Does Reliability Affect Luxury-Car Sales?

Luxury cars have moved past the days of the ignition-challenged Jaguars in AMC's "Mad Men," but many still have faults. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Buick LaCrosse rate below average in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys; the Lincoln MKX, BMW X3, BMW 7 Series and Buick Verano rate even worse. Then there's Jaguar, which earned low marks in J.D. Power and Associates' predicted reliability ratings for its entire 2012 crop. Sibling brand Land Rover fared little better.

Does it matter? Not as much as you think.

It seems luxury-car shoppers care for reliability as much as Don Draper cares for self-restraint. Through April, Jaguar and Land Rover sales are up 12.7%. The Verano outsold Buick's Regal and Encore combined. M-Class sales are down, but it's still Mercedes' best-selling SUV. The MKX is Lincoln's best-selling car. Period.

Are luxury cars unreliable on the whole? The jury's still out. Luxury brands took top honors in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, but they spanned the gamut in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys. That's why Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of auto testing, sees little correlation between luxury and reliability.

Automakers Want NHTSA to Lighten Up on High-Beam Rules

Automakers are asking U.S. safety regulators to lighten up on headlight restrictions. They want to implement new headlight technologies that allow motorists to use their high beams without blinding other drivers. European and Japanese automakers, in recent weeks, have ramped up the dialogue on the issue with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in hopes of bringing to U.S. consumers headlight advancements already used on thousands of vehicles sold overseas.

Volvo in March announced that S60 sedans, V60 wagons and XC60 crossovers on sale this spring in Europe will have "Active High-Beam Control," which uses a camera and an automatic shading mechanism to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, USA Today reported. The system would need government approval before the automaker could sell vehicles equipped with it in the U.S. Audi and BMW also have similar technologies ready to deploy, but are still working with NHTSA for approval, while Mercedes-Benz's enhanced headlight-dimming technology isn't yet ready for the U.S. market, the newspaper reported.

Recall Alert: 2002-2003 BMW 3 Series

An airbag recall that impacted millions of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda vehicles worldwide in April has expanded to German carmaker BMW. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the recall of 42,080 BMW 3 Series models from the 2002 and 2003 model years for defective air bags.

The recall includes 2002-03 325i, 325xi, 330xi sedans; 325Ci and 330Ci coupes and convertibles; 325iT and 325xiT Sports Wagons and M3 coupes and convertibles.

In these models, the passenger-side front air bag can deploy with excessive pressure leading to a possible rupture. This could lead to metal fragments striking occupants.

BMW will notify owners this month of the recall, but replacement parts aren't estimated to reach dealers until July. BMW will again notify owners when parts are available.

Owners can call BMW at 800-525-7417 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

2013 BMW 135is Video

While BMW continues to trend toward the large and luxurious, the 2013 BMW 135is espouses the delights of the small and sporty. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says the performance coupe's "back-to-basics" approach makes for some fun, road-hugging driving. The 135is' 320-horsepower six-cylinder provides impressive quickness while its sport suspension connects drivers to the terrain without bombarding them with it.

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April's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

April's fastest-selling cars mixed luxury models with recent redesigns and, oddly enough, a few oldies. The Audi Q5 and Q7 — frequent speedy sellers despite their age — met the likes of the BMW X3, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and Lincoln MKZ. A couple 2014 redesigns also made the list: the Subaru Forester and Chevrolet Impala.

It's good news for Ford's Lincoln division, whose redesigned MKZ has been hampered by production setbacks during its launch. Both the MKZ and MKZ Hybrid were among April's fastest-selling cars, reprising the cars' March appearance — but with a key difference. As we reported on April 2, March's brisk sales pace didn't translate into higher sales, but that changed in April. Lincoln shoppers bought 4,012 MKZs and MKZ Hybrids, up 115.4% versus April 2012. It was the best month in the nameplate's seven-year history, Ford proclaimed.

