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President Donald Trump has told Puerto Rico officials they should be "proud" they did not lose thousands of lives as in "a real catastrophe like Katrina". Mr Trump also said the storm-ravaged US territory had thrown the American budget "a little out of whack". Before landing on the island, Mr Trump graded his administration's response to Hurricane Maria as an "A plus". Puerto Rico officials have criticised the US government's handling of the natural disaster as too slow. Seven graphics that sum up Puerto Rico disaster Puerto Rico: 'Why did help take nine days to arrive?' Following the visit, the White House announced it was preparing to send a $29bn (£22bn) disaster aid request to Congress. Of that, $13bn would be for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, while the other $16bn would be for the government-backed flood insurance programme. Tuesday's five-hour presidential trip to the Puerto Rican capital San Juan came two weeks after the storm devastated the island. "I've been to Puerto Rico many times and the weather is second to none but sometimes you get hit - and you got hit," Mr Trump told officials at an Air National Guard base. "Every death is a horror," the president added, "but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous - hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here, with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody's ever seen anything like this." In his apparently impromptu remarks, he turned to emergency responders to ask how many Puerto Ricans had died as a result of the storm. "What is your death count as of this moment? Seventeen? Sixteen people certified, 16 people versus in the thousands," he said, referring to the 2005 hurricane that killed 1,833 people in New Orleans. The number killed by Maria was later increased to 34, with 19 killed directly by the hurricane, according to a spokesman for Governor Ricardo Rosello. Mr Trump also pointed out the impact on US spending from storm recovery on the island, which itself was already facing a budget shortfall of $72bn (£54bn). "Now, I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget a little out of whack because we've spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that's fine," he said. "We've saved a lot of lives," he added.

One huge advantage of the Toyota Prius Prime is the car's versatility. A few times last month, I didn't feel like bothering with the free chargers I can use at work. I knew I was in for a long day, so I just parked where I wanted and didn't think about it for the rest of the day. Thankfully, the gas/electric setup allows me to do that. A pure EV doesn't. Another advantage is free charging at the airport. I frequently use Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and they have free charging. I know several other airports have this too -- LAX is one I know of, and Nashville is another (so there's probably a lot of grateful Leaf owners in Nashville). In Atlanta, the free chargers get you a slightly better-than-usual parking spot on the ground level of the Daily Parking structure. They're level one chargers, so it's not quick, but most visits to the Daily Parking structure are, for me at least, 24 hours. I still have to pay for the parking, but there's no charge for the electricity. Last month, the section where the chargers are located was full. I doubt the EV spaces were full; there appear to be about 20 in the South Parking area. Still, I couldn't get to the free charger, so I just parked anywhere. If this car was a pure EV, I don't know what I would've done. That's one problem with the charging setup in Atlanta -- I can't tell ahead of time if the chargers are available. If the general parking area where they're located is full, I can't get to the free chargers. I'm grateful for those chargers, but the system could be a little better. I get that driving in an electric car and lugging the fuel tank and engine around is inefficient. But that setup has made my life easier on several occasions.

