Reviews

Porsche’s second electric car is aimed squarely at the jugular of the market. Be it affordable or luxurious, the compact SUV is stealing hearts and stealing sales from every vehicle segment. Since everyone seems to want to park one in their garage, it makes sense that Porsche’s second electric offering is a version of its compact SUV, the Macan. Product planners are probably still kicking themselves for sending out the Taycan as the leadoff hitter. Unimpressed with some of the decisions that were handed down on the shared platform of the original Macan—the height of the front seats for one—Porsche claims to have led the engineering and design of the hardware for the new electric Macan’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture. This is the sort of decision-making power that comes from having sold more than 850,000 Macans over the past 10 years. Porsche probably could have sold even more, but the Macan’s factory in Leipzig, Germany, has been banging against its three-shift redline for years. While we never found much wrong with the seating position of the gas-powered Macan, the electric versions, the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo, sit 1.1 inches lower in front and 0.6 inch lower in the rear seat. Anyone familiar with the gas-powered Macan is unlikely to notice the seating-position difference, but they will likely suspect that they’re in an updated Macan. The gauge cluster is now a 12.6-inch screen, and there’s a 10.9-inch touchscreen in the middle of the instrument panel. For those who want more screens, another 10.9-inch unit in front of the passenger is a $1570 option that will keep your shotgun rider entertained if not carsick. As with all of these passenger-facing screens, the driver’s view of it is blacked out when the Macan is out of park, making it impossible to watch “Window Shop with Car and Driver” on YouTube while driving.There’s a simplicity to the rest of the interior, but, thankfully, a volume knob remains and there are physical HVAC controls below the touchscreen. The leather-wrapped dashboard is a rich touch, but the plainness of the design doesn’t look expensive, a view perhaps made worse by the black interior of our sample cars. A 3.4-inch wheelbase increase over the old Macan doesn’t add up to a vastly larger interior here. Rear-seat room is spacious enough for a six-footer and certainly won’t trigger claustrophobics, but the rear seat isn’t a cross-your-legs situation if you sit behind an average driver. Just like on a 911, there’s a front trunk (or frunk). There’s only three cubic feet of space up there, but it checks an electric-car box that the Germans had largely ignored. Most of your stuff will go under the hatch, where there’s up to 18 cubic feet of space. Some electric-car facts: The new platform has a 95.0-kWh battery pack living under the floor and provides a Car and Driver–estimated 250 to 300 miles of range. Like the Taycan, the electric Macan has an 800-volt architecture that enables fast-charging. Porsche says it’ll run from 10 to 80 percent charge in the time it takes to watch an episode of Seinfeld without commercials—actually, Porsche said about 21 minutes. On a slower AC connection, the onboard charger can take in as much as 11.0 kW, so figure on about 10 hours from empty to full.Those numbers out of the way, let’s discuss what a Macan without an engine is like to drive. First off, it’s quiet. The Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo we drove both were fitted with optional thermal and acoustic glass ($920), which helped keep sound levels low. For $490, you can select Electric Sport Sound, which offers a louder buzzy, wooshy soundtrack for the driving experience. We tried it, started to get a headache, took a couple of Advil, then switched it off. Save your money.Both the 402-hp Macan 4 and the Turbo share their 234-hp front motors. While the 4 gets by with a 375-hp rear motor, Porsche bolts in a more powerful 630-hp rear unit into the Turbo that confusingly never makes 630 horsepower on its own, but combined with the front unit makes 630 horsepower. Getting maximum power from either requires engaging launch control, which can be done only from a stop. Do so and you get 10 seconds of overboost. In normal driving, the 4 makes 382 horsepower with Turbo making 576 horses. Instant torque—479 lb-ft in the 4 and 811 in the Turbo—gives an immediate response to the slap of the accelerator, but the 4 doesn’t impress off the line. Porsche says the 4 is good for a 4.9-second time to 60 mph, and in a world of very quick EVs, that doesn’t feel very quick. The Turbo will snap necks with a claimed 3.1-second 60-mph time. Electric cars that accelerate as hard as sports cars or even supercars aren’t surprising anymore. What the Macan does that few, if any, other battery-powered SUVs can do is handle. Bend it into a corner, and, despite a curb weight on the wrong side of 5000 pounds, the 5.5-inch-lower center of gravity helps mitigate the mass. Both models have eager steering (electric Macans have a 15 percent quicker steering ratio) with natural weighting, and both try their best to unbend corners. Rear-axle steering is optional on both models, and the system works to stabilize the rear end at speed. At low speeds it cuts the turning circle down to a carlike 36.4 feet. Both the 4 and the Turbo will have adaptive dampers and adjustable air springs as standard. Body control is taut and contributes to the driver’s confidence to push toward the cornering limits. An active rear differential that allows for torque vectoring is standard on the Turbo.Ride quality is supple but not cushy. If you’re seeking isolation and a delicate ride, the much-larger BMW i7 will make you smile. If you’re about to comment that the i7 isn’t a direct competitor, well, what is? When it arrives at this fall, the electric Macan won’t face much competition. Mercedes’s EQE SUV perhaps comes closest in size and price, but it seems to have been designed to isolate rather than engage. A Tesla Model Y or even a Model X are the same shape, but again, they lack the driving joy that makes the Macan entertaining. Acura’s ZDX promises to challenge the battery-powered Macan, but we’re still a few weeks away from experiencing it. And then there’s BMW’s new iX3, which is still months away. For the first time, Porsche might find a direct competitor from Hyundai and its 641-hp Ioniq 5 N. More on the Macan EVIn Europe, the gas-powered Macan will no longer be sold, but U.S. customers will continue to have a choice of gas or electric Macans. The gas-fired ones will continue on the old platform, virtually unchanged. Anyone deciding between the two will look at the prices and notice that the electric Macan appears to command a major premium, but if you compare the Macan 4 to its gas equivalent, the 375-hp Macan S, the difference works out to be $6500. The 630-hp Turbo doesn’t line up with any of the gas versions and would be $18,500 more than the 434-hp V-6-powered GTS. We still love the sound and the experience of accelerating with a gas-engine Macan, but the new Macan works well as an electric. It looks more modern inside and out, and, like the Taycan, the Macan 4 and Turbo have more than just acceleration to make you smile. And that’s rare in today’s electric-car world.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Porsche Macan EVVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: Macan 4, $80,450; Macan Turbo, $106,950
