Verdict

–Innsbruck, Austria

I’m afraid the biggest problem for the second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe is a thing neither it nor I have any control over: the passage of time. While the German luxury brand is retaining its compact swoopy coupey for the 2024 model year and attaching the same refinements introduced on the closely related C-Class sedan and GLC-Class SUV, this is inherently a less shocking, less interesting vehicle in today’s world.

That’s not Mercedes’ fault by any stretch. But that it took such a conservative approach to an inherently expressive vehicle in today’s ever-more-expressive market is surprising. To be frank, a gas-powered crossover-coupe in 2023 feels a bit like everything else, rather than something new or interesting. That doesn’t make the new GLC any worse of a choice following its redesign, but this is hardly the hot new thing it was when it first hit the roads.

​​A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Surface-Level Changes

Listen, I don’t like to riff on styling because I firmly believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I will say something in the GLC’s case, because the small details matter far more than an overall design that hasn’t changed much.

This is still a crossover-coupe, complete with a liftback and a lowered roofline, but the slimmer taillights make the GLC appear smaller, lighter, and more elegant when viewed from behind. Painted wheel arches replace the black plastic of yesteryear, further blurring the line between car and SUV. But up front, evolved design wins out and that’s a bit of a bummer. I’d love fresher shapes on the GLC’s nose. I’m not sure most consumers will even recognize this is a redesigned product.

Functionally, the new crossover is more aerodynamic than its predecessor, with a drag coefficient of just 0.27 compared to 0.30. Mercedes didn’t call out any one specific thing to achieve this, instead relying on computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing to eke out the advantage. The new GLC is 1.2 inches longer too, with slightly increased overhangs – the tracks increase at both ends, but the GLC itself isn’t any wider. The combo of a sleeker body and a slightly larger footprint pay dividends in the cabin.

The GLC is impressively hushed as it cuts through the air, and the cabin feels roomy enough from the supportive driver’s seat. Rearward visibility is unsurprisingly compromised and I’m a bit annoyed Mercedes didn’t implement a rear camera mirror system, which seems like a no-brainer in a vehicle like this.

As Brett T. Evans complained about in his GLC300 long-roof first drive, the plastic door pull interacted uncomfortably with my left knee, especially in corners when I used the piece to brace myself. And the passenger’s side front seat generally felt more constrained, with less knee room. As for the backseats, well, if you care about the folks in back, why are you buying a GLC Coupe? It remains an uncomfortably cramped area for adults.

Beyond changes dictated by the GLC Coupe’s shape, though, all of what’s found here mimics the two-box GLC and C-Class sedan, from the primary driver interfaces to the revised infotainment system (a 12.3-inch cluster and an 11.9-inch touchscreen are standard), material choices, and overall design. The cabin feels thoroughly modern and mostly well appointed – only the bits of silver-painted plastic come in for criticism. Unfortunately, analyzing the new GLC Coupe on the roads proved more difficult than reviewing its cabin.

Region-Specific Traits

The cars I drove from Innsbruck to Lech, Austria, in the western part of the Alpine republic, carried the Airmatic air suspension and a rear-wheel steering setup with up to 4.5 degrees of angle – neither of those items will survive the journey across the pond, mainly because the last time Mercedes offered an Airmatic setup on the non-AMG GLC, the take rates were depressingly low. That’s a shame.

All of this is to say that I won’t be writing much about ride and handling because the impressions I gathered are not representative of the US market (although I’ll bet my bottom dollar both air springs and rear-steer will arrive on the inevitable GLC63 Coupe). You’ll also note the GLC400e badging on the car in the gallery – Mercedes only provided images of the 400e and 300de, though the vehicle I drove was a GLC300. Disclaimers out of the way, let’s carry on.

The GLC300’s powertrain bits are broadly similar from market to market, though (and thank goodness, because this would be a pretty pointless review otherwise). The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder works alongside a 48-volt battery and an integrated starter-generator, just like the GLC300 long-roof Evans drove last month and the C300 sedan I reviewed in February.

Despite the new mild-hybrid system, the 2024 GLC Coupe matches last year’s 255-horsepower entry, while torque increases from 273 pound-feet to 295. The electric motor, while not improving peak power output at all, provides up to 23 hp and 148 lb-ft in certain situations, like at low speeds or during gear changes.

The real benefit of the new system should come at the pump, although Mercedes doesn’t have EPA fuel economy estimates yet. If we look at the all-wheel-drive GLC300 SUV, though, efficiency jumped from 21 city, 28 highway, and 24 combined miles per gallon to 23, 31, and 26 with the introduction of the mild-hybrid system for 2023. There's no reason to think the GLC-Class Coupe won't replicate that improvement. As for performance, there’s no real change, with the run to 60 miles per hour still taking 6.2 seconds.

Where Mercedes Is At In 2023:

Austria is not Germany, evidenced by the fierce enforcement of speed limits in the former. And since Mercedes’ test route had precious few stretches of motorway, I rarely exceeded 70 miles per hour during my time with the GLC. But there were plenty of ascents to challenge the mild-hybrid powertrain, and the GLC proved up to the challenge with accessible torque that rarely faltered as the engine speeds climbed. The nine-speed auto held its gears willingly, although it proved just as able in manual mode. I know most GLC customers will never switch out of Comfort, but the Sport/manual pairing was a delight on the twisting mountain passes.

And while it’s not really relevant for North American consumers, the combo of air springs and rear-steer make for a vehicle that neatly balances ride quality and agility. Mercedes’ decision to limit rear-axle steering to just 4.5 degrees means that the GLC can change directions eagerly without feeling unhinged or nervous. Airmatic, meanwhile, quashed whatever bumps the GLC encountered on the Austrian roads (spoiler alert: there weren’t many).

Preparing For The Future

The 2024 GLC-Class Coupe won’t arrive in North American dealers until later in 2023, which means I don’t have any pricing info to share just yet. However, it seems logical that the redesigned GLC Coupe will mimic the price increases we saw with the closely related GLC SUV and C-Class Sedan.

The C-Class, for example, jumped from $42,650 in 2021 to $44,600 following its redesign. The GLC SUV was $44,900 in 2022, while the updated model starts at $48,150. A $2,000 to $3,000 price hike would make sense on the GLC Coupe, driving the price of the 300 model up to around $58,000, from today’s $55,850. Admittedly, though, that’s nothing more than speculation on my part.

The GLC Coupe remains a compelling lifestyle entry following its redesign, but it’s no longer the edgy, intriguing choice it was when it debuted in 2016. That’s partially down to Mercedes’ conservative redesign, but mostly because of a market that has seemingly moved on to newer, bolder, and often electrified things.

The question now then is whether the consumers who bought GLC Coupes in the past have moved on, as well. If they return, they’ll find a crossover-coupe that does everything last year’s car did, but better. It’s easier to drive, more engaging (at least with non-North American features), and smarter. But whether it will make the impact that drew folks to the GLC Coupe in the first place is a far tougher question to answer.

GLC300 Coupe Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Being Discontinued?

No. While Mercedes-Benz is slimming down its lineup, the GLC Coupe will remain on sale, having just received a redesign for the 2024 model year.

How Much Does The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Cost?

Mercedes-Benz hasn't announced US pricing for the 2024 GLC-Class Coupe, although it should creep up marginally on the 2023 model, which started at $55,850.

Will The Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Get An AMG Variant?

Mercedes-Benz hasn't confirmed any AMG variants for its current GLC lineup, but there is precedent, with the last-generation GLC offering a V8-powered GLC63 variant. It seems likely that at least that model will arrive in the near future.

–Romeo, Michigan

For ages, the most important aspects of a truck were its size and power. Or metrics like payload and towing capacities. You know, old fashioned muscle and grit. Hard-workin’ stuff like that.

And, sure, Ford did mention a few things in this regard at its first drive of the 2023 F-Series Super Duty. But in between the "up to 1,200 pound-feet of torque from a high-output 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel" and the "40,000 pounds of maximum towing capacity," the Blue Oval added, "Did you hear about our automatic hitch alignment? What about trailer back-up assist? And you gotta check out our tailgate camera!"

Welcome to a new era.

Core Chassis Carries On

Ford built the previous generation Super Duty (2017-2022 model years) on the platform named P558, which effectively carries on for this new 2023 truck. There are a few alterations, however, largely focused on increased rigidity for towing. Specifically strengthening areas around the connection between the frame and the hitch. Furthermore, Ford changed the crossmember where the fifth wheel mounts in the bed.

But the main structure remains. No big news about more high-strength steel or bonding methods or weld points. And no mention of growth. Mind you, the short-wheelbase crew cab truck has a wheelbase of 159.7 inches and spans 250.0 inches from bumper to bumper. Assuming you get the 4x4, which all XLT and higher trims include as standard, even the F-250 is 81.4 inches tall and 80.0 inches wide. It didn’t need to grow.

Tried And True, Yet Also New, Engines

Ford now offers four engines to choose from. The base engine, offered in the XL trim, is a new 6.8-liter V8 that pumps out 405 horsepower and 445 lb-ft. Here’s the catch: It’s basically the 7.3-liter V8 engine with a shorter stroke. The new pushrod mill makes an extra 20 hp and 15 lb-ft compared to the overhead-cam 6.2-liter V8 it replaces in last year’s truck. Old-school tech wins.

The 7.3-liter V8 mostly carries over from 2022, but not before receiving new pistons and piston rings, as well as a more efficient water pump that takes less power to run. All in all, you get the same peak 430 hp, but 485 lb-ft (an increase of 10).

Ford left well enough alone with the standard-output Power Stroke 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8. In 2020, it crested 1,000 lb-ft and kept right on going to make 1,050 in total. It’s largely unchanged for this generation truck, except Ford did upgrade the fuel injectors and increased cooling capability in the cylinder heads.

And the automaker did that because we now have a new, high-output Power Stroke. You’ll be able to tell it’s the flagship engine because the truck will say the "6.7L" part of the Power Stroke badge in red. Seeing red means you have 500 hp under the hood and – please sit down – 1,200 lb-ft of oil-burning twist! We are getting frighteningly close to class 8 semis here, and it’s glorious.

Ford pulled that feat off with the aforementioned larger injectors and updated cylinder heads, but also a water-cooled compressor side of the massive turbocharger, functioning much like an additional intercooler before air reaches the intercooler, and stainless-steel exhaust manifold parts to handle the additional heat from the added torque. The turbo generates 35 psi of boost. To keep cylinder pressure in check, Ford actually had to decrease compression ratio from 15.8:1 to 15.2:1.

Regardless of which engine you choose, a 10-speed transmission mates up to it, although the 6.8-liter’s version is slightly lighter duty than the others. And while every trim is available in four-wheel-drive, XLT and higher trims come with it standard.

Let's Talk Tech

Yeah, you’ll win a few barstool arguments with torque numbers like that, but the bigger step this truck takes is with technology offered in it.

When it comes to towing, the Super Duty will now reverse in to the perfect position to attach a hitch to the receiver by holding down a button. Called Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, it uses both rear mounted cameras and radar to see the hitch and drive right to it. Steering, accelerating, and braking is all done automatically. You’re still in control and everything stops once you lift your finger from the button. About two feet before you get there, it asks you to confirm the receiver is high enough to clear the ball and then it inches back, perfectly centered.

Pride may get in the way of the helpfulness of that feature, but the Super Duty now also has a way to weigh the tongue for you, which is a straight win. This is a feature of the F-150 as well, but unlike that system, the Super Duty uses position sensors to measure how much the springs have compressed, which is more accurate.

Input the weight of the trailer into the system, mount it, and a graph on the screen will show you whether you’re in an acceptable window for tongue weight. Ford also utilized four LED bulbs embedded in the taillights. Two center lights lit means tongue weight is good. Top one flashing? Too heavy. Bottom? Too light. This allows you to adjust the load on the trailer in real time. You can also check payload with this feature, by the way. This time the four LEDs illuminate one at a time as weight increases, with the top one flashing once you go over the limit.

Once mounted up, the Super Duty will also back into a tight spot for you. This one does require some prep work; the truck first needs to know a bit about the trailer. And you have to apply a sticker to it, to give the cameras a reference point. But once you do, with the use of the center console screen and a dial, you simply indicate where you want the trailer to go and the truck will handle the counterintuitive trailer steering for you to get it done. Again, pride may get in the way of that particular feature.

But the best new tech on the Super Duty is the also the simplest. Ford added a camera and three sensors to the top of the tailgate, which allows you to have a back-up camera with it down. That simple trick works wonders for reversing with long cargo or to prep for loading at a bay.

Drive With Omnipresent Power

All the tech aside, how does it drive? Parked outside the gates of the Michigan Proving Grounds, in a rural part of the state, Ford handed me the keys to an F-350 Lariat crew cab. A middle-of-the-road trim truck with the shorter 6.8-foot box outside and heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel inside.

Someone ticked the $12,495 option for the high-output, turbodiesel V8, which meant I had some torque to play with. Stomp your right foot on the throttle and it’s not so much that you feel jerked back in to the seat, rather that you’re stuck in an accelerating centrifuge, with an omnipresent force continually adding pressure between your body and the seat. It’s unrelenting, unstoppable, mighty pull.

But with such superfluous power and torque, none of that is surprising. The shock came with how refined and well-mannered everything felt once I settled into cruising speed. The diesel quietly chugs along at well under 2,000 rpm, with several gears to choose from, including three overdrive gears. And despite a nearly 2-ton payload capacity, the suspension absorbs bumps and uneven pavement with way more civility than I thought possible.

Inside, the crew cab provides ample leg, hip, elbow, and shoulder room for four NBA stars, you’ll be fine. Moreover, the steering wheel electrically tilts and telescopes and the driver’s seat provides plenty of adjustment in a myriad of directions to get settled. Moreover, the seat will fold almost completely horizontal — Ford calls it Max Recline — allowing for nap time on the go. Once you get up and moving again, you’ll have three large, brightly lit screens to look at, a fully digital instrument cluster, a 12.0-inch touchscreen, and a massive head-up display.

Time for Towing

The least capable Ford Super Duty, which is an F-250 with the base 6.8-liter V8, four-wheel-drive, a crew cab, long wheelbase, eight-foot box, 3.73:1 final drive ratio, and fifth- wheel hitch, will tow 13,600 pounds. The best is an F-450 with the high-output diesel, two-wheel-drive, regular cab, and a 4.30:1 final-drive ratio. It can pull 40,000 pounds.

And I basically tested those extremes. Towing a 9,000-pound boat behind a Super Duty with the 7.3-liter proved easy work. Even with the trailer, acceleration is about as quick as a subcompact car, with plenty of muscle to get up to interstate speeds and cruise. At those speeds, the truck felt perfectly stable. And while steering felt light compared to a trailer-free truck, it maneuvered around tight bends with no trouble. Easy work.

Towing a 9,000-pound boat behind a Super Duty with the 7.3-liter proved easy work.

Less so when maxing everything out, as I did in a regular cab F-450 with 40,000 pounds worth of weight ratcheted down to a gooseneck trailer. I set off, slowly. First gear of the 10-speed transmission combined with a high final-drive ratio provides plenty of torque multiplication. You get moving just fine. But try to accelerate with any kind of authority and the reality of a near 50,000-pound load, truck and all, is a major task for any engine.

As I approached a seven-percent grade traveling at around 40 mph, another test arose. In addition to several radiators and intercoolers, there is also a transmission cooler built in, with several high-powered electric fans that automatically kick on the moment temperatures crept above operating temperature.

Big, Brawny Trucks:

About midway up the hill, those fans kicked on in a glorious cacophony of chaotic air and the F-450 carried on, climbing the hill with fans whirring and big turbodiesel clattering away at 3,500 rpm. Noisily, all 50,000 pounds or so of us crested the hill.

Fine, but now we have to go down that hill. All of a sudden, all that inertia becomes momentum, and I started wondering about the health of the brakes. But Ford included another piece of technology to ease my mind and make more noise: a Jake brake, sort of.

Ford calls it a Turbo Engine Brake, it’s actually a function built in to the turbocharger to force air through the diesel engine and absorb all that energy amassed from descending weight. And it’s effective. With that system on, I only needed light braking to keep speed in check as I went down the grade. But, just as going uphill, I made a lot of noise. Regardless, even with all that weight, the Super Duty felt stable and in control.

Most Super Duty variants, especially versions falling on the consumer side, will tow between 15,000 and 25,000 pounds. Or, you know, plenty. That’s a large horse trailer, luxurious camper, or a look-at-me sized boat. Assuming you choose options accordingly, the Super Duty tows with ease and has the technology to make hitching and backing up less stressful than ever.

The Nitty Gritty

Just like the F-150, Ford offers a huge variety of ways to equip your Super Duty truck. But, unlike its smaller brother, the F-250s and up maintain a bit of the old school mentality. Hybrid nothing. Overhead cam nothing, even. Just big-displacement pushrod V8s and diesels. You choose between big and bigger. Tough and tougher.

For 2023, you choose from XL (the work truck trim), XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited trims. A base 4x2 XL F250 starts at $45,685 (including a $1895 destination charge). Prices quickly climb from there. If you go Limited trim and tick any options, six figures come fast. And any truck equipped with the high-output, turbo diesel V8 costs at least $58,360.

And yet, the big story here is still technology. New and more complete ways to automate various functions of the truck. Even the old school, blue-collar, hands-dirty kind of work now involves more computer power than 1960s NASA projects.

The good news is that Ford nearly universally put that automation into ways to make it easier to get the work done. Or harder to do it incorrectly. Then to top it off, built the Super Duty to drive more quietly and refined than ever before – as long as you can ignore the turbo brakes and cooling fans clattering away.

Welcome to a new era Indeed.

Verdict

–Ojai, California

The reintroduced Acura Integra is far and away one of my favorite vehicles on the market thanks to its blend of cabin space, nimble handling, and good ergonomics. As a daily driver, it’s hard to beat. But if there’s a notable flaw, it’s found under the hood. The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder makes a nippy – but not wild-haired – 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet that require a fair amount of throttle before showing up to the party.

