Car Reviews

Expectations were admittedly fairly low when the dealer relayed an X3 was the only loaner vehicle available at my service visit. “Oh, that’s fine,” I said. The visit cropped up suddenly, when the VANOS recall fix for the Z4 was finally ready. The next few days changed your author’s mind about the X3.

Today I said goodbye to a Jeep that practically belches "The Star-Spangled Banner" out of its exhaust pipes. Fire up the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition and King George III reanimates only to get punched in the face by zombie George Washington.

Yeah, if the V8 is going to go out, it's going out with a bang.

Crossovers are boring, the thought goes. They just aren’t sporty.

That is often the case, too often really. But we all know that some are massaged and built for sporty driving. And while some OEM claims that a crossover is sporty are simply false, that’s not necessarily the case with the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Competizione.

When the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ sedan showed up at my house, I was astounded to see how much battery range it has.

In the year 2024 - a strange world foreign to anyone old enough to remember Zima - the Chevrolet Trax is a full-size car.

I was informed of this jarring fact by my local Hertz agent.

"Gosh! Is self-identification at work here, or is there some type of science to back all of this up?" I wondered.

Some of Volvo's newer EVs are a bit strange, design-wise, so it was nice to pilot a Volvo PHEV that remind me of the company I grew up with.

Boxy(ish) design, luxurious without being ostentatious, just sporty enough to be engaging. This is the Volvo I remember.

"What kind of car are you driving?" my neighbor asked me this morning.

"A Genesis" I replied. Because 2024 Genesis Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige is a mouthful.

Today I bring you notes on a slick road-trip ready hybrid sedan. The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited recently graced my "driveway" (read: parking spot in large multi-car parking garage) and I was genuinely sad to see it go.

Last year, Can-Am invited us to experience its belt-driven Spyder trikes and I was pleasantly surprised. While legally categorized as motorcycles across most of the United States, Can-Am has actually produced something that doesn’t really slot neatly into any vehicle segment.

Having already been given an opportunity to see what they were like to pilot in 2023, I was interested in exploring what one might be like to live with for more than a casual weekend. The manufacturer obliged by loaning me the 2024 Can-Am Spyder F3-S, which I quickly put a few hundred miles on.

This week I was testing the 2024 Volkswagen Taos SEL.

Today for our Drive Notes feature, I give you a 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited.

The 2024 Nissan Leaf offers up an experience that leads to a bit of cognitive dissonance.

On the one hand, it’s a nice evolution over the first-generation car, especially following a refresh for 2023. On the other, it’s one of the few EVs that is CHAdeMO only on charging.

I've spent the past week behind the wheel of a 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958. This base model exudes retro charm -- it's clear Toyota is trying to play off of the classic Land Cruiser's reputation for no-frills utility.

Two drive notes for the price of one this week. Next up: A 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty

Last week, I piloted two very different vehicles. Here's a short report on the first one -- the 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 County Pack*.

For some reason, animals seem to love checking out large crossovers.

Last summer in upstate New York, a deer paused its day to check out the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas I was driving, nearly giving me a heart attack in the process. Last week in Desert Hot Springs, California, a wandering canine got my attention and forced me to stop as I piloted the 2025 Mazda CX-70. He or she checked out the CX-70 for about half a minute and then moved aside and started licking its fur.

Whether that’s a gesture of approval, disdain, or just a dog being a dog, I will let you decide.

Before decamping to California, I parted ways with a 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line.

The experience was illuminating.

I was a tad harsh last year after I drove the 2023 Toyota Crown for the first time. I got a Platinum trim for testing months later – and while I stand by what I wrote regarding lower trims, the Platinum offered a more pleasant experience than I’d had during my first drive.

Well, mostly more pleasant. There’s still a tiny bit of baking to do.

This week I was testing a 2024 BMW 750x xDrive plug-in hybrid, and honestly, I can't fully process the experience.

The Subaru Forester is new for 2025. But the majority of changes aren’t the type you’d see with a totally new, ground-up model. Yes, the body is new, but Subaru has honed the Forester edge rather than totally re-forging the SUV. Frankly, I think that’s a good thing. The Forester doesn’t need major changes – it’s already a pretty darn good Point A-to-Point B machine. The changes by and large make it an even more appealing machine – and one that’s good for some off-road work, too.

It’s a bit of a shame that I didn’t have a chance to take the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R I tested off road. I’d have loved to have jumped some sand dunes or done some muddin’.

Welcome back to drive notes, which is a Cliff Note's review of vehicles that are currently in, or recently were in, my possession for a test.

Today we have the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale eAWD.

Ford's popular Maverick pickup truck gets only minor changes for 2024. That's a good thing, since there's a reason the Maverick is well-liked.

