NHTSA Tests New Crop of Vehicles

A host of 2014 vehicles have earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star rating in crash tests, perhaps most notably the redesigned-for-2014 Cadillac CTS.

Both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the CTS got an overall score of five in NHTSA's safety ratings. Both earned fives in frontal-crash tests and side-crash tests, and fours in rollover tests. Meanwhile, its compact sibling, the 2014 ATS, earned fives across the board for both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. Both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the 2014 XTS also earned an overall five-star score, with fives in frontal- and side-crash ratings and fours in rollover tests.

Other 2014 models joining NHTSA's five-star club earned fives in frontal- and side-crash ratings and fours in rollover tests. They included:

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Buick Enclave

The Enclave's combination of good looks outside and roomy comfort inside won over Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek. Buick's three-row crossover was redesigned for 2013 with flashier exterior styling and upgraded cabin materials. While it's not the most luxurious crossover in the class, Bruzek says the Enclave offers a winning blend of premium features and family-friendly comfort.

2013 Buick Enclave Review

2013 Buick Enclave Video

If you covet both the family friendliness of a minivan and the luxury of an SUV, Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek says the closest you'll come in a crossover may be the 2013 Buick Enclave. Redesigned for the first time since its brand-jump-starting intro in 2007, the new Enclave boasts updated front-end styling and upgraded interior materials, as well as improved ride and acceleration thanks to suspension and transmission tweaks. Still, stiff brakes make quick stops a chore and a cocoa-colored interior undermines the luxury feel of the classy stitching and ambient blue lighting. Watch the video above.

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2013 Buick Enclave: Car Seat Check

Buick's three-row crossover, the Enclave, has been updated with exterior styling tweaks and interior updates for 2013. The Enclave comes standard with seating for seven, but the second row's captain's chairs can be replaced with an optional three-seat bench, increasing capacity to eight passengers. For our Car Seat Check, we had a seven-seat Enclave.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

GM's Large Crossovers Earn Five Stars from NHTSA

GM's updated-for-2013 people movers just earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's top score. The 2013 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia were awarded an overall rating of five stars.

The large crossovers, which share a platform with each other, earned five stars in frontal and side tests and four stars in rollover tests; front- and all-wheel-drive versions were tested. The upscale GMC Acadia Denali received the same scores.

GM's seven-passenger crossovers got refreshed for 2013 with updated styling, more safety features and a new multimedia system.

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December's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

Automakers won't report December sales results until later today, but we have data on the month's fastest and slowest sellers. The redesigned Toyota Avalon hit dealerships in the first week of December, and it stormed the fastest-selling list, with regular and hybrid versions averaging just eight days apiece on dealer lots. Shoppers moved toward the Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup truck, too. That’s likely a result of an improved construction market; November housing starts hit their second highest rate since mid-2008.

The redesigned Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, which hit dealerships in September, spent its third month among the fastest sellers; the new-for-2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek also marked its third month on the list. Of the 18 fastest-selling cars, 10 were repeat performers, with such regulars as the redesigned Subaru Impreza and new Scion FR-S. The Kia Soul's severe mileage downgrade doesn't seem to have sapped demand, and neither has the popular hatchback's age. It debuted way back in early 2009, but in December it placed among the fastest sellers for the third month in a row.

GM Confirms New GMC Canyon, Plus Nine New or Updated Cars by End of 2013

In a conference call minutes ago, GM confirmed a redesigned GMC Canyon will roll off the assembly line at the automaker's Wentzville, Mo., plant at some point down the road. Officials at Buick and GMC also confirmed nine new or refreshed products coming from the brands by the end of 2013.

We've already seen the refreshed GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, as well as the new Buick Encore. But GM confirmed updates, as expected, on GMC's full-size trucks and SUVs: the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs, as well as the Sierra and Sierra HD pickups. Expect significant updates or full redesigns to the Buick Regal and LaCrosse, too.

"The Terrain and Verano will be the oldest non-commercial models for each brand in the showroom at the end of 2013," Buick and GMC marketing chief Tony DiSalle told reporters.

2013 Buick Enclave Starts at $39,270

Model-year 2013 pricing for GM's midsize crossovers is slowly rolling out. It was the updated GMC Acadia on Wednesday. Today, it's the Acadia's upscale sibling, the 2013 Buick Enclave.

The three-row crossover will start at $39,270 including an $825 destination charge. It's up about $2,000 compared to the 2012 model, but the new version includes more standard equipment.

For the new model year, the Enclave gets a refreshed exterior with LED-accented head- and taillights, an upgraded interior and GM's new multimedia system, IntelliLink. More standard features also join its equipment list, like a new center airbag for front-row passengers, a backup camera and a rear parking assist system.

Buick's Different Sort of Collision Warning System

Buick added a host of safety features for 2013: a standard backup camera and optional cross-traffic and blindspot alerts to the Verano, a standard front-center airbag for the Enclave and optional forward collision and lane departure warnings for the new Encore. An interesting tidbit: Rather than repurposing the radar from adaptive cruise control mounted near or in the car's grille — often the way collision warning systems work — the Encore sees oncoming obstacles with a windshield-mounted camera that takes 10 to 12 images per second.

"It looks at the change in size of [the] object as you approach it," GM safety engineer Ray Kiefer told us last week. "It works much like the human eye."

The system doesn't engage automatic braking, which some do. But it could help avoid fender benders and lower repair costs for the ones that happen.

GM Files 'Riviera' Trademark

The Buick brand has been gaining momentum in recent years with popular entries like the Enclave and the LaCrosse. As the premium marque continues to fill out its lineup with compact entries like the Encore and the Verano, there's some evidence the brand may get it's coveted “Riviera” nameplate back, according to GM Inside News, a General Motors' enthusiast web forum.

From the 1963-99 model years, the Riviera was a halo coupe car for Buick. Trademarking the Riviera name doesn't necessarily mean GM plans on making a production vehicle or even a concept vehicle for that matter. However, there are some indications that it wants to further expand the Buick lineup — especially to capitalize on growing sales in China, where Buick is one of the largest brands.

Two years ago, Buick told us it was considering adding a coupe, convertible and wagon to its lineup.

If those models are still in the cards, it's possible that the coupe/convertible could get the Riviera nod, but we'll just have to wait and see.

GM Trademarks Riviera Name For Vehicle Use (GM Inside News)