Aurelia Butler

The 2025 GMC Terrain enters its third generation with more trucklike styling, and the compact SUV no longer has a push-button shifter.Along with a 15.0-inch touchscreen, the new Terrain has a 175-hp turbo four and offers front- or all-wheel drive; the latter comes with a new eight-speed automatic transmission.The entry-level Elevation trim will go on sale later this year, and the AT4 and Denali variants will follow early next year as 2026 models.A lot is new about the 2025 GMC Terrain, most notably the death of its predecessor’s push-button shifter. Changing gears is once again easy to execute thanks to the new column-mounted lever. For its third generation, the redesigned Terrain also returns to the boxiness that defined the first-gen model. GMC says the compact SUV’s new look was inspired by the brand’s trucks, and it has tech that’s straight out of the mid-size three-row Acadia.Terrain Gains a Big ScreenInside, the new Terrain has more attractive materials and a dashboard that’s dominated by a massive vertically oriented touchscreen. Measuring 15.0 inches, it features Google built-in software that allows users to download apps and customize the layout. The Terrain’s infotainment system comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot. The driver also now faces an 11.0-inch digital gauge cluster that has configurable settings.For 2025, the previous SLE and SLT models are gone, and the Elevation now serves as the lineup’s entry point. It comes with more standard features than before, including a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, remote start, and adaptive cruise control. The latter is joined by a plethora of new driver-assistance tech such as bicycle and pedestrian detection, automated braking that works when turning at an intersection, and steering assist that helps avoid turning into that car lurking in your blind spot. The Terrain is also available with a rearview camera mirror for the first time, and the available surround-view camera system now has up to eight different views.While the rugged AT4 and ritzy Denali will join the Terrain lineup early next year as 2026 models, the Elevation will launch later this year as the sole offering. Like its higher-spec siblings, the Elevation is motivated by a 175-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. The all-wheel-drive variant will go on sale first. Its 203 pound-feet of torque is routed through a new eight-speed automatic transmission that replaces the previous nine-speed unit. The front-wheel-drive Elevation has a continuously variable automatic transmission and less torque at 184 pound-feet. With AWD, the Terrain can tow 1500 pounds; FWD models are limited to 800 pounds.The Elevation rides on 17-inch wheels out of the box, but it offers a Black Edition package that includes black 19-inch wheels and an assortment of black exterior bits. Two-tone color is available on every model, with a choice of a black or gray roof. Compared with its predecessor, the new Terrain is just over an inch shorter from stem to stern, and it’s about two inches wider and taller too. Interior space grows as well, with the third generation bringing up to an inch of additional headroom and front-seat legroom increasing by three inches. Cargo space behind the rear seat is the same 30 cubic feet as before.The New AT4 and DenaliFor folks who want to escape the suburbs, the AT4 is the most capable Terrain model to do it. Not only does it have the requisite equipment such as all-terrain tires and red tow hooks, but it has a front skid plate for protecting its vital parts, a lifted ride height to help clear obstacles, and a suspension that’s specially tuned for driving off-road. The AT4 is also the only model with a Terrain drive mode. As with other GMC models, the Denali is the top-of-the-line Terrain. Every trim has a unique grille design, and that’s true for the Denali, which boasts a glitzy pattern. The shininess is matched by the standard 19-inch wheels, but an optional 20-inch set makes an even bigger visual statement. GMC says the Denali is fitted with upgraded dampers to help smooth out the ride. And like the AT4, the top trim has LED headlights and taillights that play animations.Pricing for the 2025 GMC Terrain hasn’t yet been released, but we expect the AWD Elevation to start around $35,000 when it reaches dealerships later this year. Meanwhile, the 2026 GMC Terrain AT4 and Denali will likely both cost somewhere close to $40,000 when they eventually join the lineup.More Terrain StoriesEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Honda is bringing back the Prelude, a model that has a great history.With a rev-happy 2.2-liter VTEC four and a crisp-handling chassis, this Type SH is bound to put a grin on your face.This final-gen example is nicely equipped and looks sharp in silver over black.Confirmed to be returning for a sixth generation, the Prelude has always been Honda letting its hair down a little. Not a full performance-oriented car packed with screaming revs like the S2000 or the Integra Type R, the Prelude was pitched as a fun and sporty coupe, relatively affordable and well-made, more special than an Accord or Civic but still sensible. Such is a recipe for a great modern classic.Take for example this 2001 Prelude Type SH, for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). Everything you want is here: gutsy VTEC-equipped four-cylinder power, a five-speed manual so you can row your own gears, an all-business cabin uncluttered by screens, and luxuries like air conditioning and a CD player. Best of all, this one’s a top-of-the-line Type SH model, its handling as highly polished as Preludes ever got for the U.S. market.