Car Reviews

The previous-generation Mercedes-Benz GLA250 seemed conflicted about what it should be. It paired a carlike seating position and sporty hatchback driving verve with semi-butch exterior styling, and the result was a confusing product that failed to hit either mark. This time around, Mercedes decided to nudge the GLA closer to conventional crossover proportions, and that move paid off. The 2021 GLA is a more fully realized product, and it’s all the better for it.

HIGHS: Increased passenger and cargo space, sharp handling, modernized features.

Leaning into the SUV side of things strikes us as a smart move, as it means that the new GLA250 aims at the heart of the subcompact luxury SUV market by providing a more relaxed and more practical package. The roofline is still slightly lower than the angular GLB’s, but the expanded dimensions provide more space for people and cargo while aligning with the mini-SUV aesthetic.

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Mercedes-Benz

All Grown Up
For 2021, the GLA250 is for a more mature client. The suspension delivers a comfier ride that doesn’t punish occupants over potholes. And yet despite this softening, the GLA maintains much of the last generation’s lively handling, and its steering is just as crisp as we expected. BMW’s X1 and X2 SUVs offer a higher level of driving acuity, but the Mercedes still offers a satisfying experience behind the wheel.

Mercedes-Benz’s GLA250 Grows Up

2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class Caps Entry-Level Line

2021 GLA45 Shows AMG’s Wild Side

Whereas the old model felt like a car from behind the wheel, the 2021 GLA has a taller seating position that gives it a more upright feel. A major complaint with the last GLA-class was its tight rear-passenger area and compact cargo compartment. The new model’s increased height and width makes the rear seat feel significantly more spacious, and six carry-on suitcases fit in the cargo area, one more than the last generation.

LOWS: Not as quick as the last generation, fussy infotainment touchpad, confusingly similar to a GLB.

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Mercedes-Benz

Our test car—a well-equipped GLA250 4Matic that carried a sticker price of $49,310—came with the optional instrument panel featuring two 10.3-inch monitors, one serving as a reconfigurable instrument cluster and the other handling infotainment functions. This setup is found across the Mercedes-Benz lineup and gives the GLA an appropriately modern feel. The large displays are part of the Premium package ($1750), but the base model’s 7.0-inch screens serve the same purpose. Mercedes’s latest MBUX software interface is standard, for better or worse, and offers voice and touchpad controls—although we prefer to simply touch the display itself to interact with the system.
Cooled Jets
Quietly and smoothly toiling away under the GLA250’s hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that’s shared with the CLA-class sedan and the GLB-class SUV. It makes 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and is paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and, in the case of our test vehicle, all-wheel drive. (The non-4Matic model is front-wheel drive.) On the road, the GLA250 feels perky and quick, but its performance at our test track proved that it isn’t as rapid as the 2018 model we tested, which skipped to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds.

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Mercedes-Benz

The 2021 GLA250’s acceleration numbers are still competitive, though. It went from zero to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, just 0.1 second behind the last X2 we tested. The Mercedes is also neck and neck with the BMW through the quarter-mile, with the GLA posting a 14.8-second ET while hitting 94 mph. The X2 matches that time but falls 1 mph short of an outright tie. If the GLA250’s restrained performance doesn’t stir your sloejito, Mercedes is offering two AMG-tuned versions for this generation—the 302-hp GLA35 and the even hotter 382-hp GLA45.
The existence of the AMG-branded GLAs allows Benz to tune the 250 model for refinement and practicality while still offering the niche buyer a more performance-oriented option. Although the redesigned GLA250 has lost some of its sporty character in the transition to its second generation, it’s now a more compelling package thanks to improvements in nearly every other substantive metric.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED $49,310 (base price: $39,280)
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 122 in3, 1991 cm3Power 221 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque 258 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS Suspension (F/R): struts/multilinkTires: Continental ProContact GX SSR, 235/50R-19 99H M+S
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.4 inLength: 173.6 inWidth: 72.2 inHeight: 63.4 inCargo volume: 15 ft3Curb weight: 3689 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 6.3 sec100 mph: 17.2 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.9 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 sec1/4 mile: 14.8 sec @ 94 mphTop speed (mfr’s claim): 130 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 181 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 27/24/33 mpg

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

Smack in the middle of Mercedes’s engine lineup for the updated 2021 GLE-class is the brand’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. Set against the standard 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 with more than 600 ponies, the six’s smoothness and easy power make it a standout in the GLE53 coupe model.
The turbocharged six features a 48-volt motor-generator that delivers the 3.0-liter a silky smooth auto stop-start system and also fills in the gaps between nine-speed automatic transmission’s gear changes. The 48-volt system also powers an electric supercharger that helps feed boost before the turbocharger wakes up. The hybrid/supercharger combo yields a low-rpm surge that helps get the 5322-pound GLE off the line with satisfying authority.

