Consumer Reports announces top 10 most reliable American cars

Consumer Reports has released its top 10 list of predicted most reliable American cars from the 2012 Annual Auto Survey. The researchers chewed through their data to come up with the vehicles in each segment that garnered a reliability rating of "average" or better, while also scoring high enough in Consumer Reports testing to earn a "recommended" rating. Chevrolet took home five of the slots, with General Motors products soaking up two more for good measure. That left Ford and Chrysler to scrap over the remaining two spots. Ford walked off with the Sporty Cars category with the V6 Mustang, while Chrysler nabbed the Upscale Cars title with the Chrysler 300.

The Chevrolet Sonic, Volt, Traverse, Equinox and Avalanche all earned accolades, as did the Cadillac CTS, Buick Enclave and GMC Terrain. Unfortunately, when the rest of the world's brands are included, Japanese automakers take home seven of the top 10 spots. Head over to the Consumer Reports site for a closer look at the Top 10 most reliable American cars.
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Jeep JK Six Pak Concept is the three-row family off-roader you've been hankering for

Quality Metalcraft's CEO Michael Chetcuti has got big plans for the Jeep Wrangler big enough to seat six, in fact. This QMC Jeep dubbed the JK Six Pak, for obvious reasons, is here at SEMA as a sort of proof of concept project.

QMC has married the front portion of a JK Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door with the back half of the two-door vehicle, using a minimum of fabrication work to keep things clean and simple. The Six Pak rides on a custom lengthened chassis that was designed by Jeep aftermarket stalwart American Expedition Vehicles. In fact, AEV parts were used fairly extensively in this project: the front and rear bumpers, heat-extractor hood and roof rack all wear its stamp.

Other than the 4.5-inch lift kit and external AEV add-ons, the Six Pak actually looks remarkably like something that could have come from Jeep's own headquarters. The interior of the thing is well finished and seems awfully well screwed together for a one-off project that didn't roll out of an OEM workshop, which is, after all, kind of the point.

Chetcuti and QMC don't have any concrete plans to go forward with series production of the Six Pak... for now. The CEO did tell us that response to the concept has been overwhelmingly positive from SEMA show-goers so far, and that his dream scenario would be a tie-up with Jeep that would allow for reasonable access to the parts needed to build the six-seater on a grander scale.

You can show your support for the Six Pak, or just keep track of its progress, via its Facebook page, and/or by giving your opinions in comments below.
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Jeep Cherokee left teetering on border fence after failed crossing attempt [w/video]

The XJ Jeep Cherokee is a remarkably capable off-roader. With good approach and departure angles, decent suspension flex from the factory and stout running gear, it will get you where you need to go within reason.

Unfortunately for some would-be immigrants, even that talented machine doesn't have the break-over angle necessary to drive over the border fence between the US and Mexico. Border Patrol agents came across this scene recently while on patrol, wherein a few innovative minds came up with a set of ramps to carry their XJ up and over the 14-foot-tall fence.

The Boarder Patrol has since seized the XJ, which means it will likely languish on a government lot until it goes to auction. While we imagine the vehicle's occupants simply set out on foot after the high-center incident, next time they might have a bit more luck with a Wrangler. You can check out a video of the SUV on the fence below.
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Tesla Model S wins Automobile car of the year [w/video]

Automobile Magazine recently spent the better part of three days getting to know 28 of the latest and greatest cars on the market to pick its Automobile of the Year, and today it announced that the 2012 Tesla Model S was given this coveted award. As much as the all-electric Model S means to the automotive world, we'd be surprised if it doesn't snag a lot more hardware in the next few months.

The Model S beat out cars like the 2013 Cadillac ATS, 2013 Ford Fusion, 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S and 2013 BMW M5 with its sleek design, luxurious and tech-filled interior and, of course, its unique electric powertrain that offers both an incredible all-electric range and equally eye-popping performance.

To narrow down the top candidates for the award, Automobile took all the cars out for two days of road testing and then spent another day at Gingerman Raceway in Western Michigan, and the performance aspect of the Model S seemed to surprise and/or impress a lot of the magazine's staff more than anything else. To prove how fast the car is, they did a drag race to 100 miles per hour with the Tesla and the new M5, and the Model S won. The 265-mile driving range and 17-inch touch-screen display won points for the car, too.

Scroll down for a quick video from Automobile that goes into detail why its staff chose the Model S, and shows some great driving shots of the car as well. We've also put together a gallery with the Model S and the nine other cars that made the short list for the award, so be sure to check them out below.
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Mopar launches Jeep Performance Parts with Wrangler Sand Trooper

There's no doubt that the Jeep Wrangler is a shining beacon of aftermarket success here at the 2012 SEMA Show. If there's any one vehicle that can stake a claim to challenging the Scion FR-S and Ford Mustang in the sheer-number-of-vehicles contest, it's Jeep's iconic off-roader.

So it comes as little surprise that Mopar is interested in picking up a bit more of that market with its own factory-approved line of performance parts. In an effort to showcase what it offers in its catalog "a portfolio of high-end, hard-core Jeep parts including axles, lift kits, bumpers, winches, skid plates and suspension components," says the company Jeep has unveiled the Wrangler Sand Trooper that you see above.

Included in the upgrade list is a 5.7-liter Hemi engine conversion, portal axles, eight-lug beadlock wheels and a full underbody skidplate. Body bits consisting of half doors, a vented hood, flat fenders, a massive front bumper fitted with a Warn winch and a suite of LED lighting bits and a smattering of black trim round out the look.

See all these bits and pieces in our high-res gallery above and check out the official press release below.

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2013 Mini Countryman gets updates

It's been two years since the debut of Mini's Countryman crossover. In that time, the general public has indeed warmed to the idea of a big Mini we grew to rather like it during our long-term test and for 2013, a few small, thoughtful updates are on tap for the brand's range-topper.

The big change for the Countryman concerns the power window toggles, though Mini would also like you to notice the new Carbon Black ring around the center speedometer and new interior colors. Mini window controls have long resided in the center console, lost among the number of other buttons. The new Countryman breaks with that trend by moving the buttons to the door armrest, where it is located on most other passenger vehicles. We first saw this on the production Paceman that debuted in Paris earlier this year. This location also allows for a multi-button panel on the driver's side door. Previously, opening and closing all windows meant hitting each button individually.

Also of note is the removal of the two standard bucket seats in the second row, instead being replaced with a bench seat. Those who appreciate the customizable center rail in four-seat models can still select rear bucket seats, however. The 2013 Countryman is scheduled to hit European dealers sometime in November with US sales to follow shortly thereafter.
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Fisker Karma and 3M at SEMA, that's a wrap

Electric carmaker Fisker has partnered with car-wrapping specialists 3M for an interesting demonstration of what could be at this year's SEMA festivities. As we reported in greater detail earlier, the folks from 3M are wrapping up the Karma in a few fairly wild shades and stripe packages, to have a little fun with the already drop-dead gorgeous Fisker.

We caught the team mid-wrap when we shot the gallery of live images that you see here; transitioning from a white and blue livery to a sassy yellow and black number.

Considering the explosion of custom wrap jobs that we've seen and heard about lately, we'd expect to see the trend continue for both SEMA and the wider world of customization. In fact, wrapping at a high level makes a lot of sense for owners of expensive cars, who may be less willing to alter the original paint job, while still hungering for a little variety now and again.

We also happened across another rather interestingly modded Karma this one with a distinct lack of associated press information. The car in the gallery below has wood accenting both the wheels and grille, as well as another distinctive colorway. Enjoy.
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