Tag Archives: suv

New Models Enter the Car Market at a Pivot Point

We are at a pivot point in the auto industry, with both the electric and self-driving revolutions somewhat stalled, and Trump tariffs making it difficult for consumers to know what they should do. There’s a brief window when it’s still possible to get the $7,500 federal income tax credit when buying a made-in-U.S.A. EV, but it’s going away September 30. In the meantime, automakers are still churning out new EV models—I’m at a Subaru EV rollout as I write this

So, let’s delve into what’s new in my garage, electric or otherwise.

2025 Audi Q4 e-tron Prestige and 2025 Audi SQ6 e-tron Prestige. Audi’s electrics didn’t do well in the second quarter of 2025, and the Q4 e-tron was down 48.7 percent year over year, from 2,430 in 2024 to 1,247 in 2025. But it sure sold better than the A6 e-tron, with just 179 sold.

The Q4 in this guise is a compact electric SUV with 335 horsepower from its electric motor and up to 332 miles of range. The starting price in this Prestige edition of $63,095. It’s fairly pricey, and even the cheapest Q4 is over $51,000. I suspect it’s price that’s holding this model back, because it’s a quite decent small EV otherwise, with quality materials (leather and wood are standard) and a nice driving experience. There is 26 cubic feet behind the rear seats, and 54 feet with those seats down.

The SQ6 e-tron is built on the same platform as the Q6 e-tron (3,716 sold in the second quarter) but with a dual-motor set-up that offers as much as 510 horsepower. While the car was great fun to drive (with 3.8 seconds to 60), the added pep sacrifices range—up to 46 miles. The Prestige is $80,595. The range is 275 miles, not exceptional, but it is somewhat mitigated by fast 270-kilowatt charging.

2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail. Lexus is on a roll among the Japanese luxury brands, especially compared to Nissan’s Infiniti. But the LX 700h isn’t set up to float my boat. It’s a hybrid from the leader in that technology, but fuel economy in this big boat isn’t the goal. It has a combined EPA rating of only 20 mph, which is just marginally better than its non-hybrid counterpart. Hybrid tech belongs in light, aerodynamic cars—it’s kind of wasted in this luxurious 6,283-pound seven-passenger SUV.

It’s impossible to hate cars like this, because they’re so cosseting to drive. But they don’t pass a lot of gas stations. The car as tested was $118,010, which buys a powerful 457 horsepower from a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 coupled to a 10-speed automatic. It can tow 8,000 pounds.

Every possible luxury feature was present, all of them standard, from leather-trimmed seating to heated steering wheel, a cool box and an auto door closer. It’s kind of the equivalent of an off-road 1959 Cadillac. Which does have its appeal.

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser and 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport. More Toyotas. The company covers every possible American niche, even those that must be mystifying in the home market.

The Land Cruiser starts at $58,195, and Toyota is to be commended to making it a hybrid instead of a gas-guzzling V-8. The turbo 2.4-liter four gets two electric motors, which combine to make an impressive 326 horsepower. The setup is shared with the popular Tacoma truck. The two motors yield all-wheel drive, and the car has an eight-speed automatic.

Again, this is a hybrid that’s far from a fuel champ, making 23 mpg combined. If you like rugged 4WD vehicles then the Land Cruiser has always been a sensible choice, and it bristles with trail gear. But if you really don’t go off-road much you shuld consider something more oriented to pavement.

The Tacoma is also parent to the sixth-generation 2025 4Runner TRD Sport I tested in Wind Chill Pearl. It has a similar 2.4-liter turbo engine, but makes 278 horsepower with 317 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic is attached. With this combination, fuel economy is even worse than the Land Cruiser, at 21 mpg combined.

As tested, the 4Runner TRD Sport was $49,725 (barely up from its $49,250 MSRP). The only option was premium paint. The 4Runner has been generally reliable.

