SUVs have changed. For the first time ever, we didn't have a single body-on-frame example in our annual SUV of the Year competition. Remember, when Bob Lutz and Stephen Ross cooked up the Ford Explorer -- the vehicle most responsible for cupiding America's still-raging love affair with the SUV -- it was little more than an enclosed, four-door Ranger. For our 2013 competition, the overwhelming majority of the competitors were car-based. However, there was one vehicle that wasn't, and in the words of Frank Markus, "did more of what we expect an SUV to do." That vehicle is the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL.

Each year, the lines that divide vehicle categories get blurrier, making the "Best in Class" story that much more difficult to put together. It's hard enough to pick winners for each category; factor in determing the categories themselves, and it's exponentially harder! We also strive to make sure the comparisons within each category are as fair as possible.

The Honda CR-V has always had a reputation for practicality, but it was the CR-V's interior storage options that bowled over Motor Trend Visual Assets Manager Brian Vance. He noted three cubbies in the driver-side door, a deep center console big enough to stow an iPad, and more bins below the cupholders for items such as sunscreen and tissue.

King of the Hammers is one of the toughest, most exciting off-road events out there. This summer, Hammerking Productions will release the full film about the race, the 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers Presented by Nitto Tire movie, titled "Vindication." In the meantime, you can watch the trailer. It shows each individual driver tackling the extreme, rugged terrain of the race course, but also highlights that, for each individual driver out there, there is a full team offering support every step of the way. King of the Hammers is a week-long off-road race that takes place every February in Johnson Valley, California. 2013 marked the seventh year for the race; there were more than 300 teams and 35,000 spectators on site for the five-day event.

When "Vindication" goes on sale, you'll be able to buy it at Hammerking Productions web site, www.ultra4racing.com this summer. Watch the trailer at www.youtube.com/ultra4racing.

Despite the use of the word "new" in the press release, the 2014 Toyota 4Runner, like the 2014 Highlander and Tundra before it, received no mechanical updates as part of its update. While the Highlander received a significantly re-packaged interior yielding a significant three more inches of third-row width and the Tundra got the fancy new 1794 Edition trim level, changes to the 2014 4Runner are almost entirely cosmetic in nature.

Cadillac is recalling nearly 19,000 SRX crossovers for an issue concerning the wheel nuts.

Before the 2013 GLK went on sale, there was a buzz surrounding this vehicle. We had heard it was going to be powered by a diesel engine, a smaller-displacement one than the 3.0-liter V-6, which is available in the M- and GL-Classes as well as the Sprinter. We even got to drive a Euro-spec GLK diesel and were thoroughly impressed with the engine and how it works with this vehicle. Yet you never know for sure if something is going to change in the translation -- when we learn we're getting a version of a European drivetrain from any automaker, there's always the possibility that we'll get a detuned version, lower on horsepower and/or torque because of fuel-economy goals, emissions regs, etc. But Mercedes didn't let us down. The U.S.-spec GLK with the BlueTEC engine has just as much oomph as the Euro model we tried last year.

Say you've bought into the whole downsized, smaller-footprint lifestyle, but you're just not patient enough to spend eight or nine painful seconds achieving highway speeds. Well, two of our mainstreamers can be had with sufficient juice to hit 60 mph in the sixes, with handling upgrades to keep you smiling when the streets turn serpentine. Ford offers its 2.0-liter, 240-hp, 270-lb-ft EcoBoost engine as a stand-alone $1095 option on SE and SEL models, but you have to pop for the top-shelf Titanium model to replicate the handling results the 19-inch wheels gave our all-wheel-drive test car. Ordering Subaru's 2.0-liter, 250-hp, 258-lb-ft flat-four turbo requires a step up to the XT model, which corrals a suite of related performance hardware into a $3000 upgrade. Which turbo CUV is best?

The 2014 Silverado HD lineup is offered in WT, LT and LTZ models, in 2WD and 4WD -- including single- and dual-rear-wheel 3500HD models. All feature fully-boxed, high-strength-steel frames and offer an array of control features that make hauling and towing easier, including trailer sway control, integrated trailer brake control, hill start assist, automatic grade braking, intelligent brake assist and larger brakes.

Most of the big news lately surrounding GM's full-size trucks has been centered around the half-ton models of the Silverado and Sierra, but the 2014 HD models are getting minor updates ahead of their expected comprehensive overhaul in 2015. The most significant news, after a nearly year-long wait since the initial announcement, is the availability of the bi-fuel CNG models of the Silverado and Sierra 2500 HD.

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are being hailed as the most important product launch for General Motors since the company's 2009 restructuring. The combined sales of the Silverado and Sierra make it GM's highest-volume vehicle line, and by some estimates, account for as much as 60 percent of the company's global profits.