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 234 hp, 229 lb-ft Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 375 or 630 hp, 428 or 605 lb-ft Combined Power: 402 or 630 hpCombined Torque: 479 or 833 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 95.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 270 kWTransmissions: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.9 inLength: 188.4 inWidth: 76.3 inHeight: 63.8 inCargo Volume, behind F/R: 44–47/16–18 ft3Front-Trunk Volume: 3 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5250–5400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.9–4.7 sec100 mph: 10.6–12.4 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2–13.5 secTop Speed: 136–161 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined: 75–90 MPGeRange: 250–300 miTony Quiroga is a 20-year-veteran Car and Driver editor, writer, and car reviewer and the 19th editor-in-chief for the magazine since its founding in 1955. He has subscribed to Car and Driver since age six. “Growing up, I read every issue of Car and Driver cover to cover, sometimes three or more times. It’s the place I wanted to work since I could read,” Quiroga says. He moved from Automobile Magazine to an associate editor position at Car and Driver in 2004. Over the years, he has held nearly every editorial position in print and digital, edited several special issues, and also helped produce C/D’s early YouTube efforts. He is also the longest-tenured test driver for Lightning Lap, having lapped Virginia International Raceway’s Grand Course more than 2000 times over 12 years. More

Modern mid-size trucks may have grown to what not long ago would be considered full-size proportions, but they also can now package a lot more content—and handle a lot more power. Case in point is the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma, which follows in its larger Tundra sibling’s footsteps in offering a hybrid powertrain as its top engine offering—a first for a mid-size pickup. As a result of that enhancement, plus some additions to its model lineup, the new Taco makes an even stronger statement in its revitalized segment.We’ve already written a fair amount about the latest Tacoma, including a comparison test that saw a crew-cab TRD Off-Road model beat the also-fresh Chevy Colorado ZR2. For that existing trim level, as well as the TRD Sport and the Limited, the hybrid option (i-Force Max in Toyota-speak) amounts to a performance enhancer that also brings a modest uptick in fuel economy; most versions increase from an EPA combined estimate of 20 mpg to 23 mpg. The Max powertrain also accompanies the introduction of the Tacoma’s top two trims, the hybrid-only TRD Pro and Trailhunter, which are even more focused on off-road performance. Driving ForceThe Tacoma’s Max setup is somewhat familiar in that it’s related to the top powertrain in the 10Best-winning Grand Highlander SUV, among other front-wheel-drive-based Toyota and Lexus models. However, the Tacoma’s application (and the new Land Cruiser’s and 4Runner’s) is a longitudinal, rear-drive-based arrangement, whereas other versions are configured transversely. At its heart is a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four making 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque—the same output as most nonhybrid Tacomas. This is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, with a 48-hp, 184-lb-ft electric motor sandwiched between the two. Stored energy comes from a nickel-metal hydride battery under the back seat that has 1.4 kilowatt-hours of estimated usable capacity (Max-equipped Tacomas are crew cab only and have a five-foot cargo bed, except the Trailhunter, which you can opt to get with a six-foot bed). Combined output is 326 horsepower and a class-leading 465 pound-feet of torque, which despite the several hundred pounds of hybrid hardware plus a standard part-time four-wheel-drive system, should be enough to scoot these rigs to 60 mph in under seven seconds. The sensation on the road is one of deliberate thrust, the hybrid trucks smoothly feeding in the low-rpm grunt of the electric motor to improve responsiveness and provide strong, steady acceleration. Changeovers from regenerative to friction braking are imperceptible, and toggling to Sport mode increases the heft of the steering and sharpens the mapping of the engine and drivetrain. Limited models with their available adaptive dampers (other trims make do with passive units) also feature Sport S+ and Comfort modes. But the change in character is subtle, and the ride on the Limited’s standard 18-inch wheels is conventional-pickup firm if well controlled. Compelling RefinementThe TRD Pro, on the other hand, is the hybrid Tacoma’s headline act. Some may be put off by the non-negotiable black finish of its roof and fender flares. Others may balk at its girth; both it and the Trailhunter are 2.0 inches taller, 3.0 inches wider, and have a 3.2-inch greater wheel track than a four-wheel-drive SR5 crew-cab model. But we were thoroughly impressed at how quiet and composed the Pro was when hurdling down challenging mountain roads, especially considering its off-road chops (more on that in minute).The cushioning of the Pro’s 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT tires, which it shares with the Trailhunter, combined with its manually adjustable 2.5-inch Fox internal-bypass dampers, help it steamroll broken pavement with little kickback from its coil-sprung rear live axle (only the lowliest nonhybrid trim levels feature rear leaf springs). Body control is surprisingly good for a compliant off-roader, and its steering is quick and responsive with a progressive buildup of effort in corners, allowing the truck to change direction with confidence. The modest grip of the TRD Pro’s tires limited our pace on the sinewy two-lanes of our Southern California drive route, but exercising this desert-running pickup on blacktop was unexpectedly fun. Off-Road ProwessAlong with their big rubber and the Pro’s Fox dampers (Trailhunters get Old Man Emu units; both setups feature remote reservoirs at the rear), both models also bring a host of standard off-road gear: forged-aluminum upper control arms for their front suspensions, electronically locking rear differentials, a front anti-roll bar disconnect, a low-speed off-road cruise control system, a forward-facing terrain camera, off-road drive-mode settings, rocker-panel protectors, ARB steel rear bumpers, LED light bars in their grilles, and Rigid Industries fog lights. The Trailhunter also features a snorkel intake and additional underbody protection, while the Pro gets TRD intake and cat-back exhaust systems, secondary Fox hydraulic bump stops for its rear axle, and Toyota’s trick IsoDynamic suspension seats. The Tacoma’s off-road stats max out on the TRD Pro, which has 11.5 inches of ground clearance, as well as approach, departure, and breakover angles of 35.7, 25.3, and 27.4 degrees. Suspension travel is a solid 9.6 inches in front and 10.2 at the rear, which is less than you get on wider full-size trucks such as the Ford F-150 Raptor but enough to safely cover gnarly ground at high speeds. On an old motocross circuit that had been tamed to accommodate four-wheeled vehicles, the TRD Pro soaked up landings from a foot or two in the air and raced across undulating whoop-de-doos that highlighted the excellent bump absorption in the last few inches of its suspension travel. The poise that this Tacoma exhibits on the street also pays dividends here, where the Pro could be precisely positioned to arc around tight turns that would hang up larger rigs. Out of hairpins that demanded full steering lock, the extra boost from the hybrid system’s motor helped the truck dig for traction and wag its tail under full power as a deep, synthesized growl emanated from the audio system’s speakers (the sound modulation cannot be turned off but is less pronounced in other hybrid trims). Sadly, we didn’t get to drive the trucks on technical trails that would’ve favored the overlanding-oriented Trailhunter. But we can say that on the track, the Trailhunter gave up little to the TRD Pro, exhibiting similar handling characteristics but with a suspension package that’s not quite as adept at absorbing big impacts. Value ConsiderationsWhile the EPA says the hybrid Taco holds a fuel-economy advantage over its mid-size competition, the truck’s packaging does bring with it some drawbacks. Toyota has yet to release measurements for the TRD Pro’s unique (and bulky) front seats, but they significantly cut into the crew-cab Tacoma’s already-tight rear legroom; protruding hardware on the back of the seats is additional incentive for would-be riders to leave the Pro’s aft quarters