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerIn a six-car shootout from 1997, when this model was new, we crowned a Prelude Type SH the best-handling car priced under $30K, beating out usual suspects like the E36 BMW 3-Series and the Mazda Miata. It wasn’t a case of votes cast by the stopwatch, but rather overall polish and sophistication. When Honda gets it right, it really gets it right, and such was the case for the fifth-gen Prelude.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerIt was pure golden-age Honda. The suspension was a control-arm setup, the steering was rack-and-pinion (a slightly quicker rack in the Type SH), and the chassis was notably stiffened over the previous-generation Prelude. Under the hood, a 2.2-liter four-cylinder offered decent torque for everyday driving duties, and made peak power of 200 horsepower at 7000 rpm. A modern Civic Si calls time at 6600 rpm, but the Prelude’s four will rev all the way past its 7400 rpm redline to an 8000 rpm fuel cut.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerIt feels quicker than it is, thanks to the noticeable switchover at 5250 rpm, when Honda’s well-known variable Valve Timing and Electronic Control (VTEC) kicks in. That little rush to redline is part of what makes driving a Prelude feel special, but overall it’s more the way the car works as a whole, each element fussed with to create a cohesive approach. It would not be a stretch to call it a “poor man’s NSX,” but it’s also a far more practical classic than the mid-engined Acura.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerThe only problem seems to be that not many Preludes have weathered the past 20 years, when they were just old, affordable Honda coupes. Not aged enough to become a classic, and offering VTEC performance during the height of compact performance enthusiasm brought on by the Fast and Furious movies was not a great recipe for survival. Finding a Prelude that someone hasn’t messed with is tough.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerThe good news here is that this one has just 47K miles on its odometer. It’s had some paintwork here and there, but no crash damage is reported on the Carfax, and the color combination of silver over black is both classic for the marque and hard-wearing. Keeping it looking like it just rolled off a lot in 2001 will be easy.Honda has kept silent about what kind of powertrain will be available in the new Prelude, but don’t hold your breath for a two-door Civic Type-R. There’s even a good chance the new car could be hybridized, or just get the Civic Si’s turbocharged 1.5-liter engine. The reborn Prelude may well be a fine car, but it has big shoes to fill.Instead, you can pick up a Prelude from the era when pretty much every Honda was something special. It’s past time the Prelude got its due as a collectible classic.The auction ends on August 13.Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

Overshadowed by its Geo Storm sibling and undermined by Isuzu’s focus on SUVs, the second-generation Impulse is a forgotten gem, and the all-wheel-drive RS Turbo is the fastest, rarest version.A high-tech pocket rocket, this Impulse also features a Lotus-tuned suspension, passive rear-wheel steering, anti-lock brakes, and a functional hood scoop.With just 27,000 miles on the clock, this is one of the nicest remaining examples of a fun, obscure, and very collectible car.For a car that struggled to get noticed when it was new, the second-generation Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo isn’t shy. It’s loud, raw, and quick, and if you’re behind one at a stoplight, it advertises its “all wheel drive/intercooled turbo” status right on the back in all-caps decals. There are also “Handling by Lotus” and “DOHC” badges on the sides. If Isuzu had added decals or plaques for all of this punchy pocket rocket’s laundry list of tech, it might have ended up looking like a Winston Cup car. Despite all those features, sporty looks, and an available shooting-brake body style, Isuzu sold fewer than 10,000 second-gen Impulses in the U.S. before it axed its car line in 1993. Despite that ignominious end, the Impulse went out with a bang. This 27,000-mile 1991 Impulse RS Turbo AWD for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is the ne plus ultra of Impulses. With 160 horsepower and moves to rival Integra GS-Rs and 240SXs, this unsung hero is one of just 600 U.S.