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46 Articles

KEEP TURNING I have been reading C/D since the 1980s, and I believe the October 2023 issue sets the record for the most medical references. It felt like you were channeling the New England Journal of Medicine. I may have missed a few, but Tycho Brahe’s death [“Backfires”], lizard brain [“Lizard Brain”], liposuction [“Lizard Brain,” “Not So Simple”], and muscle memory and Saturday night palsy [“Opposite Days”] come to mind from this issue. —Mike Pedoto West Chester, OH I’d respond, but I’ve come down with lethologica—Ed. What’s up with all the dark photos in the October issue? Did you fire the pro photogs and replace them with a bunch of Insta snappers? Shame on you. Bring back the clear, expertly composed photos you used to do so well. —Greg Loebbaka Wheaton, IL Between the yellow headings,…

LETTER OF THE MONTH

I read the letters column every issue before I read anything else and am amazed and appalled at what makes it to print. I have submitted quips, corrections, comments, and praise only to be left in the dark, while a letter saying, “Hey, how do I get free merchandise?” gets rewarded with cool McLaren shades [“Backfires,” April 2023]. To quote Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles, “I am depressed.” Love the magazine, though. Do not cancel my subscription. —Rick Sanford III, Prince George County, VA Speaking of Slim Pickens, be sure to wave your new Porsche hat wildly—Ed.…

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Hi, I am a 16-year-old, and I love cars. They’re my favorite thing in the world. My dream job is to be a test driver or a car reviewer for Car and Driver. What steps can I take to try to accomplish this? Owen Hoytpyle, Boulder, CO You’ll have a leg up by starting young. Use any class writing assignment to explore automotive topics that interest you. Write quick-turn daily news stories at any outlet that will have you. Get a technical degree and add communications electives. Get comfortable pointing a camera both at cars and at yourself. Attend a high-performance driving school. Race go-karts. Attend track days. Go autocrossing, both on pavement and on ice. Get deeply stuck off-road. Get in over your head on a car wrenching project and then…

In a world where consensus is as rare as a late-model Dodge Challenger without its yellow splitter guards, I’m delighted to inform you that the editorial brains at Car and Driver can agree on nine, okay, maybe eight of the vehicles on each 10Best list. It’s those last couple of spots where the differences begin, and the arguments start. Strong and unusual flavors might not win over all of us, but they will always speak to a few. Sometimes you catch just the right traffic-free rip through our 13.5-mile 10Best loop and you’re smitten. To give air to those personal favorites, we gathered to sell one another on reconsidering our votes. European editor Mike Duff took the floor and made an unexpected plea for the Ford F-150 Raptor R: “It’s the most…

Red Tape and Replica Cars

In 2011, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) began chasing a legal route for low-volume manufacturers (LVMs) to build and sell replica vehicles in the United States. This resulted in the introduction of H.R. 2675, the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act, which sought to establish a program for LVMs, defined as manufacturers that produce up to 5000 vehicles annually, to sell their wares. Ultimately, much of H.R. 2675’s content found its way into the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which President Obama signed into law on December 14, 2015. As written, the FAST Act states that LVMs are eligible to build up to 325 replica vehicles each year, all of which are exempt from typical Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rules. NHTSA…

Red Tape and Replica Cars

It Just Got a Whole Lot Easier to Claim the Federal EV Tax Credit

No one’s forcing you to buy an electric vehicle, but the government is certainly incentivizing consumers to do so. Starting January 1, 2024, buyers of eligible battery-electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles can transfer the federal tax credit to participating dealers at purchase. Previously, EV and PHEV buyers could only claim the credit when filing their income taxes. Now consumers can cut the purchase price of a new or used EV or PHEV by the equivalent credit for which a vehicle qualifies. That means as much as a $7500 discount on new EVs and PHEVs and up to $4000 (a max of 30 percent of the sale price) on used ones. Taking advantage of this on the consumer’s end simply requires that buyers fall below the maximum modified adjusted gross income (AGI) limits outlined…

