A Smarter, Sleeker Hybrid From Toyota
Back in the dark days of automotive history, fuel was cheap and plentiful and Detroit dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then the Prius came along, offering the first practical hybrid solution, and became the bestselling car in California. Almost a decade later, fuel is cheap and plentiful again, and a changed world awaits the latest iteration of the world’s most successful hybrid. Since the debut of the original, the road has become busy...
A Crossover That Doesn’t Stand Out
As Mitsubishi retreats from U.S. shores, cresting at 2 percent market share in 2002 before dipping to less than one-half of 1 percent since 2009, it has cast the redesigned Outlander crossover to hook budget-minded buyers looking for good warranties and better fuel economy. But those traits don’t quite appeal to the larger appetites of the American car buyer, which is why the three-row Outlander crossover and its smaller but...
A Great Hybrid Gets Even Better
Toyota Prius is easy to mock. It’s shaped like a clog, has an eye-crossing split window hatch, is as fun to drive as a hot dog cart and it is the vehicle of choice for many cabbies, who are unequivocally the worst drivers on the road. The main reason the Prius gets mocked, however, is because it is the very best at what it was made to do: get people to their destination using the least amount of gas possible. The fourth-generation...
Auto Review: 2016 Subaru Forester Has Power, Performance and Style
Gasoline and granola doesn’t sound like the breakfast of champions to me. But green-leaning, slightly square Subaru has long managed to whip it into a sweet mix with its gentle all-wheel-drive, fuel-sipping, earth-saving image. As you know, style-challenged Subaru puts practicality and function far above performance and pretty lines — and it works exceedingly well. For the last five years, the Japanese manufacturer has grown faster...
Nice Interior, Not Much ‘Zoom’
The 2016 Mazda CX-3 (I give it three out of four stars) aims to add some sporty appeal to the growing class of subcompact crossover SUVs. The CX-3 competes with small SUVs like the Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Nissan Juke. Its sleek looks suggest an enthusiastic driving experience the drivetrain doesn’t entirely deliver, but the top-of-the-line Grand Touring model...
