“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»
Family sedans are mission statements, everything a car company can do well in one package. Just to make it on the family radar, these four-doors have to look good, seat at least four adults, and sport a good track record for safety and reliability. The Chrysler 200 is new this year, and it replaces...Read More»
From the driver's seat of the 2015 Audi A3, it's easy to play favorites. This new most affordable sedan in the Audi lineup has the best in-car interface—and perhaps the best combination of connectivity and clean-interface information management—of all the premium compact sedans. Option...Read More»
The world, and the United States, has changed a lot since the late 1990s, not least in the automotive sphere. There are electric cars that aren't punchlines to poorly told jokes; electric cars which are in fact Very Good Things. Hybrids are common, no longer the sole province of the most...Read More»
Recalibration. If you have preconceptions of what the 3-Series has been and should be, it's what you need to do when first getting behind the wheel of the new 3-Series Gran Turismo. That's not simply because while the 2014 BMW 3-Series GT is a hatchback and the 3-Series sedan has a trunk; there's a...Read More»
If you enjoy driving, yet need a practical, economical small car, you'd be foolish not to include the 2014 Mazda 3on your shortlist. After spending time with several versions of the new 3, in Atlanta and Portland, we can't help but gush about its beautiful shape, its eye-catching sheetmetal, the...Read More»
The answer, in a word, is 'yes.' Yes, the 2014 Jeep Patriot does drive better with the new six-speed automatic transmission than it ever did with the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that it's been saddled with ever since its launch for 2007. Yes, the Patriot drives better than it...Read More»
Is the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid a more compelling vehicle this time around? You might not be aware that this is Honda’s second try at an Accord Hybrid; but as we drove the 2014 Accord Hybrid earlier this month we couldn't help but look back at what didn't work last time—and how...Read More»
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