REDMOND, Wash. -

With automakers showing off their new offerings — which include all-new models as well as updated versions of existing rides — MSN Autos shared what it believes to be the 10 vehicles whose latest editions showed the most progress from their predecessors.

“Like a sports team, when it comes to picking the best car you’ve got your veteran players who everyone expects to be great and a couple who have gotten complacent and gone into decline but who still enjoy a reputation earned in better times,” wrote MSNBC.com contributor Dan Carney, who authored the report.

“At the same time, some of the guys who have been around awhile and haven’t really performed like pros have really gotten their acts together during the off-season, returning with a form that is getting attention around the league,” he added.

Interestingly enough, all of the vehicles on the list are from the Big 3 or Hyundai/Kia. Dodge, Ford and Kia each nabbed two spots, while Buick, Chevrolet, Hyundai and Jeep each took one.

The following are the 10 vehicles on the list, with commentary from Carney:

Buick Regal

The latest edition of this ride “looks like nothing” that a Buick showroom would have featured a few years back, Carney wrote, adding that “two things have changed that.”

Explaining further, he said: “First was Buick’s rise in China, where the brand is a top seller and the Regal is seen as a crucial ingredient to General Motors’ ongoing success in the market. The other thing that happened was that the Saturn brand was shuttered in the GM bankruptcy, leaving GM with a model that had been planned for the Saturn division that was all dressed up with no place to go. So it became a Buick.”

Chevrolet Cruze

Next on the list was the Cruze, whose predecessor was the Chevrolet Cobalt.

“OK, there was not an old Chevy Cruze for the new one to improve upon. But the Cruze replaced the Cobalt, which had some sound fundamentals but was poorly executed and detailed,” Carney shared.

“The new car enjoys a much bigger budget, as GM splurged on some nice cabin appointments so that the interior approaches within shouting distance of luxurious rather than living directly in downtown heinous,” he continued. “The Cruze is also sturdily constructed using large amounts of high-strength steel to eliminate the kinds of wobbles and rattles that have long plagued domestic economy models.”

Carney added that with such robust safety equipment, the Cruze is ideal for youngsters.

Dodge Durango

Offering his commentary on the next vehicle to make the list, Carney shared: “The original Durango was a monstrous, thirsty body-on-frame truck that had worse handling and fuel economy than the larger Chevy Suburban but with less space inside than the Tahoe.

“The new Durango is built on a new unibody chassis shared with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and R-Class crossover SUVs and it is outfitted with either the company’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine or the latest version of the company’s heralded Hemi V8, with cylinder deactivation for better gas mileage when cruising on the highway,” he continued. “Mercedes’ ride and Hemi power? That’s a tough-to-beat combination.”

Dodge Journey

Next up was another ride from Dodge that has made some strides.

“Dodge briefly ran tongue-in-cheek television commercials touting the Journey mid-sized crossover as the best car in the world. It was a joke because the old Journey obviously wasn’t, with its appalling cabin materials and thirsty V6 engine,” Carney wrote.

However, Carney called the revamping of the 2011 edition to be the “company’s most lavish,” saying its interior is welcoming and “positively opulent.”

“Under the hood it also gets the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, with its accompanying improvements in power, smoothness and efficiency,” he added.

Ford Explorer

Moving along, another SUV made the list, this one being from Ford.

Offering his take on the new Explorer, Carney wrote: “This one-time darling of suburbia had fallen on hard times, as consumers turned their backs on truck-derived SUVs in favor of jacked-up station wagons. Still, the name held some equity, so while the crossover SUV Ford Freestyle and Taurus X flopped in the showroom, the thinking was that the Explorer name could attract buyers if it were a crossover.

“That guess has proved correct, as Ford is selling Explorers as fast as it can build them. The Explorer isn’t just an improvement on the old trucky model, it is also an improvement on the Taurus X, the vehicle from which the new Explorer was derived,” he added. “In an instance of less being more, a new Explorer based on the old Taurus X replaces both of those models and is more popular than they were combined.”

