Carl Malek

Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com. Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.

Comparision – 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD PRO vs 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO

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When Toyota announced that it would be replacing the long-running 4Runner with its 2025 counterpart, the mood was mixed. The 2025 model was the update that many 4Runner fans always wanted with the SUV bringing a new powertrain, a better interior, and more technology to consumers. That said, it also had lofty shoes to fill with the outgoing one having its roots in the latter half of the 2000s and establishing a strong following of buyers despite the wrinkles it accumulated towards the end of its run. But which one is best and is it wise to go for the …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Hummer 3X Pickup

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Hummers were once known for being giant off-road machines that could go virtually anywhere and bring plenty of performance to the table especially in H1 guise (H2 and H3s were GM-created understudies to boost demand for the brand.) However, the party ended when GM axed the brand as it sought to rebuild itself after filing for bankruptcy in the mid-2000s. So when GM chose to bring the Hummer brand back from the dead to spearhead its EV ambitions in 2022, it sent a strong message and also brought an icon into the new age. Much has changed since then and …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn

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When Volkswagen said that it was axing the manual transmission from the GTI, it felt like the end of an era. While the GTI has evolved over the past few decades, the manual transmission has always been a reliable partner for the model and stuck with it through the good times and the bad times. However, Volkswagen thinks that it has offered a decent trade-off for buyers in the form of better features and improved technology. But is all of this enough to make the GTI a better performance vehicle option for buyers as it faces increased competition from compact …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Lincoln Aviator Black Label

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Lincoln is a brand that has gone all in on SUVs with the luxury brand kicking sedans and other types of vehicles to the curb as it attempts to lure in buyers who were more than happy to go to rivals like Cadillac, Land Rover, and Lexus during the dark days of the brand where they were admittedly far from being a top contender in its class. One of these models is the 2025 Lincoln Aviator an SUV that is attempting to expand the brand’s reach to buyers that want a nice three-row option but don’t want to pay the …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Lexus TX 500h F-Sport

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Alphanumeric nameplates have become as abundant as letters in a big bowl of soup with many automakers choosing to use them over traditional names which is bad news for folks who remember a time when iconic monikers like Camaro, Town Car, and others were regular sights on U.S. roads. This trend is not going away anytime soon, and Lexus is aiming to take full advantage with the 2025 Lexus TX 500h F-Sport. but does the F-Sport have the secret sauce needed to make it stand out from its source material the Toyota Grand Highlander? TX goes off in its own …

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First Look – 2025 Toyota 4Runner – An Icon Reborn

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When Toyota embarked on updating the 4Runner for 2025, the company knew it had a lofty task on its hands. The outgoing 4Runner had its roots in the early 2000s but it managed to amass a cult following that demanded perfection and eventually demanded that Toyota make updates to the aging SUV. The 2025 model promises to build on these building blocks and enhance many of the things that customers have come to love about the 4Runner. But does it succeed in filling the shoes left by the old model? Tacoma DNA makes 4Runner a better SUV The 2025 Toyota …

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Road Test Review – 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club

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Mazda’s iconic MX-5 Miata has always been the proverbial little engine that could with the tiny two-seater becoming a strong seller for the Japanese auto giant in recent years. This is largely due to its simple formula of providing thrills with little power and the fact that it has seductive exterior styling doesn’t hurt either. However, some elements of the recipe were starting to age, and Mazda has addressed some of these trouble spots by giving the model a light refresh for 2024 which also comes bundled with some welcome upgrades as well. The MX-5 exterior and interior updates are …

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Are American Buyers Ditching Trucks and SUVs? New Study Says Yes

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Large trucks and SUVs have rapidly become an iconic slice of American culture. Bigger is better often defined sales plans for the Detroit Big Three in the 1990s and the early 2000s with outside factors often providing a short-term dent in sales before they would go back up again. However, it seems that automakers could soon be facing a big problem in sales with a new study revealing more American buyers are not only moving away from large trucks but also large SUVs in a potential shift in the market which comes at a time when tariffs and an uncertain …

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Road Test Review – 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance

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The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG was a rowdy symbol of high-performance fun in the C-Class model lineup. The C63 was well known for its V8 in recent years with the eight-cylinder allowing the car to have a unique identity even at a time when smaller powerplants became the new normal in the segment. However, even the C63 had to face the music when it came to tightening fuel economy regulations in Europe with the V8 feeling the squeeze from regulators and shifting priorities from buyers in the performance vehicle segment. These shifting tides inspired Mercedes-Benz to take an interesting approach to …