Perhaps the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N we featured isn’t your speed. Too tall, too expensive, too electric. Give me an old-school small sports sedan, you say. Give me internal-combustion and real exhaust noise and a trunk – hatchbacks have too much utility for me!

I wouldn’t expect most crossover-ish hatchbacks to be solid track machines. Especially if they’re carrying the weight of an electric-vehicle battery.

So imagine my surprise at the relative capability of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N as I hustled it around the famous Laguna Seca racetrack near Monterey, California.

Last week I wheeled a 2024 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line around town. I have thoughts, and here they are, in bullet-point form.

The high cost of new cars is often bemoaned by consumers and keyboard warriors such as us alike. Sticker prices are high these days, no doubt. Enter the 2024 Nissan Versa -- a potentially decent set of wheels for under $25K.

Is the Versa a good entry-level ride or a penalty box?

Read on.

I tested a 2024 BMW i5 M60 xDrive last week, and I have thoughts.

Hit the jump for more.

I just tested a 2023 Ford F-150 Tremor -- yes, 2023s are still in the press fleets and this isn't unusual, no big deal -- which is supposed to split the difference between the badass off-roader Raptor and the "regular" F-150.

Does it do that? Read on.

Due to travel, I got a little behind on giving you the Cliff's Notes on what I've been testing, so you'll get two this week.

First up: The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.

I had two opportunities to drive the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 last year – one short, one long – and found it charming.

Not only that, but unlike with many EVs, I found myself worrying less about range than I normally would.

It seems only a couple of months ago I reported on my experience traveling from Cincinnati to Nashville to purchase the 2010 BMW Z4, thus satisfying a used convertible car search that lasted for a year and a half. Though that search was much more lengthy than I’d have preferred, I was convinced at this time last year that I selected the right car for my usage case. But does that still ring true, do I still think an old German car was the right choice?

Every time I drive an AMG-massaged Mercedes-Benz crossover/SUV, I get a sense of déjà vu.

They're all quick, fun to drive, and bestowed with the latest in Mercedes-Benz dash tech. That last bit means lots of screen space, enough customization options to make your head spin, and haptic touch that mostly works.

Here is my short-take snapshot of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB35 AMG 4Matic.

Welcome back to Drive Notes, a feature in which I do a brief recap of a vehicle I've been testing, whether a future full review is planned or not.

Today, the 2024 Infiniti QX60 Autograph AWD.

The word “Hurricane” doesn’t usually conjure up a feeling of smoothness. Hurricanes are brutal forces of nature that involve whipping winds, flying debris, and extremely choppy waters.

Sometimes, less is more.

Or, in this case, fewer is more. That’s because the available cylinder count in the 2025 Ram 1500 is reduced by two, and as any grammar stickler will tell you, it’s “fewer” when it comes to things you count. Such as, you know, the number of cylinders in an engine.

No doubt you’ve seen it, whether here on TTAC, other websites or magazines (GASP! You actually read something other than TTAC!), or on the roads. One of the most daringly styled, attractive new cars on our roads wears a badge that has, for over two decades, been nothing but an ugly duckling camped out in the left lane at well less than the speed limit.

Well, our ugly duckling has grown into a swan. The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime is still a mileage champ, but it now has power and styling to befit its avian glow-up. The thing with swans is, well, they crap all over the place. Is this new Prius Prime a plugged-in pile of dung on a freshly-waxed showroom floor, or is it a genuinely graceful bird spreading its’ wings?

Today I am testing a 2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium AWD that may have just come from the national launch event.

The Toyota Prius was once reviled by most enthusiasts and often the butt of jokes, even in pop culture. Prius drivers were stereotyped as left-lane camping, NPR-listening, Green Party-voting smug virtue-signalers.

When you think of performance Mitsubishis, the Outlander PHEV is almost certainly not what comes to mind. Each time I drive one I’m surprised at how good it is, specifically its handling. A seven-passenger PHEV crossover shouldn’t handle this well. I’d previously driven it on closed tarmac and dirt courses. Each time I’d leave both the autocross and track and think—why is this so fun? It shouldn’t be this fun.

Today I bring you a honey of a car that has very few flaws and an expensive yet reasonable price.

Let's get into the pros and cons of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA35 4Matic.

Today we have another bit of basic transport from Chevy, though this one is a step up in terms of price and size from the Trax I recently reviewed.

I dug the Trax's combination of utility, sport, and affordable price. Would I feel the same about the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer AWD RS?

The more I review crossovers and utility vehicles, the more I evaluate them by how well they just simply work for commuting duty. With exceptions for performance and off-road versions. Those with luxury-brand badging and/or premium pricing get viewed through that prism.