vacant. The positioning of the hybrid battery also means you can’t fold up the rear seat, limiting the cab’s cargo-carrying flexibility. And for potential buyers planning to visit off-road venues that require a front-mounted safety flag, as many in Michigan do, know that the Pro and Trailhunter have deeply recessed front recovery hooks, making such an attachment difficult. The Max powertrain also comes with a slight reduction in the four-wheel-drive Tacoma crew cab’s maximum towing capacity, dropping it from 6400 pounds to 6000, though it does provide a standard 2400 watts of accessory power via 120-volt outlets in the bed and cabin. Most everything else inside is familiar Taco fare, which is a good thing, and the top trims dress things up further with additional red (TRD Pro) or gold (Trailhunter) accents. More Tacos!The upcharge for the Tacoma’s hybrid option is $3700, with the entry point being the $47,795 TRD Sport model. However, the pricey Trailhunter and TRD Pro—which start at $64,395 and $65,395, respectively—cost more than even the 35-inch-tired Colorado ZR2 Bison ($60,540) and the 405-hp Ford Ranger Raptor ($57,065). How the Taco’s hybrid elements play out in that company is a question for another comparison test. SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Toyota Tacoma HybridVehicle Type: front-engine, mid-motor, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base: TRD Sport, $47,795; TRD Off-Road, $48,095; Limited, $57,295; Trailhunter, $64,395; TRD Pro, $65,395
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 278 hp, 317 lb-ft + AC motor, 48 hp, 184 lb-ft (combined output: 326 hp, 465 lb-ft; 1.4-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack [C/D est])Transmission: 8-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 131.9–145.1 inLength: 213.0–226.2 inWidth: 76.9–79.9 inHeight: 73.8–75.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 54–56/43 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5100–5400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 6.5–6.8 sec1/4-Mile: 14.8–15.1 secTop Speed: 110 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 23–24/22–23/24 mpgMike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver’s reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines. More

From the April 1975 issue of Car and Driver.If you’re still interested in VW’s insect collection, you’ll find it off in some dark corner of the showroom. (Dealers have 1975 versions of the Beetle with fuel injection for both the stripped price-leader and the French-subtitle edition, La Grande Bug—alias Super Beetle.) Center stage has been commandeered by the marque’s latest species, the Rabbit. And take our word for it: For VW, this new machine is an evolutionary revolution. While the Beetle was basically a bad design cajoled into civility, the Rabbit bursts upon us optim­ized from inception, with almost all its rough edges filed off.It’s an example of the old clean-sheet-of-paper approach, for the Rabbit is practically the opposite of its aged forerun­ner. Instead of an aft-mounted, air-cooled engine driving the rear wheels, the Rabbit has a water-cooled, front engine powering the front wheels. The Rabbit and Scirocco share the 1471-cc engine with the Dasher, but it is mounted transversely instead of longitudinally in the former two. Efficiency in packaging is the payoff. Except for the Honda Civic, the Rabbit is the shortest sedan money will buy in the U.S. and a hefty eight inches shorter than that old small-car yardstick, the Beetle. Yet its interior is more expansive and a whole lot more usable. The biggest gains over the Beetle are in front legroom (plus two inches), rear kneeroom (plus four inches) and, most important, six inches of extra breathing space between the front doors. The Beetle’s narrow front seats give it that intimate feeling; take a deep breath and you touch elbows with your passenger. But now there is an inex­pensive VW with what amounts to a “precision-size” interior. In fact, the Rabbit is just as spacious inside as the Mercury Monarch in every dimension but one—width, where the Mon­arch has a five-inch advantage. (But remember, the Monarch is rated for five while the Rabbit is a four-seater.) Long before da Vinci’s time, the box was proven to be the optimum container shape. Centuries later, the Rabbit con­curs. Its sides are straight and its windows flat. The roof towers upward until every passenger is accommodated on some of the tallest seats available in any car. Luggage goes in an aft extension of the main module, while the propulsion/steer­ing unit gets an up-front box all its own. The single-overhead-cam four isn’t particularly innovative, with a belt-driven camshaft and non-crossflow head, but it is an eager beaver in a day of spineless emissions-controlled engines. The engine is a small 1471 cc (89.9 cubic inches) on the inside but a healthy 70 net horsepower on the outside. And with only 1970 pounds to lug around, 70 horsepower does quite nicely. Our test car was lumbered down with an automatic transmission and a tight torque convertor, which made it feel arthritic off the mark. But even so, the Rabbit trimmed 0.2 seconds from the quarter-mile time of the last Beetle we tested (a 1973 four-speed Sport Bug) while adding a healthy 5.7 mph to the trap speed. With a four-speed Rabbit, you should expect ac­celeration approaching the Scirocco’s 18.1-second and 75.4-mph quarter-mile time—which is quicker than the Honda Civ­ic, Toyota Corolla, Datsun B-210, or V-6 Mustang II. And all the while, the new VW delivers phenomenal fuel economy. Here again the C/D test car’s automatic revealed the sizable penalties of shift-free driving. We measured 20 mpg on the C/D Driving Cycle for the test Rabbit, while the EPA certification tests showed 24 mpg urban and 38 mpg highway economy for the four-speed version. That EPA rank­ing was second only to the Honda Civic and Datsun B-210, so it’s important to realize that the automatic costs more than its up-front price of $250. At least you get a good three-speed transmission for the money. Under part throttle, you pass from gear to gear with barely perceptible upshifts. But there isn’t much tightening up for hard runs, so upshifts seem excessively soft and slippery. Another worthy refinement to the automatic would be the ad­dition of a part-throttle downshift. These are offered as icing-on-the-cake concerns rather than major gripes, because in general the Rabbit is a harmo­nious piece of machinery. Front-wheel drive usually means a handling vice-and-virtue trade-off, but not in the Rabbit. You get the good high-speed tracking that front-wheel drive usual­ly delivers, but you don’t have to put up with heavy torque­-steer, wheel fight, or crippling understeer in exchange. The steering remains sensitive—more to the wheel than the throt­tle—up to the limit of adhesion and it is primarily body roll that keeps you from pushing faster in the turns. Most of the car’s roll stiffness comes from what VW calls a stabilizer rear axle, which is actually one trailing link per wheel welded to a connecting T-section member. As the car heels over, body roll must twist against this member with its designed-in stiff­ness. There is no complementary anti-sway bar for the front, however, so when pushed the Rabbit corners like a boxer at a fire hydrant—with one rear wheel in the air. Because the rear brakes are prone to early lock-up even in a straight line, this also upsets the car’s braking/cornering manners. These foibles make the Rabbit only little less than a ball to drive. In fact, whole populations of drivers will live for years with this car, strongly impressed by its generally nimble disposition and its sensitive feel of the road through the steering wheel and brake pedal. It slips through city traffic like a bicy­cle and thrives on the parking-space remnants most cars pass by. You can stuff enough groceries for a football team through the rear hatch while the back seat folds and pivots forward out of the way. The only thing you’ll need a trailer for is objects too heavy to boost across the high