It Just Got a Whole Lot Easier to Claim the Federal EV Tax Credit

Stuttgart, Germany

The so-called “cradle of the automobile,” Stuttgart, Germany, is Deutschland’s Motor City. It has multiple auto museums, a decommissioned Formula 1 street course among its public roads, and multiple indoor go-kart tracks. And if the parent of that kid you spun out wants to “have a word,” you can rest easy knowing unrestricted portions of the autobahn are just outside the city. Speedily cowering away from fisticuffs has never been easier. DELIVERY SERVICE If you’re shopping for a new Porsche, we highly recommend picking it up via the brand’s European Delivery program. The $1500 option includes 16 days of insurance coverage. Resulting heroics just might make their way to social media feeds under titles such as “Lost Tourist in Brand-New Porsche Gets Confused by, and Crashes into, Automated Bollard” or “American…

Stuttgart, Germany

An Extra Jolt of Spice

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo is dead. Long live the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. As its name implies, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid pairs a retuned version of the outgoing Cayenne Turbo’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 with an electric drive motor. If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The prior Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid relied on a similar setup. Whereas the old Turbo S E-Hybrid’s combined output maxed out at 670 horsepower, the new Turbo E-Hybrid throws down a combined 729 horsepower. That’s enough to get the approximately 5700-pound SUV to 60 mph in a manufacturer-estimated 3.5 seconds, although we believe the Turbo E-Hybrid will close in on three seconds flat when we test it. Here’s how Porsche added even more spice to the plugin-hybrid Cayenne’s flagship powertrain.…

An Extra Jolt of Spice

The Vitruvian Man probably isn’t the first image that comes to mind when you think about a racing driver’s physique. But just because motorsports competitors sit for the duration of a race doesn’t negate the fact that they are trained athletes. After all, being able to engage enough muscle to maximize the braking of a modern Formula 1 car requires vigorous fitness training. Add in a race car’s high lateral g-forces and a steering wheel that—even with the benefit of power assist systems in some racing series—is keen to challenge the driver to an arm-wrestling match. So, how do race-car drivers prepare for such exertion? Chip Ganassi Racing’s driver performance and development team shared various techniques it uses to get drivers in peak mental and physical shape to compete at…

Trailer Failure

I hate towing. Any time I tow a trailer, at least 30 percent of my mental capacity is occupied with generating a scrolling encyclopedia of nightmare scenarios that might be unfolding behind the truck. To tow a trailer is, by definition, to be distracted, so I welcomed the chance to tow my boat—a 21-foot Sea Fox—behind a GMC Yukon Denali with Super Cruise. While the Yukon minded its lane, I was free to check the rearview mirrors neurotically for evidence of trailer malfeasance, which duly presented as flames licking out of one of the hubs. You know how science says that observation changes outcomes? If I hadn’t looked, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Curse you, Super Cruise! Instead of going home, I limped the Sea Fox to my favorite neighborhood trailer-repair…

Trailer Failure

The Supercar Sorority

We turned a lot of heads as we snaked up Highway 1, California’s peachy afternoon light glinting off starkly angled windshields and glossy carbon-fiber wings. Even along Malibu’s lapis-blue coast, where exotic cars make up a good portion of the weekend traffic, our parade of rumbling bulls, prancing horses, and stylized kiwi birds was noteworthy, but less for the cars than for the drivers. “I think it’s a car club,” I overheard a teenager tell his dad. “A girls’ car club. It’s all chicks!” He was mostly right. Our group was all women, and while it’s not an organized club per se, participants do meet up for events, cruises, and brunch. At least now we do. At the time, most of us had never met in person. We’d gathered thanks to…

The Supercar Sorority

THE 2024 WINNERS

IT’S TIME AGAIN FOR OUR ULTIMATE comparison test, the annual 10Best awards. This year, we gathered every new and significantly changed vehicle we could get our hands on with a base price below $110,000. What makes 10Best distinct is that we bring back reigning winners to compete against the new challengers, allowing the former to defend their spots on the list. By mixing last year’s best with everything new, the 10Best list represents the best of what’s for sale this year and not just the best of what’s new. We spent two weeks driving the entire field, moving from one vehicle to the next, stopping only to take notes or discuss the vehicle with our fellow editors. Voting differs from our other comparison tests in that 10Best boils down the entire…

