Since their inception, minivans have been the most efficient way to transport people and their stuff. Like other remnants of the 1980s — read: parachute pants, Cyndi Lauper and Beverly Hills Cops — their luster has faded. But they survive due to sheer practicality. This…
Acura faced an interesting challenge when it set out to create the fourth-generation, 2022 MDX. In 2001, the midsize MDX CUV pioneered the three-row crossover. Soon enough, the market was flooded with competitors and Acura was having to fend off the upstarts. Over time, the…
Lexus debuted in 1989 with two sedans in its portfolio, the full-size LS 400 flagship and the midsize ES. For its first decade, the ES was Lexus’s only front-wheel-drive sedan. Historically, it has been powered by V-6es or, more recently, hybrids. Over the years, the…
Hyundai figures if one new Elantra is a good thing, four would be better. Elantra is Hyundai’s compact four-door sedan. It’s fully made-over this year — new platform, new sheet metal, redesigned cabin, updated electronics … the works. Elantra, which recently was named North American…
There’s a lot that’s familiar about Toyota’s latest, a midsize crossover called Venza. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Toyota campaigned a car called Venza from 2008 to 2015. That Venza was based on the Camry sedan and seemed more Camry wagon than crossover…
Last year, Genesis sharpened its assault on the luxury classes with two impressive new vehicles. In January, the Korean newcomer revealed its first crossover, the midsize 2021 GV80. Shortly thereafter, it dropped the GV80’s sedan sibling, the G80. We recently drove the G80, a midsize…
Three rows are the new holy grail for mass-market automakers. The logic is unassailable: If five seats are good; seven must be better. Well, yes and no. But either way, mainstream makers have a choice: add a three-row crossover to your fleet or watch customers…
Buyers shopping three-row crossovers face a staggering number of choices, but not a lot of variety. Most CUVs are cut from the same cloth. There’s always room for an outlier, though. Especially in the luxury classes where makers get to stretch out and show their…
Over the years, Chevrolet has gotten plenty of mileage from the Blazer nameplate. Blazer debuted in 1969 as a full-size, truck-based SUV. It has been shrinking ever since: That first large SUV was followed by a compact/midsize version before leaving the market in 2005. Two…
If you’re looking for signs of the time, look no further than your nearby Ford store. Ford has fully redesigned its full-size, light-duty F-150 pickup. The F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the land and as times change, it must change, too. This year, it…
It seems that some variant of the word “refined” has been showing up in this space with increasing frequency. Manufacturers of all stripes are looking to impress with signifiers of refinement. High-end cabin materials and a focus on fit-and-finish. Elaborate infotainment systems. Quieter cars that…
It’s a year of reinvention for General Motors’ full-size sport-utility vehicles. For 2021, GM creates a new architecture for its big SUVs. It has an independent rear suspension — like those found on cars and crossovers — and a longer wheelbase. We tested a 2021…