A few oddball cars often land among the fastest sellers, and April was no exception. The current Scion xB hatchback hit dealerships in May 2007 while Nissan introduced the current Frontier pickup truck at the 2004 Detroit auto show. In car years, the elder Nissan is somewhere between actors Michael Caine and Christopher Plummer — and it hasn't aged as well. But the Frontier and xB spent little time on dealer lots in April, and both have minimal incentives. Go figure.

April's slowest sellers document the continuing sales trickle for two cars: the Acura ILX Hybrid and Chevrolet Malibu Eco. Both variants make up a good chunk of their respective nameplates in Cars.com new-car inventory, but they took 150 and 229 days, respectively, to move. Contrast that with April's 51-day monthly average, which stayed about even with March (48 days) but came in a bit slower than April 2012's 45 days.

Here are March's fastest and slowest sellers:

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 BMW X1

BMW's all-new X1 is a pint-sized crossover with a sophisticated interior and performance chops, says Cars.com Family reviewer Sara Lacey. This subcompact crossover can pull family duty. It worked well for Sara and her 8- and 10-year-olds, but families with kids in rear-facing child-safety seats will want to make sure the X1 has enough room in the backseat. The cargo area is small but functional, though a large jogging stroller could be a tough fit.

2013 BMW X1 Family Review

Why Luxury Sales Could Thrive in 2013

Leather-clad luxury cars may seem the domain of an affluent few. After all, this year's best-selling luxury car through March — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — ranked 51st among all cars. But the group may be poised for a comeback. Total sales improved 12.3% in the first three months of 2013, outpacing the industry's 6.4% gain. By year's end, one in every 7.5 new cars sold in 2013 could be a luxury model.

That would buck a trend several years in the making. Luxury cars, including Buick, hovered around 13% of the new-car market from 2005 to 2010. In 2011 that share slid to 12.9%, and in 2012 it tumbled to 12.6%.

It seemed counterintuitive, given the wealthy are alive and well.

Best Hybrids for the Money 2013

Gas prices remain volatile, but even so, no one expects prices below $3 per gallon ever again, and many parts of the country consistently see prices near or above $4. As much as ever, shoppers need to know how effectively hybrids deliver efficiency for your dollar — if they do at all.

To determine if a hybrid's added expense is worth the cash, we devised an efficiency-cost rating to reflect efficiency bang for your overall buck.

It's simply the combined city/highway mpg divided by the base price (MSRP plus destination charge). We then multiply that number by 1,000. This formula can be applied to any type of vehicle, hybrid or not. A high mpg rating and low price provide a high efficiency-cost rating. A higher score is the better score.

We don't account for equipment levels, quality judgments, cost of ownership or any variances from EPA mileage estimates. The goal here is to pay the least for the most mileage, barring all other considerations.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 BMW 3 Series

It's simply the best, better than all the rest — better than any car, any car put to the test. That's the sentiment Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder expressed toward the BMW 328i after its commanding victory in our $46,000 Sport-Sedan Challenge. The 328i's balance of performance and practicality is its greatest asset, boasting excellent acceleration, handling and braking with pack-leading fuel economy and competitive interior comfort. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 6.6-second zero-to-60 time prove quickness and efficiency can coexist. An abrupt engine start/stop feature tops Wiesenfelder's short list of criticisms.

2013 BMW 3 Series Review

BMW X4 Sport Activity Coupe Concept at 2013 Shanghai Motor Show

• Looks like: Honey, I shrunk the X6!
• Defining characteristics: BMW family face, apparent lack of rear headroom, new headlight pattern
• Ridiculous features: 21-inch concept-car wheels, naming a five-door hatchback a "coupe"
• Chance of being mass-produced: Count on it

BMW continues to add new quirky models to its lineup in its quest to become the best-selling luxury brand in the world. The automaker's most recent concept car, which is headed for the 2013 Shanghai motor show, is likely a preview of the next step in BMW's model blitz. Behold the BMW X4 Sport Activity Coupe concept, a baby brother to the larger X6.

BMW hasn't released any technical details on the X4 concept, sticking to discussions of its styling instead, but we assume its relationship to the BMW X3 Sport Activity Vehicle (BMW refuses to call them SUVs) will be similar to the connection between the X5 and the X6.