The Hyundai N division, which started life with the race-winning 2013 i20 WRC rally car, has ascended to a full-blown brand like BMW M – not surprising given Albert Biermann, Hyundai’s current head of research and development, honed his skills over a 20-plus-year career in Munich. The Veloster N halo …
Read More »First drive: 2021 Hyundai Elantra has a new wrapper, but old strengths still drive it forward
By Brian Wong The Hyundai Elantra compact sedan has traditionally stood out for its value and not much else. Previous generations of the car were among the most understated vehicles on the road, devoid of style or clear identifying details. I tried to picture an Elantra from before 2010 and …
Read More »2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost First Drive Review: All That And Then Some
The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost nails the basics. This car is stylish, luxurious, ostentatious, and so on – as all proper Rolls-Royce products are. But while this new version may not look or even seem all that dramatically different at first glance, once behind the wheel, it’s obvious this Ghost is …
Read More »2021 Alpina XB7 First Drive Review: Scarcity Sells
You expect to see certain vehicles in pit lanes – sleek, low, sporty shapes on sticky tires, with intense aerodynamics and stripped-down cabins, right? Sure, on an amateur open track day, you might see some sedans and convertibles, but you will not see 5,900-pound, three-row luxury SUVs. And yet, BMW …
Read More »2021 Honda Accord Hybrid First Drive Review: The Hybrid Effect
When we first drove the Honda CR-V Hybrid, a funny thing happened: we liked it more than the gas model, arguing at the time that it was the better CR-V for most customers. Now Honda is making the same pitch with the facelifted Accord Hybrid, taking the improvements introduced with …
Read More »2021 BMW 4 Series First Drive Review: Picking The Nose
First things first: Yes, the 2021 BMW 4 Series and its massive kidney grilles look better in person than in pictures. And while the bucktoothed face is still far from attractive, the core buyer for compact luxury coupes will enjoy it. This segment is about making statements, and it’s impossible …
Read More »2020 BMW M2 CS First Drive Review: Mind Eraser
One look at the questionable design of the new 4 Series, one frustrating encounter with frivolous technology, or one mediocre moment at the wheel of its new front-wheel-drive models is enough to conclude that BMW is headed in a worrying direction. The 2020 BMW M2 CS can’t erase those worries, …
Read More »2021 Toyota Sienna First Drive Review: Give It A Chance
Why don’t people buy minivans? There are two pretty simple answers. The first being that minivans just don’t look cool – or at least, they don’t look as cool as their crossover counterparts. The second reason is that minivans have a bad reputation. A lot of people don’t want to …
Read More »2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class First Drive Review: The Future Is Here
The official press release for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class press release is 77 pages long. It’s a novel, and after reading it, your brain needs a vacation. But there’s a reason for that excess – the latest S-Class, codenamed W223, packs so much tech it makes a moon landing look …
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