Back in 2011, Volkswagen announced that it would call its new big sedan for the United States market the Passat. VW’s new Tennessee-build sedan might have had the same name as the Passat in Europe, but the two cars were different. America’s Passat would be a spacious and affordable four-door. Europe’s Passat would be a […] More
The formula for making a luxury hybrid vehicle generally entails taking a model’s most powerful gas engine and adding even more power via an electric motor or two. Voila, there’s your brand’s flagship. Volvo knows what we’re talking about. So does Lincoln. You want the top-spec Porsche Panamera? That’ll be the 677-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid. […] More
Less is more, or so they say. But they are not us. After sitting out a season, the inconspicuous Audi S7 returns to the roster rendered in sharper sheetmetal, overflowing with tech, and sporting two fewer cylinders. We take issue with that last bit. Listen, we like V-8s and the music their pistons mosh to. […] More
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata hybrid has a pretty face. And although it’s poor form to comment on such things, it has a pretty backside, too. It’s probably okay when it’s a car, though. Polite or not, we’d hate to get so caught up in the Sonata’s looks that we fail to appreciate what’s on its […] More
Born as the upscale derivative of the classless Volkswagen Golf, the Audi A3 has led a bit of a duplicitous life. Critics might call it badge engineering because deep down it’s a people’s car. But it’s more than badge engineering. The A3 looks, feels, and acts like a different car. The things you see and […] More
Seven long years into its production run, the Maserati Ghibli S Q4 GranSport still looks lean, mean, and ready to pounce. Its wide haunches, pavement-scraping nose, and aggressive headlights still project enough presence to get people’s attention. In this time of social distancing, neighbors out for walks waved and called out their approval from afar […] More
This is a story about $10,000. That’s the difference in base price between the 2020 Audi S6 sedan and its almost mechanically identical brother, the sleeker, swoopier, sexier S7 luxo-hatch. How much is sleek, swoop, and sexy worth? Before speculating about the relative worth of seductive styling, we’re going to dig into the extensive technology […] More
Giant sequoias can live for more than 3000 years and grow taller than 300 feet. The Toyota Sequoia can go more than 12 years without a redesign and weigh more than 6000 pounds. Giant sequoias rely on fire for regeneration, while Toyota Sequoias rely on special editions to stay relevant. That’s why there’s now a […] More