THE 2024 WINNERS

A performance car that can fry your synapses on a canyon run or a high-speed blast down an empty highway is a thrill, but what about one that can do that and elevate everyday driving into something special—one with a chassis that combines responsive handling with a livable ride and a spirited powertrain with commute-friendly fuel economy? Add a four-adult cabin and the versatility to carry a good bit of cargo, and a do-it-all machine like that could serve as an enthusiast’s only car. Hot hatches have long fried a synapse, but rarely do they hold all those values, particularly now, with the market moving to ever more luxurious sports cars, SUVs, and EVs. With the Integra Type S, Acura resurrects a past nameplate and reminds us what makes the…

THUNDER & LIGHTNING

Suffering not one bit from little-brother syndrome, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing stands on its own and begs to be driven. What do the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing have in common? You never get tired of watching them win. The CT4-V Blackwing has just three-peated 10Best, and for good reason. This sports sedan is one of the best driver’s cars on the market today, right up there with its sibling, the CT5-V Blackwing. It looks good, it sounds good, and it’s something we’d have no trouble living with—we did for 40,000 miles. It starts with the 472-hp twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6, which in its loudest setting emits all manner of pops and burbles, meaning we have no choice but to run the bent-six to redline over and over. While it’s immensely…

THUNDER & LIGHTNING

CHEVROLET CORVETTE

It should come as no surprise that Chevrolet’s Corvette has earned another 10Best trophy. After all, it’s now made the list 25 times, trailing only the Honda Accord as the all-time leading recipient of our most prestigious award. Like so many things in today’s world, the Corvette’s price continues to rise. This mid-engine beast is now in its fifth production year, and the cost of entry has crept up $10,000 since the car’s introduction, albeit to a still relatively attainable $69,995—a remarkable value for a car that masterfully blends multiple personalities. Flog it at the track on Saturday, then cruise to church in it on Sunday. Why only drive it when the weather’s warm? Mount some winter tires and drive it year-round. It won’t care. Sadly, this year’s price spike pushed the…

CHEVROLET CORVETTE

10 (of the) Worst Dealer Markups

As the great bard Marshall Mathers put it, opportunity comes once in a lifetime. The introduction of a hotly anticipated new car doesn’t just get enthusiasts lining up outside dealerships—it can also put cartoon dollar signs in a salesperson’s eyes. Some buyers are willing to pay a bit more for the privilege of being among the first, and dealers will happily squeeze the hoi polloi until the supply catches up. But just as Icarus didn’t ask about the melting point of wax, dealers too can get overzealous, tacking on profit boosters so extreme that aggrieved buyers turn to the internet to shame the offenders. The supply-chain woes of the past few years only boosted the prevalence of both markups and buyers appalled enough to warn the public. It’s become so endemic…

10 (of the) Worst Dealer Markups

If there were a Mount Rushmore of cars, a likeness of the Accord would be George Washington. Honda’s stalwart sedan has long been a towering example of smart engineering, a cleareyed and consistent vision of what a great family sedan should be. This is the 38th time the Accord has earned a 10Best spot since our award’s 1983 inaugural year, the most of any model from any manufacturer. The reason for the Accord’s winning streak is simple but one that’s hard for other companies to duplicate: continuous improvement of a single model over decades. While most OEMs make incremental improvements, Honda seemingly has a sixth sense for nailing the family-car formula. Generational upgrades have resulted in the Accord becoming bigger, roomier, nimbler, more powerful, quicker, more fuel efficient, more luxurious, better…

It’s hard not to love the Honda Civic. The product range covers a lot of ground, and all of them are fantastic in the context of their individual missions. Whatever drove you to a Honda dealer in the first place, there’s a Civic to match your lifestyle and financial plan. Looking for a high-mileage commuter that doesn’t break the bank? The base LX or Sport sedan with a 2.0-liter engine will do nicely. Want a bit more oomph and better appointments for not that much more coin? The EX and Touring models with the turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four are your jam. Prefer a four-door hatchback? Sure, they’ve got those. Want to shift it yourself? The Sport and Sport Touring hatchback models give you three pedals, and if you want a manual performance…