Police are working to establish the motive behind a mass shooting which left at least 59 dead and another 527 injured at a Las Vegas concert. Gunman Stephen Paddock, 64, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel towards an open-air music festival on Sunday evening. Police found 23 guns in his hotel room, as well as "in excess of" 19 firearms and explosives at his Nevada home. But as yet, no clear reason for the killing has emerged. Investigators have found no link to international terrorism, despite a claim from so-called Islamic State. Some investigators have suggested psychological issues, but there is no confirmation of this. The shooter was not known to police. President Donald Trump described the attack as "pure evil" in an address from the White House on Monday. What do we know of the gunman? Stephen Paddock lived in a community of senior citizens in the small town of Mesquite, north-east of Las Vegas. He reportedly lived with a woman called Marilou Danley who is out of the country in Japan, and does not appear to be involved, police said. Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said when police searched the property after the attack they found 19 "additional firearms, some explosives and several thousand rounds of ammo, along with some electronic devices we're evaluating at this point". Officers also found ammonium nitrate in Paddock's car. The explosive found in his home was tannerite, the sheriff said. There is a second house in northern Nevada which Swat teams are due to check for booby-traps before carrying out a search , Sheriff Lombardo said. David Famiglietti of the New Frontier Armory told the BBC that Paddock had purchased firearms at his store in North Las Vegas in the spring of this year, meeting all state and federal requirements, including an FBI background check. However, the shotgun and rifle Paddock bought would not have been "capable of what we've seen and heard in the video without modification," Mr Famiglietti said. Despite the large cache of weapons in his home, his brother, Eric, is dumbfounded that he acted this way. Las Vegas shooting - what we know The fake photos shared after tragedies What we know about the gunman Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo described the shooting as a "lone wolf" attack. So-called Islamic State (IS) has claimed to be behind the attack, saying Paddock had converted to Islam some months ago. But the group provided no evidence for this and has made unsubstantiated claims in the past.

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We do feel the Golf is a bit overpriced at $30,810. You can get a bigger Passat SEL comparably equipped for only $1,600 more. However, sometimes the devil is in the details, and if you dig deeper, you see you do get a lot of standard equipment for that price. Adaptive cruise control, navigation, Fender premium audio, heated leatherette (yes, leatherette) seats and a sunroof round out some of the standard equipment. You also get 3 years of roadside assistance as part of the standard warranty. Our Take The 2017 Volkswagen Golf SEL offers one of the best hatch platforms in the industry. From a performance standpoint, we would prefer the GTI, but we were very impressed with this 1.8-liter engine, which has more than enough horsepower and torque for the average consumer. Even though the Golf can be considered pricey, it has a lot of positives. If you're going to spend money on a Volkswagen, this should be near the top of the list.

More than twenty people have been killed and at least 100 injured in a mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert. A gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel toward an open-air music festival being held close by. Police said a suspect identified as a local resident, who was not named, had been shot and killed by officers. They said they were looking for a companion travelling with the suspect as a "person of interest". Sheriff Joe Lombardo said police believed the shooting was a "lone wolf" style attack, but confirmed they were trying to locate an Asian female named as Marilou Danely. Sheriff Lombardo said he was unable to accurately say the number of dead and injured, but confirmed two off-duty officers were among those killed. Live updates on Las Vegas mass shooting In pictures: Vegas shooting A local hospital spokesperson said earlier that at least 14 of the injured were in a critical condition. There had been reports of other incidents at different locations along the Las Vegas strip, but police said those reports were false. Some flights were diverted after news of the incident emerged. The country music festival had been taking place since Friday at several hotels on the Las Vegas strip. Nevada has some of the least stringent gun laws in the United States. People are allowed to carry weapons and do not have to register themselves as a gun-owner. Background checks are done when people buy guns, but they are also allowed to sell them privately. The state does not ban assault weapons, which are automatic or semi-automatic firearms, and there are no limits on buying ammunition there.

