The Mazda CX-5 is a best-seller for the company and for good reason. This compact crossover-SUV seats up to five in a right-sized format with an engaging drive dynamic, stellar looks, and an award-winning interior.
Ford knows its audience and it knew that a car-based pickup truck would only do well if it looked and acted like a truck. Hence the Ford Maverick. Introduced in 2022, the Maverick has been one of the most popular new entries into the Ford lineup.
The idea of getting where you want to go, even if that doesn’t involve roads, is a hot trend right now. The Ford Bronco is a machine that both evokes nostalgia and actually delivers on off-road capabilities.
If you’re looking to escape from the everyday, then the Ford Escape might be the ticket. You know we had to say that. Right? I mean, it’s RIGHT THERE.
The Ford F-150 Lightning entered the market in 2022 as the first mass-produced, all-electric truck for the 21st century. It’s a true truck, not a futuristic-looking toy, and is made to actually do truck things. Well, mostly.
Not to be confused (though it will be) with the larger Grand Cherokee L, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a midsized offering. With two rows of seating, this Grand Cherokee is a bit upscale, but also more off-road capable than most other SUVs in this segment.
Of the trucks currently sold in the full-sized market, the Ram 1500 is the oldest in terms of its last generational update. The current-generation Ram 1500 was introduced in 2019. With some changes this year and last plus a lot of smart things underneath the truck since its inception, the Ram 1500 remains a favorite amongst consumers.
When its current generation was introduced in 2016, the Nissan Titan had a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and compelling points. As it failed to grab market share, however, it dwindled down to just another “not from Detroit” pickup truck. It looks good, but the snazziness has gone.
It’s an election year, so we’ll dispense with the logorrhea of the day and jump straight to the gist: The 2023 Nissan Altima is a very good car on many levels. Especially for the price.
As a whole, Genesis has been knocking it out of the park as a new luxury marque. The all-new and electric GV60 is no different, offering a wealth of luxury and comfort for a reasonable price.
The Hyundai Palisade is one of a new crop of midsize sport utility crossovers that brought adult-usable third rows and smart ergonomics to the market. Introduced in 2020, the Palisade has become a high-seller in an arena of strong competition.
We’re all familiar with the little right-hand drive, sliding door white vans that deliver our mail. The Grumman LLV is now as iconic as its Jeep Dispatcher predecessor. More than a hundred thousand of these trucks were made and most of them are still operating on our streets everyday.
The 2023 Dodge Hornet looked to be a decent entry into a popular vehicle segment. It’s relatively compact, looks nice and, on paper, has good numbers. But most of my colleagues have not been kind to the Hornet. However, I think they’re wrong.
Electric vehicles have been riding pretty high for the past few years. Growth in the segment has gone from near zero to about 7.5 percent of annual new car sales in the U.S. Mostly based on the juggernaut of sales that is Tesla. But that is showing signs of slowing.
This year, a lot of vehicles are seeing their last showroom. Automakers are nixing some beloved models for various reasons. Sometimes it’s relating to fuel economy. Some are just slow sellers. Others are being given the pink slip because a more efficient or electrified model is replacing it. Some are likely just temporary layoffs that will rehire soon.
GMC is the premium version of Chevrolet when it comes to trucks. With GMC, one expects a solid interior, creature comforts, and a smooth ride. That’s what the Sierra delivers.
Canada has finalized its Electric Vehicle Availability Standard for its national target of 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. The targets, set for light-duty vehicles in both consumer and commercial markets, create annual percentage of total sales targets for ZEVs between 2026 and 2035. Beginning with 20 percent zero-emissions sales in 2026 and growing towards 100 percent in 2035.
The XM is a big, stylish, very luxurious SUV. Its powertrain is a juxtaposition of piquant power and electrified efficiency. In black or white, the XM’s styling is everything a Sith Lord could want. It’s a combination of everything that is happening in the luxury full-sized SUV market, but with a Bimmer twist.
The Range Rover Sport is now in its third generation, introduced this year with a lot of redesign. There are now four powertrain options, a new infotainment system, and more. The legendary off-road capability of Rover is still there too. And just look at how gorgeous this new Sport is.
#Dointruckstuff. That’s the hashtag that fits the Chevy Colorado best. There aren’t a lot of frills or weird quirks with this pickup. It just gets the job done and doesn’t look too bad while doing so.
We’re nearing the end of 2023, which means it’s awards time in automotive. While everyone else is giving out awards for “Best of” or “Top Pick” or whatever, we here at Car News Cafe focus instead on what you, our readers, like.
SafeAI and Obayashi have unveiled a collaboratively-designed and retrofitted Caterpillar 725 construction heavy hauler. The truck is electrically-driven and fully autonomous. Marking the first time that both autonomy and an electric drive train have been combined as a retrofit on a current production model truck like this.
Mazda is a very assiduous company, working diligently at growth while keeping driver-engaging core values for all of its vehicles–even if they aren’t sports cars. The CX-9 fits that principle perfectly.
The Kia Telluride is one of the best three-row crossover-SUV options on the market today. It’s a top pick from many review outlets and we have little reason to disagree with that assessment.
The Honda HR-V is all-new for the 2023 model year. Sadly, that doesn’t mean that Honda put a lot of effort into making this new-generation compact crossover a compelling option.
