Bill Jacobs Kia

Chevrolet Cruze

The Chevrolet Cruze was named “Best Compact Car for the Money” by U.S. News and World Report. It also won the “2012 Top Safety Pick” award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Chevrolet doesn’t have a long history of producing excellent small cars, but the Chevrolet Cruze is among the top scoring cars in the compact sedan category,” Brauer said. “In fact, it’s better rated than longstanding stalwarts like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Jetta.”
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html

Kia Soul

The Kia Soul is a compact car that debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. For the 2012 model, the car received an upgraded exterior, navigation and automatic climate control.

The Honda Fit is TotalCarScore.com’s top-rated economy car, but the Soul runs a strong second. “This puts the Soul ahead of several well-known economy nameplates, including the Nissan Cube and Toyota Yaris,” Brauer said.
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html?page=2

Cadillac CTS

The Cadillac CTS is a mid-size car available in three styles — coupe, sedan and sport wagon. It has been named to Car and Driver’s 2011 10 Best list, where it was singled out for its “psychedelic power” and “organ-shifting g-forces.”

“Ask anyone to name a great entry-luxury sedan and you’ll likely hear names like ‘Audi A4’ or ‘BMW 3 Series’ or ‘Mercedes-Benz C-Class,’ Brauer said. “And while those cars continue to be excellent vehicles, the industry likes the 2012 Cadillac CTS even more, giving it the highest Total Car Score in the Entry Luxury Sedan category.”
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html?page=3

Kia Sportage

The Sportage is made by the Korean automaker Kia. The compact crossover SUV has been rolling off of assembly lines since 1993. In 2010, it was named the Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“In the world of compact SUVs, long-time players like the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4 go up against newer models like the Mini Countryman and Nissan Rogue,” Brauer said. “Earning a higher Total Car Score than all of them is the Kia Sportage, which rivals even mainstay models like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester.”
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html?page=7

Cadillac SRX

The Cadillac SRX is a midsized crossover SUV that’s been produced since the 2004 model year. It was redesigned in 2010, but according to Brauer the listless engine stopped the SRX from realizing its full potential.

“That all changes for 2012, with a new 3.6-liter V6 that finally does the Caddy proud,” he said. “It now outranks Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3 and Mercedes-Benz’s GLK to lead the Entry Luxury Crossover category.”
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html?page=8

Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse is a full-size crossover SUV that debuted at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. It arrived at dealerships in October 2008, just in time for the financial crisis, but it weathered the storm and it continues to sell.

“That the Chevrolet Traverse ranks better than all other large SUVs, including the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilotand Toyota Highlander, is impressive in and of itself,” Brauer said. “But add in that this model is four years old, with a highly updated version just around the corner, and it’s clear Chevrolet knows how to build an enduring SUV.”
Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/underrated-cars-of-2012.html?page=9