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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland alum Ann Curry to leave NBC, go independent Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Historic U.S. Hotel subject of debate Police still looking for Christopher Sellars Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Police still looking for Christopher Sellars Deputies investigate report of home-invasion rape in White City Emergency Services Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Former Medford school board member Paulie Brading dies Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner Design and innovation program proposed at Talent Middle School College on the K-12 dime Environment New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure State News New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Purchase will transfer large Central Oregon ranch to BLM Kitzhaber focuses on inequality in inauguration speech Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Oregon State University plans $60 million forestry complex Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Robert (Bob) Merlyn Fasel Audrey Nyoda Kerr - Delora Lay Van Horn Donnalee Bell Norman D. Roberts Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Mariota: Loss does not define season Gibson, Retzlaff to compete in bowl game (No heading) Ducks lose out to Ohio State in national title game, 42-20 TCU climbs to No. 3 in final Top 25 poll Varsity 541 College Sports Mariota: Loss does not define season Gibson, Retzlaff to compete in bowl game Ducks lose out to Ohio State in national title game, 42-20 TCU climbs to No. 3 in final Top 25 poll No major incidents after Oregon's defeat Pro Sports Harden boosts Rockets over Nets Fox, Broncos part ways after playoff failure Reed rallies to win Kapalua in a playoff Lillard heats up in Blazer victory Randolph, Grizz win 2OT battle Community Sports Business Latest Stories Blog: Spending on arts and cultural still on the rise Economic future looking brighter Silvio Calabi: The cars of the year Business briefs People in Business Real Estate News Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business Transportation Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Obama and Paris rally Our View: Approaching college with a running start Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Letters to the Editor, Jan. 13 Jan. 12 Letters to the Editor Editorials Our View: Approaching college with a running start Our View: A pipeline should not run through it Other Views: ACLU leader helped change Oregon Our View: It's best to prepare for the worst Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 13 Jan. 12 Letters to the Editor Jan. 11 Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 9 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 8 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Guest Opinion: East is east and west is west Guest Opinion: Get the best deal on pipeline Guest Opinion: Say yes to clean energy jobs, no to the LNG project Lifestyle Latest stories Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Gail Ciampa: Modern quiche meets ancient grain Shayne Looper: Salvation-lite: Great benefits ... less responsibility? Dr. Elaine Heffner: Children, privacy and big data Food for Thought: Give up gluten, but not all grains Food Gail Ciampa: Modern quiche meets ancient grain Food for Thought: Give up gluten, but not all grains Kitchen Call: Roasted pork, Tuscan style Community blog: Braised greens and potatoes epitomize season Community blog: Happy New Beer Year! Home and Garden Home Help: Heighten your home’s style this year 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Home Help: Timeless or trendy? Achieve both in your home decor this year Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Health Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Community blog: Dont Let Fear Run Your Life Dr. Murray Feingold: Separation anxiety common in adults Health Watch: Staying fit as a frequent flyer Community blog: Tale of the Tape Hiking Biking Faith Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Since You Asked: Sheriff's Office sells off foreclosed homes Mt. Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Live Music in Local Clubs Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight 100 Watt Mind unveils 'Creatures' American Guitar Masters play the Imperial Theater Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Tangled up in Dylan OSF's 'Great Society' up for Kennedy Prize Next Stage presents a tribute to an iconic folk artist Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer Music Live Music in Local Clubs 100 Watt Mind unveils 'Creatures' American Guitar Masters play the Imperial Chamber Music Concerts presents Tesla Quartet Blues jam tonight at Little Brown Jug Community Events Art Presence showcases 'Naked Art' New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dining Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Ashland alum Ann Curry to leave NBC, go independent ... New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon ... Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects ... Ashland alum Ann Curry to leave NBC, go independent ... New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon ... Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects ... Silvio Calabi: The cars of the year Comment By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Jan. 12, 2015 @ 6:41 am By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Jan. 12, 2015 @ 6:41 am » Social News Of all the cars reviewed here in 2014, these are the ones — the ones that bubbled up when someone at the Christmas party asked, “Hey, what have you been driving?” It was a fine year. Car in which we would pick up QE II at the big house and run her up to Sandringham: Bentley Flying Spur. There’s ample room for a couple of Corgis and an Asprey trunk full of tweeds and shortbread. Scotland Yard’s Protective Services Unit would just have to keep up. (We recommend the supercharged V-8 Range Rover Sport.) Car in which we’d pick up the Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, the Royal Sweetheart, and run her up to Sandringham: Aston Martin Vanquish. It would have to be without the duke or the little prince, as this is a two-seater. We’d go the long way. Car we’d drive to Sandringham, or anywhere else, on our own nickel: Jaguar XJ — the one with the supercharged, 340-horsepower V-6 (25 mpg counts, where gas costs $9/gallon) and AWD. Olde Worlde opulence plus modern driving dynamics at one-third of the Bentley’s sticker. We’d even take the stretch “L” model. But look out, Britain (and Germany): Hyundai’s top-rung Equus and Genesis sedans together muster 16 cylinders and 869 horsepower, adjustable everything, swanky cabins and the latest in digital doodads and safety nannies, and cost $124,700 — for both, that is. Enough said? Meanest SUV of them all: BMW X5. How can “only” 445 horsepower feel so muscular? And a tall, two-and-a-half-ton luxury “truck” feel like a racecar? The twin-turbo xDrive50i has a gilded chip on its shoulder. Now there’s a 567HP X5 M — lock up the wimmen and children! Most interesting Ford of 2014: Fiesta SFE. With just three cylinders, a clutch pedal and a 5-speed manual gearbox, Ford’s baby EcoBoost is so far behind the times that’s it’s out in front again. Expect 32 mpg in town and 45 on the highway, plus old-fashioned, hands-on, pay-attention driving. Still the top greenie hybrid: Lexus GS450h — so smooth, so quick, so comfortable, subtle and well appointed, so technically advanced and posh, yet so surprisingly frugal. It’s a luxury car for today. A sign of things to come, we hope: The Volvo V60 wagon isn’t a new model, but it’s the closest thing to one we’ve seen since the Chinese took over — in 2010! The R-Design with the turbo V-6 is really good. (Keeping fingers crossed for the new XC90.) Look, ma — no hands: Infiniti Q50, the AWD one with the Technology Package that can take over the steering wheel, brakes and gas pedal. If we all operated these things, there’d be far fewer accidents. Much less road rage, too. Imported from Detroit: Its more glamorous cousin, the Grand Cherokee, gets the awards, but don’t overlook the three-row Dodge Durango. It has the technological and dynamic chops to go with its handsome restyle, and demographically it’s midway between Sam Adams and chardonnay. No longer just for baby boomers: The C7 Stingray is faster and more agile than the C6, yet also easier to drive and more civilized in every way. The best, most refined Corvette ever. Why do we like it? Oh, but we do: The angle-iron Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is an ox cart among spaceships, yet it bristles with personality and even charisma. Pricey as the Sahara model is, it’s still a whole lot cheaper than a G550. High tech done just right: The Audi SQ5 delivers crisp performance and all manner of electronic adjustability and adaptability while still letting the driver feel like he’s in charge. Brilliant! The AWD hatchback for families that can afford the insurance (for starters): Ferrari FF. It’s much faster, much quicker, much lighter and much more awesome than you even imagined. More expensive too, but Ferrari throws in seven years of oil changes. Speaking of Ferraris, there’s another car from that family that we’re dying to get our hands on this year: the Alfa Romeo 4C, which appears to be a Lotus with an Italian accent. We’d also like a turn in BMW’s futuristic new sports coupe, the hybrid, high-performance i8, and the Tesla Model S P85D. (Any Tesla is an amazing car, but this one looks to be amazing-er yet.) Also the Cadillac ATS-V, VW’s latest Golf GTI, the Lexus RC and many more. May all our driveways be filled with interesting cars in 2015! Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Silvio is a member of the International Motor Press Association whose automotive reviews date back to the Reagan administration. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at [email protected]. By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Jan. 12, 2015 @ 6:41 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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