Car Reviews

Hybrids are big at Lexus, making up more than 25 percent of the luxury brand’s sales. Nearly every model in the lineup now offers a gas-electric variant, and this kind of powertrain makes sense for the typical Lexus buyer who prioritizes quietness and efficiency above the sporty sounds and performance of Lexus’s V-6 and V-8 engines. The hybrids may seem like a bit of an odd pairing with the F Sport subbrand, but that hasn’t stopped Lexus from offering F Sport packages for even the most milquetoast hybrid models, such as the ES300h.This combination was new to the ES range for 2022, but it’s not just an appearance upgrade anymore. Lexus now offers the F Sport option in two tiers: F Sport Design includes just the visual bits, and F Sport Handling adds a set of adaptive dampers that adjust their firmness based on which driving mode you select. Handling has never really been the ES’s thing, but now that the sportier, rear-wheel-drive GS sedan has disappeared, it seems that Lexus is trying to broaden the front-wheel-drive ES’s appeal beyond those who are simply looking for a Camry with nicer trim and a more prestigious badge.HIGHS: Efficient powertrain, much-improved infotainment, spacious interior.The ES300h F Sport may look the part of a sportier sedan thanks to sharp 19-inch black wheels, a rear spoiler, front seats with aggressive bolstering, and the cool movable gauge cluster bezel first seen in the LFA supercar. But its hybrid drivetrain prefers a slower pace, as the combination of the 2.5-liter inline-four and two electric motors only produces a total of 215 horsepower. In our testing, the F Sport reached 60 mph in a sluggish 7.9 seconds, nearly two seconds slower than a 302-horsepower, V-6-powered ES350.Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe adaptive dampers do their job in the F Sport, stiffening the ride and reducing body roll when you select Sport or Sport+ mode. But that doesn’t mean that the ES300h likes to hustle, as the droning of the gasoline engine, the numb steering, and the lackluster wheel control discourage aggressive back-road antics. Riding on Michelin Primacy MXM4 all-season tires, the ES’s 0.86-g skidpad result and 178-foot stopping distance from 70 mph are behind the far-sportier IS350 sedan’s numbers.More on the Lexus ESOf course, we wouldn’t judge the ES for such dynamic deficiencies if not for the words “Sport” and “Handling” in its name. If you remove the pretense of the F Sport package, it’s a perfectly suitable cruiser. In Normal mode the ride is soft and cosseting, and the cabin is well isolated from road and wind noise. Plus, the ES delivers impressive efficiency for a sedan this size, with an EPA rating of 44 mpg combined. We didn’t get a chance to run this 2023 model in our 75-mph real-world highway fuel economy test, but a mechanically similar 2019 ES300h achieved 45 mpg—enabling a highway range of nearly 600 miles.Our favorite change for the 2023 ES is the reconfigured infotainment system. Lexus mercifully ditched the fussy touchpad controller, moved the display toward the driver so it could function as a touchscreen, and introduced the company’s new infotainment software that has a far simpler menu structure. It’s a wholesale improvement, with our test car’s optional 12.3-inch screen proving easy to navigate, and the selection of hard buttons and volume and tuning knobs provides a welcome respite from touch-sensitive controls.LOWS: Sluggish acceleration, numb steering, not right for F Sport treatment.If we were selecting an ES for ourselves, we’d skip the F Sport line and choose one of the lesser ES350 or ES300h models that reside in the $40,000 range. The ES300h F Sport Handling starts at a steep $50,085, and our well-optioned test car stickered for $54,345. Any number of legitimate sports sedans with rear-wheel drive can be had for similar coin. We think the Lexus ES is perfectly fine as a cushy, spacious, and efficient hybrid luxury sedan—as long as it stays in its lane. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Lexus ES300h F Sport HandlingVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $50,085/$54,345Options: triple-beam LED headlights, $1215; Lexus Interface (12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation), $1030; power trunk, $550; Iridium premium paint, $500; head-up display, $500; door edge guards, $155; carpet trunk mat, $120; SmartAccess key card, $100; rear bumper applique, $90
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 176 hp, 163 lb-ft; 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, 118 hp, 149 lb-ft; combined output, 215 hp; 0.9-kWh (C/D est) lithium-ion battery packTransmission: continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.0-in vented disc/11.1-in discTires: Michelin Primacy MXM4235/40R-19 92V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.0 inLength: 195.9 inWidth: 73.4 inHeight: 56.9 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 51/46 ft3Trunk Volume: 14 ft3Curb Weight: 3793 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.9 sec1/4-Mile: 16.2 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 20.7 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 117 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 178 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.86 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 33 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 44/43/44 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

From the April 1988 issue of Car and Driver.Lee Iacocca leads a charmed life. After all the good fortune that has lit up his ca­reer, he finds himself hawking the all-new Eagle. The new Eagle bears no relation to the old American Motors four-wheel­-drive Eagle. This Eagle, in fact, may prove one of Lido’s luckiest strikes.Chrysler, under Iacocca’s guidance, re­cently snapped up American Motors and renamed it Jeep/Eagle. Iacocca has hit such highs several times over the two and a half decades since he bred the original Mustang during his tumultuous times at Ford. When he rode in to Chrysler to save the day, he did so armed with an enor­mous government loan; the corporation quickly harvested massive profits from its new K-car line and paid us taxpayers back. The K-car, however, was not Iacocca’s baby: it was created before Lido hit High­land Park. The wildly successful Caravan/Voyager minivans were in the works, too, before Iacocca arrived. Iacocca has since overseen the births of several other mod­els, but all of them have sprung from the K-car platform—broadenings of its po­tential, but hardly the results of fresh thinking. And now here comes Lido again to fill the picture tubes of the nation, this time enjoying the rub-off from the Eagle Premier—another timely machine with which America’s automotive stepfather had little to do until he walked it down the aisle. The Eagle Premier may prove to be Iacocca’s savviest career move yet. This capable, roomy new sedan was developed by the American Motors Corporation and Renault, AMC’s parental French connec­tion at the time. Renault attempted to bail AMC out of trouble but fell into troubles of its own. Chrysler, by then rolling in dough, stepped in and bailed out Renault by buying AMC. AMC’s on-line assets were pretty much limited to the perennial­ly successful Jeeps. The tinny Renault Alli­ance econobox and the derivative GTA hotbox, though built in America, did not rank as assets of note. The thoughtfully developed Premier, however, undoubted­ly looked to Iacocca and his cohorts like a boon. Imagine Chrysler’s pleasure in discov­ering that the engaging, modestly priced Franco-American Eagle stood ready to fight for nesting rights with every mid-size family sedan on the market. Such worthy birds as the Ford Taurus, the Mercury Sa­ble, the Pontiac 6000, the Buick Century, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, the Toyota Cressida, the Nissan Maxima, and the nif­ty new Audi 80 and 90 are in for a feather-ruffling. Like many sedans today, the Eagle lifts off on thermals of Audi-like ideas. It even competes with the graceful 5000, which showed the world how high a sleek sedan could soar. As pleased as Chrysler must have been to find its adopted Eagle fully feathered, imagine its shock at learning that AMC and Renault’s handiwork tears the tail feathers out of Chrysler’s own all-Ameri­can family sedans. The Premier was conceived in 1982, when José J. Dedeurwaerder ascended to the throne, such as it was, of AMC. He wanted AMC to broaden its line by devel­oping an upmarket, Euro-flavor sedan, and he wanted Renault to come through with a high-technology plant on this side of the Atlantic. Dedeurwaerder ordered a head-to­-head design runoff that included Giorgetto Giugiaro, the finest head in the business. Italdesign’s Michelangelo of motorware pitted his Turin-based imagi­nation against those of AMC’s Michigan stylists and an independent studio in California. Not surprisingly, the winning shape wears a pair of subtle “Design Giugiaro” badges. AMC and Renault engineers hustled to package a front-drive layout into that shape, allowing room for either a new Jeep-developed four-cylinder or an exist­ing V-6 from the Continent. An all-independent suspension fell nicely into place, plucked with little modification from the then-upcoming Renault Medallion. AMC settled on Canada as its plant site. Dedeurwaerder’s band zeroed in on Bramalea, Ontario, and