HIGHS: Refined and silky inline-six, punchy acceleration, modern and high-budget interior.

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

Total engine power comes in at 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, numbers that fit in neatly between the GLE350’s 255 horsepower and the monstrous GLE63 S Coupe’s 603 ponies. The run to 60 mph takes 4.7 seconds, and the quarter-mile mark falls in 13.4 seconds at 103 mph. For something with abundant power and sporting intentions, top speed is limited to a not-so-AMG 112 mph.
A GLE53 opens at $77,495, but a list of options the size of a CVS receipt brought the total to $104,460. If that makes you think you’d rather forgo a host of options and instead spend an extra $10,000 to get a base $114,945 V-8-powered GLE63 S with a 3.4-second time to 60 mph, well, you’re not alone.

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

Tested: AMG GLE63 S Hits 60 in 3.4 Seconds

Mercedes GLE vs. BMW X5, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne

Fit and finish is certainly up to a six-figure standard. The digital cluster can be configured in a number of ways, from classic to ’80s video game. Compared to the GLE without a sloping roofline, there’s a five cubic-feet loss of cargo space behind the second row and 12 fewer cubic feet with the rear seats folded. From the driver’s seat, the view is identical to the regular GLE. There’s an expansive one-panel, two-screen infotainment setup running across the dashboard. Interacting with it can be done in a number of ways: You have the screen itself, which is touch sensitive, a touchpad ahead of the center armrest, and steering-wheel controls You can also wave your hand to control volume and skip songs, or you can summon the voice-control assistant by saying “Hey, Mercedes,” and then asking a question or stating a command.

LOWS: Opting for the coupe version costs $4150 and reduces practicality, optional extras can bring the total to more than six figures, BMW offers a twin-turbo V-8 at this price point.

Despite massive, staggered 22-inch wheels wrapped with steamroller Yokohama Advan Sport 107V summer rubber, when left in Comfort mode the GLE53 soaks up Midwestern roads in stride. Switching to Sport firms things up but not to the point of abuse. It’s best to save the very firm Sport Plus mode for newly paved roads. Pressed hard into corners, the GLE never feels unstable or tippy. Body roll is kept in tight check in Sport and Sport Plus, but at 0.88 g the lateral grip isn’t up to snuff with its competition despite the Yokohama summer tires. There’s not a ton of feedback through the steering, but if that’s what you crave, we might point you over to the Porsche store.

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

In addition to Porsche’s Cayenne coupe, the GLE53 will face the BMW X6 M50i and Audi Q8 in the let’s-call-it-a-coupe-even-though-it’s-clearly-a-four-door-SUV segment. In addition to the futuristic and plush interior, the GLE53’s inline-six distinguishes it from the competition. While it lacks the punch and power of the X6 M50i’s stunning V-8, the Benz’s engine has silken refinement and an electrically assisted power delivery that the V-6s from Porsche and Audi can’t match. Take it easy on the options, and the GLE53 carves out a space for itself below the mighty GLE63 S, or save yourself $4150 and buy the GLE53 with the regular roofline.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 Coupe
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED $104,460 (base price: $77,495)
ENGINE TYPE supercharged, turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 183 in3, 3000 cm3Power 429 hp @ 6100 rpmTorque 384 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
CHASSIS Suspension (F/R): multilink/multilinkBrakes (F/R): 15.8-in vented, cross-drilled disc/13.6-in vented discTires: Yokohama Advan Sport 107V, F: 285/40R-20 111Y MO 1 R: 325/35R-22 114T M0 1
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 115.6 inLength: 195.3 inWidth: 79.4 inHeight: 67.7 inCargo volume: 28 ft3Curb weight: 5322 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.7 sec100 mph: 12.5 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.7 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 3.4 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 4.0 sec1/4 mile: 13.4 sec @ 103 mphTop speed (governor limited): 112 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 156 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 gStanding-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg75-mph highway driving: 26 mpgHighway range: 580 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 20/18/23 mpg

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Jessica Lynn WalkerCar and Driver

If you didn’t rush out and buy a Toyota Supra last year, that’s okay. You still can. But now you’ll have to face a real-life game of “Would You Rather?” when it comes to propulsion: Would you rather have the 382-hp 3.0-liter inline-six or save $8000 and go for the new 255-hp 2.0-liter inline-four? For $4000 per extra cylinder, maybe just buy the four, slap some Celica badges on the thing, and own it.

HIGHS: BMW’s turbo four, lighter and $8000 less than the six.