2025 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line. The Atlas as tested (and built in Mexico) was $55,325. This is the highest trim, and it comes with all-wheel drive. The powertrain in all versions is a 269-horsepower in-line four with an eight-speed automatic. The 7.3-second zero to 60 time is not impressive. The three-row Atlas offers very good cargo space, though, and it feels well-built. But despite the four-cylinder engine, fuel economy is nothing to write home about, coming in at 20 mpg I the city and 27 on the highway, and with the AWD that everyone seems to want it drops to 19 city and 24 highway.  At this price, any number of other automakers’ models are competitive.

2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD. The Tucson is Hyundai’s bestseller, and it’s offered with a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, coupled to an eight-speed automatic.

Go hybrid and the 1.6-liter turbo gas engine produces 178 horsepower and 195 pound-feet, but the hybrid system takes it up to 231 total horsepower. The hybrid has a 47.7-kilowatt electric motor and a 1.49-kilowatt-hour battery, with a six-speed transmission. And then there’s a plug-in hybrid variant, with a more powerful 72-kilowatt motor, 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet. The hybrid battery is 13.8 kilowatt-hours.

All this choice is very welcome, and it’s what smart automakers do, along with frequent upgrades. The current generation of Tucson was introduced in 2024. Prices start at $28,075.

2025 Toyota Corolla FX. This is the gold standard of Toyotas for me, as my first job was preparing Corollas for sale at a Toyota dealer. The outlet’s big brand was Dodge, but today it’s an all-Toyota enterprise. That’s progress! As tested, it was $29,289, a very reasonable price for an automobile in 2025. It’s a hot hatch, with 169 horsepower and stellar 31.39 mpg fuel economy. The two-liter four offered plenty of passing power. I was actually quite taken with the latest incarnation of the Corolla, and would gladly have kept this one over in the Motavalli garage.

Ice, Snow and Slush: The Winter Drives

As winter sets in, features like heated seats, steering wheels and mirrors matter more, as well as traction and performance in snow. So, here’s a few reviews keeping the chilly scenes of winter—snow, ice, slush—in mind.

2025 Volvo V60 T8 E-AWD Polestar. I’ve never had a Swedish car that lacked a killer heater, and if you’ve ever been to northern Scandinavia, you know why. The name of this car is a bit confusing. Polestar is one of Geely’s electric brands, isn’t it? Yes, that’s true but before that it was a Swedish tuning shop, with racing experience, and it breathes on Volvos now as AMG does for Mercedes-Benz and M for BMWs.

The V60 is that increasing rarity—an actual station wagon, not an SUV. This version is a plug-in hybrid, with a 14.9-kilowatt-hour battery, up from 9.1. The electric motor has also been upgraded, and now produces 143 horsepower. The two-liter four is turbocharged and now produces 312 horsepower. The car is meaty, and can cruise 44 miles on battery power alone. It’s brilliant in the cold (even the rear seat is heated), with a fast-working heater and defroster, as well as excellent handling. Who needs an SUV?

As tested, this fine Volvo was $72,835, a high price that is a definite barrier for some buyers. Also tested was the 2025 Volvo S60 Recharge eAWD Ultimate Dark. And it’s another rarity, a sedan! The American fascination with SUVs in all their vivid reality still escapes me, so if you’re also resistant check out this one. Unfortunately, this is the last year for the compact S60 sport sedan. You’re much better off choosing the S60 as a plug-in hybrid, because its combination of turbo four and electric motor produces 455 horsepower, compared to the entry model’s 247. Most of what I said about the V60 applies, and the bottom line as tested was $62,545. The two models have an identical rating of 74 MPGe with the hybrid drive, and 31 mpg overall with just the gas engine. Not bad, considering all the safety equipment aboard.

2025 Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport Prestige. Genesis is currently both my favorite luxury brand, and it’s my top electric choice, too. The 70, 80 and 90 are available as SUVs and sedans, and the GV70 tested is one of the former. This was a splendid winter car, given a 10 out of 10 by Car and Driver, and it sports a peerless luxury interior with every possible amenity. The tester had two big packages, sport advanced and sport prestige, which added $6,400 and $3,200 to the price respectively, but both are worth considering as they include many safety features. It might have been a good idea to include all the safety stuff in the same package. The price as tested was a not-inconsiderable $69,900.

