As soon as Motor Trend’s latest comparison of sporty midsize sedans was published on the homepage, the WOT staff decided to capitalize on the article’s popularity by writing a blog asking readers which V-6 or turbocharged four-cylinder midsize sedan they might consider. The latest You’re Buying WOT? blog features an exhaustive selection of vehicles, helping to remind some of midsize contenders that aren’t written about as often as the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, and Volkswagen Passat.

Read the blog and follow the conversation on the $29,000 midsize sporty sedans right here.

The Refreshing or Revolting series consistently become the most popular posts on Motor Trend’s WOT–Styling Size-Up is the brand’s latest expansion, covering vehicles that have no direct and recent automotive predecessor. One of the first vehicles featured in this styling analysis blog series was the enigmatic 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan.

The 2012 Buick Verano is one of the most exciting luxury cars to come along in the last few years. No, not to drive, of course, but to see where exactly it lands in the industry. Who will consider a new Verano: those who also want a loaded compact like the Chevrolet Cruze or drivers who are considering an entry-level compact premium sedanlike the Acura TSX?

Read the Styling Size-Up blog right here.

Motor Trend’s increasingly popular WOT daily news blogs cruised through the end of December without much trouble in part due to more than 20 posts I brainstormed, assigned, and in 10 cases, wrote. Many of the engaging posts relied on data and information that could only have come from Motor Trend, like…

…the following late-December 2011 WOT blogs:

• Forbidden Fruit(cake): 5 Engine Variants We Want in the U.S.

• Top 5 Most Popular Motor Trend Videos of 2011

• Remembering Saab: Highlights From Motor Trend’s Saab Reviews and Road Tests

A certain four-letter word — cute — must be a dirty one for Volkswagen designers who spent time preparing the new Beetle. (Not the New Beetle; the new Beetle.) Volkswagen’s modern, second-generation interpretation of the original Beetle was designed to be less cute and more masculine, in an attempt to attract male buyers who might otherwise consider a Scion tC, Ford Mustang V-6, or Mini Cooper. It’s styling that distinguishes the VW Beetle from those cars.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLK debuts with magic. Well, with Magic Sky Control. The technology is the latest in a series of drop-top advances from the German automaker in the last 10 years. First, we saw the Airscarf air vents integrated into the last-gen SLK’s headrests, then the trick air splitter appeared on the E-Class cabriolet.

Eight-speed automatic! Eight-speed automatic! Just take a look at the comments of testers who drove the Dodge Charger V-6 with the new eight-speed automatic, and it’s difficult to miss the enthusiasm for one of the most obvious issues rectified with the new Charger.

When the second-generation Honda Insight debuted, it instantly became the least-expensive hybrid available in the U.S., undercutting the Toyota Prius by a significant margin. That wasn’t enough to transform the Honda into a sales success story, and we can’t help but see similarities with the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i MiEV.

Learn more about the all-electric Mitsubishi i MiEV in this Motor Trend Car of the Year 2012 contender article, which appears about halfway down this page.

Hyundai blasted onto the American midsize sedan scene with the 2011 Sonata, a car that has proven bold enough to capture the attention of those who would have previously only considered a Camry or Accord. By now, we’re familiar with the 2011 and 2012 Sonata’s curves but is the grass greener on the other side?

In this unconventional blog from the Refreshing or Revolting series, Motor Trend compared the styling of the American Hyundai Sonata with that of the European market Hyundai i40, a sedan that serves the same purpose for the automaker in Europe. Read the entire blog at Motor Trend right here.