reviews|FirstDrive

Lexus' Best Compromise Yet Ever since the Prius unexpectedly became the Xerox of hybrids and a greenie icon, Toyota has been trying to figure out how to apply the technology to its other models. Its results have been decidedly mixed, nowhere more so than with its luxury lineup. But with the 2013 ...

EcoBoost Finds Right Mix Of Power, Efficiency The sport utility vehicle became an endangered species not long after fuel prices began to skyrocket. But while vehicle buyers changed their shopping habits, they didn't actually stray that far from the SUV formula. Many of today's hottest-selling ...

VW Finally Rediscovers Its (Very) Small Car Roots Big old Volkswagen is back to thinking small, and it's finally doing it right. After two frankly awful attempts at supplying the rest of the world with cheap tin boxes called Fox and Lupo, company bosses have done some soul searching and this is ...

Is 42 MPG The Ultimate Answer To The Ultimate Question? On paper, it sounds like an enthusiast's dream. Start by trimming almost 100 pounds from the curb weight of the base Chevrolet Cruze. Then drop the optional turbocharged engine underhood, bolted to a six-speed manual transmission. Lower the ...

Meeting The Next-Generation Chevrolet Mid-Size It's been a very long time since the midsize market went easy on American automakers, and recent years have conspired to make an uphill sales slog even steeper with a rash of new and redesigned models. Kia and Hyundai have taken up arms by offering ...

A Flywheel-Equipped Race Car Leaves Us Whirring for More Spinning at 36,000 revolutions per minute just two feet from my right thigh, a 31-pound flywheel is screaming like a five-horsepower Shop-Vac with the filter removed. The sound pierces the composite shell of my racing helmet and drills ...

Light Weight, Rear-Wheel Drive And Instant Torque Bubble Up There are two simple truths about the Mitsubishi i that should help this funky little electric car sell well in the U.S. once it goes on sale later this year. First, it looks like absolutely nothing else on the road today. Second, the ...

Revisiting A Green-Tinged Guilty Pleasure Your smug neighbors clean their clothes with Method laundry detergent, they've laid down cork flooring on their first floor and they have organic cotton shower curtains hanging in all four of their bathrooms. Driveways around the country are filled with ...

Toyota Masters The Art Of The Conjunctive The hybrid lexicon is a language built on a foundation of disjunction. Buyers may have phenomenal fuel economy or space for kids and cargo. You can embarrass your neighbors at the fuel pump or have a satisfying driving experience. In fact, opting for a ...

Green Speed I had been anticipating the pre-dawn run to the airport for a few days. Having spent the week with a Porsche Panamera Turbo, complete with the torque-boosting Sport Chrono pack (yes, that one), the blast to SFO was a fitting sendoff. It was also perfectly timed. I was boarding a ...