2022 Genesis GV70: An SUV star is born

,

Nearly 20 small luxury crossover sport utility vehicles are available in 2022 models — Acura to BMW, Infiniti to Mercedes-Benz. All simultaneously have unique and shared traits. The names change; the vehicles often don’t. Further, there’s no exact definition of what makes an SUV or any other car achieve luxury status. The luxury tagline is used to define vehicles offering better performance, plush interiors made with high-end material as well as top-line safety and advanced technology features. The luxury definition was once reserved for luxury-only brands, namely German stalwarts. Several manufacturers, some formerly consider economy-based, have changed the dynamic. Still,

Read more

NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2022 Genesis GV70 SUV

PRESS RELEASE The 2022 Genesis GV70 represents an athletic, versatile option in the emerging carmaker’s lineup of sport utility vehicles. It’s the carmaker’s fifth vehicle. Like all other Genesis models, the GV70 will be based on a rear-wheel-drive platform. “Genesis continues to build on our solid foundation with the addition of new and exciting products to our lineup,” said Mark Del Rosso, President and Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Motor North America. “We recently launched our first-ever SUV, the flagship GV80, with U.S. deliveries beginning in the next thirty days. “Now, with the upcoming release of the dynamic GV70 and

Read more

2016 Mazda CX-3 debuts well in tough small SUV field

Among the newer car industry segments, the subcompact crossover is chock full of worthy vehicles, including the new 2016 Mazda CX-3. It’s the younger stablemate of the still-toddler CX-5 and it joined an expanding, diverse field that also features the new Honda HR-V, Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade. The 2016 Mazda CX-3 ideally helped define the segment. It featured the maneuverability of a hatchback with the expanded (but not too large) size of a crossover SUV. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As per the manufacturer’s lineup-wide signature, the 2016 Mazda CX-3 has a long list of standard features, all offered

Read more

So long, farewell to these cars after 2016 models

While some cars’ legacies continue for decades, through many generations and fluctuating sales years, other cars have short tenures and disappear as new models quickly in the ever-crowded marketplace. It was no different at the end of 2016. Some highly reviewed cars and some not-so-well reviewed vehicles won’t be available as 2017 models. As such, we say goodbye and farewell to at least 10 vehicles with 2016 as their final years. Will any of them become collectors’ items? Or, will they simply fade into an automotive graveyard somewhere and resurface as “barn finds” decades from now. Either way, here’s a

Read more

2016 Car of the Year? Chevrolet, Honda, Mazda?

The Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Civic and Mazda MX-5 Miata, three longstanding vehicles with loyal followings in vastly different new and used car markets, have been named finalists for 2016 North American Car of the Year. The Honda Pilot, Nissan Titan XD and Volvo XC90 were name finalists for Truck of the Year in the recent announcement the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. The 2016 North American Car and Truck of the Year will be announced in January at the Detroit Auto Show. The finalists were chosen from short lists of 10 cars and 12 pickups and SUVs created by a

Read more

2016 Honda Civic gets Car of the Year honors in Detroit

The perennially best-selling Honda Civic, manufactured since 1972 and in its 10th generation, was named 2016 North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Volvo XC90 took top truck honors. Both models are repeat winners. The Honda Civic won the best car award in 2006. The Volvo XC90 claimed Truck of the Year in 2003. Repeat Honor For Honda Civic It was the third time since the awards were launched in 1993 domestic automakers were shut out Honda swept the awards with the Civic and Ridgeline winning in 2006. Land Rover and

Read more

2019 Honda Civic: lagging sales, still rules as top-rated compact

The Fit, Civic and Accord, sub-compact, compact and midsize sedan siblings, collectively represent nearly everything right in the automotive industry. If value, durability, functionality, fuel economy, repair efficiency and resale value are important, there’s nothing better than the Honda trio. Yet the threesome, all rated at or near the top of their segments, are rapidly losing new buyers. It’s not logical. The 2019 Honda Civic defines the ideal compact. It’s now in the fourth year of its 10th generation after debuting in 1972. But between generations, Honda, like most manufacturers, makes model adjustments, subtle to substantial. With the 2019 model

Read more

2016 Honda HR-V: Compact SUV adds to brand’s legacy

The 2016 Honda HR-V, the newest and smallest of the manufacturer’s successful lineup of sport utility vehicles, debuted last year. It joined the increasingly competitive subcompact SUV segment that includes newly en vogue vehicles like the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3 and Fiat 500X. The Honda HR-V (Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle) also joined the Honda CR-V (Compact Recreational Vehicle), and the Honda Pilot in the manufacturer’s SUV lineup. The Honda Element, a fourth SUV option, ceased production a few years ago. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in three trims, my weekly driver was the top-line EX-L. Like all Honda vehicles it

