First Drives

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»

If you’re one of those guys who’s a little turned off by ever more cumbersome, oversized full-size trucks, the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel, at least at first glance, looks like the sensible truck that puts a stop to the insanity. It’s easy to see why for some people...Read More»

The 2016 Kia Optima has a tough act to follow. Forget the two generations of the Optima that preceded the outgoing model; it was the 2011 Optima that was Kia’s big break in the U.S.—the model with which the brand really blew past an era of forgettable, derivative mainstream attempts and...Read More»

The tenth-generation Honda Civic drops almost all the economy-car pretense; in Touring trim, it could wear the same "premium" label that Acura's ILX does. Honda's first turbocharged engine appears in EX-T, EX-L, and Touring models Advanced safety technology is available on every trim level Prices...Read More»

Let’s get this out of the way: With the Tacoma, Toyota has the best-selling truck in this segment, and one of the models that retains the best resale value in the entire U.S. market. Its owners are fiercely loyal, and cheerleaders for the brand’s trucks. They’re also the...Read More»

While auto-industry insiders, analysts, and tech-savvy early adopters are split on whether a hydrogen infrastructure is viable in the near future, several automakers are pushing forward with product—and hoping that infrastructure (and more product) will follow. At present, those automakers...Read More»

Starting out in the passenger seat is one of the better ways to acquaint oneself with the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander. Car critics tend to fixate on what's new and fast and thrilling from the driver's seat, and here, it pays to 'recalibrate' first—by taking stock of the ride, the ambiance, the...Read More»

The Nissan Maxima was cocky and cool when it was young—they even called it the four-door sports car. But for the past decade, the Maxima’s been in limbo. Is it a sport sedan with Infiniti influences, or an Altima with attitude? The picture gets a little clearer this year, as the 2016...Read More»

We’ve been fans of the Honda Pilot since it was brand-new, back in 2003. The first one was a big hit—but the next one had a rugged SUV look that was out of step with its on-road talents. There’s a new Pilot for 2016, and it’s making a big U-turn. But is it big enough to pass...Read More»

Call it a pint-sized invasion—a slew of small SUVs is hitting the streets. We’ve driven the Jeep Renegade and Chevy Trax, and soon we’ll see the Mazda CX-3 and Fiat 500X. But maybe the most anticipated small SUV is this one--the 2016 Honda HR-V. MORE: Read Our Full 2016 Honda HR-V...Read More»

Fiat kick-started itself here in the U.S. with a pair of European twins--the tiny 500 hatchback and the bigger 500L. Now it has a real chance to win over American car buyers with its first small crossover SUV. Will the new 500X be big and bold enough to tackle the Jeep Renegade and Honda HR-V? We...Read More»

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is a wagon version of the new VW Golf--and that's essentially the major thing you need to know about the car. One of very few genuine wagons in the compact-car segment, the SportWagen shares all of the virtues and the few vices of the seventh-generation Golf...Read More»

Does the 2015 Ford Edge stay true to its badge? Not exactly; it’s always worn its edge—or edginess—with a sort of irony. Far more than when it was first introduced in 2007, this tall utility wagon is on solid ground, at the heart of Ford’s crossover lineup, and it brims with...Read More»

Much has changed in the three years since the Acura ILX first arrived. The Mercedes-Benz CLA has the market rapt, and a new sedan-inclusive generation of Audi’s A3 looks poised to sell well. Meanwhile Mazda has gone far more upscale with its latest Mazda3; the current Jetta has quite the...Read More»

Is the BMW X6 a niche vehicle, with space and versatility compromised in favor of a more rakish roofline? Some will rush to that conclusion. But anyone who makes such claims is more than a little misguided—and they clearly haven’t crawled around inside the latest X6, let alone taken one...Read More»

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»