The Genesis comes with a 375-horsepower twin-turbo V-6, capable of sub-five-second zero to 60 times—but it’s also a family luxury SUV. Choose a lesser version of the GV70 and you get a worth-considering turbo 2.5-liter four.

2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Hybrid. This one got a real winter workout, all the way from Connecticut to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. I would have trouble buying a vehicle that gets only 20 mpg combined (and 17.9 average on my trip), but with that said I can confirm that this is a very comfortable perch for a long seasonal drive. I was at the wheel about nine hours and emerged fully refreshed. The seats, seating position and legroom were all ideal, as was the JBL stereo. I was also able to haul a 47-inch-wide 1950s German console radio—complete with liquor cabinet—in the rear, seats folded. Unfortunately, the third row doesn’t fold flat, but it still provided a cavernous load area. The running boards that zip out when the car is unlocked are handy, because the vehicle has a high center of gravity.

The Sequoia SUV is big in every dimension, including price, $84,480. And that’s why, even with hybrid drive, it still uses plenty of gasoline—I had to fill up twice. The power comes from an I-FORCE MAX twin-turbo V-6 with electric motor/generator (437 horsepower combined), driving through a 10-speed auto with sequential shift. The Sequoia was actually better handling than anything this large deserves to be. I’m sure, with four-wheel drive and this configuration, its excellent for towing.

Also from Toyota was a 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter Double Cab. I didn’t get to spend too much time in this $64,944 truck, but I moved some things with it and realized that the Japanese now build better American trucks, in many cases, than actual Americans do. They tend to be more reliable and better built, and there aren’t many compromises. This Toyota, too, uses an I-FORCE MAX hybrid drivetrain, and again the results aren’t stellar—23 mpg overall.

2025 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition. As the owner of a Miata, I know how well Mazdas handle, even when they’re compact crossovers. The CX-50 ($42,670 as tested) is the only car on this list whose price doesn’t intimidate. I could actually buy one of these!

Mazda doesn’t have a handle on luxury the way in quite the same way Genesis does, but the buyer who opts for the Meridian CX-50 gets a 256-horsepower turbo four (the base non-turbo engine produces only 187 hp) and 3,500-pound towing. The package also includes the nice leather heated seats and a sunroof. For 2025, all CX-50s get the larger 10.3-inch infotainment screen and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistance is now included across the boards. “Alexa, which car should I buy? Hmmm, maybe a Mazda?

There’s a hybrid version of the CX-50, with a 176-horsepower 2.5-liter four, CVT transmission, all-wheel drive, and a stellar 39 mpg city and 37 highway. The new entry is the result of a collaboration with Toyota, and it shares the RAV-4’s powertrain. The hybrid starts at just $33,970, so it’s definitely worthy of consideration.

New Models Sometimes Blur the Lines Between Sedans and SUVs

Although it’s often stated that the auto industry leads the public by the nose via clever marketing campaigns, in fact consumers are in the driver’s seat—and their changing tastes led to the now near-total SUV dominance we’re now seeing. But the difference between a sedan and an SUV these days amounts to little other than a few body panels, as witness Toyota’s Prius and Corolla Cross hybrids.  

A small SUV is often more efficient and fuel-friendly than a big sedan. And that’s why it makes sense to figure out which current market entry really floats your boat—and then downscale from there. Small is still beautiful! Here are some new models, illustrating my various points:

2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD Sport Touring. Now here is an entirely reasonable automobile that represents an excellent choice for a small family that—in most cases—buys something larger. As a parent who raised two kids with nothing larger than a Honda Fit, I say it isn’t really necessary to buy an Expedition when the first kid arrives. Honda didn’t have an as-tested price for an example with $455 added for Urban Gray paint, but this hybrid Touring model starts at $42,450.

The CR-V is never going to be a white-knuckle sports car that you exploit at the limit. It’s a very, very useful appliance that delivers 37 mpg combined. And it’s probably the most reliable appliance you can buy. Yes, it’s a car for people who read Consumer Reports, but there’s nothing at all wrong with that. There’s really no reason not to chose the hybrid variants that are being offered on an increasing number of automotive product lines.