Winter is upon us. I know this because I got my first head cold of the season. And Don Day says that a bitter cold front is coming. Which I believe since I’ve been wearing a jacket or flannel for a few days now.
A new poll shows that not only is Gen Z more interested in cars than their Millennial predecessors, but they have specific requirements when shopping for one.
The following are all of the EV-related news and items unveiled at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Presented here in no particular order.
Most people are, at best, only vaguely aware of how vehicle size is determined. Most probably don’t care that much, basing “size” as a value of what they simply perceive the vehicle to be. Which isn’t very scientific and wouldn’t make for much of an article. But it does make this article sound kind of boring.
The 2023 Pacifica is a combination of all the things that minivans have been since their introduction. Chrysler’s Town & Country, which the Pacifica replaced, was the best-selling van on the market for many years and the Pacifica took its place at the same level. Last updated in 2017, though, the Pacifica is more of an homage to the excellence of minivans past than it is a trend-setter for minivans’ future.
Using data from consumer disclosures and insurance claims across the U.S., Lending Tree has released its annual “worst drivers” list. This includes national data and state-by-state data. You might be surprised at who tops the list.
Closely related, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and GLC-Class are based on the same platform. The C sedan is a solid entry option for the luxury brand while the GLC is similarly designed but in an SUV format. We drove them both.
With fourth quarter 2023 sales and delivery numbers announced, most of the world’s largest battery-electric automakers have now given total sales figures for 2023.
The Infiniti QX60 is a three-row luxury sport utility that focuses on classy styling and value-oriented design. Revamped in 2022 for its second generation, the QX60 remains a solid choice for luxury three-row shoppers.
Electric vehicle startup Canoo, which is backed by Walmart, among other investors, has begun deliveries of its LDV 130 van. The first vans to go into commercial service are at Kingbee, a van rental provider. This begins Canoo’s planned “phased ramp-up approach” to build production upon growing deliveries in 2024.
Ram Truck has introduced the brand’s first battery-electric vehicle, the ProMaster EV. Targeting a range of up to 162 miles in the city from its 110 kWh battery pack, the van aims for commercial buyers in urban areas. Both delivery and cargo models with a 12-foot and 13-foot cargo length.
Kia has introduced its three-row electric vehicle, the EV9, to the automotive media. With four trim levels, two battery size choices, and either a rear-wheel or all-wheel drive option, the EV9 aims for family needs in a battery-electric platform.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona is a completely new vehicle this year, entering its second generation. It’s now roomier inside and just as efficient as before, making it one of our top choices for the small crossover-SUV segment.
The 2023 Toyota Venza is a sinecure wagon. It’s good everywhere, but not outstanding anywhere. The vehicle brings a feeling of security with it that marks many of Toyota’s best vehicles.
There are a lot of misconceptions and questionable “facts” about electric vehicles being thrown around. Many of the memes and headlines about them are combinations of fear-mongering and the cherry picking of information.
Back in the day, the Pathfinder was a boxy, truck-based SUV. Now it’s a sleek, unibody-style family crossover with a lot of appeal. Nice move, Nissan.
Chrysler has unveiled its Halcyon Concept electric vehicle, marking the way forward for the company’s move to all-electric powertrains by 2028. The Halcyon is a sports sedan concept which heralds its first planned electric vehicle coming in 2025.
Fiat’s Abarth brand has unveiled a new electric crossover in the Abarth 600e. The vehicle is still in design stages, but the promise is of a sports-driving EV in the Abarth racing tradition.
We escaped in a Ford. Running for it with the Ford Escape. We made our Ford Escape in a pinch. There are so many ways to make groan-worthy headlines with this vehicle.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a car-based pickup (“cruck”) built on the company’s crossover-SUV platform which also underpins the Santa Fe and others. This is a good mix of utility. Debuting in 2022, the 2024 model year sees a little content shuffling.
Automotive columnist Aaron Tupen writes, “Of all of the minivans I’ve driven in today’s market, the Kia Carnival is my favorite, and not just because its name makes me think of half-dressed samba. It’s the only peppy, good-handling minivan of the current crop.”
The answer is a simple yes and no. There are several things happening in the battery-electric vehicle market right now that indicate big changes are coming. Most of these changes are indicating that prices are going to drop and that EVs are no longer going to be able to command a premium. This is both a disincentive for automakers and an incentive for consumers. We’ll see how it pans out in the coming months as 2024 progresses.
Electric vehicle startup Olympian Motors, based in New York, has debuted its first model. The appropriately-named Model 01 is a retro-styled 4-seat sedan that evokes remembrance of early model Citroen and Pininfarina styles.
What happens when a three-ton sport utility packs eight-cylinder muscle combined with a plug-in hybrid system and a luxurious interior ... with no regard for fuel economy? Well, the XM is what happens.
Despite the similarity in looks to the Terminator cyborg, Figure’s general purpose humanoid robots (aka “Figure 01”) are being accepted as a next-generation tool for automotive manufacturing. BMW will begin using the robots in its South Carolina plant soon. Training of the machine-learning humanoid robots is underway, though Figure and BMW are not disclosing what jobs the robots will be performing once operational later this year.