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Cancelled Heavy-Duty Ram EV Leads To Legal Battle

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EV pickups have made waves in recent years thanks to their combination of functionality, styling, and electrification with their large platforms being perfect rolling test beds for EV technology. However, while they look stylish cruising down your local road and can haul a good amount of payload in their beds, towing has never been a strong suit for them and when you combine that with the task of lugging heavy payloads, EVs see their range and battery power drain away with every single EV truck on the market being beaten in towing and payload by gas-powered trucks. This has caused …

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Road Test Review – 2024 Toyota Corolla FX – Compact Style

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The Toyota Corolla and the art of expressive styling have not exactly had a good relationship. The Corolla was always known as a function-focused vehicle with styling often being cast aside for conformity and practicality. Toyota is out to change that and while the GR Corolla is a recent exception to this rule, the rest of the Corolla lineup still didn’t have a true style package to appeal to younger buyers. The company is out to change that with the all-new FX package which adds bigger wheels and other minor styling touches to the Corolla sedan in an attempt to …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon Edition

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The Mazda CX-5 might feel like it’s being pushed out of the spotlight with the CX-50 and the bigger CX-90 filling the niches that it was once asked to fill by itself. However, the CX-5 is still a strong seller for Mazda and the CUV even has a strong following of customers who have stuck with the model despite broader changes in Mazda’s lineup. Mazda has decided to reward this loyalty with the 2025 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Carbon Edition. Carbon models are typically known for injecting more style into a Mazda model but with the CX-5 potentially facing the …

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Road Test Review – 2024 Lexus NX 350h Luxury AWD

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The venerable Lexus NX has been through its fair share of ups and downs but ultimately, it always manages to come up with a good run of good fortune with the compact CUV meant to give Lexus a middle-rung player slotted between the smaller UX and the iconic RX. Some would say that the NX is starting to lose its edge and that it’s starting to get soft around the edges. But is that the case? We wanted to find out. Lexus NX is still the sharpest member of the family The Lexus NX was designed to be stylish and …

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Road Test Review – 2024 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition

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The Mazda CX-50 has rapidly emerged as a key player in Mazda’s SUV strategy. While the bigger CX-90 often steals the spotlight due to its bigger size and segment-blurring luxury, the smaller CX-50 stands out for its strong value game which allows it to be a near-perfect balance of luxury, value, and capability.  Mazda is hoping the CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition will be able to deliver some of the flagship luxury that’s missing from the model but is it still missing something that prevents it from being truly perfect? We were eager to find out. Meridian Edition adds flash to …

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Road Test Update – 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Premium – It’s Still Fun

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The Toyota GR Corolla was the answer to a question that many asked, what would happen if you took an average Corolla hatchback and threw everything at it in an attempt to make it faster, sharper, and rowdier than any Corolla that came before it? The answer is the GR Corolla a spunky three-cylinder powered monster designed to slay track days and make the art of driving fun again. Toyota had a strong start in sales with the Corolla proving to be popular with the first wave of buyers who pre-ordered the hot-to-trot Toyota for their garage. However, the company …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally

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Toyota’s Tundra pickup is striving to be like the smaller Tacoma when it comes to offering more for its buyers. The Tundra has an impressive roster of trims at its disposal and like the Tacoma, the Tundra is attempting to appeal to many niches of the pickup market as it attempts to stay relevant against established rivals from Ram, Ford, and Chevrolet. For 2025, Toyota is bringing a number of new updates to the rig including an all-new TRD Rally package for buyers who want a pinch of something special in their Toyota purchase and want more performance in their …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Toyota Sienna Platinum

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Toyota’s Sienna minivan has always been a favorite among family buyers. While the van’s exterior styling continues to be controversial, there’s no denying that it still continues to offer an impressive amount of practicality to go along with its all-hybrid powertrain lineup. However, what if you’re looking to add more luxury to your family vehicle experience but don’t want to move up into a big SUV to do it? Toyota thinks it might have the answer with the 2025 Sienna Platinum which is attempting to push the envelope of luxury while maintaining the Sienna’s universal appeal. Is it all enough …

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Fatal Xiaomi SU7 Crash Shines Spotlight on The Safety of Self-Driving Tech

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Chinese firm Xiaomi is riding a wave of momentum and praise with the company’s EVs bringing the fight to Tesla in the Chinese market. Self-driving technology and other innovations have become two key pillars for the company but a fatal crash involving a key EV model is raising questions about some of these innovations and how the danger they could put customers in might overshadow these benefits. Crash raises troubling concerns for Xiaomi The crash in question took place back on March 29th and involved Xiamoi’s SU7 EV. The four-door was reportedly traveling on the Dezhou–Shangrao Expressway in Anhui Province …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Hyundai Palisade XRT – Holding The Fort

