Car Reviews

The Subaru Crosstrek looks like it knows no boundaries. Chunky black hexagons spill out of the center of its grille, and matte plastic clads all the sharp body lines on the tiny SUV. Inside, the five-seater easily becomes a two-seater, with the rear seatbacks flipping down to welcome most of the popular adventure props. All your canoes and tents that don’t fit in the back can go up top. If it could speak, the Crosstrek would say, “Go forth boldly, fear no bears or rock chips!” Its confidence is charming, if ambitious. For 2024, the Crosstrek hasn’t gone for radical changes so much as small but needed improvements. For the first time, it offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The newest version of EyeSight’s driver-assist safety suite has a wider field of view, to sooner warn of bicyclists or cross traffic. The respectable fuel economy (an EPA-rated 26-27 mpg city/33-34 highway/29 combined) remains, and the $26,290 starting point is unchanged. The Premium version we drove, with a power sunroof, blind-spot detection, and the All-Weather package still came in under $30,000, which is a lot of good vibes for the money. SubaruSubaru has been perfecting its car-dressed-up-as-a-rugged-SUV ever since it first put two-tone paint on the Impreza in 1996. The 2024 Crosstrek drapes new sheetmetal over a stiffened chassis, adds some padding to its seats, and quiets down the cabin so you can better hear the REI podcast on your way to work. The manual transmission has been dropped, but there are otherwise no major powertrain changes, as the Crosstrek’s base and Premium trims come with the same 2.0-liter flat-four as before, while the Sport and Limited get a 2.5-liter version with an extra 30 horsepower. Our first drive sat us behind the wheel of a Crosstrek Premium in Offshore Blue Metallic—picture the navy-tinted gray of a lake under an overcast sky—and sent us on a day-long meander through California’s Joshua Tree National Park and out onto some nearby backcountry OHV trails. On the road, the Crosstrek rolls into the corners and takes a second to power out of them. The 2.0-liter has never been a performance star, and with no change in horsepower and a slight bump in weight, it’s unlikely the new Crosstrek will improve much on the 9.2-second 60-mph time we recorded with a 2018 model. The new Crosstrek will, however, get there with much less cacophony than before. We’ve previously lamented the drone of the Crosstrek’s CVT and the howl of the overworked boxer engine. The improvement for 2024 is noticeable. The faux shifts of the CVT are softer, both physically and aurally, and while the engine still uses all of its 152 horses and 145 pound-feet of torque to reach freeway speed, it’s now possible to have a conversation inside while this is happening. Joshua Tree is notoriously windy—we once saw a raven suspended midair, wings a-flapping with no forward motion—but none of the desert maelstrom made its way into the cabin. And the broken, gravelly pavement was more apparent through the windshield than through the seats. The softer ride comes from several changes. First, the seats themselves. Subaru added more bolstering and support to both the seat bottom and back, and the resulting chairs are plump and pleasant. Underneath the Crosstrek’s new seats, you’ll find the Subaru Global Platform. The new chassis uses more structural adhesive and additional weld points to increase crash safety and ride quality. Making the car’s structure stiffer means the suspension can be softened to better absorb bumps. The result is a mixed bag for the Subie. The Crosstrek rides wonderfully on pavement and cushions vibration on dirt, but it’s easy to reach full compression with an enthusiastic approach to even a small rise or pothole, resulting in the uninspiring thud and scrape of a tire at the top of a wheel well.SubaruThat’s not to say it’s asphalt-only, though. The Crosstrek offers 8.7 inches of ground clearance, more than competitors such as the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3. All-wheel drive comes standard, and the 50/50 split that used to be the car’s baseline power delivery between front and rear has been electronically “loosened” to make for smoother turns and faster reactions to a loss of traction. X-Mode is an easy tap on the center touchscreen and includes hill-descent control and hill-start hold. At slow speeds, the Crosstrek is happy to climb sandy hills and straddle small ravines. The Crosstrek gets the electronically assisted steering rack from the WRX, bigger brakes, and an electronic brake booster, so steering and brake feel are better on any surface. Subaru’s interiors are rarely stunners, tending toward muted fabrics and black plastic. The Crosstrek is serviceable, with the occasional fun design Easter egg, like the mountain peaks at the bottom of the cupholders or the stylized river running across the cargo floor. The tall gear selector takes up most of the center console, leaving room for an optional inductive phone charging pad in front and a wallet-and-keys-sized storage compartment behind. Door pockets are generous, as befits a car that promises room for 35 cups worth of thermal water bottles. The rear seats offer good legroom, although the sloped roof cuts into head space. The rear hatch opens wide, making it easy to load the cargo hold. The rubber-floored space provides 20 cubic feet with the rear seats up, 55 with them lowered. It’s also a nice height to sit on while eating a sandwich and watching rock climbers brave dizzying perches. Even if you’re not into tailgating, your dog will appreciate the short leap up. Having a Crosstrek in your driveway is like keeping a fishing pole in the living room or a mountain bike in your kitchen. You may not be about to run out the door and into the outback, but it tells people that you like to. The 2024 Crosstrek 2.0-liter is still a slow and mostly road-bound commuter, but it’s a friendly, and now quieter, way to get to work, and one that could easily take you out of the city on weekends. Keep a pair of hiking boots in the trunk if you need to go deeper into the woods. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0-literVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $26,290; Premium, $27,440
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 122 in3, 1995 cm3Power: 152 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 145 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 105.1 inLength: 176.4 inWidth: 70.9 inHeight: 63.6 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55–56/44 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 55/20 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 9.3 sec1/4-Mile: 17.4 secTop Speed: 120 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 29/27/34 mpgSenior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews.    More

“Electrification” can be a catch-all term for hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles. If you think in terms of hybrids, Lexus is a longtime leader in electrification given that its RX hybrid dates back to 2005, making it the first hybrid from a luxury brand. But if you think of electrification as the move to EVs, the picture changes. Lexus is just now introducing its first EV, the RZ450e, in the U.S., and its underwhelming stats betray the fact that Lexus—and parent company Toyota—has been an unenthusiastic conscript in the march to battery propulsion.As you might expect, the RZ is based on the e-TNGA architecture of the recently introduced Toyota bZ4X. It shares the Toyota’s 112.2-inch wheelbase, but the Lexus is about five inches longer and fractionally lower and wider. Within the Lexus family, the RZ is a few inches shorter in length and lower than the RX, while it sits astride the same wheelbase. Looking out at rival EVs, the Lexus casts a larger shadow than the Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60, Mercedes-Benz EQB, and Volvo XC40 Recharge, about matches the size of the Tesla Model Y, and takes up a bit less garage space than the Cadillac Lyriq. RZ450e DesignWithout the need to feed air to a large radiator, the eye-searing Lexus “spindle” grille is absent, although the shape is mimicked in the sculpting of the front end. A small air inlet below suffices for the RZ’s cooling needs, and it includes grille shutters. An optional illuminated Lexus logo ($200) in the nose of the car makes up for some of the missing bling factor. A blacked-out C-pillar is standard, and buyers can also opt for a more extensive two-tone treatment that has the roof, the center section of the hood, and the blanked-out front grille space also in gloss black ($1200). The styling overall is recognizably Lexus, with detailing that’s more subtle than that of its showroom mates. The trailing edge of the roofline, which extends rearward jutting out from the body, constitutes the biggest design flourish, but that oddity is only discernible from the rear.Related StoriesInside, we find a comfortable, welcoming space for five. The rear seat boasts plenty of kneeroom and a flat floor. Narrow A-pillars and decently large windows make for good visibility. The RZ cabin offers minimal adornment, upscale materials, and typically impressive Lexus build quality. In keeping with the green theme, there’s no leather upholstery option: The Premium version features the brand’s NuLuxe synthetic leather, while the Luxury model gets a rich-looking Ultrasuede. Like the bZ4X, the Lexus offers radiant heating elements in the lower dash to warm front-seat occupants’ legs (the feature is optional on the Premium, standard on the Luxury). As a result, there’s no glovebox, but there’s a cubby under the center console along with the usual covered bin and forward tray. A dual-pane panoramic sunroof is standard across the board, while the Luxury’s optional Dynamic Sky version gets electronically dimmed glass that goes from transparent to opaque. LexusThe driver faces a padded three-spoke steering wheel or, optionally, a steering yoke (more on that in a bit). The latter gets a repositioned instrument cluster that’s slightly higher and farther away; all versions have digital instrumentation. The RZ also introduces a dial shifter. The 14.0-inch touchscreen that’s optional in the RX is standard here, and it incorporates most climate controls, including a touch slider for fan speed (there are knobs for temperature and buttons for the front and rear defrosters). You also select drive modes on the screen. There is, thankfully, a volume knob, along with a smattering of buttons on the center dash and console. Smartphone mirroring is wireless.”Hey Lexus” summons voice recognition to work the infotainment, navigation, and climate controls—provided the car has an active Drive Connect subscription. Smartphone-as-key functionality is another subscription-based feature, this one requiring Remote Connect, which also provides the ability to remotely start/stop/monitor charging, lock/unlock the doors, start the car, and set the climate control.Disappointing EV StatsInitially, the RZ450e will be offered in dual-motor, all-wheel-drive form only. (A single-motor version with front-wheel drive is likely to join later.) Compared to its dual-motor Toyota sibling, the Lexus gets a more muscular front motor, which ups total output to 308 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. That’s a healthy increase over the Toyota’s weak-sauce 214 horses, and it compares favorably to dual-motor versions of the EQB, Q4, and the (base) GV60. But it’s well shy of more performance-oriented dual-motor EVs like the Model Y, the Jaguar I-Pace, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the