knocked together a $600 million, 1.8-million-square-foot fa­cility capable of building 150,000 cars per year. The pilot production of the Premier began in December 1986. We received our test car from the regular production line exactly one year later and set off hot for the holidays through a thousand miles of dead winter. Our Premier went through snow and ice as if they were tea and cookies. By the time we’d run a hundred miles, we knew José and Giorgetto had hatched a golden Eagle that promised to lay a golden egg for Lido. Larry Griffin|Car and DriverGiugiaro’s basic trim job comes in two cuts, one an LX luxury version with slim rub strips, the second our ES sport ver­sion with wide bands of protective clad­ding visually connecting the wheel wells. The ES’s suspension settings are firmer than the LX’s, with 20-percent-stiffer springs up front and sport valving in the front struts’ integral shock absorbers. Gas-pressure Fichtel & Sachs shocks cush­ion the trailing-arm, torsion-bar-sprung rear suspension, providing snugger control than you’ll feel in the LX. Working away between suspension and road are 6.0-by-14-inch alloy wheels and 205/70, HR-rated Goodyear Eagle GT+4 all­-weather performance tires. The slimmer stance of the LX, thanks to 5.5-inch-wide steel wheels and 185/75R-14 tires, presents a smaller frontal area, for a Cd of 0.30. The more sporting ES, not yet tun­neled, would probably produce a less out­standing result. The Eagle’s steering winds and unwinds with reassuring sensi­tivity, especially for a package with 63.4 percent of its 3052 pounds on its nose. The front tires feel anything but overburdened. Not so the brakes, however: though normally firm of pedal, the vented front discs and the small rear drums re­quire 218 feet to stop the ES from 70 mph. The chassis package also produces modest, 0.75-g skidpad cornering. Driven semi-sanely, though, the ES tracks around the trickery of real roads like a pleasantly compliant leech. Its inspiring predictabili­ty goads you to embarrass luckless dozoids wheeling demonstrably grippier hardware. The LX’s standard 2.5-liter four-bang­er is good, but its optional 3.0-liter six is better. Fittingly, the ES gets the V-6 only. Jointly developed in Sweden and France by Volvo, Peugeot, and Renault, the six owns a heritage of hundreds of millions of miles in 760s, 505s, and R25s. It features single overhead cams, all-aluminum con­struction, Bendix fuel injection refined by Eagle, tuned intake runners, semi-hemi combustion chambers, a one-piece main-­bearing “girdle” for improved rigidity, a forged crank and forged connecting rods, and an air-conditioning compressor fitted directly to the engine, without any intervening brackets. The results: all-around smoothness, 150 hp at 5000 rpm, and 17 mpg on the EPA city cycle. Happily, our ES delivered 21 mpg under combined caning and cruising. Caned long enough, it stretched out to 126 mph. The overdrive top gear of the ES’s four­-speed automatic makes a direct contribu­tion to its top speed. The V-6 arrives in ei­ther model exclusively with a German-­built ZF automatic; the LX’s standard four-cylinder comes with a French-built four-speed automatic of Renault-Volks­wagen origins. Although a middling per­former, with a 10.2-second 0-to-60 time, the ES moves down the highway with little fuss. Giugiaro’s wedgy shape and wind­-soothing particulars, unlike those of many aero cars, mesh with smooth and linear rack-and-pinion power steering to make the ES all but imperturbable in blustery winds. At city speeds, however, the ZF hunts gears; it also downshifts noticeably when you slow. The Premier’s column-­mounted plastic shifter, curled like a nine-­iron that got caught in a revolving door, pokes up just beyond normal reach, re­quiring a few practice grasps. Larry Griffin|Car and DriverThe ES’s standard analog instruments are easy to read. The optional electronic layout can’t compare. Two Subaru-esque control pods straddle the steering col­umn, with soft-touch, electronic-contact buttons and sliders. The climate-control readout fits neatly into the lower right cor­ner of the dash pod. The turn signals don’t always readily engage, and it takes a while to get used to their spacey, electron­ic beeps. The ES’s cabin squelches most outside noise, though the suspension sends up regular drumbeats from the asphalt jun­gle when the native potholes grow rest­less. Luckily, such warlike sounds can’t compete with the worthy output of the standard Renault/Jensen AM/FM/cas­sette stereo’s eight speakers. Our ES arrived with simple manual seats that kept us calm and comfortable, even on longer-than-day-long drives. These mild buckets offer only fore-and-aft and backrest adjustments, but their gentle contour and velour upholstery are just fine. (Six-way power seats are optional.) The standard tilt steering wheel’s low-­slung dual spokes (which contain the cruise controls if you select that option) clear a visual path to the gauges and con­trols. Normally we detest having only low-­slung spokes for leverage, but the ES’s leather wheel provides enough grip to compensate. Compensating is what many Premier competitors may now have to do. The Ea­gle’s space utilization leaves former trend­setters elbowing for room. Compared with interiors whose shortcomings have become more apparent as time has gone by—the big Audi’s, for instance, which of­fers only 97 cubic feet of space—the Pre­mier is substantially airier and leggier, of­fering 105 cubic feet. Eagle back-seaters are even free to stretch their feet fully forward beneath the front seats. Considering such benefits, Premier prices run low to moderate, varying from a base of about $11,500 for the not-too-­basic LX to an opening bid of $14,079 for the genuinely juicy ES. Squeeze in A/C, a rear defroster, power windows and locks, remote fuel-filler and trunk-lid releases, and an infrared system that locks or un­locks the doors when you press a button on your key ring, and you wing away with a $16,149 Eagle. Our Premier, except for an ashtray buzz, felt as if it were ready to take on the devil himself. And it’s a sure bet to scare hell out of its competition. CounterpointWhen Chrysler swallowed AMC, we flinty-eyed industry observers won­dered if Lee Iacocca would end up with a bellyache. The Jeep franchise was wholesome enough, but the passenger­-car side dish smelled rotten. AMC’s plate was piled high with Alliance left­overs, Medallions of Renault, and more than a few Eagle carcasses. Something named the Premier was still in the oven.Now Uncle Lido is sitting back and patting his belly contentedly. The moldy AMC sedans have been tossed into the garbage, and the Premier makes a fine main course. The Premier, in fact, is much tastier than any of Chrysler’s home-cooked se­dans. It’s roomy and comfortable, and its looks are passable. If you’re planning on dropping twelve grand on a sedan, the Premier is well worth a look—and that’s not something I’d say about Chrysler’s other sedans. To this report­er, the Premier sounds suspiciously like a case of just desserts. —Rich Ceppos For a while after Renault departed from these shores, it looked as if all you weird-car buyers would have to go cold turkey. Either that or switch to Subaru. But now the weirdness is back. Eagle has picked up the franchise. The way the Premier’s shift lever snakes up from behind the heater con­trols, like a cobra in a crosswind, is pret­ty weird. The turn-signal lever, pivoting on an east-west axis, is wonderfully cockeyed, too. And the pod-mounted heater controls will stump any Ph.D. in Aristotelian logic.Still, weird as this stuff undeniably is, can it carry the whole car? The Giugiaro shape is generic four-door and perfectly forgettable. The rear suspension incor­porates a record number of torsion bars, but you won’t notice that when you’re driving. The longitudinal engine orientation is rare for front-drivers, but it probably won’t start any fights. Mostly, we’re talking minor-league oddities here. I’m wondering if the French cashed out because the Premier came up short of weirdness specs. —Patrick BedardThis fledgling Eagle should go a long way toward improving Chrysler’s im­age. Chryslers have been known as hon­est cars that offer a good blend of value, efficiency, and reasonable performance. Unfortunately, they’ve also been known for lacking the refinement and the driv­ing finesse to rank with the world’s best. The new Eagle Premier isn’t going to change that reputation in one miracu­lous swoop, but it’s already soaring far above the corporation’s other products. The Premier has that hard-to-pin­-down subjective “feel” that’s so essen­tial to overall driving satisfaction. Its controls, though not up to Honda stan­dards, are smooth, responsive, and for the most part well placed. On the road, the Premier follows your lead easily, arcing through bends with a grace not found in other Chrysler offerings. The ride is equally pleasing, possessing the firm yet well-damped feel of a well-sort­ed European sedan. To fly with the best, Chrysler need only follow this Eagle’s lead. —Arthur St. AntoineArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1988 Eagle Premier ESVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $14,504/$16,149Options: air conditioning, $837; power window and lock group (includes power windows and locks, remote trunk and fuel-filler releases, and keyless entry system), $660; rear defroster, $148.
