If you are interested in getting a luxury 4×4, then you probably want to know what the best four-wheel drive vehicles are on the market.  There are many of these and you will probably want to do all you can to ensure that you’re getting something that will last you a long time and that you will enjoy driving it.  After all, what good is it buying a 4×4 vehicle if you won’t enjoy driving it?

5. BMX X5

If you are looking for an extravagant 4×4, then you should look no further than the BMW X5.  It has been around for a decade, but this has not stopped the people at BMW from keeping on their toes and making sure that this is one of the best 4×4s on the market. It does so while keeping fuel consumption in mind but without detracting from its powerful engine capabilities.

4. Toyota Land Cruiser

If you are looking for a 4×4 that works to combine the luxury of an expensive SUV with the practicality and high power of the 4×4 engine, then you should definitely check into the Toyota Land Cruiser.  If you get a top of the range model, it comes fully loaded and you can have your choice of extras.  However, for serious 4×4 handling, there is almost none better.

3. Porsche Cayenne

If you are someone who likes the power and speed of a sports car in the body of a 4×4 vehicle, then the Porsche Cayenne is just the vehicle for you.  Porsche went to a lot of trouble to make sure that their SUV was capable of performing well on the asphalt as well as the rough.  Not to mention that it has the ability to get to 60 mph in 5 seconds – not bad for a bulky SUV.

2. Mercedes-Benz R-Class

Mercedes-Benz bent over backwards to make sure that the R-Class model of their 4×4 SUV was one of the most luxurious on the market.  In fact, it is referred to as a “Sports Tourer” by Mercedes, which means they see it as a sporting 4×4 vehicle you can use to explore the countryside while maintaining the luxury of a car.  Plus, the Airmatic suspension will allow you to ride in relative peace and comfort.

1. Land Rover Range Rover

The Range Rover has been described as the top of the luxury SUVs for a reason.  This vehicle has all of the capabilities of an all terrain vehicle, with the luxury and space of a limo ride.  If you are serious about getting the best luxury 4×4 that money can buy, then you need to take a serious look at the Range Rover’s masterpiece.

With the continuously rising cost of petrol, and the increasing concerns over the environment, more and more people are looking for the greenest cars on the market. There are a number of car manufacturers that are working to find a way to make their cars more environmentally friendly. This has resulted in more green cars becoming available to the market.  Here is a list of the top five.

Ford Fusion Hybrid - green cars

5. Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford brand has started to show their environmental side through the Fusion Hybrid.  This vehicle is a combination gas-electric version of the traditional Fusion design.  The four door sedan is a family friendly car which has been updated with the newer engine, but other than that it has many of the same features as the traditional model.

Smart Fortwo - green cars

4. Smart Fortwo

While the Smart Fortwo has been available in Europe for a number of years, it is still one of the greenest cars on the market.  That is because this car has a one litre, three cylinder engine that uses only seventy one horsepower.  Through the development of this smaller engine and the recent developments in surrounding technology, the Fortwo is capable of running on less fuel in both city and the open road.

Volkswagen Jetta - green cars

3. Volkswagen Jetta TDI

While Volkswagon has always been known for its incredible car models, they have gone out of their way with the development of the Jetta TDI.  One of the largest improvements over the older models was the implementation of the clean diesel system.  This has allowed this small and agile car to get around fifty miles to the gallon.  Some people have remarked that the car’s design too closely mimics similar sedans from Toyota and Honda, but that may all be worth it when you look at the green benefits.

Toyota Prius - green cars

2. Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius was an innovator of the hybrid car movement when it was released, and Toyota has continued to improve on this with slight alterations and changes which have allowed it to become one of the greenest cars on the market.  On top of the savings in gas mileage and emissions, Toyota has also worked to make sure that the Prius is one of the most recyclable cars on the market.

Honda Civic GX - green cars

1. Honda Civic GX NGV

For those who want to be as green as possible, the Honda Civic GX NGV is the way to go.  This is because this model is not powered by petrol, but rather through natural gas.  However, it is not a large seller because of the fact that you cannot refuel the car as easily as you can with those that run on petrol.  The up side is that by using Compressed Natural Gas is that you get all the luxury of a car with one hundred and thirteen horsepower without any of the guilt as there are no emissions.

U.S. car manufacturer General Motors president has announced that the company will no longer produce the GM Pontiac after 2010.  The most recent Pontiac, the G8 GXP, will be one of the last Pontiacs to be produced.  For some, this doesn’t matter.  For others, especially older Pontiac owners, the news is sad, though not unexpected.

The Pontiac has been around since the 1950s, but it hasn’t always been a popular model, especially in later years.  While the G8 GXP is certainly a solid vehicle, not all of its predecessors were.  Unfortunately, with failing finances and the need to cut corners, the Pontiac simply hasn’t done well enough for GM to continue producing it.  The G8 GXP was simply too little, too late.

Kia is known for making affordable cars with great warranties, and the 2010 Kia Soul is no exception.  What is different is that while the Soul is cheap, it isn’t boring.  Instead, it features a number of high tech features, including a docking station for an iPod, a Bluetooth hands-free communication system, and even an USB port if you carry your music on that instead of a player.  There’s even an option to turn on cool pulsing lights to accompany your music!