A light-on-its-feet hatchback that demands revs to move quickly? Sounds remarkably like the Integra from three decades ago, doesn’t it? And as with its ancestors, there’s now a hotter variant to give enthusiasts more of a thrill. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is on its way to dealers as we speak, with an extra 120 hp and 118 lb-ft joining a wider track, stiffer suspension, upsized brakes, and more aggressive styling. Yet unlike the late, lamented DC2 Integra Type R, the new hot hatch doesn’t sacrifice comfort at the altar of speed. And unlike most things that sound too good to be true, the Integra Type S is a helluva ride.

​​A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Priorities

The most important thing you need to know about the 2024 Acura Integra Type S is that it drives exactly like you’d expect, based on its looks alone (as well as a sneaky little teaser I got last year). At the press of the start button, the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine springs to attention with a thrum from the three tailpipes out back, and suddenly the car starts to deliver on the promises that the widened stance, hunky gold wheels, and revised aerodynamics make. The blatty exhaust will delight JDM fans, although some may find it a bit coarse compared to the turbo fours found in the Volkswagen Golf R, Audi S3, and Mercedes-AMG CLA35.

If refinement is the goal, then look no further than the Integra Type S’ brilliant (and mandatory) six-speed manual transmission. In spite of the engine’s added power, the geartrain feels just as tractable as in the regular ‘Teg, with a buttery short-throw shifter and communicative clutch pedal that’s lightweight without being vague. Of note, manual gearboxes aren’t even available on the Integra’s core competitors – the aforementioned Audi and Mercedes, as well as the Cadillac CT4-V and BMW M235i Gran Coupe. Thank goodness the last stick-shift entry in the segment is a truly brilliant ambassador for the type.

The Integra Type S suffers from some rev hang endemic to modern turbocharged, manual-shifted cars. That can make acceleration through the gears a bit choppy, as you engage the clutch only to find the engine spinning near where you left it. Alter your behavior by either shifting a bit slower or lifting the throttle proactively, and you’re blessed with thrilling acceleration. My butt tells me an Integra Type S could hit 60 miles per hour in just over 5 seconds, though Acura hasn’t published an estimate yet.

 A helical limited-slip differential ensures there’s a constant supply of grip, while a twin-axis front suspension layout – borrowed from the Honda Civic Type R – almost completely eliminates torque steer. Flooring it out of an apex reveals benign, neutral handling that only rarely reveals some easily controllable wheel fight. Think of it as a characteristic instead of a design flaw and the minor torque steer even starts to feel fun.

Balance In All Things

One of the most compelling attributes of the standard 2023 Integra is how pleasant it is to drive in a variety of situations. Its adequate powertrain and responsive chassis conspire to make every trip feel engaging and fun. But the Type S – with 62 percent more power – has its work cut out for it in terms of maintaining that balanced driving behavior. Luckily, the front-drive-only ‘Teggy has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, starting with a comparatively light 3,219-pound curb weight that pays out with nimble, tossable reflexes in every driving situation.

And even though the Integra is front-wheel drive (as opposed to the all-wheel-drive Audi, BMW, and Mercedes or the rear-drive Caddy), the car puts its power down brilliantly. Like the manual versions of the regular hatch, the Type S comes standard with a true mechanical limited-slip differential, which helps split thrust evenly between the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires up front.

There’s also a dual-axis front steering knuckle in the double-wishbone suspension – borrowed from the Honda Civic Type R – which almost completely eliminates torque steer. As a result, flooring it out of an apex reveals benign, neutral handling that only rarely reveals a bit of wheel fight. Think of it as a charming idiosyncrasy instead of a design flaw and the minor torque steer even starts to feel fun.

Also contributing to the Integra Type S’ sense of grip and control is a 3.5-inch-wider front track and 1.8-inch-wider rear. Hidden by well-integrated wheel arch extensions, the wider stance and three-mode adaptive dampers provide excellent body control, giving the Integra a smooth ride in Comfort mode with progressively sharper reflexes in Sport and Sport+. Hammering through tight hairpins, the Integra resists high-frequency body motions beautifully, while long sweepers reveal the wider track’s excellent roll resistance and stability. Add in steering that’s quick and accurate – if a touch light – and you get one seriously confident vehicle.

With a thrilling powertrain and excellent handling dynamics, Acura would be doing the Type S a disservice if it came with subpar brakes. No problem here, with 13.8-inch front and 12.0-inch rear disc brakes replacing 12.3- and 11.1-inch units. Four-piston Brembo calipers up front chomp down hard on the rotating bits, with plenty of communication through the tires and chassis to help the driver balance the whoa-pedal appropriately mid-corner. The wider bumper corner openings are functional, feeding cool ambient air to the front brakes for even more consistent performance.

Good Bones

If the Integra Type S’ 2.0-liter powertrain, dual-axis front suspension, wider stance, and Brembo braking package sound familiar, that’s because they’re shared with the aforementioned Civic hot hatch. But the Integra wraps those dirty bits in a slightly more mature wrapper. For example, its rear wing is much less aggressive, with a simple lip on the end of the hatch as opposed to the Type R’s WRC-ready box spoiler. The exterior also gets revised front and rear fascias that improve aerodynamics and channel air toward the brakes and radiators. Between the body additions and wide stance, the Type S looks fun, flirty, and sporty.

Sibling Rivalry:

The only exception to its bold, clean styling lies in the wheel arch treatment. The primary fender profile matches the regular Integra, with what look like tacked-on flares covering up the wheels. Look closer and it becomes apparent that they’re actually molded into the wheel arches, but I think the Civic Type R’s more smoothly integrated body extensions suit the Integra’s premium, mature mission better.

The nearly mechanically identical Civic Type R also benefits from being $7,605 cheaper than the Integra Type S. But there are some interior upgrades that make the Acura feel worth its base price of $51,995 (including $1,095 destination). Better materials range from leather and microfiber suede for the front and rear seats, as well as nicely padded knee bolsters and door panels for the front passengers. The seats are also less aggressively bolstered, appropriate for a compact executive cruise missile. I found them to be more than adequate at providing both long-haul comfort and excellent G-force resistance.

The Integra Type S comes comprehensively equipped from the get-go, with heated front seats, an ELS Studio 3D audio system with 16 speakers, and AcuraWatch advanced driver assistance. The long list of standard kit and the class-competitive materials help justify the Integra’s segment-topping starting price, but there are a few glaring omissions. For starters, the passenger seat doesn’t get height or lumbar adjustments, making it uncomfortable after a couple hours. And in spite of the audio upgrade and added sound deadening relative to the Civic Type R, the Integra is a bit booming on long trips, a problem I don’t remember in the S3 or CLA.

Still, none of its rivals offer the Integra Type S’ best feature: its hatchback body style. The rear bumper forces a high liftover (worth it to have the 1990s liftback latch cutout make its return), but once you’ve got your stuff heaved over the lip, you’ve got 24.3 cubic feet of space to pack up. By comparison, the Audi S3 has just 8.3 cubes, while the CLA35 isn’t much better at 11.6. And with the longest wheelbase in its class, passenger space in the Integra is also near the top, with airy accommodations up front and a surprising amount of room in back for two passengers – its max since there are only two seat belts on the rear bench.

You In?

In many ways, the 2024 Acura Integra Type S competes in a class of one, as the only manual-transmission hatchback in its class. If DIY performance is important to you, then the Acura is a bargain at any price. But it’s also hard to ignore that some of its rivals offer more technology. Even if you have to pay extra for it, the Cadillac CT4-V’s Super Cruise package would be tempting. So would the CLA35’s optional massaging and ventilated front seats. And the Audi S3 offers an impressive amount of polish and poise for such a compact vehicle, especially one with standard all-wheel drive and an Acura-competitive price.

If I owned the thing, I’d be grateful never to sit in its flat, unsupportive passenger seat. That, plus the occasionally droning exhaust and resonant cargo area, conspire to make the Acura feel a bit cheap relative to its competitors. But at the same time, it’s far more playful and nimble, turning every errand into an apex. I think the Integra Type S would be my pick of the litter thanks to its exuberant, sassy performance and everyday-usable shape. Much like the regular Integra, the 2024 Type S feels balanced and special, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. All that practicality is just a bonus.

Integra Type S Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

How Much Is The 2024 Acura Integra Type S?

With a base price of $50,800 plus $1,195 destination, the 2024 Integra Type S starts at $51,995. That’s more than any of its competitors, including the Mercedes-AMG CLA35, Audi S3, and Cadillac CT4-V, but the Integra does come very well equipped.

When Can I Buy A 2024 Acura Integra Type S?

The 2024 Integra Type S goes on sale in June 2023 at Acura dealers nationwide.

Is The 2024 Integra Type S An Automatic?

No. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is only available with a traditional six-speed manual transmission. That decision may limit its appeal somewhat, but the Integra Type S will also carry some genuine car-fanatic bona fides thanks to its DIY gearbox.

Verdict

The biggest selling point for the Chrysler Pacifica, of course, is the fact that it's the only minivan available with a plug-in powertrain. Every other option in the segment is either a standard hybrid or full gas. But if you do want a full gas Pacifica then it might be worth splurging on the fanciest trim (which is also available on the Hybrid): the Pinnacle.

The Pacifica Pinnacle lives up to its namesake by representing the peak of minivan luxury. It takes the already nicely equipped Pacifica and makes it feel like a genuinely premium vehicle with high-end features and materials.

The caramel-colored Nappa leather is the highlight of the interior. It features a unique quilted pattern and it extends to every row of seats. The second row even comes with mini quilted pillows so passengers can rest their heads or backs while watching the rear seat entertainment system, which has Amazon Fire TV baked in.

An “Ultra” center console is available exclusively on the Pinnacle model and it comes with dual-level storage and a relatively deep pass-through area underneath for bigger bags and/or electronics. The Toyota Sienna has a similar setup, but the Pacifica offers better functionality and more storage. The 8.0 cubic feet worth of storage throughout the Pacifica Pinnacle is also best-in-class, and that massive new console even sports cushy Nappa leather, which makes for a comfy armrest.

The Modern Family Vehicle:

Alongside all that leather, the Pacifica Pinnacle also sports more piano black elements on the dash (for better or worse), a silky suede headliner, high-quality Berber floor mats, and additional chrome detailing both on the exterior and on the interior.

Some other minivans, like a loaded Kia Carnival with its fancy captain's chairs, come close to the Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle in terms of comfort. But again, the Pinnacle is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to minivan luxury.

The pure gas Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle starts at $55,680 for the 2023 model year with front-wheel drive or $58,675 with all-wheel drive. The Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle costs $61,940 and is only available with front-wheel drive.

FAQs:

What Is The Top-End Chrysler Pacifica?

The Pinnacle model is the top-end Pacifica. It has more luxurious features like Nappa leather, a suede headliner, a larger center console, and even quilted mini pillows for the second row of seats.

Does The Pacifica Pinnacle Have Stow ‘N Go Seats?

Yes, the Pacifica Pinnacle does have Chrysler’s seamless Stow ‘N Go seats – but only in the third row due to its second-row captain’s chairs. The Pacifica Hybrid only has Stow ’N Go seating in the third row as well.

What Is The Gas Mileage On The Pacifica Pinnacle?

The Pacifica Pinnacle with a gas engine and all-wheel drive achieves 17 miles per gallon city, 25 highway, and 20 combined. The Hybrid model is more efficient, getting up to 82 MPGe.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQs

–Los Angeles, California

The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan is a polarizing figure in the modern EV marketplace. From the cab-forward stance to the tech-laden cabin, the EQE does nothing to hide its electrified credentials, looking more like a space pod than the E-Class to which it is nominally related.

But there’s more to the mid-size Mercedes EV than meets the eye. With a dual-motor powertrain pumping out 402 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque, the 2023 EQE500 is as overpowered as it is overstyled. And yet, I can’t help but be charmed by its insistent futurism, with Speed Racer four-wheel steering and synthwave interior illumination keeping things interesting when the off-the-line thrust starts to feel passé.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Design

Like its EQS big sibling, the EQE sedan makes proud use of Mercedes’ “one-bow” styling language for EVs. The low front end and stubby tail are connected with one single brushstroke, the 59.5-inch roofline peaking just behind the driver to give the car a slightly rearward-leaning stance. Unlike the light-barred EQS, the EQE makes do with separate headlights, and bracket-shaped daytime running lights liven up the appearance a bit. Around back, a full-width taillight panel gets coiled lighting elements, just like a light bulb.

Beyond those details, deciding whether or not you like the EQE is a matter of opinion – I enjoy the mid-90s concept car look a lot, personally. What’s not up for debate is how awesome the AMG Line aero wheels are. Embossed with a zillion little Mercedes stars, these wheels measure 20 inches and give the EQE500 some stellar rolling stock.

Inside, the EQE doesn’t offer the MBUX Hyperscreen, but the seeming acre of wood trim on the dashboard is a fitting substitute. The dash top and windowsills dovetail around the interior in a swooping plane, looking crisp and appropriately modern, and the minimalist AMG sport seats fit the spaceship vibe very well. There are a few chinks in the armor, though. The door pulls – a common touchpoint, obviously – are done up in chintzy, aluminum-look plastic, and the high dash inhibits visibility given the plunging front end. Otherwise, the EQE’s cabin hits the right notes.

Get To Know The EQEs:

Comfort

Bombastic acceleration aside, the EQE500 is a very genteel car in which to motor around town. Adaptive dampers are standard, and they do great work in their softest setting to even out the bumps on bad pavement. A low 0.22 drag coefficient and door-mounted mirrors reduce wind roar, and despite the EQE’s frameless windows, there isn’t much road noise to speak of.

The aforementioned front seats offer a good amount of adjustability and are padded enough to be comfy for a long day of errands, and there’s enough space for a driver and front passenger to get comfy enough. Unfortunately, the rear seats aren’t as accommodating – a high floor necessitated by the 90.6-kilowatt-hour battery saps some toe room and forces a slightly awkward, thighs-up seating position. I have the same issue in the EQS, and it’s a bit worse in the smaller EQE.

Technology & Connectivity

Unlike the EQS sedan, the EQE doesn’t offer an MBUX Hyperscreen on its options sheet. But unless you frequently have a front-seat passenger who needs constant entertainment, you won’t miss the dash-spanning panel of glass. The 12.8-inch touchscreen provided me with more than enough digital real estate, and as an added bonus, portions of it don’t get blocked by the steering wheel as they do on the Hyperscreen’s larger center display. One option that does carry over is enhanced ambient lighting, a feature of the mid-level, $850 Exclusive trim package that also includes augmented-reality navigation.

Performance & Handling

Pushing a combined 402 hp and 633 lb-ft from a pair of electric motors (without any subscriptions), the Mercedes-Benz EQE500 is a surprising thrill in a straight line. Its 60-mile-per-hour sprint of 4.5 seconds doesn’t sound all that impressive in a world of 3.3-second Kias, but the Mercedes doles out its thrust gently from a stop to maintain control. Once on the fly, the dual motors provide blistering passing power, and onramp acceleration is far more ferocious than any Mercedes not wearing an AMG badge has a right to be.

If only the EQE500 had the brakes and tires to back up the power. Although the regenerative braking system is strong, bringing the car to a halt with ease, the pedal itself is difficult to modulate, and hard panic braking doesn’t feel as stout as it should be given the power on board – blame a 5,424-pound curb weight and all-season tires. Those two coconspirators rear their heads again in hard cornering, where the EQE releases its grip up front sooner than I’d like. At saner speeds at least, the car turns corners quite nicely, thanks in part to the standard 10-degree rear axle steering.

Safety

As usual, Mercedes-Benz charges extra for its admittedly excellent suite of Level 2 active safety and assistance features. Although active lane departure prevention is standard, my tester’s Driver Assistance pack is the only way to get adaptive cruise control, active lane changes, and stop-and-go functionality. C’mon Mercedes, just make it standard. It’s so good at keeping the car distanced from surrounding traffic that it’s a shame to keep it behind a $1,250 wall.

Fuel Economy

Pricing

The single-motor, 288-hp Mercedes-Benz EQE350+ starts at $76,050 with destination, but getting into the EQE500 is a minimum $87,050 investment. My tester carried an additional $11,300 in options, the biggest tickets being a $2,100 AMG Line interior and $2,200 AMG Line exterior, as well as $1,600 for a black microfiber headliner. Ditch those bits and you’re left with substantively the same vehicle for just over 92 large.

But even if you exercise some restraint with the options, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is still a darned expensive vehicle when you could get the faster, quicker-charging BMW i4 M50 with every single option checked for $84,370. A loaded Tesla Model 3 Performance is cheaper still, at $71,240 including the pipe-dream Full Self Driving option. Or, for about the same price of the EQE I drove, I could also purchase the more spacious Tesla Model S, which gets at least 375 miles of range and hits 60 in a fleet 3.1 seconds.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE500 sedan does a few things very well. It’ll wow onlookers who spot its rear wheels cranking around the parking lot, and the nicely finished cabin turns into a Miami nightclub when the sun goes down thanks to the ambient lighting. It’s quiet and refined, too, and the look-at-me styling broadcasts its EV pretensions to the world. For me, this mid-size EV is at least $10,000 too expensive to be a smart buy, so thank goodness it has some intangibles to help compensate.

EQE Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE A Hatchback?

No. Unlike the larger EQS sedan, which has a five-door liftback body style, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is a four-door sedan with a traditional trunk. The rear seats fold if you need to haul longer cargo.

Is The Mercedes EQE500 An AMG Model?

No. Mercedes-AMG markets its own version of the EQE, giving it 677 horsepower and 701 pound-feet. The 0-60 time drops from 4.5 seconds in the EQE500 to 3.2 seconds in the AMG.

How Quickly Does The Mercedes-Benz EQE500 Recharge On A DC Fast Charger?

With a peak charge rate of 170 kilowatts, the EQE will go from 10 to 80 percent in 32 minutes.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQ

–Berkley, Michigan

Honda, like so many automakers, is making lots of noise about its focus on electrification. And that's good. The industry needs to decarbonize and even if full electrification is most desirable, more drivers in efficient hybrids is the next best thing.

