Autos
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Toyota RAV4 vs. RAV4 Prime: Is the Expensive PHEV Version Worth It?
If you follow our long-term vehicle evaluation fleet, you know we currently have a 2019 Toyota RAV4 SUV in for a yearlong test. Such tests are great for testing reliability, day-to-day livability, and fuel economy, but there’s always a risk the vehicle line in question may receive major updates while we have one under our care. Fortunately for us, only one major change has hit the RAV4 lineup during that time, and that’s the arrival of the 2021 RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid model. Does it change our outlook on the goodness of the gas-only RAV4? RAV4 vs. RAV4 Prime: Power After spending a good amount of time in both SUVs, it’s clear the Prime has a very different personality than our year-long RAV4. (We’ve also examined the regular, non-plug-in RAV4 hybrid versus the ...
2020 BMW M235i Gran Coupe First Test: Entry-Level Missile
As do most enthusiasts, we love small, nimble cars. Given we currently have a BMW 228i Gran Coupe in our long-term fleet, we wanted to spend quality time with its spicier 2 Series sibling, the M235i, to see if the more powerful model was worth its additional $8,000 ask, a not inconsequential amount of money. Both have all-wheel drive as standard, but the M235i gets additional power, a limited-slip differential, a louder exhaust, stickier tires, and a standard M Sport suspension in pursuit of a zestier driving experience. Among the styling cues that distinguish the M235i from the 228i: a different grille pattern, dual trapezoidal exhaust tips, a more aggressive body kit, unique 18-inch wheels, and silver mirror caps. It’s pretty obvious you’re looking at the hotted-up 2 Series—e...
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Pros and Cons Review: This Spacious SUV Lacks the Finishing Touch
Pros Massive interior Racy silhouette Four-year/50K-mile warranty Cons Subpar interior materials Overpriced Poor ride quality Don’t get too excited, but let’s climb into the back seat of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The rear space astonishes. Your jaw might actually drop when you experience the cavernous second row, regardless of how the front seats are adjusted. Wow. If only we could give bonus points for this VW’s spaciousness for passengers and cargo. But we can’t—there’s more to the midsize two-row SUV segment than just interior packaging, and that’s why the Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t meet our standards. Even the styling—which is arguably more important in a premium-priced midsize SUV than a more affordable compact—is a mixed bag. From the ...
Toyota Highlander Pros and Cons Review: A Good 3-Row Family SUV?
Pros Ample cargo space Massive infotainment screen The hybrid’s fuel economy Cons Tight third row The hybrid’s ride V-6’s lack of low-end punch Aside from those made in China for local consumption, every Toyota Highlander (and Kluger, as it is known in Japan and Australia) is built in a factory in Gibson County, Indiana, that employs 7,296 Hoosiers. For 2020, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana retooled to build the fourth-generation Highlander and Highlander Hybrid around Toyota’s TNGA-K architecture and two powertrain combinations. Non-hybrid models receive Toyota’s ubiquitous 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the Highlander Hybrid uses a new system based around the tried and true 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4, two...
Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 Pros and Cons Review: Minor Improvements for a Major Winner
Pros More power Great looks Comfortable cabin Cons MBUX sux Decreased efficiency on volume model Failure to break new ground When the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class won our SUV of the Year award back in 2017, we acknowledged that it wasn’t the sexiest choice, but it was the smartest. “The design is solid, the interior is first-class, the engineering is as good as small SUVs get, and the value proposition is strong … and despite surprising all of us with its power output, displacing just 2.0 liters means that the engine is also scarily efficient.” For our 2021 SUV of the Year competition, the revised Mercedes-Benz GLC seeks to join a select club of midcycle-update repeat winners. See all 26 photos It’s not all bad for those stateside; American GLC shoppers will find revampe...
2021 Lexus IS 350 RWD F Sport First Drive: How New Is New?
When we reviewed the 202o Lexus IS just a few months ago, we lamented how far it has fallen behind the curve. Rivals offered a superior drive experience and more modern interiors compared to the tech-deficient Lexus. Finally, for the new model year, the 2021 Lexus IS receives a thorough update, though not a complete redesign. Are the changes enough to help the compact sport sedan catch up to its competition? By targeting young, performance-minded buyers, Lexus is putting a heavy emphasis on the F Sport line. Almost half of its IS cars will be F Sports, Lexus anticipates. Previously, the F Sport was available on the lower-output IS 300, but for 2021, it can only be had on the top-tuned IS 350, rated at 311 hp. In fact, all 2021 IS 350 models will bear the F Sport moniker. The 350 has always...