higher-trim GV60, and the Lyriq.The RZ’s battery pack is lifted directly from the bZ, and it’s modestly sized with an estimated usable capacity of 63.4 kWh. As a result, the RZ’s EPA-estimated range is just 196 miles for the Luxury trim with 20-inch wheels and 220 miles for the entry-level Premium version on 18s. Might Lexus introduce a larger-capacity battery? Unfortunately, we’re told the e-TNGA platform can’t accommodate a larger pack unless the wheelbase is stretched.Note, however, that the RZ’s EPA numbers are with the car in Normal drive mode. There are also Sport, Eco, and Range modes, and the latter two should wring more miles out of a charge. The extra distance is highly situational, but as an example, on our drive with the battery showing three-quarters charge, the display estimated 117 miles in Normal mode, 123 miles in Eco mode, and 158 miles in Range mode. A major difference between the modes is that Range disables the air conditioner; other changes include steering effort and accelerator mapping.When it comes time to recharge, the RZ again lags behind its rivals. Its onboard charger, also lifted from the bZ4X, is rated at just 6.6 kW—compare that to 9.6 kW for the EQB, 10.9 kW for the GV60, 11.0 kW for the Q4 and XC40, and 19.2 kW for the Lyriq. A full recharge using a Level 2 source should take 9.5 hours. The RZ’s maximum charging rate is 150 kW, and Lexus says that a DC fast-charger will take a fully depleted battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. As a workaround to the RZ’s range limitations, a program called Lexus Reserve offers owners 30 days of free Lexus rental cars over the course of three years.Drives Like a LexusThe RZ may not be a powerhouse, but with a stated curb weight of 4564 to 4619 pounds—relatively svelte for its peer group—the electric Lexus steps lively, whether taking off from a stop, passing on two-lanes, or merging onto the freeway. The RZ doesn’t deliver the muscle-car straight-line speed of some electric vehicles, but with a factory-estimated 60-mph time of 5.0 seconds, it should be quick enough for the intended audience.That audience is expected to include a goodly number of brand loyalists, and the RZ driving experience seems catered to them. Although brake-based torque vectoring is on hand to help the RZ carve corners, there is a fair bit of body roll, and we don’t think this car will sell based on its handling prowess. The smooth ride is more likely to be a calling card. The suspension (struts up front, multilink at the rear) is adept at soaking up all the pavement imperfections we could find—although the gentle climate of southern France, where our drive took place, doesn’t present the same challenge as the mean streets back home. Between the two models, the Luxury’s 20-inch wheels transmitted a bit more road harshness than the Premium’s cushy 18s, but only a bit. There is some head toss, and body motions are not aggressively damped, although the plush overall experience seems right on target for a Lexus.The RZ’s quietness is similarly brand-appropriate. There’s a near-total absence of spacey EV powertrain noise—only in Sport mode can it faintly be heard. The degree of lift-off regen is selectable via steering-wheel paddles, and although it’s short of one-pedal driving, the blended brakes are commendably linear and easy to modulate. The standard steering is quite light in Normal mode—though most Lexus owners are unlikely to object; Sport mode adds just a bit of weighting. For an entirely different steering experience, there’s the yoke.Yoke: It’s a Real ThingNo matter what vehicle you’re coming out of, the available Steer by Wire system and its steering yoke take getting used to. This optional system (which will be exclusive to the Luxury trim when it becomes available sometime after launch) is the kind of novelty that auto journalists geek out on, but it will be interesting to see how real customers take to it. The SBW system feels normal around the straight-ahead but gets harder to predict the further you move off-center. The yoke turns a little past 90 degrees in each direction, and the last bit of steering brings what can be a surprising amount of response. It’s very easy to oversteer for a 90-degree corner, particularly when starting off from a stop or when attempting a K-turn. The system does obviate the need for hand-over-hand steering maneuvers, such as when parking. And the missing upper wheel rim provides a slightly better view of the instruments, which are repositioned slightly higher and farther away (moving them closer to the driver’s line of sight). Still, Steer by Wire seems like a lot of adjustment for not much benefit—unless you just think its video-game aesthetic is cool.If you’d rather not steer at all, Traffic Jam Assist allows for hands-free operation on major highways at speeds under 25 mph. Exclusive to the Luxury version, this is another subscription-based feature, requiring a current Drive Connect account.A full phalanx of conventional automated helpers is also on hand, and a couple of them can stray into nagging territory. We’re calling out the driver-attention monitor, which chirped at us when we were watching for traffic to clear from the left and again when we were operating the touchscreen. Another annoyance is the Excess Speed Caution warning, which emits a triple-ding whenever you stray above the posted limit. Both can be switched off, but one must do so with each restart, and it’s a multi-step process.Lexus is pricing the RZ450e at $59,650 for the Premium trim and $65,150 for the Luxury version. That price range at least partially overlaps many of the aforementioned EVs and is (at this moment) just above the Model Y. Viewed as a Lexus, the RZ450e offers plenty to like. Looked at as an EV, the 450e is a tougher sell. Both Lexus and Toyota will have to try harder if they’re going to regain the leadership mantle for this next phase of electrification.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Lexus RZ450eVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Premium w/18-inch wheels, $59,650; Premium w/20-inch wheels, $60,890; Luxury, $65,150
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 201 hp, 196 lb-ftRear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 107 hp, 124 lb-ftCombined Power: 308 hpCombined Torque: 320 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 63.4 kWhOnboard Charger: 6.6 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 150 kWTransmissions: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.2 inLength: 189.2 inWidth: 74.6 inHeight: 64.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/47 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 48/35 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4600-4650 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.8 sec1/4-Mile: 13.0 secTop Speed: 99 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 95-107/102-115/87-98 MPGeRange: 196-220 miDeputy Editor, Reviews and FeaturesJoe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar. More

From the November 1986 issue of Car and Driver.You don’t need this vehicle. Life would go on for you without a Nissan Pathfinder in it. Just as you could get through a day with­out carrying your Swiss Army knife.But what if an unexpected urge comes over you to whittle away at a little wood­land? Or to screw around in the sand? Sup­pose you suddenly must saw through a snowbank? How are you going to cork­screw up a canyon, or bore over boulders, or file down a defile if you don’t have a versatile little utensil like this at your hip? Doing it all is what the so-called sport­-utilities are all about. Chevy’s S-10 Blazer, Ford’s Bronco II, Jeep’s Cherokee, Toyota’s 4Runner, Mitsubishi’s Montero, Dodge’s Raider, Isuzu’s Trooper II­—almost everyone is making compact sport­-utilities now, and Nissan studies show that some 489,000 were sold here in 1985. They’ve become popular because they of­fer so many automotive abilities in one small, smooth-cornered tool. Commuting, camping, conveying, cruising, carousing: With such a car, everyone feels ready for ev­erything. It doesn’t matter if the owner never really takes advantage of all the pos­sibilities. That the possibilities are there, folded neatly away, always ready, is what makes these little “utes” appealing. So appealing that finally Nissan, which claims the title of number-one importer in combined car and truck sales, has fielded its first American-market sport-utility vehi­cle. Available only in the U.S. (though, un­like Nissan’s pickup truck, it will be built only in Japan), the new Pathfinder is basi­cally the six-month-old, new-generation “Hardbody” pickup, with an integral sheetmetal enclosure at the back. It was styled simultaneously with the new truck (at Nissan’s California studios), it’s built on an only slightly modified short-wheelbase truck chassis, and it offers most of the truck’s optional hardware: fuel-injected V-6 engine, four-wheel drive, brush guards, etc. Nissan is taking great pains, however, to make sure no one thinks of the Pathfinder as a truck.According to market research, sport-­utility buyers are a more upscale group than truckers. They have more schooling, they earn more, they have more refined lifestyles. They’re older, too. All of which Nissan interprets to mean that, while they might buy trucks to get the tough cars they want, what they really want is tough cars.Ergo, the Pathfinder has coil rather than semi-elliptic leaf springs atop its rear axle, for a smoother ride. Its interior is very carlike and exceptionally roomy both front and rear. The highest of the three available trim levels offers such amenities as electri­cally adjustable windows, mirrors, and shock absorbers. Power steering is stan­dard on all models, as is part-time 4WD. Nissan expects that some 75 percent of Pathfinder buyers will choose the 140-hp 3.0-liter 300ZX-derived V-6. In contrast, almost four out of five of the company’s pickups are sold with the 106-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder. More Archive SUV ComparisonsThe Pathfinder’s selling points include the longest wheelbase in the field, the wid­est cargo area, and the largest optional fac­tory-available tires: Sized 31×10.5R-15, they put more than eight inches of tread on the road and measure more than 30 inches in diameter. At a brief, rather carefully orchestrated press introduction in California’s San Ber­nardino Mountains, we confirmed that the Pathfinder really does ride almost as smoothly and quietly as a normal passen­ger car on paved roads and seems to set a new standard for comfort and civility on unpaved ones. For the driver, visibility, steering feel, and overall handling are all satisfactory, given the vehicle’s basic pur­poses. It’s not exactly a fast vehicle, despite the power, but the torquey V-6 has little trouble stepping the back end out at will. Passengers, and that includes back-seat­ers, can actually enjoy the ride, thanks to the soft springing and ample leg- and headroom. NissanWe weren’t able to try anything like the rock-riddled Rubicon, but we do feel safe in saying that, for the roughest back-coun­try byways the typical owner is likely to tackle, the Nissan will be entirely satisfac­tory. And, since 99 miles of every 100 are probably going to be on asphalt or con­crete, the way this new sport-utility cod­dles its crew ought to make it a winner. Even for those not in the Swiss Army.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1987 Nissan PathfinderVehicle Type: front-engine, rear/four-wheel-drive, 5-passen­ger, 3-door wagon
BASE PRICE $15,000–$17000 (est.)