We’re living in a triple-tiered subscription-based world. Gold members get a free bottle of water at check-in. Platinum status lets you board the plane sooner than others. Diamond members, well, they can do just about anything as long as the cops aren’t watching. The idea seems to be to make you want more. That’s what makes the Lucid Air Pure such a fresh take. It’s the most affordable version of an impressive EV. Yet even at this lowest tier, it delivers better EPA range than the most expensive or longest-range electrics from Tesla, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, or any other EV maker in the market. And the all-wheel-drive Pure’s slightly shorter range still exceeds the distance some gasfed cars can go before refueling. For those reasons, and many others, both Air Pure…

No handicapper would have offered underdog odds on the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman making our 10Best list for the 19th time in a row. Only twice since its first year of eligibility in 1998 has a form of Porsche’s mid-engine sports car failed to make the cut. Even the 10Best fixture Honda Accord has missed four times during its longer eligibility, and although the Chevrolet Corvette ties the Boxster with 25 all-time wins, it has failed to reach the list no fewer than 15 times. Judging by success rate, the Porsches are 10Best’s brightest stars. This is a special kind of excellence, though even as we award another title, it is impossible to deny that the present-generation 718 is showing its age. The current Boxster and Cayman launched as 2017…

1997-98, 2000-01 ACURA INTEGRA TYPE R We were happy enough with this 8400-rpm legend, but the fact that it never made 10Best is looking more and more like a glaring omission. 1987–91 BMW 325i/is Surprised? We did like the 325is, but the rest of the E30s never won a comparo or a 10Best. The staff was probably still trying to rinse their palate of the torpid 325e that launched in ’84. The i’s are great. Period. 1980–85 CHEVROLET CITATION In what might be the most obvious L in C/D history, we said the Citation “blows everybody into the weeds.” We didn’t say that in the story or in a headline, but on the cover of the May 1979 issue. 1985–89 MERKUR XR4TI A European Ford with a turbo four driving the rear wheels sounded like a BMW…

SUBARU BRZ AND TOYOTA GR86

As the SUV-ification of the auto market continues unabated and mega-horsepower EVs quickly become the new hotness in the high-performance space, the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 look more and more like outliers. Small, light, naturally aspirated, and manually shifted, this delightfully analog duo flies in the face of many current trends, and they’re all the better for it. Not merely a tonic to prevailing winds, these sports cars are exciting in their own right. During our 10Best testing, the GR86 was often just as quick through the challenging sections as more powerful and more expensive contenders—some vastly so. With their lithe handling, faithful steering, predictable behavior, and plentiful feedback, the GR86 and BRZ encourage you to push harder. The Subaru-sourced 2.4-liter flat-four loves to be wrung out, delivering its peak torque…

SUBARU BRZ AND TOYOTA GR86

You may be unsurprised to learn that 10Best voters praised the Toyota Prius for its “sleek, daringly styled hatchback bodywork.” But—record scratch—those plaudits were from 20 years ago when the 2004 Prius first made the 10Best list. That second-generation car became synonymous with “hybrid” and cemented the geek-chic appeal of a wild shape married to superlative fuel economy. It only took two decades, but Toyota’s recaptured that very specific mix and added something to appeal to our enthusiast hearts: muscle. If you wanted to drive a 220-hp Prius in 2004, you’d probably begin by scavenging junkyards for a Ford Taurus SHO V-6. Now, you simply climb into a Prius Prime and push the start button. The Prime hits 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, a showing that goes a long way toward…

WINNERS AND LOSERS

THE BOOTY PATROL Yes, police deputies in DeSoto County, Florida, issued Gabriel Luviano a citation regarding his white Chevy Silverado. No, it wasn’t for the graphics, which resemble the U.S. Border Patrol’s color scheme but substitute “Border” with “Booty.” The ticket was for “violating FSS 316.2397, which pertains to Certain Lights Prohibited.” In other words, Florida might have laws, but not one against calling your truck the Booty Patrol. And if you can’t appreciate a victory for juvenile humor, that’s probably because you smell like bum-bums. LEE MEYER AND HOWDY DOODY We’ve all been in this situation: You need to haul your 2200-pound Watusi bull, and you’ve got a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria, so you cut off half the roof, reinforce the suspension, and head on down the road. Next thing you know,…

WINNERS AND LOSERS

RIGHT ON, TRAX!

