Criticism: Dan Neil

Not since torch-wielding peasants chased Frankenstein's monster through the town square has such a noble spirit been so mercilessly taunted. One critic compared the new $320,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom to a coffin maker's "Executive Slumber Series"; another called it the world's most majestic air conditioner.

Plenty of pound-feet -- that's torque -- help make the ultra-performance version of Mercedes' E-Class one of the best cars in the world, if not the best.

A lighted fuse of polished elegance and high ambition, Chrysler's latest riff on the history of car design is bound to hold up well over time.

 

The xB from Toyota's Scion brand is a kind of stereo on wheels, aimed squarely at Japanophile Gen-Y buyers barely old enough to drive. Parents won't get it, but that's the point.

Nissan's super-sized Pathfinder Armada is aimed squarely at Detroit's most profitable piece of the SUV segment. But do bigger ends justify bigger means?

With its futuristic, look-at-me XLR convertible, GM's luxury brand delivers a diamond in the rough.

All that's missing from the well-engineered TL is personality.

The all-new Bentley Continental GT is a feast for the senses as well a drain on the wallet

Supercharged and hyperactive, the Mini Cooper gets the 'Works'