Wagon

If anecdotal evidence gleaned from trips through L.A.'s moneyed coastal enclaves like Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Manhattan Beach is any indication, there's a new automotive trend for the outdoorsy yuppie. It's a station wagon. Too culturally sensitive to be caught in an SUV, yet ever mindful of the curbside erratum that is the minivan, those with an active lifestyle or projection thereof clearly seem to be finding solace in the 2013 Audi Allroad. The car is essentially a more rugged yet equally sophisticated cousin of the A4 station wagon (nee Avant)

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. - The state's runaway fires have so far spared this mountain resort town, but as the traditionally hectic Fourth of July holiday approaches - and the flames loom nearby - economic worries hang like wood smoke over the so-called gateway to Pikes Peak. Much of the Rocky Mountain foothills region south of Denver remains a disaster zone days after the Waldo Canyon fire swept through the Colorado Springs area, killing two people and destroying 347 homes - with tens of thousands of evacuees continuing to pack into emergency shelters and overflowing hotels.

Once a rarity in the showroom, fuel-sipping hybrids are becoming an increasingly common option at dealerships. Need a big luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles that still gets 29 miles to the gallon in everyday driving? Check out the Buick LaCrosse with the eAssist mileage boosting system. How about a station wagon you can pack with children and groceries and still get 42 mpg? The Prius v fits the bill. Looking for something with high style? Wait for the upcoming edition of the Ford Fusion hybrid that's expected to hit 47 mpg. All these new hybrids are a welcome option for consumers who face high gas prices.

EVERYBODY IN LA JOLLA knew the Brodericks. Daniel T. Broderick III and his wife, Betty, seemed to have a classic society-page marriage. Dan was a celebrity in local legal circles. Armed with degrees from both Harvard Law School and Cornell School of Medicine, the prominent malpractice attorney was aggressive, persuasive and cunning--a $1-million-a-year lawyer at the top of his game.

BMW used the New York International Auto Show to showcase two new additions to its venerable 3 Series lineup, a new diesel-powered 328d and a Gran Turismo hatchback. The 328d is making its U.S. premiere at the show and will go on sale in late summer. PHOTOS: Highlights of the 2013 N.Y. Auto Show Sold in Europe as the 320d, the diesel 3 has a turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. BMW said it will do zero to 60 mph in about 7.2 seconds and “well exceed” 40 mpg in highway driving.

- The cherimoya is a peculiar-looking, almost intimidating fruit - "like a pre-Columbian jade pine cone or the finial for a giant Inca four-poster bed," in Elizabeth Schneider's memorable words. But at its best it tastes sublime, with sweet, juicy, flan-like flesh and rich flavor blending papaya, banana and pineapple. Mark Twain famously called it "the most delicious fruit known to men," and if taste were all that counted, cherimoyas might outsell apples. Alas, cherimoyas are exceptionally tricky to grow, select and ripen, and thus not well adapted to American industrial fruticulture and marketing.

"LIFE AS WE KNOW IT." REO Speedwagon. Epic. There are a few surprises on the 14th album from a band whose musical predictability is generally exceeded only by its popularity. Kevin Cronin and company sound as if they really want to rock, so they dispense with the overblown but undernourished music and lyrics that normally clutter their brand of arena-rock. But as good as the intentions may be, REO is still playing things quite safe.

What do you call the next coupe version of BMW's venerable 3 Series lineup? Hint: not a 3 Series. On Wednesday, the company released the first concept images of what will be the BMW 4 Series coupe when it comes to market in 2013. Though the car is entirely based on the latest generation 3 Series that we tested in early 2012 , BMW will now put the sportier coupe and convertible versions under the 4 Series banner. Thus you should expect a a base 428i to have the sedan's 2-liter, turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine making something in the neighborhood of 240 horsepower.

Opening a new frontier for solving cold cases, California prosecutors are hunting for DNA from killers, rapists and other prison inmates who died before authorities obtained their genetic profiles. Prosecutors from Sacramento, Los Angeles and Orange counties are sifting through old court exhibits and examining long-since forgotten crime-scene evidence in search of blood, saliva and other material that can be tested for DNA. Once obtained, the DNA is compared with the genetic profiles from unsolved cases that have DNA from unidentified perpetrators.