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I recently had the chance to drive a Range Rover Evoque Convertible. This opportunity came to me from Turo, which is this service that lets you borrow other peoples' cars instead of the traditional normal, dull rental cars. I chose it because the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is one of the most bizarre vehicles on sale today -- and one of the most bizarrely expensive. Today I'm going to illustrate why, and I'm going to start in an obvious place: the pricing. Oh, yes, the pricing. The Evoque Convertible starts at $53,000 with shipping, which is already fairly pricey for a 2-door, 4-cylinder car. It's even more expensive when you consider that the base model -- called the "SE Dynamic" -- doesn't include heated seats, a navigation system or any modern safety tech, like a blind spot monitoring system, lane-keep assist, automatic braking, a 360-degree camera and others. To even have the chance to get those items, you must upgrade to the HSE Dynamic, which starts at $58,700, and now you've just paid nearly 60 grand for a 2-door, 4-seat, 4-cylinder vehicle. And you still don't have those safety features: To get them, you must add the Driver Assistance Plus package ($3,400) and the Lux package ($2,700), which brings your total to $64,800. The Evoque Convertible I drove had all this stuff, and it also had the Black Design package, which added another $3,500 to the bottom line, and the Cold Climate package, which added $500. Even at that sum -- $68,300 with shipping -- you then must pay $750 for SiriusXM satellite radio, which the owner of my Evoque did; that brought the total to $69,500 with shipping, making this one of the single most expensive 4-cylinder vehicles on the market. Which would be fine, if it were great. But it isn't. There were a few Evoque Convertible issues I had that may have been specific to the particular example I rented (though I must say it was in excellent shape, with only around 10,000 miles). Specifically, a not-so-insignificant amount of rainwater would enter the cabin during hard cornering with the top fully up and secured. And when the windows got wet, they made an almost unbelievable screeching noise -- almost like every time you pulled up to a toll booth and rolled down your window to take a ticket, there was an army of Harry Potter villains trying to break into the car. So fine. Let's say not every Evoque Convertible has those problems. Let's give the thing the benefit of the doubt. But even if that's true, you're still dealing with the following circumstances: You've paid somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 for a Range Rover Evoque. This figure buys you a 240-horsepower 4-cylinder engine, which sends you from zero to 60 in around 7.7 seconds, meaning this isn't exactly a performance car. It also buys you only two doors and only four seats -- one fewer than even the 4-door Evoque -- and the back-seat space is miniscule, absolutely unusable for adults, and (when the top is raised) difficult for any human being to climb inside. Cargo space is also highly compromised due to the convertible top, meaning this isn't exactly a practical car, either. And then there's the issue of ground clearance. Land Rover touts all its vehicles as go-anywhere, off-road-capable beasts that can tackle the wilds of the world, but the Evoque Convertible I drove had 20-inch wheels with ultra-thin tires, and it could barely tackle the potholes in the Miami area. It's also worth noting the Evoque Cabriolet has just 8.5 inches of ground clearance, which is less than a Subaru Forester. I get the sense it isn't exactly tackling any off-road terrain, meaning this also isn't exactly an adventurous car. So you pay 70 grand for the Evoque Convertible, and you're getting a rather slow, impractical vehicle without the usual adventuresome Land Rover capabilities. Now, before I go any further, I should say that I actually like the regular Evoque. It's not hugely expensive (it starts at just $42,500), it's reasonably practical in 4-door guise, and it's spry, attractive and reasonably efficient. But the Evoque Convertible loses virtually all of those benefits, and charges you an extra 50 percent in the process. So what do you get? Well, I admit, the Evoque Convertible has some pretty nice technology. There's a good backup camera. It has one of those systems that automatically steers you out of a parallel parking spot. The interior is decent. There are "RANGE ROVER" badges on virtually every surface. And, of course, you get a removable roof, which you can put down at any moment, when you want people to stare at you and wonder exactly what possessed you to buy such a vehicle. You also get civilized road manners, acceptably tight and predictable steering and handling, and a noise-free driving experience -- when the windows aren't screaming at you like a contestant on The Price Is Right. Unfortunately, this is not enough for me to recommend the Evoque Convertible, although it seems my opinion isn't really necessary: I've seen just four of these on the street, including the one I drove around Miami for the week. What I do recommend, however, is that Land Rover build a convertible version of the next-generation Defender -- because open-top off-roading in a capable, go-anywhere vehicle is a lot more exciting than open-top cruising in an impractical, $70,000, 4-cylinder weirdmobile. So, Land Rover, you've put the soft top on the wrong car. Fortunately, there's still time to rectify your mistake. Doug DeMuro is an automotive journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications. He once owned a Nissan Cube and a Ferrari 360 Modena. At the same time.

