Matthew Keegan 
How do you mark 25 years for one of your most enduring models? By developing a commemorative edition and limiting its availability, that is how. In this case, the Toyota Sienna has reached its 25th anniversary and that’s quite a milestone in a segment some wrote off years ago. Introduced … Read more
Following a prolonged hiatus, the Nissan Z Series is nearing its return, and the pricing details are now known. This summer, the first of the 2023 Z models roll out, launching a new generation with two trims: Z Coupe Sport ($39,990) and Z Coupe Performance ($49,990). Add $1,025 for the … Read more
Infiniti has a new QX60 for 2022, a model that finds its place in a crowded segment. This midsize, seven-passenger luxury utility vehicle is back after one-year hiatus. It features a new design from bumper to bumper, an overhauled interior, and an improved powertrain. It scores well on all things … Read more
The 2023 Lexus UXh receives updates; the gas-only model goes away. Lexus’ smallest crossover utility vehicle is going full hybrid for 2023. At least in the U.S. market. Beginning late this summer, the UX line becomes synonymous with hybrid only as it loses its gas-only model. The move follows what … Read more
The Cadillac nameplate represents luxury, but it also includes performance, particularly with its three V-Series models. Indeed, the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing sedans along with the Escalade-V SUV accentuate this brand’s muscle. We know Cadillac and all GM brands are beginning the long pivot to electrification. This week, Cadillac opens … Read more
Auto Trends Magazine is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the producers of the weekly “The Motor Mouths” car talk show to supply a regular segment. Beginning May 14, 2022, Matt Keegan will contribute his “Top 3” segment of automotive news stories. In addition, Keegan will be available … Read more
Subaru Legacy is refreshed for 2023. Hooray for sedans! No, that isn’t an exclamation heard often, but it is the sentiment for some, including this writer. There is something about four doors, hugging the road, and a reasonable price that appeals to yours truly. Sedans, like minivans, are disappearing across … Read more
Are you ready for the most expensive Cadillac model ever? The 2023 Escalade-V is just that, a $149,990 tribute to luxury, technological geekdom, and performance. Packed with a supercharged V8, this high-performance model is the most powerful SUV in its class and heralds the marque’s 120th anniversary. To the surprise … Read more
Volkswagen is an oddity amongst foreign automakers present in the U.S. market. The German company beat nearly every other overseas manufacturer to the market when the Beetle appeared in the 1950s. Later, the automaker expanded its product line, offering the Type 2 (Bus, Microbus), the Karmann Ghia, and eventually the … Read more
EVs and mobility seem right for Europe. For nine decades, the General Motors Company was a significant player in the European market. In 2017, the company sold its money-losing Opel and Vauxhall brands to Peugeot Citroen, which are now under the Stellantis umbrella. Along with winding down sales of Chevrolet, … Read more
Guaranteed Asset Protection or GAP coverage involves the difference between what you owe on a vehicle and what your insurer pays out when it is a total loss. It is a type of coverage easily neglected, but something every single new vehicle owner should have. With GAP insurance in place, … Read more
The consumer market has certainly changed in recent years and Toyota offers a strong example of that. For years, the Camry midsize sedan and Corolla compact sedan/hatchback were this company’s two top sellers. However, in recent years, the Toyota RAV4 is tops as buyers embrace crossover SUVs. Not only is … Read more
Electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors is raising prices across the board, effective June 1, 2022. The increases are as much as $15,000 or approximately the cost of a base Mitsubishi Mirage. The changes follow Thursday’s earnings reports that show significant losses for the first quarter of 2022. Rising Materials Costs … Read more
Every vehicle should have an emergency kit. And jumper cables are an essential part of that package. But there is a distinct disadvantage to jumper cables – you need another vehicle or a separate battery to make a connection. Few of us carry a spare battery and finding someone to … Read more
It is not that often when a new vehicle surprises us, but the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander has. All-new and launching its fourth generation, the latest Outlander is stylish, roomy, and efficient, representing a marked improvement over the previous version. Until this model appeared, we would not have seriously considered the … Read more
