Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
The 2027 Kia Telluride dropped the V6 for a turbo-4 and added a hybrid. Pricing, five-year ownership math, and whether to buy now or hold for 2028.
Read moreThe 2025 Ford Explorer Platinum RWD starts at $57,865 as tested in this configuration. It represents the latest iteration of a nameplate that has sold more than 8 million units since 1991, making it America’s best-selling SUV. This particular vehicle tested combines the Platinum trim’s luxury appointments with the optional Ultimate Package, which adds a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, 21-inch wheels, and premium leather seating. The result is a three-row SUV that delivers genuine performance capability without sacrificing the comfort and technology features that families expect from a modern luxury SUV. Engine and Performance The tested vehicle features the optional 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine, which produces 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 415 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm
Read moreSubaru buyers rely on value, versatility and dependability. Its wagons and sport utility vehicles are geared toward active families with recreation equipment (and perhaps a dog) to tow. The Subaru Ascent expands the ability to haul stuff or animals. Unveiled in late 2018, the mid-sized crossover SUV is the carmaker’s only three-row vehicle. It continues with the brand’s reputation, including its standard all-wheel drive. Available in base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Onyx Edition Limited, Limited and Touring, all Ascents are equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. All variants also feature 260 horsepower matched with a continuously variable transmission. Key Takeaways Test car: the 2024 Ascent Onyx Edition Limited, with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder, 260 horsepower and a continuously variable transmission.
Read moreThe Honda Pilot debuted 21 years ago as the Japanese carmaker’s largest sport utility vehicle. It succeeded quickly as an alternative to its seven-year older and smaller sibling, the Honda CR-V. The Honda HR-V, the smallest of an SUV foursome, arrived in North America in 2015. The Honda Passport, positioned between the HR-V and the Pilot debuted in 1993. Without exceptions, the vehicles provide customers Honda at its best: value, dependability and strong resale marks. But other manufacturers have infiltrated the marketplace which makes the 2023 Honda Pilot not quite the front-runner it once was. Kia, Hyundai and Mazda, among other manufacturers, offer formidable competition. Key Takeaways Test car: the 2023 Pilot TrailSport, with a 3.5-liter V6, 285 horsepower, a
Read moreThe 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. Key Takeaways Plug-in hybrid: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, electric motor and 17.8-kWh battery, with 26 miles of electric-only range. 329 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic; 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
Read moreEmbarking on a college journey is invigorating. From the hustle of studying, attending lectures and tackling assignments to the joys of learning, socializing and exploring, there’s never a dull moment. Having a reliable and practical vehicle can make a significant difference. Whether it’s for everyday commuting, weekend trips or occasional road trips, the right car can enhance the college lifestyle. Many students often wonder what car best fits their college lifestyle. The decision hinges on many factors, including budget, functionality, and the car’s fuel efficiency. And while you may rely on online paper writing services and have the best online essay writers write an essay for me if you’re asking “do my essays for me“, when it comes to choosing
Read moreThe Toyota Highlander turned age 22 in 2022 and it retains its status as a respected midsize sport utility vehicle. Its consistency and versatility have provided long-haul clout. Last year, the Highlander had its best sales year since the three-row family hauler’s debut. Key Takeaways Test car: the top-line Platinum trim, which begins at $47,500; the base L front-wheel-drive choice begins at $35,205. 3.5-liter V6 with 295 horsepower and an eight-speed shiftable automatic transmission. 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with front-wheel drive; 20 and 27 mpg with all-wheel drive. Seating for seven and 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows folded. Safety: the Safety Sense 2.5+ suite is standard, with a pre-collision system
Read moreThe 2024 Honda Prologue, the first in a pending lineup of battery electric vehicles, will debut in less than three years as the carmaker continues to target its goal of a fully electric fleet by 2040. Few details of the sport utility vehicle were revealed in the recent announcement, but Honda said the Prologue will operate on GM’s Ultium batteries. It will be available in the United States and Canada. An all-electric Acura SUV will also debut in 2024. Honda previously announced its plans for its vehicles in the second of this decade to operate on a new “e:Architecture.” Honda Prologue Begins BEV surge Besides its 100 percent fully electric goal by 2040, Honda says its shorter-term goal is 40
