The best utility vehicle of the year also happens to win The Car Connection's Best Minivan To Buy 2021 award, and for the fifth year in a row, the winner is the Chrysler Pacifica. Prized for its versatility, roominess, refinement, standard features, and superior practicality compared to SUVs, no...Read More»
Last year, in this very space, The Car Connection's editors picked a high-powered, expensive luxury car as our favorite four-door. This year, we're going in the opposite direction. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is our choice for Best Sedan To Buy 2021. It also won our Best Hybrid To Buy 2021, edging...Read More»
The Venza nameplate returned to the Toyota showroom as a sleek two-row crossover SUV with a hybrid powertrain that looks and feels as much like a Lexus as it does a Toyota. The 2021 Toyota Venza would fit in a Lexus showroom if the Japanese automaker’s luxury division hadn’t gotten ugly...Read More»
Hyundai and Kia announced the recall of certain sedans and crossovers for an increased fire risk, the NHTSA reported Monday. The South Korean automakers maintain separate identities but share many parts, including the Theta II, Lambda, Gamma, and Nu engine models investigated by the NHTSA prompted...Read More»
Hyundai plans to expand its electrified lineup from a couple hybrid cars to five plug-in hybrid and battery electric crossover SUVs by the end of 2022, the South Korean automaker announced Wednesday. Its electrified lineup of 10 vehicles will roll out to consumers throughout 2021 and 2022. In...Read More»
The refreshed 2021 Honda Accord mid-size sedan comes with more standard safety and convenience features, as well as a price increase of up to $875 over the 2020 model. But Honda wants you in the 2021 Accord Hybrid. "The new Honda Accord Hybrid is really the Accord to buy, offering customers more of...Read More»
The 2021 Ford F-150 pickup truck hybrid made headlines when it was announced in June, but its 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 gets the attention now with a tow rating and payload capacity that tops rivals such as the Ram 1500 and Chevy Silverado, Ford announced Monday. The 400-horsepower 3.5-liter turbo...Read More»
For a brand that’s almost 80 years old, change comes slowly. Jeep’s latest evolution also will come silently. On Thursday, the brand unveiled its 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUV, which is the first plug-in hybrid Jeep on sale in the U.S. The boxy off-roader will be the first of many, Jeep...Read More»
Lexus' mid-size sedan has a fuller lineup for 2021, the luxury carmaker announced last week. The 2021 Lexus ES sedan will be available will all-wheel drive for the first time in the sedan's 31-year history. The all-wheel drive version will cost at least $40,925, including mandatory destination...Read More»
The 2021 Toyota Venza is reborn as a hybrid crossover. With six Lexus or Toyota hybrids to choose from, we pitted the new Venza’s luxury-leaning interior against the 2020 Lexus RX450h to see how premium trims have narrowed the gap on premium brands. Is the Venza better for the money? Is the...Read More»
The police officers stopped where I was parked on the sidewalk in front of one of Chicago’s landmark attractions. I hustled to get one last picture of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, and told them I’d be on my way. “Is that the electric one?” One officer asked. I...Read More»
Toyota is expanding a recall from 2018 on certain Prius models that can stall while driving, according to paperwork filed with the NHTSA last week. A transistor in the power module can fail when accelerating quickly and cause the hybrid system to shut down, which may cause the vehicle to stall and...Read More»
For 2020, the best-selling cars in America come with hybrid options. The redesigned 2020 Ford Escape and refreshed 2020 Honda CR-V aim for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the best-selling non-truck in America that will also come as a plug-in hybrid for 2021. The cutthroat compact crossover segment...Read More»
Toyota's venerable small car can always learn a few new tricks. When it arrives in dealers later this year, the 2021 Toyota Corolla will offer standard Android Auto and satellite radio compatibility, as well as more standard and available safety equipment, Toyota spokesman Zach Reed confirmed. Reed...Read More»
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid costs $28,725 in base Blue trim and reaches $36,275 in top Limited trim, the brand announced on Wednesday. The mid-size hybrid sedan is more expensive than the $26,575 Honda Accord Hybrid but cheaper than the $29,385 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The 2020 Sonata Hybrid ekes...Read More»
At least in some ways, it feels like 2010 all over again. The 2021 Toyota Venza crossover SUV and 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan were revealed Monday as mostly hybrid, all-wheel drive family vehicles. After a long absence and previous incarnation as a wagon, the Venza is reborn as a crossover SUV. The...Read More»
The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited requires an open plug and an open mind. That is the main difference for owners between the gas-only Pacifica minivan—or any other three-row family vehicle—and the Pacifica Hybrid. The other difference is owners won’t need to plan a stop at...Read More»
Toyota is throwing the Prius a party for its 20th birthday in the U.S., and it will be a blacked-out affair. The 2021 Toyota Prius will be available in a special Prius 2020 Edition model with black inserts on the wheels, headlights, body sides, and side mirrors, the automaker announced Monday. You...Read More»
The EPA this week released its ratings for the upcoming 2021 BMW 330e plug-in hybrid sedan and said the updated powertrain can manage up to 23 miles of all-electric range on a single charge. The 330e xDrive all-wheel-drive version is rated for up to 20 miles of electric range. The ratings are...Read More»