ENGINESOHC V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 182 in3, 2975 cm3Power: 150 hp @ 5000 rpmTorque: 171 lb-ft @ 3750 rpm 
TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arm/trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 10.4-in vented disc/8.9-in drumTires: Goodyear Eagle GT +4 M+SP205/70HR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 105.5 inLength: 192.7 inWidth: 69.8 inHeight: 55.9 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 56/49 ft3Trunk Volume: 16 ft3Curb Weight: 3052 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 3.5 sec60 mph: 10.2 sec1/4-Mile: 17.5 sec @ 81 mph100 mph: 31.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.5 secTop Speed: 126 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 218 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.75 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 17/26 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the April 1988 issue of Car and Driver.Why would anyone pay $70,000 for a se­dan? If you want to attract the opposite sex, your money would be better spent on an exotic sports car from northern Italy. If you want to project your wealth and im­portance to the populace at large, a limou­sine is the way to go. Even if you can afford an exotic, a limo, and any other car you want, why spend the price of a small house on a sedan? After all, you can buy any of several truly wonderful sedans for no more than 30 or 40 grand.BMW provides the answer in the form of its new 750iL. Does more top end than a Porsche 911 Turbo appeal to you? How about quicker acceleration than a Mazda RX-7 Turbo? If speed isn’t your top prior­ity, maybe you’ll be impressed to learn that the 750iL is one of the quietest cars we’ve ever tested. And its cabin offers lux­urious furnishings and limousine-like space in a package that is ten inches shorter than a Mercedes-Benz 560SEL. Yes, BMW’s new flagship is expensive, but this is one case where you get what you pay for: a portfolio of strengths that no other sedan in the world can match. As its designation suggests, the 750iL is related to the second-generation 735i, in­troduced here last year. The 735, with an aerodynamically efficient new body that looks simultaneously elegant and muscu­lar, a spacious interior, solid-as-the-Alps construction, and an excellent blend of smooth ride and agile handling, is a sedan that any carmaker would be proud to call its own. The magicians of Munich, howev­er, had even higher aspirations for the 7-series. They wanted a car that could claim the title of World’s Best Sedan. More Archive Luxury Sedan ReviewsThe essential ingredient of the potion that transforms 735i into 750iL is BMW’s new M70 V-12 engine. BMW’s engine wizards combined a generous displace­ment of 5.0 liters with the extravagance of twelve cylinders because they wanted an engine that not only produced seemingly unlimited power but, equally important, did so without apparent effort. A twelve­-cylinder produces a smoother power flow than a six of the same displacement be­cause its cylinders fire twice as often and with half as much intensity. (A twelve is not necessarily better balanced; a well-designed in-line six, such as the 735’s 3.5- liter, can be balanced just as well.) The in­herent smoothness of a twelve minimizes the noise and vibration transmitted through a car’s driveline; and in BMW’s view, this benefit outshone the size, weight, and cost advantages of simpler en­gine designs. The engineers further enhanced the quietness of the 750’s drive­line by fitting rubber mounts to the M70’s two interwoven intake manifolds, install­ing an insulating cover over its twelve clicking electronic fuel injectors, and fit­ting hydraulic valve-lash adjusters to its single-overhead-cam valvetrain. Twelve-cylinder engines not only oper­ate smoothly but also generate power ea­gerly. The reason is that they have so many valves. Even with only two per cylin­der, the M70 has a total of 24 valves—50 percent more than a conventional V-8, or as many as a four-valve-per-cylinder six. (The total number of valves is more im­portant to an engine’s breathing than their arrangement.) In addition, twelves are unusually responsive: their flywheel mass is minimal, and their small, light­weight reciprocating components are quick to accelerate. To make the most of these advantages, the BMW V-12 is regulated by two Bosch Motronic electronic engine-control sys­tems—one for each bank of six cylinders. Fitting two systems to the M70 was mostly a matter of expedience: Bosch does not make a twelve-cylinder version of its Motronic system. The arrangement does have one benefit, however: Because each system operates independently of the oth­er, six cylinders will remain operational should one system fail. Another unusual electronic feature of the M70 is its throttle linkage. When you press the accelerator pedal, a transducer signals the pedal position to a computer, which in turn controls electric motors that open the throttle butterflies the appropriate amount. The system in­teracts with the engine-control computers to synchronize the opening of the two throttles and provide an even progression of power. It also controls the idle speed. The designers of the M70 did every­thing they could to minimize the weight and bulk disadvantages of the V-12 layout. Most significantly, they specified aluminum for all of the engine’s major compo­nents, resulting in a fully dressed weight of only 529 pounds—lighter than the all­-aluminum Mercedes 5.6-liter and Porsche 5.0-liter V-8s. And though the new engine is wider than the 735i’s 3.5-liter six, it is not as long and fills the 750’s engine com­partment nicely. BMW says that its V-12 produces 300 hp at 5200 rpm and 332 lb ft of torque at 4100 rpm. However, it quotes the same figures for the European 750. Since European power figures are expressed in PS, or metric hp, instead of in English horsepower, the European fig­ure should be 4 hp higher than the Ameri­can number.Whether the M70 engine produces merely 296 or a nice, round 300 hp, you may rest assured that there are enough horses under the hood to move the 4247-pound 750iL at full gallop. With its ZF four-speed automatic transmission set in the sport mode, which causes shifting to occur at the engine’s 5800-rpm redline, our 750iL test car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds and hit 100 mph less than ten seconds later. In the process it covered the quarter-mile in 14.8 sec­onds at 96 mph. Even at speeds well above 100 mph, the 750 never seems to run into the heavier air that eventually thwarts most cars’ acceleration. This BMW doesn’t stop accelerating until its speed­ometer needle reaches the 164 mark, which translates into a true 158 mph. Dick Kelley|Car and DriverEven more impressive than the V-12’s absolute power is its reserve of power at any rpm. Cruise down the highway at 65 mph, with a relaxed 2000 rpm showing on the tach, and a slight squeeze of the throt­tle is all that’s needed to produce a swell of acceleration. If you press hard enough to induce a downshift, the automatic pro­vides a swift, seamless transition from gear to gear. Such silky, broad-range power makes for an amazingly quiet ride. At a steady 70 mph, the interior sound level in the 750iL is a mere 67 dBA. The 750 is also remark­ably quiet when running hard. Listen closely, though, and you can detect the sounds of finely honed machinery that we’ve always loved in BMWs. Such quiet requires an environment-­isolating suspension as well as a smooth engine. The 750’s underpinnings are identical to the 735’s: struts in the front, semi-trailing arms in the rear, and anti-roll bars at both ends. The shock and spring calibrations have