A sub-$20,000 starting price for a new Chevrolet. Chevrolet was once a car-dominated brand, but now utility vehicles are taking over. Indeed, GM’s bow-tie marque currently boasts seven models for the choosing – five crossovers and two SUVs. The latest model is the Trailblazer, a familiar name to brand enthusiasts. … Read more
Infiniti’s smallest SUV is big on tech features. Infiniti’s mark in the luxury sphere is limited to five models. That’s a far fewer number than many of its top competitors, but Nissan’s luxury marque makes a vigorous undertaking with the products it does have. The 2021 QX50 is a noteworthy … Read more
Subaru’s WRX pulls out all the performance stops. Compact sedans typically are Point A to Point B models that deliver an admirable blend of cost, standard amenities, and efficiency. Most models can be had beginning from under $20,000, with well-equipped models costing just a few thousand dollars more. Subaru takes … Read more
Buick supplies an encore to the Encore. Nearly 90 percent of Buick sales are utility vehicles and that’s why names such sedan names as Century, Roadmaster, and LaCrosse have gone away. The only car model left is the Regal, represented by hatchback and wagon variants. But the Regal is in … Read more
The Rogue Sport is the middle of a trio of small Nissan crossovers. Crossover utility vehicles are today’s family car, offering a blend of raised visibility, passenger space, and utility. Nissan is well represented in the segment with six utility vehicles to choose from, including the Armada SUV. At the … Read more
The 2020 Nissan Sentra is available in three trims, including this sporty top-of-the-line SR trim. On occasion, manufacturers will supply a specially trimmed model, then follow a few months later with a different trim. Two or more shares of the same product with media folk is a way for the … Read more
Honda’s compact crossover remains a safe bet. Shopping for a new vehicle is never easy, as there are so many makes, models, trims, and package options to consider. Even if you narrow the list considerably, there’s always the risk you’ll drive away with something less than the ideal vehicle. But … Read more
The all-new Versa offers its own take on the brand’s “V Motion” grille. With three new Nissan car models in just over a year, you might think the segment is poised to rebound. It likely isn’t, especially as sales of crossovers and trucks remain strong. Of course, we’re imagining what … Read more
Small cars typically offer big value and the 2020 Nissan Versa is an excellent example of such a model. Redesigned for 2020, the Versa is Nissan’s smallest car, a subcompact five-passenger sedan. One of the big changes for the year is that the previously available Versa Note hatchback is no … Read more
The new vehicle market has certainly turned as consumers are shopping for crossovers and trucks in far greater numbers than they are for cars. Indeed, approximately seven in 10 new passenger vehicle sales are categorized as light trucks (SUVs, vans, and pickups), according to the Auto Alliance. But what … Read more
Introducing the 2020 Subaru Legacy. If you’re shopping for a new vehicle, then more than likely you’re looking at a crossover, not a sedan. If you’re a Subaru fan, that means you’re probably considering a model such as the Outback, one of four utility vehicle models offered. But if you’re … Read more
The 2020 Honda Accord is a roomy, midsize sedan and one of the best-selling models in its segment. This front-wheel-drive model is joined by the Fit (subcompact) and Accord (compact) cars. You’ll also find a range of Clarity electrified models, which are roughly the same size as the Accord. For … Read more
The Hyundai Accent is the smallest of all cars sold by this Korean manufacturer. It sits beneath a cohort of compact Hyundai models, including the Elantra, Veloster, and Ioniq. Introduced in 1994, the 2020 Hyundai Accent represents the third year of this fifth-generation model. A hatchback version is no longer … Read more
An all-new Corolla Sedan arrives for 2020. The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-known and most popular models in the world, with more than a half-century of history its claim. In 2019, the twelfth-generation model rolled out, this time in hatchback form. For 2020, an all-new sedan debuts, giving … Read more
The Nissan Rogue is a compact sport utility vehicle, the best-selling model for the brand. Launched in 2008, the second-generation Rogue rolled out in 2014. Although the current Rogue is nearing the end of its life cycle, it remains one of the strongest sellers in its class. What’s New for … Read more