What’s a common complaint from buyers of small vehicles? That they’re too small, of course. Chevy is looking to neutralize that one with this new substantially larger Trax, stretching its overall length by a whopping 11.0 inches and leapfrogging the competition. While the least expensive but no longer smallest Chevy retains pricing firmly in subcompact-crossover territory, its 106.3-inch wheelbase exactly matches that of the class-larger Honda CR-V. There’s 37 percent more cargo volume behind the rear seats than before, and it has three more inches of rear legroom, enough for the knees connected to this 99th-percentile male to tuck behind the front seat set for an equally lanky driver. More for less is a good way to nail our value criteria, which, along with how well a vehicle fulfills its intended…

RIGHT ON, TRAX!

For the last couple of decades, the mantra seemed to be, “The only good pickup is a big pickup.” Everything in this broad category has grown larger, from the heavy-duty “one-ton” trucks at the top to the “half-ton” trucks in the middle on down to the “compact” trucks at the bottom. The fact that these monikers appear laughable today only underscores the point. This upsizing in the name of payload and towing one-upmanship has created a vacuum at the bottom, a white space in the product landscape that the Ford Maverick slides into neatly. The first time we drove a Cyber Orange Maverick hybrid to a gas station, a group of people swarmed us, coalescing from three different pumps, all wanting to know more, as if this were some exotic Lamborghini.…

The 10 Best Components

ENGINES Ferrari F140 V-12, Corvette Z06 LT6 V-8, Ford High Output Power Stroke diesel V-8 We’re going to say yes to naturally aspirated, 8000-plus-rpm screamers as long as we can. But if you need to tow more than just yourself (up to 40,000 pounds), go with the beefy Power Stroke diesel with 1200 pound-feet of torque. ELECTRIC MOTOR Lucid The EV startup’s clever and compact design for its integrated motor/inverter/reduction gear is incredibly power dense at about 160 pounds. In the Air Sapphire, three of them combine for a battery-limited—limited!—1234 horsepower. TIRES Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 and 2 R The proof is in the results: Cars wearing the highest-end Michelin rubber, either Pilot Sport Cup 2s or the latest Cup 2 Rs, litter the top of our all-time Lightning Lap leaderboard. SEATS Honda Civic Type R, Volvo 60-/90-series For trackworthy…

The 10 Best Components

PRETTY AND POLISHED

Rather than rewrite the compact-luxury-SUV playbook, Genesis is perfecting it with the gas-powered GV70 and the Electrified GV70. Though there’s nothing fundamentally groundbreaking about the GV70 model line, it still stands out by leaning into the ethos that defines a luxury product. Even the base GV70s exude grandeur. No matter the trim, all GV70s incorporate rich interior materials. These high-end wares complement a clean layout featuring thoughtful ergonomic touches, such as driver-centric HVAC controls and physical buttons that afford easy access to the infotainment system’s most regularly used features. You can’t spell “boost” without “boo”! Which is fitting, because this acceleration is scary.—EZRA DYER The exterior design may draw less universal acclaim, but its look is no less regal. Split headlights and taillights accompany haunched fenders, while mesh patterns on the grille and…

PRETTY AND POLISHED

Lucid Air: Where the A in A-pillar stands for All up in yo’ face! —CARLOS LAGO The Apple CarPlay interface perfectly paperbags the otherwise archaic infotainment interface in the Subaru Crosstrek. —ERIC STAFFORD How did Mazda create an all-new inline-six that sounds like a rough V-6? —DAVE VANDERWERP Hmm, $117,340 for 355 horsepower? Not this time, Mercedes-Benz EQS450 SUV. —JOE LORIO If the Ford F-150 Raptor R isn’t an eloquent middle finger to physics, I don’t know what is. —MIKE DUFF Does the $47,995 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus have $20,000 in cash hiding in it somewhere? —JOE LORIO Is there a cricket playing a drum set in the Tesla Model Y? —MEREDITH CONROW Do people who complain about the grittiness of the Honda Pilot’s V-6 also hate the sound of horsepower? —AUSTIN IRWIN I love the idea of the Bronco, just not the deafening reality of…