This is, hopefully, a common-sense approach. Most of you readers may be enthusiasts, like I am, but these vehicles aren’t built for that. They are utilities before they are sporty. So that’s the way I look at it.

Viewed through that lens, the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas generally works well. And with some upscale feel, to boot.

It’s not uncommon for vehicles to get slapped with labels based on stereotypes. One of the more derisive ones I’ve heard over the years is a pejorative reference to mid-size luxury crossovers as “parent mobiles.” Although it’s usually more sexist than that, with moms taking more flak than dads, for reasons I don’t need to explain.

Perhaps, though, this stereotype doesn’t need to be so negative. If you need to haul children and/or pets and/or aged parents around the suburbs and you have the means to shop upmarket, you could do worse than the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Two Drive Notes for the price of one this week, due to travel last week.

Up today: The 2024 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro.

Welcome back to Drive Notes -- a recurring feature in which I give you a few brief notes on what I am driving or have driven recently.

Up today: The 2024 Lexus TX 350.

Spend any time on various social media subcultures populated by car enthusiasts and you’ll certainly be confronted by the discussion topic known as “The Two Car Solution.” Sometimes, the phrasing is different, and sometimes, you’ll be presented with limiting factors such as “Pick the two best cars for all driving tasks from the same automaker,” but invariably, it assumes the respondent shall choose to sate each and every driving need with these two vehicles.

God knows I’m a big proponent of the minivan. I’ve owned a few, though my rapidly-emptying nest no longer requires the flexible cargo area behind the seats that roughly resembles a small airport hangar. It’s hard to argue against the versatility of the big square box where stale french fries and the dreams of DINKs go to die.

Having one of the first entries into a segment can really help an automaker. It’s even better if said entry is done well. Enter the 2024 Kia EV9 – a three-row large SUV with an electric powertrain that is one of the first vehicles of its type on the market.

Last week's ride was the 2023 Hyundai Elantra Limited. Here are my first-take thoughts on this commuter-focused compact.

I recently reviewed the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Premium and my biggest critique, at least from a driving dynamics standpoint, was a lack of guts.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport is meant to address that criticism. Want a Crosstrek that’s a bit more fun? This is your trim of choice.

Today I say goodbye to a funky EV hatchback that has charmed me in some ways and left me befuddled in others.

Like it or not, electric vehicles are part of our world today. While I shall never tire of the sweet sounds and scents of internal combustion, a number of forces are converging to make it entirely possible that we shall see the end of the traditional gasoline engine as we know it within our foreseeable lifetimes. We may grasp onto our fuel pumps with our cold, dead hands, but for those who appreciate buying and driving new cars somewhat regularly, we need to get on board with the alternatives.

Reliability, when it comes to cars, has at least two meanings. One meaning involves a model’s likelihood to suffer mechanical maladies over time. The other involves how well it does its prescribed job.

Subaru has made its bones by being very good at the latter.

I am bringing back Drive Notes, a little mini-review of vehicles I had in my garage. We tried it last year and for reasons I don't recall moved away from it. Let's see how it goes this time around. Don't worry, a full review of most vehicles featured here will come later.

Up today: The 2024 Lexus NX 350h Luxury.

As I write this, I’m sipping my third cup of Kroger-branded “Breakfast Blend” coffee, brewed via a cheap Mr. Coffee maker. It’s nobody’s first choice in gourmet coffee. But, mixed with a bit of almond milk (my lactose intolerance seems to be aggravated by hot bean water) and I’ve an acceptable cuppa joe that gets me going each morning. Sure, I could run out to Starbucks, Dunkin, or Tim Horton's for something a little bit better, or drive a few miles for something truly special, but it’s hard to justify the time and expenditure for my daily dose of industrial-strength caffeination. I don’t even bother with grinding fresh beans or investing in a pour-over Chemex setup, because that’s too much effort and thought before I’ve had my first cup.

The Chevrolet Trax was once on my short list for worst vehicles on the market.

I remember some years ago, before joining TTAC, going to San Diego for the launch of the first-generation Trax. All I could think was that the little runabout was something to be avoided unless you just wanted cheap transport in crossover form.

Sometimes the lower-trim version of a particular model seems like the better choice. Such is the case, at least to this reviewer’s eye, with the 2023 Dodge Hornet GT.

Nearly 600 horsepower in any vehicle can do a lot to make a person happy. Nearly 600 horsepower in a silent EV with instant torque can make a person feel like they’ve ingested a bunch of amphetamines.

How do you take a small crossover and make it better?

Slap the AMG badge on it and give it the AMG treatment.

That process turned the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE 53 AMG from just another crossover into something that’s reasonably fun to drive – though the price tag will make eyes water.