ENGINE2.4-liter inline-4 or 3.0-liter V-6, iron block and aluminum headsDisplacement: 146–181 in3, 2389–2960 cm3Power: 106–140 hp
TRANSMISSIONS
5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Length: 171.9 inCurb Weight: 3500–3900 lb
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity: 15–16 mpg More

From the April 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Early in the indoctrination process, a car enthusiast learns of the impossibility of a single vehicle that excels in every area. A low-slung, lightweight sports car is inherently at odds with cargo and passenger space. That’s why we’re all dreaming of and scheming toward having a diverse fleet at the ready, right?But these three cars are about as close as you can get to the do-it-all ideal, with adult-habitable back seats, hatchback cargo spaciousness, and track capability that lets them hang with sports cars from not that long ago. Plus, their mid-$40,000s prices are no higher than the new-car average.The newest nameplate in this bunch is the GR Corolla. It represents the third vehicle in Toyota’s increasingly impressive Gazoo Racing division arsenal. Based on the Corolla hatchback that we know and don’t love, the rally-bred GR packs a 300-hp wallop from a 1.6-liter three-cylinder, a snicky six-speed manual, all-wheel drive, and a mechanical parking brake ready to heave it hatch first into the next corner. Honda overhauled the Civic Type R for 2023, building upon the excellent previous generation, which brought the red R badge back to the U.S. in 2017. The Type R is more harmonious this time around, though, with mature exterior sheetmetal to match the chassis’s extreme polish. Power from the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is up ever so slightly to 315 horsepower, and, like in the Corolla, the only transmission is a six-speed manual.How These Cars Fared at Lightning LapRounding out the group is the grandfather of performance hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Golf. A GTI has been part of the lineup since Europe got one in 1976, but in 2004, VW added an all-wheel-drive performance model above the GTI and called it the R32. Today’s Golf R makes a Type R–equaling 315 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder and features a torque-vectoring rear diff that can send 100 percent of the rear torque to either wheel and actually does in the Golf R’s new Drift mode.As tested, these cars sticker within $800 of one another—groupings don’t get much tighter. And as a reminder to the country whose automakers are increasingly abandoning cars and no longer produce anything like these, the trio arrived painted red, white, and blue. We drove them hard (see our observed fuel economy) on well-worn Southern California canyon roads and at the Streets of Willow Springs road course, and we came away loving them all. Seriously, even the last-place finisher is on our 10Best short list of favorite cars this year. But some come closer to the do-it-all ideal.3rd Place: Toyota GR Corolla CircuitAs the great ones often do, the GR Corolla starts to feel special even at parking-lot speeds, its high-boost three-cylinder chuffing and snorting. The shifting, too, is more mechanical and higher effort than the other two. At elevated rpm, the engine tickles the pedals and sings the most honest and pure-sounding racket, which is not electronically enhanced like the others. While the GR’s engine makes the most linear power of the bunch, it doesn’t really wake up until mid-tach, about 4000 rpm. On the Streets, it needs second gear in places where the others are happy with third. While there’s the ability to alter the front-to-rear torque split, we couldn’t feel a difference between 50/50 and 30/70 when powering out of a corner, and we had to be patient and wait out more understeer than in the Honda and VW. The GR Corolla rotates way more with a big lift than it does on power, but you can also use the nuclear option and pull the only hand brake of the group. On the track, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires sometimes seemed to make more squeal than grip, although they performed second best on the skidpad with a solid 0.97-g effort. Still, they make the Civic’s Pilot Sport 4Ss feel like R-compound rubber.HIGHS: Mechanical tingles, unfiltered engine note, direct shift action. LOWS: Stiffest ride, smallest back seat and cargo space, least nice interior. VERDICT: It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally a great car finishes last.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThe Corolla has the widest pricing spread of the group and is the only one to offer multiple trim levels. Ours was the model in the middle of the lineup, the Circuit, which for a $7000 upcharge adds front and rear limited-slip differentials, a forged carbon-fiber roof, and interior upgrades. While the Corolla trips the quarter-mile lights first, with a 13.3-second run, it falls well behind the other two above 100 mph. The transmission was no match for our shifting arm, as we beat its synchros and ground gears into second, third, and sometimes fourth during testing. The auto rev-matching feature is a handy addition, especially since the pedals are spread too far apart for optimum heel-and-toe shifting. In the practicality measures of rear-seat and cargo space, the Corolla scores lowest, largely due to the relocated battery (it’s in the back) and a chunky rear bumper that intrudes on the hatch opening. This car also places last in observed fuel economy and interior materials. It has the most jittery, unsettled highway ride, which isn’t surprising considering it’s the only one in the test without adaptive dampers. The tacked-on cladding on the rear doors and quarter-panels looks aftermarket, although the GR earns kudos for being the only contender with fixed brake calipers front and rear. Granted, some of these aren’t the most critical categories for putting a smile on the driver’s face, which the GR does reliably, but there’s another car that steers and handles better and also beats it in all the softer skills.2nd Place: Volkswagen Golf RThe Golf R’s maturity can be lulling. This car is the quietest at highway speeds by a wide margin, with the most coddling ride quality. Its engine sings a much mellower and far softer tune, the stiffness of the iron block from the long-serving EA888 turbo four likely contributing to its smoothness. The Golf R weighs the most and, by a small margin, put up the worst braking and cornering results.HIGHS: Quietest, smoothest ride, most features. LOWS: Least engaging to drive, too-large shift knob and vague shifter feel, maddening interior controls. VERDICT: Mature, with a wild side.That’s why its liveliness on the track was a pleasant surprise, with the Golf R rotating way more under power than the Corolla. The Volkswagen doesn’t ever come around, but the torque-vectoring diff helps it take an initial step out. Nürburgring mode—officially, Special mode—relaxes the dampers while dialing up everything else and was our favorite setting on both track and street. The engine hits the hardest during acceleration out of corners, and the Golf tied for the quickest to 60 mph, with a brutal redline clutch dump giving it the swiftest skedaddle off the line. By 100 mph, the Golf pulls clear of the others. Yet it still averaged the best fuel economy.When our hands started to sweat while lapping, we realized we had accidentally bumped the steering-wheel heater button. It’s happened to us before and is a perfect segue into what we like least about the latest Golf: its controls and infotainment, everything from fussy seat-heat toggles to an illogical settings-menu layout. While there’s all manner of lighting inside the cabin and out, including the unibrow between the headlights, Volkswagen neglected to illuminate key volume and climate controls on the center stack.Although the Golf has the highest-quality steering wheel, with perforated leather at 9 and 3 o’clock, the steering itself is our least favorite. The knob atop the shifter is too large, and its motions aren’t as crisp as the other hatches’. Clutch engagement is grabbier than the other two, and the brake pedal is softer.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverProving that usefulness is not only about size, the Golf’s back seat (second largest of the three) is by far the most accommodating. With excellent contouring that provides lateral and lumbar support, these rear seats are the only ones that are heated and get their own climate-control zone. There’s sufficient headroom, kneeroom, and under-seat foot space, along with the best view out of the side glass. There’s a reason European families buy Golfs.Even though the Golf lacks the rev-matching feature present in the other two, it otherwise dominates in our comprehensive tallying of features. It’s the only one with ventilated power seats (with memory), rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking assist, and a sunroof, which made the Corolla look basic by comparison.1st Place: Honda Civic Type RIn last month’s dispatch from Virginia International Raceway, we reported that the Type R is the quickest front-driver we’ve ever run around the big track. It also beats these two all-wheel-drivers, not to mention outrunning a 2006 Ford GT, matching a C6 Corvette Grand Sport, and running just a half-second behind a current-generation Porsche Cayman S. At VIR, both the Corolla and the Type R were wearing optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, but the Civic’s standard tire is barely a downgrade, with a 1.04-g skidpad assault.HIGHS: Best steering, handling, shifting, and seats; livable ride quality. LOWS: Light on features versus the Golf, noisy over the road. VERDICT: Unfathomably great, with no “for a front-driver” qualifier needed.You sit lower in the Civic than the other two, and the view over its flatter hood could almost pass for that of a rear-driver. Far from a cold speed machine, the Type R quickly convinces it’s more involving and easy to drive fast. It corners flat, turns in crisply, and, through the magic of its dual-axis struts, can put down the power early without corrupting the steering. It also tucks in and rotates under braking, with far less understeer than the Corolla.The Civic loses points for ditching a middle back seat, and the rear cabin, while larger, isn’t nearly as comfortable as the Golf’s. The Type R is also lacking in features compared with the Golf, but its LogR function, which overlays data on top of video taken with a phone, is something neither of the others have. It’s like General Motors’ Performance Data Recorder but without the built-in camera.The Type R’s logr feature makes videos like this, using footage shot with a smartphone merged with data recorded from the car.’ Strapping into the Type R’s seats makes every errand feel like a time attack. They’re super supportive from thigh to shoulder yet comfortable for lengthy stretches. You’ll find the best shifting here too, with a lever that scythes through its short throws. However, the shift knob is metal, so as comedian Jim Gaffigan says about Hot Pockets, it tends to be either frozen or burning hot.The most aggressive +R mode is unusably stiff; there’s little need to forsake the versatile Comfort mode on the road or track. But even in this softest setting, the Type R will occasionally get into a pogo bounce through lumpy corners.While improved from before, the engine note can be a little buzzy and kazoo-like. But our biggest reservation is the roar that reverberates up from the tires. There’s a lot of rolling noise and severe ponging from the tire cavities over broken pavement. That can make the ride, which is firm but perfectly livable and better than the Corolla’s, seem stiffer than it is. We’re curious what another 50 pounds of sound deadening might do.But almost every way you slice it, the Type R is the winner: lap time, handling, steering feel, driving engagement, shifting, plus cargo space. This thing is stacked.Car and DriverArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Honda Civic Type RVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $44,390/$44,845Options: Championship White paint, $455
ENGINEturbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 122 in3, 1996 cm3Power: 315 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 310 lb-ft @ 2600 rpm 
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/12.0-in discTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S265/30ZR-19 (93Y) DT1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.7 inLength: 180.9 inWidth: 74.4 inHeight: 55.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/44 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: –/25 ft3Curb Weight: 3173 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.3 sec60 mph: 5.0 sec100 mph: 11.7 sec1/4-Mile: 13.5 sec @ 108 mph130 mph: 21.2 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 10.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.3 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 169 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 151 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 307 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.04 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg 
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/22/28 mpg 
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2023 Toyota GR Corolla CircuitVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $43,995/$44,420Options: Supersonic Red paint, $425
ENGINEturbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 99 in3, 1618 cm3Power: 300 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 273 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.0-in vented, grooved disc/11.7-in vented, grooved discTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4235/40ZR-18 (95Y)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.9 inLength: 173.6 inWidth: 72.8 inHeight: 57.2 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 50/35 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 35/18 ft3Curb Weight: 3252 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 1.5 sec60 mph: 4.9 sec100 mph: 11.9 sec1/4-Mile: 13.3 sec @ 105 mph130 mph: 22.9 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 10.2 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 7.0 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 143 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 156 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 313 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.97 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 mpg 
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/21/28 mpg
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2022 Volkswagen Golf RVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $45,185/$45,185Options: None
ENGINEturbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 121 in3, 1984 cm3Power: 315 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 280 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm 
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.1-in vented, cross-drilled disc/12.2-in vented discTires: Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3235/35R-19 91Y +
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.5 inLength: 168.9 inWidth: 70.4 inHeight: 57.7 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 51/41 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 35/20 ft3Curb Weight: 3380 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 1.4 sec60 mph: 4.9 sec100 mph: 11.4 sec1/4-Mile: 13.4 sec @ 106 mph130 mph: 20.4 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.7 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.8 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 155 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 161 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 317 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.95 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 16 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 23/20/28 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDirector, Vehicle TestingDave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver’s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism. More

From the June 1990 issue of Car and Driver.America’s very own E.L. Cord once ob­served of the car business, “If you can’t be big, you have to be different.” It has been 80 years since the doors opened at Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili—”Alfa.” During that period, the company, like some sort of corporate three-toed sloth, has clung tenaciously to Cord’s precept. Nowhere is that clearer than in America, where Alfa has engen­dered a small but loyal cult following. Today, however, the sloth is in danger of falling out of its tree. Explains Darrell Davis, the president of ARDONA (Alfa Romeo Distributors of North America): “Cult followings are neat, I guess, if you’re Jeane Dixon or Elvis Costello. But they’re not going to save serious car com­panies.” And you don’t have to be Jeane Dixon to predict the future of any marque that sells only 2900 cars annual­ly, as Alfa did here in 1989.What to do? “We need one nearly per­fect, mainstream product,” answers Da­vis. That product is the front-wheel-drive 164 sedan, Alfa’s first luxury car and by far the most mainstream Alfa ever to wear the Visconti serpente in the home­land of Errett Lobban Cord. There is only one major component on the Alfa Romeo 164S that is carried over from any previous Alfa. It is the best thing about the car. If Alfa’s all-alumi­num 3.0-liter V-6 were a teenager, it would be a gang leader in East L.A. No normally aspirated V-6 on the market is a more willing participant in delinquent behavior. Revs appear so quickly that first-time drivers find themselves furi­ously slipping the clutch. Power begins in earnest as low as 2500 rpm (indeed, if you sidestep the clutch above that point, the front tires simply vanish in blue smoke) and carries on with smooth fury until 6500 rpm, where a rev limiter as­serts some discipline. Throughout it all, this 60-degree V-6 emits a throaty, grip­ping growl, the sort of noise you’d elicit from a greatly annoyed 100-pound bob­cat. All this, mind you, from a SOHC, two-valve-per-cylinder design. In both the 164 and the 164L (see “Alfa Flavors” sidebar below), this oversquare V-6 produces 183 hp at 5800 rpm. The six in the 164S, sporting a different cam profile, a less restrictive exhaust, and an increase in com­pression (10.0:1 rather than the standard 9.5:1), produces 200 hp at 6000 rpm. We’d guess that that figure is low. With­out raising a sweat, our 164S laid down a string of 0-to-60 runs in the high six-sec­ond range, followed by a quarter-mile time of 15.6 seconds. A trick of gearing? No way. On open stretches of deserted highway in New Mexico, our 164S twice hit an indicated 140 mph (once while a passenger snoozed blissfully), and we later, at Chrysler’s proving grounds, con­firmed a top speed of 142 mph at 6200 rpm. No three-toed sloth, this. On this car, Carrozzeria Pininfarina’s efforts went beyond exterior styling. The design house also worked its magic on the 164S’s interior, which is elegant and sinfully alluring.From a 3418-pound sedan, such per­formance is remarkable—virtually iden­tical, in fact, to that of a Ford Taurus SHO. More important, the 164S leaves for dead the cars that Alfa has fingered as its competition. Namely, the Acura Leg­end, the Audi 100/200, the BMW 525i, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6, the Saab 9000 Turbo, the Sterling 827Si, and the Volvo 760GLE. Of that group, the quick­est competitor is nearly one second slow­er to 60 mph. On top of that, the engine in the 164S, with its chromed nest-of-vipers intake plumbing, is the best-looking power­plant to appear since Ford stuffed Yamaha’s V-6 in the SHO. Checking the 164’s oil at the local Mobil station is guar­anteed to draw low whistles and at least one onlooker who asks, “Is it a V-12?” On this car, Carrozzeria Pininfarina’s efforts went beyond exterior styling. The design house also worked its magic on the 164S’s interior, which is elegant and sinfully alluring. With cowskins stretched everywhere, the smell is divine, and no­where does your hand fall without en­countering rich textures and supple sur­faces. The red stitching in the leather looks like the work of Ferrari, but the sheer number of cockpit amenities could never have come from Maranello. Inside, there are spring-loaded grab handles, a huge glove compartment, four pivoting reading lights, a leather-covered trap­door leading to a ski bag, two rear head­phone jacks with individual volume con­trols, height-adjustable shoulder belts, leather-lined map pockets, a gorgeous felt headliner, silky carpets, a rear-deck storage bin, dual sunshades for the backlight, and, well, you get the drift. And all of it is sewn and stitched and glued together in un-Alfa-like fashion. Nothing in the interior of our car groaned or rattled. As a matter of fact, this is the quietest Alfa yet produced, de­spite its rorty V-6. The entire powertrain is mounted on a subframe, and hydrauli­cally damped engine mounts keep noise and vibration at arm’s length. Cruising at 70 mph, the Alfa is nearly as quiet as a Jaguar Sovereign. At 100 mph (4350 rpm in fifth), we had no difficulty listening to the radio. Behind the wheel, you find that the driving position is, in Alfa’s inimitable way, Italian. Even with the seat far for­ward and the steering wheel at full exten­sion, the driver’s arms are thrust almost straight ahead, Nuvolari style. The prob­lem is that the wheel cannot be adjusted to a more nearly vertical axis. More dis­concerting, however, is headroom. All C/D staffers drove the 164 with its driv­er’s seat in its lowest position, yet our noggins often rubbed the headliner. Avoid any 164 with a sunroof. Or simply wait. Alfa says that it will lower the seats 1.5 inches later in the year. The peculiar driving position notwith­standing, the Recaro-designed seats (electrically adjustable for height, seatback angle, and fore-and-aft posi­tion) are well bolstered and as comfort­able as any on the market. On four occa­sions, we drove uninterrupted 300-mile stints, and nobody complained about needing to get out and stretch. Rear leg­room is good, if not as commodious as that in, say, a Saab 9000. We did haul five people in the 164S, although the fifth rid­er’s perch on the thinly padded center position was tenuous. The standard five-speed shifter is a dual-rod layout—no