2024 Toyota Prius Limited. If you’ve been using the excuse that “the Prius is ugly” for buying a lesser vehicle, it’s time to rethink. The current fifth-generation Prius is downright pretty. It was first shown in 2022. The shape of the earlier versions were dictated by practicality and aerodynamics, so the styling win here has yields a slightly higher drag co-efficient and minor losses in cargo volume. But it was worth it!

The Hybrid Synergy Drive in this Prius offers 198 horsepower, and a two-liter inline four gas engine that’s also used in the recently tested (and quite nice) Corolla Cross hybrid crossover that’s also worth considering. In high-end Limited trim, the Prius yields 49 mpg combined, saving the owner $4,250 annually in fuel costs compared to the average new vehicle. For $37,999, the buyer gets a loaded Prius with features like AWD, a full safety suite, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers and eight-speaker JBL infotainment. It’s hard to imagine a better buy, especially when the average car sells for $48,401.

2025 Genesis G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige. The G80 slots in between the G70 and the G90, but it’s the top dog in some international markets. It’s certainly no compromise, coming as it does fully equipped with the top-of-the-line B&O stereo, AWD, a huge safety suite, heated and ventilated front seats, a smart auto-open trunk, and the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that makes 375 horsepower (versus the 300 horses of the 2.5-liter turbo alternative). The car shifts through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Beyond these tangibles there’s the intangible just-feels-right about this car. It’s very comfortable, quiet and effortless on the road, and offers plenty of storage. The bottom line as-tested wasn’t offered, but the model starts at a not-cheap $78,250. Also check out the 2025 Genesis G80 Electrified, offered in just one “Luxury” trim. We recently drove one on a round-trip to Washington, DC with Michelin, and a good time was had by all except for some charging issues on the New Jersey Turnpike. The 94.5-kilowatt-hour battery gives the G80 Electrified just under 300 miles of range.

2025 Mazda CX-70 Turbo S Premium Plus. The CX-70 is a new mid-sized entry going after popular vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s very similar to the CX-90, albeit with two rows (and five-passenger seating) instead of three rows and room for eight. You can get into a CX-70 for $41,900, but this top-range model is an eye-opening $57,405, in part because this is the hopped-up S version of the 3.3-liter inline-six engine seen in the CX-90. It produces 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Mazdas tend to handle better than the average Japanese product, and that was the case with this fairly large automobile, which is also very tastefully appointed. But this is among the most crowded SUV segment, so it’s tough for Mazda to really stand out in it.

The zero to 60 time of 6.2 seconds is relatively sprightly, but any electric SUV would blow it away. Fuel economy of 25 combined/23 city/28 highway isn’t horrible but isn’t great, either. Also consider the CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus, with a much better 38 mpg combined (39 in the city and 37 on the highway). The bottom line of $42,065 is also easier to swallow. And you can live with 219 horsepower.

2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0T. The Simeone Museum in Philadelphia collaborated with Volkswagen of America on the current exhibit (through January 12). Highlights include the Woodstock Microbus, Herbie, Karmann Ghias, a 1949 Bug—and several GTIs.

The GTI was launched in 1976 with 1.6-liter inline four adapted from Audi. That power output doesn’t seem like a lot now, but it turned the lightweight Golf into a prototype hot hatch capable of more than 112 mph. Obviously, the GTI has gained some weight and power since then. There’s still an inline four, but now it’s a 16-valve turbo producing 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The 2024 GTI offers zero to 60 in as little as 5.5 seconds, and fuel economy of 27 mpg combined (24 city, 33 highway). It’s a fun car to drive, graced with a six-speed manual transmission (one of the last?), but suffers from controls that should be simple and knob-based, but are complex and on the screen.

2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1. OK, it’s here, an all-electric Denali pickup with formidable specs—zero to 60 in four seconds! They call this a “light-duty” truck but it weighs 8,800 pounds. To move all that weight, GMC has equipped it with a huge 205-kilowatt-hour battery. That provides a stellar 440 miles of range. But the big battery is a major reason the Denali has a $99,495 price as-tested.

