Tip over test reveals a persistent safety concern for the Jeep Wrangler. The nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently put the 2022 Jeep Wrangler through its crash test paces, but once again the Wrangler failed the driver-side small overlap crash test. That test was initially conducted on the … Read more
There’s quite a bit of controversy regarding crash tests. The most recent one involved the all-new Dacia Jogger and how it earned a one-star rating in the Euro NCAP test, despite it not being tested. On other occasions, the car seemingly looks like a pile of metal and receives top … Read more
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced this month the vehicle models that it deems safest. Backed by the major insurance companies, the IIHS runs comprehensive crash tests on hundreds of vehicles each year and serves as the industry’s counterpart to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unlike … Read more
The 2021 CX-30 is one of four Mazda crossover models. We’re long-time admirers of Mazda, the little Japanese automaker that could. Overshadowed by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, Mazda is much like Subaru and to a much lesser extent, Mitsubishi, in finding and exploiting a niche in the new vehicle market. … Read more
The Hyundai Venue returns for its second year, continuing in its role as the brand’s smallest utility vehicle. It is also Hyundai’s second cheapest model, with only the Accent sedan priced lower. The Venue brings to the market several things besides its diminutive size, including value, affordability, roominess, and … Read more
The Volkswagen Arteon is a premium-class four-door sedan with a coupe-like presence. The Volkswagen Arteon is the “odd duck” amongst mainstream midsize sedans. Firstly, it really isn’t a sedan. Instead, the Arteon has a coupe-like roofline that ends in a liftback. Secondly, the Arteon is a class or two above … Read more
Infiniti’s luxury sport coupe soldiers on. The incredibly shrinking car market means there are fewer sedans and coupes for the choosing, including among the premium and luxury brands. Indeed, the Lincoln marque is comprised entirely of utility vehicles, with the last sedan sold in 2020. Not every luxury brand has … Read more
The compact crossover sport utility vehicle market is booming and that’s no surprise. These models have largely replaced the family sedan, offering similar five-person seating, better cargo space, and decent trailering. Among the best-selling models in this segment is the Nissan Rogue, which launched its third generation for 2021. We’ll … Read more
All-wheel drive comes to the Camry sedan range. If you’re shopping for an all-wheel drive model, chances are you’re looking at a crossover or a pickup truck. As for most cars, outside of luxury models, you won’t that option apart from Subaru. However, in recent years we’ve seen models such … Read more
A performance-oriented version debuts for the Hyundai Sonata. Performance and a midsize sedan don’t mix, but that belief is fading fast. Indeed, several manufacturers offer sedans with sporty variants, giving customers a choice that goes beyond the average people mover. With the midsize Sonata, Hyundai has offered some decent performers … Read more
The Hyundai Sonata is a midsize, front-wheel-drive sedan with room for five. For 2020, the Sonata is all-new, launching the sedan’s seventh generation. It is one of the longest continually made Hyundai model names and among the brand’s most popular vehicles, despite the growth of utility vehicle demand. We think … Read more
The CX-5 supplies a powerful presence among small SUVs. Mazda may be a small player in the automotive sphere, but not one model fails to garner the attention it deserves. Credit goes to Mazda designers for delivering a fetching design across its entire model line. That model line now includes … Read more
IIHS researchers monitor driver reaction to advanced technologies. Vehicle automation is here or at least the foundational elements are in place. The big push toward driverless cars continues, but there is some ambivalence amongst drivers as witnessed by Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) researchers. Indeed, as IIHS co-workers went … Read more
Behind the wheel of Fiat’s tiniest model. City cars are the smallest models you can purchase in North America, typically defined by such A-segment vehicles as the Smart ForTwo, Scion iQ, Chevrolet Spark, and the Fiat 500. Few manufacturers have dared to release such models for American and Canadian consumers, … 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
The Mini Countryman offers an interesting twist on the small SUV frame. Think “Mini” and words such as tiny, small, and diminutive come to mind. That’s appropriate as the two-door Mini Cooper Hardtop measures just 151.1 inches long. But Mini is more than just one model, with both the Countryman … Read more
Mazda packs in a little zoom-zoom for some fun-fun. Compact SUVs dominate the market with some models jockeying for best-seller status this year. Consumers love these vehicles, which explains why the 2017 CX-5 remains Mazda’s top model. If you’re looking for something that isn’t a Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet or … Read more
Behind the wheel of Hyundai’s updated Sonata midsize sedan. Updated Jan. 11, 2018, to reflect latest crash testing score. Demand for cars may be shrinking, but some of the remaining players are staying in the game, even ratcheting up their offerings in an effort to slice out a larger portion … Read more
Top-of-the-line 2017 Elantra trim delivers the trappings in style. Compact sedans typically offer great value, supplying an ideal entryway to new car ownership for the majority of consumers. Nearly all manufacturers offer one, although the segment has been taking a hit as shoppers continue to shift their purchase decisions to … 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
Compact NX is the smallest of four Lexus SUVs. Low fuel prices haven’t halted Lexus’ advance in all things hybrid. Piggybacking on Toyota Motors’ technology, Lexus’ gas-electric vehicles currently number five model lines and soon will be joined by two 2018 models: the LC 500h coupe and the LS 500h. … Read more
Audi’s flagship has limousine-like room at the ready. The Audi A8L is a flagship luxury sedan, an all-wheel drive conveyance presented as an extended (A8L) wheelbase model only. A standard wheelbase model (A8) was also offered through 2016, then discontinued. This means that all 2016 and 2017 Audi A8L models … 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
Shop for a midsize SUV and you have more choices available to you than you can count on your two hands. To differentiate product line, manufacturers must develop ways to set their products apart. In Kia’s case, the automaker has gone with an extended wheelbase platform to deliver both two- … 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
Among midsize SUVs, the Hyundai Santa Fe stands tall. No, it doesn’t sit higher than the competition, rather it possesses certain attributes its competitors don’t offer, namely superior bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties. In a crowded field, offering 5-year, 60,000-mile standard and 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranties might be considered the tiebreaker … Read more
The third-generation Honda Pilot takes a bow. Amongst three-row, midsize crossover utility vehicles, the Honda Pilot has made a name for itself. This seven-passenger model offers standard front-wheel drive and available all-wheel drive, is powered by a V6 engine, and is all new for 2016. As before, it offers seating … Read more