Even down 127 horsepower on the six, the four-cylinder Supra is good fun. Its 295 pound-feet of torque boil up at 1550 rpm, helping the 2.0-liter feel brawny off the line. It’s helped by a curb weight some 170 pounds lighter than the six-cylinder Supra’s, a crash diet that prescribes both the cylinder removal and a smattering of good old-fashioned de-contenting. For instance, the four-cylinder model shares tire widths with the six—255s up front, 275s in back—but it rolls on 18-inch wheels instead of 19s. The front brake rotors are smaller, and the front calipers are single-piston units versus the six’s four-piston clampers. Its seats adjust manually rather than electrically. And Toyota also 86’d—no pun intended—the Supra’s electronically controlled limited-slip diff and adaptive dampers for 2.0 duty.

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Jessica Lynn WalkerCar and Driver

2021 Toyota Supra Makes Big Gains in Year Two

Tested: Supra 3.0 Gains Power and Refinement

At the test track, we measured a 4.7-second time to 60 mph, and the car covered the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 104 mph. That’s a bit slower than the six’s 3.8-second 60-mph dash and 12.1-second quarter-mile time, but the four is quick enough to save face with your ruthless JDM crew. The power deficit does change the way the Supra drives, though—not just in terms of straight-line speed but its handling as well. You’re not going to easily boot the tail out in slow corners for fun like you can do with the 3.0-liter car.

LOWS: Four-cylinder sound, auto only, isn’t a four-cylinder Supra a Celica?

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Jessica Lynn WalkerCar and Driver

Given that the four-cylinder model is visually all but indistinguishable from its six-cylinder kin, it will make a more affordable case for the folks who are keen to start modding their cars five minutes after they get home from the dealer. There’s no aesthetic shame in the Supra’s four-cylinder game. And a typical “stage one” aftermarket treatment (new intake and exhaust and an engine-computer reflash) will likely edge the BMW four’s power output to over 300 horsepower.
But even in stock form, the 2.0-liter car is a quick, fun rear-driver. As it turns out, a four-cylinder Supra is still a Supra and still a lot of sports car.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Toyota Supra 2.0
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED $47,430 (base price: $43,945)
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 122 in3, 1998 cm3Power 255 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 295 lb-ft @ 1550 rpm
TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic
CHASSIS Suspension (F/R): strut/multilinkBrakes (F/R): 13.0-in vented disc/13.0-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, F: 255/40ZR-18 (95Y) ★ R: 275/40ZR-18 (99y) ★
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 97.2 inLength: 172.5 inWidth: 73.0 inHeight: 51.1 inPassenger volume: 51 ft3Cargo volume: 10 ft3Curb weight: 3179 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.7 sec100 mph: 12.1 sec130 mph: 18.8 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 3.2 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 3.6 sec1/4 mile: 13.3 sec @ 104 mphTop speed (C/D est): 155 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 151 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 302 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.02 gStanding-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
 EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 27/24/32 mpg

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

There are two generally accepted schools of thought when it comes to using pies as economic metaphors. In the first, the pie is growing, so there’ll be enough for everyone, and you can achieve your business and financial goals just by going along for the ride. In the second, the pie is the same size as it always has been and always will be, and the only way to succeed is to take more of it for yourself. However, automotive executives in charge of crossover development have long been operating on a third paradigm: the idea that there are new pies being baked all the time and that grabbing a slice of a new pie is paramount.

HIGHS: Spacious inside, subdued three-cylinder, comfortable ride.

The 2020 Encore GX is Buick’s slice of a new pie. It shares its name with the tiny Encore, but it’s a different vehicle altogether and plays in a new segment slotted above the old Encore, which continues on, and below best-sellers such as the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. The GX offers a pair of three-cylinder powertrains, a comfortable interior, and plenty of cargo space. Buick reckons that the GX’s new segment—er, pie—will have 1.5 million customers worldwide.

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

A basic front-drive GX with a 138-hp 1.2-liter three-cylinder starts at $25,195, but add all-wheel drive, the 1.3-liter engine, the top Essence trim level, and a few more options, and you can get to our test car’s $35,720 price. Skip a few niceties, though, and it’s easy to come in at less than $30,000 for a well-equipped GX.

2020 Buick Encore GX Has Three-Cylinder Power

Buick Reveals More Details of 2020 Encore GX

2020 Buick Encore GX Priced Starting at $25,000

The GX isn’t very thrilling on paper. For starters, it’s a small crossover shaped like a potato. And even with the most powerful engine—a 1.3-cylinder with a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive—you only get 155 horsepower. It just doesn’t feel like that’s enough, and a 9.3-second run to 60 mph and a 17.0-second quarter-mile time aren’t even close to something we’d call quick. Merging onto a freeway from 50 to 70 takes a long 7.0 seconds, which is significantly slower than the far cheaper Hyundai Venue. At least the three-cylinder is quiet. At full throttle, it only raises its voice to 73 decibels, and a 70-mph cruise is a luxury-car-like 67 decibels, 2 quieter than the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which shares the Encore GX’s underpinnings and powertrains.