The crew-cab truck was luxurious inside, and quiet in operation, with a huge vertical screen. But this is one EV that just feels big, especially in parking lots. In terms of practicality, the truck with the cumbersome name did prove useful for some dump and Goodwill runs. The powered tailgate, which folds in half, is nice, but the dealer-installed soft roll-up tonneau was cumbersome to use, especially in the cold. And the load height is pretty high.

Is there a market for this kind of heroically sized EV? Probably, yes, since Rivian is moving them, and GM itself sold 14,039 Hummer EVs through October 2024. It’s not clear how many of those were pickups. Scout is also going after the EV pickup market, and we should see the Ram electric pickup soon. GM has a history of producing its “green” vehicles from its largest platforms, and in some cases that leads to a distinctly compromised product, such as the Silverado hybrid that went from 17 mpg to 19. But to its credit the company is now offering downsized and very credible vehicles such as the Chevy Bolt, Equinox and Blazer EVs.

Driving the New SUVs–And More. The Competition is Fierce.

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.

Rounding Up the Recent Cars, Summer 2024 Edition

It’s time again for a roundup of recent rides. My neighbors—those who haven’t been wised up already—probably suspect something shady is going on in my driveway, given all the comings and goings. But people up to no good drive a Volvo plug-in hybrid or a Toyota RAV4 Woodland edition? Here are some thoughts on the new test cars.

2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge eAWD Ultimate Dark. Station wagons used to be an affordable form of transportation, but as they’ve morphed into upscale SUVs they’ve also gone up in price. Volvo, once one of the world’s biggest station wagon purveyors, now sells safety-conscious off-roaders like this one for $74,690. For that, the owner gets a big, powerful plug-in hybrid that gets 28 mpg combined in gas mode, and 63 MPGe as a PHEV. The XC60 is all the wagon most owners will need, though the XC90 is also available. Combined, the two-liter turbocharged four and electric motor produce a whopping 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. There is 32 miles of electric range. This was a top-of-the-range model, and it met every need. Not a performance car, exactly, but there’s no substitute for a lot of horsepower. The PHEV format is perfect for Volvos, which tend to be weighty because of all their safety equipment—and the test car had the full complement. Drive it mostly in electric mode and there’s very little weight penalty.

2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition. For $37,470, the buyer of this special edition gets a very, very practical and well-equipped vehicle that can deliver 37 miles per gallon combined and transport the family and their dog, with room left over for the luggage. Really, it’s hard to see why families need to spend more and buy something bigger and more powerful. The engine is a 2.5-liter four, putting out 219 horsepower. That’s considered anemic these days, but why are we in such a hurry? The Woodland is a weather package that adds heated front seats and steering wheel, as well as rain-sensing wipers. It’s easy to live with one of these, and the hybrid version is the one to get. You’ll save $2,500 on fuel over five years, compared to the average new car.

2024 Genesis G90 AWD 3.5T E-Supercharger. This is one of the few vehicles, redesigned for 2023, that justifies a price point above $100,000. The bottom line on the test car was $101,400. The electric supercharged, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 produces a hefty 409 horsepower, and is connected to an eight-speed automatic. To shave a bit off the price, you can opt for the 375-horsepower version without the supercharger. The car bristles with high-tech features, including rear-wheel steering to aid cornering, air suspension, and smart hands-free trunk with auto open. The audio system is from Bang & Olufsen. The car not only uses premium materials, it blends them in an overall presentation that far exceeds the competition. It’s quiet as a church in operation, too. As I’ve noted, most consumers don’t really need anything above the level of a Toyota Corolla or a Honda CR-V, but if your needs include wanting to feel like a million dollars, the Genesis G90 has you covered.

2024 Toyota Sienna Hybrid XSE AWD. The hybrid minivan has been a long time coming, with the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid having the field to itself (at least in the U.S.; Japanese consumers have enjoyed a variety of choices.) The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are power pair in the minivan category. The 2.5-liter four and electric motor deliver a combined 245 horsepower in this upscale Sienna, which is a lot of van for $52,745. No one buys minivans for stoplight competitions, and this one accelerates in a leisurely watch-the-world-go-by fashion. It’s actually relaxing.

