First Drives

Since air travel ranks with drinking molten gold on my want-to-do list this year, I've piled on thousands more interstate miles than I'd planned in January. Some 1,200 of them happened this month in a 2020 Lincoln Navigator Reserve, which easily beat down the existential dread of I-85 with square...Read More»

The Model Y compact crossover might not be the best Tesla, but it’s the one that best advances Elon Musk’s goal of the mass adoption of electric vehicles. With a sporty crossover profile that’s all the rage, strong performance, plenty of range, and an advanced but simplified...Read More»

The sedan formerly known as the Kia Optima gets a new look this year, but the change hardly stops at the body. It gets a new name too. The question we still have, after hundreds of miles spent in it—is the mid-size 2021 Kia K5 different enough to earn the new K5 badge? The Optima and K5 have...Read More»

Walk up to the 2021 Toyota Venza and it looks familiar. The fast roofline and the way the window line resolves at the rear are clearly influenced by the last-generation Lexus RX from Toyota’s luxury brand. The chrome exterior trim and wheels give the same impression. Jump inside, spot the...Read More»

The 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer blazes no new trail but it reorients Chevy for the modern crossover era. For those of a certain beautiful age (yes, you are), the Trailblazer may evoke the rough-and-tumble days of pickup truck-type SUVs such as the Ford Bronco, or in its later days, a 4Runner...Read More»

Lincoln's SUVs get more subdued as they inch down the price ladder. The Navigator's fabulous—as it had better be, with a six-digit sticker price all too easy to reach. The Aviator's blessed with the same finesse but less bulk. (It's also ever so slightly more environmentally conscious; it has...Read More»

The 2020 Mini Cooper SE electric vehicle comes with a big but. It’s cute, it’s punchy, it’s distinct, it’s versatile, but... But. The range is only 110 miles. That’s a but so big even Sir Mix-a-Lot ain’t down with that. That “but” narrows the...Read More»

On the day I paid attention in science class, “conservation of energy” resonated in my adolescent brain. Something about energy in a system remains constant—energy saved doing homework could be spent in other pursuits, I suppose. Broadly applied to cars today, that theory would...Read More»

You’ll be forgiven if you shop for a new Buick Encore and get confused. For 2020 there are two Encores: the familiar Encore with a standard engine and transmission and a choice of all-wheel drive, and the new Encore GX with a choice between two engines, two transmissions, and front- or...Read More»

Long-distance journeys may have settled into your mind, in this time of sheltering in place. One day we'll be able to drive far, far away—and for that day your shopping list could start and begin with the 2020 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury. If you can avoid the lure of a crossover SUV, the 2020...Read More»

Each pint-size ‘ute from nearly every automaker on the planet now promises something different. For many buyers of those small crossovers, all that matters is whether they arrive in style. The 2021 Kia Seltos piles on style like fresh Wranglers, crisp button-up shirts, hard-wearing felt...Read More»

Until now, Volkswagen’s answer to mid-size crossover shoppers unswayed by their three-row team bus dubbed the Atlas was silence so wide that you could drive one through it. Admittedly, the smaller VW Tiguan already on dealer’s lots is a giant-size compact crossover with more leg room...Read More»

The mid-cycle refresh of the 2020 Audi Q7 crossover SUV brings a mix of contradictory developments. One of the better infotainment systems gets better, but the new turbocharged V-6 contributes to lower fuel economy than the outgoing supercharged V-6. While it may seem like one step forward, one...Read More»

The front tires of the 2020 Toyota Camry XSE are sliding sideways in the snow. Usually, that could be dangerous, but it’s all right this time because I’m causing the slide. I’m on an autocross covered in ice and snow in a field outside of Park City, Utah, and I’m sliding the...Read More»

I struggle with sentience while a hotel clerk tells me there are four Australian accents: university, city, Western Australia, and everywhere else. None of them make sense at 9 a.m., not after a 24-hour ride over the ocean for a first drive in the 2020 Hyundai Venue. Hyundai chose Australia’s...Read More»

The redesigned 2020 Nissan Sentra is lower, wider, sportier, and loaded with more standard features, without much of an upcharge over the 2019 model. Starting at $20,015 (including $925 destination), the compact sedan appeals to a still-significant slice of shoppers who don’t need a bulky...Read More»

As a carmaker, Mazda’s proudly majored in the minors. They’ll tell you as much, too. With the 2020 CX-30, Mazda’s American-sized small crossover is full of minutiae that defines the cars they make. Want details? The front passenger gets a perfectly placed grab handle that’s...Read More»

Reports of the Porsche Taycan have evoked the kind of superlatives that can only overstate. Porsche’s first electric vehicle has been called game changing, the future, and, of course, a Tesla killer. It’s even been posited that the Taycan (pronounced TIE-khan) will not only outperform...Read More»