Read more

2024 Mazda CX-90 flagship: new, worthy SUV

,

The three-row sport utility vehicle segment is refreshingly competitive. The 2024 Mazda CX-90 debuts impressively in the field of all-stars including recent additions like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Volkswagen Atlas. The long-standing Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot have maintained their top rankings for decades. Mazda hadn’t offered a new generation of its flagship CX-9 since 2016. With competitors always improving, the CX-90 is the manufacturer’s new front-and-center offering. The CX-9 is gone. The new vehicle’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer and the engine has also grown and is more versatile. The carmaker’s planned infiltration into the marketplace is

Read more

Chevrolet Sonic, 2012: Stepping Up Their Game In Small Car Market

Being on a budget does not mean you have to settle for a boring car. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic offers great value in the $16,000 neighborhood and is more exciting than previous generation of mundane economy cars. Nowadays, so much more goes into cars that sell in the lower price range such that they offer a great value without having to spend $25,000, or even $20,000 on a car. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic looks good, performs reasonably well, and impresses beyond its $17,000 sticker price. The base Sonic LS comes well equipped with features like 15-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes,

Read more

2022 Honda Civic: Best got better at age 50

,

Fifty years ago, the Honda Civic was introduced as a two-door or four-door subcompact sedan, a three-door or five-door hatchback and a five-door station wagon. It had starting cost of about $1,400 and weighed 1,411 pounds. Simultaneously, not much and everything has changed. The debut Civic’s four-cylinder, 61-horsepower engine, was propelled by a four-speed manual transmission. It advanced from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 10.5 seconds and it had a top speed of 90 mph. The new Civic had a spacious interior, and it quickly built a reputation as environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient and reliable. The 2022 Honda Civic, the debut

Read more

Mazda CX-5, 2013: New design, great mpg, needs performance jolt

Following the defunct Mazda Tribute and CX-7, the 2013 Mazda CX-5 debuted internationally last September at the Frankfurt Auto Show and two months later for the United States market at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Neither of Mazda's first two attempts at sport utility vehicles were particularly successful. But the CX-5 has a modern look and feel, and its design and standard features provide plenty of evidence Mazda has made its best effort to make a difference in the crowded segment. Like the Tribute, the Mazda CX-5 is a compact, crossover SUV. It's Mazda's first offering with Skyactiv Technology

Read more

2016 Mazda CX-5: Versatile, sporty, fuel efficient

The Mazda CX-5 replaced the Mazda Tribute and Mazda CX-7 in 2012 as a 2013 model, and it has succeeded quickly in the popular compact SUV segment. For 2016, the Mazda CX-5 has been refreshed with minor interior and exterior upgrades, including improved materials quality, additional insulation and an improved technology interface. There’s also improved and additional equipment in option packages. Some former options, including Bluetooth and audio connectivity, are now standard to keep up with improved compact SUV offerings from other manufacturers. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With its new features and options and its availability in three trims

Read more

Ford counters Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt with Focus Electric

Ford Motor Company has unveiled the Focus Electric — the automaker’s first all-electric passenger car. The zero-CO2-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford’s popular small car is the flagship of the company’s growing fleet of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles coming to North America and Europe by 2013. The Focus Electric will launch in late 2011 and offer a mile-per-gallon equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt and competitive with other battery electric vehicles, according to Ford. A full recharge is expected to take three to four hours at home with the 240-volt charge station — half the charge time of the Nissan

Read more

Toyota unveils Fuel Cell Vehicle in Colorado

Seventeen years after the Toyota Prius became the first mass-produced hybrid car, Toyota is leading automotive innovation again. Its zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric car will makes it North American debut June 27 at the Aspen Idea Festival. With previous exterior details of the car, currently named the FCV, announced recently in Japan, the North American unveiling is the precursor to the car’s mainstream release. Interior features, along with the vehicle’s name, volume, and full specifications will be released later. Toyota has also announced the FCV will go on sale in the Japan domestic market before April 2015. It will

Read more

How to buy the best used electric vehicle

,

It’s been about 15 years since hybrid and electric cars first entered mainstream global automotive market. Which means, led by the Toyota Prius, car buyers in the market for second- electric cars now have an expanding versatile selection. Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997 and its global sales have now surpassed four million, far exceeding all hybrid and electric sales combined. As a result, used Prius models, which now also include the Prius Liftback, Prius C, Prius V and Prius Plug-In Electric, are plentiful and logically a best choice among shoppers seeking a used electric car. There are plenty of

Read more