Unfortunately, the noise the latest Honda CR-V Hybrid makes is a bit too literal. Where the latest hybridized Accord is economical and smooth, while also serving as a satisfying replacement for a dearly departed 2.0T engine, the CR-V is merely good on fuel. And while that might be enough for some drivers, during my week at the helm the overwhelming noise and thrashy helm had me wishing for Honda's lovable turbocharged 1.5-liter – which is still available on the crossover, but only in LX, EX, and EX-L form

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Design

I've said plenty about Honda's current focus on conservative design, which feels like a gross overreaction to the chilly reception for the last Civic's style. No other vehicle in the lineup typifies the problem with that approach than the characterless CR-V. Narrow headlights flank a hexagonal grille – aside from the boxed H in the center, the fascia could belong to a vehicle from any number of automakers. At the back, the new CR-V makes only small changes to last generation’s attractive, mostly vertical taillights. But in between the two ends, there's little to distinguish this Honda's two-box shape or styling from any of its competitors.

The CR-V's cabin is derivative, borrowing heavily from the Civic, but the execution is superior to the exterior. The honeycomb strip running from door to door on the dash is no longer novel, but it still looks very nice, and material quality throughout is near the top of the class (only the aged Mazda CX-5 is better). All the switchgear is top-of-the-line for a compact CUV, with satisfying actions on the climate control knobs and assorted buttons/switches. However, like the Accord, there's a mind-numbing lack of color. The seats are either black (featured here) or gray, while every other surface is as dark as a moonless night.

Comfort

Honda knows how to make a comfortable, supportive driver's seat that's adjustable to just the right distance from the steering wheel and pedals, and the latest CR-V is no exception. This is arguably my favorite driver's throne in the segment. Life in back is nearly as good, with a cushy bench – with the driver's seat set for my long-legged, 6-foot-2 body, I still had room for my knees. There's plenty of cargo space too, although I'll never understand automakers that don't add a lip at the hatch to keep things from rolling out.

As with the gas-only CR-V, this Honda has a composed and predictable ride, even if it doesn't quite iron out every tiny imperfection. There's little road, tire, or wind noise, too. But the big, ugly fly in the ointment is under hood, where the Hybrid's 2.0-liter, Atkinson-cycle engine is loud, coarse, and unpleasant pretty much every time it fires up. As far as I can tell, this is the exact same engine in the Accord Hybrid, which I just did 700 miles in with nary a complaint. I can't understand why it's so much louder and less refined in the CR-V, but in this case the 2.0-liter is nearly bad enough to warrant avoiding this gas-electric crossover altogether.

CR-V's Non-Hybrid Rivals:

Technology & Connectivity

My CR-V Sport Touring tester comes standard with a 9.0-inch touchscreen that responds promptly to inputs but doesn't make the visual statement of the bigger displays in rivals like the Mazda CX-50 (up to 10.3 inches), Ford Escape (up to 13.2 inches), or the Motor1.com Star Award-winning Kia Sportage Hybrid (up to 12.3 inches). The frustrating thing is that Honda has larger, more impressive display in the Accord that'd be more competitive here and is available with advanced features like Google connectivity.

Performance & Handling

I won't dip into the complexities of why the new CR-V Hybrid's powertrain is better than the old – Brett T. Evans' first drive from October 2022 does a good job of that – but suffice to say that power and torque are up in the 2023 model. That doesn't mean the CR-V is a two-box race car (although that does exist now), especially compared to rivals that offer zippier powertrain options. Still, the CR-V has ample low-end shove that makes suburban driving a cinch. Highway driving, though, requires a bit too much pedal for passing maneuvers, even relative to the turbocharged 1.5-liter CR-V. And too often, those conditions provoke the gas engine into action, which lends far more noise than action.

The CR-V possesses average handling for the class, with composed body motions along with general lack of enthusiasm. And while it possesses regenerative braking abilities separate of the actual brake pedal, the mechanical stoppers work well enough too. There's a touch too much pedal travel, but modulation is easy and the bite point is predictable.

Safety

Honda Sensing. That's the story. Standard on every version of the CR-V (and the Civic, Accord, Ridgeline, Pilot… you get the picture), the overall suite functions beautifully. On the highway, the adaptive cruise control, lane-centering system, and traffic-sign recognition are faultless. And at lower speeds, traffic jam assistance reduces the strain of stop-and-go driving.

My tester, the range-topping Sport Touring, adds blind-spot monitoring, low-speed braking control, and front and rear parking sensors. None are so necessary that they're worth upgrading to the top-of-the-line model, and the inclusion of all other safety gear on lesser trims makes that argument stronger still.

Fuel Economy

Pricing

Where the gas-powered CR-V is available in three trims (base LX, volume EX, and plusher EX-L), the CR-V Hybrid is only available in Sport or Sport Touring. The former is broadly analogous to the EX, while the latter builds on the EX-L, but their prices only partially reflect that similarity. While the base hybrid costs $33,695 (including a $1,295 destination charge), or $1,340 more than the EX, my $40,395 Sport Touring adds nearly $4,000 to the EX-L's price tag. You can take a look at Honda’s configurator, but as with all Honda products, configuring a CR-V is a simple matter – pick a trim, pick exterior and interior colors, and you’re done.

While I believe that the CR-V broadly outclasses the Toyota RAV4 in terms of interior quality, equipment, and technology, the price of my top-end tester is alarmingly close to the starting price of the powerful, more efficient RAV4 Prime ($43,675). And that's before considering any state or local tax credits for a PHEV (the Prime is no longer eligible for federal tax credits). The RAV4 is far more powerful, outdoes the CR-V Hybrid by one mile per gallon combined, and comes with the option of covering 42 miles on electric power alone.

Meanwhile, the Kia Sportage Hybrid exists – it beat the gas-powered CR-V (and a host of rivals) to win a Motor1.com Star Award last year, and with the range-topping SX Prestige model demanding just $37,715, it's a hugely compelling option that costs $2,680 less than the CR-V Sport Touring and returns better fuel economy (38s across the board with all-wheel drive). Considering its high price then, I'm struggling to see the case for the top-of-the-line CR-V Hybrid.

CR-V Hybrid Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

How Much Does The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Cost?

Prices for the 2023 Honda CR-V start at $29,705, including a $1,295 destination charge. The base hybrid-powered Sport, though, comes in at $33,695, or about $1,300 more than an equivalent CR-V EX. The top-end CR-V Sport Touring demands $40,395, though, or nearly $4,000 more than the equivalent gas-only trim.

Does The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Need To Be Plugged In?

No. The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid might not be a traditional hybrid, but neither is it a plug-in hybrid. Instead, it mostly uses the gas engine as an onboard generator for recharging the battery. A pair of electric motors provide motivation in all but the rarest of cases.

Is The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Better Than The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?

The 2023 Honda CR-V is newer and carries fresher equipment. The cabin's material quality is better, too. However, the RAV4 Hybrid is more efficient and comes in a far wider variety of trims. Ultimately, which is "better" will depend on the owner's specific use case.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQ

-Los Angeles, California

Back in the late 1900s, I was reading a Car and Driver article over my Saturday morning bowl of Cap’n Crunch, and it cemented an immutable opinion in my pre-teen head. Although perfectly fine in most respects, the Toyota Corolla was the least imaginative automotive decision one could make in a segment where the sixth-generation Honda Civic offered sparkling handling and the then-new Ford Focus promised Teutonic driving manners.

Thus, the compact Toyota was a relentlessly boring choice that should be avoided at all costs, a task I undertook when I hit driving age by buying rusty BMWs and hard-to-repair Suzukis while my friends opted for reliable Corollas. Sheep, that’s what they were (unless, of course, they found themselves in the sharp, 2ZZ-powered XRS trim of the mid-2000s). But today, it’s time for me to eat crow. Even the least enthusiastic Toyota Corolla, like the hybrid I recently spent a week driving, is a great choice thanks to its efficient powertrain, reasonable value, and available all-wheel drive.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Design

To be fair to my young self, the Corollas of the late 1990s and early 2000s were far less creatively styled than today’s model. Glowering headlights give today's compact sedan some panache, especially combined with the SE trim’s mesh grille texture, aero-look ground effects, and graphite-painted 18-inch wheels. Compared with the edgy Hyundai Elantra and restrained Honda Civic, the Toyota looks a bit dowdy – check out that stubby hood and high tail – but it’s still an appealing little sedan.

Inside, the SE Hybrid gets cheap-looking black fabric upholstery, but there are some splashes of red to liven up the vibe. A hard plastic center console reeks of cost-cutting, but there are softer materials on the dash, door panels, and armrests. The interior design is a bit dated compared to some of its competitors, but as with the exterior, there aren’t many glaring complaints. It all just works, plain and simple.

Comfort

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid’s TNGA-C platform gives it a stiff, robust feel that bodes well for on-road refinement. Ride quality is better than expected for this class of car, with a four-wheel independent suspension in a segment where rear twist beams aren’t uncommon. What’s more, the hybrid powertrain is refined and well-integrated. The engine frequently shuts down, both at stoplights and on the run, but you’d have to stare at the tachometer to know when it restarts thanks to excellent insulation from noise and vibration.

The front seats are a little short on thigh support for taller folks, so the Corolla gave me a numb butt after a couple hours behind the wheel. And overall interior measurements are down a fair amount from the competition. Fitting three folks across the rear seat will be less comfortable than it would be in the airy Hyundai Elantra Hybrid.

Technology & Connectivity

With conventional analog gauges and a smallish 8.0-inch touchscreen perched atop the dash, the Corolla Hybrid SE doesn’t initially blow you away with its extensive technology suite. But wireless charging and smartphone integration make it easy to just jump in and drive without fiddling with a USB cord – looking at you, Elantra. That center display runs Toyota’s newest infotainment system, which is a huge upgrade over its predecessor, though I still wish it had a home button to make jumping between Apple CarPlay and Toyota-native apps easier.

Easy On The Wallet:

Performance & Handling

Every Corolla Hybrid gets a 1.8-liter, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder and a compact, permanent-magnet synchronous motor on the front axle; my all-wheel-drive tester added a second motor to the rear. Combined power is a ho-hum 138 horsepower and 156 pound-feet, and while that all sounds rather joyless – young me would relish in the schadenfreude – the Corolla is a perfectly pleasant commuter, with good off-the-line response coming from the twin electric motors. And even when flogging it up a highway onramp, the hybrid never feels gutless.

The smooth ride I mentioned before doesn’t come at the expense of stable handling, either. The 'Rolla isn’t a thriller in any sense, but neither does it feel like the Novocain I was expecting after years of mentally ragging on the poor thing. The regenerative brakes don’t offer a full one-pedal drive mode, but putting the shifter into “B” cranks them up a bit, which makes slogging through traffic or coasting downhill feel a bit more controlled. The progressive brake pedal has good initial bite that crescendos to a hard chomp when you need it to.

Safety

In a world where even the $120,000 Audi S8 demands extra cash for adaptive cruise control, Toyota gives its whole kit ‘n’ caboodle of safety to the humble Corolla. The company's newest Safety Sense 3.0 is standard, with full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane centering tech, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. The system also includes Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), which monitors surroundings and either blunts the throttle or applies the brakes slightly to prepare the driver for a sudden stop ahead. PDA can feel too intrusive at times, but overall, the whole suite of features works well together.

Fuel Economy

Pricing

With a base price of $27,695 including a $1,095 destination fee, the all-wheel-drive Corolla SE hybrid is priced near the top of the small car class. With a $1,220 SE Premium package (blind spot monitoring, a sunroof, and heated outside mirrors), a $600 JBL audio system, and a few little configurator boxes ticked, my car’s price came to $30,388. Ditch all-wheel drive and the price comes down $1,400 while combined fuel economy goes up to 47 mpg, giving the $25,665 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue a harder run for its money. The 51-mpg, $24,145 Corolla Hybrid LE is cheaper and more efficient still, if that’s important to you.

You could spend similar money for the 2023 Prius, which starts at $28,545 and offers 194 hp and up to 56 mpg combined, though you’ll lose some rear seat room in the trade. If you’re dead set on a four-door sedan, the Corolla and Elantra are the only hybridized options, but if you need all-wheel drive to go with your fuel economy, the Toyota is literally in a class of one. Some cars do certain things better – the Elantra gets excellent fuel economy, and the Civic has mature interior and exterior design – but in my week with the Corolla, I discovered a lot of respect for a car that just nails the basics on every single drive.

Corolla Competitor Reviews

FAQs:

How Much Is The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid?

The 2023 Corolla Hybrid starts at $24,145 in LE trim, which gets a few bells and whistles like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED head and taillights, and a full suite of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 driver assist features. The more stylish SE trim starts at $26,585 and gets alloy wheels, a body kit, and slick black and red cloth. The premium XLE Hybrid starts at $27,945 with destination and gets Softex simulated leather trim, heated seats, and blind-spot monitoring.

Does The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Have All-Wheel Drive?

The Toyota Corolla is the only car in its class to offer all-wheel drive with a hybrid powertrain. It's a $1,400 option on the LE and SE trims. The XLE is front-drive only.

What Is The Gas Mileage Of The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid?

In its most efficient form – front-drive LE – the Corolla Hybrid gets 53 miles per gallon city, 46 highway, 50 combined. The SE AWD is the least efficient, owing to its larger 18-inch wheels and twin electric motors. But it still achieves a commendable 47 city, 41 highway, and 44 combined.

Verdict

– Fort Lauderdale, Florida

There's a big reason big trucks have become so popular amongst the lifestyle crowd: they're getting much easier to drive, live with, and look at. The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, for example, now has some of the best technology and interior materials of any truck in the class. The arrival of the ZR2 and Bison off-road trims for the first time even means you'll be able to take this monster truck on the trail.

So even if you're not regularly towing or hauling, the Silverado 2500 makes a lot of sense as a daily. In terms of all-around usability, the LT model I tested strikes the best balance of luxury and capability for the right price. Tick a few boxes and you get real leather, real wood, a huge touchscreen, and a punchy turbodiesel engine all for around $73,000 as-tested.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Lookin' Large

Chevy updated the entire HD line for 2024 with new headlights and neato C-shaped running lights on top trim models, as well as rugged upgrades for the new ZR2 and Bison trims. But the biggest and best upgrades are actually inside.

A beautiful new 13.4-inch touchscreen graces the top of the dash while a configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel. The center touchscreen employs GM's latest infotainment tech, which is crisp, quick, and well laid out. Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto don't cost any extra, and there's a nice wireless charging pad tucked just under the edge of the center that has excellent grips to hold your phone in place.

The interior as a whole is lovely. Even with its reputation as a "work truck," the LT has premium leather seats and excellent trim materials like aluminum and a glossy wood finish. Black-on-black is a bit bland – and it's one of only two colors on this trim, alongside beige – but hey, it's great for hiding dirt.

The $2,470 All-Star Edition equipped here basically combines all of the premium cabin elements into this one larger package (for an extra $4,725), like leather upholstery with a heated steering wheel and front seats, and even 10-way power adjustability with lumbar support for the driver. The option group also includes dual-zone climate control and the addition of three, three-prong, 120-volt outlets throughout the truck, with one in the center console.

Weirdly though, this version of the Silverado HD doesn't come with side steps. That meant even I – a 6-foot-tall human – had trouble getting in and out of this thing, let alone my much shorter wife. You have to splurge on the $1,645 Assist Step and Tonneau Value Package II if you want a bit of extra help.

Tons Of Torque 

The same two engines transfer over from last year: a gas-powered 6.6-liter V8 and a Duramax turbodiesel 6.6-liter V8. The gas engine has the same 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque as before, but the diesel swells to 470 hp and 975 lb-ft – increases of 25 hp and 65 lb-ft. Chevy also improved low-end torque by 25 percent while the new 10-speed automatic improves on the old six-speed with closer gear ratios and quicker, crisper shifts.

Even though this truck tips the scales at just over 7,400 pounds, you don't need to tip the throttle too far to get it moving quickly. The Silverado HD has excellent acceleration thanks to all that added torque (and improved low-end torque), with the 10-speed automatic delivering quick, concise shifts.

The Silverado's handling is what you'd expect of a massive HD truck. Thankfully most of Florida’s roads are straight and boring, but in a few tight turns the Silverado exhibits lots of body roll coinciding with a lightweight and vague steering feel. The daunting size of the Silverado also makes it difficult to park in smaller spots and tough to navigate around tight parking lots, but that's true of most heavy-duty trucks. Where the Silverado HD excels is in its ride quality. Although the suspension isn't super soft, the upgraded Bilstein off-road shocks gave it a smoother ride that makes it feel more compliant.

But above all else, this Silverado was made to move things – and boy does it.

The Silverado 2500 Crew Cab with a standard bed and the 6.6-liter diesel engine can tow up to 20,000 pounds – or 22,500 with the gooseneck package. That's also with the Max Trailering package, which adds important upgrades like the 3500 HD's frame, leaf springs, and shock package, as well as a beefier 12.0-inch rear axle. The maximum payload also increases to 3,850 pounds in the Regular Cab diesel model with four-wheel drive equipped – the LT Crew Cab tested here has just 3,411 pounds of payload and tops out at 16,000 pounds towing.

Towing safety is also an important characteristic of the Silverado HD, and nearly all of it comes standard on the All-Star Edition. It gains adaptive cruise control with trailering, an enhanced transparent trailer view, a trailer blind side alert, and a Gross Combined Weight Rating alert – for if your load exceeds its maximum capacity. It's all accessible via the baked-in trailering app on the central touchscreen. Super Cruise still isn't available on the Silverado HD at all, but its little brother, the Silverado 1500, does offer the advanced driver system with towing – so hopefully that makes its way to the HD models soon.

Apart from Super Cruise though, in general, the Silverado HD's safety features are hugely improved. Adaptive cruise control makes its way to this truck for the first time along with front pedestrian braking, a forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning. And for a truck this large, having that extra safety layer makes it even easier to drive on the highway.

Ford And Ram's HD Trucks:

Big On Value

The cheapest way to get into a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD is with the base regular cab, long bed Work Truck – a cool $45,295 with the gas engine and destination included. But that's a relatively bare-bones truck. The LT crew cab model with the standard bed, while it may not have the fully updated design, represents a strong value with a $53,095 starting price. Upgrading to the diesel tested here will set you back at least $62,585 on the LT trim, but it's worth the cost for the added capability alone.

