Volkswagen's ID.4 was both one of the most exciting EVs that I had a pleasure to drive this year as well as one of the most frustrating and confusing. Ultimately though, many of the things that detracted from what ultimately could be one of the best EV options on the market today are "quirky" design elements that I've found in other VW vehicles... though in those, tech is less core to the experience and are easy to adapt to over time.

The Lexus LC 500 is hands down my favorite luxury sports car available today and with the addition of the soft-top convertible it makes it that much better and more enjoyable. While there are other vehicles that boast more horses, more space, more comfort, or other metrics... many of them cost far more and none of them wrap everything in such a perfect package as Lexus does with the LC 500 convertible.

Toyota is still the master of hybrid cars and crossovers and when the current generation of RAV4 launched in 2019, we were immediately drawn to the hybrid version. Not only did it offer a more exciting driving experience but it also offered the obvious boost in mpgs too. Now, with the RAV4 Prime, Toyota takes it to the next level with a combined 302 hp, 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and an EPA-estimated 42 miles of range on battery alone... resulting in an EPA-estimated 94 MPGe!

The BMW 3 Series has long been the entry-level poster car for the sports sedan segment. In the latest incarnation BMW has added a new “e” 330 series plug-in hybrid.  

So, you’re looking for a sub-compact crossover. Well, your choices in this class are numerous! Every manufacturer has at least one and more are on the way this fall.

Two of our favorite trucks are the Chevrolet Silverado and the Colorado ZR2... well now they've come together to create a truck we can't wait to get our hands on next spring. The 2022 Silverado ZR2 takes the existing Silverado to the next level, bringing it closer... and in many ways superior to the current generation Tundra TRD Pro and F-150 Raptor.

In the automotive industry it seems like there are two different core types of trim level packages. The first is purely cosmetic and the second is actually functional. A few weeks ago, we were driving the K5 GT-Line and it left us shaking our head wonder why that trim was even created. It looked great but when it came to delivering on the performance it's good looks promised, quite simply it fell short. Now that we've had a chance to play with the 2021 Kia K5 GT we are even more shocked that the GT-Line exists at all.

Generally speaking, my preference in automobiles leans strongly towards vehicles with big powerful engines (or motors), technology, and off-road chops. The Buick Encore GX offers the technology but neither of the other two... but that's ok. It is possibly one of the best balanced, perfectly designed vehicles for young professionals who live in urban areas.

The 2021 Kia Telluride SX is a mid-sized SUV that offers an edge. It provides all the power of a traditional SUV at an attractive price point with plenty of technology and amenities like heated seats, connectivity, safety features, and even a 5,000 pound towing capacity that makes this a great option for budget conscious shoppers.

The all-new 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line is the brand's latest iteration of their popular mid-sized SUV. With the addition of the X-Line package, Sorento promises off-road adventure options that normally you might not consider with a vehicle like this. Like all Kia SUVs, it is packed with plenty of tech and safety features and plenty of interior space for your passengers in the third row too. Is X-Line purely cosmetic for the aspirational off roader or is this something that you can use to go places you wouldn't normally take other unibody SUVs? Let's take a look!

This is a different sort of review about a different sort of car. One of the challenges that we face right now is brand confusion and terminology that doesn't always align as neatly as you might want. Some of this is due to terms like "GT" once meaning something but now just simply slapped on anything to make it sound sportier. Others are self inflicted by creating too many trim levels of a model and that's what I see with Kia's K5 GT-Line. It isn't that simple since the GT-Line and GT actually offer different options, making one a much better option for some buyers than the other.

The Lexus RC 350 F-sport is a driving enthusiast’s dream come true. Boasting Lexus’ trademark luxury and performance, the Lexus RC 350 F-sport will be available in two versions: an RWD version for those who love to drive and an AWD version for those who need some extra traction on wet roads or simply more stability when accelerating around corners. Lexus has been making waves with its beautiful sportscars lately, and this new model is no exception.

Mazda has made its name in motorsports but more recently their focus on vehicles has been a more affordable luxury product that sits somewhere between mass-consumer brands like Chevy or Toyota and Cadillac or Lexus. Instead of splitting the brand they have developed a fantastic line of cars that drive well and are designed around maximizing the experience of driving.

Genesis is the new hot thing in the world of affordable luxury vehicles and so there are undoubtedly a lot of compromises when it comes to this space. It's one of those situations where you could compare it to something else out there but that inevitably means adding 10s of thousands of dollars to the sticker price. At the lowest trim levels, the Genesis G80 initially feels like a sexed up Hyundai but as you begin to drive it, you realize that this is indeed something special. As you proceed to higher trim levels though, Genesis as a brand truly takes off into a category of it's own that defies simply being considered "budget luxury". 

Sometimes there's a vehicle that should be a home-run but just leaves you wondering who it was designed for. That's the feeling I got following our week with the all-new 2021 Toyota Venza. On the surface, Venza looks chic and sporty, somewhat of a cross between an Avalon and a Rav4. It wants to have the handling of a sports sedan, with the space and comfort of an SUV. Sadly, despite looking sharp, it doesn't fulfil the sporty promise that we were hoping it would.

When Ford, in 2017, formally announced that they were bringing Bronco back, the off road enthusiast world lost their shit. This was one of the biggest brands in off road history and now it was coming back in exactly the right time where we have the most advanced suspension technology in history and a wide variety of engines that are designed to be robust enough to handle virtually anything we can throw at it on the trail. Then... a year later a new "Bronco" emerged and that quickly got derided as simply the "Baby Bronco", a vehicle simply riding on the big brother's coat tails. In many ways, that is accurate since I'm not sure the Bronco Sport would survive on it's own if it were called something else - for instance if it were simply called the Escape Sport.

For the past decade, truck launches and truck comparisons have been as much about stats as they are actual functionality. This transition began with the introduction of the next-generation Ram a few years ago but Ford completes the transition with the new F-150. Where previously we were talking about incrementally boasting of more towing, more hauling, more power... Ford has that, but what makes it special is everything else. I feel like we've gotten to the point where EVERYTHING tows more than most of us will ever need, so let's start focusing on a truck that delivers in other areas that can make our lives and livelihoods better.

Don't worry... I still love my big burley trucks, but EVs fascinate me. They are, without a doubt, the future of personal transportation. However, the future is here already. While it can be challenging today while charging infrastructure catches up, even in a less than ideal environment, a weekend getaway in an EV is possible. To illustrate this, Nissan sent me a Leaf S Plus and we drove up to Oceanside, CA.

Electric Vehicles have been something I've been enamored with for the past several years. Ever since I got my first tasted during a launch of event for the Kia Soul EV back in 2014, the promise of smooth, quiet, rapid acceleration has been a dream that would one day finally be practical. Back then, we were excited to have an approximate 90 mile range and the concept of "range anxiety" has continued to be a major obstacle to EV adoption. Vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E though are beginning to prove that EVs can be practical and compete head to head with ICE cars and that makes me very excited!

Minivans are perhaps the most divisive topic in the automotive scene, I don't get to drive them that often because they aren't exactly "masculine". Generally speaking, this is one category where women have decided that minivans are decidedly uncool. Despite this though, I have a soft spot in my heard for this category and when it comes down to practicality, it has always made sense. Until now though, most offerings were focused on utility over style but I was impressed with the 2021 Toyota Sienna and I think you will be too.