car reviews – Arts & Leisure

Test Drive: 2019 Subaru Forester comes fully loaded with tech assists

November 11, 2018November 7, 2018

Perhaps hoping the American driver isn’t steeped in automotive history, Subaru has gone all in on safety. Its EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, a standard feature on every model, is an electronic Big Brother that subtly, and sometimes aggressively, discourages drivers from doing anything stupid. Ford Motor Co. tried something similar during the 1956 model year. …

Test Drive: 2018 Volkswagen Passat impresses

July 15, 2018July 11, 2018

The midsize sedan remains a drag on many automakers’ balance sheets, as the American love affair with sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks goes on. Yet most automakers continue to place substantial bets on the lowly sedan. During the past year, we’ve driven some of the America’s and Asia’s best medium-priced, midsize sedans, including the Toyota …

Test Drive: The 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir delivers

May 20, 2018May 17, 2018

The Buick story is one of survival. While General Motors’ mid-level brands, Oldsmobile and Pontiac, were discontinued, Buick remains in the game, along with Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. Contributing to Buick’s enduring success is its lines of near-luxury crossover and sport-utility models — which now include the tiny Encore, compact Envision and midsize Enclave. Since …

Test Drive: Lexus NX 300h disappoints

April 8, 2018April 4, 2018

Test Drive reviews the 2017 Lexus NX 300h.

Test Drive: The best crossovers and sedans

February 11, 2018

Last year’s parade of test cars included some exciting new models notable mostly for their standout fuel economy. One of our test cars had a range of 758 miles — enough to drive nonstop from Bethel, Conn., to Myrtle Beach, S.C., without stopping for gasoline. Without further ado, here are the vehicles that made a …

Test Drive: Drivers have refinement and security with 2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4

January 7, 2018

The Mini line of small cars began life as Britain’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle — a small, fuel-efficient, inexpensive, functional sedan. It didn’t take long for enthusiasts to discover the Mini’s racing potential and it soon became iconic. Never a big seller in the United States under a number of corporate owners, it nevertheless …

Test Drive: Volkswagen Tiguan SEL Premium is a refined SUV

December 17, 2017

When automakers finally figured out Americans wanted their sport-utility vehicles in smaller packages, we found our early objections to SUVs in general — too rough, too thirsty, too inefficient in their use of space — finally started to soften. Today, we have come to like several compact SUVs, also known as crossovers because they handle …

Test Drive: Ride in comfort with the Toyota RAV4 Platinum AWD

December 3, 2017

We were surprised to note the specifications for the 2017 Toyota RAV4 Platinum AWD were little changed from the 2014 RAV4 Limited AWD model we drove three years ago. But why would Toyota tamper with success? The roomy, reliable, versatile RAV4 is the automaker’s biggest seller, having exceeded 346,000 units sold through October in North …