When it's all said and done, this particular Silverado HD costs $73,935. The diesel engine is definitely worth the splurge if you plan on towing and hauling – and hell, even for the way it performs – while the $2,740 All-Star Edition packages excellent amenities and safety features into one single selection.

The Chevrolet Silverado HD still definitely has brawn, but with thoughtful updates for the 2024 model year, I think this massive truck is even more livable. The interior is nicer and boasts better tech, the exterior is easier to look at, and the additional safety features – for both passengers and cargo – make it all the more appealing as an everyday HD truck.

Competitor Reviews:

FAQs

What Does HD Mean On The Silverado HD?

The "HD" stands for Heavy Duty, a moniker used to denote any truck that has commercial towing and hauling abilities. Chevrolet offers two HD trucks in its lineup for 2024 in the Silverado 2500 and 3500.

How Much Does The Silverado 2500 Tow?

The 2024 Silverado HD has a maximum towing capacity of 20,000 pounds with its turbodiesel 6.6-liter V8 engine on the traditional ball and hitch, or up to 22,500 pounds with the gooseneck equipment option added.

Is The 2024 Chevy Silverado HD A Duramax?

Yes, the Silverado HD has a Duramax 6.6-liter diesel V8 option for 2024. That engine has 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque, which makes it more powerful than the previous iteration.

Verdict

–Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii's Big Island is every bit as beautiful as postcards would lead you to believe. Two-hundred-year-old volcanic rock spewed from two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, trickles down to the coast on one side of the island, while lush forests ripe with coffee fields cover the other. But in order to explore all that geo- and biodiversity, you'll need a vehicle big enough for the whole ohana.

I have the keys to the 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander, which comes with two efficient hybrid powertrains and a spacious, premium cabin with enough room for eight passengers and all of their stuff. Positioned snugly between the often-too-small Highlander and the truck-based Sequoia, Toyota has front-runners like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride in its sights with this newly minted SUV.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

The Bigger The Bolder

The Grand Highlander is technically the sixth three-row in Toyota’s lineup, and similar to what Jeep did with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee decades ago, marketing execs believe the Highlander has enough cachet to warrant another entirely different SUV with the same branding. And 3.3 million models sold over a lifetime would certainly back up that thinking. But these two SUVs really couldn’t be more different visually.

The Grand Highlander certainly isn’t the best-looking SUV in the class. It has odd proportions with an unusual amount of visual mass dangling over each axle. There’s a too-huge lower grille that takes up a ton of real estate on the front end, and without the Limited or Platinum model's 20-inch wheels, the base Grand Highlander's 18-inchers make it look like a bodybuilder that skipped leg day.

That said, there are a few design cues that I really like. The front and rear light fixtures are sharp, the front bumper has great angles, and there's a silvery trim piece just above the upper grille that looks like funky futuristic facial hair – like in that episode of Bob's Burgers where he had a metal Robo-stache.

The interior is mostly excellent. The Platinum model uses high-quality leather plentifully while the base XLE opts for pleather instead. With the former, the seats, door panels, center console, and dash are all covered in the genuine stuff – even higher up where most people won't usually reach. And Toyota opted for rubberized buttons and controls, which I much prefer to the flimsy chintzy metal dials all too common in other SUVs. The only thing I didn't like were the interior trim options; both the faux wood and geometric black plastic look and feel cheap for an otherwise premium cabin.

The seats are soft with solid bolstering, but they're not very form-fitting. I felt like I was sitting on top of them rather than in them. And why would Toyota not offer extended thigh support? The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade both have it, and those chairs are already more form-fitting. My lanky 6-foot frame made it feel like it was sliding off the edge of the seats with how short the cushion was.

At least the front chairs are heated across the board (not that used it while I drove around Hawaii). The Limited adds ventilation up front (as well as 10-way power adjustability) and heating in the second row, while the Platinum goes all in with heating and ventilation in the front and middle rows. The only way to get a panoramic moonroof is on the Platinum grade, but otherwise, the Limited and Platinum are pretty closely matched in terms of features.

Climb into the second row and the captain’s chairs suffer from the same limited support as the front buckets. At least they’re soft. The third row, though, is big enough for two adults to sit back there comfortably for long stretches thanks to above-average headroom and legroom. On top of that, the Grand Highlander boasts the second-best cargo space behind the third row – a healthy 20.6 cubic feet.

Every Grand Highlander gets a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s seamless Audio Multimedia System equipped, the same one found on everything from the new Tacoma to the Lexus RX. The home screen is clean, responses are smartphone-quick, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make connecting your own device a breeze. The Grand Highlander even has a “Hey, Toyota” voice command system that responds nicely to commands – but there’s still no quick-access home button, which might drive some people mad.

The Limited and Platinum models boast a bigger 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as opposed to the base 7.0-inch cluster, but it’s way too busy. Speed, maps, road signs, driving directions, safety systems, and on the Hybrid Max model, power delivery, all clutter up the cluster to an annoying level. The Platinum at least adds a head-up display that helps alleviate some of that visual assault with a few options projected onto the windscreen. And the Platinum also gets a rearview mirror camera that I could take or leave; the projection is clear but the perspective is wonky.

Safety Sense 3.0 is standard across all trims, and that includes a pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing, and road-sign assist. The Platinum model even adds a traffic jam assist function, which brings the Grand Highlander all the way down to zero in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Highlander To The Max

Here's where you really want to spend your money, though: the powertrain. The base Grand Highlander's turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is probably fine enough if you don't live anywhere with elevation. But its 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque felt like barely enough to keep the 4,500-pound SUV at speed around the Hawaiian hills; acceleration is sluggish, the sound is lawnmower-ish, and I really have to keep my foot buried to keep up with traffic flow. Not that the Telluride or Palisade are particularly speedy either, but the alternative V6 still feels more robust.

The mid-range hybrid with the 2.5-liter engine, meanwhile, is even less powerful than the base four-cylinder delivering just 245 hp by comparison. But it’s also the most efficient of the group returning up to 34 mpg combined compared to the base model’s 33 mpg.

On the flip side, the so-called “Hybrid Max” powertrain might be the best option in the entire class. It combines the same turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder from the base model with a battery pack and motors on each axle, giving this version of the Grand Highlander a healthy 362 hp and 400 lb-ft, although efficiency drops to 27 mpg combined – still better than the Telluride, Palisade, and Ford Explorer.

And the Hybrid Max is surprisingly fast, almost like a RAV4 Prime without the plug. It hustles up those same hilly Hawaiin roads that challenged the base gas model, no problemo. Even with a curb weight of nearly 5,000 pounds with the Max powertrain, standard all-wheel drive, and Platinum features, the instant torque from the electric motors and the added oomph from the uptuned engine have no issues moving the massive three-row uphill with decent speed. The Hybrid Max will hit 60 miles per hour in just 6.3 seconds – a full 1.2 seconds faster than the next-best gas model.

The base Grand Highlander uses an unobtrusive eight-speed automatic and the hybrid gets a CVT. Strangely though, the Hybrid Max uses an old-school six-speed auto that definitely feels clunkier than the better eight-speed. At least the transition between the electric motors and gas engine is seamless. And while Hybrid Max does have a low-speed EV mode that kicks on and off automatically, there is no dedicated EV button.

Even with all that weighty battery power onboard, the Grand Highlander handles well for a three-row. The suspension borders on too stiff when cruising compared to some of the softer SUVs in the segment like the Nissan Pathfinder and Volkswagen Atlas, but it makes up for that slight rigidity with excellent cornering abilities that help shrink the SUV in corners. The perfectly mid-weighted steering delivers just enough road feel while there’s a shockingly minimal amount of body roll – especially for such a big SUV.

Bang For Your Bucks

The highs and lows of the Toyota Grand Highlander make it hard to instantly recommend in one of the toughest segments anywhere. But there’s certainly something to be said about the Hybrid Max powertrain and the comfortable, well-equipped interior. And obviously, your eyes may paint a different picture than mine when it comes to the styling.

Toyota's Growing Hybrid Lineup:

One thing that’s indisputable is the price. The 2023 Grand Highlander starts at $44,405 (with the $1,335 destination included), which makes it nearly $10,000 more expensive than the base Telluride, Palisade, or Atlas. The hybrid starts at $46,005 and the Hybrid Max costs at least $55,375, while the Limited Hybrid Max – the one I drove – will set you back $59,460.

Granted, the Grand Highlander doesn’t feel as luxurious as a loaded Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy – which would only cost you about $55,000. But the Toyota has better third-row cargo space, better fuel economy, and a powertrain that delivers more shove than basically any alternative. It’s not perfect, but the 2023 Grand Highlander definitely ticks a number of boxes for swathes of shoppers.

Grand Highlander Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Bigger Than The Highlander?

Yes, the Toyota Grand Highlander is bigger than the standard Highlander. While both SUVs have three rows, the Grand Highlander is 201.4 inches long and the Highlander is just 197.4 inches long, which gives the Grand Highlander more interior space.

What Is The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander's Fuel Economy?

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander hybrid gets up to 34 miles per gallon combined. The base gas model gets just 24 combined, and the Hybrid Max achieves up to 27 mpg combined.

What Is The Most Luxurious 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander?

The Grand Highlander Platinum is the most luxurious version, boasting real leather seats, upgraded materials, and more options, like heated and ventilated seats as well as a panoramic moonroof.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQs

The 2023 Chevrolet Suburban is one of the three largest SUVs in America, just behind the Jeep Grand Wagoneer L and Cadillac Escalade ESV. And I don't say that to shame Chevy in any way; as the market clamors for bigger SUVs in general, one of the biggest options is also one of the best.

The Suburban High Country I drove in particular feels like a luxury SUV without the hefty premiums of Cadillac and Jeep. Leather, wood, and metal finishes cover every inch of the acres worth of interior space, and the adaptive air suspension available on the Caddy shows up on the options list here too, yielding epic ride quality, which delivers an epically good ride. Tick the box for the diesel engine, and you’re met with excellent efficiency.

But Chevy isolates much of the goodness in the pricey, range-topping High Country trim. While it still represents a solid value relative to an Escalade or Grand Wagoneer L, $85,000 is still a lot of money for a Chevy.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here. 

Design

The big ol’ Chevy grille is tough to love in most applications, including here. There's too much face and too much chrome on this High Country model, with large horizontal slats that clash with the C-shaped running lights and kinked bodywork. And the nearly hidden headlights don't help offset the otherwise overbearing front end.

The good news, though, is that the rear is much cleaner. The stylish vertical taillights and Suburban wordmark do the boxy back end well. Add to that a lovely paint job of Silver Sage metallic, which comes alive in the right light, and the Suburban's overall aesthetic is hard to hate. 

The interior is an upscale treat. Mocha brown leather covers virtually every surface; the dash, door panels, center console, infotainment surround, and even lower down on the console where your knees might hit. A few wood accents and hard black plastic pieces are present, but neither is offensive. And the High Country wordmark stitched into the headrests is a nice, premium touch.

Comfort

In this class, you'd be hard-pressed to find a body-on-frame SUV more comfortable than the Suburban High Country. It comes kitted out with the most advanced suspension tech GM has to offer – a four-corner adaptive air setup that smooths out even the most imperfect pavement and helps keep the large SUV from feeling unruly. But that is a $4,660 option only available with the High Country Deluxe package.

The seats are excellent in all three rows. The High Country has standard 12-way power-adjustable thrones up front finished in high-quality perforated leather. They offer heating and ventilation for both the driver and passenger to go along with a standard heated steering wheel. The second-row captain's chairs are heated, as well.

The Suburban has tons of space inside with ample legroom and one of the roomiest third rows in the class. You can fit two adults back there comfortably over long stretches. Better yet, that spacious third row doesn't impede on cargo space as much as you might think; the 40.9 cubic feet of space is also near the top of the class. 

Technology & Connectivity

The Suburban High Country features a 10.2-inch touchscreen standard with the latest Google-based GM infotainment setup, which is crisp and easy to use. A corresponding 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and huge head-up display join the package with super clear graphics and an abundance of built-in driver assistance features. 

Wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a 10-speaker Bose surround sound system all come standard on this trim. But passengers in the second row will be more than happy with the standard rear-seat entertainment system. The two 12.6-inch screens give you access to streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube without forcing you to sign in to some OEM service (looking at you, BMW). It’s as seamless as having two tablets strapped to the backs of the seats.

GM's Other Three-Rows:

Performance & Handling

The Suburban doesn’t do anything exceptionally well here – but that’s not to say it’s joyless to drive, either. The turbocharged 3.0-liter Duramax diesel has just enough oomph with 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet, the steering is lightweight but responsive, and the suspension is soft. You’ll find more standard power and torque with the Suburban’s 6.2-liter V8, and better handling feel in both the Ford Expedition and Jeep Wagoneer, though, if that’s what you prefer in your land yacht–sized family SUV. 

If towing is your jam, the Suburban diesel can tug up to 7,800 pounds. But the 5.3-liter V8 still moves more; up to 8,300 pounds when properly equipped.

Safety

Enhanced Super Cruise is simply the best hands-off driver’s assistance feature on the market today. It’s totally seamless; tick the button on the steering wheel, wait for the operation indicator to turn green, take your hands off, and the Suburban eats up highway miles while asking very little of the driver. For automatic lane changes, tick the stalk in either direction and Chevy’s system does all the work for you. 

Granted, Super Cruise is exclusive to the Premier and High Country trims, and even here it’s an option. You will still have to spend at least $2,700 as part of the Advanced Technology package, adding automatic parking assist and reverse automatic emergency braking. And the safety features for towing are even pricier still, asking at least $3,660 for a Premium package that adds a trailer brake control, a hitch guidance view, and a trailer side blind zone alert. 

Fuel Economy

Pricing

The cheapest way to get into a 2023 Suburban is with the base LS model, which starts at a pretty reasonable $59,095 with destination included. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Suburban High Country I drove is the fanciest, plushest, and priciest Suburban. This version starts at $78,245 with two-wheel drive and $81,245 with four-wheel drive.

It’s one of the most expensive SUVs of the group. A number of things come standard, like the big touchscreen, the nice leather, and the rear-seat entertainment. But some of the best stuff you still have to pay extra for. The adaptive air suspension, Super Cruise, and advanced trailering technology will cost you $4,660 if you bundle them together as part of the High Country Deluxe package.

On the one hand, paying more for these features on top of the already steep $80,000 asking price is kind of silly. But on the other hand, the Suburban is still one of the most affordable options in this echelon of SUVs. And not selecting air ride and Super Cruise is even sillier; this pairing is arguably the Suburban’s strongest selling point, even relative to some luxury vehicles – and what’s an extra $4,660 among friends? 

Competitor Reviews

FAQs

Is The Tahoe Bigger Than The Suburban?

No, the Chevy Suburban is bigger than the Tahoe. The Tahoe is 210.7 inches long and the Suburban is 225.7 inches long.

Can The Suburban Fit Nine Passengers?

Yes, the Chevy Suburban can fit up to nine passengers with the optional front bench seat available on the base LS model.

Is The Suburban Longer Than A Yukon XL?

No, the Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL are both the same size. The standard Yukon is slightly smaller than both of those models and features less cargo and passenger space.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQ

If I asked you to rattle off all the premium, full-size luxury sedans available today, there’s a good chance you’d forget to mention the Audi A8. Against the backdrop of the sensuous Lexus LS, bombastic BMW 7 Series, and authoritative Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi’s current flagship sedan is a bit generic-looking, with a tech suite that’s adequate but not even slightly headline-grabbing.

Better avoid the standard model, then, and go for the lusty 2023 Audi S8, which compensates for its relative age with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 borrowed from the stellar RS6 Avant. With 563 horsepower, 590 pound-feet of torque, and a crackling exhaust note, the Audi S8 puts a little boogie back into the full-size sedan class – all for a relatively good value given its $118,995 starting price.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Design

The Audi A8 and S8 received some cosmetic tweaks for the 2022 model year, modernizing the sedan with kinked headlights, a wider grille design, and taillights with a pixelated motif. Those alterations make it look fussier to my eyes than the pre-facelift S8, though this is still a handsome vehicle overall thanks to an Audi-chic daylight opening, quad-oval exhaust outlets, and a sleek silhouette. My car’s $2,100 Black Optic package brought gloss black grille accents, window surrounds, and 21-inch wheels to the party – I prefer the standard matte aluminum trim, but diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.

Inside, the S8’s simple interior design will feel instantly familiar to anyone with a current Audi product. That might be a good thing for some, but if I were spending six figures on a luxury sedan, I’d want it to stand out visually from a more plebeian offering. Material quality is a step above lesser Audis with excellent plastics even in places you can’t see, and supple leather appears on the dash and door panels thanks to a $4,700 S8 Comfort pack. One neat touch on the S8 is HVAC vents that are half-hidden behind a slim strip of carbon fiber. Turn on the air and that trim rotates out of the way, revealing the vents in full.

Comfort

The Audi S8 offers a smooth ride, and the cabin is well-insulated from both sonic and kinetic intrusions outside the car – the exception being the muted growl of the exhaust when you dip your toe into it. Some credit goes to the $6,000 predictive active suspension, which scans the road ahead to soften or stiffen individual dampers in advance of speed bumps or rough pavement. The system worked maybe 60 percent of the time on the speed humps and gutters in my neighborhood, so I’m not totally convinced it’s worth the added cost, although it does jack the S8 up an inch or so when a door is opened to ease ingress.

The S8 comes standard with heated and ventilated front seats with adjustable bolsters and a decent massage function, striking a great balance between cushiness and long-haul support. Furthermore, the front armrests are rapid-heated, adding some comfort for your extremities. The aforementioned S8 Comfort package also includes heated rear seats, though an additional $4,200 will get you ventilation and massage as well ($5,900 if you want the full-length center console), making the most of the commodious legroom back there for a comfy, chauffeured ride.

Technology & Connectivity

The S8 gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen display mounted high on the center stack, with a secondary 8.6-inch display mounted beneath it that handles climate controls and a few auxiliary functions. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is likewise standard, and its variety of information makes it one of the best such systems on the market: conventional gauges or a sporty bar-graph tachometer, a full-screen map, and lots of onboard computer data. A smallish head-up display is included in the aforementioned comfort pack.

