Car Comparison Tests
2021 BMW M3 Competition vs. Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Comparison Test: Four-Door Fire
BMW M3 Full Overview Pricing—both starting and as tested—parallel each other, as well. BMW requires $73,795 for the basest of the base M3 Comp, while Alfa demands $76,095 to get things started with its arrabbiata Quad. Our test-car examples sit at a hefty $93,945 for the Italian and $97,645 for the bright yellow German, so ignite your checkbook if you want to re-create our pairing. This comparison test is a meeting of technical equals with only a few minor exceptions, at least if you limit your afternoon reading exclusively to our spec charts that follow in this piece. In practice and on the charge, the 2021 BMW M3 Competition and 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio couldn’t be more dramatically different in terms of their ethos. See all 103 photos The Same, Only Quicker A portion of...
2022 Kia Carnival vs. Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna: Minivan Luxury Liners
Kia Carnival Full Overview From the 1980s through the late ’90s, families and minivans went together like ketchup and French fries. That was certainly the case among my friends’ families, all of whom drove around Mexico City in white Ford Windstars. Our own green Windstar was easier to spot in our school’s pickup/drop-off line, but its sliding door, spacious interior, and carlike ride were no less perfect for our usual carpool of six. Prior to that van, we had a red Windstar and a white Chrysler Voyager, but those ended up being stolen. See, we told you minivans were popular. But the rise of two-box crossovers and SUVs led to the stigmatization of minivans as an unfashionable mom-mobiles despite off-the-charts versatility and convenience. And just like that, these careful...
2022 Ford Maverick vs. Hyundai Santa Cruz Specs Comparison: Your Needs Determine the Winner
Ford Maverick Full Overview Compact pickup trucks are back, thanks to a pair of new models from pickup truck first-timer Hyundai and pickup sales king Ford. The 2022 Ford Maverick and 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz will launch at the same time and will compete head to head in the marketplace, but their real-world battle is still a few months away. For now, though, we can get a pretty good idea of how they’ll stack up by comparing their vital statistics and specifications. How Big Are These New Compact Pickups? Properly small pickups, known to fans as mini trucks, were big in the last century, but they long fell out of favor as buyers turned to full-size pickups in droves, and more recently to midsize pickups. As those trucks have gotten bigger, interest in smaller trucks—ones the same size ...
2021 Ford F-250 vs. Ram 2500 HD, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD: Gentler Giants
Ram 2500 Full Overview The heaviest loads and trailers demand a 1-ton diesel dually pickup. But those are unwieldy to maneuver, and their ride quality can be downright punishing when they’re not fully loaded. Plus, to tow more than half of those trucks’ max capacity you need a commercial driving license (CDL). Scale back your towing needs to “operator license” territory (26,000 pounds for the truck and trailer combined), and you’ll find a 3/4-ton diesel pickup with single rear wheels (SRWs) fits the bill much more comfortably. Our MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings already assess 1-ton diesel (350 or 3500) pickups and 3/4-ton gasoline-burners, so this 3/4-ton diesel truck comparison explores new territory. The heavy-duty Rams are currently our picks in both of t...
2022 Kia Carnival vs. 2021 Toyota Sienna: High-Spec Haulers
Kia Carnival Full Overview In theory, doing the right thing is easy. Want to lose weight? Eat fewer calories and exercise more, right? Similarly, you might be tempted to think creating the right minivan is easy, too. All you need is a big, blobby shape, lots of seats, and a couple of sliding doors, and the job’s done, right? Turns out, no. Just like dropping pounds, it’s a lot more difficult than it seems to create a well-engineered minivan. They need to handle approximately the same with one passenger as they do with seven or eight. They need to be incredibly safe (think of the children!) yet have nearly every body panel open to create a yawning portal. Plus, it would be good if the seats could go away when an owner wants to turn the soccer taxi into a Home Depot hauler. Getti...
2021 Honda Odyssey vs. 2021 Toyota Sienna: Familiar Foes, Clear Winner
Toyota Sienna Full Overview When the new 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan debuted last year, it was a bit of a shock that the lineup was hybrid-only. But the move makes sense: In order to differentiate itself from the rest of the minivan pack, Toyota left the traditional powertrain behind while still offering a competitive price. The Sienna is also the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive with a hybrid setup. And although the nameplate has spent most of its life aligned closely with the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler’s vans (currently the Pacifica), the hybrid-only move and bold styling set this generation farther apart. Meanwhile, the 2021 Honda Odyssey doesn’t feel as avant garde as the Sienna, but it continues to deliver on the basics that make a minivan great. The Odyssey...
