This batch of new cars is all foreign, German, Korean and Japanese. And they’re quite diverse, proving that in many ways the overseas auto manufacturers have adopted very well to American buying patterns. If we want big trucks and SUVs, they’ve got them—in reliable, well-built form. Sporty cars, too.

2024 Volkswagen Taos SEL 4MOTION. This is a small built-in-Mexico SUV based on the MQB platform. The SEL 4MOTION uses a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine coupled to a seven-speed DSG automatic. It produces a modest 158 horsepower with 184 pound-feet of torque. It’s no ball of fire on the road, but I don’t expect practical crossovers to be race cars. These powertrains are usually fairly fuel-efficient, and the VW offers 27 miles per gallon combined, with a decent 32 on the highway. It’s got good crash scores, and was $35,260 as driven.

Fuel efficiency and a fairly low price are the calling cards here. Other good points are that (unlike some other VWs) it retains knobs for many functions, and offers acceptable legroom in the second row. This is no luxury crossover, but it uses plastics that at least feel like they’ll wear well. VW’s challenge is getting the Taos noticed in a crowded field.

2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Limited. In a just world, everybody would drive cars like this one. The Elantra is a tried-and-true model with stellar reliability and practicality, and in this clever hybrid format it yields 50 mpg combined—getting into Prius territory, if not quite there. And the bottom line for the tester was just $30,810. This is far lower than the average Americans pay for cars.

If you want to spin the tires, buy something else. The Elantra hybrid is powered by a 1.6-liter four coupled to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. It’s got 139 horsepower, slightly less than the standard Elantra, but there’s much more torque at 195 pound-feet (compared to 132 in the base). You don’t really need the performance-oriented N Line Elantra, but it’s out there and a lively driver with a turbo that gives it 201 horsepower.

For the money, the Elantra hybrid is impressively outfitted with a Bose stereo, wireless charging, a power driver’s seat, and a suite of safety tech.

2024 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance. Maybe you don’t blink, but the $66,970 being asked for this relatively small car on a platform launched in 2013 made me blanche more than a little. But it’s all about the V-8. The five-liter engine (also in the LC 500 and RC F) produces a mighty 472 horsepower, coupled to an eight-speed automatic with rear-wheel drive. The performance you definitely get—the beast pinned me to the seat. It can reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

In most respects, this is a pleasant sport luxury vehicle with nice fit and finish. It can potter around and get the groceries if you need such duty. It has a really good safety package, dual-zone climate and a Mark Levinson stereo. But you could lop $15,000 off the Lexus’ price and find some credible entries that would do just as well. They won’t have the V-8, though—this is the only one in the segment. Be prepared for visiting a lot of gas stations. Drivers pay for power, and this is a Japanese car with 20 mpg combined.

2024 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro Hybrid. This is what I meant when I said that overseas automakers are catering to our needs. The three-row Sequoia, based on the Tundra, is not likely to find many buyers in its home market. As tested, it’s a $81,060 big-gun SUV powered by a twin-turbo V-6 with an electric motor/generator, coupled to a 10-speed automatic with sequential shift. Is it possible for a hybrid to get only 20 mpg combined? Yes, when it’s huge and based on the Toyota Tundra. It was a good highway vehicle, but murder in tight parking lots like those at Trader Joe’s.

This one had off-road suspension, and could probably conquer the outback while its cosseted passengers—all seven of them—sit in frigid air-conditioning. That’s what a Range Rover is also for. The Sequoia can also reach 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, which is a triumph of engineering over bulk. The second and third row have limited headroom, and the third row can be slid forward, but a flat load space isn’t part of the picture.

2024 Audi S7 Prestige. We’re high in the Audi range here, and the S7 as tested was over $100,000–$102,075 to be exact. But it’s what they’re talking about when they quote “German engineering.” Karl Benz would take off his hat on hearing about this car’s twin-turbo, supercharged V-6 engine, which produces 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. In the early ‘70s, smog-strangled V-8s were being built with just 120 horsepower, and this one is a V-6. With sport suspension ensuring it stays planted, the S7 can reach 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. If you want more, there’s 591 horsepower in the RS7.

The S7’s V-6 is coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive. The interior is nicely fixed for leather and wood. I enjoyed the heated seats and wheel, the four-zone climate, and tried the shift paddles. I can’t say that the full performance possibility was explored—I’d need the Nürburgring—or at least Lime Rock—for that.