But apart from the impressive Virtual Cockpit, there isn’t much in the S8 to differentiate it from its rivals. The S-Class and 7 Series get much larger infotainment systems, with some added googaws to impress their well-heeled buyers. For example, the Mercedes’ disco-themed ambient lights and augmented-reality head-up display go toe to toe with the BMW’s available rear theater screen. The S8, meanwhile, looks Luddite by comparison.

Big Luxury Hitters:

Performance & Handling

What the Audi S8 lacks in headline-grabbing technology, it makes up with great gobs of power and performance. Despite its sub-$120k starting price – less than the Star Award-winning Mercedes-Benz S580 and a bit more than the 760i – the S8 offers a shocking 563 hp and 590 lb-ft, giving it a 0-60 time in an Audi-estimated 3.8 seconds. Both the Bimmer and Benz are slower by at least three mini-ticks, and if you want to keep up with the Audi, you’ll have to either go electric or wait for the yet-more-expensive Mercedes-AMG S63 E-Performance.

In spite of a heady 5,126-pound curb weight, the 2023 S8 is a nimble full-size sedan thanks to Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires and multiple-personality adaptive dampers. Standard rear-axle steering helps both with around-town maneuverability and low-speed corner entry, and I found myself pleasantly surprised with the Audi’s predictable, nimble nature. My middling first impressions based on the car’s familiar styling and ho-hum tech suite began to melt away the harder I pushed. Composed and quick, the S8 is as thrilling as limousines get, even before you open up the active exhaust that accompanies every downshift with a bellicose crackle.

Safety

And we’re back to being unimpressed. Even at its six-figure starting price, the Audi S8’s suite of active safety technology is bundled within a pricey $3,800 Executive package. But if you’re in the market for a big luxury sedan, you should absolutely tick that box, as Audi’s adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assistance, and lane-centering technology are among the best in the industry as far as hands-on systems are concerned.

Fuel Economy

Pricing

Including destination and a mandatory $1,000 gas guzzler charge, the 2023 Audi S8 starts at $118,995, undercutting both the S580 and the forthcoming AMG S63e by thousands of dollars. That’s true once you start ticking options, as well. My Ultra Blue tester featured the aforementioned $6,000 active suspension, $4,700 comfort package, and $3,800 executive package, plus $2,100 worth of black exterior accents for a total price of $135,595. An S580 with a similar level of equipment breaks into the 140s, despite having 67 fewer horses under the hood.

A BMW 760i xDrive, however, is a genuine threat to the S8 camp, coming in at $117,395 to start and just $122,045 comparably equipped. The BMW’s styling may not be to everyone’s tastes, and it’s slower and less overtly sporty than the S8. But once it’s grabbed your attention with design, it might keep it thanks to some pretty neat standard in-car tech.

Still, the Audi’s streamlined styling and familiar cabin will have their fans. Anyone still unimpressed need only point the rounded nose toward the closest on-ramp or canyon road, then ride that snarling V8 wave. As a technological showpiece, the S8 leaves a little to be desired. As a rolling lounge with RS-spec power and torque, it’s in a class of one.

S8 Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

How Fast Is The 2023 Audi S8?

With a top speed of 155 miles per hour and a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds, the Audi S8 is quicker than any current variants of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and only eclipsed by EV versions of the BMW 7 Series. A forthcoming, plug-in hybrid Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance will put the S8 on notice, however.

Is The 2023 Audi S8 Electric?

No. The 2023 Audi S8 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8. It does have mild-hybrid technology that allows the engine to shut down in low-load driving. We predict the first all-electric A8 to arrive within two years, with styling elements borrowed from the posh Grandsphere concept

Is The 2023 Audi S8 A Good Value?

Starting at less than $120,000, the Audi S8 offers a lot of power for the money, given its similarly priced BMW and Mercedes competition offer far less grunt. However, those cars do offer more in-cabin technology and comfort features, if that’s a priority.

Verdict

–Berkley, Michigan

Ratios rule the auto industry, but I’d like to postulate that no ratio – be it for gears, steering, or otherwise – is as important as smiles-per-dollar. A car’s ability to be a whole helluva lot of fun without costing too much has made legends out of the Ford Mustang, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Chevrolet Corvette, Jeep Wrangler, and others.

The 2023 Hyundai Elantra N is one of the latest to join the esteemed collection of killer performance values. Consider its $34,015 starting price (including an $1,115 destination charge). It easily undercuts the Honda Civic Type R ($44,890), Volkswagen Golf R ($45,835), and Toyota GR Corolla ($36,995).

And I’m not just talking about a stripped-down Elantra N that makes owners forgo basics like heated seats. Take a look at the configurator – aside from the available seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a pair of premium paints (Performance Blue, shown on my test car, is a $450 must-have), there are no optional extras. The most expensive an Elantra N can get is $35,965. Even fully loaded, this hot Hyundai is the most affordable car in its class.

Hyundai does extract a toll for that savings, of course. The material quality is quite poor, with lots of shoddy hard plastics and little in the way of sound deadening to keep the outside world out. And while there’s a 286-horsepower four-cylinder engine with a big, angry turbocharger, the Elantra N is a bit more muscle car than corner carver – the 315-hp Civic Type R is a quicker, sharper weapon if you’re on track often. Managing all that power is trickier, too, with the Hyundai lacking all-wheel drive like the Golf R and GR Corolla.

Elantra N Versus The World:

But a week on the roads of metro Detroit was enough to show me that Hyundai does plenty to exceed the Elantra N's price tag, though. The poor interior quality doesn’t extend to the primary driver interfaces – the two-piece bucket seats up front suited my six-foot, two-inch frame as well as anything else in the class, with excellent support and some very good looks. There’s a meaty, leather-wrapped steering wheel, too, complete with Performance Blue quick-access buttons that change the assorted driving modes.

And the drive experience of a big turbocharger that delivers its boost in heaping helpings with a side of torques teer is fun in a very different way. If anything, this car reminds me of the beloved Mazdaspeed3, a car that was too good for this sad, dark world. On rougher roads, I had to wrestle with the wheel occassionally to keep things straight – it was delightful.

Like the Mazda, the Elantra N is a stupendous value in a segment where buyers clamor for a good deal. I just hope fickle customers give this high-performance Hyundai the attention it deserves, because the Elantra N is one of those cars that whose eventual passing we’ll all lament.

Verdict

–Healdsburg, California

Its confusing nomenclature aside, the 2018-vintage Audi E-Tron (as opposed to the smaller Q4 E-Tron or the E-Tron GT flagship sedan) is a pretty decent EV. Its trim, understated design puts it in stark contrast to the controversially styled BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, and it has the refined driving manners and appealing interior one would expect of a car from Ingolstadt.

But since the first mainstream Audi EV’s debut in 2018, the luxury EV market has advanced rather significantly. Both the E-Tron and its choptop Sportback variant have aged out of contention, with a barely adequate 150-kilowatt DC charge rate and a range of less than 230 miles. Luckily, the fraternal twins are getting a tidy little update this year, with modernized styling, a larger battery with up to 300 miles of range, quicker charging, and a new name that brings it closer in line to Audi’s existing lineup. The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron Sportback have appealing maturity that helps them blend in without being bland or dull.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how InsideEVs rates cars, click here.

Watt’s The Big Deal?

Beyond the tweaked-but-familiar design and revised Q8-family branding, the most comprehensive update to Audi’s electric flagship SUV appears under the skin. The floor-mounted battery retains its predecessor’s external dimensions, yet it grows from a usable 95.0 kilowatt-hours to 106.0 kWh. The front and rear electric motors have likewise been revised, with 14 windings instead of 12 for a stronger magnetic field and more efficient power generation. Peak output remains at 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, but when the driver isn’t calling for the go-juice, the Q8 E-Tron operates with greater efficiency than before.

Add in the revised bodywork’s 6-percent-improved 0.29 drag coefficient as an SUV or 0.27 as a Sportback, and you’re left with significantly more range between charges. An E-Tron with the conventional roofline jumps from 222 to 285 miles, while the sleeker body style rises from 218 to 296 miles. You can also get an Ultra package on the Sportback, with lower rolling-resistance tires and smaller wheels that give it a 4-mile edge. Energy use likewise improves, with the Q8 E-Tron getting 81 miles per gallon equivalent combined (up from 78 for last year) and the Q8 E-Tron Sportback getting 87 mpge (up from 77).

Before And After:

The new battery’s more efficient internal structure also means it can accept a higher 170-kilowatt peak DC fast charge rate, allowing it to recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes. Last year’s 150-kW charge rate meant a 10-80 percent time of about 30 minutes on a DC fast charger, but remember – the new battery is quite a bit larger, so spending the same time at a roadside station will give you more range overall. And it’ll also be free if you can take advantage of the two years of included charging at Electrify America stations – just plug in and go without fumbling with an app or a credit card.

The 2024 Q8 E-Tron has the same standard 9.6-kW on-board charger, so going from 0 to 100 percent on 240-volt, 40-amp Level 2 charger takes 13 hours – last year’s model was only 10 hours, owing to the smaller battery. If you have access to an 80-amp circuit at home, I’d recommend swinging for the $1,850 AC charging package, which adds a Level 2 charge port to the right front fender – joining the standard Level 2 and 3 combo port on the left fender – and bumps the on-board rate to 19.2 kW. Plugging in at your 240-volt, 80-amp home station will now only take 6.5 hours for a full charge.

Coastal Chic

For my first experience behind the wheel of the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron, the automaker invited me to Napa Valley, California, and put me on a brilliant driving route that consisted of about 45 minutes of freeway, then four hours of winding coastal and forest scenery, traversing along the Pacific Ocean from Duncans Mills to Navarro. The narrow, often traffic-clogged route from Healdsburg to my first stop was an excellent test of the Q8 in everyday driving conditions, unfortunately highlighting its greatest dynamic flaw.

The regenerative braking system doesn’t offer a full one-pedal driving mode, and the selectable regen (handled by the steering wheel paddles) isn’t strong enough for my liking. EV first-timers might like it since it feels akin to engine braking in a gas car, but I wish Audi gave folks the option for full-fat 1PD. The car will hold your regenerative braking preference if you’re in Dynamic or Eco modes, but in any others, it will revert to the least aggressive setting the next time you touch the accelerator, making it feel a bit inconsistent.

Beyond that complaint, however, I genuinely enjoy driving the Q8 E-Tron. With standard four-corner air suspension and adaptive damping, it was a refined and comfortable car in which to tootle through all that construction traffic, dispatching hard-edged expansion joints with poise and control. Even in its cushiest setting, the suspension is still reasonably firm – more so at freeway speeds when the car automatically hunkers down lower for aerodynamic reasons – but it never feels harsh or unyielding. There’s always a thick layer of buttercream frosting between you and the potholes below.

The E-Tron is also impressively hushed at speed thanks to the sleeker aerodynamics and the dual-pane acoustic side glass that comes standard on Premium Plus, Prestige, and Launch Edition models. There’s a hint of wind noise coming over the windshield header, but it isn’t distracting in the slightest. In fact, Audi doesn’t even add faux electric propulsion noise except at low speeds to warn pedestrians. Anthony Garbis, the company’s senior manager of product planning, said this was a deliberate move that both showcased the Q8 E-Tron’s zero-emissions raison d’etre and called out competitors for using propulsion audio to mask road noise.

Go North, Young Man

Once out of tourist and construction traffic and heading north toward the Navarro River Redwoods State Park, I was able to ramp up the Audi’s pace, enjoying the firmer, lower suspension and sharper accelerator response of the most aggressive Dynamic drive mode. I wasn’t going to be clipping apexes and trail-braking into corners since the fully loaded Q8 E-Tron I drove tipped the scales at 5,798 pounds, but the electric SUV is an enjoyably brisk performer on winding roads, with well-controlled body motions, predictable (if numb) steering, and surprising grip from its Continental CrossContact all-season tires.

There isn't any shortage of suspension compliance to buff out even the roughest pavement, as is common on the geologically unstable roads that skirt the California coastline.

Understeer was never an issue in my drive through the redwoods. The dappled sunlight streaming through the trees occasionally played tricks on my eyes, forcing me to add some extra steering for a surprise decreasing-radius turn, and the Q8 E-Tron just followed my lead with no drama whatsoever. And there isn't any shortage of suspension compliance to buff out even the roughest pavement, as is common on the geologically unstable roads that skirt the California coastline.

The powertrain follows suit with approachable, competent behavior. With 402 hp and 490 lb-ft coming from standard dual motors, the Q8 E-Tron isn’t lightning-quick, hitting 60 miles per hour in an Audi-estimated 5.4 seconds. But it doles out that power quickly and smoothly, giving EV newbies the thrill of instant torque without overwhelming them with neck-snapping acceleration. I appreciated its linear, genteel power delivery, and although it lacks its E-Tron GT sibling’s two-speed transmission, the Q8 E-Tron always feels like it has enough power in reserve for a quick two-lane pass.

MoMA: Museum of Modern Audi

There are also a handful of styling revisions to match the new hardware. Although its dimensions are all but identical, the facelifted Q8 E-Tron looks wider than before thanks to a revised front grille design and functional bumper corner vents, as well as a black plastic mask spanning the width of the front end. The SUV also gets Audi’s new two-dimensional logo with daintier rings done up in white on standard models or gray on cars equipped with the S-Line appearance pack. The flagship Prestige trim also includes a narrow LED strip running just behind the rings at the top of the grille for a luminous appearance at night.

The regular Q8 E-Tron receives a silver-painted, three-dimensional grille standard, with a smoother gloss-black texture if you opt for the S-Line (which comes standard on all Sportbacks, by the by). You also get thicker black trim on the bumper corners, making the air curtain vents appear larger and more aggressive, as well as the aforementioned darkened rings. And speaking of Sportbacks, the chic lower roofline looks excellent, asking for 1.3 cubic feet of cargo room in exchange.

Inside, there aren’t too many changes apart from color – the limited-production Launch Edition gets orange seat piping, for example, to hearken back to high-voltage automotive wiring. Audi’s MMI twin-touchscreen layout carries over into 2024 with minor changes, combining a 10.1-inch primary infotainment display with a lower 8.6-inch unit handling climate controls and assorted functions like HomeLink. The old E-Tron’s neat slide-handle shifter remains, as do class-competitive interior materials with well-padded surfaces almost everywhere you want them. There’s far less hard plastic in here than in the EQE SUV, for example.

And thank goodness for the multi-contour seats that come standard on the Prestige trim. In addition to the Magic Fingers massage function, the seats also offer adjustable bolsters that closely hugged my ribs and hips to keep me stable in hard driving. And I love that Audis with ventilated seats – on the E-Tron that means all but the base Premium model – also allow you to use the heating elements at the same time, keeping you toasty but also refreshingly free of swamp-butt.

German EV Excellence

Potentially thwarting Audi’s intentions with the Q8 E-Tron are the aforementioned BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, which wear EV propulsion on their sleeves with bold interior and exterior styling. But the Q8 E-Tron is cheaper at $75,595 with destination, compared to the $79,050 EQE SUV and the $88,050 BMW – and it comes standard with Level 2 driver assist, which are options on the others. Equipped like my loaded, $90,440 Prestige tester with the AC Charging package, Black Optic package with 21-inch wheels, and metallic paint, the BMW would cost more still, at about $95,000 (full pricing for the Mercedes isn’t yet available).

The E-Tron also has more range than the EQE, which tops out at 279 miles, although the 516-hp BMW can do 307 on a single charge. That ranking also follows through in cargo space, where the smallish Mercedes can only handle 14.0 cubic feet to the Audi’s 28.5 or the BMW’s 35.5. But the Q8 E-Tron’s most compelling argument in its favor is purely subjective: It feels like any other Audi. While the EQE’s egg-inspired design and the BMW’s futuristic interior technology set them apart from other cars in their respective lineups, most Audi customers would have little trouble getting accustomed to the E-Tron’s tech suite or styling.

That conventional appeal used to come with a caveat, but the SUV’s newfound EV range and faster charging have nullified it. Although it lacks some of the polarizing, headline-grabbing pizzazz of its rivals, the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron is a mature, sensible option that’s easy to drive, easy to live with, and easy to appreciate.

EQE SUV Competitor Reviews:

FAQs

What’s The Difference Between The Audi Q8 And The Q8 E-Tron?

The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron is the new name for what was formerly called, simply, the E-Tron. The Q8 E-Tron is sized like the Q8, and it shares a similar design. But the Q8 E-Tron is a fully electric SUV, while the Q8 is powered exclusively by gasoline engines.

Does The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Offer Any Sporty Models?

Yes. Replacing last year’s Audi E-Tron S will be the 2024 Audi SQ8 E-Tron, which has 496 hp and 718 lb-ft and can get to 60 miles per hour in about 4.5 seconds. The SQ8 E-Tron has the same battery but a more aggressive three-motor powertrain.

How Far Does The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Go On A Single Charge?

The sleek Sportback body style goes up to 300 miles per charge when equipped with the Ultra package that gives it smaller, lighter wheels and lower-rolling-resistance tires. Without that package, the Sportback goes 296 miles, and the regular Q8 E-Tron travels 285 miles per charge.

How Long Does It Take To Charge The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron?

Thanks to a maximum 170-kilowatt DC charge rate, the Q8 E-Tron will recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes. Using a Level 2 charger on a 40-amp fuse, the Q8 E-Tron will recharge from 0-100 percent in 13 hours. If you have access to a Level 2 charger on an 80-amp fuse and opt for the AC Charging package, the charge time cuts in half to 6.5 hours.

Verdict

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQ

When the Subaru Crosstrek went on sale in 2013, it elevated (literally and figuratively) an affable compact wagon into a capable lifestyle off-roader that suited the outdoorsy needs of my burgeoning millennial cohort. The only problem was that it was slow as hell. When I reviewed the second-generation car with a larger, more powerful 2.5-liter engine in 2020, though, I deemed it pretty much perfect.