The Nissan Pathfinder is a midsize, three-row crossover utility vehicle with room for up to eight. Its Nissan’s largest crossover, dwarfed only by the rugged Armada SUV. Even so, the Pathfinder holds its own, as it delivers ample interior room, decent storage space, and surprisingly generous towing capacity. You’ll find … Read more
The Nissan Maxima is a premium sedan, a midsize model powered by a V6 engine and loaded with amenities. It is this brand’s flagship sedan, although it is sized smaller than competing models from Toyota, Chevrolet, and Ford. The current model is part of the eighth-generation line introduced in 2016. … Read more
Three decades after rolling out the first Legacy, an all-new model launches this midsize sedan’s fourth decade. This month, the 2020 Legacy rolled out at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, which is just 125 miles from where it will be built at a Lafayette, Indiana, manufacturing plant. Generation Seven: 2020 … Read more
Fiat Chrysler, Ford, and GM have each announced the discontinuation of several car models in recent years, including the Dodge Dart, Chrysler 200, Ford Focus, and the Buick LaCrosse. Apparently, these manufacturers have read the writing on the wall, which in no unmistakable terms indicates “crossovers.” The reason manufacturers are … Read more
Note: Moving forward, Auto Trends will give our recommendation of the trim and packages we think you should consider when shopping for a new car. Although we don’t specifically endorse any model, the fact that a vehicle is reviewed by us means we find it acceptable for your purchase consideration. … Read more
When you offer a very successful product, how do you make improvements as you ready the next-generation model? Very carefully, that’s how. Tasked with developing the fifth-generation Forester, Subaru turned to its new global architecture to support the vehicle, the same platform underpinning all modern Subaru models. As a result, … Read more
Whatever became of the Infiniti QX50, Nissan’s luxury brand’s sporty, compact SUV? After a 10-year run under various naming conventions, the QX50 disappeared. But not for long. Indeed, after a one-year hiatus, the QX50 is back, an all-new model that’s quite different from the original. That newness is immediately evident … Read more
The C-HR brings it to the small crossover segment, but in a different way. We like crossovers and are buying them in record numbers. That said, Toyota recognizes that there is some ambivalence amongst buyers, which is why we have a model such as the Toyota C-HR, a compact … Read more
The only plug-in hybrid minivan. The once dominate minivan segment continues to shrink as consumers embrace crossovers. In reality, the two segments are closely related as minivans rival three-row midsize SUVs in size. The difference is, of course, in exterior utility — crossovers offer available all-wheel drive, while all minivans … Read more
Three small crossovers give Nissan a leg up among its competitors. Small Nissan Crossovers In 2007, Nissan didn’t have a single crossover utility vehicle available that was smaller than a midsize model. That deficiency hurt this manufacturer as consumer demand for such established models as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V … Read more
Kia rolls out its third-generation Forte. Compact cars and all car models, in general, have seen an unprecedented drop in sales over the past decade. Consumers have voted with their wallets, opting for more utility vehicles and pickup trucks instead. Some manufacturers, such as Ford and Fiat Chrysler, are cutting … Read more
Subaru’s Ascent is this brand’s largest SUV. The 2019 Subaru Ascent fills a hole in this automaker’s product line, by supplying a sizable three-row crossover SUV. It represents Subaru’s largest model yet, a vehicle designed to keep growing families in the brand fold. Although the Ascent is not Subaru’s first … Read more
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
Silly Wabbit, Kicks Is For Kids! The 2018 Nissan Kicks is an all-new subcompact crossover utility vehicle, which was designed for one of the hottest and most competitive passenger vehicle segments. Its arrival this past spring enables Nissan to double-down in a market where consumers continue to move away from … Read more
Toyota’s C-HR delivers the goods to the compact crossover segment. Take a coupe and blend it with a crossover and out comes the Toyota C-HR. Well, not exactly. Toyota’s newest model is definitely a crossover, but with coupe-like elements. It is a styling direction advanced previously by Nissan in the … Read more