2021 Chevrolet Corvette vs. 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0: Mid-Engine Showdown
Chevrolet Corvette Full Overview Frustrating, right? Everyone loves a winner, no one aspires to be a loser, but one cannot exist without the other. On the subject of horsepower and performance, there’s a more powerful car, a faster car, and a slower car, and there’s only one choice—otherwise, why bother harvesting test data to begin with? The Eternal Corvette vs. Porsche Face-Off These inevitable Porsche versus Corvette stand-offs usually raise subjectivism versus objectivism in our minds like bile in our throats. After all, the Corvette—in all its modern permutations—is the de facto victor on the performance-per-dollar front; it shouldn’t lose, at least not on paper. Forget the C8; a 16-year-old base C6 Corvette from 2005 is both lighter and more powerful than today̵...
2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV vs. Toyota RAV4 Prime: Plug-In the EV Gap
Toyota RAV4 Full Overview The dawn of the jet age, the point at which turbine-driven flight had become unquestionably the way forward, came just as piston-powered planes reached their peak. This meeting of eras led aircraft engineers to ease the transition with hybrid, mixed-format designs such as the Navy’s FR-1 Fireball and the Air Force’s B-36 Peacemaker, the latter of which had six 28-cylinder engines and four turbojet engines. We sit at a similar inflection point in the automotive industry today, when modern plug-in hybrid cars and SUVs like the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime stand as analogs for those hybrid aircraft, bridging the purely internal combustion powertrains of the past and the electric propulsion of the future. Those early hybrid air...
2021 Toyota Highlander XLE vs. Highlander XSE: The Battle for the High Land
Toyota Highlander Full Overview The Toyota Highlander is known for being a reliable, good-looking three-row SUV, but among the list of adjectives used to describe it, sporty is not on our list. New for 2021 is the Highlander XSE, which swaps its elegant lines for a more dynamic appearance. With a unique grille, fascia, lower spoiler, wheels, and blackened details like the mirror caps and fake air vents, the XSE distinguishes itself from the rest of the Highlander lineup. But the XSE is more than a badge and an appearance package—Toyota engineers made changes under the skin to deliver a more connected driving experience. Among those trades are stiffer spring rates, a thicker anti-roll bar, and retuned shock absorbers, while the steering feel is more pronounced. Earlier this year we tested a...
2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge Electric vs. XC40 T5 Comparison Test: Kilowatts or Gas?
Volvo XC40 Full Overview Convenience. It all comes down to convenience. Our society is built around the convenience afforded by the internal combustion engine. Whether moving ourselves or our goods, gasoline and diesel have made everything possible. As has a network of hundreds of thousands of branded gas stations around the globe; miles apart or across the street, they allow us to refuel a vehicle in a matter of minutes. This is the market reality facing battery-powered electric vehicles. They’re catching up quickly, but even the best haven’t reached parity yet. When we ask which type of car we should buy, the answer is a question: What price will you pay for convenience? For clarity, it’s useful to remove variables by examining a vehicle offering both types of powertrai...
2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon vs. 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo: Long-Roof Scorchers!
Porsche Panamera Full Overview It’s a wonderful time to be an automotive enthusiast, but that time may be drawing to a close. So, covet, flog, or fantasize about the road-scorching 2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S and 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo wagons while you can. Hybrids and battery electric vehicles can produce equally impressive performances, too, and those segments are rapidly growing. It’s an automotive minute before midnight for this kind of twin-turbo V-8 internal-combustion excess, especially the long-roof wagon variety. So, let’s compare two of the best examples still extant. Muscle Wagon Origin The muscle wagon’s origins can be traced back to good ol’ American models stuffed with powerful muscle-car engines: The ’57 Chevy Nomad w...
2021 Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima: Midsize Sedan Madness
Honda Accord Full Overview When I was a kid, the term “the Big Three” was synonymous with General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. To be accurate, I’m old enough to remember the Big Four, but let’s not go there. If one says the phrase “the Big Three” these days, they might very well be talking about the three best-selling vehicles in America: the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram 1500. As for cars, the time when the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry were the three best-selling cars in America is long gone. These days, SUVs have taken over, and only Toyota’s Camry remains as a top 10 best–seller. Still, the Honda, Toyota, and Nissan midsize sedans remain hugely important (both the Accord and Altima are among the top-selling 25...
