Let's start off the new year with a new car. Some shoppers treat a latte purchase like a time share commitment - but interest rates are low and showrooms are full of shiny vehicles just waiting to grace your driveway. Won't you adopt one now? After years of ordering the tall drip coffee when you really wanted the venti mocha, it's time to splurge with a Lexus.

Family Workhorse
Practical doesn't mean penalizing. If you need a vehicular jack-of-all-trades the RX is your transportation bonanza. This mid-sized SUV crossover seats five in standard leather and wood trim but can tow up to 3,500 pounds and lug 40 cubic feet of cargo behind the seats. There's also the intangible benefit of the SUV's tall stance, giving drivers a commanding view of the road. Even better is the optional head's up display projecting audio, navigation and speed information directly onto the windshield so you never have to take your eyes off the road. The RX was made for long trips - between the available Mark Levinson 15-speaker stereo and optional dual LCD video screens, you'd need a live-in flight attendant to make your next trip any more convenient. When it comes to moving people and possessions the RX delivers more than a FedEx driver on Red Bull.

Drive the Flagship
Navy admirals have entire fleets at their disposal; they can choose from giant aircraft carriers to small destroyers. Buy an LS and you'll enjoy an admiral's selection in one vehicle. Lexus's range-topping LS offers more luxury appointments than Buckingham Palace. But despite features like a 16-way adjustable driver's seat, a rear-seat cool box and power sunshades, the LS is more than a rolling boudoir, it's also a real sports sedan. Mash the throttle on that 380 horsepower V8 and you'll see 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. Coping with the LS's 130 mph top speed are giant 14-inch brake rotors that will stop the LS faster than you can say "is that a CHP cruiser ahead?" With all that fury under the hood, the car still delivers up to 24 mpg, thanks to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Fair warning, though - once you slip behind the wood and leather steering wheel and sink into the semi-aniline leather seats, you'll never want to leave.

Life Begins at 40 (MPG)
Lexus's latest addition to their luxury stable is the Ct200h. This hot hatch offers all the luxury you expect from Lexus but with fuel economy that makes moped riders jealous. The CT200h pairs a sporty four-door hatchback design with a hybrid gas-electric drivetrain. Unlike some cars that you have to plug in, the CT200h operates just like any other car - put in some gas and go. You might expect the company's entry-level model to lack some features, but remember, we're talking about Lexus here. Standard features include NuLuxe seating material that feels like leather but doesn't stick, keyless entry and engine starting, dual zone automatic AC, XM radio and Bluetooth connectivity. The hybrid drive includes a CVT transmission that's smoother than greased Jell-o shots. Save the luxury for yourself, not OPEC. With EPA estimated fuel economy of 42 MPG overall, you won't visit the gas station very often, but when you do you'll smile.What other car can do that?