First Tests

BMW 5-Series Full Overview The seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series, coded “G30,” has not earned universal praise at MotorTrend as had some earlier models. When it competed in our 2018 Car of the Year contest, we chided its “numb handling and response” and lamented “an anodyne feel that permeates all of these 5 Series entries.” We attributed that largely to BMW’s decision to migrate the 5 to the architecture that underpins the larger, heavier 7 Series. In our luxury midsize category rankings, the 5 has trailed the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, and at times even the Lexus ES. Well, BMW has sharpened its pencils and rolled out a revamped G30 5 Series for 2021. This new 5 Series boasts loads of detail improvements, including a 48-volt mild hy...

The SUV market has been red-hot for the better part of a decade, so plenty of confused-cat emojis ensued when Genesis pushed its nascent brand by launching a trio of sedans. Y NO SUV, guys? Well, the wait is over. The Korean luxury marque, the premium offshoot of Hyundai Motor Co., finally has put a crossover on the market. Although the 2021 Genesis GV80 has all the touches one would expect from a luxury brand vehicle and will likely serve many upscale families well with its lavish interior, it may leave those looking for an enthusiast feel behind the wheel or a proper luxury vehicle ride wanting. On paper, the GV80 looks ready for action. Like most midsize luxury SUVs such as the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE-Class, and Lincoln Nautilus, the GV80 provides a choice of two powertrains: a 300-hp, 311...

Here is a secret Chrysler won’t tell you: For 2021, it’s added an SUV to its tiny lineup—sort of. The brand’s last SUV was the unloved Aspen, which briefly lumbered around circa 2007. And so, after a long hiatus, a high-riding, three-row, all-wheel-drive-equipped family hauler returns to the Chrysler range. It’s called the Pacifica. OK, obviously the Pacifica is first and foremost a minivan. But for 2021, a new all-wheel-drive (AWD) system becomes available, intended to make the updated Pacifica more competitive against today’s crop of three-row SUVs, which have taken over in America’s hive mind as go-to family haulers, despite minivans’ superior packaging and flexibility. In any case, an AWD-equipped Pacifica could the van an ideal, um, crossover for drivers who seek SUV capab...

The burly-fendered, desert-marauding Ford F-150 Raptor is taking a breather this year, but might its killer performance be eclipsed by a mild-mannered, Walter-Mitty-esque new 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid? To find out, we borrowed a 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat Sport 4×4 PowerBoost, strapped our gear to it, and were frankly amazed that—even without fender flares, heat extractors, clearance lights, or any other extroverted design details—it’s ready to race Raptors for pinks. But by the end of our three days with this F-150, it was the power in the pickup box, not under the hood, that most impressed us. <!– –> How Powerful Is the 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid? Sandwiching a 44-hp, 221-lb-ft electric motor in between the 394-hp, 492-lb-ft 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 EcoBoost engine and the 10...

Some folks just don’t want one like everybody else has. If your friends all drive a mass-produced Ford F-150 Raptor or 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, a boutique-built Baja-ready Mil-Spec Automotive Ford F-150 might be just the ticket. Mil-Spec Automotive (MSA) is a plucky Michigan startup founded by a trio of twentysomethings to restore and resto-mod Hummer H1s, but as the supply of these military monsters dwindles, the firm is looking to broaden its reach with more attainable offerings. How Much Power & Torque Does Mil-Spec’s F-150 Make? MSA’s founders are designers, not engineers, so they haven’t set out to reinvent the Baja-bashing wheel, and its customers feel more comfortable with a factory warranty, so the Mil-Spec Automotive Ford F-150 is based on the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, which also helps ...

My dad has never hesitated to press his cars into temporary off-road agricultural duty. I vividly recall riding with my sister on a large board roped to the rear bumper of our ’70 VW Beetle as Dad ran a pattern throughout the back yard in an effort to work sand down through the Bermuda grass and into the tough red Memphis clay. He taught me: Never fence a yard without preserving vehicle access. I never have. These days, there’s a whole industry that purpose-builds side-by-side ATVs to do jobs like what dad used our Beetle for, and I just spent three weeks with a pretty cool one: a 2021 John Deere Gator XUV835R. What is a John Deere Gator XUV835R? This is the flagship, full-size model that tops John Deere’s range of Gator side-by-side ATVs, or more accurately: UTVs (for Ut...

Being a segment leader is hard work, especially in a segment as hot as subcompact SUVs, which continues to grow rapidly. Subaru already has a solid foundation to stay on top, and now, the Forester‘s 2.5-liter flat-four engine is finding its way under the Crosstrek‘s hood in Sport and Limited trims. Will a more powerful engine be enough to keep this crossover relevant and fend off new rivals? We got a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport in to find out. Does the Subaru Crosstrek Drive Better with More Power? We’ve been begging Subaru for a more powerful Crosstrek since it made its debut as a 2013 model. Seven years later, the automaker finally obliged. So does the 2.5-liter’s 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque make a noticeable difference over the base 2.0-liter’s 152 hp an...

Usually when you face a choice between a conventional gas or plug-in hybrid SUV or car, the PHEV struggles to save enough fuel to offset the cost of the battery, motor, and all that extra copper. For some drivers, the BMW X3 xDrive30e might just pencil out. But will it kill your soul while doing so? How the BMW X3 xDrive30e Plug-In Hybrid SUV Can Pay For Itself Changing the “i” at the end of that model designation to an “e” costs $4,600. For that, you get a 107-hp/77-lb-ft electric motor sandwiched between your engine and transmission, which boosts the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine’s output to 288 hp and 310 lb-ft. (In the xDrive30i it makes 248 hp and 258 lb-ft.) You also get a hefty 12-kWh battery pack capable of propelling the X3 on battery power alone ...

The all-new 2021 Toyota Venza has a lot of balls to juggle. It’s the first Toyota SUV to be powered exclusively by a hybrid system, its design has to push the brand in a new direction without being offensive, and it’s being billed as the most luxurious SUV in Toyota’s lineup. So, how well is the Venza handling all of its newfound responsibilities? While its styling may not be for some, the new Venza isn’t what you’d call ugly. It’s also undeniably different from what Toyota is doing with the rest of its lineup lately, and it’s a sign of things to come for the marque. Looks are subjective, but we think the Venza does enough to stand out from the crowd without resorting to being outlandish or offensive. That’s the design ball up in the air, no ...