After I spent a week with the redesigned 2024 Crosstrek, complete with the same late-arriving 2.5-liter boxer powerplant, I haven’t changed my tune. As far as small crossovers go, the third-generation Crosstrek continues to do everything I could ask. It’s fun to drive, interesting to look at, capable enough to tackle any reasonable obstacle, exceedingly well equipped, safe, and comfortable enough for the demands of everyday life. The only real drawback is an above-average price for the Limited trim I drove. But as is so often the case with Subaru, you get what you pay for.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Design

I’m no fan of the derpy looking Impreza, but the Crosstrek – with its 9.3 inches of ground clearance (half an inch more than a Ford Bronco Sport Badlands) and tough-looking cladding – cuts a more impressive figure. The armor supports the visual mass of the rounded nose better, and all around, the body protection emphasizes the compact front and rear overhangs.

And yet, the Crosstrek’s additions don’t give it the angry, imposing look so common in the off-road space – including in its recently revealed Wilderness sibling. I’m not sure there’s a vehicle on the market that better balances cutesy crossover design with such a purposeful and capable character, save the Jeep Renegade.

Sitting in the Crosstrek’s cabin, though, I can’t spot nearly so many differences between this car and the Impreza it’s based on. A high center console, a domineering portrait-oriented touchscreen, and a preponderance of plastic match the Impreza almost exactly. The material quality trails the segment-leading Honda HR-V, while the Limited model I drove leaned a bit too hard on the all-black-everything sentiment. The more affordable Sport, with its splashes of gold upholstery on the seat bolsters, feels more youthful and refreshing.

Comfort

I tested the Crosstrek mere weeks after driving the standard (and nearly as good) Impreza, and it was a textbook demonstration of why folks prefer the higher ride height of crossovers. I had an easier time getting in and out of the Crosstrek because it asked me to step in rather than drop down to get into the driver’s seat. The supportive front seat bolsters hugged my hips without restricting my movement, which was a boon when it came time to exit the car. The added ride height also saved my eyes from the glare of following vehicles’ headlights.

With the front row set up for my long-legged 6-foot-2 body, the second-row bench was too tight for my comfort, with my knees pressed into the front seatbacks and an uncomfortable door opening that caused me to kick the door panel when getting out. Cargo space is surprisingly slim too, with the wheel wells narrowing a space that seems substantial from the outside. Stowing my golf clubs in the back meant wedging them in and risking the life of my longer clubs or dropping the second-row seats.

Ride quality, meanwhile, was excellent thanks to the softly-sprung suspension and sizable 55-series tire sidewalls, and even the thrum of the boxer engine/CVT combo rarely bothered my ears with the tone or volume.

Technology & Connectivity

All Crosstreks save the base model carry a standard 11.6-inch, portrait-oriented touchscreen. Neither the system’s graphics nor its response times are especially impressive – the former are muddled and the latter half a step behind the what you’ll find in a Kia Niro – but the visual statement of the big display is hard to argue with. The range-topping Limited is available with a navigation function but considering the presence of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I didn’t find the built-in nav all that necessary.

Subaru only offers two factory option packages for the Crosstrek – one that includes a sunroof and 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and another that adds nav to that twosome. Either box is easy to tick. Even though the sunroof isn't particularly impressive, the upgraded audio system is worth the cost of entry, with richer, clearer, and more powerful sound.

Meet Subaru's Redesigned Compacts:

Performance & Handling

As it did way back in 2020, Subaru offers the 2.5-liter Crosstrek in Sport and Limited guises only. The larger engine is a real difference maker, adding 30 horsepower and 33 pound-feet of torque while demanding only a tiny sacrifice at the pump. The naturally aspirated mill’s added torque, especially, makes the Crosstrek feel easier to drive and more energetic off the line. And while continuously variable transmissions have suffered from a poor reputation, Subaru’s got the technology figured out. It’s quick to engage; features a stepped manual mode for simulated gear changes; and avoids the buzzy, obnoxious behavior of old CVTs.

The Crosstrek’s soft, lifted suspension limits its handling relative to the Impreza, but the Crosstrek is about as entertaining as any of its rivals with predictable body motions and quick, direct steering. And unlike the Mazda CX-30 and its soft-road ilk, the Crosstrek has legitimate chops on rougher dirt surfaces, thanks to its X-Mode off-road system and a suspension/steering tune that mitigates the effect of bigger bumps. If you need to go deeper into the woods, a Bronco Sport Badlands or Jeep Renegade Trailhawk will be a better partner, but neither can match the Crosstrek’s balance between rougher roads and paved surfaces.

Safety

Subaru’s EyeSight is a segment leader and it’s standard on every Crosstrek, rolling in adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking into one cohesive package. The Limited trim adds blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear automatic emergency braking. I slipped behind the wheel of the Crosstrek and set off – the system doesn’t require any fiddling or tweaking of settings – and enjoyed the system’s behavior at highway speeds, where it reduced the need for small adjustments and in general, the strain.

All that said, the Crosstrek (and its ilk) all struggled in IIHS' tougher moderate-overlap crash testing.

Fuel Economy

Pricing

The Crosstrek starts at $26,290 including a $1,295 destination charge, but to be frank, I’d never consider the base trim. The 2.5-liter engine’s added power is too hard to ignore. And while I like the Limited’s expansive feature set, its $32,190 staring price is a bit hard to stomach. My tester came in at $34,635, owing to the nav/audio/sunroof combo’s $2,445 premium, but the standard Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility makes that a foolish investment.

If I were ordering a Limited, I’d rather mirror my smartphone and pay the $1,795 package for the Harmon/Kardon sound system/sunroof alone. But the real power move is to opt for the $30,290 Sport, which has a more youthful exterior aesthetic and comes close enough to the Limited’s active safety set thanks to a $1,920 option pack (blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic assist, a power driver’s seat, and a sunroof). At $32,210, a loaded Sport is a mere $20 more than the base Limited.

On the competitive front, though, the Crosstrek faces a tougher challenge. A loaded Kia Seltos, with its powerful turbocharged engine, comes in at $32,515 and the Honda HR-V EX-L is just $30,995 fully loaded. And while boring, the roomy Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid boasts far superior fuel economy in a range-topping trim that demands $32,400, The Crosstrek fares better against rough-and-tumble options – it’s substantially cheaper than the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands ($39,685) and feels better built than the $33,540 Renegade Trailhawk.

Crosstrek Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Are The Subaru Crosstrek And Outback The Same?

No. The Crosstrek is a small crossover, while the Outback is a larger, lifted wagon.

Is The Subaru Crosstrek Safe?

While neither NHTSA nor IIHS have rated the redesigned Subaru Crosstrek, every trim comes standard with a comprehensive EyeSight active safety suite. The previous Crosstrek received a five-star overall crash rating from NHTSA and the IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick, which bodes well fro the redesign.

When Can I Order The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek?

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek is on sale now and in dealer stocks.

Verdict

It should come as no surprise that the best-selling Mercedes-Benz in the US is the GLC-Class. Although the humble crossover isn’t a standout in the same way as the ultra-modern EQS or slinky SL, the German automaker moves more than 50,000 units each year since 2018. And many of those customers are first-timers, meaning they’ll become Mercedes zealots if the experience is good or swear off the brand forever if not.

Why mess with success, then? With so much riding on its popularity, the redesigned 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 doesn’t take too many risks. The second-generation model (third, if you count the boxy GLK) retains a swooping form factor, modernized in detail instead of concept. The cabin’s updates are significant, borrowing liberally from the related C-Class sedan. Also important is the revised powertrain, which benefits from standard 48-volt mild-hybrid technology for added grunt and efficiency. Will potential – and repeat – buyers appreciate the updated GLC's minor-but-comprehensive alterations when it goes on sale this spring? I bet they will.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

First Impressive

Although it appears familiar at first, the 2023 GLC-Class feels more modern the longer you look at it. Squinting headlights dovetail into the wider grille, and the hood gets a pair of creases intended to recall the legendary 300SL Gullwing’s power bulges. A longer wheelbase and wider track give the 2023 GLC excellent proportions, with a long hood and favorable dash-to-axle ratio that look grander than rivals like the Lexus NX and RX. Clean, unadorned bodysides and a slightly pointier daylight opening pair with sharp, triangular taillights and a simple rear bumper.

Beyond the modernized overall appearance, there are some great details. Opt for the AMG Line styling package and you get a grille texture featuring a galaxy of three-pointed stars, along with painted wheel arch extensions and sportier bumper designs that forgo the obviously fake vents of the previous generation – thank goodness. And the new GLC cuts through the sky more cleanly than before, with a 0.29 drag coefficient compared to 0.31. Your pant legs might pay the price however, as the wider, more aerodynamic rocker panels catch both road grime and your calves.

Best to just stay inside, then, where the 2023 GLC-Class makes a positive first impression. There’s an appealing “bathtub” sweep of trim at the base of the windshield that dovetails into the sculpted windowsills, with three squircular vents sitting high above the driver-oriented 11.9-inch touchscreen and two more on the edges of the dash. This design DNA is shared with the C-Class, but unfortunately, so are some obvious cost-cutting choices – hard plastic on and around the door pulls and on the forward portion of the door panels, right where your hands and knees are most likely to contact them. At least the center console is nicely padded.

Borrowing a note from the S-Class, the GLC offers multi-color ambient lighting that I just can’t get enough of – more cascading pinks, blues, and yellows all around, I say. Also adding a bit of class are swathes of French-stitched MB-Tex upholstery on the dash and upper doors, which are included in the AMG Line pack. The faux leather is also the standard seat upholstery, even on the top-spec Pinnacle trim, but Mercedes-Benz knows how to do synthetics so well that it’s not bothersome at all. Genuine Nappa is available if you want it, but I’m not convinced it’s worth $1,450, as my car’s Neva Gray MB-Tex seats felt supple and sophisticated.

Hitting The Curve

The 2023 GLC has only been announced in base 300 form so far, receiving the same mild-hybrid, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as the C300 sedan. With 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the 2023 represents 22 extra torques over the outgoing model, with an integrated starter-generator adding 23 hp and 148 lb-ft in low-load situations to compensate for what little turbo lag the engine has. As a result, the GLC300 never feels flat-footed or taken by surprise when passing or merging – with one unfortunate exception.

Theoretically, the 48-volt electrics are supposed to get the car moving from a standstill while the engine wakes up from its automatic idle-stop, but in practice, it’s way too easy to catch the GLC by surprise. Even when driving away gently, the turbo four always feels like it’s rushing to catch up with your inputs, tossing your passengers into their head restraints and forcing you to apologize to your mother-in-law for spilling her coffee. That’s really the GLC’s only major accelerative downfall, because both the torque-rich engine and genteel nine-speed automatic transmission play well together once up to speed.

What AMG Will Need To Improve On:

The GLC300 isn’t much of a thriller when the road gets twisty, but like any modern Mercedes-Benz, it handles with competence. My tester was rear-wheel drive, and it drove like it, with more accurate steering and a lighter feel than I was expecting. But the default behavior when pushing hard is safe, predictable understeer, with nary a whisper of the front tires’ intentions through the helm. The non-adaptive suspension is tuned toward body control and away from slushiness, which helps improve driver confidence when you want to have fun, but overall, the GLC is a sedate offering, not a sporty one. Gotta leave some room for AMG improvement.

A Silicon Fist In A Silken Glove

The benefit of somewhat aloof driving dynamics is a freeway ride that’s smooth and serene over most surfaces, and the GLC does a good job of managing road and wind noise. There isn’t even much tire slap going over expansion joints – of which we have a zillion in Los Angeles – and I was very impressed with the Mercedes’ composure. If I had a complaint, it would be the guttural noises coming from under the hood in hard acceleration, but they quiet down nicely when cruising. If you truly can’t abide the noise, a customizable engine note artificially augments some of the more agricultural engine sounds with a sassy little snarl.

Adding to the class-competitive level of comfort and isolation is one of the industry’s best active safety suites, but as we’ve come to expect of German automakers, much of the tech is optional. Automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and blind spot monitoring come standard, but unfortunately, adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and automatic lane change assistance are relegated to a $1,950 package. So equipped, my tester handled stop-and-go traffic very naturally, compensating for other vehicles encroaching on my lane by slowing a bit and giving a bit more lateral room where appropriate.

Giving the driver total control over all of those comfort and safety systems is a newly standard 11.9-inch touchscreen display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Unlike last year’s optional, monolithic single bezel, the 2023 model’s canted center screen and hooded gauge cluster looks far fresher and sleeker. And it all works as well as it does in any other Benz, with a zero-layer map display on the screen with suggested and frequently used functions overlaid in tile form. The only downsides are the touch-slider volume control and touchscreen-intensive climate functions that take some getting used to.

Make It Make Cents

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mercedes-Benz GLC is one of the most expensive vehicles in its class, starting at $48,250 with destination – 4Matic all-wheel drive is another $2,000. Go for the Pinnacle, like my tester, and you’ll be on the hook for $52,600 to start, though you’ll get a surround-view camera, kickin’ Burmester audio system, the trick multicolor ambient lighting, navigation with augmented video, a head-up display, and adaptive LED headlights.

Some of my car’s big-ticket configurator options were the advanced driver assistance system, $3,450 AMG Line package, $1,500 panoramic sunroof, and $800 20-inch wheels. A handful of other goodies brought the total sum to $61,350, not an insignificant amount of cash for a rear-wheel-drive small crossover. By contrast, a comparably equipped BMW X3 would demand about $57,000, as would a loaded Audi Q5 (which comes standard with all-wheel drive).

Helping offset some of your extra spend at the finance department is an EPA fuel economy rating of 25 miles per gallon city, 32 highway, and 28 combined with rear-wheel drive or 23 / 31 / 26 with all-wheel drive. Each of those numbers is at least two ticks up on their BMW and Audi equivalents, and my informal experience with fueling the GLC would suggest they’re easy to achieve in normal traffic, especially if you can get the engine to shut off and sail by being gentle on the throttle on the freeway.

And even without the fuel savings, the 2023 GLC300 feels worthy of its highish price thanks to a quiet, smooth ride and a few gee-whiz features – looking at you, Malibu Sunset ambient lighting scheme. Its familiar, reassuring driving manners won’t upset M-B apologists, nor will the evolutionary exterior design. And the GLC’s larger, crisper screen should be easier to use than its ever-so-slightly dated predecessor. The conservative tweaks may not be particularly thrilling, but the 2023 GLC is likely to keep butts in seats, which will be yet another win for this popular small SUV.

GLC-Class Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

How Much Is The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class?

The 2023 GLC costs $48,250 including $1,150 for destination, which is a few thousand dollars more than the similarly sized BMW X3 and Audi Q5. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option on the Mercedes.

When Does The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Go On Sale?

The GLC is already arriving at Mercedes dealers nationwide.

How Much Cargo Space Does The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Have?

The GLC has 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up and 59.3 with them folded. The BMW X3 offers 28.7 cubes with the seats in place and 62.7 with them folded, while the Q5 has 25.9 and 54.1, respectively.

Is A New Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe On Its Way?

Yes. Mercedes revealed the 2024 GLC Coupe in March, featuring some of the same interior and exterior tweaks as the regular GLC, but with a lower, sleeker roof and standard AMG-Line styling features. We'll have a full first drive near the end of June 2023.

Verdict

I was at dinner with some fellow enthusiasts last week, and the discussion turned to auto brands that execute all of their products pretty well. There was admiration for Genesis’ excellent luxury cars and EVs. One person placed a bet on a Volvo dark horse, citing gorgeous cabin materials and a nice driving experience. Even Chevy got a name-drop, thanks to the Corvette Z06 and Silverado ZR2 at one end and the cheap and cheerful Trax at the other.

In my mind, though, the real blue chip is Porsche. Everything from the automaker offers a blend of interior polish, exacting engineering, and sporting dynamics that make P-cars enjoyable to own and drive. That’s even true of the company’s “family cars,” like the freshly updated 2024 Cayenne, which goes on sale in the summer of 2023. Though still a third-gen offering, the new Cayenne's revised powertrains, new infotainment experience, and tweaked styling keep it relevant and engaging. Prices are up, natch, but it’s not hard to understand why folks with the coin usually shop at Porsche dealers.

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Slow Evolution

Exterior differences between the 2023 model and its replacement are slight, as is often the case with Porsche. The tweaked front fascia incorporates a power-dome hood and slightly higher fenders, and the front bumper air intakes and headlights have been redesigned to emphasize the car’s width. Thin, full-width LED strips comprise the taillights, which have an exposed, three-dimensional appearance for more visual interest, and the regular 2024 Cayenne moves the license plate from the hatch to a reshaped rear bumper – the coupe had it there all along.

The slightly more modern (but still familiar) design ethos carries over into the cabin design. The Cayenne’s interior gets some Taycan-inspired styling, headlined by a hoodless 12.6-inch curved digital instrument cluster. And as on the EV, a toggle to the right of the steering wheel now handles gear selection, making space in the center console for a cooled phone compartment with wireless charging. The dash gets a standard 12.3-inch center touchscreen, as well as an optional 10.9-inch passenger display that can stream video; a lateral filter keeps the driver from being tempted to watch TV instead of the road.

Personally, I don’t love the freestanding, minimalist gauge display as much as I would a more traditional hooded dash, and I may never forgive Porsche for turning the satisfying, built-in key fob on the left of the steering wheel into a boring pushbutton. But otherwise, the new Cayenne is just as appealing as its predecessor, with responsive infotainment software joining excellent cabin materials even in base form – though my tester’s full leather interior was all the more posh.

Don’t Call It A Comeback

All that’s old is new again, as Porsche has decided to give the mid-level Cayenne S a little upgrade courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that makes 468 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That’s up 34 hp and 37 lb-ft only over the previous, V6-powered Cayenne S, and it’s also a bit more power than the 453-hp 2023 GTS that used a different tune of the same engine.

Speaking of which, the GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S E-Hybrid have been discontinued for now, though I’d be shocked if the hotter Cayennes didn’t make a comeback within a few months. If you just can’t wait, Porsche still offers the Cayenne Turbo GT, and its twin-turbo V8 now makes a healthy 650 hp, up 19 from last year. At the other end of the spectrum is the base Cayenne, whose tweaked single-turbo 3.0-liter V6 makes 348 hp and 368 lb-ft, up a respective 13 and 36 from 2023. That engine also shows up in the plug-in Cayenne E-Hybrid, which gets a 174-hp electric motor for a total of 463 ponies and 479 torques.