MODERN FAMILY WAGON

It’s funny how memory works. Some of us—okay, one of us—thought that at the CR-V’s launch in the late 1990s, the abbreviation stood for “Civic Recreation Vehicle.” Except that isn’t true. The 1997 SUV’s name meant “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.” That’s bordering on nonsense, which may be why we didn’t remember it. The 2024 CR-V reminds us of the firstgen model in no way. Instead, it picks up where the Civic and Accord leave off. We get it. You don’t want a sedan. You want to sit high. That’s okay. And since Honda no longer makes an Accord wagon, the CR-V fills the void in the product portfolio almost perfectly. It even mostly uses the Accord’s powertrains. A turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four, tuned for 190 horses and paired with a CVT, serves as the…

MODERN FAMILY WAGON

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 largely eliminates the typical compromises that come with driving an EV. Limited range? The standard 58.0-kWh battery pack nets an EPA-estimated range of 220 miles, while the available 77.4-kWh pack offers up to 303 miles of EPA-estimated range on a full charge. Slow charging speeds? With its 800-volt electrical architecture, the Ioniq 5’s big battery went from 10 to 90 percent in just 26 minutes in our test when connected to a 350-kW fast-charger. Easy access to fast-charging stations? Well, that’s still a bit of a sore spot. However, the option to charge at Tesla stations beginning in early 2025 ought to improve this piece of the EV ownership puzzle. But the Ioniq 5 is more than just a great battery-electric SUV; it’s an all-around great SUV. Of course,…

It took nearly a century for the internal-combustion-engine automobile to make the evolutionary changes that led to the pioneer of spacious, comfortable utility that was the first Dodge Caravan. In barely a decade, EVs have become rather good at transporting a lot of passengers in comfort. Granted, the Kia EV9 is a three-row SUV rather than a fully electric minivan, but few want minivans anymore. The market has shifted to three-row SUVs, and Kia’s new EV9 uses the packaging advantages of EVs to excel at the task of hauling people. A purpose-built electric platform like the EV9’s E-GMP platform, which underpins the EV6 along with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, means Kia did not package the EV9 around the need to fit a combustion engine up front or a driveshaft…

THE MOST RECOMMENDED

If you don’t believe us, know that “Sir Charles” Barkley can probably buy anything, and he chooses to drive a Telluride. —K.C. COLWELL We’ve been singing the Kia Telluride’s praises for years. Officially past the infatuation phase, we’ve now moved in together and are happily cohabitating. And we mean that literally: Since this polished and practical SUV first started winning 10Best trophies, multiple Car and Driver staffers have parked Tellurides in their personal garages, the latest being our road test editor, Becca Hackett, last summer. The Telluride competes in the mid-size three-row SUV segment, but it’s so sweet that it seems to transcend its competitive set entirely. No matter what kind of SUV you’re looking for, you can’t really go wrong with the Telluride. If you pony up for the higher trims, some…

THE MOST RECOMMENDED

The Ram 1500 has been around awhile—the brand introduced this generation for 2019—but the years have only deepened our fondness for Stellantis’s full-size pickup. With the Ram, there’s something for everyone: refrigerator-white Tradesmans with vinyl upholstery, luxe Limiteds with interiors to rival a Range Rover, and supercharged 702-hp TRXs, if that’s your thing. There are no duds in the lineup, and every truck is tangible evidence of Ram’s mission to chisel away at Ford and GM’s domestic-truck market share. While traditionalism is often an excuse for technological stasis, the Ram 1500 defies truck dogma and offers four-corner air springs that can lower the body at speed or raise it for increased clearance off-road. The cabin can be had with quilted leather-upholstered seats—heated, ventilated, and reclining front and rear. The available multifunction…

If midcentury soothsayers really had a line on the future, all those Syd Mead illustrations of happy sci-fi suburbanites would have shown them darting around glass-walled skyscrapers in Porsche Macans. Talk about a flying car. The Macan looks like a June bug (especially the GTS in Python Green), but it zings and zips like a hummingbird. From the four-cylinder base Macan to the snorty, sixjug GTS, Porsche’s small SUV makes good on the badge’s sports-car promise, just with more space and height. Porsche achieves greatness in the decidedly not-great category of compact crossovers by placing the Macan’s tall body on a chassis so lithe and responsive that one wonders whether the German manufacturer has discovered some secret alchemy to imbue steel and aluminum with the life force of an agility-trained border…