Read moreThe Honda Pilot is its 19th year as the manufacturer’s biggest, most versatile and most expensive sport utility vehicle. It’s also among seven utility vehicles Honda makes. All fulfill a niche for the ever-increasing percentage of consumers buying cars, trucks, SUVs and vans. As Honda‘s only three-row SUV, the Pilot combines the brand’s reputation and reliability with keen family and cargo capabilities. With its all-wheel-drive option, the Pilot has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Key Takeaways 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower in every 2020 Pilot; the Black Edition uses the nine-speed automatic. $50,715 for the Black Edition, the most expensive SUV in the Honda lineup. 19 mpg city and 26 highway. Towing: 5,000 pounds with the all-wheel-drive option. Trims:
Read moreWith the debut of the Nexo as a 2019 model and the Palisade as a 2020 offering, Hyundai now sells five sport utility vehicles. The South Korean manufacturer doesn’t do much wrong. But making more SUVs isn’t much different than making more traffic. There’s nothing good about more driving congestion. And how is it possible to find some area of the SUV segment that hasn’t been addressed? Key Takeaways 3.8-liter V6 with 291 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic. Limited trim reviewed: $44,700 MSRP with front-wheel drive, before destination, per Hyundai. 19 mpg city, 26 highway. Cargo: 86.4 cubic feet with all seats folded and 45.8 cubic feet behind the second row. Every Palisade includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Value:
Read moreWith nearly every other automobile on the road a sport utility vehicle, it’s often hard to differentiate brands. The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder is the mid-sized SUV’s 32nd year and it blends into the crowd. It’s been a tough go for the Pathfinder in recent years. United States yearly tallies peaked in 2013 when nearly 89,000 of the family haulers sold. With ever-increasing options from domestic and foreign manufacturers, the Pathfinder stumbled to 67,500 sales last year. Key Takeaways SV with Rock Creek tested: 3.5-liter V6 with 284 horsepower and a continuously variable transmission. $35,960 MSRP for the SV; $40,070 total with packages, premium paint, floor mats and destination. 19 mpg city and 26 highway. 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds. Towing:
Read moreThe sport utility vehicle market apparently hasn’t reached its saturation point, at least Subaru doesn’t think so. Welcome the Ascent, the largest car the Japanese manufacturer has ever made. Five years after Tribeca was discontinued, the 2019 Subaru Ascent is the manufacturer’s second and bigger three-row SUV. Subaru is hopeful its new people mover will fare better than its predecessor. When the Tribeca departed, it was among the country’s worst-selling vehicles. Key Takeaways Engine: a turbocharged 2.4-liter, four-cylinder with 260 horsepower, a continuously variable automatic and standard symmetrical all-wheel drive. Four trims: Ascent, Ascent Premium, Ascent Limited and Ascent Touring; the reviewer drove the Limited. $38,995 MSRP for the Limited. 0-60 mph in about seven seconds; 20 mpg city and
Read moreThe Mazda CX-9 debuted in 2006 as a versatile, well-equipped addition to the fraternity of family haulers. The first generation endured for nine years in the ever-expanding segment of urban taxis. The 2019 edition is the second generation’s fourth year. Tweaks have been added each year as SUVs become increasingly attractive to large clans and families of one. Key Takeaways 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 227 horsepower and a six-speed automatic, front- or all-wheel drive. 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds. $42,640 starting price for the Grand Touring trim. 20 mpg city and 26 highway with all-wheel drive. Four trims: Sport, Touring, Grand Touring and Signature; new for 2019 are Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a retuned suspension and a surround-view parking camera.
Read moreWhile 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 look at 10 cars manufacturers stopped making after their respective 2016 models. Cars listed with hyperlinks were reviewed in at
Read moreIt hardly seems like the Acura MDX has been around for 17 years. But while competition has increased with the ever-expanding popularity of sport utility vehicles, the mid-size luxury crossover has retained its strong pace among three-row SUV options. Honda, which manufacturers Acura via its luxury nameplate, states the MDX was the first and current best-selling three-row SUV in history. More than 700,000 had sold by the end of 2014. Key Takeaways 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic; front-wheel drive is standard and the test vehicle had the optional all-wheel drive. $56,400 MSRP and $57,340 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds; 19 mpg city and 26 highway. New for 2017: a honeycomb grille and new headlights,
Read moreIf you own an older Honda or Acura, the government is urging you to stop driving it because its Takata airbags have a 50 percent chance of exploding in a crash. The warning applies to about 313,000 models of the Honda Accord (2001-2002), Honda Civic (2001-2002) Honda CR-V (2002-2003), Honda Odyssey (2003), Honda Pilot (2003), Acura TL (2002-2003) and Acura CL (2003). Takata inflators that can explode in a crash have been linked to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States. Auto safety regulators said eight of those deaths occurred in Honda and Acura vehicles subject to the warning. “With as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a
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