LOWS: Slow, not that much nicer than its less-expensive Chevrolet Trailblazer twin, a general lack of enthusiasm for existence.

We found ourselves working the tiny engine pretty hard to keep up with traffic. In our hands, it returned a lackluster 22 mpg, short of its EPA estimates of 26 city and 29 highway. It did better on our 200-mile loop at a steady 75 mph, where it hit 30 mpg.

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

Puny engine or not, the GX does shine in a number of areas. For starters, it’s significantly more spacious than the regular Encore. The GX has 24 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, 5 more than the Encore. The load floor can be adjusted up and down. There’s a movable and removable shelf in the cargo area that can make room for tall items. Our bet is most customers will leave that feature alone, but anyone who buys a ladder or moves across town will be grateful for the fold-flat front-passenger seat that allows long items to slide all the way to the dashboard. The GX also has a roomy rear seat, so the active-lifestyle buyer who Buick hopes will buy a GX can offer friends a comfortable ride to the trailhead, but a less Instagram-worthy life of Ubering seems more likely.
The GX comes equipped with the kinds of driver assistance and tech features that are increasingly expected. Forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, and automatic high-beams are all standard. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross-traffic assist, and a smattering of other convenience and safety tech are available. Buick has also partnered with Amazon to bring Alexa features into the car. Drivers who pair their phones via Bluetooth can get directions, make phone calls, and select and play audio using Alexa’s voice-recognition software. “Alexa, find the nearest pie shop.”

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Michael SimariCar and Driver

There are plenty of rational reasons to like the GX, but it fails to connect on an emotional level. The GX is boring. The ride is smooth, and the handling is controlled—we recorded 0.84 g of grip from the GX in our skidpad test—but it would never even occur to a GX driver to seek out a twisty road just for the fun of it. The three-cylinder’s torque peaks at 1600 rpm, so it moves off the line with some verve, but the engine’s enthusiasm runs out by about 4500 rpm. The design is entirely inoffensive, but it’s also bland. You’ll never look back at it after you park and think, “Hey, that’s a great-looking crossover.”
We realize that a lot of people buy boring cars. So we have every reason to believe that the Encore GX will succeed in taking a slice of this new pie. But you don’t have to buy a boring car. It’s okay to want more from your vehicle, even when that vehicle plays in this segment. Having fun and driving a practical crossover don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Just ask Mazda.

Specifications

Specifications
2020 Buick Encore GX AWD
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED $35,720 (base price: $27,095)
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC inline-3, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 82 in3, 1338 cm3Power 155 hp @ 5600 rpmTorque 174 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
CHASSIS Suspension (F/R): struts/torsion beamBrakes (F/R): 11.8-in vented disc/10.4-in discTires: Hankook Kinergy GT, 225/55R-18 98H M+S TPC SPEC 3139 MS
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 102.2 inLength: 171.4 inWidth: 71.4 inHeight: 64.1 inPassenger volume: 92 ft3Cargo volume: 24 ft3Curb weight: 3335 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 9.3 sec100 mph: 31.2 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 10.1 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 4.8 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 7.0 sec1/4 mile: 17.0 sec @ 80 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 174 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 gStanding-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 22 mpg75-mph highway driving: 30 mpgHighway range: 390 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 28/26/29 mpg

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While America at large has fallen out of love with the station wagon, a small group of enthusiasts and devotees keeps the genre alive in the United States. It’s a mostly affluent crowd, with the remaining long-roof options coming from the likes of Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. But even those holdouts have tacitly acknowledged that to sell Americans a wagon, you might need to pretend it’s something else, namely, a crossover. This means adding fender flares, body cladding, and off-road pretensions, as exemplified by the Audi Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country. Mercedes, which nobly resisted this trend (in the U.S., anyway), now recasts the faithful E-class wagon as the All-Terrain. Allroad, All-Terrain, all right, let’s bolt on the lift kit.

2021 Mercedes E-Class Wagon Succumbs to Cladding

Our Mercedes E450 Wagon Was a Love Story

The All-Terrain’s been available in Europe since 2017, but since it was diesel only, we didn’t get it in the U.S. The Volkswagen diesel scandal has terrified every German carmaker. Petrified by VW’s plight, Mercedes purged the All-Terrain’s diesels from the order sheets, and there went the car’s chances for a U.S. launch. But now Daimler’s added an attractive gasoline engine to its European lineup, and that’s the one that will be exported to the States. Meet the Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic All-Terrain.
Compared to the lower version of the E-class—which lives on in the Mercedes-AMG E63 S model—the All-Terrain is distinguished by its increased ground clearance and its unpainted front, rear, and side cladding, which lends it a somewhat rugged appearance. The simulated underfloor protection, which Benz calls a “stylized skid plate” is executed in a mirror chrome finish.

