The 2021 Acura TLX is the latest luxury sedan from the company once known for the legendary Legend and its justified “Precision Crafted Performance” tagline. Keen to recapture some of that 1990s magic, everyone at Acura – from brand chief Jon Ikeda down – is focused on returning sportiness to …
Read More »First drive: The 2021 GMC Yukon weathers Hurricane Sally
When the test-car fleet crew drops the 2021 GMC Yukon to me on Tuesday, September 15, I’m still optimistic. “I think you made it just in time,” I joke. Sally is a tropical storm much further down the Gulf Coast at that point, but I’m aware of it. I track …
Read More »2021 GMC Yukon Denali First Drive Review: Starting To Break Out
Badge engineering has been around for decades, and yeah, it makes sense. Why build a few vehicles when you can take one and optimize it for a number of price points? The problem comes when automakers’ more expensive cars feel like their cheaper models. That’s GMC, a brand entirely reliant …
Read More »2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport First Drive Review: Pretty Much Perfect
The Subaru Crosstrek has always been a lifted wagon that ticked almost every box. The high ride height made it easy to get in and out of, the body cladding offered a rugged aesthetic, and with the EyeSight active safety system, the Crosstrek was cutting-edge smart at a reasonable price. …
Read More »2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel First Drive Review: Do The Twist
The Jeep Gladiator is a unique proposition on the truck market, offering the personality of a Wrangler in a longer, more cargo- and towing-friendly form. Of course, that means it comes with all of the compromises of a Wrangler, including a rather soulless standard 3.6-liter V6. While the corporate Pentastar …
Read More »First drive: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport inspires rallycross dreams
On trips out to the country as a kid, I’d daydream about four-wheelers running over rutted muddy hills or spitting up chalk dust clouds on gravel roads. I was surprised to revisit that fantasy on Appalachian Ohio’s country roads in the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport. Typically, the Subaru WRX STI …
Read More »Jeep Wrangler 392 Concept First Drive Review: As Wonderful As You Think
Ford introduced the Shelby Cobra concept car when I was in high school, a prototype that looked for all the world like the burly Cobra 427 that initially stoked my love of cars as a child. Imagine my disappointment, then, when I learned that concept cars usually never touch pavement, …
Read More »2021 Lexus ES sedans add all-wheel drive, sporty Black Line trim
Lexus’ mid-size sedan has a fuller lineup for 2021, the luxury carmaker announced last week. The 2021 Lexus ES sedan will be available will all-wheel drive for the first time in the sedan’s 31-year history. The all-wheel drive version will cost at least $ 40,925, including mandatory destination charges. That …
Read More »2020 McLaren 620R First Drive Review: GT4, But More
“The lights will go red, green, and then blue. When you see the blue, change up a gear.” With my right foot hard down, it didn’t take very long for the lights to appear as promised by the McLaren factory driver in the seat next to me. The growing roar …
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