Five fans were seriously injured when a barrier collapsed at the front of a stand during a French top-flight match. At least 29 people were hurt in the incident, which occurred in the 16th minute of Amiens' Ligue 1 match with Lille at the Stade de la Licorne. A barrier in front of the away section buckled as fans celebrated Fode Ballo-Toure's goal, and dozens fell about one and a half metres onto the pitch. The match was abandoned and the stadium evacuated after a security meeting. The local prosecutor said he had opened an investigation into the incident. Amiens v Lille is seen a derby, with about 98km (61 miles) separating the two sides. Amiens are competing in the French top flight for the first time in their 116-year history. Their 12,000-capacity Stade de la Licorne is the smallest of the 20 Ligue 1 clubs. L'Equipe reported that club president Bernard Joannin had blamed Lille's supporters for the incident and said: "Police had warned us that 200 highly agitated ultras were in the section of the stadium allocated to Lille supporters." Lille chief executive Marc Ingla responded on Twitter saying: "The statement from Amiens' president is irresponsible and inflammatory in the context of this situation. "We hope the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel) identifies those responsible. Our supporters are impeccable and professional football needs to be better organised. "The club has the right to ask questions about the security arrangements and conditions imposed on our supporters at Amiens' stadium." The LFP, which runs the top two divisions in France, said the decision to stop the match was taken after an emergency meeting involving the league's match delegate, the presidents of the two clubs and the chief of police. The league also "expressed solidarity" with the victims and their families. In a statement, the French Football Federation's president, Noel Le Graet, said it would wait for a final report from authorities on the incident and that "caring for the victims is the absolute priority before attempting to shed light on the circumstances of this accident". Amiens said in a statement: "Amiens and its leadership wants to express its solidarity with the injured Lille supports and their family and assure that their health is more important than anything else."

There are people who like to blend in, and those who prefer to set themselves apart. The 2017 BMW X6 M is one SUV that stands out in so many ways, and we have five reasons to experience it. Design Out of the gate, you can't help but notice the rare, unique styling of the X6 M. The design combines a coupelike sloping roofline with an SUV body. Some standard exterior features include LED fog lights, quad tailpipes and a spoiler -- it even boasts beautiful 21-inch alloys. Amazing Interior The X6 M's cabin is as good as they come. There are touches that specifically identify it as the high-performance X6 M, like the steering wheel and instrument cluster. It also has 18-way power-adjusting front seats, standard quad-zone climate control and a beautiful moonroof. Athletic Handling You really have to get inside one and drive it to get the full experience. The X6 M has a very athletic feel, and the 8-speed M Sport automatic transmission makes for an exciting drive. The confidence through turns is as high as you'll get in any SUV thanks to the M-tuned xDrive all-wheel-drive system. There are even paddle shifters if you want to take matters into your own hands. Innovative Features As far as features and packages, it could be an understatement to say there's too much to list. Adaptive cruise control is standard, as is hill descent control. Go for the Executive package, and it adds even more premium touches. The available Rear Entertainment package puts two 10.2-in screens into the back of the front seats. Superb Engine The X6 M is a high-performance SUV specifically built for an exciting and thrilling driving experience. The 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 is rated at a whopping 567 horsepower. You won't find many SUVs that can do zero to 60 mph in a quick 4 seconds. Autotrader Says Are you considering a luxury SUV? Well, do yourself a big favor -- take the 2017 BMW X6 M for a test drive and hold on tight.