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Mercedes-Benz

The E450 All-Terrain is not all show. Its minimum ground clearance is about two inches more than the 3.7 inches afforded by the 2020 wagon, and its air springs can raise the body to a higher level than on the regular E-class. There are two specific off-road drive modes that sense slippery and rough surfaces and react accordingly. While not a true off-roader, this car will be able to travel farther off pavement than most owners will ever dare to go. Dirt roads, mud, and snow can be more easily traversed in this E-class, and that capability could turn it into a favorite in zip codes that combine bad weather with high median income.
With the exception of the slightly elevated seating position, the All-Terrain’s on-road driving experience is virtually identical to that of the regular E450. The infotainment system and user interface have been significantly upgraded as well, but we have a particular gripe: Unlike the previous twist-and-push scroll knob, the new console-mounted touchpad lacks grace in operation, requiring constant corrections and far more driver attention. At least the central screen is touch sensitive, and you don’t need to learn a car-specific dialect to use the cloud-based “Hey Mercedes” voice command system. But we hear that Mercedes-Benz is contemplating bringing the pre-facelift system back to some markets, and we certainly hope the U.S. is among them.

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Mercedes-Benz

While a diesel would perfectly suit this wagon’s attitude, the hybridized inline-six on the E450 All-Terrain is a very appealing powerplant as well. Emitting a silky purr, it cranks out 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque channeled to all four wheels through Mercedes-Benz’s homegrown nine-speed automatic transmission. There’s also a 21-horsepower starter-generator dubbed EQ Boost that fills in low-end torque with an additional 184 pound-feet. All of this translates into quick reflexes and a sprint from zero to 60 mph in an estimated 5.0 seconds, despite the All-Terrain’s crossover-like heft (4600 pounds). Top speed is governed at 155 mph in Germany, but we suspect the inevitable all-season tires will serve as an excuse to keep U.S.-market models to a maximum of 130 mph.
The standard air springs help make the All-Terrain a supremely comfortable long-distance cruiser. The setup is on the plush side, but this car is happy to play in the corners as well. It’s spacious, too. At 194.8 inches long—half an inch longer than the GLE-class SUV—it offers plenty of space for all seats. Well, except maybe the third row, which faces the rear and folds out from the floor. Those two seats are best used as a perch from which kids can make faces at the driver behind you, in time-honored station-wagon fashion.

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Mercedes-Benz

As with the other E-classes, road and wind noise is effectively squelched, and the driving experience is altogether luxurious. The materials are of high quality, but we lament the fact that there’s no interior option that reflects the All-Terrain’s rugged pretensions. We mean, maybe not offer a hose-it-out interior, but surely they could hide a hatchet and a snakebite kit in there somewhere, or set up a collaboration with Jack Wolfskin. Outside, the colors are carried over from the regular E-class as well, and the 15-spoke wheels have about three times too many spokes for a rim that’s supposed to connote rough-and-ready outdoor adventures. It would be good if Daimler offered a few earthy colors and wheel designs that would look a bit more at home in the dirt.
It’s hard to say whether the E450 All-Terrain will make customers fall in love again with the station wagon. But we think it has a better chance than the regular wagon. And we think it is good enough to get a few GLE customers to reconsider how high they need to ride. We expect pricing to start near $70,000 when the All-Terrain makes it to dealers at the end of this year.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic All-Terrain
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE $69,000
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 183 in3, 3000 cm3Power 362 hp @ 6100 rpmTorque 369 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 115.7 inLength: 194.8 inWidth: 73.7 inHeight: 58.9 inCargo volume: 35 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 4600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 5.0 sec100 mph: 12.5 sec1/4 mile: 13.4 secTop speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 24/21/28 mpg

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Automakers have long played on often tangential connections between race cars and their roadgoing equivalents, but the similarities are rarely more than skin deep. Not here. The McLaren 620R is very much the real deal, effectively the company’s GT4 competition-spec racer modified just enough to make it street legal. You can even order it wearing factory-applied sponsor graphics.
Those who have the stamina to keep pace with McLaren’s relentless launch schedule will remember the company already made a track-focused version of the Sports Series: the 600LT. The LT was great fun to fling around a race circuit, but it did so as an enthusiastic amateur. The 620R is a professional, playing in a different league and possibly even a different sport.

