Toyota Prius Prime

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2024 Subaru Impreza Review: Does value right

The redesigned 2024 Subaru Impreza, a five-door hatchback, confirms the manufacturer’s long-standing reputation for versatility and reasonable pricing. It’s a little car that can and has a lot new, including a debuting top-line RS trim. Now 30 years old, the Subaru Impreza is available in Base, Sport and RS trim levels. The first two offerings are equipped with 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines with 152 horsepower. The RS features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower. All models are powered by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and the carmaker’s signature all-wheel-drive system. Key Takeaways Trims: Base, Sport and the new RS; Base and Sport use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 152 horsepower. RS powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 182 horsepower, a CVT and

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Driver’s dozen provides new car review challenge, South Korean EVs take honors

Automotive journalists often drive new vehicles for a week and then write reviews about their experiences. It’s rare one vehicle in a manufacturer’s lineup can be quickly compared to a more modest or a higher-end trim of the same car. Also unusual is promptly testing two diverse cars or trucks from the same carmaker. The novel approach was one idea presented at the recent Best of the Bay, a 2 1/2-day gathering of the Western Auto Journalists (WAJ). It’s the 30-year-old Bay Area community of automotive content creators and industry representatives. Nine manufacturers showcased 13 cars at Vintner’s Resort in Santa Rosa for testing, including two from Genesis, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota. Acura, Honda, Lexus, Mazda and Mercedes-Benz (AMG) each

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2023 Toyota Prius Prime Review: Older Hybrid Good, New Better, No Stereotype

During the past two decades, the Toyota Prius has been as polarizing as any car in the United States. Many consumers associate the vehicle with liberalism and chastise its appearance. Sometimes lost is the significance of the carmaker’s advancement in the hybrid and electric marketplace. The Prius debuted in the United States in 2000, three years after it was unveiled in Japan. It arrived a few months after the Honda Insight, which had limited availability and in only a few states. Toyota’s innovative lineup had mainstream distribution. Approaching its mid-20s, it has surpassed 15 million in global sales. Key Takeaways Prime tested: the top-line XSE Premium, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system producing 220 horsepower. 0-60 mph in 6.6

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#250, The Weekly Driver’s 2022 Cars of the Year

Selecting the cars of the year helps celebrate another year reviewing new cars and trucks, visiting auto shows and talking with vintage car owners, book authors and industry experts about their cars of the year. There are always great and not-so-great moments driving vehicles. The industry is always abuzz. There are always changes, oddball statistics, recalls and new models and makes. What has Elon Musk done now? Will autonomous driving and EVs ever make a significant difference? Will low-profile tires stop blowing while negotiating small divots in the road? Will Audi ever change its front-grille design? As much as the automotive industry changes, sometimes not much happens. In 2007, the year the iPhone debuted, the starting price of the Toyota

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#238, Consumer Reports’ Top-10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:41 — 58.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreAfter nearly 20 years at Consumer Reports, Jon Linkov is an expert among automotive experts. The Deputy Auto Editor, Linkov is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss one of the publication’s most popular features: its annual most reliable cars list. Join co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia as we discuss with Linkov the “Top 10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022.” “What we do is survey our members, our millions of members, and ask about their experiences with the cars they own or have owned,” said Linkov of the most reliable cars list. “We just don’t look at current vehicles,

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#212, 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost named Car of the Year

Early in 2021, a teenage boy witnessed a colleague and me exit a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost at a local sandwich shop. He approached us, looked at my friend and said: “Excuse me, sir. What kind of job do I need to get to afford a car like that?” A few hours later while waiting in the Ghost at a stoplight two men in a vehicle to my right that may not have made it to its destination, caught my attention. Before the light changed, they uncorked a jubilant dance of synchronized hand signs and body gestures. I didn’t know what the display meant, but I’m certain it was a good thing. Far more expensive vehicles exist. But the Ghost, with

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Toyota no longer king of the green car industry

It’s hard to believe that Toyota, the automaker behind the hugely successful hybrid-electric Prius, is no longer viewed as the green car industry leader. According to Danny Magill, an analyst at the London-based think tank InfluenceMap, Toyota has gone from a leading position to an “industry laggard” in clean-car policy as other automakers push ahead with ambitious electric vehicle (EV) plans. InfluenceMap gives Toyota a “D-” grade—the worst among automakers—saying it exerts policy influence to undermine public climate goals. While companies like Tesla have produced fully electric cars now part of the EV rage, Toyota, focusing on gas-electric hybrids and futuristic fuel cell vehicles, has started to lose market share. Toyota Prius: Losing Its Green Car Crown Records show the

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Six safety and convenience driving features to consider

Driving can be liberating. It’s a form of freedom. You can go where you want when you want, and you’re in control. Driving a car can be more than just a way to get from one location to another. While in transit, there’s a lot to enjoy. Driving can be comforting and entertaining, and the experience can be better because of extra safety considerations. While not always essential, the car’s safety features complement the overall enjoyment of getting behind the wheel. Infotainment Systems A vehicle with a navigation system installed is ideal and it has a lot of different features. A new buyer won’t have to worry about an added expense and the potential anxiety of getting lost is no

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#163, The Weekly Driver Podcast’s Cars of the Year

