The Altima carries the fight forward, adds available all-wheel drive. Car manufacturers find themselves in a bit of a quandary — do they continue to build more crossover utility vehicles as customers demand or do they hedge their bets with their tried-and-true sedans? When it comes to the top manufacturers, … Read more
Kia’s Forte compact sedan is big on style. Son of a Stinger! At first glance, the 2019 Kia Forte looks a lot like the premium Kia Stinger performance sedan. Those ported design elements provide the Forte with perhaps the most handsome sheet metal amongst small cars, something certain to capture … Read more
Updated May 8, 2018, to include pricing details. New Kicks model debuts next June. Strange looks aside, the Nissan Juke was a fun little crossover, one of the first models of its kind. Since its 2011 debut, nearly every manufacturer has jumped in and with designs much more subdued than … Read more
Mitsubishi’s smallest SUV makes a statement. Straddling the white space between subcompact and compact SUV is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, a model big on value in a segment where prices continue to rise. The 2018 Outlander Sport comes in three grades, has available all-wheel drive, and provides two engine choices. … Read more
Top-end Sentra model offers NISMO touches, enhanced performance. The 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO offers the look of the brand’s motorsport division, but it falls short of expectations. That doesn’t mean the Sentra NISMO isn’t a fun car, rather the production version is a step-down from the Sentra Concept shown a … Read more
Last week, I shared certain details surrounding the 2018 Toyota C-HR. Some of the information was under embargo and that meant me honoring Toyota’s request to keep three points under wrap until 4 a.m ET on March 8, 2017. Well, the time has come and those three points about the … Read more
Previewing Toyota’s latest model. As of this writing, I’m in Austin, Texas, putting on the finishing touches to your review of the 2018 Toyota C-HR. This all-new model rolls into US showrooms in April and will slot just below the RAV4 in Toyota’s SUV product line. But I can’t tell … Read more
Nissan’s roomy midsize Pathfinder receives numerous improvements. The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder has been refreshed, the first significant change since the current-generation model debuted in 2013. More forceful styling, enhanced safety and technology features, and an updated engine are among the changes evident in this three-row, midsize crossover SUV offering room … Read more
A compact crossover with a growing audience. The Nissan Rogue was a latecomer to the compact SUV segment, but has certainly made up for lost time. Introduced in 2008 and overhauled in 2014, the Nissan Rogue is now one of the top sellers in the segment, trailing only the Honda … Read more
Nissan’s flagship sedan throws down 300 horses. The 2017 Nissan Maxima defies easy description. Or categorization. On the one hand, it is a mainstream midsize sedan. On the other hand, its upper-end trims rival the high-quality interiors you find in some luxury models. Adding further confusion to the mix is … Read more
The hot-selling Subaru Outback welcomes an all-new Touring edition. Long before crossovers became popular, the midsize Subaru Outback has established and maintained its own slice of the market. More wagon-like than SUV, the Outback brings in such utility attributes as an elevated suspension, standard all-wheel drive, and versatility — features … Read more
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
Ford’s PHEV is surprisingly reasonably priced. Three model years passed by and I finally got behind the wheel again of a Ford Fusion. Just like the last time, this model was the Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle based on Ford’s popular midsize car. Now in its fifth model … 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
Nissan’s seven-seat, midsize utility vehicle receives a significant overhaul. Nissan’s three-row Pathfinder crossover utility vehicle was fully redesigned in 2013, shedding its previous body-on-frame SUV roots to assume a car-like unibody layout. The transition has been a sales boon for a vehicle now in its fourth model year. But it … Read more
Honda has enjoyed much success with its first two utility vehicles. Notably, its compact CR-V leads in that segment, while its larger, three-row Pilot competes effectively in its own space. A third model, the subcompact HR-V, was introduced on May 15 and six months later it is tearing up an … Read more
Corrected MPG on Dec. 29, 2018. Should Subaru still be considered a niche car manufacturer? In some ways, it still is as its product line and sales are skewed toward utility vehicles. At the same time, this manufacturer has seen its US sales triple since 2007, an amazing trajectory that … Read more
Updated Jan. 14, 2016 to reflect IIHS crashworthiness results. Nissan Altima SL grade (photo copyright Christopher Brewer). These certainly are heady days for Nissan, Japan’s second largest car manufacturer. The automaker is poised to overtake Honda in the US, the lone major market where its smaller competitor maintains a sales … Read more
Car manufacturers sometimes choose odd names for their vehicles. Most such names, including the Mazda Bongo and the Mitsubishi Pistachio, never make it to the US as marketers wisely intervene and demand changes. The Nissan Rogue has one of those names that slipped through the cracks, although it is doubtful … Read more
Updated: Mitsubishi announced on Oct.5, 2015, that it would produce 1,600 copies of a 2015 Lancer Final Edition model, making 303 horsepower and 305 foot-pounds of torque. Mitsubishi carries the dubious “honor” of possessing the smallest market share amongst mainstream manufacturers in the ultra-competitive US market. With Suzuki, Isuzu, and … Read more
Of all the car segments available, large or flagship sedans have taken a punch. Most of the larger mainstream brands still offer them, but they’ve been overshadowed by midsize sedans for years. Then there are those boring crossovers that seem to be everywhere. Chevrolet has its Impala, Ford markets the … Read more
The full-size sedan segment is a modest one, but Nissan has committed the company to it as it introduces an all-new Maxima. Audacious, if not controversial styling marks this five-passenger conveyance, dubbed a “4-door sports car” by the manufacturer. The 2016 Nissan Maxima is now in US showrooms. The Nissan … Read more
GM, Ford and Chrysler Embrace Fuel Saving Innovation. Fuel prices are continuing to fall, dropping below $2.50 per gallon for regular grade gasoline in some areas. That’s just the kind of move that has some shoppers looking at larger and less efficient vehicles, perhaps advancing certain auto trends not yet … Read more
Subaru continues to ride on a crest of month-over-month sales increases, based largely on its mix of utility vehicles. Not to be overlooked is the midsize Subaru Legacy sedan, the only standard all-wheel drive model in the segment. For 2015, the Legacy is all-new and Auto Trends had one 3.6R … Read more
You can make your green dreams a reality with the Fusion Energi. ===MPG figures updated June 12, 2014 per the Ford Motor Company.=== We’ve heard it all before: for just under $40,000 you can get behind the wheel of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and receive a sizable federal … Read more
The 2014 Subaru Legacy will likely not win many beauty pageants. However, its “looks” deficiency might not disappoint fans who are accustomed to driving a midsize sedan that is well built, reliable and safe. Indeed, like all other Subaru models, the Legacy routinely achieves top safety recognition, in part for its standard … Read more
One look at the Sentra and can you say, “Altima?” The compact vehicle market is competitive, one where every car manufacturer has at least one model present. The Nissan Sentra is one of the best known and longest running model names in this segment, introduced in 1982 just as Datsun … Read more
The 2014 Toyota Corolla has been introduced, the latest iteration of the world’s best-selling model. The five-passenger front-wheel drive Corolla is now entering its 11th generation and will appear in Toyota showrooms this fall. Introduced in 1966 in Japan, the Corolla showed up in the United States two years later … Read more