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McLaren

McLaren 620R Makes Standard Sport Series Look Mild

The Great Compromise: McLaren 600LT vs. GT

Not that this is achieved without cost. On road, the 620R is close to terrible in terms of noise and refinement. The cabin is filled with buzz and vibration at even modest speeds—the carpet and glovebox have been removed to save weight, and the residual soundproofing keeps out noise about as well as a screen door would. Beyond the lack of a roll cage, the view from the driver’s seat is essentially identical to that from the GT4’s.
Even with the 620R’s motorsport-grade adjustable suspension fully softened—something that needs to be done by clicking a valve on the dampers rather than with a button on the console—the ride is punishing. Sitting in the tight-fitting carbon-fiber bucket seat over rough tarmac gives an experience similar to one of the more vigorous massage functions in a luxury sedan. Buyers in the United States will get an integrated roof scoop air intake as standard, one that adds a Darth Vader-ish induction roar to the sensory overload. Full credit to whoever at McLaren had the keen sense of humor to specify the car we drove with the Bowers & Wilkins speaker upgrade, a $4410 option. Beyond 50 mph, a $20 set of headphones would be a better choice.

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McLaren

Of course, the 620R is hugely fast but not significantly more so than any of McLaren’s many other hugely fast options. It uses the same 3.8-liter V-8 base engine as the 570S but turned up to produce 612 horsepower—50 more than the lesser car. McLaren says that the 620R will be able to blast its way from rest to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, from zero to 124 mph in 8.1 seconds, and on to a top speed (with the adjustable wing in its lowest downforce setting) of 200 mph. At everyday road speeds the 620R feels as if it has barely woken up, with grip levels from the standard Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires huge enough to preclude any sane attempts to discover their limits. Good thing it’s easy to outpace your fellow motorists, since the vast wing removes a significant amount of rearward visibility.
Yet once in its natural environment—a racetrack—the 620R becomes truly special. McLaren is offering the option of Pirelli slick tires on the same-size 19- and 20-inch rims as the street-legal Trofeo Rs. This means that, providing they have sent the race tires ahead, owners can drive to a favored circuit, swap their wheels, manually crank up the dampers, and then head straight out. (It is possible to specify the three-stage adaptive dampers of the regular Sports Series in place of the motorsport units, but that largely misses the point of the car.)

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McLaren

On track—Norfolk’s fast-but-technical Snetterton circuit—the now slick-shod 620R proves itself to be more of a surgical tool than a blunt weapon. It feels every bit as quick as its raw performance numbers suggest. It actually has considerably more power than the GT4 racer it is based on, which always delivers less than 500 horsepower to comply with GT regulations meant to balance the various manufacturers’ performance. The 620R’s iteration of McLaren’s 3.8-liter V-8 might be the most savage-sounding one so far, loud and animalistic even when experienced through the padding of a helmet. Changes from the dual-clutch transmission are ferociously fast, and the carbon-ceramic brake rotors prove tireless under even the hardest use.

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McLaren

The slick tires offer a relatively modest increase in peak performance over the Trofeo Rs (a 4-percent improvement on lateral G, according to McLaren), but they are much more tolerant of prolonged high-speed loadings. Grip felt predictably huge once they had been brought up to temperature, but it was soon clear that the 620R was less than tolerant of mistakes caused by enthusiastic over-driving. Getting on the gas too early in Snetterton’s tighter turns resulted in apexes missed by some embarrassingly wide margins, although traction was tremendous and the stability through faster corners impeccable. Even with the rear wing in its intermediate setting and producing less than its peak 408 pounds of downforce, the additional grip afforded by the aerodynamics was evident.
Despite its zany decals, the 620R is lacking the sense of fun we’ve found in less single-minded McLarens, a list that includes the well-rounded talents of the 600LT. It’s a car aimed at those who are deadly serious about going quickly, those who would rather have the fastest times at the track day rather than the most fun. But if you want to experience a McLaren race car in the real world without the need to put on flameproof coveralls or those cute little racing boots, this is a lot less expensive than a Senna. You’re more likely to see a Senna on the road, too, as Woking plans to build just 350 620Rs, 150 fewer examples than it plans for the Senna, making this Sport Series one of the rarest McLarens ever.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 McLaren 620R
VEHICLE TYPE mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE $280,000
ENGINE TYPE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement 232 in3, 3799 cm3Power 612 hp @ 7500 rpmTorque 457 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 105.1 inLength: 179.4 inWidth: 76.6 inHeight: 47.0 inCargo volume: 4 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 3100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 2.8 sec100 mph: 5.9 sec1/4 mile: 10.3 secTop speed: 200 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 18/15/22 mpg

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

Details on the new 2021 Ford Bronco have been trickling out slowly, ahead of the truck hitting showrooms next year. From its initial reveal to the many hidden Easter eggs to Ford’s parade of accessory-laden concepts, anticipation is boiling over—to the point that more than 165,000 hand raisers have already put their name (and $100) down for one. While the hype will surely continue until we actually drive the new Bronco in a few months, we can confirm a new key piece of info after briefly riding in an early pre-production model: It’s going to be as good off-road as we thought it might be.