lift-over. Convenience is not without its price, but that discussion should be prefaced by a listing of current Beetle tariffs: The stripped Bug will cost you $2895 these days, while the high­line La Grande Bug goes for an inflated $3395. Sandwiched neatly in between is the Rabbit, starting at an attractive $2999. But VW doesn’t want you to buy it like that. Base-car profit is paper thin, so just like Detroit, Volkswagen now has upgrades by the yard. You’ll of course need the $296 Per­formance Package to trade in the undesirable drum brakes for a front-disc setup, and it also includes steel-belted tires like the tight-gripping Semperits on the test car. Inside, you get vinyl seats instead of hair-shirt fabric upholstery and attractive carpeting to cover painted metal sidewalls in both the passen­ger compartment and trunk. Only after you’ve made that first $296 installment are you eligible for the next hit: $204 for the Deluxe Interior/Comfort Group. This adds a second level of heat and sound insulation over the first step you get with the $296 package. (Even with this double coverage, though, the Rabbit is noisy, with sub­stantial intake air boom whenever the engine is full-throttled.) The latter group also includes a few true desirables, such as full carpeting, a power booster for the brakes and adjustable seat backrests. Strangely enough, there are several items hidden among the options that one used to expect as stan­dard equipment: electric windshield washers, a two-stage blower in the heating/ventilating system (that didn’t generate noticeable ventilation air) and chrome bumpers. So the base Rabbit is a real stripper, meaning you have a $3499 car be­fore you get what used to be considered essential. One other option worth noting is the $30 passive restraint system. This replaces conventional lap/shoulder belts with but one diagonal belt with its outer end connected to the up­per rear corner of the door frame. As you open up the car, this webbing swings out of the way and you just slide in under­neath it with no buckling required. In place of a lap belt, there is a padded knee restraint that juts out a few inches from the instrument panel to prevent submarining on frontal impacts. VW tests with experimental safety vehicle prototypes show that the idea is indeed viable. The diagonal belt alone is suffi­cient for side impacts as well as roll-overs, and the thickly padded knee restraint is better at preventing certain injuries than a lap belt. The system should make seat belts a lot more palatable, and VW hopes to satisfy pending passive restraint (air bag) laws with this kind of approach. More VW Rabbit Reviews From the ArchiveWhile that is a near-future threat, the immediate concern for VW is selling cars. And with the Rabbit, that means generat­ing its own new reputation. It is obviously no Beetle—even the running boards are gone—so that cancels a fervent fan club. You can’t peel off its body and dress it up like a GT40, and it would make a terrible dune buggy, so the Rabbit is going to have to make it strictly on its virtues as a car. The sub-$3000 base sticker will help, but it’s hard to sell the public on just plain good transportation when for years they’ve thrived on a four-wheel institution.SpecificationsSpecifications
1975 Volkswagen RabbitVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $3099/$4166Options: performance package, $296; automatic transmission, $250; deluxe interior, $204; AM/FM radio, $120; tinted glass, $65; leatherette, $50; rear window defogger, $35; passive restraint, $30; emission control, $17
ENGINESOHC inline-4, iron block and aluminum headDisplacement: 90 in3, 1471 cm3Power: 70 hp @ 5800 rpmTorque: 81 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm 
TRANSMISSION3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/trailing armBrakes, F/R: 9.4-in disc/7.1-in drumTires: Semperit Hi-Life M401
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 94.5 inLength: 155.3 inWidth: 63.4 inHeight: 55.5 inCurb Weight: 1970 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 13.1 sec1/4-Mile: 19.6 sec @ 72 mph90 mph: 43.0 secTop Speed (observed): 93 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 210 ftRoadholding: 0.78 g  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the May/June issue of Car and Driver.Are any initials more misused than the G and T of a purported grand tourer? Most GTs are either sports cars with a smidge more seat cushion or luxury coaches with a string of extra ponies to pull the weight. Those variations have their charms, but a true grand tourer should combine comfort, performance, and practicality in a way that makes the driver—and passenger—want to extend every road trip. The 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo takes its moniker seriously, with a long and lean profile, an interior plush enough to spend days in, and 542 well-muscled horses to make short work of the long way. We’ll quickly pour out a tribute to the departed V-8 powerplants, because the GranTurismo’s curved hood covers a toned-down version of the Nettuno twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 from the Maserati MC20 supercar. Or, if you want to step it up, there’s the electric 818-hp three-motor GranTurismo Folgore. Don’t cry over spilled cylinders, though, because if any engine can make hexophiles out of octostans, it’s this smooth six-pack with bountiful low-end torque in every drive mode and a confident howl under throttle punctuated by sizzling-bacon pops at each upshift. Sure, it’s not quite as deep a song as Maserati’s outgoing eight-cylinder, but the tune it sings is a bop, and we’re feeling it. The Nettuno isn’t just a good-sounding engine; at the test track, it dug in with all 479 pound-feet of torque to lay down an 11.5-second quarter-mile, crossing the line at 121 mph after reaching 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. For Joe Walsh fans who may be wondering, yes, it will do 185. Technical editor Dan Edmunds says he saw 189 before he ran out of straightaway, but “My Maserati does 189 and is still pulling” doesn’t rhyme as well with “Now I don’t drive.”The Trofeo’s engine is backed by ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Around town, the ZF makes quick and painless gearchanges, and in manual mode, the paddles give instant response and those fun exhaust crackles. Maserati offers four wheel designs for the GranTurismo, all 20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the rear. Our test car wore the standard gloss-black Pegasos wrapped in Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires. We kept those Pirellis in motion and saw 17 mpg. The EPA ratings for the Trofeo are 21 combined, 18 city, and 27 highway, but the feds don’t drive like we do. Although it’s a heavy car at 4207 pounds, the Trofeo makes tidy turns with minimal wallow and averaged 0.97 g on the skidpad. On big straightaways, it will tear forward or cruise politely, with enthusiasm tempered only by your ankle angle. Adaptive air springs make a noticeable change from Comfort mode’s breezy float to the lowered, more connected feel of Corsa. We found ourselves preferring the low-key charms of the in-between GT mode, which seems to make the car hover over small cracks and bumps in the road surface while still keeping body motions tight through corners. Passengers preferred it too, and we had plenty of willing riders. The exterior of the GranTurismo is gorgeous—a similar shape to previous models but with a more cheerful lift to its straked front grille and a profile that narrows and flares with the elegance of a bias-cut silk gown. Its broad flanks make room in the trunk for whatever you need to carry on your ideal road-trip adventure, and inside, the front seats are large and supportive, while the rears are . . . there. A small person would fit okay; a hatbox would fit better. The seats themselves are perfect, with an almost old-fashioned amount of padding that makes long drives in the Trofeo as comfortable as a couch nap, and the car’s sensible ride height means exiting is grunt-free. It was also a pleasant change