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When Hyundai unveiled its XRT lineup of vehicles, the brand promised that the XRT badge would signal a more aggressive personality with some light pinches of trail-ready upgrades to make these vehicles better soft roaders. While the revamped Tucson, Ioniq 5, and Santa Cruz XRTs all reflect this practice in spades, the Palisade has always felt the odd man out. Does the 2025 XRT version still have what it takes to inject the Palisade with trailready spirit? XRT still has the buff looks At first glance, the XRT appears to have the looks to match the badge’s purpose with our …

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2025 Cadillac Optiq Injects Compact Fun Into the EV Segment

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Cadillac’s “IQ” lineup of EV vehicles is attempting to inject more vigor and buyers into the EV segment. While the 2025 Escalade IQ is attempting to win over ultra-wealthy buyers, Cadillac knows that it also has to appeal to other buying segments and some of the lower budgets that often come with them. This is the case with the 2025 Optiq which will be the new gateway model for the EV lineup moving -forward. But is the Optiq ready to bring the fight to a hotly contested CUV market while also continuing to deliver the tech and performance that buyers …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Subaru Legacy Touring XT – Goodbye Old Friend

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The Subaru Legacy is preparing to sing its final swan song as the venerable four-door prepares to exit the market in 2025. The Legacy is the latest casualty in a growing pool of axed sedan models as poor sales and a surge in SUV sales (in the Legacy’s case the Outback wagon was cannibalizing its sales) force automakers to rethink their sales strategies and put more of their resources into utility vehicle sales.  But the Legacy is still out to prove that even in its dying days, the four-door still has plenty to bring to the table and that customers …

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Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 Is Going For EV Gold, Can It Meet Expectations?

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With some of the ongoing flux that the EV market has been experiencing recently, it can be easy to forget that there are still several upcoming EVs that aim to bring sales bounty to their respective automakers. One of these is the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, a family vehicle that attempts to bring more family buyers into the EV lifestyle. Hyundai has plenty riding on the shoulders of this model with the first Korean spec models making their way to dealerships in Korea. But what can buyers here in the U.S. expect when the Ioniq 9 eventually makes its way …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Volkswagen Taos SEL – Updated and Eager To Please

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Volkswagen’s Taos CUV had a tall order on its plate when it was asked to replace the iconic Golf in the U.S. a few years ago. The Taos was meant to appeal to urban dwellers and give VW an entry that would be a true gateway model while also allowing the Tiguan to move upmarket as well. The Taos has proven to be somewhat successful in that regard but the CUV also suffered from styling that was too bland and preferred to lurk in the shadows of the crowded CUV segment.  Volkswagen is now attempting to bring it into the …

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Tariffs Poised To Smash U.S. Auto Industry As Mexico China, and Canada Respond With Sanctions

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March 4th could go down as a historic date in U.S. history with President Donald Trump unleashing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada while also beefing up existing tariffs on China. All three countries responded with matching trade sanctions and Canada promised the United States will regret their actions. But what will these tariffs mean for consumers and car buyers? Prices will surge The new tariffs on Mexico and Canada will cause prices to go up on a multitude of goods but while paying more for avocados or maple syrup at the grocery store will be one part of the …

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Road Test Review – 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited – Comfort & Efficency

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The Hyundai Sonata is bringing a fresh perspective and a new attitude to the family sedan segment. It’s no secret that the segment as a whole has been withering on the vine with a growing pool of nameplates all being sacrificed to make room for CUV and SUV entries. The 2024 Sonata is one of the few entries left that’s continuing to bring the fight to rivals with a major redesign adding more depth to the four-door. Looks are a Sonata strong suit A potent selling point of the Hyundai Sonata is its exterior styling with the front end getting …

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Hyundai”s Inster Promises Compact EV Versatility, Could It Work In The U.S.?

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Hyundai is making it clear that it intends to grab a large slice of the EV market with its growing lineup of EV models including the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 as well as the recently launched Ioniq 9. While this trio of EVs is shaping up to be a potent force for Hyundai, one missing piece of the puzzle is the small Inster. Known as the Casper in some markets, the tiny EV is supposed to be a budget entry for buyers and is also currently a tempting slice of forbidden fruit for U.S. buyers. But could the Inster …

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