Long Term Reviews

Overlanding is all the rage right now, and with the pandemic still affecting everyone’s lives, what better way to social distance than to leave the city for some weekend car camping? We reached out to our friends at Thule to see about testing one of its rooftop tents on our long-term Outback. The company sent us its Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 ($1,699.95), which after we received it, definitely seemed like an ideal way to do a few Outbacky things. The Kukenam 3 accommodates up to three people (or 600 pounds, whichever comes first). Its internal frame, made from welded 5/8-inch aluminum tubing, is wrapped to protect it from weather damage. Thule says it’s “built to withstand any environment,” and although we can’t vouch for all potential conditions, it ...

Despite the fact that it competes in the sport sedan segment, the Volvo S60 values comfort and convenience over a spirited and punchy drive. After 12 months with us, the S60 delivered exactly that, and although its 316-hp T6 engine still feels energetic, it’s tailored to deliver a peaceful experience. From the beginning, when the S60 was delivered to our Detroit office last summer, associate road test editor Erick Ayapana bought a one-way ticket to the Motor City and set out on a six-day road trip back to the Golden State. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t enjoy the trip. Between that trip and others, the S60 visited Chicago, Denver, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and San Francisco, and was always enjoyable to drive for long periods of time. Although they lack fa...

We established in the introductory story that I don’t seem to drive a lot of Civics despite my job being to drive all the things, so the short-long-term 2020 Honda Civic Si and I are still getting acquainted. So far, so good. Some of my colleagues have been down on this generation of Civic Si because it has a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine tuned up from everyday Civi spec, not a purpose-built, naturally aspirated, high-rpm screamer like past generations of Si. As much as I love a good naturally aspirated engine, this doesn’t bother me, mostly because I never formed an emotional attachment to those old Si models. Maybe it was lack of sufficient exposure, but I’m not mad about this engine. Not that folks’ criticisms are nonsense. The engine is laggy, like...

We’ve been living with the 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe for nearly half a year now, and the pint-sized sedan has been put through our daily routines and spontaneous adventures. While the 228i Gran Coupe was out on a road trip, I spent time with one of its platform siblings, the X1, to answer a frequently asked question today’s car shopper might have: What do you gain and give up by switching to an SUV? BMW X1 or BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: How Practical? For a small sedan with a swoopy roofline, the BMW 228i Gran Coupe is practical for a single person or a couple. The 15.1-cubic-foot trunk easily accommodates a week’s worth of groceries and a couple medium-sized pieces of luggage. However, you need to fold the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat back for bulky items. An underfl...

Now that we’ve explored the Toyota RAV4’s impressive real-world fuel economy and ruminated on our favorite features, it’s time to delve deeper into the most important buying consideration. Because this vehicle is a popular family SUV, that consideration is safety. The first thing that catches your attention behind the wheel is visibility. Fortunately, the RAV4 excels in this area. A low windshield, boxy proportions, and skillfully placed pillars make it easy to see out the front and side of the vehicle. A rear camera provides a relatively clear view out the rear of our XLE tester. Unfortunately, you must upgrade to a package on the TRD Off-Road or Limited if you want a fancy 360-degree camera. For 2020, the RAV4 joins the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and other key competitors...

Although its cubelike shape suggests otherwise, the Kia Soul EX has better handling than we expected, making it more fun to drive than one might assume. Credit the good handling to a properly tuned chassis and competent steering, the combination of which gives the Soul the sort of body control that encourages more precise lane changes, quicker on-ramp speeds, and the occasional jaunt down a favorite wiggly road. It won’t be confused for a hot hatch, but the Soul EX offers a connectedness and composedness that is mostly absent among its competitors, such as the Nissan Kicks, Toyota CH-R, and Hyundai Venue. This fact didn’t escape our judges at last year’s Car of the Year, many of whom applauded the Soul’s handling. Car of the Year guest judge Chris Theodore said, ...