New Bronco Is Here—It’s Everything You Hoped For

Ford Shows New Bronco Adventure Concepts

Our passenger-seat time was limited, lasting only 10 minutes over roughly two miles of trails and obstacles in southeastern Michigan’s Holly Oaks ORV Park. Our ridealong was in a two-door Badlands model, one of the Bronco’s more dedicated off-road configurations with 33-inch all-terrain tires, electronically locking front and rear differentials, and a hydraulically actuated front anti-roll bar disconnect. An available Sasquatch package with 35-inch mud-terrain rubber looks very imposing. The Bronco’s standard 270-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four with a seven-speed manual transmission got us around. A two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with its standard 285-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and six-speed stick serves as the closest point of reference.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

The Bronco’s larger dimensions versus the Wrangler are immediately apparent. At 100.4 inches, the two-door Bronco’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than the Jeep’s, and the Badland’s 76.3-inch width is 2.5 inches wider than the Rubicon’s. It’s not full-size-pickup big, but expect to incur some woodlands pinstriping when branches claw into the paint on narrow two-tracks.
The larger size means more interior space than the Jeep. You won’t feel crowded by the dashboard or rub elbows with the front-seat passenger. However, we did find the sharp-edged lid of the Bronco’s center-console bin to be ideally positioned for whacking your funny bone. Passenger grab handles on the dash and console are welcome if a bit of a stretch to reach. This is a prototype, so it’s not up to production levels of fit and finish, but the Bronco’s switchgear and ergonomic layout are familiar Ford fare, and everything we touched and looked at seemed satisfyingly utilitarian. Smart packaging results in an impressive amount of room to stretch out in the back seat of the two-door, along with a decently sized cargo hold.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

From our experience with the latest Wrangler and our ride in the Bronco, it seems like the Bronco is more stable, likely due to its wider stance and independent front suspension. A Wrangler may have a similarly high degree of capability in the dirt, but its solid front axle inhibits ride quality, and its recirculating-ball steering makes for a vague front end. The last two-door Rubicon we drove felt spooky enough at speed to warrant two hands on the wheel and didn’t inspire a lot of confidence when sliding around on dirt roads.
From the right seat, the Bronco felt planted and composed—and rather comfortable—as the driver tossed it into tight, sandy switchbacks and drifted up hillsides. Granted, the carefully laid-out course at Holly Oaks was no Rubicon Trail, which Ford’s development drivers have already conquered in the Bronco. But the venue did reveal the Badlands’ agility and body control, as well as good bump absorption on hard hits. To drive that home, our driver bounced over a couple of angled concrete slabs.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

The controls for the locking diffs and disconnecting anti-roll bar are located on the center stack and within easy reach. The disconnect was only activated once during our stint to highlight the Bronco’s wheel articulation over chassis-twisting ridges, but the rear locker was a boon for traction in the soft sand. The G.O.A.T. (Go Over Any Terrain) terrain-mode selector dial (with seven settings in the Badlands) is placed on the console behind the shift lever, although our entire trek was done in the Sand mode.
With 310 pound-feet of torque, the 2.3-liter four has plenty of low-down grunt yet still pulled well at higher revs as we crested steep ascents. We can’t comment yet on the optional 310-hp 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 nor on the available 10-speed automatic, which comes standard with the six and is optional on the four. The most that we could gather about the seven-speed manual is that it seemed to easily slot into gear. The stick’s dogleg first gear serves as an ultra-low “crawler” ratio and works well for slow, technical driving over rocks and ruts.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

Ford also let us ride in the Bronco Sport Badlands. For something based on the Escape and without the long-travel suspension and big tires of the big Bronco, the “baby Bronco” surprised us with its sure-footed capability as it tackled some of the same trails as the big truck. Fitted with the optional 250-hp 2.0-liter four and eight-speed automatic, the pre-production Sport had plenty of power. But more interesting was the deep, throaty engine note that played through its stereo speakers and gave the impression of more than four cylinders under the hood. The Ford folks we pressed for an explanation were stingy on specifics but noted that the Sport is closer to production than the prototype two-door we experienced. The prototype’s 2.3-liter four had the buzzy thrum of a four-cylinder Mustang, but it’s likely that it’ll sound better when it reaches production. Here’s hoping the production Bronco sounds as tough as the Sport.
We won’t be able to verify that until we drive the Bronco ourselves next year. And we won’t know for certain how it compares to the Wrangler until we hit the sand, mud, and trails with them both side by side. But our preview ride did put to rest any doubts that Ford is serious about fighting the Wrangler in the dirt and on the trails.
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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

After patiently waiting more than two decades for the Toyota Supra’s return, maybe you were so excited about the new one that you put money down to secure an early example. Possibly you even paid more than sticker price to be first. If this describes you, if you’re among the 4100 people in the United States who bought a 2020 Supra, then Toyota’s changes for the 2021 model year are going to hurt.

