Car Reviews

Sport, utility, and efficiency all seem like three qualities that, if blended together correctly, could result in a very desirable compact crossover.

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid gets those three things mostly right. Unfortunately, some negative qualities intrude on the experience.

I had a brief time with the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse RS AWD recently.

Recently I tooled around town in a 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige AWD.

The name is a bit of a chore -- thankfully, the vehicle isn't.

The new all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz just debuted in North America. If you’re in the market for a new van that can also do double-duty as a camper, you may want to pay attention. Although this adventure-mobile has just been released here, my husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I spent nearly three weeks with one in Europe. Let’s look at the 2025 North American-spec Volkswagen ID. Buzz versus the early-2024 rear-wheel-drive German-market model we had overseas. We’ll dissect comparative stats, differences, and impressions of both. 

No matter what VW ID. Buzz trim level you may get, is it long-distance road trip worthy even though it’s an EV? Yes. At least with careful planning (we put nearly 5,000 miles on our German-market ID. Buzz Pro) when we competed in the 2024 Baltic Sea Circle Rally (BSCR) with one.

This facelift ain’t a facelift. Weird, I know, but Toyota’s latest Sienna was a pretty darn great take on the minivan in 2024, so why mess with success in 2025? At least, I suppose that was the attitude going into this at Toyota. You’ll need a microscope to spot the changes made for 2025, so let’s get them out of the way now: Toyota will sell busy parents with messy occupants a vacuum in the van now, a fridge to keep drinks cold, and a new safety system so you don’t forget your own flesh and blood in the back seat (who does this?). Lastly, there’s a new infotainment system.

Among a host of other changes, the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla now has an 8-speed “Direct Automatic Transmission,” or DAT. Is it better than whipping the Corolla with a good ol’ six-speed? That answer is going to depend on the person. My close friend who needs hand controls? Well, he’s going to say that a GR Corolla with an automatic transmission is better than not having one at all. Can I say the same? No. It’s all about perspective.

My most recent test ride was a 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ Luxury AWD plug-in hybrid. Whew, I need to take a breath already.

Long name aside, how does the PHEV version of the crossover that started it all work as a daily driver?

It's probably safe to say that the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is the most buzzed-about anticipated VW debut in quite some time.

Certainly it got a lot of attention from passer-by as I tested it in and around San Francisco last week.

With so much, uh, buzz hype surrounding this hippie-van-inspired people mover, does it deliver?

This is a Subaru WRX. If you’ve been anywhere near the base car (as a WRX buyer, at least) the stereotype says you’ll already be plotting Tien coilovers with spring rates similar to diamonds on the Mohs Hardness Scale, a nicer exhaust, and some Brembos pinching brake discs so big you could inscribe a lengthy epitaph to the STI on them. 

I spent part of last week playing with side-by-sides in the Nevada desert north of Reno. While some of you undoubtedly have side-by-side/UTV driving and riding experience, yours truly does not. Or did not, prior to last week.

My driveway was recently graced by a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line.

After a decades-long absence, Can-Am motorcycles have returned to market. But rather than attempting to revive the Rotax-powered 2-stroke dirt bikes it was known for in the 1970s, the brand has opted to launch a pair of Rotax-powered e-bikes offering more versatility. The Can-Am Pulse is a nimble urban commuter, whereas the Origin is designed to handle basically any terrain you throw beneath its wheels.

I just returned a 2024 Toyota GR86 Premium to sender this morning, after a week of being both charmed and occasionally annoyed by Toyota's small, speedy sportster.

Sixty grand is a lot of money. These days, that sum also gets you a lot of truck from pretty much anyone you want it from. Toyota will sell you one heck of a Tacoma for that kind of money — one built for all the rigors of off-road use, overlanding, or any number of trendy outdoor activities (pickleball, anyone?). So will Chevy, and its Colorado ZR2 will functionally go anywhere anyone might need it to for around the $60,000 mark. Ford, of course, has its answer to the do-everything off-road truck equation.

In 2017, VW displayed a retro electric van concept with a retro style, harkening back to the iconic T2 Transporter or micro bus. Like any concept, there was speculation whether it’d actually get produced. In 2022 it did. Behold, the ID. Buzz … for the European. Nevertheless, North American buyers will get their turn to have an ID. Buzz later this year. But I wanted to drive one sooner, and I had just the location and route in mind.

Today I have a 2025 Toyota Camry XLE AWD in my driveway.

To some, Buick is a name synonymous with cars for grandparents that had little-to-no personality and left much to the imagination. But to others, Buick is the name of a manufacturer pushing the boundary beyond a singular-segmented past, implementing exciting cues from the Wildcat concept. I drove two of the three newly redesigned 2025 Buick Enclave trims to see if Buick totally changed its demeanor, or if its pedestrian past crept into its designs of today.

We often bemoan the demise of low-cost sedans and hatchbacks, but there are still affordable wheels out there – they just happen to be crossovers and utility vehicles

Such as the 2025 Nissan Kicks.

This past week I've been behind the wheel of a 2024 Acura TLX Type-S. Stylish, sporty, and quick -- this is what a luxury sport sedan should be.

While I was in California last week testing the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, I also got about 20 minutes of seat time in the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

My most recent test mule was a silky smooth hybrid with an overly complicated infotainment system -- the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E 350 4Matic sedan.

I will start my first drive review of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid with a minor confession of sorts. I may have said this before on these digital pages, but vehicles that are unremarkable and simply do their assigned task(s) well are usually the hardest to write about.

Despite many manufacturers turning away from sedans, Volkswagen has remained committed with the Jetta seeing a nice sales bump as a result. For the 2025 model year, VW is giving the Jetta and GLI refreshed exterior, updated interior elements and even a lower starting MSRP.

However, this isn’t a total re-imagining of the sedan. The Jetta persists as affordable transportation that somehow manages to feel more upscale than it actually is, whereas the GLI remains one of the better sport sedans in its segment — especially for those still wanting to option a manual transmission.

Today I have a 2024 Dodge Durango Alchemi (we're not going to follow Dodge's capitalization on this one, we typically don't follow the OEMs' style, though there are exceptions) parked in my garage.

It's one of only 1,000 that will be/have been built.

Today there's a feisty Subaru in my driveway -- the 2024 Subaru WRX TR.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is, on paper, the commuting enthusiast's dream car. Good handling, quick, stylish, and equipped with a manual transmission.

It also is easily marked as the grown-up version of the Honda Civic Type R.

For this week's Drive Notes, the car in my garage was a 2024 Ford Mustang GT. The updated pony car retains the classic long hood, short deck shape, though there are design tweaks for 2024.

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.