Welcome to the 14th annual Cars of the Year list, selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com. This year, co-host Bruce Aldrich and I announce the top-10 list on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Bruce and I individually picked 10 vehicles from the nearly 40 cars and trucks in 2020 models I reviewed and Bruce drove. Neither of us was surprised. Our choices for cars of the year were nearly identical, including our No. 1 choice, the 2020 Corvette Stingray. Unlike many publications, we wait until the end of the year to announce our selections. A year’s perspective is important. Cars of the Year Here are The Weekly Driver Podcast’s choices for 2020 (with prices), followed by cars of the year

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2020 Toyota Avalon Review: Defines ideal hybrid sedan

Hybrid car owners often compromise. They embrace the superior gas mileage and environmental concerns mixed-engine vehicles offer. But odd-looking exterior designs, limited interior space and lackluster acceleration provide frustration. As such, many potential new buyers have dismissed the hybrid market. It’s why the segment has rarely reached 3 percent of yearly industry sales in the United States since the Toyota Prius debuted 20 years ago. It was the country’s first mainstream hybrid. The 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is largely unchanged from last year’s second-generation debut. The Avalon gas-only model was unveiled 25 years ago. The hybrid trim was introduced in late 2012 as a 2013 model. It’s also among the few alternative fuel sedans that don’t fit the staid stereotype.

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

Welcome to the 13th annual Best Cars and Trucks of the Year list, selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I will discuss the list on The Weekly Driver Podcast. The 10 vehicles on the 2019 Best Cars, Trucks list include manufacturers from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The Weekly Driver has been writing about our main automotive vent for years. How do prestigious industry publications determine their vehicles-of-the-year selections before the calendar year starts? Selecting a list

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2019 Hyundai Ioniq Review: Odd name, worthy EV wheels

The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq, the third model year of the South Korean liftback, is unique in the ever-evolving, alternative fuel segment. It’s the least expensive mainstream electric vehicle available in the United States, and it has the best fuel economy. Cheap and economic don’t always equate to quality. But the five-door Ioniq provides another example of why skeptics of Hyundai and its close relative Kia should be forever enlightened. The manufacturers’ lineups have vastly improved in recent years. Key Takeaways Variants: the Ioniq was the first automobile offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric variants. Plug-in hybrid: a 1.6-liter, inline four-cylinder with 104 horsepower and a 44.5-kW electric motor. 57 mpg city and 59 highway for the Hybrid Blue model;

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2018 Kia Niro Review: Joins Hyundai Ioniq to challenge Prius

Once upon a time, car categories were simple: sedans, convertibles, station wagons, vans and pick-up trucks. Vehicles had concise, practical names often referencing ferocious or fast animals. But ambiguity now reigns. Consider the 2018 Kia Niro and its close relative, the Hyundai Ioniq. The former, introduced two years ago, is designated as a subcompact crossover hybrid SUV, but it more resembles a hatchback. It doesn’t offer all-wheel drive or extra ground clearance, customary SUV characteristics. Key Takeaways Test car: the plug-in hybrid Niro, new for 2018, at about $35,000 MSRP before tax credits. $4,543 federal and $1,500 California tax credits, plus access to HOV lanes. 139 horsepower from a four-cylinder engine and electric motor through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. 26-mile

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2018 Hyundai Ioniq Review: Serious challenger for Toyota Prius

Since the debut of the Toyota Prius in 2000 as the first mass-marketed hybrid in the United States, several manufacturers have tried to infiltrate the odd-looking green car leader’s dominance. All have failed. Now, there’s a legitimate contender, the Hyundai Ioniq. The unusual name is the combination of the words ion and unique, and the vehicle’s title works. The Ioniq‘s specs outdo the Prius numbers in multiple categories. Key Takeaways 139 horsepower from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. 57 miles per gallon in city driving and 59 on the highway for the entry-level Blue Line model. 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds in economy mode. About $23,000 to start, and up to $31,000 with trim levels and

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2017 Best Cars of the Year

TheWeeklyDriver.com presents its 11th annual best cars of the year list. For the past two years, we selected 12 vehicles instead of 10 because we couldn’t decide what cars to leave off the lists. The selection was more clear-cut this year, so we’ve again chosen 10 vehicles. Volvo is the only manufacturer with two vehicles on the 2017 best cars list. Bentley, Genesis, Honda, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Volkswagen and Toyota are also represented. As editor and publisher of TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I reviewed 38 cars and trucks in 2017 model years for at least a week. Most of the vehicles I drove in the calendar year; some 2017 models in 2016. I also drove at least a half-dozen other vehicles

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Episode 3, Hybrid Hype

The 2000 Toyota Prius was the first nationally available hybrid vehicle in the United States. A few months earlier, Honda introduced the Insight, the so-called “Peanut Car.” But it’s never made much of an impact in its original edition or the current generation that debuted in recent years. Double click below to listen to the latest edition: But in the nearly 18 years since alternative fuel vehicles — gas/electric, electric only, natural gas, etc. — have been manufactured, has the technology made a difference? Environmental and green car advocates are likely to say “yes.” And every major manufacturer has at least one alternative fuel vehicle in its lineup. BMW to Mitsubishi and Ford to Lexus, manufacturers promote hybrid and other

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