been revised to cope with the 750’s heavier weight, and hydrau­lic load leveling has been added to the rear suspension, but the 735’s excellent ride-and-handling compromise survives intact. The suspension clearly communi­cates the condition of the road surface to the driver, but it transmits only informa­tion, filtering out the punishment. Even severely frost-heaved roads cause only a gentle jostling. And despite this isolation, the suspension keeps the 750’s body mo­tions under tight control. This car wouldn’t float if you took a wrong turn onto a roller coaster. The 750 also stays firmly planted when the road twists and turns. With 0.78 g of grip at its disposal and admirably neutral handling, the big Bimmer is remarkably agile. At its limit, the 750 stays just on the understeer side of neutral; however, a slight lift of the accelerator or a twist of the steering wheel can make the tail step out in precise increments. And when you find yourself entering a turn too fast, the 750’s thicker brake rotors and standard anti­lock control are ready to scrub off speed instantly. No matter how you drive this car, you never feel as if you’re piloting a two-ton quasi-limousine. The only weak link in the 750’s dynamic controls is its ZF Servotronic variable-­assist power steering, which it shares with the 735. The system is decidedly dead on center, which prevents an inadvertent twitch of the wheel from turning into a 150-mph mistake; call it autobahn sneeze protection. The unfortunate side effect of this prescription is that the 750 is unre­sponsive to the tiny, subconscious steer­ing corrections that a sensitive driver makes constantly; as a result, compensat­ing for wind gusts requires more attention than it should. In addition, the ZF system’s resistance increases with speed too obvi­ously, and the steering feel tightens up un­naturally in high-speed bends. The con­ventional power-steering systems in other BMWs work much better. Dick Kelley|Car and DriverAnother shortcoming of the 750 is its climate-control system. Although BMW bills it as an automatic system, the fan speed must be set manually. More impor­tant, the blower is loud even at its low settings. Our test car also suffered from an incessantly whirring servomotor. BMW says it has solved the latter problem, but the entire system could use more work. Some might also find fault with the 750’s resemblance to the 735—though most of us were happy with its styling. The 750’s only exterior distinctions are a wider version of the BMW dual-kidney grille, a hood recontoured to match, aluminum wheels of different design, square exhaust pipes, and a 4.5-inch extension spliced into the rear-seat area—which accounts for the car’s “L” suffix. The additional length gives the 750 enough legroom for four NBA All-Stars. The 750 enjoys several other interior upgrades over the already lavish 735i. Leather upholstery covers not only its seats but most of the dash and the door panels. The front seats are heated, and the split rear seat has individual fore-and-aft adjustments, which also vary the seatback angles. The outside rear positions have motorized headrests that automatically rise from their retracted positions when the corresponding seatbelts are fastened. Dick Kelley|Car and DriverThe result is a cozy and functional driv­ing environment. It’s easy to get comfort­able in the highly adjustable and well-­shaped front seats. The instrument and control layouts are excellent, and the stitches in the leather upholstery are aligned with military precision. The stan­dard-equipment cellular telephone—if you can afford this car, you probably call your broker frequently—is designed for hands-free operation. Whether all of these attributes make the 750iL worth its $67,000 base price de­pends very much on one’s net worth. Most people can’t imagine spending so much money on a car. The 750, however, is far from being the most expensive car in its class: the Mercedes 560SEL costs 70 grand, and the Bentley Eight costs almost a hundred. And at current exchange rates, the big BMW is actually cheaper here than it is in Germany. If you can afford the 750iL and like what it can do, you might even consider it a bargain. We like what it can do. The 750iL may not turn heads like a Lambo or a limo, but its combination of speed, agility, comfort, and luxury beats its sedan competition by a huge margin. If money were no prob­lem, this is the car that the majority of our staff members would select over any other sedan, at any price. CounterpointA shocking number of us who have driven this car have been reduced to a state of helpless adoration akin to that of Emil Jannings in the movie The Blue Angel. Jannings, you may recall, played the old professor who wound up doing rooster imitations at the cabaret just so Marlene Dietrich would continue speak­ing to him. With its 750iL, BMW has hatched something to crow about, a cruiser so good that even important Volk at Mercedes-Benz agree that it’s a fine car. In a country where bragging rights to the best big sedan are so important, that’s going somewhere. Which is exactly what the 750iL does—in a fine, silent style made up of equal parts hypnotism and seduction. The car does everything that reason can demand from a European long runner. At nearly $70,000, it should do that, of course, but I—for one—just didn’t ex­pect it to do it so well. The power’s there, the handling’s there, the state­ment’s there. No other large sedan in recent memory has offered so much in such a smoothly done package. Cock-a-doodle-doo. —William Jeanes After driving the BMW 750iL for barely half an hour, I found I had engaged my­self in debate. Seventy thousand dollars is a hell of a lot of money, I argued. But, I countered, the 750iL is a hell of a lot of car. Not all of its virtues are immediately apparent. Only a variety of roads will bring out the full range of its talents. And those virtues and talents combine to form a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. But, I won­dered, is it really worth $70,000? The debate undecided, I set out on a quest. I wanted to see if I could find a road that the 750 couldn’t handle, a road that would demonstrate the limits of its refinement, a road that would in­troduce a single doubt into the pleasure I was deriving from it. I failed. Whether accelerating hard out of 100-mph sweepers or threading through tight country-road turns, the 750 never fal­tered. It remained unbelievably quiet and composed, and its wonderfully smooth and elastic engine never hinted at straining. Maybe $70,000 isn’t so much money after all. —Nicholas Bissoon-Dath I keep hearing the song sung by West Virginian Kathy Mattea—”You’re the Power”—who could be singing to this West German super­sedan:Like a blaze of gold At the break of dawn You’re the power that heals My soulWhen the wind grows cold And I’m halfway gone You’re the power that keeps Me whole…Driving the 750iL is therapeutic, yet it soothes your psyche without requiring you to take anything lying down. Put aside your annoyance at its price. Sus­pend, for the moment, any belief that the U.S.A. can build cars as well as any­body. The 750 has its small faults, but its talents overwhelm its idiosyncrasies. Despite its capacities for passengers and performance, the 750 gracefully goes, handles, and stops without effort, as if it were half its size. You feel its fluidity in its every move. The 750iL is a manifestation of the human drive to do the by-God best we can. It is an automobile for the ages. —Larry GriffinArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1988 BMW 750iLVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $67,540/$69,780Options: limited-slip differential, $390; gas-guzzler tax, $1850.