from scrapey sports cars to be able to pull into gas stations and steep driveways without even thinking about the approach angle. Most of the interior layout is equally user-friendly. Although we worried about accidentally hitting the engine start/stop button on the steering wheel, that was never an issue. The 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster is clear and easy to navigate, as are the 12.3-inch infotainment screen and the digital climate controls below. The instrument display changes with drive-mode selection, and the center-mounted clock in the dash can switch to a compass or a g-meter in a clever melding of retro and modern. More Maserati GranTurismo ReviewsLife’s been good to the Trofeo so far, but we do have some complaints. The shifter buttons, which divide the top screen from the climate-control screen, feel cheap, and most gear selections took at least two attempts. As the whole panel moves with any action, it’s hardly a feeling you want to experience more than necessary. Maserati’s driver-aid tech is a pricey add-on, and while we can live without lane-keeping assist and drowsy-driver warnings, modern features like adaptive cruise control and 360-degree cameras really shouldn’t be a $4500 option. With the Trofeo’s $191,995 base sticker and this car’s $212,615 as-tested price, we’d expect Maserati to throw in adaptive cruise and some better-feeling switchgear. But when it comes to the GT initials, the GranTurismo wears them well. SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Maserati Gran Turismo TrofeoVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $191,995/$212,615Options: Grigio Maratea Matte paint, $4500; ADAS package 1 (active blind-spot assist and active lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic detection, 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, Drowsy Driver detection), $4500; 19-speaker Sonus Faber audio system, $4000; Technical Assistance package (head-up display, digital rearview mirror), $2600; carbon-fiber Macrotwill leather seat covering, $2500; Trofeo Sport Design package (lightweight aluminum sport pedals, illuminated stainless-steel door sills, Maserati logo), $1450; Trofeo Comfort package (power front seats, kick sensor for power trunk), $1070
ENGINEtwin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 183 in3, 2992 cm3Power: 542 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 479 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/13.8-in vented discTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4F: 265/30ZR-20 (94Y) XL MGTR: 295/30ZR-21 (102Y) XL MGT
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 115.3 inLength: 195.5 inWidth: 77.0 inHeight: 53.3 inCurb Weight: 4207 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.2 sec100 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.5 sec @ 121 mph130 mph: 13.4 sec150 mph: 19.3 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.9 secTop Speed (mfr claim): 199 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 148 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 299 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.97 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 17 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/18/27 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDLike 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. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story “A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2.”  In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story More

Darker days may be on the horizon for combustion engines, but before they’re forced into retirement, they’re going out with—ahem­—a bang. In this golden era of combustion, there are many engines that will be forever venerated, such as Chevrolet’s naturally aspirated 670-hp 5.5-liter V-8, Porsche’s screaming 4.0-liter flat-six, and basically any modern twin-turbocharged V-8. But have we reached peak snowmobile? “We might be there,” says Ski-Doo media relations manager Steve Cowing. “But we thought we were there over a decade ago and look what we’ve done since then. So maybe we’re not done yet.”As with most of the typical frozen destinations in the United States, winter overlooked us this season at our Ann Arbor headquarters. So, we found ourselves in the higher elevations of West Yellowstone, Montana, to experience Ski-Doo’s latest and greatest trail rocket that packs all the latest technology into a single package, the MXZ X-RS 850 E-TEC Turbo R with Competition package. Methed-OutTurbocharging isn’t anything new from Bombardier Recreational Products’ (BRP) Rotax engine division. In 2019, they launched the turbocharged 899-cc four-stroke inline-three with 150 horsepower. A year later came the boosted variant of the naturally aspirated, 165-hp 849-cc two-stroke inline-two. Though it didn’t make any more power, it made all its available muscle up to the oxygen-deprived altitude of 8000 feet. Rotax evolves at a crazy pace, and in 2021 they revealed the Turbo R variant of the inline-three with 180 horsepower. Then in 2023, the Gen5 platform arrived with the two-stroke 850 Turbo R running 6 psi of boost—up two from the non-R—extracting its glorious 180 horses from a much lighter package. Ski-DooThe turbocharged four-strokes, which are designed for the trails, carry a significant weight disadvantage over the lighter two-stroke engines, and thus the boosted two-strokes were reserved for the mountain segment. That left the trail-riding flatlanders feeling left out—and loudly complaining. Ski-Doo listened, and thus the 2024 MXZ X-RS 850 E-TEC Turbo R with Competition package was born. Mechanically speaking, the 850 E-TEC Turbo R engine is the same in the Summit mountain sled as in MXZ trail platform. But how the two are ridden is a completely different game. In the mountains, wide-open throttle applications are far briefer than they might be on a trail sled riding on a retired railroad bed, where the throttle can be pinned to the handlebar for miles on end. These extended periods of fun generate elevated and power-robbing intake temperatures. But with the real estate under the hood of a modern snowmobile being so limited, and weight reduction such a high priority, plumbing an intercooler isn’t an option. Ski-Doo’s solution to keeping the intake charge cool? Methanol injection. Okay, so the Intake Cooling Enhancer (ICE) fluid is mainly water, and the methanol is present to kept it from freezing, but it’s just not as cool to say your sled has water injection. Nevertheless, when the sensors detect an above-normal intake temperature, injectors squirt microdoses of ICE to cool the charge and maintain peak power output. The ICE also removes heat from the the cylinders. How much boost juice is used depends on one’s riding style. Use lots of boost, use lots of juice. Keep out of the boost and, well, what fun is that?Ski-DooRide TimeSaddled up on the Competition, just one squeeze of the throttle is enough for a string of excited and expletive words to pour out. Thanks to Ski-Doo’s innovative airbox that breathes atmospheric conditions until it’s pressurized, there’s essentially no turbo lag (a spring-loaded valve in the airbox means that the throttle response is naturally aspirated snappy until the boost is ready). The boost rolls on with an ever-so-slight whistle from under the hood as pine trees begin to resemble lines of Morse code. We’re pretty sure we decoded “slow down.” And with a four-piston Brembo brake caliper, scrubbing speed is no issue. The on-and-off throttle responsiveness never ceases to impress, and after repeated hammering of the thumb throttle we never detected any falloff in acceleration, even well into indicated triple-digit speeds. When it comes to drag racing, the Competition has a trick up its sleeve: launch control. With the brake and throttle applied, the engine revs to just shy of the clutch’s 4100-rpm engagement point. Snow explodes from underneath as the engine spits and sputters from the exhaust as the boost builds up. With the brake released, the Competition rockets away, and the