-market turbos.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerThe Impulse’s problem was that its main adversary wasn’t the Integra or 240SX but the Geo Storm, its GM sibling from the start of development in 1985. GM owned 35 percent of Isuzu then, and the Storm would theoretically boost production and profits for Isuzu’s tiny car division, make replacing the aging first-generation Impulse easier, and provide Chevy with a fun, high-quality small coupe.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerIn reality, while the Geo didn’t get the Impulse’s best performance bits, it was cheaper, obviously related, and enjoyed a bigger dealer network and much more marketing budget. Geo sold 280,000 Storms while Impulses gathered dust. By 1991, Americans also thought of Isuzu as an SUV brand. They flocked to showrooms for the Amigo, Rodeo, and Trooper, not its cars. Meanwhile, Japan’s souring economy also meant poor sales at home, which led to the company’s 1992 decision to cancel its U.S. car line and ultimately stop building cars altogether.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerStill, Isuzu swung for the fences with the Impulse and Storm designs. The spaceship-like coupes were created under the eye of Isuzu’s Takao Honda, and the wagonback was sketched by one of Isuzu’s first female designers, Masayo Nagata. They had advice from high up, too, with GM design VP Chuck Jordan consulting on the designs at the firm’s Fujisawa studios. The Impulse looks more menacing, and those “eyebrow” lights resemble the Lamborghini Jarama’s.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerMechanically, they were just as bold, incorporating a Lotus-tuned suspension, Isuzu’s own Nishiboric passive rear-wheel steering, all-wheel drive with a 43:57 front-to-rear torque split, optional anti-lock brakes, and punchy twin-cam, 16-valve engines, including the optional 1.6-liter, 160-horse turbo. Lotus, also owned by GM back then, borrowed Isuzu’s turbo four and five-speed gearbox for the Elan M100 roadster.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerDelayed by labor shortages in Japan, the Impulse was introduced in 1989 but it didn’t arrive until the spring of 1990. That year, it came only as the XS coupe, with a 130-hp 1.6-liter twin-cam four, the Storm’s more powerful optional engine, and a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. In 1991, Isuzu added the wagonback XS and the all-wheel-drive RS Turbo coupe, which would be the two rarest versions, but the RS, while included in the 1992 brochure, lasted just that one year and only 600 were shipped over, all manuals.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerSprightly and grippy, the all-wheel-drive turbo was a genuinely entertaining car, as we discovered in an April 1992 comparo. It was noisy and unrefined, probably thanks to attempts to keep the price down, but it could certainly keep up with other rad-era rivals like the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Integra GS-R, and Honda Prelude. It’s still a fun ride with a devoted cult following today.The tribe of classic Isuzu owners is tight-knit, active, and inclusive, with a lively Facebook group (Isuzone) and regular drives. This car has been offered for sale in that group before and is considered to be one of the nicest, lowest-mileage RSs in existence. It rides on non-original wheels (the originals are included) and has lost its rear windshield wiper, but it’s otherwise a minter and ready to roll. Best of all, Impulses (and Storms) are hardy cars; they’re easy to live with, though their rarity makes some parts hard to get. If you’re ready to be Radwood royalty and enter the Isuzone, the auction ends on August 14. More

The Toyota Prius Prime and other plug-in hybrids are sluggish in EV mode in our acceleration testing.PHEVs are heavier than regular hybrids and have electric motors that aren’t as powerful as pure EVs, leading to slow 60-mph runs on electricity alone.In electric-only mode, the Prius Prime and other PHEVs took about twice as long to accelerate to 60 mph.Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).Plug-in hybrids such as the Toyota Prius Prime, for example, occupy the space between hybrid and electric vehicles. PHEVs have an internal-combustion engine that works with one or more electric motors (just like regular hybrids that don’t have a plug), but they also have a larger battery pack than a traditional hybrid to provide more electric-only range and the ability to plug in to recharge like an EV. While PHEVs might sound like the best of both worlds, it’s more complicated than that, especially since they’re usually heavier than hybrid equivalents yet their electric motors aren’t as mighty as EV alternatives. And for anyone who loves an electric car’s speedy acceleration, that sensation is lost in translation on plug-in hybrids when motivated by electricity alone. As our 60-mph acceleration testing reveals, PHEVs are downright slow in EV mode. The sprint