The Rogue Sport is one of three strong Nissan small crossovers. Small crossovers are the primary mode of transportation for many families. Every manufacturer sells them and in the case of Nissan you have three models to consider: Kicks, Rogue Sport and Rogue. The Nissan Rogue Sport shares little with … Read more
Luxury meets value with the Genesis G80 Hyundai launched the Genesis luxury brand launched in 2016 with plans to steadily expand it to six models. Carved out of Hyundai, this marque is comprised of G70 (compact), G80 (midsize) and G90 (full-size) sedans. Two SUVs will soon follow; a third model … Read more
New Sportback model offers an interesting take on a hatchback design. We have a new Buick Regal to consider, but it probably isn’t the model you think it is. Indeed, for 2018 the Regal offers two body styles — a wagon and a hatchback — replacing the previous sedan. As … Read more
The Lexus GS 350 F Sport delivers panache and performance. The midsize luxury sedan market includes many participants, with every manufacturer offering at least one model. In Lexus’ case, you have a choice of two models: the ES or the GS. The former is front-wheel-drive only, thus its appeal is … Read more
Flagship LS sedan begins its fifth generation. When Lexus launched in 1990, the automaker brought to the market two sedans targeting America’s luxury makes — the full-size LS and the midsize ES. The LS served as the flagship model, bringing its own V8 power and rear-wheel drive to the segment, … Read more
When you have the top-selling pony car you simply cannot rest on your laurels. Especially when the competition is fierce and is always looking at ways to conquest customers. In the Mustang, Ford isn’t taking anything for granted. Indeed, the 2018 Mustang offers an important refresh, one that affects this … Read more
The Kia Stinger makes good on its performance credentials. Is it a hot hatchback or perhaps it is a fastback sport sedan? No matter how you define it, the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger is unlike anything we have ever seen from this wonderfully unpredictable Korean brand. Sure, the large Kia … Read more
Circle the wagons as the Jaguar XF Sportbrake has arrived. The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a midsize luxury wagon, a model that joins the existing XF sedan. Jaguar’s new model blends the best of a sedan with a crossover, giving customers a fresh choice in the luxury sphere. The … Read more
Finally, the Mazda6 gains the turbo kick it deserves. The Mazda6 has never lacked for awesomeness. At least concerning its style. A long-missing ingredient was always a more powerful engine, one to supplement the standard powertrain, which delivers 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. This year, the new engine … Read more
The Ioniq Hybrid lowers your fuel costs remarkably. The automotive landscape is in constant flux, with crossovers the current rage and small cars seemingly forgotten. Manufacturers such as Ford and Fiat Chrysler are running away from cars, placing their bets on SUVs and pickup trucks. Hyundai offers its own line … Read more
Buick overhauls the Regal line, adds TourX and Sportback models. The Buick Regal has taken on many forms across its long history, including a coupe, sedan and briefly as a wagon. Its previous iteration was as a four-door sedan, a model developed in Germany, then built in Canada for the … Read more
Entry-level Hyundai Accent is new and impressive. If “entry level” represents the 2018 Hyundai Accent, then you find yourself in a laudable position. Hyundai’s smallest model has always had its accent on value, but its latest version is handsome, nimble and supplies a quiet cabin. The Hyundai Accent remains one … Read more
The 124 Spider in Abarth guise. Small car manufacturer Fiat is struggling in a market where consumers want their big vehicles. Since its return to the US in 2011, sales peaked in 2014, but have fallen steadily through the ensuing years. Some consumers, though, would do well to reconsider smaller … Read more
Behind the wheel of the top-of-the-line Camry XSE. What was once bland is now grand — Toyota’s midsize Camry lost the last of its plainness when an all-new version of this midsize sedan rolled out for the 2018 model year. The latest Camry easily matches the segment’s pacesetters, delivering handsome … 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
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for the Countryman line. The Mini brand hardly needs an introduction, the quintessential British automotive marque known for its ultra-small cars. Now owned by BMW, Mini has thrived since it was sold to the German company in the 1990s. Indeed, in 2017, Mini distributed 371,881 … Read more
T8 represents maximum power and efficiency. Certainly, Volvo doesn’t have the product reach or market sales of such luxury stalwarts as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Nevertheless, the Swedish automaker continues to make a name for itself with the vehicles it has. For example, the 2018 S90 is its midsize sedan, delivering … Read more
Jaguar F-TYPE 400 SPORT special edition. The Jaguar F-TYPE is more attainable than before, thanks to an all-new base turbocharged four-cylinder engine. With a starting price of about $60,000, you can get behind the wheel of one of the most beautiful sports cars of our day. On the other hand, … Read more
Volkswagen makes its midsize sedan case with the Passat. Volkswagen trailed the competition in utility vehicle options until last summer when it introduced its all-new Atlas midsize crossover, then followed a few months later with the next-generation Tiguan. Immediately, the 2018 Tiguan went from the smallest compact SUV to one … Read more
Subaru’s small Crosstrek is big on available advanced safety features. What on earth is Subaru doing?! This once niche automaker is tearing up the market, consistently so since the Great Recession. Subaru continues to expand its product mix and will soon have four lines of utility vehicles when its largest … 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
Revised Feb. 10, 2018, to reflect latest safety rating. The Elantra offers something for everyone in the compact sedan range. The Hyundai Elantra is a model that keeps on giving. Giving, as in great value, multiple trim levels, three engine choices and a selection of transmissions. While all automakers are … Read more
A new car, truck, SUV or van may be in your future. Besides reviewing cars on a regular basis — typically one or two new models week after week — I regularly dispense advice to friends who are shopping for a new or late model used car. Certainly, timing is … Read more
The Kia Sorento seats 5 or 7, offers 3 engine choices & tows up to 5,000 pounds. The midsize crossover market is awash with competitors, with the Kia Sorento one of the few offering two- and three-row seating capacities. Its elegant looks and available premium features make it a strong … Read more
A Kent Island glimpse at a compact luxury PHEV sedan. The Mercedes-Benz brand has remained elusive among my press fleet vehicles, a situation I plan to amend by next year. You simply can’t properly evaluate the market without a steady dose of M-B models to compare with Audi, BMW, and … Read more
Infiniti takes on the bottom end of the luxury market. America’s insatiable appetite for crossovers hasn’t been lost on manufacturers, including luxury brands such as Infiniti. The Infiniti QX30 is the latest model from Nissan’s luxury brand, a compact crossover with a strong hatchback vibe. Introduced in 2017, the QX30 … Read more
Lexus’s six-figure sports car. Lexus says it doesn’t offer a sports car, but don’t for the moment believe it. Marketed as a “luxury sport coupe,” the all-new Lexus LC500 is simply a sports car in 2+2 guise. I became acquainted with this exotic beauty and its hybrid variant at a … 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. —Updated Dec. 10, 2017, to reflect this model’s safety score.— 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 … Read more
After a 20-year hiatus, the Volvo V90 returns. Station wagons dominated the American scene from the 1950s to 1970s, serving as the people hauler of choice for large families. By the 1980s, wagons (as they were by then commonly called) began to disappear. Once the 1990s arrived, even fewer models … Read more