The test cars keep on coming, presenting an amazing cross-section of what Americans are driving—or will soon be. The average price of a new car is creeping up, and was at a sobering $47,433 in July, says Cox Automotive. These vehicles, mostly SUVs and pickups, are being laden down with all the latest technology—which excites buyers these days more than engines do.

Electric vehicles had a bad first quarter in the U.S., but sales zoomed upward from there by 23 percent in the second. And in that period they were up 14 percent from the same quarter in 2023. Prices for EVs are coming down, which should help sales.

2024 Toyota Crown. You’re forgiven for missing the Crown the first time around, because Toyota was barely known then. This upmarket offering was sold in the U.S. from 1958 to 1972, when it was replaced by a car my mother bought the Corona Mark II. Meanwhile, in Japan and other markets the Crown went through 16 generations.

The crossover Crown we have today was launched in 2022, the first to be sold in the U.S. for 50 years. It certainly stands out in a parking lot, looking halfway between a sedan and an SUV. The effect is not unpleasant. And the hybrid vehicle is an amazingly smooth driver, with lots of creamy torque available.

As equipped the Crown is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged four, with permanent AWD and an impressive 340 net horsepower. Despite the power, it’s good for 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 in the city. It comes loaded with safety equipment, with no options necessary. The only real drawback to this lovely car is its price, $54,590 as equipped.

Most Crowns will have more modest bottom lines, coming as they do with a 236-horsepower drivetrain and even better fuel economy. That should be OK many buyers. The pricing starts at $42,575.

2024 Toyota bZ4X AWD Limited. Toyota is currently riding high on hybrid sales, but also weathering a testing scandal. The company has been very cautious about EVs, and the bZ4X is its first, co-developed with another latecomer, Subaru (which calls it Solterra).

Tested was the upmarket Limited trim with two motors of 80 kilowatts each and AWD. Total horsepower is a modest 214. The Limited adds such niceties as heated seats, a glass roof, adaptive cruise control and useful safety tech. It’s a competent EV—for a first effort—but it feels like Toyota’s attention is still elsewhere. The battery is a 65.5-kilowatt-hour unit in the dual-motor version, with an estimated range of around 228 miles. That’s not horrible these days, but 300 would be much more reassuring. The EV competition is strong.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 2.5T AWD. As noted, it’s difficult to stand out in the hyper-competitive crossover field, but the all-new Santa Fe manages it. Everything about this car feels crisply styled, fresh and innovative.

The Santa Fe is now larger, with more storage and passenger space, a third row of seats, and styling that stands out—something that’s hard to do within the boxy confines of the SUV cues. The rear view is particularly felicitous—you’ll know when you’re following one of these. The car is comfortable, with a well-laid-out, spacious interior. And it drives and handles well.

The Santa Fe is available as a hybrid, but the tester had the turbo 2.5-liter inline four with 277 horsepower and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Bigger is thirstier, so the 23 mpg combined isn’t impressive. Definitely check out the hybrid, which starts at $36,950 and yields up to 36 mpg combined. As tested in loaded form the Santa Fe was $50,375.

2024 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury PHEV AWD. We’re starting to see more and more models with plug-in hybrid and hybrid options, and this three-row Lexus has both. In the as-tested PHEV form the Lexus has more than 30 miles of EV-only range. It’s also got a total of 404 horsepower on tap from its combination of 3.6-liter V-6 and two electric motors (for AWD), coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Lexus was big and impressive and drove quietly, with imperceptible transition from electric power to internal combustion. It has plenty of luxury touches. Going to the Luxury trim adds a whole lot of features, including lots of leather, a power folding third row, and a Mark Levinson stereo. But the bottom line in this form is a hefty $82,619. A less-expensive alternative is a modestly equipped TX 500h Hybrid (27 mpg city and 28 highway), which uses a 2.4-liter four and, again, two electric motors, for 366 horsepower.