“Driving While Black” Is a Hard Look at a Distinctly American History
When was the last time you thought about what the word automobile means? Breaking it down, auto comes from the Greek for self, and mobile is from the Latin, meaning to move. An automobile is a technology that enables autonomy over one’s mobility—instead of relinquishing control over that mobility to someone else operating a commuter train, ferry boat, or airplane. What viewers will learn watching Driving While Black is that the restriction and policing of the mobility of Black citizens in our country is more intertwined with American history than any Corvette, F-150, or muscle car that has graced this publication. Driving While Black comes from professor and Cooperstown graduate director Dr. Gretchen Sorin, who published a book of the same name in early 2020 (an excerpt of which we w...
Ariel Atom 4 First Look: Looks Like an Atom, Sounds Like a Civic Type R
Despite its familiar looks, the Ariel Atom 4 shares only three parts with its predecessor: the clutch pedal, brake pedal, and fuel cap. In other words, this is an all-new iteration of the company’s famously analog sports car. Although Ariel initially announced the model more than two years ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the British brand is finally kicking off production of the two-seat Atom 4 in the United States. Fortunately, it seems the American-made model essentially mirrors its overseas counterpart. See all 56 photos Civic Duty That’s good news, too, because this 1,350-pound rocket features a new chassis that’s 15 percent stiffer than before and a mid-mounted 320-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four from the Civic Type R hatchback. Ariel claims the At...
2021 Ford Transit Embraces the #VanLife With New RV Prep Pack
The 2021 Ford Transit is changing with the times, and the Blue Oval will now offer packages that make it easier to turn the van into the likes of a parcel delivery vehicle or an RV. With the growth of home delivery services, the Transit’s Parcel Delivery package is a sensible addition to the model line. Hinged rear doors that open 253 degrees wide provide easier access to cargo. The package also features full interior lighting to help those who deliver packages in the early mornings or evenings. Improving access further, the package eliminates armrests on the driver and passenger side, and an optional center console with a right-side shifter provides a better walkthrough and extra legroom for the driver. All Transit vans with a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 9,500 pounds h...
2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain Wagon Review: Really An SUV at Heart?
Pros Carlike drive with crossover capability Smooth new hybridized engine Seats for seven Cons Stuffy interior Overweight sensation Tight third row There’s a sense of gatekeeping that comes with proper SUVs. These four-wheel-drive body-on-frame vehicles are SUVs, but those unibody all-wheel-drive vehicles are fugazis—lifted hatchbacks, mere crossovers, wagons in drag. We much prefer to let the manufacturers provide their own interpretations of the genre, whereupon we prove them right (or oftentimes wrong) during our SUV of the Year competition. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain is bound to make the former group unhappy and the latter quite pleased. Curbside, the biggest changes are a lightly nipped and tucked nose and tail (to match the refresh given to the rest of the E-Class...
Audi SQ7 Pros and Cons Review: 500-HP Family Fun
Pros Thrilling driving experience Comfortable day-to-day driving Fancy technology Cons Cargo room Ingress/egress to/from tight third row Need a family SUV that’s comfortable to drive around town but has a dose of performance? The Audi SQ7 will deliver exactly that. With its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, Ingolstadt is delivering the more powerful version of its three-row crossover to American families for the first time and giving enthusiast parents the chance to combine their wants and needs. As part of its midcycle update, the Q7 is getting a host of important changes. Starting with its face, the SUV gets a new grille, which replaces the horizontal slats with vertical ones while keeping its octagonal shape. New LED headlights bring part of the Q8 styling to the Q7, and higher trims can ...
BMW X6 Pros and Cons Review: How It’s the Best One BMW Has Built Yet
Pros Fun to drive Deceptively roomy inside The monster M version Cons Polarizing looks Inscrutable infotainment Brutal ride on the M version “What can be said about the X6 M that hasn’t been said before?” That’s what features editor Christian Seabaugh wondered about the third generation of BMW’s slope-roofed midsize SUV. Turns out, a lot. For one, we collectively felt that this third-gen BMW X6 is the best one BMW has ever built. Still hailing from Spartanburg, South Carolina, the X6 feels very solid, as if it was hewn from a single block of a heavy, precious metal. For two, it still makes you question why it exists. “I mean, I kind of get it,” features editor Scott Evans said. “You definitely stand out in a crowd. It’s not for me, but ...