cables for Alfa, thank you very much—and is perfectly located. Shift effort is light, the throws silky and satisfying.In keeping with the 164’s mainstream character, secondary controls are gener­ally where you expect to find them. The window-lift switches are on the center console—not the headliner, as was the case in the Milano. The white-on-black analog instruments are readable at a glance. And the 164’s “command mod­ule”—those 27 black cubes that operate everything from the trunk release to the heated mirrors—looks more daunting than it really is. For most driving, the only buttons that you punch often are those controlling the temperature settings for the automatic climate control. The standard five-speed shifter is a dual-rod layout—no cables for Alfa, thank you very much—and is perfectly located. Shift effort is light, the throws silky and satisfying. Even weird stuff, like a fifth-to-second downshift, is difficult to muff. Combine that with progressive clutch take-up, exquisite throttle tip-in, and pedals positioned to encourage heel­-and-toeing and you’ve got a sedan that even Uncle Seth can drive smoothly. If for a moment you doubt Alfa’s “mainstream” intentions, consider this: Alfa estimates that 70 percent of U.S. sports-sedan buyers want automatic transmissions. Thus, a four-speed ZF, basically identical to that in the Saab 9000, is available for $685. (We can hear the bodies dropping as Alfisti swoon all across America.) Under full throttle, the automatic shifts at a sporty 5700 rpm, but it does not mate happily with the 164’s rev-happy V-6. At 40 mph, under light throttle, the automatic hunts between second and third, clunking grumpily when it finally does make a decision. And full-throttle launches from a standstill barely chirp the front tires, making this powerful and enthusiastic V-6 feel peaky and pressed—two insults it should never have to endure. Although the Alfa 164 looks big on the outside, it feels small and agile at speed. When we hustled the car through Mis­souri’s Mark Twain National Forest­—and we were, indeed, hustling—we found more body roll and vertical ride motion than we expected, traits similar to those of the 164’s rear-drive predeces­sor, the Milano. Unlike the Milano, how­ever, the 164’s tail cannot be kicked out with an exuberant squirt of throttle. In short, the 164S offers speed, ele­gant styling, a tomb-quiet cockpit, a kick-­out-the-jams V-6, rarity, and more character than any other $30,000 sedan.For a front-drive car, there is excellent weight distribution here—only 57.5 per­cent of the bulk up front—but when you’re really cooking, the nose gets light. It’s easy to chirp the tires on yumps and railroad crossings. Nail the throttle as you’re exiting a tight turn and it is also easy to buzz the inside front tire. For a sports sedan with luxury pretensions, however, there is a fine ride/handling compromise here—supple, confident, with minimal harshness. And the brakes are simply faultless. From 70 mph, the car comes to a fade-free stop in 177 feet, only two feet shy of the distance required by a BMW 535i. In short, the 164S offers speed, ele­gant styling, a tomb-quiet cockpit, a kick-­out-the-jams V-6, rarity (only 3000 copies will be sold in North America this year), and more character than any other $30,000 sedan. “Character,” like por­nography, is hard to define, but as a judge once observed, “I know it when I see it.” Or, in the case of the 164S, “We know it when we feel it.” Any C/D staffer dropped blindfolded into the 164’s cock­pit could tell you, in about two seconds, that he was sitting in an Alfa.A perfect sports sedan? Well, hold on. When our Alfa was healthy, it was a charmer. But during the car’s first 3000 miles, it evinced a disturbing number of flaws. The power-assisted steering began to sing. The heating element in the driv­er’s seat worked at its whim, as did the side-mirror defrosters and the driving lights. The driver’s seat-height adjust­ment died. The brake pedal sank like the Andrea Doria, until heel-and-toeing be­came a real foot tangler. And the climate control had trouble concentrating on a temperature within ten degrees of what we requested. If this richly historical marque disap­pears in America—and the 164 may truly be Alfa’s last chance—all enthusiasts will lament its passing. At the same time, the quality-control flaws are hard to forgive. Knowing that American buyers expect reasonably defect-free cars, Alfa delayed the American launch of the 164 for three years while it racked up 4.7 million miles of testing. No Alfa in history has under­gone that sort of scrutiny. Prospective buyers will, at least, be comforted by the comprehensive three­-year /36,000-mile warranty. “We pay for everything,” says Davis. “Light bulbs, hoses, wiper blades, oil changes, brake pads, scheduled service, everything but tires. If the car quits, we’ll buy airfare or a rental car so you can continue your trip. Then we flatbed the thing to a dealer, no questions asked.” That’s the silver lining. But Alfa’s lifelong battle with build quali­ty remains just that—a battle—and it makes the 164S a high-maintenance proposition.Finding those dealers no longer re­quires a road atlas, either. Seventy Chrys­ler Europa dealers have joined the team, raising Alfa’s total number of outlets to 202. Pilots are fond of the expression “Ev­ery cloud has a silver lining, but some of them also have a Boeing 747 rattling around in there.” The 164 is like that. It is the most mainstream car Alfa has ever produced, delivering remarkable perfor­mance and opulence for its price—which should attract a whole new set of well­-heeled buyers. That’s the silver lining. But Alfa’s lifelong battle with build quali­ty remains just that—a battle—and it makes the 164S a high-maintenance proposition. At this critical point in Alfa’s struggle to survive in the U.S., that’s a problem the size of a Boeing 747.Alfa Flavors: A Handsome Sedan With Three FacesIn North America, the Alfa Romeo 164 is offered in three levels of trim: the base 164 ($24,500), the 164L ($27,500), and the 164S ($29,500). Standard equipment on even the base car is impressive: power-assisted steering, air conditioning, cruise con­trol, power windows and locks, a six­-speaker stereo, power-adjustable front seats, and a driver-side air bag. Move up to the 164L—the model that Alfa predicts will account for 70 per­cent of sales—and you get Bosch anti­lock brakes, leather upholstery, alloy wheels, and metallic paint. Go whole­-hog for the tip-of-the-flagpole 164S and the list of amenities swells fur­ther: two-way cockpit-adjustable sus­pension, Pirelli P4000 tires (rather than Goodyear Eagle NCTs), an extra seventeen horsepower, unique Speedline alloy wheels, and an “aero” body kit.As is the case with so many skirt-­and-spoiler packages, that on the 164S—designed by Alfa in Italy­—does damage to the car’s graceful, airy lines, making it look bulkier than Pininfarina ever intended. The bi­zarre downward slope of the air dam’s side panels, for example, does for the 164S what extra eyeliner does for Tammy Faye Bakker. If that bothers you, don’t hesitate to move one step down, to the 164L (until ABS is of­fered, we can’t wholeheartedly en­dorse the base 164). If the slightly less powerful V-6 degrades the driving ex­perience, we didn’t notice it.No matter how you slice it, the 164 is easily the most elegant postwar Alfa sedan, and it is far more pleasing to the eye than the other cars that share its “Tipo Quattro” platform: the Fiat Chroma, the Lancia Thema, and the Saab 9000.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1990 Alfa Romeo 164SVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $29,875/$30,675Options: power sunroof, $800
ENGINESOHC V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 181 in3, 2959 cm3Power: 200 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 189 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm 
TRANSMISSION[S]5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/strutsBrakes, F/R: 11.2-in vented disc/9.9-in discTires: Pirelli P4000195/65VR-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.7 inLength: 179.3 inWidth: 69.3 inHeight: 55.1 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 50/41 ft3Trunk: 18 ft3Curb Weight: 3418 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.6 sec60 mph: 6.9 sec1/4-Mile: 15.6 sec @ 91 mph100 mph: 18.9 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 10.0 secTop Speed: 142 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 177 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.77 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 17/25 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

On Earth, the Northern and Southern hemispheres synchronize and experience approximately equal amounts of daylight and darkness twice a year. That’s one kind of equinox. A new Chevrolet Equinox, though, comes around a lot less frequently than that. After six years on the market—and more than 1.6 million sales—the current Equinox is showing its age. Its automatic transmission offers only six forward gears. Its segment-leading powertrains—a 252-hp turbo four paired with a nine-speed, plus a 43-mpg turbodiesel—were discontinued before the pandemic. COVID delayed the Equinox refresh by more than a year, and when it finally hit, a trio of sharp-looking EVs and the Corvette Z06 left the lightly restyled Equinox looking like a placeholder, a vestige of the 2010s hanging around long enough to witness the arrival of its dashing electric successor. Nevertheless, even in a state of neglect, this compact SUV is still the second-most popular Chevy, behind only the Silverado.HIGHS: Agile and solid chassis, great infotainment, always in dealer stock. At a Chevy dealer, the Equinox presents itself as an easy choice. It’s sensibly sized between the puny Trax and the tall-boy Traverse. The Blazer looks hotter but offers about the same interior room while costing 10 grand more. The Trailblazer is a tight squeeze, and its top trims get pricey. An Equinox, though, seems like a fair deal, with a $29,595 base price for an all-wheel-drive LS. Fuel economy is decent, there’s plenty of space, and there’s almost always a factory incentive even in these buyer-unfriendly times. Michael Simari|Car and DriverIf you wander out to other dealers at your local auto mall, however, you might realize why the Equinox is our 13th choice when ranking compact SUVs. Horsepower is up five for the new year, but 175 ponies fighting against 3627 pounds makes for a slow, drawn-out battle during every highway merge. Granted, that’s not uncommon in this segment, even for brand-new entries such as the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage, but it’s a letdown for a vehicle that once offered 252 horses. The 1.5-liter turbo four is at least smooth and free of the nasty, grating sounds that characterized GM’s old naturally aspirated fours. Off-the-line acceleration is adequate since all 203 pound-feet of torque arrives at 2000 rpm and sticks around until 4000 rpm. Our 8.0-second 60-mph time bested the 2018 Equinox 1.5T by the better part of a second, and in every performance test, the 2023 model was significantly quicker despite its near-equal weight and same powertrain. (For the record, a turbo 2.0-liter Equinox hit 60 