Looking back at it, we've grown a lot in 17 years. But some things are better left behind. The Great Recession can stay right where it is—in history. Samesies for toe shoes. About 17 years ago, Ford split off heavy duty trucks from its F-150 lineup and created one of the most lucrative...Read More»
It can steer for you, brake for you, it can even entertain you. Is the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class the smartest car on the road today? By Mercedes' reckoning, it is. As a rival for vehicles like the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS, and Jaguar XF, the E-Class has its plate full just...Read More»
When GMC released the Acadia for the 2007 model year, it showed that the automaker was starting to get it. Instead of limiting families to large truck-based SUVs like the Yukon that could double as tow vehicles and break the family fuel budget, GMC, along with Saturn, Buick, and eventually...Read More»
Cadillac is on a quest. It wants to be the next Benz, the new BMW, the up and coming Audi. It has some truly excellent cars that put it in contention, with the compact ATS and the mid-size CTS. Now it wants some of the full-size respect that gets heaped on the S-Class, the 7-Series, and the A8...Read More»
Some of the best pickup trucks are full-sizers, but how big is big enough? If you’re not pulling a big horse trailer or building a big house, a mid-size truck might be the right tool to get the job done. That’s especially true if the mid-size truck does all the good things accomplished...Read More»
To a great number of Americans, the quintessential spring break involves cruising a Miami Beach, taking in the sun with the top down, picking up some friends, and maybe heading out to Key West. While the Cascada has the goods to fulfill that fantasy, we’re not entirely convinced that...Read More»
The 2016 Scion iA is one of the best small car picks on the market. It’s quite a turnaround for Scion, which previously had the lackluster xA and xD models in this size category. In all fairness, it’s a turnaround that arrived a bit too late, as the Scion brand, a youth-oriented...Read More»
The sport-sedan niche is full of great cars. It’s not just a 3-Series game anymore, not with the ATS, the C-Class, and the Q50 grabbing plenty of laurels of their own. Count the 2017 Audi A4 in that crew, too. Over the past decade, it’s gained a luster all its own, with taut styling...Read More»
Minivans were invented in the 1980s, and since then, they’ve have had a certain…reputation. Call them big-box bores. They’re functional to a fault, but sporty? Sexy? Not so much. Leave it to Chrysler to try and change that reputation. They invented the minivan. They've sold...Read More»
Kia made some great choices for its completely redesigned 2017 Sportage—choices that make it a better-driving, more comfortable vehicle than some of its key rivals. One of those key rivals is the Sportage’s corporate cousin, the Hyundai Tucson. Although the Sportage remains closely...Read More»
Why again is Cadillac walking away from its best-selling nameplate, the SRX? We’ll leave that one hanging; but much of what Cadillac’s doing at the moment is very big-picture—and the new XT5 nameplate fits into that picture, as part of a lineup of several “XT”...Read More»
Gimmickry and retro design cues have always been part of the beguiling formula for Mini—especially ever since the brand was resurrected by BMW earlier last decade, and up to present day and the 2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible we drove around Los Angeles earlier this month. It’s just that...Read More»
Once upon a time, the Honda Civic was a go-to recommendation for buyers shopping for a compact car. It was rarely the cheapest option, but a Civic offered good quality, economical operation, and a greater degree of sportiness than many rivals. In recent years, however—and particularly with a...Read More»
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is nearly 18 months away from its on-sale date in the U.S. Yet up north near the Arctic Circle, in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, this past week, we got just enough of a tease to know that this one’s going to be different. In addition to becoming, for the U.S. market, an...Read More»
The Hyundai Elantra has been a big success story for the South Korean automaker. A decade ago, it wasn't even mentioned in the same breath as Civic and Corolla. Today, it's one of the highest-rated small sedans at The Car Connection, in league with the brilliant new Honda Civic, the Ford Focus, the...Read More»
Great genre-bending cars are often the result of a leader with passion, to see it through—from conception to reality. Smart Automobile CEO Dr. Annette Winkler is the quintessence of that; the first ground-up redesign of the distinctive Fortwo lineup—including the new 2017 Smart Fortwo...Read More»
It’s been 25 years since Buick last had a convertible in its lineup. You’ve probably forgotten the Reatta, right? It's okay. The Reatta was a set-up, anyway. It was supposed to be Buick's halo car--in-dash CRTs and "Reatta Craft Centre" assembly line and all. Chalk all that up to...Read More»
It's now in its fourth generation, and the Toyota Prius continues to be the world's definitive hybrid-electric vehicle. This latest 2016 Prius gets slightly better gas mileage than before--52 miles per gallon for the base model--to keep its crown as the most fuel-efficient vehicle without a plug...Read More»
The kids use the phrase “on fleek” to describe something that’s on trend, and almost nothing fits its definition as well as the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. Any way you describe it—compact, luxury, crossover—this redesigned SUV is firing on all trendiness cylinders...Read More»
