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2025 BMW X3 xDrive30i review by Ben Lewis

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Compact Crossover/SUVs or SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) as BMW likes to call theirs remain one of the most popular in any carmakers line up. And it’s definitely true for BMW – the X3 is the brand’s best-selling model. So, when it comes time to make an all-new version, you know that there’s intense pressure to get it right. After all, you have a lot of X3 fans, and also a lot of competition from almost every other manufacturer from Toyota Land Cruiser to Mercedes. So now we have the 2025 BMW X3, the all-new 4th generation of the Sport Activity …

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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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2025 Kia K4 review by Ben Lewis

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As you may have noticed, the compact crossover/SUV is pretty much the de facto family car these days. But there are still plenty of folks who would prefer a small sedan or hatch. Cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla still sell well. And so did the Kia Forte, a small sedan we really liked, especially in the sportier trims. Well, the Forte was getting long in the tooth, so Kia has brought out its replacement, the all-new K4. Designed to be a better fit into the current Kia lineup, does it have the goods to compete against the …

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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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2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz review by Ben Lewis

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This week we were celebrities. Well, at least we felt like one. When you’re driving the new VW ID. Buzz you get a lot of attention, and it’s almost universally positive. Everyone seems to love it. Do we? Let’s find out! Retro Futuristic The Good Vibes start with the ID.’s cool exterior. And it’s one that got constant thumbs-up, peace signs (so 60’), Shaka’s (Aloha to you!) and loads of questions and smiles. First things first – this is a much larger vehicle than the original Microbus. And while a smaller version is offered in Europe, we don’t get that …

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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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2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail review by Ben Lewis

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Remember the original Toyota Prius? It pretty much coined the term Hybrid for the automotive world. And for a long time, that meant so-so performance and sparkling fuel economy. Along the way, Toyota improved performance along the way, and vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 Prime were one of the fastest Toyota’s ever, and of course, still had great fuel numbers. Oh and the new Prius is a stunner, too! So, it became clear that Hybrids could do more than just sip fuel, and now we’re seeing hybrids everywhere – even in the new Porsche 911. So, when Lexus decided to …

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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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2025 Toyota Sienna Platinum review by Ben Lewis

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It’s interesting to see how the attitudes over minivans have changed over the years. At first, they were loved for the space and practicality, especially among those with families. Then, as SUVs got popular, the van got pushed back as being un-hip, un-cool. But don’t feel too bad, because there is still a loyal following for the loyal family transpo…and they continue to get better all the time. Case in point, our new 2025 Toyota Sienna gets some great new features and a new interior look, making it a great choice for those that need a smart people mover. How …

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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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2024 Honda Prologue Elite review by Ben Lewis

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It’s interesting to see what’s happening in the EV marketplace. While many manufacturers like Kia and Hyundai were quick to jump on the EV bandwagon, it seems the Japanese carmakers were late coming to the party. Yes, you’ll find plenty of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, but full-on EV’s – not so much. So, when Honda decided it needed an EV SUV to bring to market, they did a smart thing. Instead of paying tons of time and money to develop an in-house vehicle, they went to another carmaker and adapted something already for sale. In this case Honda went …

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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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2025 Lexus ES 350 review by Ben Lewis

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We’ve spent some time in the 2025 Lexus ES 350 this week, and one thought keeps coming back to our mind – “no worries”.  The quality, the sterling reputation for reliability, customer care and the way it goes about its business, the ES 350 surrounds you in goodness. Is it the right car for you? Let’s find out! Good Looks The ES 350 starts its presentation with handsome lines and an attention to detail that says prestige. This is a vehicle you’d be happy to have in your driveway. While the ES is not trendy, for 2025, the return of …

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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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2025 Toyota GR86 Hakone Edition review by Ben Lewis

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We love cars. Actually, we love all kinds of cars. But ones that makes us smile the most are small, rear-wheel drive coupes and convertibles designed for the purpose of driving fun. And we don’t mind a bargain, either. Throw those altogether in the mix, and you get a surprisingly small list. 1. The Mazda Miata. And 2 (or 2-3) the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ twins. And another thing we love – the manufacturers here could pretty much sit back on their laurels and sell these great cars without bothering to touch ‘em. But they don’t. Mazda and Toyota/Subaru (Toybaru?) consistently …

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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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Review: The Chevrolet Blazer EV RS AWD Goes Big on Style, and Bigger on Mainstream Appeal

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Those of us old enough to remember the ‘90s might remember Recycle Rex and his hit song: “Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Close the Loop.” It’s an earworm, to be sure, and it, alongside programs like Captain Planet, taught us it was cool to care about the environment. In the case of the song, though, it did so in the wrong way. Kind of. In later years—once recycling was no longer a novel concept—we’d learn that while the ideas are good, they’re presented in the wrong order. To be a good friend of the Earth, you first reduce what you consume, …

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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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2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus review by Ben Lewis

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In the world of auto manufacturers, Mazda remains an independent voice. And you gotta love ‘em, they have stayed true to their vision of driving enjoyment – hey this is the Miata company! – and also have been moving the brand upscale at the same time. The only problem is, developing tech like EV, hybrid, and more is expensive and time consuming. And while EV’s seem to be on the back burner now, hybrid models are still hot, hot, hot. So Mazda did a very smart thing, they partnered with Toyota to add a hybrid powertrain to the already-sweet Mazda …

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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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2025 Volkswagen Taos SE review by Ben Lewis

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We’ve always been fans of VW’s Taos, their smallest SUV/Crossover, and the de-facto replacement for the VW Golf that we always liked as well. Despite being their most affordable offering, for 2025 VW has given the Taos updated looks, enhanced technology and more power. Sounds like a great reason for a road test! Clean and Modern You’ll really notice the update on the front, which reminds us of VW ID4, one of the manufacturer’s popular EV models. There’s a new larger grille with an aggressive pattern, a light bar that spans the width of the hood and brackets the familiar …

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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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2024 VW Golf GTI 380 S review by Ben Lewis

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There are few great driver’s cars for the hard-earned dollar than the VW GTI. But the carmaker has announced that 2024 will be the last year for the manual transmission model. OK, the DSG automatic is a great transmission, but still, there’s something special about driving a stick. So, when VW offered us one last dance with a three-pedal GTI, we jumped at the chance. Kicking “S” With a refreshed model due in 2025, our ’24 tester has few changes but it’s still a great looking car. At front, the look is aggressive, with frowny LED headlights, a horizontal red …

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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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2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line review by Ben Lewis

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If you’re looking for an SUV, you’re spoiled for choice. Maybe too spoiled! From compact to full-size, 5-passenger to 8, gas, hybrid, EV, you name it, someone’s got it. VW’s smart, too –while many will want the larger 3-row Atlas SUV, some like the size and premium features, but only need room for 5. Voila! Enter the Atlas Cross Sport – a sportier, 2-row model that still offers the premium goodness of its larger sibling. Could this be right for you? Let’s take a look. Big, Bold and Blue With a massive refresh for the 2024 model, the Cross Sport …

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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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2025 GR Toyota Corolla Premium Plus review by Ben Lewis

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We live in interesting times. Two years ago when we tested the 2023 GR Corolla, it seemed like the internal combustion engine was on the way out, and for performance, you’d be looking at EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Not so fast! Both the market and administration have changed, and it seems like our future may not be all electric. Or at least not so soon. So, vehicles like the GR Corolla will continue to provide great thrills, and with some notable updates for 2025, including a newly available automatic transmission, it’s worth taking another look at one …

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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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