in 6.6 seconds.)More Equinoxes Of YoreWe’re not sure why this latest Equinox 1.5T has such an acceleration advantage. In both cases, the quickest runs were with all-wheel drive disabled. That extra productive wheelspin at launch in front-wheel drive helped us shave 0.3 to 0.4 seconds off our time to 60 mph. Unlike nearly every other all-wheel-drive crossover, the Equinox doesn’t automatically route torque to the rear axle when the front tires slip. There’s an AWD button the driver must push to activate the system, and it’s easy to forget. On the road, pointed left to make a turn, you’ll be panicking when the front wheels light up in the middle of the intersection with cars coming at you from both directions. Pro tip: Unless you’re drag-racing an ’07 Altima, always turn on AWD.Once you’re underway, the transmission ratios have wider gaps than a New York subway platform. Top-gear passing from 50 to 70 mph takes six agonizing seconds. Every other automaker except Mazda gave up on six-speed transmissions in crossovers, and we remember just how good the nine-speed behaved in past Equinox models.This outmoded powertrain is a major drag on an otherwise A-grade General Motors chassis. Vibrations are well damped, body roll is minimal, and there’s some actual feel from the steering. Braking is above average for the class at 159 feet from 70 mph. For 2023, Chevy swapped the vacuum booster and master cylinder for an electrohydraulic system that reduces both weight and complexity. We didn’t notice a difference in pedal feel. The body structure and excellent ride compliance make for lively, predictable handling even if the all-season Hankook tires only hang on for 0.82 g of lateral grip. With these solid bones and the 2.0-liter engine, the Equinox was performing at Audi Q5 levels just a few years ago. With its stardom faded, the Equinox might be ready to take up a residency in Las Vegas.Appearance-wise, the RS trim with the blacked-out grille, wheels, and bow-tie badges is as slick as it gets, though this version should age better than the sci-fi Kia Sportage and the frumpy Subaru Forester. Inside, the materials are adequate for the Equinox’s sub-$30K starting price. The RS’s optional leather—which feels like vinyl—includes red piping across the seats and red stitching on the steering wheel, armrest, and gear shifter. At $38,010 as tested, other crossover interiors wear it better.Michael Simari|Car and DriverHard plastic dominates most of the lower sections of the doors and dash, though Chevy has thankfully broken its habit of using cheap-feeling grains. The front seats, too, have shed their stiff ironing-board construction for real comfort. Rear passengers enjoy ample legroom and headroom, though other compact SUVs such as the Nissan Rogue and CR-V offer significantly more cargo space with the seats folded. Still, 64 cubic feet will swallow a small bureau and is nearly the capacity of a short-bed Silverado with a tonneau cover. The optional 8.0-inch touchscreen is crisp and easy to use, with the ability to download apps and upload vehicle settings to Chevy’s cloud so you can load them in another connected GM vehicle. The 360-degree cameras project very sharp images, with nearly a dozen views.LOWS: Yesteryear transmission, down on power, unintuitive AWD system. The Equinox will eventually get a reboot, likely after the handsome Equinox EV starts production in late 2023. In the meantime, if you want to drive the latest and greatest Equinox, you’ll need to visit China, where the RS packs the 2.0-liter turbo paired with a 48-volt hybrid system. Maybe we’ll get something like that, after another trip or two around the sun.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWDVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $33,695/$38,010Options: RS Leather package (Bose premium audio system, black leather seat upholstery), $1580; power sunroof, $1495; Safety and Infotainment package (heated steering wheel, 2 USB data ports, 120-volt power outlet, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, surround-view camera, heated exterior mirrors, adaptive cruise control), $1200; front-license-plate bracket, $40
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 91 in3, 1490 cm3Power: 175 hp @ 5600 rpmTorque: 203 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.8-in vented disc/11.3-in discTires: Hankook Kinergy GT235/50R-19 99H M+S TPC 3161MS
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.3 inLength: 183.1 inWidth: 72.6 inHeight: 65.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 52/47 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 64/30 ft3Curb Weight: 3627 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.0 sec1/4-Mile: 16.3 sec @ 85 mph100 mph: 24.6 sec120 mph: 46.2 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.7 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.0 secTop Speed (C/D est): 125 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 159 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 26/24/30 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDContributing EditorClifford Atiyeh is a reporter and photographer for Car and Driver, specializing in business, government, and litigation news. He is vice president of the New England Motor Press Association and committed to saving both manuals and old Volvos. More

From the November 1978 issue of Car and Driver.Sixteen years ago, at the unveiling of the original Buick Riviera, Car and Driver boldly pronounced it a “new breed of American automobile” that “approaches Bentley Continental standards at less than half the price.” Grand touring is what our predecessors were raving about. Buick in­vented the all-American GT coupe, and Americans loved it. The Riv was fast and comfortable and handsome; a metal sculpture in a world of chrome-plated look­alikes. Buick made automotive history with the car, and today collectors are bid­ding close to the original prices to put them in their garages. The vintage they’re after is the original 1963–65 117-inch wheelbase Riviera, which still stands as a golden achievement of American industrial design. In 1966, the Riviera started its tragic journey down the path of wretched excess. Like all things Detroit back then, it got longer, wider, and much heavier. This unfortunate trend con­tinued with the third-edition, boat-tailed Riv, introduced in 1971. They’re still scratching heads over this one in Flint. More than likely, we’ll never know how it all went wrong, now that Bill Mitchell’s gone off to a hard-earned retirement. He’s certainly not talking. The fourth-edition Riviera was little more than a 1977 LeSabre with a Coke­-bottle rise to its rear fenders. Sales statis­tics prove it was a failure, but at least it had turned back toward the path of righ­teousness with 700 pounds of weight sliced out of its fat flanks. More from the tri-shield divisionNow, after one initial flash of brilliance followed by three restyle fiascoes, the Rivi­era is heading for its seventeenth year as Buick’s image leader. But instead of con­tinuing to live off old glories, Buick plan­ners have decided the time is right to rein­vent the great American road car. Their aim is to match the original Riviera’s pres­tige, and the opportunity has arrived with the 1979 model year. The new Riviera will be one of three new “E-car” designs from GM, in a joint development venture among Buick, Cadillac (Eldorado), and Oldsmobile (Toronado). In most respects, this all-new chassis forges dead ahead toward 1985, when all cars big and small must do their part toward a fleet fuel-economy average of 27.5 mpg. Little has been saved from the past, and for this we can be thankful. Needless bulk, nearly a half-ton of weight, and yesterday’s styling excesses have been left behind. Oldsmobile and Cadillac did retain their front-drive technology, as well as a slight family resemblance. For Buick, it’s a fresh piece of work, and certainly the best way to begin a second career for the Riviera. But not so fresh that past success­es were ignored. There’s been a fond look all the way back to 1963 to see if some of the original Riviera magic could be in­stilled in this new rendition. Lloyd Reuss is the visionary in Flint, Michigan—Buick Town, U.S.A.—who was charged with simultaneously looking forward and backward when it came to the new Riviera. Reuss took the helm as Buick’s chief engineer in 1975, just as crit­ical planning for the new car began. He’s a car guy—one who makes sure the “sport” is in the sport coupes, and that turbocharg­ers are earning their keep atop Buick V-6 engines. Lloyd Reuss is also the man who saved the Riviera from oblivion. The roadable Riviera that best emulates both the original namesake and Lloyd Reuss’s intention is the S Type of this test. The S stands for “sport,” but it could just as well stand for “suspension,” because it is in roadholding that the S Type distin­guishes itself from the plain Riviera that Buick will send forth as its luxury coupe. For the S Type, the tires go from base P205R-15 radials to more purposeful GR70-15s, the shock valving and spring rates are tightened up, and fatter anti-sway bars are used to control body roll while limiting understeer. Inside, the driver is more aware of what’s going on at the road through higher-effort power steering and a genuinely supportive bucket seat. We’ve come a long way in ride and han­dling since radial tires came into popular use, and the new Riviera is without a doubt the leading edge of GM’s achieve­ment in this area. The ride is as smooth as you’d expect it to be in a car that costs more than $10,000. But there’s also sensi­tive steering, deadeye directional stability, and no discernible front-wheel-drive feel. The S Type will pull 0.69 g on the skid­pad, not a bad accomplishment for a car this big, and there’s more than enough roadholding to leave conventional luxury cars floundering in your wake. Amazingly enough, the Riviera doesn’t signal its trac­tion limits by falling into a crippling un­dersteer. In tight turning, you run out of cornering power about the same time you run out of horsepower, so there’s a stale­mate before maneuvers get nasty enough to chew up the tires. If you’ve been paying attention to Euro­pean sedan advertising for the past few years, you knew there’d be handling break­throughs like this the instant an American manufacturer went to the trouble of build­ing an independent-rear-suspension (IRS) car. In truth, mounting each rear wheel at the end of its own semi-trailing arm, as Buick has done with the Riviera, does nothing to im­prove smooth-road handling. The combi­nation of body roll and rear-suspension ge­ometry forces the rear tires into camber angles that actually diminish their lateral adhesion. A radial’s grip isn’t particularly sensitive to this camber change, so the sac­rifice is slight. But it doesn’t really matter, because the rear tires aren’t the limiting factor in cornering anyway. It’s the front tires—burdened with both driving and turning forces—that invariably use up their traction first. So why even bother with IRS? For one thing, there are tremen­dous ride benefits with lower unsprung weight and decoupled rear tires, which Buick has exploited to the fullest extent. Next in importance is the fact that an IRS uses up a lot less space at