The prospect of a full-electric future is before us and all the attendant supine autonomy that comes with it. If you have the distinct feeling that the fun-to-drive aspect of hitting the road is under attack, you are not alone. But a wonderful oddity happened this week that should gladden … Read more
The VW Golf R is back and better than ever. Not since 2019 have we seen a Golf R, the ultimate expression in subcompact hatchback prowess from Volkswagen. This model along with the GTI is all that’s left of the Golf product line for the U.S. market as VW pivots … Read more
Manual transmissions are the original kind of transmission, as ancient as the first cars produced. However, their design changed massively over the years. Even so, manufacturers and people alike wish to phase them out, thanks to the convenience of automatics and the emergence of electric vehicles. Two or Three Shafts … Read more
A hot little hatch from Hyundai. Small cars with a performance edge represent a dwindling niche. One model, the Hyundai Veloster N, brings the most performance we’ve seen in a small package from this Korean brand. Moreover, it has a quirky style with three doors and a liftgate, but with … 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 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
The Volkswagen Jetta requires little introduction, a compact model with 40 years of history on tap. This vehicle is based on the brand’s modular platform, which includes such disparate models as the subcompact Golf hatchback and the midsize Atlas crossover utility vehicle. The seventh-generation model rolled out in 2018 and … Read more
You won’t find Jaguar calling the F-Type a tribute or spiritual successor model of the Jaguar E-Type, but in many ways it is. Forty years after the earlier sports car was canceled, an all-new Jaguar F-Type model arrived in 2014. The F-Type has the long hood, rounded side body panels … Read more
The new Veloster targets entry-level performance enthusiasts. The Hyundai Veloster is back and is ready for round two. After a six-year model run, Hyundai seemed to have called it quits with its quirky compact coupe, but following a one-year hiatus, an all-new model has emerged. The 2019 Hyundai Veloster reflects … Read more
VW Golf R fun, part two. There are certain cars that pass through the Auto Trends test fleet which are memorable. The Volkswagen Golf R is one of them. Compact, bold, and fast are just a few of the descriptors to append to this model. Affordable? Not unless you have … 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
Subaru’s sport coupe receives design enhancements inside and out. Introduced in 2013, the Subaru BRZ brings rear-wheel drive excitement to this overwhelmingly all-wheel drive brand. The 2+2 sports coupe is a niche model for this boutique brand and for 2017 it receives several important updates. Those changes are outlined as … Read more
Review anything about the Corvette and you’re bound to offend someone for omitting an important point. Such is the strength of this iconic model — nay, brand — that has no lack of followers or at least enthusiasts who immediately become giddy when you offer them a ride. I’ve had … Read more
Most cars include automatic transmissions, with the gears shifting systematically. Other vehicles have a manual transmission, requiring drivers to control the shift points with a clutch, a stick shift, and the accelerator pedal. A manual transmission provides drivers many benefits with the key being a more engaged driving adventure, something … Read more
These are heady days for the auto industry as an assortment of muscle cars influence the market. The Ford Mustang is one such model and an international contestant at that. Few vehicles have ever achieved the historical significance and the signature cachet of the Ford Mustang. Since its introduction on … Read more
4×4 fun in a Toyota 4Runner. Sixty models came and went in 2014. Those 60 represented my weekly drivers, an array of utility vehicles, coupes, sedans, sports cars, pickup trucks and vans that I had the pleasure (or misfortune) of driving. All joking aside, even the most sedate of the … Read more
Ford’s smallest pocket rocket excites. The 2015 Ford Mustang has been promised to me, an upcoming press fleet vehicle that I’ve been anticipating for a long, long time. As I’ve been patiently waiting, an assortment of Lincoln and Ford vehicles have kept me busy, including one hot five-door hatchback that … Read more
Jag sports car receives important enhancements. If you want to be taken seriously as a high-performance sports car there are two options you must offer. The first is a manual transmission. The second is all-wheel drive. Certainly, the manual is of greater importance — all-wheel drive isn’t critical, but it … Read more
Small Hyundai is big on value. Some consumers are understandably shocked when they price a new vehicle. The average cost of a new car today is about $32,000, well beyond the affordability level for not a few shoppers. Still, that figure is just an average as there are cars that … Read more
In a driver’s search for improved gas mileage and more value, the hidden benefits of a manual transmission often get overlooked. Through extensive research, automotive technologists and experts have found that a stick shift can improve gas mileage by a notable two to five miles per gallon compared to an … Read more