Not a Prius fighter…or is it? Some may say the Hyundai Ioniq is this Korean manufacturer’s answer to the Toyota Prius. Hyundai insists otherwise, citing its own effort to deliver the most affordable and efficient cars the world over. Maybe there is a touch of irony here, but what’s important … Read more
Fourth-generation Prius includes a new plug-in Prius Prime model. How many Prius models are there? Four, including the all-new Prius Prime — a plug-in electric vehicle based on the standard Prius theme. The Prius Prime isn’t the first Prius plug-in hybrid, but it does reflect the presence of Toyota’s latest … Read more
Limited initial availability for the competitively priced Rogue Hybrid. Pay just $26,240 for the 2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid? That’s only $2,420 more than the starting price for the standard Rogue model. Perhaps more important, the Rogue Hybrid costs $2,790 less than the RAV4 Hybrid, the best-selling compact SUV. Talk … Read more
VW Passat adds premium features and demonstrate value. Family car sales have steadily fallen over the past several years as consumers select crossovers instead. And who can blame them? Crossovers offer superior utility while packing the storage room and towing capability many consumers prize. But crossovers may also cost you … Read more
On the road with a premium mainstream sports sedan. The car segment is under assault with consumers preferring crossovers in greater numbers as the reason for the shrinking demand. Indeed, overall car sales (coupes, sedans, and wagons) fell by 8.1 percent in 2016 in a passenger vehicle market that rose … Read more
Chevy’s small car is big on efficiency. Car sales are getting clobbered in a market where SUVs and pickup truck growth continues to expand. Even as we finish yet another strong sales year, manufacturers are shifting production capacity away from cars in favor of the vehicle types consumers want. Yet, … Read more
An entry-level hybrid with a fun-to-drive F Sport option. Sitting lower and coming in slightly shorter than the Toyota Prius, the Lexus CT200h (CT) is the smallest hybrid model for Toyota’s luxury brand. Now in its seventh year, the CT will soon follow the Prius and receive an update of … Read more
The Lexus ES is a luxury sedan requiring no introduction. Now in its sixth generation, the ES line is one of two models that launched the Lexus brand in 1989 (the flagship LS is the other one) and remains Lexus’ top-selling model behind the RX SUV. The ES line has … 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