the rear of the car than a rigid axle. This has allowed Buick to move rear passengers further rearward, increasing legroom substantial­ly. Also, there’s more space available for the trunk. The Riviera’s luggage capacity is now 17.0 cubic feet (with very usable length, width, and height dimensions), down only slightly from last year’s 19.8 cu­bic feet, even though 12 inches has been chopped off the overall length. Last on this list of independent-rear-suspension effects is handling. IRS keeps the rear of the car in line through chatter-bump turns, where your average rigid-axle sedan typically does a tail-first fandango toward the weeds.So really, IRS is a do-all. American manufacturers have pleaded the cost case for years, but if IRS can be made to benefit packaging, ride, and bad-road handling, as it certainly does in the Riviera, it’s obvi­ously a worthwhile improvement. In spite of being armed with America’s most sophisticated suspension layout, the Riviera S Type is not a front-wheel-drive, four-passenger Corvette. Far from it. Roll stiffness is low to minimize bump interfer­ence, which means you have to endure un­comfortable list angles to use all the road­holding at your disposal. Shock valving is tuned for an underdamped ride, so the Riv wallows when you try to rush it over undu­lating pavement. This is where Buick’s pri­orities come out most vividly: the Rivi­era—even in S Type trim—is first a park­-lane cruiser and second a back-road han­dler. It’s just as well because, as a built-for­-tomorrow fuel-economy special, the Rivi­era is hardly what you’d call a hard charg­er. Brute-force two-four-barrel engines and 120-mph all-day-long cruising speeds are gone forever from new cars, in case you hadn’t noticed. Buick’s fuel-economy obli­gations won’t permit installing much raw power under the Riviera’s hood, but in­stead of letting it go at that, the engineers offer an alternative. They’d like you to try a little sophistication for a change. Base power for the S Type is Buick’s turbo V-6, and the fact that a 3.8-liter engine would even be considered for a 3800-pound luxury car should tell you something about the wonderful engineering program this micro-­motor’s been through.The whole top half of the engine—heads, intake and exhaust manifolds—is new, so the V-6 can breathe properly for the first time in its seventeen­-year history.The V-6’s palsy was cured two years ago with the invention of an even-fire crank­shaft; its muscles were developed last year with turbocharging; and, this year, another round of refinement and retooling has been dedicated to the V-6 to make it even more socially acceptable. The whole top half of the engine—heads, intake and exhaust manifolds—is new, so the V-6 can breathe properly for the first time in its seventeen­-year history. Ports are larger and smooth­er, valves are bigger in diameter, and all passages from the cold-air intake to the tip of the tailpipe now have the capacity to draw in 43 percent more airflow and ex­haust 83 percent more spent gas. At this rate, Buick’s V-6 will be ready for Indy in a few more years, and in something more speedy than the pace car. In the meantime, the V-6 is on line for its prestigious Riviera debut with 185 net horsepower. At least ten of these horses are a Riviera exclusive for the time being, because the front-wheel-drive layout al­lowed exhaust plumbing that’s ideal for turbocharging. Since there was room to position the turbo at the rear of the engine (rather than on top as in the Regal Sport Coupe), the left- and right-bank exhaust streams to the turbine section are almost perfectly balanced. This squeezes the most possible work out of waste exhaust energy, and also discourages flow through intake-manifold heat-riser passages (unless it’s needed after a cold start). As a result, there’s less charge heating on the induction side, less restriction on the exhaust side, and more power out the crankshaft.Whether or not the new, improved V-6 will be judged appropriate for a big road car is yet to be seen. There are demands on the driver and compensations to be made. The turbo V-6 in our test car had a ner­vous twitch at idle that anyone brought up on well-behaved V-8s would find discon­certing. Also, the power-to-weight ratio of the Riviera with either the turbo V-6 or the normally aspirated 350-cubic-inch V-8 is depressing at best. Dial in the 2.93:1 axle ratio (2.41:1 with the 350 V-8), and you end up with acceleration that’s in the “eventually” class. Zero-to-sixty takes 10.9 seconds of patience, and a quarter-mile lasts 18.3 seconds. (If it’s any compensa­tion, these figures are quicker than those of that prestigious six-cylinder coupe from the Black Forest, the Mercedes-Benz 280CE.) Keep the red boost light on with your right foot and the Riviera will eventu­ally peak out at 105 mph, although the speedometer is X-rated above 85. The turbo V-6 also asks you to put up with a power curve fraught with dips and sags. Accelerating from rest, the engine feels like a little V-6 up to 20 mph, where the boost indicator switches from yellow (2 psi manifold pressure), to red (over 5 psi manifold pressure). Then the pace picks up and there’s that stimulating feel of the seat pressing into your back as if two more cyl­inders just came to life. Unfortunately, the initial thrill of boost doesn’t last long, and the second-gear pull brings on a rather per­sistent detonation, as well as occasional soft spots in the power curve. Buick engineers assure us that some spark knock during wide-open-throttle op­eration means the detonation detector is working just as it should. This device actu­ally listens for pre-ignition and signals Buick’s “Turbo Control Center” when to advance or retard ignition timing for best performance. Light knocking under boost happens to be Buick’s idea of best perform­ance, so this is part of what you have to live with in the fuel-economy-through-tur­bocharging era. Good seating is only the first ingredient of the Riviera’s long-haul comfort. Its smooth roof pillar and laid-back wind­shield cut wind ruffle to an all-time low for the cars we’ve tested.Old values die hard, and America hasn’t yet kicked its fat-torque-curve habit. Inter­estingly enough, the turbo engine does have a higher peak output than the con­ventional 350 V-8, which is the only engine alternative offered in the Riviera. Side by side in a drag race, the normally aspirated car immediately steps out to a one-car­-length lead off the line. The Turbo Riv gradually overcomes this handicap and draws even at 60 mph. Although the two never really lose sight of each other, the pressurized V-6 eventually slips into a lead because its horsepower falloff is less pro­nounced at high rpm. Nobody’s likely to fall in love with the new Riviera for its acceleration. Fortunately, there are compensations. Even though fuel economy probably isn’t high on your list as you shop for a car in the five-figure class, it’s of more than passing interest to Buick. Gen­eral Motors must by law sell a 19-mpg (or more) fleet of cars in 1979, and Buick will do its share with small turbocharged engines wherever possible. The turbo V-6 cranks out a combined city-highway EPA rating of 19 mpg this year, compared to the 350 V-8’s 18 mpg, so you know which way Buick will be urging its customers. Subtle prodding will not be necessary to help buyers appreciate the Riviera’s roomi­ness, however. It will no doubt go down as the most spacious four-seat car ever sold in America. The wheelbase is fairly long at 114.0 inches (the same as the Cadillac Se­ville’s), and when you add in the long, car­riage-style roof and take out all traces of a driveline hump, the Riviera gets to be quite a lovely place for four to sit for a while. (So lovely that Cadillac will build this car into a four-door in 1980 and call it the Seville.) The Riviera’s seats are chair-high and offer good support, all the way from your shoul­der blades down to the backsides of your knees. The matching bucket-seat treatment in back makes the rear compartment just as good a place to be as the front. Good seating is only the first ingredient of the Riviera’s long-haul comfort. Its smooth roof pillars and laid-back wind­shield cut wind ruffle to an all-time low for the cars we’ve tested. Some pleasure should also come from the fact that Buick designers have applied unusually high standards of taste (for Detroit) to the Rivi­era. We’re proud to announce it doesn’t have a classically overdone boudoir interior. The velour upholstery is wrinkle-free and cropped to a low profile, and wall trimmings are keyed to function more than flash. The really stunning decoration is the instrument panel, which sweeps across the front like a solid wall of slate. The surface looks much more like a slab of rock than the piece of molded plastic it actually is, and the treatment is refreshing if only be­cause it’s not wood-grained. There is an optional centerpiece for this mantel that should not be missed. Follow­ing Cadillac’s lead in the Seville last year, Buick will introduce a mid-year “trip mon­itor” for the Riviera. This obsoletes needle-­type instruments in one fell swoop, replac­ing both the speedometer and the fuel gauge with digital readouts. A third dis­play panel, to the right of the speedometer, comes into play as you punch up various combinations on the trip monitor’s twelve­-button keyboard. Time of day, engine tem­perature, and electrical-system voltage are the only non-trip pieces of information you can call up, and this leaves nine keys left to plot your trajectory to grandma’s house. In contrast to the Seville’s trip computer, the Riviera’s has no fuel-flow meter, so hitting the “Fuel Range” button spits out an esti­mate calculated from a consumption curve, road speed, and the amount of fuel remaining in the tank. As its name suggests, this computer is primarily a trip device meant to keep you up to date on things like time and the dis­tance to your destination. But as long as Buick has gone to the trouble to offer an onboard microprocessor, we’d like to see it developed into a serious scientific instru­ment for those road pilots who really ap­preciate a gizmo like this. It could be wired with readouts on oil pressure, oil tempera­ture, engine rpm, instantaneous fuel econo­my, turbo boost pressure, turbine rpm, and exhaust temperature. If we can’t go fast in our road cars anymore, why shouldn’t we have as much fun as possible going slow? So sixteen years later, the Rivi­era has regained a niche as prestigious as its starting point.This seems to be Buick’s general attitude with the Riviera S Type anyway. It’s an attitude that’s delivered us a car with all the sophistication and most of the per­formance of some highly revered automo­biles: the Saab Turbo, the Mercedes-Benz 280CE, and the Volvo 262C. What the Riviera lacks in fun-to-drive roadability next to these cars, it more than makes up in comfort. So sixteen years later, the Rivi­era has regained a niche as prestigious as its starting point. Our predecessors would no doubt have concluded that it ap­proaches Mercedes-Benz 280CE standards at less than half the price.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1979 Buick Riviera S TypeVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door sedan
PRICEAs Tested: $11,500 (est.)
