Opinion

BMW and its M division are gearing up for a busy 2022. It’s got quite a lot of vehicles lined up for debut, like the M2, the M3 Touring, the XM, and even the iX M60. Amidst all this, we now get news that the performance arm of the German automaker is planning for a special vehicle. This is rumored to be a special edition of the BMW M4 to commemorate BMW M’s 50th anniversary. But, do you think the company will mark its Golden Jubilee with just another M4?

Hyundai revealed the Vision T concept at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show with a promise that it would loan at least some of its DNA to the next-generation Tucson. As a very bold concept, it didn’t seem likely that much of its design would make it to production, but here we are looking at the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and, sure enough, it has a daring new design akin to that of the concept that previewed it. The new entry-level Tucson has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is derived from the Sonata, but a Hybrid and PHEV model is also available. The Tucson comes fairly well equipped even in base trim, but it’s the comfort, practicality, and driving dynamics that will really wow you. The Tucson has an uphill battle in a crowded segment, with its main competitors including the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, and even the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Five years into its lifecycle, and the AMG GT sports car has grown into its own dedicated lineup that includes a convertible and the car you see here – a sedan that Mercedes markets as a four-door… ahem… 4-door coupe. This specific model blends the sporty essence of the coupe with the comfort, practicality, and family friendliness of a traditional sedan. We got to spend an entire week with the AMG GT53 – the middleman between the new GT43 and the GT63 (and GT63 S) to see just what it’s like to live with the sportiest four-door car Mercedes makes.

The Mercedes-Benz GLB, in general, is a weirdly positioned vehicle that seems derived from nothing more than Mercedes’ desire to populate every single corner of a segment possible. It sits between the GLA and GLC, which makes it not quite small enough to be declared a subcompact, but not exactly large enough to sit in the compact segment, either. It is a comfortable vehicle, has a rugged look and feel to it, and it can even be had with a third-row seat – something essentially unheard of in this segment (and largely unusable). We’re comparing it to the BMW X3 and Audi SQ5, which might seem a little silly at first, but you’ll understand as we dig deeper into it. This is what it’s like to live the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35, and why it may or may not be for you.

There’s no denying that in its short time in existence, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has seen its fair share of controversy. It started off when the name was officially announced, and to be honest, even a year in, not everyone is convinced that Ford’s first important EV is worthy of the Mach name. Is the Mustang Mach-E a true Mustang? Is it worth the price? How does it stack up against its non-Tesla competitors like the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Audi E-Tron? The answers to these questions will probably surprise you.

Automotive designer Frank Stephenson uses his YouTube channel to provide competent judgments and interesting ideas that help expand our knowledge on aesthetics and car design. In his latest video, he discusses the three models from one of my favorite car brands of all time, Jaguar.

When Ford launched the Focus RS with its famed, albeit accidentally created drift mode, it was a very cool marketing gimmick. There’s not a lot of use for such a thing for most folks, but it’s cool to say you have the functionality. What we didn’t know at the time, however, was that Ford’s happy little accident sparked a whole new trend, and that trend is already starting to get ridiculous.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra came out with all guns blazing. It doesn’t offer a plethora of engine options like its American rivals, but it still has a strong and loyal fan base who swear by its reliability. No wonder the Tundra and the Tacoma have a high demand even in the pre-worshipped market. While the 2022 model’s highlight was the new hybrid engine, there’s one other thing that deserves attention – its composite bed. It is said to be more abuse-friendly, but is that true?

The Nissan Rogue rolled into its third generation for the 2021 model year as the brand’s best-selling vehicle and one of the most popular small SUVs on the market. That’s saying a lot since it contends with cars like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, among many others. The third generation kicks off with updated looks, new tech, and some all-new features along with an all-new range-topping Platinum trim – the model we just spent an entire week with. Will the third-gen Rogue live up to the standards set by its predecessor and, more importantly, can it overshadow its stiff competition?

Mitsubishi revealed the fourth-generation Outlander back in February 2021 with a lot of styling influenced by the Engelberg Concept, but if you’re hoping to get all that new goodness in an Outlander PHEV, you’re out of luck. Why? Well, because while the rest of the Outlander lineup transitioned into a new generation, here we have the forgotten Outlander PHEV that’s still stuck in the past, flaunting styling and tech that’s beyond dated. So, is it still worth it to buy an Outlander PHEV in 2021 or should you look for alternatives? Our tester had a final price of $39,835 and its generation went into production in 2012, so you should probably read on if you really want the answer to that question.