Just as it plans on extending its model offerings with several new models at the top and bottom of its product range, Land Rover is simultaneously cutting some of its brand names to give its model ranges more cohesiveness and stronger identities, according to Britain's Autocar.

Gab with some Volkswagen fans about their most wanted people's car and the 2004-2006 Phaeton will certainly come up. Here are eight Phaeton topics in case the dinner party conversation heads down that road. (You can thank us later.)

It seems people still value authenticity, as the Jeep Wrangler, arguably the most authentic SUV on the market, maintains a strong following in the U.S. and around the world. The popularity of Jeep's enduring icon worldwide has kept the Toledo factory humming. The plant celebrated the milestone of the millionth Wrangler JK produced at the plant last Friday, with Chrysler's vice president of assembly operations, Mauro Pino, and Dan Henneman, Jeep unit chairman of UAW Local 12, drove a black 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition off the assembly line.

Things are not always what they appear at first glance. A case in point is the 2014 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado. As a recent photo taken by our own Allyson Harwood shows, the new pickups are visually much more massive than their predecessors. But they are also considerably sleeker. General Motors' new full-size trucks underwent more aerodynamic testing than any truck to date, and the trucks' efficient aerodynamics are one of the key reasons the trucks are able to claim best-in-class V-8 fuel economy, still equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions, just as some of its competitors are starting to use eight-speeds.

AEM's cold-air intake system expands to include 2009-2013 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500 trucks with 4.8-, 5.3-, and 6.2-liter engines. The airbox is designed to pull cool air into the engine with claimed gains of up to 10 hp and 10 lb-ft of torque over stock. The system consists of a rotational molded plastic airbox and molded high-density polyethylene air intake tube with a washable and reusable 5-inch oval, high-performance dry flow air filter. MSRP: $529.

The 2014 Subaru Outback, the model that has long straddled the boundary between wagon and SUV, gets minor trim and packaging updates for the 2014 model year. Pricing is largely unchanged from the 2013 model, but some trim levels have revised equipment content which results in a slight price increase.

Chrysler is reportedly working on an ultra-high-performance supercharged variant of the Hemi V-8, dubbed the Hellcat by insiders. The 6.2-liter supercharged engine will reportedly be used in the next-generation Dodge Challenger and could go into other vehicles that currently use the 6.4-liter naturally aspirated Hemi engine. It's unknown whether this engine will be sold in addition to, or replace the 6.4 Hemi.

The concept of a F-150 SVT Raptor-based SUV has been around for more than two years, with Hennessey showing conceptual renderings of the VelociRaptor SUV in September 2010. But now, the monster SUV has jumped off the CAD screen and into reality.

That's right. The Ram Heavy Duty takes 36 seconds to hit 60 mph, but that's a good thing. Imagine you're towing 15 tons, on a nice summer day with the AC on, and after three successive runs with only braking in between, the fluid temperatures are still only a few degrees over what it was when the truck was cruising on the highway. An empty Mega Cab Laramie Longhorn took 26-27 seconds less.

Question: I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.0-liter six-cylinder and about 120,000 miles. I keep getting a catalytic converter code P0420. I heard there may be a way to fix it by spacing the O2 sensor away from the cat and changing the reading.

For this installment of Styling Showdown, we bring you a vehicle that, according to rumors and reports, wasn't supposed to exist. Over the last year or two, the prevailing wisdom, at least according to the automotive rumor mill, was that the Dodge Durango would be phased out, making room for a revived Jeep Grand Wagoneer. With that supposedly reliable knowledge, we wrote off the Durango as a solid, dynamically engaging, but ultimately short-lived three-row SUV that provided an interesting counterpoint in market generally characterized by anonymous, me-too entries.

The Infiniti JX35 (soon to be re-named the QX60) has been a popular addition to Nissan's premium brand lineup, and has also garnered its share of fans among our staff. Its room for seven, and smooth-running 3.5-liter V-6 paired to a shiftless CVT makes it a relaxing companion for racking up the miles. Staff photographer Julia LaPalme had the JX in her custody when it came up for its second major maintenance appointment consisting of an oil and filter change and tire rotation. The service schedule on the JX was adjusted from Schedule 1 (severe) to Schedule 2 (normal), doubling the oil change interval from 3750 to 7500 miles.

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Texas Edition celebrates the connection between the Lone Star state and full-size pickups. In fact, Chevrolet says one in six full-size pickup trucks is sold in Texas.

In what's been a long, drawn-out battle between off-road enthusiasts, the U.S. Marines, and the Bureau of Land Management, it looks as though a final, permanent compromise that will keep the Johnson Valley OHV Recreational Area open for use for more than 300 days a year is about to become reality. The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee approved HR 1676, the Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Establishment Act that would give joint use and access to both Marines at the nearby Twentynine Palms base, as well as off-road enthusiasts that have enjoyed the area for years.