Car Advice
What’s the Best 2021 Toyota Corolla Trim? Here’s Our Guide
All-new from the ground up just last year, the 2021 Toyota Corolla sedan is once again a strong contender in the compact segment it entered way back in 1968. And although Toyota offers a comprehensive array of trim levels, what really matters is what’s under the hood. The 1.8-liter four in the L, LE, and XLE ekes out a paltry 139 hp and complains loudly when pushed even moderately hard. Opting for the SE or XSE variants rewards you with a 169-hp 2.0-liter four that’s much more agreeable and responsive and, in some trim levels, even nets better fuel economy than the 1.8. Finally, if fuel mileage is your main priority, there’s always Corolla Hybrid. If you’re still torn on which Corolla sedan model is right for you, our trim review can help you decide. 202...
What’s the Best 2021 Toyota Highlander Trim? Here’s Our Guide
With over 200,000 examples sold every year, the Toyota Highlander is one of the most popular three-row SUVs sold today. All-new just last year, it features ample cargo space, a strong safety suite, and four distinct powertrain combinations. With a half-dozen trim levels, buyers face a wide array of possibilities. To help narrow it down, we’ve compiled the following trim review as an easy way to navigate these choices. 2021 Toyota Highlander L Trim Pros and Cons New entrants in this segment mean that even the Highlander L must deliver a strong value game to remain competitive with the formidable Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride duo. The Toyota boasts eight-passenger seating, but the third row in the Highlander is seriously cramped. Like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, ...
Apple CarPlay Head Unit Review: We Add the Sony XAV-AX7000 to Our 1998 Porsche Boxster
An entire industry has emerged around smartphone mounts for your car. Magnets clipped to an air conditioning vent, suction cups on the windshield, cheap plastic mounts meant to fit in the cupholder; we’ve seen it all. But if you’ve driven a new car in the past five years, you know there’s a more elegant solution. With the near-universal adoption of smartphone-mirroring software in the forms of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, we can now use familiar, up-to-date media and navigation apps like Spotify and Google Maps in-car on a large, integrated touch display. But what if your ride was built before the CarPlay era? Worry not. Many older cars use standardized head unit sizing that make it easy to source and install an aftermarket system. Although head units with Apple CarPla...
What Is Toyota Safety Sense? How It Works and What Models Include It
Value has long been a hallmark for Toyotas, and their features-per-dollar appeal increases as Toyota Safety Sense (or TSS for short) technologies spread across the automaker’s lineup. Toyota Safety Sense bundles modern driver aids and automated safety systems. These features help ease the work you do behind the wheel and can intervene in dangerous road situations. Nearly every 2021 Toyota model includes TSS. Here’s how TSS works, the features it includes, and which models come with it. How Does Toyota Safety Sense Work? See all 3 photos Toyota Safety Sense works using hardware and software integrated into the vehicle. In terms of hardware, a camera mounted at the top of the windshield behind the rearview mirror provides a view of the road ahead. That’s supplemented by a r...
What’s the Best 2021 Subaru Ascent Trim? Here’s Our Guide
Subaru is famous for building durable, go-anywhere vehicles, and the Ascent brings that capability to a larger size. With room for up to eight passengers, the 2021 Subaru Ascent is an AWD three-row crossover that competes in a highly crowded and competitive field. If you’re wondering which Ascent has the best balance of features and value, keep reading for our trim review. 2021 Subaru Ascent Base Trim Pros and Cons The base Ascent trim level features Subaru’s excellent 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four, producing 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. We’ve found this engine to be decidedly punchy, beating the Toyota Highlander’s V-6 in the quarter mile, and delivering performance numbers similar to a V-8-powered Dodge Durango. Naturally, straight-line performance isn’...
What’s the Best 2021 Mazda CX-5 Trim? Here’s Our Guide
The Mazda CX-5 isn’t the newest, highest-tech, most fuel efficient, or most practical compact SUV—but it’s definitely the sportiest. Its shortcomings are few, and it remains one of the top-rated vehicles in our compact SUV rankings. For 2021 the CX-5 has been updated with a larger infotainment screen, a new trim level, and a very slight price increase. What are the differences between the 2021 CX-5 trim levels, and which is best? Let’s get into it. 2021 Mazda CX-5 Sport Pros and Cons Sport is a fitting name for the base trim, as it enjoys the same sporty chassis setup as its higher-end counterparts. It’s powered by a 2.5-liter I-4 that turns the front wheels, with all-wheel drive optionally available. This engine doesn’t make the CX-5 particularly efficient, s...