ENGINESOHC V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 304 in3, 4988 cm3Power: 300 hp @ 5200 rpmTorque: 332 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm 
TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 11.7-in vented disc/11.8-in vented discTires: Pirelli P600B225/60VR-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.0 inLength: 197.8 inWidth: 72.6 inHeight: 55.1 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 54/51 ft3Trunk Volume: 13 ft3Curb Weight: 4247 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.5 sec60 mph: 6.5 sec1/4-Mile: 14.8 sec @ 96 mphTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.4 secTop Speed: 158 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 182 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMYObserved: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 12/17 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDContributing EditorCsaba Csere joined Car and Driver in 1980 and never really left. After serving as Technical Editor and Director, he was Editor-in-Chief from 1993 until his retirement from active duty in 2008. He continues to dabble in automotive journalism and LeMons racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, and trio of motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.  More

The Toyota Corolla Cross is the SUV for people who choose the “no spice” option when ordering Indian. It’s a supremely inoffensive conveyance focused on value and familiarity over standing out. That’s okay, but its internal-combustion powertrain is as weak as pre-spinach Popeye, and its fuel economy doesn’t tell such a happy tale either. That’s where the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid comes in, adding a trio of electric motors for some much-needed horsepower and netting better fuel economy too.Instead of making do with the 169 horsepower of the Corolla Cross, the Hybrid bumps that figure to 196 ponies. As in the all-wheel-drive 2023 Toyota Prius, a 150-hp Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter inline-four pairs with three electric motors: two up front that combine for 111 horsepower and a 40-hp motor on the rear axle that enables standard all-wheel drive. There’s a small lithium-ion battery under the rear seats, and front-axle torque arrives via a continuously variable automatic transmission.ToyotaEven with its newfound power, the Corolla Cross Hybrid promises far better fuel economy than the nonhybrid model. Toyota estimates 45 mpg in the city, 38 mpg on the highway, and 42 mpg combined, versus 29, 32, and 30 mpg (respectively) for an all-wheel-drive Corolla Cross. Acceleration is improved too; Toyota’s estimate of 8.0 seconds to 60 mph would slice more than a second from our test results with a nonhybrid variant.But you don’t need a Racelogic VBox to know the Corolla Cross Hybrid is the quicker horse in the barn. A sensitive throttle and instant electric torque combine for more off-the-line snappiness than before, and the hybrid doesn’t give up the ghost on inclines like the gas version does. The new model is far more acceptable for joining highway traffic, although as we’ve seen in many hybrids, performance suffers with a depleted battery.More Hybrid Toyota ActionSince the hybrid has more vim than any other Corolla Cross variant, Toyota saw fit to shove in a bunch of sporty elements into the hybrid—and it’s available only in the jauntier S, SE, and XSE trims, forgoing the more pedestrian LE and XLE. This includes a standard “sport-tuned” suspension, which offers a slightly flintier ride than what we’ve experienced on the Corolla Cross’s non-S trims. Thankfully, it’s not too sharp; aiming for mass appeal keeps things relatively soft, and the steering is overboosted to a fare-thee-well.The cabin is nearly the same as in the standard Corolla Cross and barely different from that of the Corolla. There’s a lot of unused space atop the dashboard, but otherwise, it’s a cozy interior with more than enough hidy-holes to store whatever tchotchkes fall out of your pockets. Visibility is solid on all sides. The S and SE offer some comfortable fabric seats that sadly lack heat. If you want seat warmers, you’ll have to step all the way up to the XSE, which adds frippery such as LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a power driver’s seat.Toyota also gave the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid its latest and greatest infotainment system, which is good, because the old Entune setup left much to be desired. Toyota Audio Multimedia is a snappier, snazzier piece of software that includes standard wireless phone mirroring, over-the-air updates, and—with a subscription—cloud-based navigation. It resides within an 8.0-inch touchscreen on all three models.Toyota’s driver-assist systems are combined under the banner of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This standard bit of kit includes automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beams, lane-departure warning, and traffic-sign recognition. Blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross-traffic alert are added to the mix on SE and XSE grades.While the Corolla Cross Hybrid is more expensive than its gas counterparts, it’s still a few thousand below similarly equipped RAV4 Hybrid models. The base S Hybrid sneaks in below the 30-grand mark (at $29,305). Bumping up to the better-equipped SE raises the window sticker to $30,625, while the XSE tops out at $32,400. Expect the hybrid to make its way to dealerships this summer. Given that most SUVs this small don’t offer hybrid variants, the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid could make a sizable splash with buyers who want the same thrifty experience as a Corolla Hybrid but in a taller package.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Toyota Corolla Cross HybridVehicle Type: front-engine, front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base (S): $29,305; SE: $30,625; XSE: $32,400
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 150 hp, 139 lb-ft + AC motors, 111 and 40 hp, 152 and 62 lb-ft (combined output: 196 hp; 0.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack)Transmissions, F/R: continuously variable automatic/direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.9 inLength: 176.8 inWidth: 71.9 inHeight: 64.8 inCargo Volume, behind F/R: 70/22 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3400–3450 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 7.5 sec1/4-Mile: 15.9 secTop Speed: 115 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 42/45/38 mpgCar and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Toyota claims that the raw materials required for just one EV could instead go on to power seven plug-in hybrids or 90 traditional hybrids. Given Toyota’s goal to spread electrification of any kind as far and wide as it can, hybrids will remain an important part of the automaker’s portfolio for some time. And if they’re sticking around, they may as well be good. We’ve already driven—and enjoyed—Toyota’s new Prius, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the plug-in Prius Prime is a fab little hatchback too, eliminating many of our concerns with the outgoing version.The Prius Prime has been around since 2017, and in recent years it’s been feeling its age. We tested a 2022 model ahead of its retirement, and while the PHEV’s fuel-economy benefits were hard to ignore, it was even harder to ignore its time-it-with-a-sundial acceleration, middling EV range, and frustrating touch controls.ToyotaFor 2023, Toyota sent all those frustrations to The Bad Place and gave the Prius Prime a massive aesthetic and mechanical glow-up. With minor exceptions in badging, wheel design, and some silver trim around the lower air dam, the Prius and Prius Prime are now nearly indistinguishable—which is great, because the Prius looks better than it ever has. The second flap on the rear fender, which hides the SAE J1772 charging port, is an easy way to tell the two apart.But it’s the upgraded mechanicals that make the Prius Prime relevant again. The Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder grows from 1.8 liters to 2.0, boosting engine output from a sad 95 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque to a more sensible 150 horsepower and 139 pound-feet. The engine works in conjunction with a 161-hp permanent-magnet AC electric motor driving the front wheels—a second motor is integrated into the Prime’s planetary gearset—for a net output of 220 horsepower, a huge leap over the 2022 model’s 121-hp rating. Toyota believes the 2023 Prius Prime will reach 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds, a massive improvement over the outgoing model, which required 10.3 seconds for the same feat in our testing.Power to the PHEVs!Toyota also addressed range concerns by growing the Prime’s usable lithium-ion-battery capacity from a C/D-estimated 6.2 kWh to 10.9 kWh. The car will now operate on electricity alone for an EPA-estimated 44 miles (for the base SE, dropping to 39 miles on better-equipped trims), nearly doubling the old model’s range, yet only requiring four hours on a Level 2 charger to top off the battery. When functioning in regular hybrid mode, the Prime will return an EPA-estimated 53 mpg combined for the base SE and 50 mpg combined for XSE and XSE Premium variants. To the top trim you can also add a solar roof, which can feed up to 185 watts to the battery or the 12-volt electrical system. It won’t net you much charge while shopping, but it’s better than nothing.On the roads around Carlsbad, California, the Prime’s perkier powertrain is immediately appreciated. Even in Eco mode, where the throttle is least sensitive, the plug-in Prius no