Driven: 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan

Available permanent all-wheel drive gives the VW Tiguan an important edge. Taking delivery of an outgoing model year vehicle is always a bit of a challenge. On the one hand, customers are looking for information about the very latest model. On the other hand, if the differences between the two … Read more

2016 Volkswagen Golf R Review

2016 Volkswagen Golf R

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

2016 Nissan NV200 Review (Tiny Cargo Transporter)

2016 Nissan NV200

A small cargo van for a niche market. Did you know Nissan has a burgeoning commercial vehicle business? This Japanese automaker with a huge manufacturing and distribution presence in the United States has pickup trucks, vans, and taxis designed with commercial customers in mind. With this particular sales division, Nissan … Read more

Style Maker: 2016 Honda Civic Coupe

2016 Honda Civic Coupe

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

Premium SUV: 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature

2016 Mazda CX-9

Flagship CX-9 turns heads, stirs hearts. Three-row, midsize SUVs are popular models, taking over largely where minivans left off. The Mazda CX-9 is one of several models in the segment and is now in its second generation. In many ways the CX-9 is the flagship of the Mazda fleet, offering … Read more

2016 Toyota Prius Four Review

2016 Toyota Prius Four

Toyota’s popular Prius is all-new, more efficient, and offers improved handling. Needing no introduction, the Toyota Prius is the world’s best-selling hybrid electric vehicle, with nearly 6 million units sold since it was introduced in 1997. The US market didn’t receive the first-generation Prius until late 1999, but American consumers … Read more

2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport Review

2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport

A pleasantly appointed family car can be had for about $25K. US car sales broke an all-time record in 2015 and will likely fall just short of that number this year. With more than 17 million new car shoppers making purchases each year, the market is ripe for the taking. … Read more

2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible Review (Drop Top Fun)

2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible review

Drop the top in this handsome little British people mover. The Mini Cooper now includes a convertible, available in standard, S, and John Cooper Works editions. The standard model is powered by a 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine; the “S” gets BMW’s 2.0-liter, twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinders and the top-end model garners … Read more

Driven: 2016 Lexus ES 300h

Lexus ES 300h

Pillow-soft comfort meets hybrid efficiency. Hybrid electric vehicles are a tough sell. But especially so when gasoline prices are low. Manufacturers such as Toyota have invested billions of dollars in the technology and aren’t about to walk away. At some point fuel prices are likely to rebound, raising demand with … Read more

Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2016

2016 Toyota Prius Four

What are the most fuel-efficient vehicles of 2016? Our list excludes electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles, and features 10 models each averaging a combined 40 mpg. With gas prices at or near the lowest levels we have seen this century, fuel efficiency concerns have been placed on a back … Read more

Luxury Performance Sedan: Lexus GS F

2016 Lexus GS F.

Lexus doubles its “F” performance line by bringing those trappings to the GS midsize sedan. The Lexus GS is a midsize luxury sedan and prior to this year no performance variant was offered. But two things were changed for 2016: a turbocharged four-cylinder 200t model was introduced and a high-performance … Read more

2016 Chrysler 200C Review (The Last Hurrah?)

2016 Chrysler 200c

Chrysler’s current midsize sedan may be short-lived as parent Fiat Chrysler looks for a partner to build two of its current models. Introduced in 2011, the Chrysler 200 is the midsize sedan for the brand, with the 300 serving as the flagship model and the Town & Country (soon to … Read more

Turbo PHEV: 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

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

Jaguar XF: Rock Star Saloon

2016 Jaguar XF

Jaguar is on the prowl. This marque’s midsize XF is simply a star. More than once I’ve been asked by car fans for the precise year when Jaguar began its momentous renaissance. I immediately direct them to the midsize XF sedan, a model introduced in 2007 (2009 in North America) … Read more

Refreshed Audi A6, Minus Two Diesels

2016 Audi A6.

An updated Audi A6 arrives on the market, but its two diesel engines are not currently available. That said, what’s left is a compelling choice in the competitive midsize luxury sedan segment. When the Volkswagen diesel scandal erupted last September, the fallout was destined to reach well beyond the eponymous … Read more

Refreshed Nissan Sentra Goes Beyond the Simple Nip/Tuck

2016 Nissan Sentra

Nissan chooses a major refresh for the fourth year of its current generation compact Sentra sedan. Consumers are flocking to crossover utility vehicles and leaving cars, particularly sedans, in the dust. Despite that significant shift, some manufacturers are investing more money in small and medium-sized sedans and hatchbacks in an … Read more

Benchmark This: 2016 Honda Accord

2016 Honda Accord

The Civic and Accord are among the best-known model names in the entire auto industry. The Honda Accord was introduced in 1976, three years after the Honda Civic went on sale in the United States. Initially a compact car, the Accord has grown through the years and is now categorized … Read more

2016 Buick Regal GS Review (Premium Sports Sedan)

2016 Buick Regal GS review

Making the transition from a mainstream brand to luxury marque may mean consumers end up committing to a larger cash outlay than what they prefer. On the other hand, the Buick brand provides an intermediary step between the two choices, something few nameplates can claim. In effect, Buick makes it … Read more

Sport Ute: 2016 Mazda CX-3

2016 Mazda CX-3

Mazda does it again, serving up a new model with its fun-to-drive characteristics in place. The CX-3 is the smallest of its three SUVs, a crossover that might be mistaken for a hatchback. The Mazda CX-3 makes for yet another entry in the small crossover SUV segment. This emerging class, … Read more

Second Look: 2016 Nissan Maxima

2016 Nissan Maxima

Auto Trends gets a second look at the 2016 Nissan Maxima, the latest iteration of this flagship model. This time around its a sporty SR edition for the testing. From time to time, car manufacturers ask journalists to review a vehicle again for the same model year, delivering a different … Read more

The Premium Compact 2016 Acura ILX

2016 Acura ILX

Acura’s ILX offers a sleek exterior, a prosaic interior, and a price point keeping in line with this compact gateway sedan’s contribution to the premium segment. Acura is a nameplate searching for an identity. Launched three decades ago by American Honda to provide a line of upscale products for the … Read more

Stretched Sports Sedan: 2016 Infiniti Q70L

2016 Infiniti Q70L

Infiniti’s athletic midsize sedan can be had in an extended wheelbase version. The elongated model delivers best-in-class rear seat legroom. The luxury market is an intensely competitive one with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus seated as the top sellers. The first two marques rely on diesels to supplement their gasoline offerings; … Read more

2016 Kia Sedona SXL Review

2016 Kia Sedona

The minivan segment may be ailing, but the Kia Sedona has breathed fresh life into it. If you’re looking for an excellent combination of people carrying capacity and utility, this model may have everything you want. The minivan segment may eventually go the way of the station wagon, but its … Read more

Crossing Over With the Audi Q3

Audi has the luxury utility vehicle market sewn up. The German automaker offers three distinct model lines — Q3, Q5 and Q7 — along with the Allroad and the very wagon-like A3 Sportback e-tron, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a very sensible price. What is missing from the Audi … Read more