I spent most of my time driving a 2024 Cayenne S Coupe, and at the turn of the key – grrr, push of the button – the engine comes to life with a muted, cammy grumble I wasn’t expecting from a Porsche. Some credit likely goes to my tester’s $3,220 sports exhaust system, but it’s clear that the new V8 gives even volume models of the SUV some snap-crackle-pop. A quick stint in the V6-powered E-Hybrid with the same exhaust option proved that bending eight cylinders in half always sounds better than six – the latter sounds fine, but the former is a thrill.

Accompanying that music on all Cayennes is the newly standard Porsche Active Suspension Management system, bundling adaptive dampers with steel springs at no cost or an optional two-chamber air suspension for $2,390. My tester rode on air, and Porsche says the system offers a softer ride in Comfort mode and sharper handling in Sport and Sport Plus, compared to both the standard steel suspension or last year’s three-chamber setup.

I’d love to have driven the base suspenders for comparison, but the air springs were commendably smooth on bad pavement, giving the Cayenne S an even-keeled, planted demeanor when flying down the highway (not to mention some real off-road chops).

Every Day Is A Winding Road

The dual-purpose suspension is also a delight when it’s time to aim away from the express lanes, as I did on Highway 150 between Santa Barbara and Ojai. One of Southern California’s lesser-known driving roads, Highway 150 is a challenging mix of tight, first-gear hairpins and expansive full-throttle sweepers, rising 1,100 feet from Route 101 and then falling 400 in Ojai. The hilly route presented little challenge to the V8-powered Cayenne, which exploded out of corners thanks to a razor-sharp throttle in its most aggressive setting. Porsche quotes a 4.4-second sprint to 60 miles per hour; I’d be surprised if it isn’t faster.

The Sport Plus mode also ensured the transmission stayed alert and ready to downshift, either at the prompting of the accelerator or during hard braking for a corner. These automated gear changes were seemingly telepathic, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still fun to use the wheel-mounted paddle shifters at every opportunity. Convincing the car to hand over complete manual control was a bit of a challenge – you have to press down on the dash-mounted gear selector through two stiff detents, then hold for a longer time than I expected. But do so and the Cayenne’s eight-speed transmission obeys all but your most sadistic whims.

Highway 150’s bobbing, broken pavement was a great test for the Cayenne S Coupe, which has a firm ride in Sport Plus but still offers just enough compliance to make it usable on a spirited drive. My well-equipped S boasted $3,590 worth of Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which uses active sway bars to eliminate roll in exchange for its stiff cost of entry. My more Luddite tendencies think the air suspension would do just fine on its own, but then again, I grinned like an idiot the whole time I was behind the wheel of that loaded tester.

Porsche figured out long ago how to make electromechanical steering feel natural, giving the Cayenne a firm, communicative tiller that made it easier for me to push hard through a corner and trust the front wheels to let me know if I was approaching the limit. And even though the limit is high, Porsche’s flagship SUV is also perfectly happy zipping around at 5/10ths, a pace that allowed my co-driver and I to take in the lush jungle greenery around Lake Casitas while also enjoying the Cayenne’s handling verve. It’s that balance that makes every drive in a Porsche feel special – your hair doesn’t have to be on fire to have fun.

Green Landscape, Green Porsche

After several brilliant miles in the Cayenne S Coupe, I took a turn in the conventional-roofline Cayenne E-Hybrid. Thanks to a larger 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery (up from 17.9), the new E-Hybrid should achieve at least 25 or 30 miles of all-electric driving when it’s rated by the EPA (and remember, an all-electric Cayenne is on the way). A faster 11.0-kilowatt onboard charger juices the E-Hybrid in 2.5 hours on a household 240-volt outlet, less time than last year in spite of the larger battery.

The E-Hybrid I drove was about 400 pounds heavier than the coupeified S, which made it a bit less thrilling. It still benefits from the same preternatural steering as its siblings, and the electrified model handles its weight well enough to be plenty of fun when hustling. But somehow, the 4,941-pound Cayenne S Coupe hid its weight on these roads, while the 5,348-pound E-Hybrid felt every ounce its weight.

As marvy as the Cayenne is, it does come with one big drawback.

The Cayenne E-Hybrid’s gas engine awakes from its slumber with a little shaking, but otherwise, the powertrain integration between the two energy sources is smooth and poised. And the E-Hybrid is an excellent highway companion, with even more room than the rakish coupe. If I planned on charging my Porsche each night, I would be mighty tempted by a nicely equipped E-Hybrid for daily duties – at least until my neighbor cold-started his V8-powered S on Saturday morning to incite my envy.

What The New Cayenne Does Without:

Inflated Values

As marvy as the Cayenne is, it does come with one big drawback. Prices are up across the board, with the base model rising $7,000 to $80,850 including destination. The S is $97,350, a $4,200 increase from 2023, and coupe versions of any Cayenne are between $4,000 and $6,700 more expensive than their counterparts. Admittedly, the standard adaptive dampers and longer list of luxury features blunt that price hike – Porsche says the new Cayenne is actually cheaper than last year’s version when equipped similarly.

On top of its $103,750 base price, my Cayenne S Coupe tester carried an eye-watering $49,630 just in options, for a total as-tested cost of $153,380. That’s way too much money for a 468-horse Cayenne. But it’s possible to exercise restraint with the Porsche configurator – 20- or 21-inch wheels instead of 22s, no torque-vectoring rear differential or PDCC, and a $1,200 Bose audio system instead of the admittedly brilliant $7,000 Burmester unit. Better yet, go for the less stylish but cheaper and more practical conventional model and save six large.

Do so and you’re left with a much more palatable $125,000 SUV that still includes air suspension, a full leather interior, a thick-rimmed GT Sport steering wheel borrowed from the 911, and all that baked-in Porsche handling goodness. Naysayers will correctly point out that a hard-loaded BMW X5 M60i is about $20,000 cheaper and that a base X5 M is about the same price as my theoretically optioned Porsche. But thanks to a suite of comprehensive updates – and a carryover sense of self – the Cayenne still feels like a special, unique proposition in the luxury crossover space.

No one ever said blue chip investments were cheap, after all.

Cayenne Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The New 2024 Porsche Cayenne All-Electric?

No, but Porsche will offer an EV Cayenne soon, based on this facelifted third-generation model. Right now, the Cayenne is offered in plug-in hybrid and conventional gas variants.

Can The 2024 Porsche Cayenne Go Off-Road?

The Cayenne has 8.3 inches of ground clearance with steel springs or 9.3 inches with air springs, and it has a sophisticated terrain management system that helps optimize traction in slick situations. As a result, Porsche says the Cayenne is capable of far more aggressive off-roading than one might think, though it still probably won’t follow Jeeps around Moab very frequently.

How Much Power Does The 2024 Porsche Cayenne Have?

All versions of the Cayenne have more power than before. The base V6 has 348 horsepower, while the E-Hybrid has 463 hp. The V8-powered Cayenne S has 468 hp, and at the top of the heap, the Cayenne Turbo GT has 650 ponies.

Verdict

The Lamborghini Countach, one of the automaker’s most famous products, got its name from the Piedmontese vulgarity "contacc," which literally means “contagion” but is now used to describe a person or thing of breathtaking beauty. If you believe legendary factory driver Valentino Balboni, the name stuck when Lambo engineers pulled the sheets off of a development mule, prompting a security guard in the room to take in its outrageous design and unconsciously utter, "Ah, countach!"

Four decades later, I found myself uttering a whole bunch of other expletives in reference to the 2024 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. Powered by a naturally aspirated, 602-horsepower V10, the Sterrato builds on the Huracan via a 1.7-inch suspension lift, wider front and rear track, and – wait for it – Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires. The primary benefit of those tweaks is excellent performance in the dirt, as well as improved around-town comfort and still-impressive cornering prowess on the tarmac. But the only thing you’ll be thinking when you drift the Sterrato through the desert sand is, "Ah, Countach!"

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Polite Introductions

The 2024 Sterrato is a totally different animal, design-wise, than its siblings. The taller stance and knobby tires are given since it’s intended to be an off-road supercar, with a roof-mounted air intake providing clean, dust-free air to the engine. Its placement and routing erase any view out the rear window, but the Sterrato looks so cool that such practical matters are immaterial. And a pair of driving lights on the nose (an addition to make the off-roader legal for rally competition) take the same hexagonal shape as the exhaust outlet and air intake, giving the Sterrato a cohesive design in spite of its wacky extensions and alterations.

If I had a complaint, it’d be the exposed hardware on the off-road lights and fender flares – this is a Lamborghini, after all, not a Ram 1500 that had a date with the JC Whitney catalog. Even so, the design alterations from Huracan to Sterrato are functional, distinctive, and just a bit juvenile. What more could you want from the Raging Bull?

Inside, the standard Huracan’s flat-bottom steering wheel, chunky aluminum shift paddles, and missile-launch start button give it enough flair, so Sterrato changes are minor. Thinly padded, lightweight racing bucket seats come standard on the off-road special, as does "Sterrato Verde" Alcantara upholstery on the chairs, dashboard, door panels, and headliner. A foreboding Rally marking on the drive mode selector replaces the Corsa setting, providing a clear indication of the Sterrato’s intended use case. Oh, and there’s also the massive integrated roll cage dominating the rear-view mirror’s reflection.

Cabin comfort is, uh, not phenomenal. At 6 feet tall and with a 32-inch inseam, I’m right at the upper limit of what the Huracan can accommodate – my taller co-driver had to slouch down in his seat to give his noggin enough space, which then forced his legs to splay out on either side of the steering wheel. But thanks to the taller ride and longer-travel suspension, the Sterrato has a smooth, well-damped ride on broken pavement, and abundant ground clearance makes it much less intimidating to drive over speed bumps and on steep driveways.

A Little Less Conversation…

But although the off-road Huracan is arguably a better daily driver than its siblings, none of the 1,499 customers who snapped it up are likely to care about such pedestrian matters. So with their needs sympathetically in mind, I took it on myself to give the Sterrato a thorough wringing-out on the snaking roads that surround Palm Springs.

In aggressive on-road driving, it should come as no surprise that the Sterrato isn’t quite as buttoned down as other members of the Huracan family. For starters, the off-road special’s 5.2-liter V10 makes "just" 602 hp and 413 pound-feet, compared to 631 and 442 for the rest of the lineup. At 3,507 pounds, the Sterrato is also about 100 pounds heavier than the all-wheel-drive Evo, and it has a higher center of gravity. But in spite of a spec chart that looks comparatively meager, the Sterrato is a sweetheart of a car to drive quickly on a winding canyon road.

Its slightly downrated power notwithstanding, the Sterrato makes all the right noises when being pushed hard, with prodigious thrust coming online at about 4,000 rpm and lasting all the way to the V10’s 8,500-rev redline. The column-mounted shift paddles take control of an instantaneously reactive seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which oblige each high-rpm upshift with a snarling bark befitting a supercar. And there’s plenty of snap-crackle-pop on overrev to ensure that engine braking and deceleration are as much fun as flooring it away from a stoplight.

Despite lower absolute cornering limits, the Huracan Sterrato still handles confidently. The weight balance is biased rearward, with 57 percent riding on the rear axle, so turn-in is instant and responsive, with all four wheels transmitting plenty of info to your fingertips and backside. Get on the throttle too early and the front end goes a little floaty – likely a function of the all-terrain rubber and higher stance – but the car gives you plenty of warning before you overdo it. Ease off the throttle and the nose tucks right back in.

The Versatile Lamborghini Huracan:

Dust, Road, Passion

That approachable, accessible on-road behavior portended great things as the drive route took a convoy of Sterrati toward Chuckwalla Raceway, where Lamborghini had prepared a 2.3-mile rally special stage that was half deep silt and half pristine tarmac. The wind had picked up by the time we arrived, making the bleak landscape even less hospitable. And yet, the siren call of the Sterrato was too sweet to ignore. Let’s f—ing go!

Since I had limited time behind the wheel, my driving instructor wasted none of it getting me up to speed. Almost as soon as I had the seat positioned properly, he was egging me on to push the car harder and faster. The first three corners of the course were paved and the Sterrato handled much like I expected given my experience on the road, but once we got to the special part of this special stage, the fun started in earnest. So did the swearing – hopefully my mom didn’t have access to a radio that day.

Despite lower absolute cornering limits, the Huracan Sterrato still handles confidently.

The Sterrato-specific Rally drive mode allows generous slip angles and plenty of sand-scrambling wheelspin, turning the dirty Lambo into a fearsome, snarling monster with grip and power in spades. Tap the brakes early to transfer weight forward, then hammer down on the throttle to break the rear end loose and slide through the corner sideways. Do it right and the Huracan is eminently controllable and involving; do it wrong and you’ll still have a pretty dang good time, since Rally’s stability settings work almost imperceptibly to flatter you into thinking you’ve strung it all together perfectly.

A huge part of the car’s performance comes down to the rubber. The Huracan Sterrato rides on specially designed Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires, which use the same basic structure of the Potenza Sport tire but with a knobby, robust tread pattern and compound designed for dirt, instead of asphalt. The result is soft and squishy rubber that provides incredible traction on the silty Chuckwalla rally stage, with progressive behavior on the pavement making it a cinch to powerslide the Lambo through Chuckwalla’s wide, paved, late-apex final turn. This is a car meant to have fun above all, prioritizing grins above lap times.

Go Fast, Don’t Die

Driving a supercar fast is an addictive experience, but as with so many of life’s illicit pleasures, there’s always some risk involved as you get closer to that bleeding edge. And yet somehow, driving the Huracan Sterrato on dirt provides abundant and involving thrills while also feeling surefooted and safe, with plenty of room for me to make a mistake, get back on track, and keep on pushing hard. It might be a new high-water mark for me in terms of driving fun, and it all happened at freeway speed at best.

Of course, that apex of driving enjoyment isn’t going to come cheap. The Huracan Sterrato starts at $278,972, but if you haven’t already put your name on the list, don’t bother asking your financial planner to free up the funds. All 1,499 examples of the Sterrato have already been spoken for, and such a limited, high-performance special is sure to appreciate on the used-car market.

Knowing this was likely the only opportunity I’ll ever have to drive the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, I made sure to sear the memories into my brain as best I could. Gabriel’s-trumpet intake howl. The odd-firing exhaust rasp. Plumes of dust cascading over the front end and across the windshield. Grinning and steering through the side windows, both on the dirt and when I mucked up yet another late apex. My instructor beckoning me to push the car harder, to trust the robust skid plates, to lighten up and have more fun.

Ah, countach!

Competitor Reviews:

FAQs

Is The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato All-Wheel Drive?

Yes. A Haldex all-wheel-drive system with Sterrato-specific torque vectoring helps the off-road Lamborghini put the power down in rally conditions.

Does The Sterrato Have All-Terrain Tires?

Yes, weirdly. The Bridgestone Dueler tires use the main body structure of a high-performance Potenza Sport tire, but with an aggressive all-terrain tread design that helps aid stone ejection. The tires are also runflats, useful since the Sterrato doesn’t have a spare.

How Fast Is The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato?

With a top speed of 162 miles per hour, the Sterrato is marginally quicker than the Porsche 911 Dakar. Both cars are limited relative to their siblings, since all-terrain tires can’t handle as much high-speed heat as dedicated sports car tires. The Sterrato can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, running neck and neck with the Dakar.

Well, it took me 37 years, 72 days, 9 hours, and 30 minutes, but it finally happened: I got carsick for the very first time. I’d been driving the VinFast VF8 for less than an hour when my inner ear sounded the alarm and politely (read: urgently) requested I stop to get some fresh air. On the shoulder of a scenic road in San Diego County, I paced around the VF8 wondering what the hell was going on. But I wasn’t the only one in a state of confusion and nausea. My passenger wasn’t feeling so hot, either.

Composure regained, we hit the road again, this time with me riding shotgun, and we only made it a couple of miles before the uneasy feeling returned. The road wasn’t super curvy and we’d been cruising along at a moderate pace, but the sheer amount of bouncy body motions coming through the VF8’s suspension made being in this electric crossover – and I say this without hyperbole – unbearable.

That alone would’ve been enough to tarnish my opinion of this debut product from Vietnam’s ambitious automotive startup. But things only got worse from there.

The Real Deal. Really.

Let me be clear: The VinFast VF8 is not a concept or pre-production vehicle. The company has already started customer deliveries of its first electric SUV, with 14 retail locations currently up and running in California and another 14 expected to open in the Golden State before the end of the year. That means the car I drove is 100 percent representative of the final product being sold to consumers. Keep that in mind.

Right now, you can only get the VF8 City Edition, which has an 82.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack and two electric motors. Credit where credit’s due, the VF8’s onboard power doesn’t draw any ire. The base City Edition Eco offers a not-insubstantial 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, while the Plus – what I drove – has 402 hp and 457 lb-ft. Even at a porky 5,732 pounds, the Plus accelerates briskly; VinFast estimates it’ll hit 62 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. Midrange punch is fine, too. But that’s where the good stuff ends.

But then you get inside and things fall apart. Not literally, though I did almost break one of the seat adjustment toggles.

The VF8’s official EPA range numbers are bad: 207 miles for the Eco and 191 miles for the Plus. That puts the VF8 behind just about every other electric crossover on sale today. The VF8 can accept DC fast charging speeds of up to 160 kilowatts, which is good but not great. VinFast says the upcoming VF8 Standard Edition – which is on its way to the US as you read this – should improve those range estimates to 264 miles for the Eco and 243 miles for the Plus thanks to more energy-dense battery chemistry.

A UX Nightmare, But Hey, Cool Paint

Famed Italian design house Pininfarina is responsible for the VF8’s styling, and you know, in person, this SUV looks pretty good. The VF8 has just the right amount of weirdness baked into its design and the paint colors are really quite rich and beautiful. The City Edition Plus’ 20-inch wheels look sharp, too.

But then you get inside and things fall apart. Not literally, though I did almost break one of the seat adjustment toggles, and the center console lid on one of the display cars was halfway popped off. The entire door panel flexes when you pull the handle from inside, and the seats are as stiff as they are flat. Headroom and legroom are decent overall, but there are hella cheap materials and inconsistent panel gaps everywhere. It’s like early 2000s General Motors in here.