ligaments holding elbows and shoulders together stretch like Silly Putty. From the seat of our pants, 60 mph feels like it should arrive in less than 3.0 seconds. On frozen precipitation. From an out-of-the-box machine. The Competition isn’t all engine, though. When the trail coils up, Ski-Doo’s hot rod is ready to strike. For those in the know, Ski-Doo’s front end has lacked some of the precision of its competitors. For 2025, the performance models received a taller ski spindle and revised control arms that Ski-Doo claims reduce body roll by 20 percent. Paired with new skis, the Competition feels more surefooted through high-speed sweepers and less prone to being unsettled by midcorner humps and bumps. The speeds at which these machines can corner is truly impressive. Ski-DooWhile the Competition’s Kashima-coated, manually adjustable standard damper package is nothing to scoff at, the optional $1800 adaptive KYB Smart-Shox are transformational. Inputs from the body-control module are relayed to the three-position electronically controlled dampers that can adjust on the fly. When the cornering forces increase and the machine wants to lean through an apex, the outside damper firms up to keep body roll further in check. The bandwidth of the Smart-Shox is a boon for ridability as trail conditions change throughout the day. When set to Comfort, the ride is buttery smooth on a freshly groomed trail. Locked into Sport+, the ride firms up for attacking rough terrain as the trails deteriorate. With 10.4 inches of suspension travel up front and 11.5 inches in the rear, the Smart-Shox shrug off most any bump or jump. Just as magnetorheological dampers forever changed the ride quality of many General Motors products, KYB’s Smart-Shox take snowmobiling to the next level.More Snow MachinesAnd like so many things in life, even snowmobiles aren’t excluded from omnipresent connectivity. BRP’s 10.3-inch touchscreen—optional elsewhere in the model lineup—is standard on the Turbo R Competition. The crisply rendered screen keeps an eye on the machine’s vitals, features built-in GPS navigation, and can control your playlist, if listening to music out in the woods is your type of thing.With so much straight-line speed, corner-shredding capability, and a trick suspension, the MXZ X-RS 850 E-TEC Turbo R with Competition just may be peak snowmobile. And with a $22,549 starting point, it certainly should be.David Beard studies and reviews automotive related things and pushes fossil-fuel and electric-powered stuff to their limits. His passion for the Ford Pinto began at his conception, which took place in a Pinto. More

From the February 1997 issue of Car and Driver.For 44 years now, Chevrolet has been mistakenly building the Corvette. This is absurd because any dictio­nary will tell you a corvette is not a car, but a small, lightly armed, fast warship. Well, last year, GM finally wised up and licensed the Corvette name to Malibu Boats. Located not in beautiful Malibu but in bucolic Merced in California’s central valley, the boatmaker has a three-year license to build the Corvette Limited Edi­tion Ski Boat (Limited Edition Wet Vette was somehow not considered). The Corvette is based on Malibu’s Ech­elon tournament ski boat, except that virtually everything but its hull shape was changed, including the fiberglass deck, the floor, the seating, the interior panels, the dashboard, and the instrument panel. With the approval of GM, the Torch Red boat was also given a C4-style rear-fascia treat­ment (using the taillight openings as bilge vents), instrument panel, glove box, and shifter and a dozen (count ’em) Corvette and Collector Edition emblems. Luxo touches include dash heater vents, a leather-covered tilting steering wheel, a 12-CD changer, a driver’s air lumbar adjuster, and—something the car needs badly—an in-dash ice chest. A tandem trailer, dressed up with Corvette wheels and P225/45ZR-17 tires, is also included. Callaway soups up a GM Vortec engine to give the boat Corvette-quality performance. In Old Lyme, Connecticut, the engine is stripped and reconfigured with a 3.75-inch stroker crank and a 0.030-inch overbore to bump displacement from 350 cubic inches to 383 cubic inches—the same as Callaway’s SuperNatural Cor­vette. The engine retains its roller cam fol­lowers but gets stiffer valve springs, forged rods, 10.5:1 pistons, four-bolt mains, and remapped ignition and electronic-fuel­-injection programs. Callaway refers to the engine as the SuperNatural 383 Marine. “We knew we wanted 400 pound-feet for acceleration and 400 horsepower for speed,” Malibu president Bob Alkema says. “We went to Callaway and said, ‘Four hundred and four hundred, please.'” What they got was exactly 400 horsepower at 5200 rpm and a stump-pulling 415 pound-feet of torque at 4200 revs. We wondered where we could test the boat in Merced, which is farm country. As it turns out, Malibu knows a very rich man who built his own ski lake nearby. This seemed to have possibilities, not the least of which was that he might have a very rich and bored daughter with her own boat and motor. The lake is nearly a half-mile long by 275 feet wide but just five feet deep, which means when a skier does a header after jumping the wake, his noggin strikes the bottom. Unless it strikes a catfish first. In which case you’ll be billed separately because they also raise catfish for sale here. “I smell a tax deduction,” I said to photographer Lorentzen as we drove from the airport. “I smell a fish farm,” the photographer said as we turned into the driveway. We already knew the boat wasn’t going to put any Corvette LT4 on the trailer in terms of top speed, but we weren’t so sure about acceleration. Stalking the boat with radar proved we were half-right. From 0 to 20 mph, the boat outgunned the car by a slim margin—about a 10th of a second—­testimony to the boat engine’s low-end torque. From 20 to 40 mph, the car pulled even and then forged ahead by about a half-second. But above 40 mph, the LT4 was simply gone. The crucible of street performance, 0-­to-60-mph acceleration, was thus no con­test. The LT4 romped to 60 mph in 5.1 sec­onds, whereas the Malibu Vette took 11.6 seconds to reach 57 mph, its top speed. The boat held this speed for the rest of the quarter-mile, which it covered in 18.5 sec­onds. This is unheard of in a production ski boat. Most ski boats won’t hit 50 mph. The LT4 dispatched the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds at 104 mph. As sobering as the drag-strip compar­ison turned out to be, the top-end differ­ence was even greater. The Corvette LT4 convertible can storm to 160 mph—some 103 mph faster than the boat. But why? Das Boot weighs 960 pounds less than the car and has 70 more horsepower. For starters, ski boats have a one-speed trans­mission and a single-pitch prop that essentially serve as governors. Tournament ski boats also carry their engines amidships to generate minimal wake, but this creates copious hydrodynamic drag. In short, boats need to get up and out of the water to go fast, which also means they tend to handle spookily at speed. (This does not bode well for the weekend warrior tanked on margaritas.) A much as the wet stuff holds the Malibu back at its top end, it doesn’t seem to contribute anything to stopping the craft. Whereas the LT4 can grind to a halt in 166 feet from 70 mph, the boat is relatively helpless at scrubbing off speed. Deceler­ating from 50 to 10 mph—the only mean­ingful range our Stalker radar gun could record—takes 231 feet. There is another way. Turns out that if no tort attorneys are looking, a ski boat can be made to spin like an AMC Pacer on black ice. (We did not, repeat did not, learn about this from anyone at Malibu Boats.) First, apply throttle until the boat achieves a velocity that seems vaguely dangerous. Then crank in full left rudder, chop the throttle, and pop ‘er into neutral. The boat snaps left in a neat 180 (picture Roberto at Indy), leaving your spleen and any other unnecessary organs on the marine-grade carpeting. There is no purpose to this, except that it drives spousal units