US Health Secretary Tom Price has resigned over the use of expensive private planes for official business. He previously apologised after making 26 private flights since May at a cost of $400,000 (£300,000) to taxpayers. Government officials, except those dealing with national security matters, are required to take commercial flights for work related travel. Three other members of President Donald Trump's cabinet are under scrutiny for using private planes while working. A White House statement said President Trump had accepted Mr Price's resignation, adding that Don J Wright had been designated as acting health secretary. Mr Wright is currently deputy assistant secretary for health. The White House revolving door: Who's gone? In his letter of resignation, seen by the New York Times, Mr Price said he regretted that "recent events have created a distraction" from the work of the health department. An investigation by the political news website Politico found that Mr Price's travels had cost more than $1m (£750,000). As well as the $400,000 for private flights, that figure includes the cost of military aircraft used for Mr Price's trips abroad, Politico added. President Trump had earlier said he was "not happy" with the expense. Mr Price had promised to repay the cost of his seats on private flights, saying: "The taxpayers won't pay a dime for my seat on those planes." A scandal too big to ignore Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington In July Donald Trump joked that if Tom Price didn't get a Republican healthcare plan through Congress, he would be fired. People laughed. Obamacare repeal went down in flames again this week, and Mr Price is out. No-one is laughing now - no Republicans, at least. The situation is more complicated than that, of course. An ever-ballooning price tag for Mr Price's private jet trips became a scandal too big to ignore. The exorbitant spending, breaking with past practices, cut directly against Mr Trump's campaign promise to rein in wasteful spending. If Mr Price had given the president the legislative victory he desperately wanted, the secretary may have been spared. Instead, he was marched to the gallows. The risk for the administration has not passed. Other officials have racked up their own inordinately high travel expenses. Senior presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway was on one of Mr Price's flights - hinting that the scandal may reach inside the White House. The precedent has been established that such extravagances can be a fireable offence. Hours before Mr Price's resignation he told White House reporters: "He's a very fine man. We're going to make a decision sometime tonight." Possible candidates to succeed Mr Price include Scott Gottlieb, currently commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Seema Verma, who is administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class range encompasses a fine array of premium compact cars. At one end of the spectrum is a plug-in hybrid sedan. At the other, a soft-top with 503 horsepower. In between, there are various amounts of power and equipment, along with coupe variants. As one of the company's top sellers, successive waves of C-Classes come ever closer to emulating the excellent S-Class flagship sedan on a smaller scale. But that still means useful occupant space, an optional air suspension, exciting technology and state-of-the-art safety equipment, all wrapped up in sophisticated styling. What's New for 2018? A 9-speed automatic transmission replaces the 7-speed unit in last year's C 300 and C 300 4Matic variants, resulting in 0.2 seconds shaved from the sedans' 0-to-60 mph time, which is now 5.8 seconds. The C 350e plug-in hybrid receives LED headlamps as standard. The C 300 Coupe gets a rearview camera as standard. A power sunroof is standard for the sedans; extendable sun visors are standard throughout. A smartphone integration package (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) is a new option. Mercedes-Benz says its AMG engineers have revised various technical features of the C 43 to improve its driving dynamics and bring them more into line with the higher-level AMG models. The options structure has also changed. The bundles are now smaller, making it easier for buyers to select their preferred features. What We Like Styling; technology; quiet, well-trimmed cabin; impressive handling; optional air suspension What We Don't Pricey options (as usual with German cars) How Much $41,245-$82,495 Fuel Economy The entry-level C 300 moves to the tune of 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine linked to a new 9-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system as an option. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the rear-drive C 300 sedan achieves 24 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg on the highway and 27 mpg in combined driving. The 4Matic version returns 23 mpg city/32 mpg hwy/26 mpg combined. In rear-drive guise or as a 4Matic model, the C 300 coupe is rated at 22 mpg city/30 mpg hwy/25 mpg combined; the C 300 cabriolet returns 22 mpg city/29 mpg hwy/25 mpg combined. Only the C 350e plug-in hybrid's rear wheels receive the combined system output of 275 hp and 443 lb-ft from a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The transmission is a 7-speed automatic. Consumption is calculated by the EPA by taking in both gasoline and electric power to come up with a miles-per-gallon equivalent (mpge). The 2018 C 350e's EPA figures have still to be finalized, but the 2017 model was estimated to achieve 45 mpge city/61 mpge hwy. Range in EV-only mode is around 20 miles. C 43 cars have a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 for a meaty 362 hp and 384 lb-ft. This engine is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is standard. The EPA puts consumption at 20 mpg city/27 mpg hwy/23 mpg combined in the sedan and coupe versions, and 19 mpg city/26 mpg hwy/22 mpg combined in the cabriolet. A turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 propels both the C 63 and the C 63 S. The former kicks out 469 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, while the latter is boosted to 503 hp and 516 lb-ft. These cars use AMG-tuned 7-speed automatic transmissions and are rear-wheel-drive. The C 63 and C 63 S sedans achieve 18 mpg city/24 mpg hwy/20 mpg combined. Both C 63 coupes return 17 mpg city/23 mpg hwy/29 mpg combined, and the cabriolets manage 17 mpg city/22 mpg hwy/19 mpg combined. All C-Class models have an Eco driving mode, which uses an automatic stop/start feature to save fuel when the car is at rest. Standard Features and Options The 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class comes in sedan, coupe and cabriolet (4-seater soft-top) body styles, with choices of drivetrains and features. All-wheel drive (4Matic) costs $2,000 extra where applicable. The C 300 sedan ($41,245) has 17-inch alloy wheels, auto-dimming mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, simulated leather upholstery (much better than it sounds), a 14-way power driver's seat with memory, a power front passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, the Comand infotainment system with a 7-in screen, Bluetooth and an 8-speaker audio system with USB/SD card slots and HD Radio. An AMG Line bundle brings AMG body styling, 18-in AMG wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, performance front brakes, a sport steering wheel and various sporty interior flourishes. A Driver Assistance package includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision mitigation and lane-keeping assistance. The Advanced Lighting Package brings full LED lighting inside and out, automatic high beams and headlamps that follow the steering. The Multimedia package enlarges the infotainment screen to 8.4 inches while bringing a touchpad controller, navigation and voice control. The sedan-only C 350e ($48,895) has the air suspension, LED headlamps and 18-in alloys as standard. The C 300 coupe ($44,195) and C 300 cabriolet ($52,195) come with keyless entry/start, satellite radio, blind spot monitoring and 18-in alloy wheels. Naturally, the cabriolet has a powered fabric roof, with the neck-heating Airscarf feature as standard. Additional C-Class options include leather upholstery, heated and/or ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wood/leather steering wheel, a power rear sunshade, keyless entry/ignition, a cabin ventilation system that emits fragranced air, a head-up display, an illuminated grille star, a 590-watt/13-speaker Burmester audio system, satellite radio, a powered trunk lid, an adaptive air suspension and active parking. The C 43 sedan ($54,395), coupe ($56,895) and cabriolet ($61,795) have all-wheel drive as standard. The C 63 sedan ($67,095/$74,695 for the S), coupe ($68,495/$76,495) and cabriolet ($74,495/$82,495) have an aero body kit, 18-in alloys, huge brakes, a sport suspension, a sport exhaust, more prominent seat bolsters and dedicated interior trim. Exclusive AMG-related options include a limited-slip differential, plus dedicated cosmetic and performance upgrades. Safety The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the C-Class sedan four out of five stars for front-impact protection, five stars in the side-impact test, four in its rollover test and five out of five overall. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it a top score of Good in the side- and moderate-front overlap crash tests, plus Superior (with the optional safety equipment) for front-crash prevention. The C-Class comes with stability control, antilock disc brakes and a comprehensive tally of airbags as standard. Rear side airbags are optional. Parking sensors and a self-parking system are also available. Cabriolet versions have a special rollover-protection system. Behind the Wheel The overall look and feel is strikingly upscale. Materials and finishes are uniformly top-notch. The Comand system has its familiar control knob on the center console but puts a touch-sensitive extension on top for smartphone-like swiping gestures. There's a learning curve, but the horizontal menus at the top and bottom of the screen are user-friendly. It's hard to fault the front seats in any model, though the sedan's rear legroom is a tad tight if tall folks are sitting up front. Naturally, rear passenger space is a little tighter in the coupe and cabriolet versions, but still bearable for an adult of average size. Trunk capacity in the sedan is 12.6 cu ft. (average for the segment). The C 350e's trunk space is 11.8 cubes, because it has to accommodate some of the plug-in hybrid hardware. The coupe runs to 10.5 cu ft., and the cabriolet has 8.8 cu ft. -- like the sedans, their rear seats will also split and fold. The C-Class is remarkably quiet, cruising at highway speeds like a bona fide luxury car. The standard suspension's ride is taut but well-damped; the optional air suspension is a joy. The sport-tuned suspension amplifies the occasional thud, but it also turns the C-Class into a genuine 3 Series rival. Apart from insufficient steering feel through fast corners, there's little room for improvement. Many drivers will be satisfied with the 4-cylinder engine, which has enough torque for most situations. However, the C 43 straddles the area between regular C-Class cars and the higher-performance C63 derivations. That's a sweet spot, because sometimes an AMG in typical traffic feels like taking an alpha wolf to the dog park. At the heady end of the performance spectrum, the C 63's V8 is one of the world's finest engines. Other Cars to Consider 2018 Audi A4 -- One year into a new generation. Polished and packed with tech. The S4 is a credible alternative to the C 43. The new A5/S5 also goes up against the C-Class coupes and cabriolets. 2018 BMW 3 Series -- An unbeatable mix of athleticism and luxury, and it has an adult-size back seat. A new generation is expected for 2019. A buyer might well be torn between an M3 (or M4) and a C 63 sedan or coupe. 2018 Cadillac ATS -- One of the best-handling compact sport sedans. 2018 Lexus IS -- Distinctive styling, smart interior and a generous equipment list. Used Cadillac CTS -- An excellent luxury sedan and a blast to drive hard. A certified pre-owned (CPO) model enables a step up to the midsize segment without spending more money. Autotrader's Advice With several body styles and engine choices, a recommendation for one person would make no sense for another. But you can't go wrong with any of them. We do have a fondness for each of the C 43 variants, however.

Hugh Hefner, American founder of the international adult magazine Playboy, has died at the age of 91. Playboy Enterprises Inc said he passed away peacefully at home in Los Angeles, from natural causes. Hefner began publishing Playboy in his kitchen in 1953. It became the largest-selling men's magazine in the world, shifting seven million copies a month at its peak. Cooper Hefner, his son, said he would be "greatly missed by many". He paid tribute to his father's "exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer," and called him an advocate for free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. Obituary: 'The luckiest cat on the planet' Playboy magazine reinstates nudity Hefner's trailblazing magazine helped make nudity respectable in mainstream publications, despite emerging at a time when US states could legally ban contraceptives. It also made him a multi-millionaire, spawning a business empire that included casinos and nightclubs. The first edition featured a set of nude photographs of Marilyn Monroe that Hefner had bought for $200. They had originally been shot for a 1949 calendar. The silk pyjama-clad mogul became famous for his hedonism, dating and marrying Playboy models. In his later years he threw decadent parties at the luxurious Playboy mansion in Los Angeles. He claimed to have slept with more than 1,000 women, and credited the impotence drug Viagra with maintaining his libido. "I am a kid in a candy store," Hefner famously said. "I dreamed impossible dreams, and the dreams turned out beyond anything I could possibly imagine. I'm the luckiest cat on the planet." From 2005-10, a reality TV show called "The Girls Next Door" showcased Hefner's libertine lifestyle - and the harem of young blonde women who shared it. In 2012, aged 86, he married his third wife Crystal Harris - who was 60 years his junior. Though critics saw Playboy as a byword for sleaze, its founder - who was born into a strict Methodist family - never shared that view. "I've never thought of Playboy quite frankly as a sex magazine," Hefner told CNN in 2002. "I always thought of it as a lifestyle magazine in which sex was one important ingredient."