Photo Credit: Steven Ewing / Motor1.com

The majority of the VF8’s controls are housed in the 15.6-inch central touchscreen, which is Tesla-level lousy as far as user experience is concerned. To adjust the mirrors and steering column, you have to use a combination of a menu on the touchscreen and the physical volume/track controls on the steering wheel. At least the wipers are managed through a traditional stalk (that’s ripped from a late-model BMW, oddly).

The infotainment system’s menu structure is a mess, with some icons clearly labeled and others discoverable only through the ol’ guess-and-check method. Many inputs end up requiring repeated taps, and you need to be sure to hit the exact middle of each icon or the system won’t budge. Response times are slow, swipes are laggy, and god help you if you need to rely on the natural-language voice functionality.

Photo Credit: Steven Ewing / Motor1.com

“Hey, VinFast, what’s the weather like in San Diego?” Easy question, right? The car even displayed my exact words on the screen, meaning it definitely heard me, but then told me it couldn’t understand my request. This happened again and again. “Hey, VinFast, roll down the passenger window” worked, miraculously, but only after a delay of 20 seconds, which is an absolute eternity in tech time. Happily, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Other problems? The backup camera refresh rate is abysmal and the feed is super low-res. The head-up display washes out if you’re wearing polarized sunglasses, so you have to look over at the center screen to see your speedometer. The one-tap/three-blink turn signal function didn’t always work, but only while turning left. The climate control has a digital temperature gauge, but in practice, it only has two settings: freezing or surface of the sun. The electronic gear buttons look ridiculous and take up as much space as a traditional PRNDL shifter. The list goes on.

If you described a car to ChatGPT and had it build something without any background knowledge or contextual awareness, the VF8 is what I imagine you’d get.

Hilariously, VinFast’s executives actually warned me that the car might constantly chime with warnings while driving, and lo, that was my experience. You can program all sorts of drive settings and driver-assistance preferences, but the moment you get out of the car, everything resets. Thankfully, the standard Level 2 driving aid – which combines adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and lane-keeping assist – operates without hiccups. But you can also turn it on whenever you want, and like Tesla’s Autopilot, VinFast’s system won’t ask you to put your hands on the wheel, which is unsafe. It’s all just so wild.

It Gets Worse

From a ride and handling standpoint, the VF8 needs big-time help. The crap suspension damping and motion sickness–inducing body movements aren’t even the biggest issues. The steering response is nonlinear and inconsistent, and there is absolutely no feedback delivered through the wheel. It’s terrible, especially when you put the VF8 in Sport mode and the steering becomes so overboosted that it’s borderline uncontrollable. My car also pulled to the right on flat surfaces, so that’s fun.

I cannot believe this is a vehicle you can go out and buy right now.

The brakes are decent, and there are two levels of regeneration, but even the highest setting isn’t strong enough to allow for one-pedal driving. You can turn a creep function on and off, but if you choose the latter, there’s no hill hold assist and the VF8 will roll forward or backward(!) if you take your foot off the brake while stopped.

If you described a car to ChatGPT and had it build something without any background knowledge or contextual awareness, the VF8 is what I imagine you’d get. Drive literally any other modern car back to back with the VF8 and you’ll see how much catching up VinFast has to do.

Failure To Launch

I could maybe – maybe – forgive some of this stuff if the VinFast was priced well below its competition. But with a starting price of $50,200 including a $1,200 destination charge, the VF8 is more expensive than the majority of its rivals. Even worse, the nicely equipped City Edition Plus costs $57,200. A fully loaded Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD? $57,835 including destination. No way in hell would I ever recommend the VF8 over an Ioniq 5, let alone any other new EV. VinFast’s solid 10-year, 125,000-mile warranty and 24/7 access to mobile service technicians can’t even sweeten this deal.

VinFast says the VF8 can be updated over the air, but even if the company completely smooths out every bit of the SUV’s software, that won’t fix the inherent troubles. There’s no unique selling point; no big reason to roll the dice on a new brand. The VF8 feels and drives like a prototype vehicle that’s a year away from launch. It needs work. A lot of work. I cannot believe this is a vehicle you can go out and buy right now.

VinFast's Competition:

I will always root for the underdog. I genuinely want VinFast to succeed. I hope the company takes these VF8 criticisms to heart and uses them to make its future products better.

Speaking of which, VinFast had a VF9 – its full-size SUV – on display at the VF8 event, which was cool, since I hadn’t seen one in person. When I went to check it out, another journalist pointed out that the VF9’s rear end was being held up by jack stands because part of its air suspension had collapsed. The VF9 is currently on sale in Vietnam and is expected to cost $83,000 when it arrives in the US. Fingers crossed.

Verdict

I spend some of my spare time singing the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, which is chock-full of talented performers and singers. As in any artistic group, there are at least a few standouts, some of whom sing in basso profondos or clarion tenors and some who can dance ballroom or ballet with equal elán. And in most auditioned arts organizations, jealousy can spring up when great talents vie for the same solos or dance parts.

Alfa Romeo seemingly feels that way since its charming Tonale subcompact crossover is auditioning for the same consumer cash as the structurally identical (and cheaper) Dodge Hornet, which was revealed afterward but was still first to market – expect the Italian to hit dealers by the end of the month, by the way. Yes, the Tonale gets a standard plug-in hybrid powertrain and Alfa-specific design cues, but some customers might see its $13,000 higher starting price and wonder if the Italian badge and 30-mile electric range are worth the cost.

Luckily, the Tonale has a few tricks that give it a measure of Italian flavor, differentiating itself from both the copycat Hornet and more obvious Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1 rivals. And where better to enjoy the Alfa's uniqueness than near its ancestral homeland in Milan, Italy, including some time on the Stellantis proving grounds in Balocco?

A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here.

Piling On The Pride

The Tonale features a more holistic, appealing design than its corporate cousin. Its grille incorporates Alfa Romeo’s signature trilobo motif – a shield-shaped center section with mustachioed lower apertures flanking it – but extra openings between the headlights and the grille also recall Alfa Romeos of the 1990s. Ditto the three-element daytime running lamps, whose angular design is intended to harken back to the outrageous SZ sports car. And the oval daylight opening and rear hatch glass, although shared with the Dodge, look more appropriate on an Alfa, where they link to the Stelvio crossover (and 8C Competizione, if you squint).

Overall, there’s no denying the Tonale’s parentage, although the small crossover doesn’t look as sinuous and muscular as its Giulia and Stelvio siblings. Blame the front-drive–biased architecture, which places almost the entire engine ahead of the front axle and gives the small Alfa a cab-forward appearance. But if the Tonale’s stance isn’t aggressive, it’s still endearingly pugnacious. One cute detail is the electrified Biscione serpent emblem in the left rear quarter window – the same side as the charging port. By giving the Alfa dragon a plug for a head, the automaker has blended its history with some silly futurism.

Inside, the Tonale takes inspiration from its siblings with a two-barrel digital gauge display, thick steering wheel with integrated start button, and a pair of well-bolstered front bucket seats. But in place of the Stelvio’s well-integrated infotainment display, the Tonale’s 10.3-inch unit sprouts up from the center stack. The dash design has a horizontal, rather than slanted, motif that helps the Tonale feel airier up front than the intimate (some would say claustrophobic) Stelvio. Unfortunately, the Tonale’s dashboard is done up in soft plastic that feels nice but has a high-gloss finish and unnatural grain that make it look cheap.

In fact, materials as a whole feel a bit disappointing. There’s way too much hard stuff, trimming most of the rear door panels and the entirety of the center tunnel. And the color choices are dour and un-Alfalike. While the Giulia and Stelvio have offered red, saddle brown, and tan interiors before, the Tonale gets a mostly black cabin, with red or tan stitching depending on trim level and exterior color.

Finding Zen At Speed

Even though this is Alfa Romeo’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle (the only way to buy a Tonale following Alfa's decision to drop the turbocharged 2.0-liter) in the United States, the Tonale has some pretty compelling PHEV cred going for it. Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.3-liter inline-four with 177 horsepower that drives the front wheels, while a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery in the center tunnel sends power rearward to a 121-hp electric motor.

Total output is 285 hp and 305 pound-feet, more grunt by far than the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, or Audi Q3. The spec-chart win translates to the open road, too, where the torque-rich electric motor fills in any small gaps in the turbo four’s output, with seamless handoff between the two. Unfortunately, the engine note is decidedly unlike the snorting Giulia and Stelvio – much less the blatty Alfas of old – but the gas engine fulfills its primary brief just fine.

A pair of massive aluminum shift paddles mounted to the steering column command a responsive six-speed automatic that sends internal-combustion power to the front wheels. That spec might sound dated, but it is very nicely suited to the Tonale, with smooth gear changes and ratios that keep the engine within its powerband in hard driving. The rear axle is EV-only, giving the Tonale through-the-road all-wheel drive with no physical connection between the front and rear wheels.

Toss the DNA drive mode selector into Dynamic and you’re met with the full force of the engine and electric motor at all times. Doing so ratchets up the amount of brake regeneration to recharge the battery, as well as sharpens up the throttle and stiffens the dampers – though you can manually request soft suspenders by pressing a button with a shock absorber icon. Don’t bother though, because the buttoned-down driving experience makes the Tonale a hoot to hustle on a switchback mountain road. If you push it hard, you’ll find a moderate amount of understeer, but Alfa’s smallest US offering still enjoys a brisk pace.

At the other end of the spectrum, Alfa Romeo promises at least 30 miles of all-electric range on a full charge, which feels like an easy target given I hit 36 miles in spite of hilly terrain and those aforementioned high-performance hijinks. When driven in Advanced Efficiency mode – the “A” in Alfa Romeo’s DNA drive selector – the car prioritizes electric propulsion at speeds up to 78 miles per hour, and a hushed cabin experience is the result. Adding to the comfort level is a mandatory soft suspension setting, which wafts a bit more but still gives the Tonale a smooth ride.

Inner Space

One benefit to the Alfa Romeo’s cab-forward design is a space-efficient cabin. Up front, tall folks should have no trouble getting comfortable, although I might like a bit more support in the shoulders when blasting through corners. Around back, the Tonale has more rear legroom than the larger Stelvio, with a longer seat bottom and upright seating position making it more comfortable and natural-feeling. By the measuring tape, the Tonale has about as much front- and second-row space as its primary competitors, the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

That near-parity holds up when loading the small crossover down with cargo. With 22.9 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats up, the Tonale is quite a bit larger than the 15.4-cube GLA but smaller than the 25.7 offered in the BMW or the 23.7 from the Audi. Drop the Alfa’s rear seats and 50.5 cubic feet of space, which is equal to the GLA and up on the Audi by 2.5, though again, the BMW is the champ here with 57.2 cubic feet.

Tonale's American Cousin:

Tech Time

Every Tonale sold in the US will come with a comprehensive list of standard technology features, among them a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and aforementioned touchscreen. The system runs Uconnect 5, which means it gets over-the-air updates and the same easy-to-use interface as in other Stellantis products. However, the graphics skin is a bit too close to Chrysler for comfort – Genesis, for example, visually differentiates its infotainment from Hyundai, and it feels distinct and luxurious for it. Even so, the responsive tech suite is among the best in the industry, much less the segment.

The 2024 Tonale also gets a full suite of standard active safety and driver assistance technology, including adaptive cruise control, lane centering, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring. On top of that, you can also tick a $1,950 box for Active Assist, a Level 2 system with traffic jam functionality that’s bundled with a surround-view camera and automatic parking. Although opportunities to use the optional system were infrequent in my first experience with the car, it did a fine job of keeping within the lane lines and distanced from leading traffic without any abrupt, disquieting motions or inputs.

Lira, Euros, Sawbucks

The Tonale starts at $44,590 including a $1,595 destination charge, between 4 and 7 grand more than Audi, BMW, or Mercedes rivals. At $53,590, my top-spec Veloce was nearly fully loaded, with the Active Assist pack, a $2,000 set of appealing 20-inch wheels, and a $500 coat of Rosso Alfa paint. If you want genuine leather upholstery (replacing Alcantara), ventilated seats, and a Harman Kardon audio system, budget another $2,500 for an interior upgrade package.

That’s a big pile of cash for a small crossover, and again more than the Tonale’s key rivals when comparably equipped. However, none of those competitors offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and the 30 or so miles of gas-free driving might be enough to justify heading to the Alfa dealer. If plug-in functionality is important to you, then the Tonale is the only game in town – at least until the Hornet R/T arrives on the scene.

The plug-in Dodge is a few thousand bucks cheaper than its Tonale cousin, starting at $41,590 and rising to just over 50 large fully loaded. Of course, then you have to deal with the puzzled looks you might get from your Charger-driving friends, who’ll wonder why you spent 40 large on a would-be Honda CR-V rival. And there’s also the grafted-on look of the Dodge’s front fascia, which isn’t nearly as appealing as the snorty, SZ-inspired Tonale.

As with any Alfa Romeo, choosing the company’s new small crossover is a decision motivated by emotion, not logic. The Dodge Hornet is cheaper and just about as good as the Tonale, but it’s less stylish and lacks upmarket cachet. The German competition is likewise less expensive, and their interiors look a bit richer. But they lack the Tonale’s driving verve (and PHEV left-brain appeal). Even against a chorus of alternatives, the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale still manages to stand out and sing proud.

Tonale Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Smaller Than The Stelvio?

Yes. The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the company’s new entry-level crossover, competing with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1, and Audi Q3.

Is The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale A Plug-In Hybrid?

Yes. In other markets, the Tonale is available with front-wheel drive and non-electrified powertrains, but here in the US, every version will have all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 1.3-liter engine / 15.5-kilowatt-hour battery combination. Total output between the engine and rear-mounted electric motor is a stout 285 hp.

How Much Cargo Space Does The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Have?

The Tonale has 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, rising to 50.5 with them folded down. That’s roughly average for its class.

How Far Can The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Go On EV Power?

Official EPA ratings aren’t yet available, but Alfa Romeo says the Tonale should be able to drive 30 miles on a full charge, at which point the car reverts to hybrid operation.

It may not look all that aggressive at first glance, but the 2023 Kia EV6 GT is shockingly sporty – pun intended. The GT does have a few shouty elements, like acid green brakes and big ol' 21-inch wheels, but the mostly anonymous electric crossover won't wow you with its looks, it will wow you with how it performs.

A whopping 576 horsepower and a supercar-rivaling sprint to 60 make this one of the quickest and most powerful EVs on the market today. Not even the Porsche Taycan GTS can match the EV6 GT's 3.4-second sprint to 60. And while its performance figures are hugely improved over the standard EV6, the GT still doesn't feel all that unruly by comparison – in fact, it's still pretty darn comfy most of the time.

Pros

Big Performance Bump

We’ve said in the past that some other so-called “performance” EVs don't turn the dial far enough. In the case of the EV6 GT, though, the gulf between the base model and this version is significant. The 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque mark improvements of 256 hp and 99 lb-ft over the next-best EV6, and the GT's rocketing zero-to-60 time of 3.4 seconds makes it a full second quicker than the standard EV.

The secret to all the performance is a neon green GT button at the base of the steering wheel, exclusive to this trim. Pressing that button is the only way to unlock all 576 hp and 545 lb-ft, otherwise, you’re limited to 287 hp and 430 hp in Eco and Normal modes respectively.

So with all that instantaneous torque from those two electric motors, grip at all four corners, and excellent Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber, the EV6 GT launches into an all-out assault on pavement. Hell, there's even a drift mode that reduces power on the front axle and allows you to kick out the rear tires with ease.

Adjustable Acceleration Sounds

Every company has its own spaceship-like acceleration sound for their EVs. BMW even went so far as to ping Hans Zimmer to come up with its distinctive noise. Kia, though, actually has three different acceleration sounds for you to pick from in the EV6 GT, each one with its own unique flair.

The sound choices range between Stylish, Dynamic, and Cyber. The Stylish and Cyber options are similar higher-pitched notes like something out of a video game, but the Dynamic choice is more interesting. Even at low speeds, the Dynamic sound has a rumble almost akin to a gas engine but creeps up to futuristic territory once you get going. It’s a unique sensation.

Still Practical And Comfortable

Arguably the best thing about the Kia EV6 GT is that you get supercar-rivaling speed without having to give up most of the comfort and practicality found in the base model. Move the drive mode dial over the Eco or Normal, and as mentioned, the EV6 GT limits power, relaxes the throttle response, and softens up the suspension for a more controlled drive experience. The big 21-inch wheels are the only detriment to the otherwise excellent ride quality; they make the ride feel harsh over rough roads. Otherwise, the EV6 GT is a great daily driver.

Super-Fast Charging

One of the biggest downfalls of this car is its limited range – which you’ll read about in just a second. But to make up for a rather diminutive figure, Kia made sure that both the base EV6 and the GT model can recharge in a proverbial flash. At 240 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, the EV6 GT will go from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes (and the first 1,000 kilowatt-hours are free at Electrify America).

By comparison, the Tesla Model Y Performance will get to 80 percent in 30 minutes at 250 kilowatts while the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT takes 45 minutes at 150 kilowatts. That said, both of those rivals have larger packs to recharge, which accounts for some of their disadvantage.

Meet The EV6's Cousins:

Cons

Limited Range

The EV6 GT has a rather small 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery, which pales in comparison to the 91.0-kWh pack in the Mach-E GT and is even down on the 81.0-kWh pack in the Tesla Model Y. The EV6 GT’s 206 miles of range is also the lowest of the competitive set; the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT has up to 270 miles of range and the Tesla Model Y Performance offers up to 303 miles. For reference, the non-GT dual-motor EV6 covered 245 miles in an InsideEVs range test.

Bad Charging Port Location

Here’s one that you might scoff at: the charging port is in a bad location. While there is no universal standard for charging port or charging station configurations (...yet), having the port on the right rear of the vehicle just underneath the taillight makes it difficult to access a number of chargers. For every charger located at the rear of the parking spot, you have to back in. And for chargers positioned to the side of the vehicle – like my local Electrify America – there’s really no easy way to plug in. Having the charging port on the side of the vehicle still seems to be the superior option.