The Sienna is actually hybrid-only at this point. Honda’s Odyssey is going hybrid for 2025 with a system that delivers 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. The horsepower figure is lower than the standard Odyssey, but the torque figures are about the same (262 pound-feet in that version).

Vans aren’t known for their fuel economy, but with Toyota’s celebrated hybrid drive this Sienna delivers 35 mpg combined (36 if you forget about the AWD you might not need). If you want to use your Sienna as a hauler (as in my brother’s antique book business), be advised that the second row isn’t removable. But dual power sliding doors make loading very easy.

2024 Acura TLX Type S. For 2024, the TLX lineup was revised with this performance variant at the top. Acura has concentrated more on luxury than sport, but this all-wheel-drive Type S boasts a turbocharged, 24-valve three-liter V-6 that produces 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. That’s attached to a 10-speed automatic. Brembo does the front brakes, and the Type S adds an exclusive Sport+ driving mode. Torque vectoring can send 70 percent of the power to the rear axle, and all of it to the outside rear wheel. It was genuinely fun to drive, though Acura will have to lure consumers away from their BMWs and Audis. The price of the TLX starts at $45,000.

Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport Prestige. The average price of cars sold to Americans keeps creeping up. In June it was $47,433, according to Cox Automotive. Given that, the $68,870 for this Genesis doesn’t seem so bad, but it’s still a considerable piece of change. It buys a compact luxury SUV that’s about as far from a 1963 Jeep Wagoneer as could be imagined. Luxury SUV was once an oxymoron. Under the hood of this one is a 3.5-liter twin turbo V-6 similar to that in the GV90, but it’s an option in the 70. The engine, coupled to an eight-speed automatic, produces 371 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque in this iteration. The Genesis sedan are more to my taste, but this type of SUV has its advantages, not least ease of entry and exit for some of our more senior citizens. As for off-roading, few will take advantage. It’s hard to imagine scratching and dirtying this pretty car.

In the Poconos, a Cornucopia of Cars

The International Motor Press Association (IMPA)’s “Spring Brake” event is a chance, in warm weather, for auto journalists to drive a wide cross-section of new cars. The setting May 21 was the Camelback Resort in the Poconos, skiing in the winter and a water park in the summer. The idea was simple: Drive the cars up the mountain to the parking lot at the top, then drive them back down again. Repeat with another car. Here’s a rundown of the drives:

Mazda CX-90 Premium Plus. The Premium Plus CX-90, the top of the line, starts at $57,325. The model replaces the less-high-end CX-9. Mazda is not known for luxury cars, and the CX-90 is a conscious effort to offer a competitive three-row SUV, but it doesn’t stand out in a crowded field. Automakers were eager to get rid of the inline six (in favor of V-8s) in the mid-1950s, but it’s literally a badge of honor in this model. The 3.3-liter engine is turbocharged, with versions offering 280 or 340 horsepower. Handling was not all that agile on the mountain roads, especially with the company showing what it can do with its ever-popular Miata. Also sampled was the CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition ($42,670) which seemed a happy compromise between utility and performance.

Honda Civic Type R. The car, resplendent in bright red, was a throwback of sorts. Few manufacturers are offering hot hatchbacks with manual transmissions these days. The Type R starts at $45,890, which is of course exorbitant for a Honda Civic, but not so bad when considering the performance. The car sure looks the part, with spoilers, hood scoops and air dams in profusion. The bright red seats wear red seatbelts and sat on red carpets, and red also shined through the wheels from the Brembo brake calipers.

The turbocharged two-liter four is a popular engine globally, and in this configuration it yields 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, enough to get it to 60 in less than five seconds. And it handled beautifully through the mountain curves. Every bump is felt through the steering wheel, which is a good thing if you like your car to communicate its experiences. But speed bumps felt like mountains. The car was also kind of noisy, which might make it a bit trying as a daily commuter.