longer feels like a slow-moving danger to others. It’s perfectly capable of getting up to speed with e-propulsion alone, but when the engine does kick in, it does so smoothly and without a lot of annoying drone. The Prius Prime is a little more playful now too, thanks to a stiffer TNGA-C chassis, but the suspension tuning remains on the softer side, soaking up road inconsistencies without sending much jostling into the cabin. Save for a little bit of wind whistling around the A-pillars, it’s pretty quiet inside as well.The Prime’s shape leads to good visibility in all directions, but the cabin does suffer from some ergonomic concerns. Headroom isn’t as cramped as it is in the Crown, but a six-foot-tall driver may feel their hair rustling against the headliner; things are more dire in the back row, where there’s ample legroom, but even less headroom. The center console is tall, but there’s surprisingly little storage space under the center armrest. The dashboard sticks out a bit on the passenger side, and it’s easy to smack a knee against the plastic if you aren’t careful.The Prius Prime’s old infotainment, with its tall portrait display and frustratingly button-free experience, is thankfully in the trash heap. In its place is a more traditional 8.0-inch touchscreen, growing to 12.3 inches on higher trims. It runs the latest iteration of the Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, which is a vast improvement over its forebear in everything from aesthetics to response time. Wireless smartphone mirroring is standard on every trim, and all three variants also get six standard USB-C ports.And then there’s the gauge cluster. The Prius Prime borrows its steering wheel and instrumentation from the bZ4X, which means the small steering wheel sits at a lower position while the cluster resides above it, closer to where a HUD would be on any other car. It takes some getting used to, but the setup jells in time. We just wish Toyota knew where to put its thousand little icons, which are currently scattered wherever there’s free space, leading to an unnecessarily busy cluster that makes it harder to discern relevant information quickly.Safety systems abound on the Prius Prime. All three trims get a suite of active and passive nannies that include automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. It also includes Proactive Driving Assist, which provides steering or brake inputs to help the car maintain an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead. Traffic Jam Assist allows the Prius Prime to operate without driver input at speeds under 25 mph, and there’s a driver-facing camera to ensure the pilot is still paying attention. There’s also an attention monitor that is entirely too heavy-handed, beeping at us when we dared look left or right before entering an intersection.The Prius Prime may also be the first vehicle to offer a standard heated steering wheel with optional heated seats. All three trims get a free hand-warmer, but balmy butts are reserved for XSE and XSE Premium buyers. It’s yet another instance of Toyota being weird with heat-related packaging—the RAV4 Woodland Edition can’t be had with heated seats—but at least base-model consumers still get something this time around.Considering how much improvement Toyota shoehorned into the 2023 Prius Prime, its swollen price tag shouldn’t shock anyone. While the last gen snuck its way under the $30,000 mark, the 2023’s base model will set you back $33,445. The sweet-spot XSE asks $36,695, while the bells-and-whistles XSE Premium bumps that up to $40,265. The 2023 Prius Prime starts hitting dealerships in May. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Toyota Prius PrimeVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base: SE, $33,445; XSE, $36,695; XSE Premium, $40,265
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 150 hp, 139 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 161 and 94 hp (combined output: 220 hp; 10.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, C/D est; 3.5-kW onboard charger)Transmission: continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.3 inLength: 181.1 inWidth: 70.2 inHeight: 55.9-56.3 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 53/39 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 27/20 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3500-3600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 6.5 sec1/4-Mile: 15.3 secTop Speed: 115 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 48-52/50-53/47-51 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 114-127 MPGeEV Range: 39-44 miCar and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Volkswagen’s ID.4 compact SUV is already in its third model year, and the ID.Buzz retro minivan comes next. It’s only logical that the next ID will be a sedan, and it will be dubbed ID.7. The ID.7 is still more than a year off, but we just drove it, in disguised form, in Spain.The ID.7 is built on an enlarged version of the MEB platform that undergirds the ID.4 and ID.Buzz. The 7 is solidly mid-size with almost exactly the same length and the same width as a Honda Accord, though its 116.8-inch wheelbase is 5.4 inches longer and its 60.6-inch height is 3.5 inches taller.When the first ID.7 goes on sale, it will use the same 77.0-kWh battery used in the higher-trim versions of the ID.4, and a single electric motor will power its rear wheels.This motor, however, is more powerful than the ID.4’s rear motor, developing 282 horsepower instead of 201, along with 402 pound-feet of torque instead of 229. This increased output comes from more powerful permanent magnets, a stator with more windings and wires with a larger cross-section, and a more efficient cooling system that includes a liquid-cooled and gearbox oil circuit to maintain the proper temperature in the motor.More on the ID.7Just as in an internal-combustion engine, using a heat exchanger with a liquid circuit in combination with the oil serves to heat up the oil more quickly after a “cold” start, lowering its viscosity and friction. The helical teeth in the reduction gears have also been micro-polished to reduce their friction.This powertrain efficiency is complemented by the ID.7’s much improved aerodynamic performance compared with the ID.4. The sedan’s longer and lower body facilitates a more streamlined shape. Combined with details such as a steeply raked windshield, smoothly curved roofline, integral rear spoiler, side air vents to help airflow around the wheels, and a roller blind to block off the radiator in front, the ID.7 achieves a drag coefficient of 0.23. By contrast, the ID.4’s Cd varies from 0.27 to 0.29, and with its 3.8- to 4.5-inch-taller roof, it punches a much larger and more ragged hole in the air. In fact, the small SUV has about 30 percent more aerodynamic drag than the new sedan.VW says that these improvements give the ID.7 a range of 382 miles, according to the European WLTP standard. We expect that to turn into around 320 miles on the EPA tests. And later on, the Pro S version will have a larger 86.0-kWh battery, which should add another 30 to 35 miles. That’s decent for a large car without a giant battery. With its long wheelbase, there’s plenty of space for two rows of seats, and the high roof provides decent headroom despite the rack of batteries under your feet. A 5-foot-11 rear-seat passenger sitting behind a similar-size driver can cross their legs without contortions. And there’s plenty of cargo space in the hatchback body, particularly when the rear seats are folded—conveniently using releases in the luggage area. It looks like you could easily take a nap back there.The cockpit is nicely finished, but the biggest change is in the layout of the newly enlarged 15.0-inch display screen. It addresses most of the complaints about the irritating and convoluted programming of the ID.4’s current infotainment system. First, there’s a row of always-present, virtual buttons that runs the full width across the bottom of the screen. These control all major climate-control functions. Now you can turn on your seat heaters with a single action, just like you could in 1980.Csaba Csere|Car and DriverAcross the top of the screen, there’s a thinner band that’s available for you to place the icons controlling your favorite functions, so you no longer have to negotiate the multiple layers of the menu to access them instead of paying attention to your driving. The system also provides the option of subdividing the screen in several ways, such as two-thirds for navigation and splitting the remaining third in two—using one for the phone and the other for the trip computer—or whatever you prefer. It’s a huge improvement.In ID fashion, the display in front of the driver is tiny—even smaller than the smartphone-sized screen on the ID.4. Information is minimal. However, a head-up display is standard on the ID.7 and presents a useful amount of selectable information right in the driver’s field of view.Other interior features include smart air vents that swivel side to side and up and down with the aid of electric motors. Just tell the car to warm your hands, and the system directs hot air toward the steering wheel. There’s also an optional sunroof that can be switched from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. Massaging seats incorporate pelvic massage into the seat cushion, in addition to the massage functions on the backrest. You can also option a 14-speaker, 700-watt Harman/Kardon sound system.We had a short drive on a tight back-road loop, and the ID.7 felt rock solid, with a surprisingly firm ride. Surprising because the ID.7 comes with electronically controlled dampers that adapt to conditions within four drive modes. The drive modes also change