- Design inside and out
- Supple suspension
- Stereo and infotainment system
- Hybrid lurches forward
- Climbing over second row cupholders
- Door release hard to use
With its new Aviator, Lincoln set out to create a soothing and elegant vehicle that quietly rockets you and your posse along freeway ramps.
In reviving the Aviator name, Lincoln hatched a new rear-drive architecture (impressively differentiated from the Ford Explorer’s) with a car-based chassis, excellent suspension, and all the accoutrements you want from a luxury three-row SUV. It also has a lot more power, especially in the plug-in hybrid.
Read about Car, SUV, and Truck of the Year contenders HERE.
The upscale mood starts as you approach the vehicle; headlights and puddle lights guide the way. Once inside, chimes from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra greet you as you clasp a lavish steering wheel and push the piano-key gear selector. “The craftsmanship and design in [...]
- Good starter car
- Good looks
- Nice interior finishes
- Underpowered engine
- Noisy interior
- Poor back-seat headroom
Not too many economy cars offer the styling and value that the 2020 Nissan Versa does. With handsome looks and interior finishes, the Versa is a good option for college undergraduates who are looking for wheels to take them from point to point in style. The new Versa is a good step up from the bare-bones previous generation, and as such it delivers on its basic goal.
Building an economy car that looks good, comes with modern technologies, and has a low price isn’t an easy task. But Nissan managed to improve the previous Versa in every way while still delivering terrific value. “If I were a young person starting out and had $20,000 to spend, this sure looks like a fancy car to me,” technical director Frank Markus said.
Read about Car, SUV, [...]
- Smooth hybrid powertrain
- Beautifully finished interior
- Quiet at cruising speeds
- That grille
- Soggy dynamics
- Poor brake feel
The 7 Series has long been a struggle for the guys in Munich. Why? The answer lies 150 miles to the west, in Stuttgart. For decades, BMW has viewed its flagship luxury sedan through the prism of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, by far the best-selling vehicle in the segment.
And the dilemma has always been this: Do we simply do what they do and maybe win over buyers bored with the three-pointed star? Or do we do something completely different and try to redefine the segment? The Bangle-era E65 7 Series was an attempt at something completely different. The 2020 7 Series hews closer to traditional S-Class virtues: softer and more comfort-oriented than you’d expect a BMW to be, laden with technology, and with a big grille to let everyone know you’ve joined [...]
No other car show on Earth offers as much vehicular variety as the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. Each year, the massive aftermarket trade show draws thousands of car enthusiasts and nearly as many cars to Las Vegas, Nevada. Sprawled across the roughly 3.2 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center you’ll find vehicles from every corner of car culture, from slammed tuner cars to resto-modded classics, lowriders to monster trucks, and everything in between. That broad spectrum of vehicle genres means there’s something for every taste, and perhaps a few that aren’t your cup of tea. But no matter how audacious, garish, and over the top a show car is, each one contributes to the spectacle that is SEMA—and we love them all.
With that said, enjoy the wonderful diversity of modified cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and more in the photo gallery below.
- Fantastic ZF transmission
- Optional I-6 engine rips
- Decent back seat for segment
- Rough M Sport suspension
- Unimaginative interior
- Distant brakes and steering
“This latest BMW 3 Series was supposed to show the world that BMW got its mojo back,” Detroit editor Alisa Priddle chirped. Politely left unsaid: “Umm, not so much.”
Although the new Bimmer sedan has worked on some of its previous edition’s shortcomings—improving its handling and interior packaging—it’s no longer the segment leader. It is merely competitive, which is a long fall for an icon that once defined the compact luxury sport sedan segment.
One note, up front: For the 330i we tested, BMW sent a model with the M Sport suspension, same as it sent for comparison tests earlier this year. Frankly, we hate this jarring, unsettled, tense suspension setup. Evidently, BMW thinks journalists want their test cars sprung like a Radio Flyer. We begged for [...]