Lucid Air Pure. These EVs do everything so well, and with such performance, that it’s hard to see the added value of the traditional supercar. The Air Pure is the single-motor version, starting at $71,400—the cheapest Lucid. And yet it showed the same quality materials as the upper trims, which peak at the $250,500 Sapphire (capable of sub-two-second zero-to-60 times). The Pure, with its motor driving the rear wheels, offers an impressive 430 horsepower and 4.3-second zero-to-60 times. It’s full of thoughtful touches, such as the below-floor storage in the trunk, the 12-way power seats and the neatly integrated central screen. The 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack yields 410 miles of range. If the battery runs low, it can recoup 300 miles of range in 21 minutes at a fast charger.

The Pure felt like a smaller car on the hillclimbs. Lucid, whose funding was recently replenished with $3 billion from stock sales and the Saudi private wealth fund (which owns 60 percent of the company).

Hyundai Ioniq 5N. Consumers will pay a premium to buy the performance version of the Ioniq 5 electric car, $67,475. But the money buys access to as much as 641 horsepower. With two electric motors the baseline is just over 600 horses, but the N Grin Boost feature (activated by a big red NGB button) temporarily (up to 10 seconds) pushes that up to 641. The styling is very much from the same styling school as the Honda Type R—full of big wheels and sticky tires, with spoilers, fender flares and go-faster protrusions galore. You either love it or hate it. The cabin is more subdued than said Honda, and quite tasteful.

Acura MDX Type S SH-AWD. The three-row MDX is a bestseller for Acura, considerably outselling the two-row RDX. The Type S, starting at $68.450, is the sporty version, if that’s not a contradiction in terms when discussing a big SUV. The three-liter turbo V-6 engine produces 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque (a gain of 65 hp and 87 pound-feet over a standard MDX). The SH-AWD stands for “Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive System.” The car was nicely appointed and finished, with a nice-sounding ELS Studio sound system. Second-row passengers get useful climate settings. The mountain road was probably not the best place to test out its capabilities, but it did not resemble a sports car in any fashion.

 Genesis G70 3.3T AWD. This kind of luxury sedan is more something I can see in my garage. All the Genesis cars are impressive, and there’s no sense that there are two levels above this one—the G80 and G90. The only compromise is rear-seat legroom in this more compact car. The G70 was refreshed in 2022, and sports a 300-horsepower, turbo 2.5-liter four in base form or, as tested, a 365-horsepower 3.3-liter V-6. You’ll pay $51,700 to get into that power plant. This car seemed to have just about everything, quiet when needed, a top accelerator when that was needed. The Lexicon stereo was nice, as was the two-tone beige-and-black interior. The G70 is in BMW and Audi territory.

Ford Ranger Raptor. I’m pretty out of the demographic for this one. The only truck I’ve admired recently is the Ford Maverick (hybrid version), and the Tremor version of that one, on the stand here, was always being driven by someone else. The $57,065 Raptor is very boy racer, and hard to see as an actual work vehicle. Its twin-turbo V-8 produces 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. It’s only available as a crew cab, with a smallish five-foot cargo area. The big knobby tires gave it a very rough ride, especially on acceleration, and it was noisy as all heck. But that’s what these buyers want, isn’t it? The interior was on the garish side, dominated by a big vertical 12.4-inch center screen.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition. This wasn’t actually on the Toyota stand; it’s the car I drove to the Poconos. I just wanted to put in a word. For $37,470 in the Woodland version, the owner gets a really reliable and versatile small SUV that can deliver 37 mpg overall. Great suite of safety features. The 580-mile cruising range meant we could drive it up to Boston and back without visiting a gas station, and the trip to the Poconos was similar.

Testing the 2024 SUVs, Hybrids, EVs and Performers

As most of you know, I write about cars for a living. While the money isn’t spectacular, the fringe benefits include review cars for the week. If I was a movie critic, I’d get into films free. When I tell people about this, they say, first, “How did you get that job?” Then they think a bit and say, “I could do that job.” Who knows, maybe they could, but I’m the one who gets the keys, at least right now.