insane and makes them vow never to ride in a boat with you and your stupid friends again. Indeed, cornering is the Malibu’s baili­wick. Running a 300-foot “skidpad” around buoys on nearby Yosemite Lake, the boat was limited by power rather than adhesion, unlike the LT4. The car aver­aged 0.87 g on the skidpad; the boat was just a click behind at 0.83 g—the equiva­lent of a Volvo 850R, which is not bad territory. And whereas the car has to be carefully balanced with the steering and throttle, the boat can be cornered at full throttle. The nose drops, the hull tilts inward, and the Malibu just sticks. Following a skier’s slalom course is a good measure of overall handling. The official ski slalom uses an entry gate, six turn buoys, and an exit gate. In ski com­petitions, the boat drives straight through the middle of the 850-foot-long course while the skier zigs and zags left and right around the buoys. At Catfish Lake, the Malibu Vette followed the skier’s zigzag course in a best time of 19.5 seconds. The steering is massively heavy when you’ve fed in lock, but it’s feather light on-center. You’d be excused for complaining that this kind of feel belongs in a million-mile Checker, not a $45,000 boat. But that’s the nature of inboards: Prop thrust is forever trying to straighten the rudder. We thought it would be interesting to run the car through an identical slalom marked by cones instead of buoys. It was. The car ran through the slalom at 21.69 seconds, or about 3 mph slower than the boat (albeit braking for the turns). This shows that in low-speed, tight maneuvers, at least, the car and the boat are close to equal. More Corvette Reviews From the ArchiveWith testing completed, there remained only one question anyone really cared about: Can you ski behind a car? It was Alkema who suggested that someone try. Shane Stillman, a Malibu product researcher and national-caliber skier, was perfectly willing to grab a ski and join the 50,000 catfish in 55-degree water the color of your Morgan’s engine oil after the head gasket blew. Alkema drove down to the water’s edge and attached 75 feet of ski rope. He hit the throttle, and when the chocolate spray set­tled, water skier Stillman sat in six inches of water, sporting a bright, new gravel rash on his legs. The LT4 had yanked him ashore. No matter. With a bit of practice, Stillman got up and skied, only to reach the end of the frontage road before he dropped back into the soup. He did this over and over—mostly because the photographer begged him, but also because it was fun.At least, he said it was. SpecificationsSpecifications
1996 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition ConvertibleVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger convertible
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $46,671/$51,067
ENGINEpushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 350 in3, 5733 cm3Power: 330 hp @ 5800 rpmTorque: 340 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm 
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/control armsBrakes, F/R: vented disc/vented discTires: Goodyear Eagle GS-CF: 255/45ZR-17R: 285/40ZR-17
DIMENSIONSLength: 178.5 inWidth: 73.1 inHeight: 47.3 inCurb Weight: 3460 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.1 sec60 mph: 5.1 sec1/4-Mile: 13.7 sec @ 104 mphTop Speed: 160 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 166 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g850-ft Water-Ski Slalom Course: 26.7 mph
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Malibu Boats Corvette Limited Edition Ski BoatVehicle Type: mid-engine, 5-passenger boat
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $45,000/$45,000
ENGINEpushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 383 in3, 6276 cm3Power: 400 hp @ 5200 rpmTorque: 415 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm 
TRANSMISSION1-speed
CHASSISBrakes: reverse prop thrust; single anchorProp: 13-inch stainless steel
DIMENSIONSLength: 240.0 inWidth: 90.0 inHeight: 36.0 inCurb Weight: 2500 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.4 sec57 mph: 11.6 sec1/4-Mile: 18.5 sec @ 57 mphTop Speed: 57 mphBraking, 50–10 mph: 231 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.83 g 850-ft Water-Ski Slalom Course: 29.7 mph  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

The 2024 Nissan Rogue and the 2024 Kia Sportage are not our favorite compact SUVs—we prefer more engaging offerings, such as the current and former 10Best-winning Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. But these two mundane models aren’t without their appeal, and Nissan and Kia moved 271,458 and 140,780 units of each in 2023 alone.The Nissan is the elder statesman of this duo, with the current SUV dating back to the 2021 model year. A light refresh for 2024 adds revised front and rear fascias and an available 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the Google built-in interface.Following a complete redesign for 2023, the Sportage carries over largely unchanged for 2024. The latest model is physically larger than its predecessor. It also now offers hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains, though a gas-only setup serves as the default option.What We TestedUnlike the Sportage, the Rogue comes strictly in gas-fed form. All variants, from the entry-level $29,810 S to the $40,090 Platinum, rely on the same 201-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder that mates to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The triple incorporates Nissan’s variable-compression tech that slightly alters the pistons’ stroke to raise or lower the compression ratio from 8.0:1 and 14.0:1, optimizing the engine for greater torque or fuel economy as needed. Although the Rogue comes standard with front-wheel drive, the Platinum example we tested included all-wheel drive for $1500. A $350 black-painted roof, $445 worth of floor mats, and the $990 Platinum Premium package, which added a third climate zone for those in the back, rear sunshades, heated rear seats, a motion-activated liftgate, and a head-up display, brought this Champagne Silver Metallic SUV’s as-tested price to $43,375. View PhotosAndi Hedrick|Car and Driver2024 Nissan Rogue PlatinumOur Sportage was likewise a gas-powered model in flagship form. The $39,365 X-Pro Prestige combines the tougher-looking exterior decor, all-terrain tires, and heated windshield of the less expensive X-Pro with the amenities of the SX Prestige, such as its ventilated front seats, power-operated passenger’s seat, and 360-degree camera. All-wheel drive is standard, as is a 187-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. With just $665 in extras (an X-Pro-exclusive coat of Wolf Gray paint with a contrasting Ebony Black roof for $395, floor mats for $175, and a cargo mat for $95), our Kia compact SUV rang in at $40,030.View PhotosAndi Hedrick|Car and Driver2024 Kia Sportage X-ProHow They Drive and PerformBoth the Rogue and Sportage prioritize a cushy ride and quiet cabin, and the pair hit their strides on long stretches of clear and open highway. The Nissan was the quicker of the two off the line—no surprise, considering its engine packed an additional 14 horsepower and 47 pound-feet of torque. Getting to 60 mph took an acceptable 8.0 seconds, and the quarter-mile blew by after 16.1 seconds at a speed of 87 mph. Meanwhile, the Sportage needed a wheezy 9.1 seconds to reach 60 mph and 16.9 seconds to complete the quarter-mile at 84 mph.Neither SUV fared well passing slower-moving traffic, and the Rogue’s languid 4.6-second run from 30 to 50 mph put it 0.1 second behind the Sportage’s. Both took 6.3 seconds to go from 50 to 70 mph. Kia SportageHIGHS: Quiet cabin, cushy ride, solid value.LOWS: Sluggish acceleration, frustrating climate and infotainment controls, drab cabin.VERDICT: Not great in any way but good enough in many.Whereas the linear throttle response and amenable gearbox of the Sportage made passing maneuvers slow but steady affairs, the Rogue suffered from a laggy throttle and a sluggish CVT. This left it accelerating leisurely until