It’s tough out there. Automakers know they have to concentrate on SUVs, because that’s all people will buy (well, trucks too) but the competition is fierce. Hence an SUV has to be extra special to stand out from the crowd.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe

One that does exactly that is the 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige currently under test. The fit and finish of this car, with heated and cooled Nappa leather seats, was just impressive, and the tester was the electronically supercharged model that extracts 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque from 3.5 liters. The standard engine in this car is a 375-horsepower twin turbo.

And this is one of the few vehicles on the market that comes with advanced rear-occupant protection that can detect a baby’s breath in the second row. It’s big, though, and required a plus-size parking spot in New York City.

The styling is by necessity a bit awkward, given the challenge of turning a four-door boxy SUV into a coupe, but Genesis did their best with what they had. The GV80 Coupe is pricey, though, at $88,630 as tested. Fuel economy, as expected, isn’t great, 22 mpg on the highway, 18 in town.

2024 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T SE

This car was refreshed for 2024, receiving new front interior, new taillights and a revised interior. The V-6 option is out of the lineup. They’re all four-cylinder models now. But the turbo four produces 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, and when coupled to an eight-speed automatic yields a 7.5-second zero to 60 time. It’s not the problem.

The interior is nice looking and airy, but as with the GTi recently driven it has a really challenging infotainment system that requires going through a lot of screens and menus to do just about everything. I really, really want a volume control knob. The touch-sensitive controls, when you get to them, aren’t very touch sensitive.

Fuel economy is pretty crummy, 22 mpg combined. In the end, this is not a standout family SUV, more’s the pity.

2024 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan Turbo Premium Plus

It was a relief to step into that endangered species, an actual sedan. The tester was at the top of the Mazda3 range, selling for $37,065 with the SKYACTIV 2.5-liter turbo engine and all-wheel drive. It’s a very competent little driver car, with 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on offer. It can achieve an impressive 5.6-second zero to 60 run. BMW should be scared by cars like this one, but I doubt it gives Mazda much thought.

Sedans generally trump SUVs in fuel economy, and this one achieves 32 mpg on the highway (27 combined). It has Mazda’s generally quality high level—nothing fell off, and it probably won’t if you buy one.

If you really want to save money, start with the base model at $25,135. Changes on this car for 2025 include the base model in sedan or hatch form, and with any model above base there’s the capacity to talk to Alexa. Want Bose? Upgrade to Premium or Turbo Premium Plus, where it’s standard. Sounded good, too.

Also tested from Mazda was the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition, and it was a solid entry that was relaxing to drive on a long trip. For $42,670 (as tested) it wasn’t a bad buy. Under the hood is a 2.5-liter engine with twin turbos and 227 horsepower with 310 pound-feet of torque.

The Meridian as tested featured leather seats, auto-dimming headlights, a moonroof, dual-zone climate and a 12-speaker Bose setup. Not bad for the price. I bought a Miata instead, but so did every other auto journalist in the world.

2024 Volvo C40 Recharge Single-Motor Ultimate

I find myself frequently recommending the single-motor of today’s electric cars, because they’re cheaper and have greater range. The price is important, because even the single motor starts at $54,895. It has rear-wheel drive, and even without the second motor can hit 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. But with the twin motor you get an eye-popping 402 horsepower, 4.4-second times, and more performance cred.

All of the single motors get a 79 kilowatt-hour (75 kWh usable) battery pack, and range that’s a decent 297 miles (less if you drive mostly on highways). Recharging can be achieved at a fast 480-volt station 10-80 percent in 28 minutes.

The Volvo and its Polestar near-relatives are very competent EVs (the Scandinavian modern interiors stand out) that would be more competitive at slightly lower price points. In other Volvo EV news, the company has teamed up with Starbucks to add 50 fast chargers at 15 locations along the 1,350-mile corridor between Denver and Seattle to “make EV charging as easy as getting coffee.” Since you can recharge there in 28 minutes, they have a point. “While their vehicles are recharging outside, drivers and their passengers can relax comfortably inside with their favorite Starbucks beverage,” Volvo says.

2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country B5 AWD Ultimate

Volvo is to be praised for keeping station wagons in the lineup. Audi has a wonderful S5 Avant model coming out, but Americans won’t be getting it. It’s our own fault—we’ve rejected the format pretty definitively. Not me, though. I’ve owned station wagons made by Plymouth, Mercedes, Volvo and more.

The V60 Cross Country is an upscale wagon, priced at $62,075 as tested. Power comes from a two-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four that manages to generate 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.

The other version of the V60 is a Polestar-engineered plug-in hybrid with sticker shock at $72,445. Both of them are opulently appointed, but the Cross Country has some vague SUV styling cues and an unnecessary lifted ride height. Will the camouflage be enough to fool buyers who hate station wagons?

My neighbor has a V60 and loves it. He even named it “Lars.” I like that these wagons have definite family ties to the old 122S I owned for 20 years. Some of the Volvo SUVs, not so much.