THE POWER OF MAX

Toyota builds so many SUVs in so many different shapes and sizes that you’d be forgiven for thinking that the newfor-2024 Grand Highlander is an unnecessary addition to the lineup. There were already seven distinct models encompassing all the segments imaginable, so what could yet another three-row crossover possibly bring to the table? But the Grand Highlander’s excellence not only legitimizes its existence, this new model is so good that it threatens to render some of Toyota’s other offerings irrelevant. It’s far more than just a bigger version of the Highlander; it leapfrogs its competitors, providing just the right combination of practicality, refinement, and driving satisfaction. That’s the power of Max—or, more specifically, the Hybrid Max powertrain available in the Grand Highlander’s Limited and Platinum trim levels. While its name might suggest…

THE POWER OF MAX

THE GERMANS HAVE A WORD for everything. In Munich, zuzeln means sucking a sausage out of its casing. BMW has employed a bit of automotive zuzeln with the 2024 530i xDrive, removing a familiar filling—a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder hooked to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive—and stuffing it into a new wrapper. Not to dive too deep into Bavarian etymology, but the reason Germans zuzeln is because the region’s signature weisswurst is wrapped in a particularly unappetizing casing. That is certainly not the situation with the new 5-series, which marks a return to the aesthetic adventurism of the 2004 E60, only this time without the Chris Bangle controversy. Our office is split, but there is a faction that thinks the new 5er looks awesome. As the entry-level 5-series, the…

An expert look at the newest and most important vehicles this month. Comparison tests are often decided by a few points. A tenth of a second in a quarter-mile run, a one-hundredth advantage on the skidpad, or one more mile per gallon can be the difference between a win and a loss. There are also the subjective scores that can tip the scales. A cheap-feeling door handle can result in a low fit-and-finish score and a loss. Fortunately for shoppers deciding between the 2024 Hyundai Kona and the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, both of these subcompact SUVs are quite good at what they set out to do. Choosing a winner comes down to hairs. Seven years ago, when the Kona nameplate first blew in from Hawaii, Crosstreks were already filling up REI parking…

Large-Family Largesse

Lexus’s history with three-row SUVs is not especially heroic. The body-on-frame GX and LX have space but ride like trucks. The now-dead RX L drove better, but its diminutive third row had Porsche 911 levels of comfort. Lexus needed a better solution. Enter the 2024 Lexus TX. Sharing a platform with Toyota’s Grand Highlander, it scratches the family-truckster itch better than any of its predecessors. The TX comes in three flavors of powertrain. Sitting between the 275-hp turbo 2.4-liter and the 404-hp plug-in hybrid, the TX500h features an electric motor, a turbocharged 2.4-liter four, a six-speed automatic, and another motor that motivates the rear axle to provide all-wheel drive. The powertrain is good for 366 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It parallels Toyota’s Hybrid Max setup but nudges output up…

Large-Family Largesse

More than 40 years ago, Honda tried addressing Tokyo traffic with the folding Motocompo scooter. The idea was you’d park your car several miles from where you worked, unfold the compact two-wheeler, and ride the rest of the way. Honda even designed it to fit in the contemporary (and very tiny) City hatchback. But the company pulled the plug on it in 1983 after a two-year run. Like many Radwood-era JDM rides, the Motocompo has been rising in popularity. And with urban mobility still an issue, Honda decided to revisit the concept with the new Motocompacto. Like the OG, it’s a scooter that folds up, but it has been thoroughly rethought. First, it’s even more compact-o than the original: 8.5 inches shorter and 3.9 inches narrower. It also folds into a smaller…

Did you know that spiders don’t have muscles in their legs? It’s true. Their legs are controlled with what amounts to a hydraulic system of blood. It’s why spiders’ legs curl up postmortem. We’re not saying arachnid anatomy inspired AMG here, but the new Mercedes-AMG GT has standard hydraulic anti-roll control that, when used to its potential, may scare passengers more than a spider crawling on their face. Like the hydraulics seen on Audis and McLarens, circuits that manage roll stiffness link the GT’s wheels. The system can effectively disconnect the anti-roll properties to improve ride or crank up the anti-roll stiffness when you want to corner like you mean it. The downside is that the system is heavier than conventional anti-roll bars, although the new GT is heavier now for…