Ford Focus

Ford’s second model to crack the list, the Focus, received high praise from Carney, as well.

“Ford’s track record in the compact segment is so abysmal that the company has changed the name of its small model repeatedly over the years, from Falcon to Pinto to Escort to Focus,” he wrote.

“For a brief moment the company got the Focus right when it imported the European design to the U.S. 1999 and reached its pinnacle with the SVT high-performance edition in 2001. Unfortunately the company dropped the ball when the Focus reached the end of its natural lifespan by replacing it with an all-new car in other markets, but introducing a warmed over version with homely sedan styling for the U.S.,” Carney continued.

He went on to call the 2012 variety of the global Focus “the best in its segment,” pointing out that it features materials and amenities that are typically found solely in more luxurious rides.

“Look for the Focus to be one of Ford’s sales heroes this year,” he added.

Hyundai Elantra

Carney’s take on older Elantra models was not very favorable, but he stressed the major 180 that Hyundai has pulled as of late.

“Here’s a car that largely epitomized cheapness for many years. The old models were ugly and poorly made,” he said. “But Hyundai’s dramatic turnaround in recent years included its compact model, and the previous edition was solid.”

Going a step further, Carney said the latest Elantra is a “contender” and like its rival Focus will compete at the top of its segment.

“Hyundai’s astonishing improvements in powertrain engineering are a big reason why the Elantra is so improved,” he added.

The ride achieves 40 miles per gallon highway fuel ecomony from the 145-horsepower 1.8-liter engine combined with six-speed (automatic or manual) transmission, Carney said. Not to mention, it doesn’t have to employ hybrid technology or special high-efficiency options to achieve that mpg, thus curbing the cost, he added.

Kia Sorento

Continuing on, Carney offered his take on the next Korean model to make the list: the Sorento, which he called “sleek, stylish.”

“When Hyundai was selling jalopies that quickly fell apart, one thing kept the brand out of last place in various quality and satisfaction surveys: Kia,” he noted. “That performance wasn’t sustainable, so Kia eventually fell into bankruptcy, from whence it was bought by Hyundai. Improbably, this combination has worked wonders for both companies:

Interestingly enough, the model is the first the Kia has produced in the U.S. The 2012 ride is particularly strong when it comes to fuel-efficiency, Carney stated.

“The new Kia Sorento is a sleek, stylish crossover SUV that has been winning plaudits from reviewers and now for 2012 it gains the super-efficient corporate 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine which boosts its fuel economy and performance,” he pointed out.

Kia Optima

Delving into Kia’s next model on the list, Carney pointed out that the Optima can achieve  highway fuel economy of 35 mpg from the 200-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine and six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

“Kia also gets its own version of the widely-acclaimed Hyundai Sonata, which was new last year. The company’s mid-sized sedan goes from being an afterthought in the segment to a legitimate player, courtesy of its German styling (penned by an ex-Audi designer) and Korean engineering,” he shared.
“Sporty turbocharged and thrifty hybrid models are also available, helping Kia press its assault on a market where it has been largely overlooked for years,” Carney added.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Lastly, Carney took a look at the sixth domestic model to make the list: the new Grand Cherokee that he finds to be a major upgrade from its predecessors.
“The Jeep Grand Cherokee suffered during the years when the Jeep brand was controlled by then-DaimlerChrysler,” he wrote. “Now that the company has split from the Germans and aligned itself with Fiat, the result has been — incredible as it may seem — a gigantic improvement.”

While the former model was certainly a strong off-road vehicle, the previously lush interior suffered due to “budget pressure” that led to “hard, shiny plastics” instead of top-notch materials,” Carney wrote.

“Today’s Grand Cherokee returns the premium materials to the cabin, while revving up the styling and installing the company’s efficient new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine or the latest version of the powerful Hemi V8,” he shared. “For off-road enthusiasts it is a restoration of the Grand Cherokee to its deserved position as a premium off-road wagon.”

Carney’s complete report can be read at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43045141/ns/business-autos/