to 60 mph is a staple of Car and Driver’s comprehensive testing regime, but when it comes to testing plug-in hybrids in electric-only mode, we’ve only done a few. That’s largely because automakers use different operating strategies. Some such as Toyota allow drivers to “lock” the powertrain into EV mode, whereas others such as Volvo lack a dedicated EV mode, meaning the gas engine fires up after a certain amount of throttle input. The latter makes achieving a credible electric-only 60-mph time very tedious.Still, to show how much more slowly PHEVs accelerate in EV mode, we collected test results from a Toyota Prius Prime, a BMW X5 xDrive50e, a Lexus RX450h+, and a Mercedes-Benz GLE450e. We tested all four in both hybrid and electric-only modes and found that when their gas engines were left offline, their 60-mph times roughly doubled.Toyota Prius PrimeThanks to its plug-in-hybrid powertrain, the Toyota Prius Prime is more powerful than the regular Toyota Prius, which is a traditional hybrid. Naturally, the Prime is quicker in hybrid mode, and its larger 10.3-kWh battery gives it an EPA-estimated electric driving range of up to 44 miles. However, the Prime’s plug-in system also makes it about 300 pounds porkier than its hybrid sibling. That added mass is motivated by an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. Paired with two electric motors, the Prime’s total system output is 220 horsepower. In hybrid mode, the front-wheel-drive Prime used all that to hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. However, that time stretched to a sluggish 11.7 seconds in EV mode, as our 3536-pound test car was propelled solely by a 161-hp electric motor driving the front wheels.Acceleration Times (Hybrid mode/EV mode)60 mph: 6.5 seconds/11.7 seconds 1/4-mile: 15.1 seconds at 94 mph/18.7 seconds at 75 mphLexus RX450h+Lexus subscribes to the same PHEV philosophy as its parent company, meaning its plug-in models have a dedicated EV mode just like Toyotas. The Lexus RX450h+ is, of course, a ritzier experience than the Prius—it’s quicker too. The mid-size luxury SUV has a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque. Helping juice those numbers to a combined 304 horses are three electric motors that draw from an 18.1-kWh battery. A pair of e-motors on the front axle generate 179 hp and 199 pound-feet, while a third motor with 53 hp and 89 pound-feet is attached to the rear axle and helps provide all-wheel drive. Flatten the RX450h’s throttle in hybrid mode and it hits 60 mph in 6.0 seconds. Switch to EV mode, and the electric motors need 10.6 seconds to move the 4866-pound plug-in-hybrid Lexus SUV to the same mark. Acceleration Times (Hybrid mode/EV mode) 60 mph: 6.0 seconds/10.6 seconds 1/4-mile: 14.6 seconds at 95 mph/17.7 seconds at 74 mphBMX X5 xDrive50eThe BMW X5 is a mid-size SUV with a plethora of powertrain options. These range from the standard 375-hp turbocharged inline-six to the 617-hp twin-turbo V-8 that motivates the hi-po X5 M. Somewhere in the middle is the plug-in-hybrid xDrive50e, which has a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six that makes 308 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. The gas engine partners with an electric motor that’s integrated into the housing of the eight-speed automatic transmission. Fed by a 19.2-kWh battery, the e-motor packs 194 horses and 280 pound-feet. Altogether, the X5’s plug-in-hybrid powertrain produces 483 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, which helps the all-wheel-drive SUV hit 60 mph in a hasty 3.9 seconds. Accelerating with electricity alone, the 5473-pound Bimmer reached 6o in 9.3 seconds, which is the quickest of the PHEV bunch we tested but slow, nonetheless. When in EV mode, the plug-in X5 can travel at speeds of up to 87 mph without the gas engine getting involved.Acceleration Times (Hybrid mode/EV mode) 60 mph: 3.9 seconds/9.3 seconds 1/4-mile: 12.5 seconds at 110 mph/16.9 seconds at 80 mphMercedes-Benz GLE450eThe Mercedes-Benz GLE450e is the plug-in-hybrid member of Mercedes’s mid-size luxury SUV lineup, and it has a 2.0-liter turbo four producing 248 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The gas engine pairs with a 23.3-kWh battery that feeds an electric motor making 134 horses and 325 pound-feet of torque. The PHEV GLE’s total output is 381 horsepower and 479 pound-feet. The hybrid all-wheel-drive setup shoved the 5940-pound Merc to 60 mph in a tidy 5.3 seconds. However, taking the gas engine out of the equation meant the trip to 60 took almost three times as long, with the mark arriving in 14.4 seconds, by far the slowest EV-only time of all four PHEVs we tested. For comparison, the similarly sized Mercedes-Benz EQE500 SUV, with its 402-hp dual-motor electric powertrain, sped to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.Acceleration Times (Hybrid mode/EV mode) 60 mph: 5.3 seconds/14.4 seconds 1/4-mile: 13.9 seconds at 99 mph/19.7 seconds at 69 mphMore PHEV ReadingEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More