the steering effort, which felt less synthetic in the Comfort setting. Brake-pedal action also feels somewhat artificial, though the transition from regen to friction braking was well muted.But body control is excellent, as we’ve come to expect in cars with about half a ton of batteries under the floor. You can bend the ID.7 into corners confidently, and grip was more than enough with the staggered 235/45 and 255/40 20-inch tires on our car.And while the ID.7 will set no new EV acceleration records, it felt plenty peppy. The ID.7 weighs about the same as an all-wheel-drive ID.4 and has slightly less power and a lot more torque than that car’s two motors can provide. As such, we’d guess a 60-mph time in the mid- to low-5.0-second range. If and when a dual-motor version arrives, the additional 100 horsepower and 100 pound-feet could easily slice a second from that.VolkswagenThe ID.7 will hit our shores sometime in 2024 as a ’25 model. With that date so far out, pricing is undefined. Given the standard head-up display and electronic HVAC vents, we expect this car will probably start in the mid-$50,000 range. It will be assembled in VW’s Emden, Germany, plant, meaning it won’t be eligible for an EV tax credit. While such a price used to be solidly in luxury territory, in these inflationary times, it’s barely above average, meaning VW’s electric sedan can still claim a “people’s car” mantle. Contributing EditorCsaba Csere joined Car and Driver in 1980 and never really left. After serving as Technical Editor and Director, he was Editor-in-Chief from 1993 until his retirement from active duty in 2008. He continues to dabble in automotive journalism and LeMons racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, and trio of motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.  More

Should EVs make a statement? Or should they blend in with the gas-powered masses? That’s the major question facing designers in the tectonic shift to electric propulsion. After watching Tesla sprint ahead as the tech-forward luxury offering, Mercedes-Benz burst out of the gate with its EQS sedan, an S-class-level electric vehicle on a dedicated platform with a look that pushed the envelope. The next-up mid-size EQE sedan followed suit. The SUV models, first the EQS SUV and now the EQE SUV, adopt a more familiar form. Playing in the heart of the market, the EQE SUV tries harder to not alienate the great swaths of buyers that presumably will soon enter this segment.The EQE SUV doesn’t have the odd, taffy-stretched form of the sedans, but it is lower (by 4.4 inches) and more rounded than its conventionally powered counterpart, the GLE. The EQE SUV is also 2.4 inches trimmer in length but nearly identical in width. The EQE SUV’s egglike form, plus its smooth underbody, contributes to a slippery 0.25 drag coefficient. But it’s no weirder looking than its BMW counterpart, the iX, which takes an alternate tack on the neo-SUV idea. True aesthetes might be drawn instead to the conventionally shaped Audi e-tron or the edgy-but-still-approachable Cadillac Lyriq.The EQE SUV is the fourth model to use Benz’s dedicated EV platform, and being fourth has its advantages. Specifically, the EQE SUV introduces two innovations. All-wheel-drive models have the ability to power down the front motor (except in Sport mode), which Mercedes claims results in a 6 percent improvement in range. Additionally, the climate control system uses a heat pump to more efficiently heat the cabin. (We’re told both features will soon spread to the other EQ models.)Inside, there’s greater commonality with the EQE sedan. The entire front passenger compartment is similarly configured, and the upper trims have the same ritzy details. The EQE’s dash dips down at the center to meet the tallish center console, a less spacious-feeling arrangement than you’ll find in EVs such as the iX and the Genesis GV60 that play up the flat floor of an EV by offering open space at the front of the console. However, the Mercedes does provide a large bay underneath the floating console, and the top part has a covered bin with space for your phone and the requisite two cupholders.Mercedes-BenzSome of the EQE SUV models we drove had a freestanding central screen and a separate digital instrument cluster; others were equipped with the brand’s dash-spanning Hyperscreen (even though that option won’t be available in U.S. cars until next year). In addition to its wow factor, the Hyperscreen adds a display for the front passenger that offers redundant controls for much of the infotainment, as well as the ability to stream video or games—or it can just display a picture of your dog. With or without the Hyperscreen, there’s a digital instrument cluster and a large central touchscreen. The former has a variety of display options, and the latter boasts relatively easy access to major functions. When using navigation, for instance, the display keeps open small submenus for other functions, including audio, phone, and major climate controls. Still, we bemoan the lack of any non-touch switchgear, with the worst offenders being the touch slider for audio volume and the tiny four-way touchpads on the steering wheel. Such are the travails of modernity. Despite a wheelbase that’s 3.5 inches shorter than the EQE sedan’s, rear-seat space is generous. Occupants find plenty of legroom and knee clearance, and the flat floor makes the middle position tenable. The EQE’s rounded form cuts into cargo space, however, as its 14 cubic feet behind the rear seats is well short of the GLE’s 33 cubes. Seats folded, the total volume is 55 cubic feet. And whereas the GLE wedges in an optional third-row seat, the EQE SUV is strictly a five-seater.As pleasant as the EQE SUV cabin is to look at, we wish it were easier to look out of. The brow over the dashboard makes for a shallow windshield, and the stocky A-pillars stretch forward into the field of view. We had to raise the driver’s seat to get a decent view out, but in tight confines, it’s tough to judge where the bodywork ends. The SUV largely mirrors the EQE sedan’s motive offerings, though here with a bit more torque. There are three powertrains: the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive 350+ and the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 350 4Matic and 500 4Matic. Both 350s have 288 horsepower—fewer ponies than in mid-size electrics from Audi, BMW, Cadillac, or Genesis. Torque output is more respectable, with the single-motor powertrain spinning out 417 pound-feet and the dual-motor 564 pound-feet. The high-zoot EQE500 pumps out 402 horses and 633 pound-feet, which puts it closer to the BMW iX xDrive50 (516 horsepower, 564 pound-feet). Presumably, the upcoming AMG version of the EQE will have the beans to face off against the 610-hp iX M60.Mercedes-BenzWe first drove the 350+, and while it’s perky enough in town, acceleration at higher speeds is rather languid, particularly for an EV. Switching next to the 350 4Matic, one can definitely feel the dual-motor version’s extra torque, which wakes up response when passing on two-lanes or merging onto a freeway. Step up to the EQE500, and you get the kind of scenery-blurring acceleration that EVs are becoming known for. But even the EQE500 is still likely to fall well shy of the sprinting capabilities of the Genesis GV60 Performance (which hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds in our testing) or the BMW iX xDrive50 (which did so in 4.0). For blame, we might look to the EQE500’s curb weight, which Mercedes pins at 5665 pounds (even the lightest EQE350+ version is a claimed 5300 pounds). But the iX, the e-tron, and the Lyriq all spent just as much time bellying up to the buffet, as all three pack more than 5500 pounds.More on the EQE SUVMercedes offers four different Soundscapes, oddball soundtracks that we were only too happy to switch off. Doing so does not totally extinguish the whirr from the electric motors, however. At highway speeds, the car is quiet; wind rustle is all but absent, leaving only tire noise to be heard. The EQE350+ we drove was riding on steel springs and passive dampers, which is the standard setup. Aided by 19-inch wheels (the smallest available), that suspension did a reasonable job coping with the beat-up cobblestone streets in the old section of Lisbon, Portugal, where our drive took place. The 350+ exhibited some side-to-side body motions over pavement disturbances at higher speeds. The EQE350 and EQE500 4Matics we drove had the optional air springs and adaptive dampers. That setup kept a tighter rein on body motions, although it suffered a bit more impact harshness, likely owing to the larger rolling stock on those two cars. We did not discern an appreciable difference between the Sport and Comfort modes. In all three cars, the steering has a reasonable degree of effort, but it doesn’t build as cornering forces increase and ends up just feeling inert. Rear-axle steering, which turns the rear wheels up to 10.0 degrees, is standard on the EQE500. The system is clearly evident when you fully crank the wheel in low-speed maneuvers, and we were surprised at the EQE’s ability to bang a U-turn on a narrow two-lane road.The EQE offers four levels of brake-energy recuperation: Strong, Normal, No, and Intelligent. Normal approximates the experience of driving an internal-combustion car, while No recuperation enables a sailing mode. Intelligent is a little weird to get used to because the degree to which the car slows when you let off the accelerator is different all the time. Sometimes it varies based on whether the system detects a slower vehicle ahead, and other times it reacts to information from the navigation system (whether you’re entering a reduced-speed zone or approaching