus was redesigned for 2008 though, so you’re still getting a new design, and we don’t expect Ford to change much about the sedan for ’09. One change to the 2009 coupe that will stick out is a 4.6% price bump. That’s another reason to pick up a 2008 with $1,500 to $2,000 cash back. That’s a significant savings for a reasonably priced car. Plus, you can get Ford’s Sync entertainment system, too.

Old-School Fuel-Sippers Making A Comeback

If you find yourself with a time machine that can only transport you back to the early '90s, make sure you buy a Geo Metro. That may sound like a stupid idea, but fuel-efficient disposable cars from the first George Bush era are making a comeback as gas prices skyrocket, These cars are commanding top prices on the used-car market.

Cars like the Metro, Ford Festiva and Hyundai Excel are suddenly hot commodities, rising 30% in value over the past few months, according to a story in USA Today. Where some of these babies would have fetched barely $1,000 last year, some are now selling for as much as $6,000 because of their fuel economy. A '93 Metro, for example, is EPA-rated at 46 mpg, which is the same as a Prius, which sells for 20 grand.

We took a look at Cars.com's Used Car Index and indeed found an Excel going for just under $3,000, several Metros with asking prices of $5,000, and a 1991 GM jalopy with 180,000 miles on it indeed selling for six grand. We tell you this not to try to sell you these cars, but simply because it surprises the hell out of us, too.

Keep in mind, however, that the reason these cars get such great mileage is because they lack a lot of safety features, allowing them to weigh less (including airbags, which are kind of important). The Excel is notorious for its unassailable record as a lousy car. The bottom line: Is saving a few bucks when you fill up worth driving an unsafe vehicle?

Nerdy, Fuel-Stingy Cars are Hot Wheels (USA Today)

Today on MotherProof: A Son Gets His Driver's License

The day of reckoning has finally come for Emily Hansen: Her teenage son has reached the age when it is no longer mere speculation that he will someday sit behind the wheel of an automobile. Trepidation aside, Emily documents her emotional journey as she watches her boy take one of the most important steps to adulthood: getting that all-important "ticket to freedom."

Teen Driver Hits the Road (MotherProof)

Question of the Day: Should I Buy a New or Used Hyundai Sonata?

The great new versus used debate will rage on no matter what advice we offer to this question, but the redesigned 2009 Sonata has one of our readers really wondering about all the pros and cons. Obviously, Ask.cars.com cannot tell you what would be best for you, but we can lay out the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

Should I buy a new or used Hyundai Sonata (Ask.cars.com)

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Infiniti M35

The Infiniti M35? That’s not a hot new model like all the other reviews we’ve been delivering the past month. What’s going on? Well, Infiniti did make some minor changes to the M last year, especially its Sport trim, which is what we had a chance to review. Kelsey Mays got the assignment, but only after an earlier loan of the car in February ended with it getting stuck in a few inches of solid ice on my street. In better weather, Kelsey had an easier time delivering a review.

20008 Infiniti M35 Expert Review

$4 Gas Should Be Here June 6th

I watched Matt Lauer try to get Exxon’s CEO to spill the beans about gas prices this morning. It was an interesting exchange and the executive was probably one of the best-prepared interviews I’ve seen on the show. You can watch the video below.

Because most analysts don’t foresee gas prices going down until after the busy summer driving season, we should easily see $4 a gallon gas nationally very soon. I picked June 6 because if we continue our pace of the past month or so of a penny a day, that’s when we’ll hit the magical $4 mark.

Lauer kept asking if this is when people would “walk away” from their cars. Because Chicago and other areas have been dealing with gas this high for a while, I don’t foresee that, and Exxon’s chief also pointed out that for many Americans there is no alternative mode of transportation to get to work.

What do you think will happen June 6 — or whatever day gas hits $4? Will we be desensitized to the price hikes by then? Will the recent failed comedy “Carpoolers” be more poignant? Let us know.

TummyShield Protects Unborn

Pregnant women now have a new option for buckling up. The TummyShield is a seat belt designed to remove the lap belt that could potentially hurt an unborn child during a collision — even a minor one. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, four out of five deaths of unborn infants occur because of vehicular accidents, and many of these accidents are minor. The lap belt is what does the damage.

Rather than having a lap belt, the TummyShield has two straps that buckle across the thighs, securing the passenger in the same way but without the risk of putting dangerous pressure across a woman's abdomen. The device is available from the manufacturer for $188.

Pregnant Lady Seatbelt Goes Over Thighs, Not Stomach (Jalopnik)

Weekend Athlete: A Word About Bike Racks

Until this post, I haven't written about bike racks in Weekend Athlete, for a couple of reasons. For starters, I'm pretty sure car companies don't want me slapping one of those things on their shiny new paint jobs. Also, I really believe that if you like your bike, you keep it inside the car.

Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Jaguar XF

My first impression of the 2009 Jaguar XF was one of disgust. I spent much of that day in the office talking about how much I hated the front end. “How could Jaguar do this?! The headlights are all wrong!” I was up in arms about the design, and the press photos from the manufacturer were to blame. They just didn’t do the car justice. It was a bunch of flashy images that screamed “Target Audience,” not “Cool New Car.”

When the New York Auto Show rolled around I got a chance to sit in a production version, and after one real-life impression, I was sold. The interior design is close to flawless, full of clean lines followed by accents of wood, metal, leather and plastic. After getting a chance to drive and photograph the XF recently, I can recant my earlier statements and tell everyone that I actually like the headlights. They fit. And so does the Supercharger.

A full set of photos is below. Let me know if you think I do it justice or if the headlights still don’t work.