Under the bonnet is a 2-litre, four cylinder engine that can put out 140 horsepower.  It gets around 24 mpg in the city and 30 on the open road, especially when you have five people in it.  Best of all, even a fully loaded Soul won’t break the bank.  It may be cheap, but you certainly get some great features for your money.

As with every week, a lot has gone on in the world of Formula One racing.  Here are a few interesting highlights.

•    The Chinese Grand Prix was raced on April 19, and the results were interesting.  Lewis Hamilton ended up coming in sixth, while the top two spots were claimed by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, both driving for Red Bull Racing.  Brawn’s Jenson Button claimed third.

•    The FIA has decided that neither marketing costs nor driver salaries will be a part of their new £30 million budget cap for the 2010 season.  Despite this, some, including Max Mosley, are afraid more F1 teams may leave the sport.  A number of new teams, however, are posed to fight for the three spots created for new teams in 2010.

•    Despite losing in Shanghai, Lewis Hamilton did post the top speed in Friday’s free practice in Bahrain.  His time of one minute 33.647 seconds set the pace for the first day of practices for the Bahrain Grand Prix.  Perhaps he will bounce back?

•    Speaking of Bahrain, the head doctor who is to supervise the Bahrain Grand Prix was suspended from his medical duties due to the inquiry into a patient death.  His suspension, however, will expire three days before the Bahrain race, and FIA officials say he will serve as the race’s chief medical official despite the inquiry.

•    Finally, F1 fans will soon be able to take any of their favorite cars for a spin provided they own a PSP or a Wii video game system.  Codemasters is releasing F1 2009 for these systems soon, and F1 2010 is in the works for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Porsche is considering building a new luxury super-coupe in the form of the old Porsche 928, but only, representatives say, if their global sales pick up.  While everyone agrees that a new three-door Porsche would be a great addition to the company’s line, it may not happen.  If it does, it is likely to be based on the Panamera, although it would feature some significant upgrades to the body and interior.

The Panamera was a very expensive investment for Porsche, and they’re looking for ways of recouping that investment.  Using the car as the basis for a new 928 would do just that.  Will the new Porsche 928 become more than just an idea, though?  Only time will tell.

There is a growing trend among car manufacturers to go green—Toyota started it with the Prius, and now Honda and Nissan have both come out with hybrids of their own.  Nissan, in fact, recently announced plans to create an all-electric car that actually has zero emissions.  They believe that this technology is the future of cars.

While the Prius, Honda’s Insight, and other planned hybrids (a hybrid Yaris and Fit are both in the words) are smaller cars, Nissan is working on bringing hybrid technology to the luxury sedan.  The hybrid Infiniti will be launched next year as part of their new line.  Their all-electric car will, likewise, see launch in 2010 and will feature lithium ion batteries.

The 2010 Nissan Cube is another one of those “boxes on wheels,” but at least the Cube knows it!  It’s got a very interesting look to it, though, including having asymmetrical windows that wrap around the back of the Cube.  This is just one of the interesting things about the Cube that make it stand out—an optional dashboard shag rug is another fun feature.

It’s smaller than other boxy cars, but even so, it does feature a pretty roomy interior.  The back seat can seat three or fold down for more room.  Storage in the doors and in the centre pillar is also available, plus there are several knobs and hooks to hang things from.  As far as power goes, the Cube features a 1.8 litre 4-cylinder engine that gets 122 horsepower.  The car is expected to get 30 mpg when on the open road.

As we get further and further into the 2009 F1 racing season, more and more interesting news bits come up.  Here are some of the topics from this week.

•    The lying scandal surrounding McLaren and caused driver Lewis Hamilton to be disqualified at the Australian Grand Prix continues.  This week, Ron Dennis, McLaren’s chief executive, resigned in response to the scandal.  He will be replaced by Martin Whitmarsh when the team appears before the F1 committee in Paris on April 28.

•    First, there was concern over driving into the sun in Malaysia.  Now there are some issues concerning the tyres that the tired Bridgestone are brigning to Chinese for the Chinese Grand Prix are not the best.  Many, including Renault and Brawn team members, have made it known that they believe these medium and super-soft compound tyres are not the best for the Chinese course.  In fact, several drivers had issues using the super-softs in Melbourne and are already anticipating the same kinds of problems in China.

•    Despite the controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton, he has recently been nominated for the Laureus Award.  The award recognizes the top names in global sports achievements each year.  Driver Sebastian Vettel has also been nominated for “Breakthrough of the Year.”

•    Finally, the diffuser issue that has plagued the F1 for the past several weeks has been settled.  The FIA has declared that the brand new diffuser design that three F1 teams (Brawn, Toyota, and Williams) used in Australia is legal.  An appeal against this decision was made and has been rejected by the FIA, leaving the matter pretty much closed.

Back in 2006, Aston Martin introduced the concept for the new Rapide.  Now, three years later, the car is finally about to go from idea to reality.  Aston Martin is preparing to release the Rapide this September.  The car will be the company’s first real four-door sports car.  Of course, it will be incredibly elegant and high-powered, just like all Aston Martins.

Unlike some of their earlier vehicles, though, it will feature four full-sized seats and have plenty of room for storage.  Aston Martin officials have stated that their goal with the Rapide is to create a versatile Aston Martin that works for everyone, not just those looking for a high-powered sports car.  The Rapide will feature a 6.0 litre V12 engine and will mainly be produced at Aston Martin’s new factory in Austria.