ENGINE
Turbocharged pushrod V-6, iron block and headsDisplacement: 231 in3, 3780 cm3Power: 185 hp @ 4000 rpmTorque: 280 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm 
TRANSMISSION3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 10.5-in vented disc/10.5-in vented discTires: Uniroyal Steel Belted Radial
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 inLength: 206.6 inWidth: 70.4 inHeight: 54.3 inCurb Weight: 3856 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.9 sec1/4-Mile: 18.3 sec @ 74 mph100 mph: 46.7 secTop Speed (observed): 105 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 211 ftRoadholding: 0.77 g 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

At some point, a memo must have gone out. It decreed that all super-SUVs would hew to the same template: twin-turbo V-8, a torque-converter automatic transmission, and full-time all-wheel drive, all stuffed into a rakish but conventional four-door body. That’s the formula as practiced by Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Maserati, BMW, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and Audi. Ferrari, though, didn’t get the memo. Thus its first SUV, the Purosangue, uses a 715-hp naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 and a rear-mounted dual-clutch transaxle. Power to the front axle is delivered by a separate two-speed transmission that’s only active in conjunction with the rear axle’s first four gears. The rear doors are rear-hinged and power-operated, offering primo access to a pair of heated, ventilated, massaging back seats. And there’s Multimatic’s TASV spool-valve active dampers, four-wheel steering, and bodywork that has more aero tricks than a Formula 1 car. Ferrari was cognizant that its first SUV had to be something special, and the resulting effort will make a fine companion piece to whatever other exotics populate a given garage, valet line, or secret underground lair.You could say there was some parts-shelf engineering at play with the Purosangue, but that’s an agreeable arrangement when the parts come from the 812 Superfast, with which the Purosangue shares its dry-sump, direct-injected F140 V-12. Here, that lusty mill is tuned for more bottom-end torque (80 percent of its 528-pound-feet maximum is available at 2100 rpm) but still good for an 8000-rpm redline. The front transmission is derived from the one that debuted in the FF and is driven off the nose of the engine, with two clutches that enable front-axle torque vectoring (and allow the two-speed front transmission to match wheel speed with the first four forward gears of the rear transaxle). The Purosangue’s long hood isn’t just for stylistic effect, given the packaging challenges of mounting a transmission in front of a V-12. Ferrari claims a zero-to-62-mph time of 3.3 seconds, which seems plausible, if not conservative.For most cars, a screaming V-12 would be the defining piece of hardware, but the Purosangue’s engine costars with its suspension, which uses 48-volt electric motors at each corner to actively level the body. Instead of merely reacting to uneven pavement, the Purosangue’s four suspension assemblies compare notes every 50 milliseconds to smother bumps by either lifting or lowering each wheel independently. But the system isn’t entirely motor-based. The electric motors work in tandem with a traditional spring and damper, so they’re not doing all the work—more like providing timely nudges to enhance the returns.It’s almost hard to say exactly how well the system works because we’d need to visit a well-known road for a frame of reference. As it is, pavement that looks like it should deliver a shattering ride simply doesn’t. All is serene and locked down, such that the dampers’ Sport setting is mostly performance theater—even with the suspension in its softest setting, body control is precise. The enormous 22-inch front tires and 23-inch rears feel like they have BFGoodrich KO2 sidewalls while simultaneously delivering instantaneous response. There’s no side-to-side head toss caused by the anti-roll bars because there are no anti-roll bars. In fact, the electric motors would allow the Purosangue to lean into corners if Ferrari programmed it that way. When we asked a Ferrari engineer if the Purosangue could theoretically leap over an obstacle in the road, he thought about it and said yes. He wandered away before we could ask about the possibilities of three-wheel motion or Carolina squatting.Since the Purosangue will be expected to handle some light off-road work, by which we mean climbing speed bumps in Bal Harbour, the suspension has a lift setting. But lifting the body requires the motors to stay powered up, so you can’t drive around that way all day. In fact, the motors work hard enough in daily driving to require their own heat exchanger and cooling circuit. And while the hardware is from Multimatic and could theoretically end up on other cars, the control software was done in-house by Ferrari engineers, and we’d guess they’re not sharing notes. So, for now, if you want active suspension, you’ll need $402,050 to order a Purosangue. (That’s the $393,350 base price, plus a $5000 destination charge and the $3700 gas guzzler tax incurred by EPA ratings of 12 mpg city and 16 mpg highway.)View PhotosThat electric motor on the left powers a gear that spins a ball screw to drive the strut up or down near-instantaneously. The four motors are powerful enough to require their own cooling system.Ezra Dyer|Car and DriverWith its torque vectoring, active suspension, and four-wheel steering, the Purosangue manages to feel calm and planted on straightaways while retaining the ability to scythe into corners the moment you turn the wheel. The rear-axle steering system, adapted from the 812 Competizione, can steer each wheel independently up to two degrees—so, for instance, the outside wheel can help the rear end follow the nose into a corner, and Ferrari adjusts the toe under braking and hard acceleration to lend stability. At low speeds, as in a parking garage, the instrument cluster’s camera display shows green traces that predict your steering path, including one for the inside rear wheel to remind the driver that there’s steering going on back there too.This phalanx of hardware and software operates so harmoniously that you’re seldom reminded of the fiendish complexity operating behind the scenes, the ones and zeros flitting across all those wiring harnesses, the clutches slipping and gears engaging somewhere down below the floorpan at just the right moments. It all just jells into a big, fast car that seems to be good at everything. The only time you’re reminded of the Purosangue’s vast catalog of elaborate systems is when you’re forced to interact with some of them through the steering wheel, which is where Ferrari saw fit to put, oh, all of the controls. Ferrari crammed so many buttons and knobs and haptic touchpads on the front of the steering wheel that it ran out of space and had to start strewing controls across the back of it too—changing the audio source requires locating a tiny nub of a button behind the right steering-wheel spoke, and that nub is located next to a toggle switch that controls track selection, which is also within a stray finger’s reach of the right shift paddle, and the right turn signal button, and a haptic pad that controls the instrument cluster display and menus, and the windshield wiper and washer activation button, and the wiper settings knob, and the manettino lever that controls drive modes and suspension settings. “What if I accidentally touch that haptic pad while I’m diving into Turn 3 at Imola?” you ask. Good question. Ferrari anticipated that, which is why those buttons don’t respond until you touch them twice, thus implying intention. If we have time later, we’ll tell you about the left side of the steering wheel. More Ultra-High-Performance SUVsThe sole physical control on the dash is a round knob that belongs to the climate-control system. It’s flush with the dash but powers out when you touch it. You then access settings by spinning the knob and jabbing at its tiny touchscreen to activate the seat heaters, say, or massage function. (There’s an identical knob between the rear bucket seats.) To the left and right of the knob are a few more haptic controls hiding behind glass, controlling specific functions like the rear-window defroster and suspension lift. The only large touchscreen is in front of the passenger seat, deliberately inaccessible to the driver, and that one provides the kind of display you might expect to find in the center of the dash—here there’s room to spell out “shiatsu” on the massage options or show cover art for your Def Leppard greatest hits playlist. The rear seats—which instantly clear the low bar of “best back seats ever in a Ferrari”—are accessed via power-operated rear-hinged doors that operate completely independently of the front doors. To open one from the outside, you pull and hold a small lever along the bottom of the window that will look familiar to anyone who’s driven a Ford Mustang Mach-E, a cohort that evidently doesn’t include anyone at Ferrari (this is the company, after all, that used the code name F150 for the LaFerrari). A button on the B-pillar closes the doors. This is the kind of cool trick you can include when you don’t really care about weight—Ferrari quotes a dry weight of 4482 pounds in the lightest configuration, but the reality is more like 4800 pounds. Which still makes for a fine power-to-weight ratio, but only because there’s so much power.Then again, this isn’t a sports car. The V-12 makes pretty sounds but keeps them to a dull roar, probably to the delight of Tubi, which will surely do a brisk business in uncorked Purosangue exhaust systems. There’s a launch-control position for the stubby metal-console shift lever, but no track setting on the manettino. The various aerodynamic tricks—underbody diffuser, air curtains to keep airflow attached to the side of the car, hidden ducts and channels in the bodywork—are optimized for cooling and drag reduction rather than ground-hugging downforce. Ferrari resisted the temptation to build a jacked-up F8 Tributo, and that was the right call. Two decades after Porsche rolled out the Cayenne, we ought to be done with the hand-wringing over whether sports-car companies should build SUVs, but surely there will be Ferrari fans who tsk-tsk the company for daring to offer a vehicle that lots of people will want to buy. We’re sure Ferrari will worry a whole lot about those pills as the Purosangue prints money and inevitably becomes the bestselling model in the lineup. And anyway, people who can spend $400,000 on an SUV probably don’t face the binary choice of Purosangue or sports car. They’ll get both. But if, cursed by fate, you can somehow only have one Ferrari? Then this is the one to have.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Ferrari PurosangueVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $402,050
ENGINE
DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 396 in3, 6496 cm3Power: 715 hp @ 7750 rpmTorque: 528 lb-ft @ 6250 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.8 inLength: 195.8 inWidth: 79.8 inHeight: 62.6 inCargo Volume: 17 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4850 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.2 sec100 mph: 7.5 sec1/4-Mile: 11.7 secTop Speed: 193 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY 
Combined/City/Highway: 13/12/16 mpgSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More