Car manufacturers are pushing subscriptions on buyers to bolster their bottom lines. If automakers have their way, you may soon pay a monthly charge for heated seats, remote start, infotainment system connectivity, and a host of other features or services included in the upfront price. Yes, tomfoolery abounds in an … Read more
If cars could talk, the Kia Sorento would have plenty to say. Introduced in 2003, the Sorento originally occupied the white space between compact and midsize utility vehicles. As this crossover aged and was replaced by subsequent generations, the Sorento gradually grew and transformed into a bona fide three-row midsize … Read more
If you are in the market for a new vehicle you are in good company. More than 17 million new cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs are sold most years. Further, another 40 million or so used car transactions are conducted annually. It is no wonder why personal transportation is so … Read more
EV-Maker Lucid Motors boasts a powerful backer in the form of Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern country holds a 61-percent stake in Lucid through the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). As such, that government has a vested interest in Lucid, something it recently deepened by ordering 50,000 Lucid Air Sedans … Read more
The prospect of a full-electric future is before us and all the attendant supine autonomy that comes with it. If you have the distinct feeling that the fun-to-drive aspect of hitting the road is under attack, you are not alone. But a wonderful oddity happened this week that should gladden … Read more
The Sonata N-Line showcases its performance chops. Are comfort and power mutually exclusive? Thankfully, no. We expect an extra bit of kick in grand tourers and of course in sports cars. But the midsize, mainstream sedan is usually geared toward efficiency and comfort than performance and drivability. Fortunately, some manufacturers … Read more
The long-rumored Dodge Hornet is now a reality, a compact SUV scheduled to roll out this summer. The Hornet is poised to become the volume model that the Dodge brand lacks, a vehicle that will share its architecture with the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale. In the Hornet, we will … Read more
The F-150 Lightning launches what may prove a pivotal moment in consumer acceptance of EVs. Embracing full electrification is a process that has taken time. In the late 2000s, Tesla introduced its all-electric Roadster followed a few years later by its wider-production Model S sedan. Nissan gave us a volume … Read more
The Chevrolet Corvette is America’s sports car and our love affair with this machine remains strong after nearly seven decades. Come 2023, an electrified version of the famed two-seater arrives, launching a sea change for this iconic model. Gas models will continue, but a hybrid will precede an all-electric version … Read more
“Drive a Datsun, then decide,” was the marketing mantra for a certain type of Japanese vehicle sold in the United States well into the 1980s. Datsun was the marketing name for Nissan products marketed abroad for several decades, before switching to the eponymous label beginning in 1982. The Datsun moniker, … Read more
Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk is famous for overpromising and underdelivering. That is the exact opposite approach businesspeople typically take when touting a new product. Has that approach hurt Tesla? Absolutely not. The company is one of the best capitalized in the world, while his legion of devotees continues to … Read more
Ford’s Lincoln brand composes a lineup of utility vehicles only, a far cry from the massive sedans that once dominated this luxury brand. In keeping with the existing SUV theme, an all-electric Lincoln Star Concept was revealed in Los Angeles this week. The concept points to Lincoln’s plan to introduce … Read more
Following on the heels of the Toyota brand, the Lexus marque will soon see its first full-electric model. Today, Lexus debuted the RZ 450e. Like other Lexus models, we simply drop the nomenclature after the first two letters. Unlike the other models, this one is fully electric. In other words, … Read more
The push for electrification continues unabated. But with the way certain news sources report, it is simple to think that this is what is going on in the world of autos today. Certainly, the market is much more complex than that with a host of traditionally powered models much available. … Read more
Packard is no longer a household name, but as recently as the 1950s it was. The automobile company, founded in 1899, earned a sterling reputation as a luxury carmaker and was for a time a solid competitor to Cadillac. From the second half of the 1920s until the early 1940s, … Read more