The best-selling Corolla is the most attractive one yet. When you have the world’s best-selling model and the market is shifting away from cars to crossovers, you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands. On the one hand, you can acknowledge the shift and reduce your investment in … Read more
Second-generation Nissan Leaf takes a big leap forward. How do you improve the world’s most popular electric car? For starters, you rethink everything, from exterior styling to interior comfort as well as from charging to acceleration and beyond. That’s exactly what Nissan has done with the 2018 Leaf, a four-door … Read more
Mazda3: Fun-to-drive and affordable. Small cars have been taking it on the chin these past few years as the market continues to shift to crossovers. Mazda is well represented in the SUV market with three distinct models in the subcompact, compact and midsize range. Yet, this automaker hasn’t abandoned cars … Read more
Fourth-generation Kia Rio rolls out. Demand for small cars is down, but don’t tell that to Kia Motors. The Korean automaker is well entrenched in the segment, offering both the subcompact Rio and the compact Forte. The Kia Rio rolled out in 2001 and we’ve seen it grow since, although … Read more
Hyundai breathes fresh life into its little sport hatchback. Automakers are responding to a wholesale shift in consumer demand by building more SUVs and fewer car models. This unprecedented shift means some manufacturers are catching up, including Hyundai which will release its small Kona SUV early in 2018, giving it … Read more
Chevy’s small car is big on efficiency. Car sales are getting clobbered in a market where SUVs and pickup truck growth continues to expand. Even as we finish yet another strong sales year, manufacturers are shifting production capacity away from cars in favor of the vehicle types consumers want. Yet, … Read more
Few models can match the Golf R’s fun factor. Hot hatchbacks remain prized commodities. And this segment has only become hotter since Volkswagen introduced the current Golf R in 2015. As one of just three small sport models with all-wheel drive — the Subaru WRX STI and the Ford Focus … Read more
Honda’s compact coupe delivers style, pluck, and determination. When it comes to model names, the Civic is one of the most enduring ones of all. Introduced to North America in 1973, this one-time subcompact has morphed into a sizable compact model now bordering on the midsize range. Honda remains one … Read more
Audi launches “e-tron,” its nascent line of hybrid electric vehicles. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron name is a mouthful. Once you get beyond the lengthy moniker for this unusual plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), calling it “e-tron” or “A3 e-tron” seems entirely appropriate. The “e-tron” designation is an Audi registered … Read more
The smallest model in Toyota’s broad product arsenal is the Yaris, a subcompact three- or five-door hatchback. It competes in a segment dominated by Nissan and will soon find in-house competition in the form of the 2016 Scion iA. Whoever said that Toyota Motors is not an interesting company? The … Read more