At the onset, it seems like the Grand Cherokee L is nothing but a Grand Cherokee with an extra row of seats. Essentially, that’s pretty much true, but, it is much more than just that. The Grand Cherokee L rides on a new platform, comes with a whole lot of new tech features, and is arguably the most off-road capable SUV in the segment. The standard Jeep Grand Cherokee is a big hit, selling over 200,000 examples every year. So, instead of coming up with a completely new model altogether, Jeep decided to build on the Grand Cherokee’s reputation by offering a product with the same ethos, but a lot of distinct differentiation.

Chevrolet debuted the twelfth-gen of the Suburban in December 2019. The SUV came out looking rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Introduced as the 2021 model year Suburban, the SUV was now based on a new platform, featured a new diesel engine option, and came with a range-topping High Country trim. Chevy even capitalized on space optimization, plonked in a new suspension setup, and turned all the screws in the right direction to make this a complete package.

We recently laid our hands on the 2021 Chevy Suburban in the Premier trim with the Duramax diesel engine. Our example was finished in a black exterior shade and looked exquisite, to say the least. It is definitely one of the best full-size SUVs that you can buy today with a five-digit budget.

The Hyundai Venue isn’t only one of the brand’s newest cars, but it’s also the smallest SUV or crossover the brand currently sells. As a subcompact model, it competes with models like the Mazda CX-30 and Honda HR-V, but there’s a catch, because the Venue is significantly smaller, sitting on the lower border of the subcompact segment. With that in mind, we have been itching to find out if a smaller, more affordable Hyundai can actually hold its own against the larger, more expensive competition. It does have its faults, but you’ll be surprised as to what those faults really are.

When Kia change the name of the Optima to K5, it was more than just a name change. With that new designation came a sportier sedan with a simple and attractive interior, and a pair of engines that put you one two different sides of the same fence: Economy or Performance. After driving the GT-Line AWD, we felt like we were wanting more. It looked faster, but it was essentially the same car as the standard K5 with AWD and sportier looks. So, does the K5 GT scratch that it? Well, it really does, but it certainly has it flaws, the most important of which is, arguably, the lack of AWD – something can actually be dangerous for unskilled drivers or those not used to having 300-horsepower at their disposal. Keep reading to learn, why?

The Infiniti QX50 started out life as the EX, and that name held strong until 2013 when, instead of introducing a new generation, the company change the name of the EX. The first-gen model carried on until the second-gen QX50 – the model that you see here – was launched at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show as a 2019 model. Being only a couple of years old at this point, the second-gen QX50 should be still be nice, fresh, and competitive, but is it really? We just spent a week with it to find out for ourselves. This is our story.

The sixth-generation Nissan Altima has been on the market since 2018, and was generally received as more technologically advanced, better looking, and better equipped than the fifth-gen model. Three years in, however, and it’s easy to wonder if the Altima can still hold its own so close to its mid-cycle update. We spent a week with the Altima VC-T to see just how well it manages to navigate the cut-throat midsize sedan market.

Yamaha is a company mostly associated with motorcycles and musical instruments. There are also the occasional collaborations between Yamaha and certain carmakers – mostly (but not limited to) Toyota – where they design engines for high-performance vehicles. Some more notable examples are the Toyota 2000GT, Ford Taurus SHO, Lexus LFA, and others. What many don’t know, however, is that in the 1990s, Yamaha decided to build a car of its own. It was called the OX99-11 and although it ultimately failed, there are many interesting facts about this weird-looking supercar, which we are now sharing with you.

Being on the market since 2017, it might seem logical to glance over the Mercedes E-Class until a new-gen model arrives in a few years. That actually couldn’t be further from the truth because the E-Class lineup was refreshed for 2021 with new technology, and updated appearance, and a more efficient powertrain. We’ve been itching to see how the new E-Class stands after its most recent refresh, so Mercedes let us spend a week with the E450 Wagon. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the fifth-gen E-Class has aged well, and in fact, we’d take the E450 Wagon over most SUVs – how’s that for a plot twist?

For very many years, the Ford F-150 Raptor was the only off-road standalone model you could get straight from the factory. Ram, however, decided to come up with a rival for it and announced its intention by coming up with a concept performance off-road truck in 2016 called the TRX. Pretty much everything we saw there made it to the production version as well.

Fast forward to 2020, Ram launched the TRX as a Raptor-killer by upping the ante in almost every single department. The TRX was introduced with a supercharged V-8 that makes over 700 horses, impressive off-road equipment and specs, and an uber-premium cabin. Given all the bells and whistles Ram offered, there was no way this was going to be an inexpensive truck. Ram priced it at $69,000 at launch in the ‘base’ form. At that time, it was clearly positioned above the Raptor as they both had a significant price difference.

While this is a truck that you definitely want, is this a truck that you actually need? A white 2021 Ram TRX arrived at TopSpeed and we find out the answer to that.