Mainstream compact sedans are no longer penalty boxes. We’ve come a long way, baby. Two of the better choices in the compact segment are the Hyundai Elantra and Mazda 3, but both break out of the box for different reasons. The 2021 Mazda 3’s TCC Rating of 6.7 edges the 2021 Hyundai...Read More»
Towing is no longer a job only for pickup trucks. There are plenty of SUVs up for the task of towing the boat or any of the family toys in more comfort than a truck. Even though pickup trucks keep making inroads into family vehicle territory, the SUVs listed here can tow more than 5,000 pounds and...Read More»
Sometimes you want a pickup truck but need an SUV yet don't have room for both. The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz aims to bridge the gap between wants and needs. Hyundai debuted the much-anticipated production version of its "sport adventure vehicle" on Thursday, more than six years removed from when the...Read More»
Subaru on Thursday announced two separate recalls involving three of its most popular models. Citing an abundance of caution, Subaru recalled the 2017-2019 Impreza sedan and hatchback and 2018-2019 Crosstrek small crossover that shares its bones with the Impreza hatch. The engine control module...Read More»
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz preview The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers compact SUV space and a small pickup bed with up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity. Review update: 2021 Mazda CX-9 outhustles the big boys The CX-9 slips to the back of the pack in third-row space and in value—and let's not...Read More»
The 2021 Mazda CX-9 defies conventional judgement. Sure, it's a three-row, seven-seat crossover like a Honda Pilot or a Ford Explorer, but with its tailored outfit and its other luxury trappings, it doesn't have much time to worry about fitting kids in its skimpy third-row seat, and it doesn't...Read More»
Ford has changed the name of its hands-free driving system from Active Drive Assist to BlueCruise, the automaker announced on Wednesday. The release followed 500,000 miles of developmental testing of the Level 2 system set to roll out in the third quarter of this year in the 2021 Ford F-150 pickup...Read More»
Ford BlueCruise unlocks hands-free driving, replaces Active Drive Assist Ford BlueCruise is coming later this year on the 2021 F-150 and 2021 Mustang Mach-E to allow hands-free highway driving. 2022 Mazda MX-30 preview The 2022 MX-30 electric crossover goes on sale in fall 2021 hampered by several...Read More»
The 2021 Audi Q5 luxury crossover SUV and the 2021 Q5 Sportback earned Top Safety Pick+ awards, which is the most rigorous honor for automotive safety in the U.S. The insurance-industry funded IIHS said in a statement released Tuesday that improved headlights improved the vehicles' safety ratings...Read More»
The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus has finally come around. The refreshed interior finally shed the vestiges of its MKX skin with an interior befitting Lincoln’s upward class mobility. This poses a problem for me. My dad likes Lincolns. Even since the Town Cars of our youth, my brother and I have...Read More»
Review update: 2021 Lincoln Nautilus crossover SUV comes around to luxury The Nautilus carries a refined interior, plush ride, and great performance but fumbles on value. 2021 Kia Telluride vs. 2021 VW Atlas: Compare Crossover SUVs The three-row crossover SUVs fight for family buyers, but which is...Read More»
Volvo, Subaru, Mazda, and Hyundai/Kia/Genesis led all other automakers in earning Top Safety Pick awards bestowed by the IIHS, the non-profit safety group announced Wednesday. On average, safety ratings improved and the number of Top Safety Pick+ winners more than doubled from 2020. “With...Read More»
Off-roading and adventure seeking is a lifestyle. Not everyone cares, but those who do inevitably consider the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Wrangler as their overlander of choice. The decision becomes a crossroads. These two legendary icons created cult followings long before Tesla made such a thing...Read More»
2021 Jeep Wrangler vs. 2021 Toyota 4Runner: Compare SUVs The two boxy off-roaders square off in our competition; which one is best for you? 2015 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon recalled again for power steering issue GM's smaller pickups have flawed steering; recall begins soon. 2021 Ford Explorer...Read More»
GM has expanded an earlier recall of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon mid-size pickup trucks, the NHTSA announced Monday. A poor electrical connection subject to corrosion in the power steering system can cause the affected vehicles to lose power steering assist and make steering...Read More»
Three-row crossovers have become the hottest thing in suburbia since Five Guys spread across the nation. The 2021 VW Atlas and 2021 Kia Telluride are two large popular family crossover SUVs with lots of space for families. The former keeps things simple while the latter punches above its price...Read More»
When we first drove it on the track, we wondered out loud whether a car like the 2021 Toyota Avalon really needed the TRD sport-sedan treatment. The Avalon's prime directive has always been to coddle its passengers in a cocoon of sound deadening and sensory deprivation, without costing them too...Read More»
Review update: 2021 Toyota Avalon TRD refills the fountain of youth The TRD treatment for the 2020 Toyota Camry and Avalon adds a mean look and welcome handling upgrades. Lexus Teammate debuts as hands-free driving system on 2022 LS 500h The 2022 Lexus LS500h will be the first vehicle to get the...Read More»
Lexus throws its hat into the ring of driver-assist systems that let drivers take their hands off the wheel with its new Lexus Teammate hands-free driving system, Toyota's luxury brand announced Thursday. Lexus joins other hands-free driving systems such as GM's Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot...Read More»
Who’d have guessed minivans would lead the 2022 new-vehicle parade? With the 2022 Honda Odyssey already on sale—now joined by the Sedona-replacing 2022 Kia Carnival—the early jump on the new model year brings more features, great value, and strong safety for both. Still, one...Read More»
2022 Kia Carnival vs. 2022 Honda Odyssey: Compare Minivans Kia’s Sedona replacement outpoints Honda’s road-trip special by a few inches and a few thousand miles. 2021 Ford Explorer offers less expensive ST and Platinum variants This summer, 2021 Ford Explorer buyers can get the ST's...Read More»
The 2022 Lincoln Aviator three-row SUV will get a price cut when it arrives in dealers this summer, a Lincoln spokesperson confirmed to The Car Connection on Wednesday. The price of the luxury SUV drops between $105 on base models to more than $1,000 on plug-in hybrid models from the 2021 Aviator...Read More»
The most expensive version of the 2021 Ford Explorer three-row SUV now comes with more accessible variants, Ford announced on Thursday. The performance-oriented Ford Explorer ST that launched in 2020 gets a new entry point with the Explorer Enthusiast ST. It uses the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6...Read More»
New minivans don’t emerge very often—and while the 2022 Kia Carnival is new and replaces the fuddy old Sedona, it’s no groundbreaker. It does throw a fastball right at our favorite minivan, the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The eight-passenger carry-alls score identically at a TCC...Read More»