a stop sign, say). If the car ahead stops, Intelligent mode can work like one-pedal driving, stopping the EQE. But true one-pedal fans might prefer Strong recuperation mode, which always slows the car aggressively when the accelerator is released, even if it doesn’t quite bring the vehicle to a full stop. Mercedes-BenzMore aggressive regen modes hold extra appeal here because they minimize the interaction with the brake pedal. Like its sibling EQ models, the EQE SUV’s brake modulation feels unnatural, with the initial wooden response becoming suddenly grabby as you apply more pressure. The result is that smooth stops can be a challenge. As with other EQ models, the maximum recharge rate is 170 kW; at max draw, Mercedes estimates 32 minutes for a recharge of 10 to 80 percent. On a Level 2 source, replenishing the battery from 10 to 100 percent happens in 9.5 hours. Customers get two years of free 30-minute fast-charging sessions at Electrify America stations, and, looking ahead, Mercedes has announced a plan to build its own fast-charging network, à la Tesla.All EQE SUVs use the same 90.6-kW battery pack. It provides EPA range estimates of 279 miles for the single-motor EQE350+ and 253 miles for the EQE350 4Matic, with the EQE500 4Matic good for 269 miles. Those numbers are credible but not class-leading. They land the Mercedes comfortably ahead of the e-tron, but behind the Lyriq and iX and well aft of the still-class-leading Tesla Model X. Pricing for the EQE SUV unsurprisingly starts just under the magic $80,000 mark (the vehicle’s Alabama assembly site and U.S. battery factory being the other key factors in securing federal tax-credit eligibility). What is unusual is that the single- and dual-motor EQE350 models have the same $79,050 ask. It’s hard to imagine many buyers picking the 350+ over the 350 4Matic, even with the rear-drive version’s slight advantage in range. The EQE500 4Matic, meanwhile, opens at $90,650. All three are offered in Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle trims; the EQE500 in Pinnacle form stretches the price tag to $96,350.Rich pricing is pretty characteristic of Mercedes-Benz—for some, it’s part of the brand’s appeal. At least with the EQE SUV, anyone who wants to flash around town in an electric Benz won’t have to get past a weird exterior shape to do so. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUVVehicle Type: mid- or front- and mid-motor, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: EQE350+, $79,050; EQE350 4Matic, $79,050; EQE500 4Matic, $90,650
POWERTRAIN
Motors: permanent-magnet synchronous ACPower: 288 or 402 hpTorque: 417, 564, or 633 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 90.6 kWhOnboard Charger: 9.6 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 170 kWTransmissions: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 119.3 inLength: 191.5 inWidth: 76.4 inHeight: 66.3 inCargo Volume, Behind F/R: 55/14 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5350–5750 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.0–5.6 sec1/4-Mile: 12.5–14.1 secTop Speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 82–90/85–92/80–88 MPGeRange: 253–279 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

“Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? We’re having two backpacks full of nutritional granola bars,” asked no one ever. Though pressed with enough soy protein to grow hair on your legs, those individually wrapped caloric boosters are a matter of convenience rather than taste. They call to mind the new Subaru Impreza. It’s not as exciting to drive as the BRZ or the WRX, but like a Clif Bar, the Impreza uses only the necessary ingredients, and its handy size and affordable price make preparing for life’s real adventures a lot easier. Although still basic, the sixth-generation Impreza has gotten a bit tastier with bigger screens, a more powerful engine option, and a wider array of standard features. Some things, though, have been lost. After checking the books, Subaru decided to stop offering a four-door sedan and the manual transmission, in favor of making what 73 percent of its Impreza customers were buying: hatchbacks with CVTs.Design-wise, the new Impreza seems to be doing a Mazda 3 impression, but this car has always been about driving to go do something cool rather than about looking cool. And so the new design didn’t change the dimensions of Subaru’s smallest all-wheel-drive car: It has the same wheelbase, length, and ground clearance as the previous generation, but is a little taller and heavier. The big functional change is hidden: Subaru has integrated a plastic step into the rear door sills, a big help when you’re loading your lifestyle gear onto the roof; and the rear doors are designed to accommodate your hips while you’re up there tying everything tight.Related StoriesThe updated body structure is a claimed 10 percent stiffer torsionally, as Subaru engineers weren’t shy with the structural glue this time around. The difference could be felt when we were pretending to be Colin McRae driving the paved twisties in Paso Robles, California. The extra support and sound deadening have made the Impreza heavier but easier on the ears. Even on the highways that stretch between the casks of cabernet sauvignon in wine country, this Subaru was pleasantly quiet to drive. While parts of the new Impreza got tougher, others have relaxed. A newer dual-pinion electric power steering rack, similar to what’s used in the WRX, has lightened the steering effort. The Impreza also switched to an electronic brake booster, which has resulted in a lighter pedal effort. The brake-based torque vectoring, previously only offered on more expensive Imprezas, is now standard across the updated three-trim lineup. That lineup consists of the base Impreza, the Sport, and the new RS. The latter is back as the top-performance model. In place of the standard 2.0-liter engine, the RS uses a 182-hp 2.5-liter flat-four from the Crosstrek and an updated CVT. There are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, and the CVT tries its best to imitate an eight-speed automatic. The RS gets dark gray 18-inch wheels, a black front grille, side skirts, heated mirrors, and adaptive LED headlights that peek around corners as you drive. Sport and RS models offer a new exclusive color, Oasis Blue Pearl, that’s reminiscent of the limited-edition 2016 WRX STI and BRZ Series.HyperBlue. RS badges, illustrated with two opposing horizontal pistons à la the boxer-engine setup, are fitted inside and out.Despite the bigger engine’s 30-hp and 33-pound-feet advantage over the 2.0-liter base unit, the more powerful engine doesn’t live up to the enthusiasm of the updated chassis. When you toss the RS into downhill hairpins hard enough to make the all-season Yokohama Avid S34P tires cry out, the delightful chassis carries speed without a hiccup. Unfortunately, stomping on the gas pedal on corner exit is met with little urgency. Still, it’s a much-needed advantage over the base engine, which in our last test took 9.0 seconds to reach 60 mph. We’re certain the RS will be quicker than that, but so are most cars.The new Impreza gets a larger fuel tank: 16.6 gallons, up from the previous car’s 13.2. However, fuel economy has dipped marginally. When comparing base hatchbacks, the EPA estimates the new Impreza gets 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, down from 28/36 mpg previously. The new RS trim is 1 mpg behind at 26/33 mpg. Regardless, the bigger tank gives base Impreza and Sport trims nearly 500 miles on a single tank of gas.The changes most people will notice are inside the cabin. A larger 7.0-inch screen is standard on base models, but move up to the Sport or RS and you get an 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system is intuitive and thanks to the physical buttons that border the digital display, things happen at the push of a button rather than at the sometimes-laggy speed of software. The RS we drove was equipped with an option package ($2070) that adds a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, a power sunroof, and a 10-way power driver’s seat. Subaru’s latest version of its EyeSight driver-assist suite uses a new camera with a wider field of view. During highway driving, we noticed the system now only beeps when it needs to, rather than all the time. While passing when using adaptive cruise control, the car accelerates before the lane change is complete, which feels closer to how humans drive.SubaruIt’s not as exciting to drive as the Honda Civic, and its interior isn’t as lavish as the leather-lined Mazda 3, but the Impreza is one of the most affordable ways to get all-wheel drive, and it’s a great tool to get you places. If the old Impreza was a Clif Bar, the new one is a Clif Bar with chocolate chips—still basic, but with a little more taste.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Subaru ImprezaVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base: $24,085; Sport, $26,085; RS, $28,975
ENGINES
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter flat-4, 152 hp, 145 lb-ft; DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter flat-4, 182 hp, 178 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 105.1 inLength: 176.2 inWidth: 70.1 inHeight: 58.3 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55–56/44 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 56/20 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3200–3350 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 8.2–9.0 sec1/4-Mile: 16.3–17.1 secTop Speed: 125 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 29–30/26–27/33–34 mpgAssociate EditorYes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs. More