We Dyno Tested 2021 Toyota Supra, Found More Power

2021 Toyota Supra Gets Turbo 4, More Powerful I-6

First, a small bit of good news for you first-year buyers: There aren’t a lot of visible differences between the 2020 and 2021 cars, so you’re not missing out there. But the new one does get aluminum braces that tie together the strut towers and core support, borrowed from the BMW Z4 M40i version of this car. It also sees a healthy boost of 47 more horses for the six-cylinder model, to 382 horsepower, and Toyota added a 255-hp four-cylinder to the menu.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

HIGHS: More powerful six, hits 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, Toyota’s version of a BMW is better than BMW’s.

For the six, that jump in power over last year’s 335-hp rating consists of more than just software changes to the BMW-sourced turbocharged 3.0-liter. It uses a new cylinder head with a fully separate exhaust manifold—the 2020’s is partially integrated—and has revised pistons to reduce the compression ratio from 11.0:1 to 10.2:1. The drop in cylinder pressure is offset by increased boost from a larger turbocharger. And if BMW’s recent revisions to similar engines in its lineup are anything to go by, then this inline-six likely has a stronger crankshaft, too.
The result is an impressive 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. If those numbers sound familiar, that’s because those outputs are identical to the Z4 M40i’s. It appears the Germans may have wanted to hold back their best stuff, at least initially, because Toyota tells us it couldn’t get this engine for the 2020 Supra.

LOWS: Had to wait a year to get the best stuff, still looks odd from some angles.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

From the first poke of the accelerator, the difference is not obvious. There’s still no manual transmission, but the eight-speed automatic’s 2000-rpm launch-control limiter makes getting to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds easy. That time, however, is 0.1 second slower than before. The 3.0-liter pulls hard across the entire sweep of the tach to the 7000-rpm redline. The extra power is more clearly seen at higher speeds. The quarter-mile passes in 12.1 seconds at 117 mph, a tenth of a second quicker and 4 mph faster than the 2020 car. We also noted that the engine’s exhaust note is more mature, Toyota having toned down the crackle-and-pop theatrics a bit.
Steering responses feel a hair crisper, as Toyota revised the steering calibration to make the effort buildup more linear as cornering loads increase. The electronically controlled dampers receive some massaging, and on our favorite roads, the updated Supra doesn’t bottom out its suspension as often when flung into high-speed heaves. Its tail end also remains glued to the ground under hard cornering, which is new. There’s more understeer on the skidpad, which resulted in a reduction in grip, from 1.07 g’s down to 1.02.

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Marc UrbanoCar and Driver

For a car this powerful and quick, the Supra is remarkably efficient. The EPA estimates the revised 3.0-liter will achieve 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, down 2 and 1 mpg, respectively, from the 2020’s numbers. Our test car averaged 22 mpg over 350 miles of driving that included plenty of full-throttle hits, and on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, it managed an excellent 34 mpg. Last year’s Supra achieved 36 mpg in the same test.
The more powerful 2021 model might not sit well with last year’s Supra buyers, but new owners might someday come to feel a tinge of regret, too, as Toyota says it’s far from done with the Supra. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying the fun now. The new Supra goes on sale in August and will start at $51,945, $1000 more than last year’s model—a minor price bump for a more powerful engine.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Toyota Supra 3.0
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED $52,440 (base price: $51,945)
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 183 in3, 2998 cm3Power 382 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 368 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic
CHASSIS Suspension (F/R): struts/multilinkBrakes (F/R): 13.7-in vented disc/13.0-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, F: 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) ★ R: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) ★
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 97.2 inLength: 172.5 inWidth: 73.0 inHeight: 50.9 inPassenger volume: 51 ft3Cargo volume: 10 ft3Curb weight: 3347 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 3.8 sec100 mph: 8.8 sec130 mph: 15.2 sec150 mph: 21.9 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.4 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 2.7 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 2.7 sec1/4 mile: 12.1 sec @ 117 mphTop speed (governor limited): 160 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 152 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 304 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.02 gStanding-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 22 mpg75-mph highway driving: 34 mpgHighway range: 460 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 25/22/30 mpg

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