What Is Ford Co-Pilot360? And Which SUVs, Cars, and Trucks Have the Safety Tech?
The automaker that implemented mass production and affordable cars over 100 years ago is now making modern driver-assist features more accessible. Ford offers the Co-Pilot360 active safety suite in some form on almost every model it sells. (Ford GT drivers miss out, but something tells us they won’t mind.) Read on for all the details on Ford Co-Pilot360. Ford Co-Pilot360 Features Ford offers all the active safety features you’d expect in a modern vehicle. That starts with Pre-Collision Assist (also called forward collision warning) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). If the car is rapidly approaching a vehicle or pedestrian ahead to the point where sensors detect an impending collision, the system will issue an audiovisual warning before engaging the brakes if the driver doe...
2021 Nissan Altima or Maxima: An Intra-Brand Sedan Battle
Nissan Altima Full Overview Although the Nissan Altima and Maxima are nearly identical in length, the two sedans are more different than you might think. Both sedans have been a part of Nissan’s lineup for decades, serving customers who don’t want another Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Toyota Avalon. So if your search has narrowed to the 2021 Nissan Altima and 2021 Nissan Maxima sedans, which one is the better buy? Let’s break down their differences. Altima Over Maxima: Efficiency and Range See all 10 photos Thanks to its lighter weight and all-four-cylinder lineup, the Nissan Altima is more efficient than the Maxima, and it’ll take you farther on one tank of fuel. That’s true regardless of whether you’re comparing the six-cylinder 300-hp Maxima to the 1...
Mercedes-Benz C-Class: History, Generations, FAQs
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Essential History: Generation One The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, also known by its internal code name, W202, rolled onto the American car scene in late 1993 as a 1994 model, replacing the 190E (W201) as the brand’s compact offering. The rear-drive C-Class was initially offered in four-cylinder C 220 (147-hp) and six-cylinder C 280 (194-hp) variants, with the numbers denoting engine displacement (i.e. 2.2 and 2.8 liters). The 268-hp C 36 AMG model joined the lineup for 1995; at the time, the C 36 was converted—engine and all—from a factory-built C 280. The year 1997 saw a torquier 2.3-liter engine for the entry model, now called C 230, while the C 36 was bumped to 276 hp and added a fifth cog to its automatic transmission. The AMG model was cut for ’98, but the...
Interested in a Certified Used Car? These CPO Programs Are the Best
Buying a used car can save you lots of money—or be a massive headache. How can you really know what that vehicle went through before the keys became yours? Buying through a certified pre-owned program is a great way to increase peace of mind. But CPO programs aren’t all created equal. So how can you know which ones are the best? Trust the experts at IntelliChoice (a MotorTrend subsidiary). What Are the Best Certified Pre-Owned Programs for 2021? To determine its 2021 CPO winners, IntelliChoice takes nine factors into account: vehicle inspection, warranty, title verification report, availability of special financing, roadside assistance, return and exchange provisions, dealership compliance systems, ownership costs, and market penetration. Since vehicle inspection and warranty matter ...
Which Cars Have the Best Ambient Lighting? (And What Is It?)
Ever wonder if you could turn your car’s interior into a full-on light show? Well, that’s now possible because many modern vehicles offer cool ambient lighting, even on non-luxury cars. Keep reading to find out what ambient lighting is, as well as what cars have the best ambient lighting systems. What Is Ambient Lighting? The feature utilizes interior lights mounted around the cabin to enhance the design and maybe even soothing driver and passenger. In addition to the foot wells, some ambient lighting systems often illuminate the door and dash trim, cupholders, climate control vents, and speaker surrounds. Some cars provide the option to tailor the color of the ambient lighting and a few even allow the lighting to pulsate in time with the audio system for added customizab...
How We Value Cars: IntelliChoice Ownership Costs Explained
Purchasing a new car can be an exciting, emotional, from-the-gut decision—and it can be a punch in the gut when you later discover how much it costs to insure or fuel that car, or how little it’s worth when it’s time to find new wheels. Ownership costs, rather than the mere transaction price, should be at the forefront of your purchasing criteria. Luckily for you, MotorTrend’s partner, IntelliChoice, has you covered. IntelliChoice’s 5-Year Cost to Own and Best Overall Value Awards IntelliChoice has been at the forefront of analyzing vehicle ownership costs for more than 30 years. Our Best Overall Value of the Year (BOVY) Awards recognize those mainstream vehicles whose total cost of ownership is significantly lower than expected compared to other models in the same class. These vehicles a...
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