Here are quick hits on some cars that have been in my garage recently, all 2024 models:

Lexus UX 250h F Sport Premium. Hybrid SUVs hit a sweet spot in the market right now, so an upscale off-roader that gets good fuel economy (42 mpg combined) will undoubtedly attract tire kickers. The small size makes it easy to park but rear-seat passengers might want something roomier. The hybrid drivetrain produces 181 horsepower, yielding a car with fairly leisurely acceleration—around eight seconds to 60. The F Sport hybrid (above) starts at $44,120.

Lexus RX 500h F Sport. This one’s interesting, a biggish crossover SUV that’s been set up as a performance car. A bit schizophrenic, that. And the styling is a bit ungainly. But the car sure moves out. With a 2.4-liter turbo four and a pair of e-motors, there’s 366 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That’s a 91-horsepower upgrade from any other RX. The 500h can get to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds. Given the luxury appointments and size, it’s not surprising the car weighs more than 4,700 pounds. It’s pricey at a starting price of $63,800.

Adding to the bottom line are some options you might want, including the Mark Levinson infotainment system, which includes a 14-inch touchscreen and updated navigation ($2,265). Unless the kids get cold easily, skip the heated rear seats ($1,230).

Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate and XC60 Recharge eAWD Ultimate Dark. Volvo is in a good position to support customers who want to go green, with either battery electrics or plug-in hybrids in several sizes and prices. There’s also the Polestar offerings, with related powertrains, to consider (both companies are owned by China’s Geely). The specs on the XC40 (above) are impressive—293 miles of EV range, fast-charging capability of 10-80 percent in 28 minutes, and 402 horsepower on tap. It can reach 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. The Volvo is attractively styled, inside and out, and a very comfortable cruiser. Google is built in, and there’s an onboard air purifier. It’s a quite nice approach to electrification with seating for five, but rather pricey at $53,745 (the Core model; for the Ultimate version with updated Harman Kardon sound and adaptive cruise, it’s $60,095).

The XC60 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid that wrings 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet from a two-liter four-cylinder turbo motor and a pair of electrics for AWD. The EV range is 35 miles, but the whole car will go 560 miles without needing to stop—a big advantage of PHEVs. It’s impressive that the XC60 Recharge delivers 63 MPGe but moving all that weight without electric assist yields 28 mpg. In normal operation you should save $1,500 in fuel costs over five years, compared to an average new car.  The SUV is quite luxurious inside, with features like Nappa leather and a crystal glass gear shifter. There are lots of thoughtful touches, and also Volvo’s state-of-the-art safety tech. Rear seat passengers will have plenty of legroom, and also heated seats. This is another pricey one at $67,850. The Ultimate Dark option produces a blackout treatment.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum Hybrid AWD. Toyota’s strategy of concentrating on hybrids and PHEVs is starting to look smart in the current marketplace. And the Highlander Hybrid (above) is going to win over a lot of fans. The hybrid drive (the same one that’s in the RAV4 Hybrid) yields 36 mpg combined. It can reach 60 mph in a bit over eight seconds, so no speed demon—but who buys a Highlander for performance? Frankly, if you’re buying a Highlander there’s no reason not to get the hybrid version, because there are no compromises in the passenger compartment or roadability, just a modest bump in the price. Don’t expect a roomy third row, but the Highlander is quite utilitarian otherwise. Families, unless they took Cheaper by the Dozen literally, are likely to love it. The LE starts at $40,970. The up-market Platinum (like the test car) is $51,425 before additional options.

Hyundai Kona Limited AWD. Hyundai and Kia are on a roll in 2024, producing some of the best cars in the world, beautifully styled and highly functional, at an attractive price. The Kona (above) is a good entry point, and even in its top form, the Limited, it’s still only $33,175 (the base model is $25,625). The extra money gets the upmarket 1.6-liter turbo motor that’s good for 190 horsepower. There’s an attractive cabin with a pair of 12.3-inch displays that sit together in a wide oval pod. The accent lighting is neat.

The Kona was updated for 2024 with a longer wheelbase and thinner front seats, which combine to make the back seat more comfortable. The fuel economy could be better: it’s 24 mpg city and 29 highway.