Without question, the 707-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is the member of the Charger sedan lineup that’ll attract the most attention this year. But if you’re not headed to the track or looking to wow friends with timed performance runs and Hellcat bragging rights, you could save...Read More»
The Nissan Juke is headed into its fifth model year, yet it’s no closer to blending in with the rest of the compact crossover market. Rather, it looks and feels as defiantly different as ever. We’ll soon have more vehicles on the market with which to compare the Juke—models like...Read More»
Stoic. That’s how I’d sum up our first drive of the 2016 Kia Sorento. It’s not just because this completely redesigned, third-generation Sorento felt mostly unfazed, driving through a Sierra Nevada winter "storm of the decade" that brought 100-mile-an-hour wind gusts and made some...Read More»
As we’re getting acquainted with the 2015 Nissan Murano for the first time, it’s eye-opening to note all that this mid-size crossover doesn’t have: There are no multiple drive modes here, no variable steering assist settings, and no steering-wheel shift paddles, no low range or...Read More»
Is the 2015 Mini Cooper S overwrought or just cheeky? Is it a trend-setter or a fashion victim? And does it still continue to build on the heritage of the classic Mini? Those are tough questions, we know. But when driving the Cooper S—the new-generation Cooper S that made its debut this past...Read More»
With nearly 200 hp for just 2,700 pounds of city-savvy hatchback goodness, and a base price of $22,195, the Ford Fiesta ST has to be one of the best-value driver's cars available today. ALSO SEE: Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado Are The Least-Recovered Stolen Vehicles In America And really, it...Read More»
The 2015 Toyota Yaris is one of the better-looking subcompacts on the market; yet in too many respects—especially from the driver's seat—it feels like a small car from another era. Putting it tersely—after driving several versions of it this past week, on the mostly leisurely...Read More»
“Can't the Camry look a little more exciting?” To paraphrase chief engineer Monte Kaehr, that was a message so commonly heard in focus groups with owners of current 2012- and 2013-model-year Camrys—when they were asked what single thing they’d like to change about their...Read More»
Heavy, family sized three-row crossover vehicles like the 2014 Infiniti QX60 probably don’t come to mind as particularly fuel-efficient picks—even when they have the Hybrid badge. But considering the very reason for being for hybrids—to recapture some of the energy in braking and...Read More»
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class isn't just departure from what the C-Class has been. It feels like a clear break with the past; and that's a very good thing. Too often, automakers are so locked into the mindset of designing a new car to replace a current one in their lineup that they lose sight of...Read More»
The 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid probably isn’t going to win over typical hybrid shoppers; but it’s going to charm the traditional Subaru crowd—as well as some shoppers who realize that this small hatchback strikes out a lot of the compromises that have traditionally come with...Read More»
“Gear up!” It's what outdoorsy people often remind each other—whether experienced granola-and-carabiner types or relative newbies—before heading out to the back country. Having the right gear can make a situation that would otherwise be trying or unpleasant turn into an...Read More»
Suddenly, Subaru? It's taken a decade of rescaling and repositioning its cars, ditching some upmarket dreams in the process. And it hasn't happened overnight--just at an enviably steady clip. Today, the company that once brought you alien outliers like the SVX and the Baja, has found its way into...Read More»
Call it Civic responsibility; Honda has been giving the current generation of its compact-car line new and meaningful improvements each of the past several years. And this year is no different. In the 2014 Honda Civic, there are two major additions: a continuously variable automatic transmission...Read More»
Ford is calling the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon the unminivan. It’s a tag that elicits eye rolls, as with the most cursory look at this vehicle's profile—its sliding doors, its three rows of seating—it's...unmistakable. It’s almost as if a soft-drink company had decided to...Read More»
Can subbing in a completely new engine and transmission significantly change the character of an existing model? Yes, it certainly can—and the Volvo S60 is the best example of how dramatic the change can be. While last year's model (and this year's model with all-wheel drive, as we'll get to...Read More»
The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is a disappointing car. It doesn't offer anywhere close to today's standards of refinement or performance, when we compare it not to cars that are much more expensive but to those that are of the same price range. And those inadequacies can't mask any of its positives...Read More»
The Honda Fit has made a fitting name for itself, as the best cheerleader out there for affordable, practical hatchbacks. And with an all-new 2015 Fit reaching dealerships soon, Honda heads into market with a built-in advantage. Back when the Fit showed up, arguably around the peak of the...Read More»
No matter what you’ve started to consider in a next new car, there are two things that taking a quick spin in a 2014 Ford Fiesta can make abundantly clear. The first is that small cars don’t have to be so soulless and appliance-like. The second? Low-price new cars don't all feel...Read More»
