You know a car is a hot ticket when you call to reserve it for a media review the same day you get the email announcing it’s joined the media fleet, only to be told you’ll need to wait a few months for your turn. Fortunately, I’m
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Carmakers strive to deliver category-busting models at an ever-increasing rate. Those efforts have resulted in many interesting vehicles on our roads. Those same carmakers also recognize the value in delivering models that consumers have always (will always?) find appealing. The economical four-door sedan is one such staple. Popular models have
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Some days, you need to haul a few more things than you might have room for in an ordinary vehicle. That IKEA chair a friend gave you fully assembled, because she lost the instructions and the box. Four guys and their hockey gear. You know the situation. Those days turned
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Decades ago, Honda branched out into upscale vehicles. It has long had a reputation for quick cars too. But at its core, the Japanese automaker is still widely regarded as a leading manufacturer of practical economy vehicles. I reacquainted myself with that legacy during a week with
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Few cars have spent so much time at or near the top of North American automotive sales charts. When I recently drove one of these, I realized Toyota hasn’t rested on its laurels. I enjoyed the increasing Lexusification of the 2018 Camry XLE V6. First impressions The new Camry,
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Automakers the world over are working towards corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Bettering the fuel consumption numbers across their fleets has resulted in hybridized existing models and new hybrid vehicles to choose from. Honda’s 2018 Clarity Plug-in Hybrid falls into the latter category. From traditional hybrid to
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Compact crossovers have been gaining ground as slightly less roomy alternatives to crossovers and full-sized SUVs. Their popularity makes the value-for-price competition among automakers seems especially intense in this segment. Toyota competes here as hard as the next automaker. The Japanese company chose to differentiate its entry to
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They call it TNT Orange. I guess it’s a little different from the Habanero Orange on the Tiguan I drove weeks prior. TNT certainly describes the reaction when you step on the accelerator of the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R 5-Door. First impressions That orange will catch plenty of eyes. Not
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Automakers the world over are facing a 2025 deadline to reduce emissions, thanks to a 2011 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) agreement. Their strategies vary. Many, like BMW, are banking on PHEVs – plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. BMW will even electrify its M lineup of performance variants. The Bavarian
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There’s a tier of automakers who keep their lineups spare, betting only on the vehicles and technologies that will keep them competitive. Mazda falls squarely into this category, and its bets have been paying off handsomely. The Japanese automaker made a stir in 2017 when it debuted
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