Does the 2022 Acura MDX go far enough to push past the excellent crop of mid-size SUVs out there, or does it settle for more of what returning Acura customers are looking for? Sami spends a week behind the wheel to find out. Benjamin ends up puzzled by the 2021 Toyota Venza, a vehicle that should feel like its RAV4 Hybrid platform-mate but comes across with a radically different character. The pair wrap things up with a review of a...

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is the Swedish brand's very first all-electric vehicle, and the most powerful version of the XC40 SUV to date. Benjamin dives in to the good and the bad about driving this high-end EV during winter's bitter cold, and compares it against the much cheaper 2021 Kia Soul EV's performance under the same conditions. Sami gives his impressions of the aging, but still interesting 2021 Lexus NX 300 c...

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer RS resurrects a name that at first feels laden with SUV heritage, but as Benjamin points out isn't all fun and two-door off-roading games. Sami's time behind the Blazer's wheel reveals mixed feelings about why GM didn't go all the way in making the family ride live up to its potential. Benjamin then discusses his week-long try-out of the 2021 Kia Stinger GT as a potential year-round daily d...

Did you know Subaru built a flat-12 engine for its forgotten Formula 1 racing program in the early 90s? More on that at the end of the episode, because first Benjamin has to shake out his ambivalence at the 2021 Kia K5 GT-Line AWD and its ho-hum drivetrain, and Sami needs to wax ecstatic about the (finally) redesigned 2022 Nissan Frontier mid-size pickup. In between. there's an argument about the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor and just...

Is there space for the 2021 Kia Seltos SX Turbo's top-end take on what should really be an affordable, no-frills compact SUV, or does its own brand's ultra-competitive line-up make it hard to justify spending the extra cash? Benjamin's week behind the wheel reveals the surprising answer. Next, Sami's take on the 2021 Hyundai Elantra shows just how much life is still left in the small sedan segment. Finally, the pa...

Does the 2021 Kia Niro EV deliver the kind of range and cold weather competence needed to deal with the winter's darkest depths? Benjamin wheels through sub-zero conditions to report on the surprisingly solid electric performance from Kia's battery-powered crossover. After a brief tangent about warning messages, Sami then ponders the new path Mazda has taken with the non-turbo 3's all-wheel drive model, which trades poi...

Is a faster Crosstrek a better Crosstrek? Benjamin seems to think so after driving the 2021 version of the Subaru, which graduates to a 2.5-liter engine. Sami counters with the 2021 Toyota Corolla SE Apex Edition, a car he's lukewarm on before Benjamin points out all the cool upgrades he's totally downplaying. The two then discuss CES, how Benjamin hates it so much that it once sent him into a career-questioning tailspin i...

The 2021 Porsche Taycan EV costs over $100k, has less range than the Chevrolet Bolt, and features some truly unusual ergonomic decisions inside its cabin. Everything Sami liked, and didn't like, about Porsche's first all-electric car gets mushed together with talk about off-brand batteries and just how useful a 2.5-second random 'boost' really is for driving enthusiasts. The pair then follow up with a deep look at t...

Is a plug-in hybrid edition of BMW's popular X5 SUV even better to drive than the high-horsepower M version? That's the surprising conclusion Benjamin is forced to reckon with after an extended period behind the wheel of the 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e. Sami then attempts to solve the puzzle of the 2021 Toyota Avalon AWD, a full-size model that drops power but adds traction in a bid to appeal to...who, exactly? Finally, the pair ...

The Nissan Rogue might not impress on paper, but as a whole it's one of the better new compact SUVs out there, according to Benjamin, finally vaulting the popular model to the front of the pack. Sami supports Benjain's new-found Rogue appreciation before diving into his own adventures dealing with the Audi E-Tron Sportback's limited battery range and extremely high sticker price. The pair wrap things up by deciding who ...

Does the 2021 Land Rover Defender capture the unobtanium spirit that made its predecessor such a legend in North America, or is it merely another good SUV from the British 4x4 brand? Sami spends time with the four-door Land Rover and is surprised by the impression it makes on him. Even more surprising? His newfound love for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, whose plug-in hybrid drivetrain erases its previous sins. Benjamin has a more con...

Sami tries to figure out if it's enough for the 2020 Genesis G80 to be a comfortable and luxurious sedan, or if it needs to add athleticism to its portfolio to stand against the Germans that dominate the segment?. Benjamin is puzzled by the 2020 Nissan Titan PRO-4X, which needs to be better than the full-size pickup competition to catch eyes among truck buyers, but seems determined to merely match a narrow spectrum of what cus...

Sami splits between the 2021 Hyundai Elantra and the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N. Is the Elantra finally Civic-level in terms of its broad appeal? Can Benjamin be convinced that someone out there actually wants to pay that much more for a front-wheel drive, high performance family sedan? Next up are a pair of platform-mates from Mazda, the new 3 Turbo and the CX-30 SUV. Is Mazda's compact star a true luxury player now that it's l...

The Nissan Rogue has always done big business, but much of that was based on price and incentives. Sami's drive of the 2021 redesign reveals that Nissan's new investment in the Rogue elevates it to a new level among other compact SUVs and gives you reasons to buy it other than simply getting a great deal. Benjamin spends a week with the 2020 Honda Civic Si Coupe, a sporty compact that's among the last of its breed - and...