Our long-term 2019 Subaru Forester has been a real workhorse in our fleet from the time we took delivery late last year. We've managed to rack up over 12,000 miles in the first five months — it's been east and west of Michigan so far, but nowhere further than a day's drive away. We'll take it on a longer road trip soon. Since Subaru calls for 6,000-mile service intervals, our local Subaru dealer just finished up the second service call on the crossover.

Both services have housed mini-events on top of the scheduled work. Subaru changed the oil, replaced the oil filter, rotated the tires and performed a multi-point inspection on both occasions. However, the first service also involved a windshield replacement. Days before our appointment with Subaru, one editor met with a rather large stone that was kicked up on the highway. This caused a large chip in the windshield that quickly developed into a crack meandering across the passenger side of the glass. After the new glass was installed, the Subaru techs had to recalibrate its Eyesight technology so the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping tech would work correctly. It wasn't cheap — Subaru charges $250 for an Eyesight calibration after a new windshield is put in.

The 268-horsepower Toyota GR Yaris joined the list of forbidden fruits we can't get in the United States when it made its global debut at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon. The online petition to bring the car here didn't change the company's mind, but product planners have another plan to satisfy motorists seeking a seriously quick hatchback.

Toyota has "an answer" for the GR Yaris (pictured) that's better tailored to the American market, according to Bob Carter, the firm's executive vice president of sales. Speaking to Car & Driver, he explained it's not going to be a federalized version of the rally-bound model sold overseas because the car it's based on isn't available on our shores. The Yaris we get is a re-badged Mazda2 that shares no major parts with the fourth-generation hatchback sold overseas, so giving it World Rally Championship-like power would be easier said than done.

Nissan saw its market cap falling behind fellow Japanese car makers like Subaru after its shares fell by 9.6 percent to a new decade low.

In a time when Nissan has filed a civil suit against former chairman Carlos Ghosn, is suffering from a sales slump, and is losing millions of dollars, the company has dropped a surprise album. Unlike Elon Musk's song, which has EDM vibes, Nissan's aural soundtrack is of a more relaxed nature and is aimed at a much younger demographic. Nissan Leaf Dream Drive is a string of lullabies created with sounds from electric cars and internal combustion vehicles.

Parents know that a car ride is a great way to get kids to sleep. But that approach emits CO2, and therefore contributes to climate change. So, for parents who don't have a fully electric car like the Leaf, Nissan created an album that emulates the experience of riding in a car.

No one likes having their car repossessed but a couple in East Orange, New Jersey got the shock of their lives earlier this week when their Acura was repossessed while their one-year-old daughter was in the back seat.

The current Nissan 370Z has been on life support for a while now, but interest in classic Z cars remains strong. Witness the mind-bending price recently achieved for a pristine 1971 240Z that sold last month on Bring a Trailer. After the first-generation cars, arguably the next-most-appreciated Z car is the Z32 generation that debuted with the 1990 model year. This example of a first-year Z32, which crosses the block at RM Sotheby's Amelia Island sale next month, could set a new benchmark for values of this model.

Besides being a first-year example, this 300ZX is also the desirable two-seat body style and is powered by the twin-turbo version of Nissan's DOHC 3.0-liter VG30 V6, making 300 horsepower. A five-speed stick and four-wheel steering complete the mechanical picture.

The 2020 Toyota Supra finally went on sale last year as one of the most controversial new sports cars in a long time. For 2021, Toyota is adding a couple wrinkles to the Supra equation.

The biggest news for the 2021 Toyota Supra is the arrival of a turbocharged four-cylinder model called Supra 2.0. Instead of the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, this Supra is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (sourced from BMW, just like the six). The four-cylinder makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and Toyota claims a 0-60 mph time of 5.0 seconds. This is the same 2.0-liter turbo that's in the BMW Z4 30i.

Nissan Motor Co CEO Makoto Uchida holds a news conference on earnings Feb. 13 at the company's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. / Reuters

In select European markets, Lexus is expanding the availability of one of its newest and most futuristic features. Starting in March, 2020, the ES 300h will have an option for digital side-view cameras and monitors.  

Lexus first introduced its side-view cameras and monitors on a production car when it added the tech to the Japanese-market 2019 ES sedan in 2018. Typical side-view mirrors are replaced with camera stalks, which feed video into small five-inch digital displays attached to the front corners of the car's interior. 

J.D. Power is out with its annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study for 2020, which looks at problems experienced by owners of three-year-old vehicles. The big takeaways are continued improvement in overall vehicle dependability, with the brands Genesis, Lexus and Buick taking the top three spots, in order. But once again, the usual caveats apply.

Autoblog years ago raised issues with the study, which gives the same weight to matters of subjective likability, such as complaints about pairing their device with the vehicle's Bluetooth or ease of operating the audio system, to more substantive issues like a defective climate system or transmission trouble. J.D. Power continues to tally problems across eight categories, including audio/communication/entertainment/navigation, and despite that being the most improved category, the organization says it still accounts for more problems than any other.

TOKYO — Nissan filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages from the Japanese automaker's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn.

Nissan filed the case in Yokohama District Court to recoup some of the monetary damages suffered, it said, "as a result of years of misconduct and fraudulent activity" by Ghosn.

TOKYO — Nissan may report its first quarterly loss in more than a decade on Thursday because of slumping sales, sources familiar with the company said, adding more pressure on efforts to rebuild the company after Carlos Ghosn's ouster.

Deteriorating profits underscore the challenges facing Nissan, which is unwinding many of the expansionist strategies championed by ex-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Ghosn by slashing jobs, production sites and product offerings to save cash and ensure its survival.

Toyota has launched a limited edition version of the Land Cruiser in Australia, named the Land Cruiser Sahara Horizon.

Mazda announced Tuesday that it will recall more than 35,000 examples of the 2016 CX-5 crossover to address an issue that may lead to deterioration or failure of its LED daytime running lights. 

In affected models, the gasket used to seal the wiring harness to the LED module was not manufactured to Mazda's specification. As it degrades over time, it can release sulfur, which in turn can potentially corrode the LED control circuit, causing the LEDs themselves to flicker, illuminate poorly or even fail outright.