– Crossover shoppers in search of the best, listen up: Shortlist the Audi Q7. Its nearly perfect balance of luxury, refinement, driving enthusiasm, and high-tech features make it a no-brainer for those lucky enough to have the budget for such a vehicle. We’re currently blessed with a 2017 Q7 3.0T Prestige in our long-term fleet, […]
Tag: depth
2018 Honda Pilot in Depth: Cleared for Takeoff
– With a high seating position, kid-friendly interior, and vast cargo space, the Honda Pilot has what it takes to win over suburb-dwelling parents. The 3.5-liter V-6 is smooth, powerful, and relatively efficient, and the Pilot offers towing capacity that will be enough for most buyers. Space is plentiful, and the reconfigurable interior provides multiple […]
Pure Competence: 2017 Kia Optima in Depth
– All signs point to the fact that we have left the age of the sedan behind and entered the era of the crossover, but despite the wandering attention of the car-buying public, the contenders in the mid-size-sedan segment continue to put up a good show. Not only are there a handful of truly good […]
2017 Audi R8 in Depth: Sex Sells
– It looks great, sounds fantastic, and goes like an autobahn bullet. The Audi R8 is almost everything you could want from a supercar, all of it wrapped in a comfortable, dead-sexy package that can easily be driven on a daily basis. Are there downsides? Sure. For one, it’s a two-seater, so passenger space is […]
2017 Mini Clubman JCW in Depth: Plenty Funky but Not Very Spunky
– When BMW relaunched the Mini marque back in 2002, it put the storied English nameplate on a high-dosage prescription of “more”—more models, more performance, and more quirky charm. Mini’s John Cooper Works (JCW) performance division takes the standard versions and infuses those Minis with even more spice. Inspired by the original hot-rod Coopers from […]
2018 Buick Encore in Depth: Pint-Sized Premium
– Slotting into the Buick SUV lineup beneath the garage-hogging Enclave and the middle-child Envision, the Buick Encore distills the almost-luxury ambience of its big brothers into a bite-sized niblet. Its interior is comfortable, well designed, and more premium than most of its rivals, but it never quite reaches full-luxury levels of comfort. High-tech infotainment […]
Small but Mighty: 2018 Audi TT RS Tested in Depth
– When it comes to the indecipherable alphabet soup of modern-day vehicle naming conventions, a few model designators are generally true: X is for SUV, R is for racy, S is for sporty, and RS is for Audis that have been tuned and tweaked beyond all boundaries of reason. The newest entrant to this exclusive […]
PHEV Excellence: 2018 Chevrolet Volt Tested in Depth
– Times have changed since the first Chevrolet Volt was sold in late 2010. Back then, gas prices were on the way to a generational high, and even some die-hard gas-guzzler enthusiasts were dropping their big rigs for hypermilers. These days, fuel prices are down, Americans are driving more than ever, and trucks and SUVs […]
2018 Audi S5, Tested in Depth: Lots of Looks, Little Passion
– The Audi S5 coupe and convertible are two-door counterparts to the more practical but dowdier S4 sedan, and they offer impressive performance in a slinky uniform. (The new, high-style S5 Sportback is reviewed separately.) All S5s are motivated by Audi’s new turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which makes a comfortable 354 horsepower and provides the […]
2018 Volvo XC60 in Depth: An SUV, Nordic Style
– Volvo’s model-line overhaul continues with an all-new and fully modernized compact crossover for 2018: the XC60. More stylish, more efficient, more luxurious, roomier, and better equipped than the model it replaces, the XC60 is now far more competitive. A focus on safety is a given with the Volvo name attached, and features such as […]