Revamped Recharge

Volvo got a few things right and a few things wrong when it debuted the previous Polestar-massaged V60 station wagon. Polestar made it a plug-in hybrid, but it was light on EV range and couldn’t match the performance of the gas-powered V60. Volvo is addressing those short-comings in the new V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered. A complex car deserves a complex name. Here’s a rundown of the powertrain updates: A 14.9-kWh battery replaces the 9.1-kWh unit, the rear e-motor goes from 87 to 143 horsepower, and the now solely turbocharged inline-four (sans electric supercharger) makes 312 horses and 295 pound-feet. Total output rises to 455 ponies and 523 pound-feet, respective increases of 40 and 29. The larger battery helped the V60 hit 44 miles in our highway range test, besting its 41-mile…

Revamped Recharge

Estoril is a fantastic former Formula 1 circuit with a logo that doesn’t do it justice. Far more nuanced and challenging than the logo’s bent paper clip suggests, it’s a ribbon of asphalt that’s artfully draped over Portugal’s coastal mountain topography. A 740-hp rear-drive supercar such as the 2024 McLaren 750S should be intimidating around Estoril, but the 750S is so well sorted that we felt confident to push like hell without fear of being flung into the barriers. Yes, the 750S is an evolution of the 720S, and that’s a mega jumping-off point. Some 30 percent of its parts are new or revised, so the changes go well beyond putting the screws to the twinturbo 4.0-liter V-8 to add 30 horses and 22 pound-feet of torque. The tweaks also make…

There’s no such thing as too many tacos. That’s true of both the tasty handheld food and the new fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma, with its buffet of bed, cab, and powertrain choices. While most mid-size trucks are limiting their menu, the 2024 Tacoma’s is more diverse than ever. We’ve driven most of the new Tacoma family, minus the Bajastyle TRD Pro and overlanding Trailhunter. Those two, with a new hybrid system that produces 326 horsepower, will arrive later. The base Tacoma has a 228-hp turbo 2.4-liter four. The rest have mightier versions with up to 278 horses, matching the outgoing 3.5-liter V-6; their torque rises from 265 to up to 317 pound-feet and arrives as much as 3000 rpm sooner, making the Tacoma feel much more responsive. A manual transmission lives on, and…

XX Gon’ Give It to Ya

Beauty comes in many forms. The SF90 XX, for example, is the first street-legal Ferrari with a fixed rear wing since the F50 of the 1990s. Yet where that Pininfarina-styled icon embraces the atmosphere elegantly, the SF90 XX exudes a menace born out of its singular mission to be the most extreme Ferrari road car ever. At its core, this all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid with a combined 1016 horsepower blurs the line between Ferrari’s toplevel supercars and its heretofore track-only specials wearing the XX designation. With appropriate exoticism, only 799 of the $890,000 Stradale coupes and 599 of the $995,000 Spider convertibles will leave the factory. The standard SF90 already combines brazen charisma with a ballistic 2.0-second launch to 60 mph, and if the XX model’s official 1:17.3 lap time around Ferrari’s…

XX Gon’ Give It to Ya

The 10 Best 10Best Investments

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Base Price: $109,295 BaT Sale: $248,911 for a loaded convertible. Yes, the droptop Z06 was technically too expensive for 10Best last year, but the targa version was on there, and this sale was too nuts to ignore. Estimated Average Annual Return: 1800 percent 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Base Price: $65,390 BaT Sale: $111,000 for a blue no-sunroof wagon with the six-speed manual and 12,000 miles. Well bought. Estimated Average Annual Return: 5 percent 1995 BMW M3 Base Price: $36,642 BaT Sale: $85,000 for a clinically clean white-on-black coupe showing 12,000 miles. Estimated Average Annual Return: 3 percent 2000 Honda S2000 Base Price: $32,415 BaT Sale: $51,000 for a one-owner 2.0-liter roadster that likely saw 8900 rpm frequently over 25,000 miles. Estimated Average Annual Return: 2 percent 2000 BMW M Coupe (10Best 1999) Base Price: $42,675 BaT Sale: $59,600 for an 11,000-mile clown shoe with 240…

The 10 Best 10Best Investments

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