Mercedes-Benz dropped off the long-term GLE 450 4Matic in early April, right as the shutdown from the global pandemic was getting underway. There was nowhere to go, and as such by the end of May, the poor, underused Mercedes family hauler had only 1,984 miles on it. An ominous mileage total if there ever was one, as well as one that’s way lower than I’d like to see on the odometer. Solution? Grab a startlingly inexpensive Airbnb just outside of Colorado City, Arizona, (Warren Jeffs country!) just south of the Utah border. Then toss the wife and 3-year-old in the Benz and hit the road for a 2,000-mile road trip, hitting the following breathtaking locales: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. How’d the GLE 45...

The Outback has inspired imitators, but none has ever come close to this wagon/quasi-SUV’s success. After a couple months with the 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx 2.4 XT we’re driving for a year, we have a better idea of how it compares to the midsize two-row SUVs it competes against. So how good is this SUV-ified wagon’s interior practicality compared with an SUV? Keep reading to find out. How the Outback Is a Match for SUVs Part of why MotorTrend has consistently liked Subaru Outbacks for years is their combination of SUV practicality offered at a lower price than some competitors. That’s still mostly true for the 2020 Outback, including our one-year Onyx 2.4 XT tester. Let’s start with the Outback’s cargo area. Every Outback starting with the $31,305 Premium...

If you don’t already drive a truck, you might wonder why so many people do in America today. Used to be a truck was a tool, a blunt instrument designed to do a job and nothing else. That hasn’t been true in more than a decade, and no truck proves it like my long-term 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie. Old-school truck guys like to complain we critics put too much emphasis on how a truck rides and drives, how many cupholders it has, and how big its touchscreens are and not on how it tows and hauls. Thing is, the Ram does all those things well. That’s why we made it our 2019 Truck of the Year. A truck may do everything right when you drive it off the showroom floor, but the proof is in how it holds up to abuse. If you’re buying a truck for any reason other than just to look cool,...

Sometimes in this line of work, there’s that one car you just never seem to drive. Not some million-dollar exotic no one else will drive, either, but something totally normal and common. For me, that bogey always seems to be a Honda Civic. The universe has made a sudden course correction because I’m now responsible for our 2020 Honda Civic Si HPT Sedan for the next few months. In keeping with the pattern, though, I won’t be driving this one a full year. Let’s see what we have to work with then. It’s a short and sweet list, but it requires a little decoding. The Si is Honda’s storied mid-tier performance sub-brand, focused more on handling and driver involvement than raw power. In this case, it means the turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 has been tuned up from 1...

Over the course of a year, we’ve driven our 2019 Volvo S60 over 20,000 miles. The S60 has touched 10 states, been on a couple cross-country trips, and gone on multiple weekend trips. Although it hasn’t seen much activity these past few months, our beloved Volvo has traveled a long way. And it hasn’t disappointed us. Its looks and comfort continue to please us, and we’re satisfied with its technology and the way it handles. The S60 is not the best sport sedan, but it’s also not trying to be that. Instead, it focuses more on delivering an enjoyable experience. But after 20,000, how reliable is the Volvo S60? Can We Trust the Volvo S60 After 20,000 Miles? The short answer is yes, but we’ve had a couple of hiccups along the way. The first one was replacing t...

When I was given the keys to the Genesis G70 3.3T for a recent Top Gear America filming stint, I was extremely excited. We don’t get Genesis the marque in the U.K. or Europe (though there are plans to launch in 2020), and I always think they look great zipping around California. I’m also a big fan of the characterful and hilariously oversteery Kia Stinger. Surely a smaller, lighter, and more agile Stinger with a higher-quality interior would be something pretty special? My week with the G70 took in plenty of freeways, a blast up into the Angeles Forest area for filming, and a few laps of Streets of Willow. Sorry about the slightly noisy brakes, I’m sure they’ll settle down. Probably. For the most part the G70 lived up to expectations. It’s quick, nicely balanc...