the transmission lackadaisically engaged a lower ratio, at which point the SUV would finally hit the peak of its powerband—often right around the time we no longer needed the extra oomph.Bringing the Rogue to a halt was no less frustrating due to its spongy brake pedal. It suffered from an initial dead spot and only started adding adequate stopping force at the far end of its travel. The Sportage’s binders, meanwhile, applied stopping power proportional to the stroke of its squishy pedal. View PhotosAndi Hedrick|Car and Driver2024 Kia Sportage X-ProWith its 19-inch wheels shod in asphalt-friendly Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S all-season tires, the Rogue came to a stop from 70 mph in 177 feet and circled the skidpad at 0.83 g, besting the 182-foot and 0.81-g figures the Kia achieved on its BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A all-terrain rubber and 17-inch wheels. Despite its additional grip, the Rogue was the worse of these compact SUVs to wring around twisting tarmac.With more pitch and dive than the Summer Olympics, and steering that often required midcorner corrections, the Rogue struggled to maintain any semblance of cohesion in most off-highway settings. The Sportage was no dynamic darling either, but its body motions were less excessive, its chassis offered greater composure at the limit, and its steering was linear and responded accurately to inputs. It may be a bore, but unlike the Rogue, the Sportage at least avoided making spirited driving feel like a chore.Interior ComparisonNissan pulled out all the stops inside the Rogue, and its cabin looked and felt the part of an SUV with a price tag north of $40,000. Quilted leather covered the seats’ comfortable cushions, while soft-touch textiles adorned the dashboard and door panels. Scant use of silver and piano black plastic was a refreshing change of pace, adding a bit of interest to the interior without making the cabin look too busy.The inside of the Rogue offers more than just visual and tactile appeal, and Nissan’s compact SUV featured a number of generously sized storage cubbies too. This included a sizable space just below the center console and a two-position cargo floor. Nissan RogueHIGHS: Interior worthy of an Infiniti, convenience features of an Infiniti, ride quality of a Range Rover.LOWS: Laggy throttle and lazy CVT, a brake pedal spongy enough to live in a pineapple under the sea, cluster and infotainment screens’ UX.VERDICT: Easy to love in the showroom, hard to like on a test drive.Comparatively, the Sportage’s cabin was more austere and less richly appointed. Its faux-leather seats looked and felt as fake as the wood that decorates the driver-oriented dashboard and door panels. Large swaths of black plastic failed to add much in the way of visual interest, and the liberal use of piano black trim was prone to attracting fingerprint smudges and dust. The back seats in both offered plenty of room for two passengers but struggled to fit three comfortably. Unlike the Rogue, the Sportage lacked a separate rear climate zone and integrated rear sunshades.View PhotosAndi Hedrick|Car and Driver2024 Kia Sportage X-ProRegardless, the Sportage’s dual-zone climate-control system proved itself an ergonomic disaster. Rather than utilize separate climate and infotainment controls, Kia integrated both into one capacitive panel that’s bookended by two knobs. Those knobs control either the interior temperature or adjust infotainment settings, such as audio volume and tuning, depending on the mode the panel is in, effectively eliminating the muscle-memory benefits of tactile controls that allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road. After a couple of incidents wherein we cranked up the stereo volume when attempting to turn up the heat, we eventually found ourselves temporarily taking our eyes off the road to look down at the control panel to make sure it was in the correct operating mode.The Rogue may have a superior climate-control setup, but it suffers from an inferior infotainment system. Blame the 12.3-inch touchscreen’s delayed responses to inputs and the 12.3-inch cluster’s poor user experience. Rather than place the vehicle settings’ menu within the center-mounted touchscreen, Nissan hid it within the clunky cluster display.The Sportage also included separate 12.3-inch displays for its touchscreen infotainment system and digital cluster. While Kia’s user interface looked a bit dated next to Nissan’s, its overall operating experience was—for the most part—straightforward.Which Is BetterNissan knows how to create an appealing compact SUV, and the sumptuous interior and lengthy feature list of the Rogue evince this. But looking past its fancy features revealed weaknesses, chiefly the disharmonious dynamics and infotainment issues. More on the Nissan Rogue and Kia SportageThe Sportage, on the other hand, proved itself an earnest machine that was poised, predictable, and eager to please. We appreciated its lower cost of entry too, even if we felt Kia could improve the vehicle by fitting a more powerful engine under its hood and sprucing up the cabin with a less austere look and better ergonomics.Is the Kia Sportage the best vehicle in its segment? No. But you already know that. It is, however, a better compact SUV than the Nissan Rogue.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWDVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $39,365/$40,030Options: Wolf Gray body and Ebony Black roof paint, $395; carpeted floor mats, $175; cargo mat, $95
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 152 in3, 2497 cm3Power: 187 hp @ 6100 rpmTorque: 178 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.6-in vented disc/11.8-in discTires: BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A235/65R-17 104H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.5 inLength: 183.5 inWidth: 73.4 inHeight: 66.9 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 52/50 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 69/37 ft3Curb Weight: 3737 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.1 sec1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 84 mph100 mph: 25.6 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.5 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.5 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.3 secTop Speed (C/D est): 120 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 182 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 25 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 440 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 26/23/30 mpg
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2024 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWDVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $41,590/$43,375Options: Platinum Premium package (motion-activated power liftgate, heated rear seats, head-up display, three-zone automatic climate control, rear-door sunshades), $990; floor mats, $445; two-tone paint, $350
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve variable-compression inline-3, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 90–91 in3, 1478–1498 cm3Power: 201 hp @ 5600 rpmTorque: 225 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.7-in vented disc/11.5-in vented discTires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S235/55R-19 101V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.5 inLength: 183.0 inWidth: 72.4 inHeight: 66.5 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 54/47 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 74/32 ft3Curb Weight: 3729 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.0 sec1/4-Mile: 16.1 sec @ 87 mph100 mph: 22.3 sec120 mph: 41.9 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.3 secTop Speed (C/D est): 125 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 177 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 440 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 31/28/34 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDespite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend. More