ArcaMax

When "entry-level" cars come standard with what were once luxury car features such as climate control air conditioning, good stereos and power everything (just about), they are no longer "entry-level" cars.

They just don't cost as much as luxury-badged cars.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 isn't entry-level, but it comes standard with something that's ...Read more

There used to be two versions of Subaru's Impreza -- a sedan and a five-door hatchback.

Now there's just the hatchback.

Also gone is the manual transmission that used to be available in the Impreza. But there is a new engine upgrade for the Impreza that's shades of the WRX -- the high-performance version of the Impreza -- at a much-less-than-...Read more

Sedans, which used to be the bestselling vehicles, have become a harder sell since the early 2000s, chiefly because crossovers (and SUVs) offer the roominess and practicality that used to sell sedans, plus the usually available all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive that makes crossovers and SUVs better able to deal with poor weather.

So Honda ...Read more

Most crossovers have -- or offer -- all-wheel drive.

Most SUVs have -- or offer -- four-wheel drive. Both systems drive all four wheels, but AWD is usually less capable off-road than 4WD. On the other hand, AWD has the upside of fewer parts, less weight and so (usually) better gas mileage and handling on-road.

The Jeep Renegade is a crossover ...Read more

When something that used to be readily available no longer is, it makes what's still available even more desirable. Especially when it may not be for very much longer.

The '24 Lexus RC coupe, for instance.

It's still available with a V6 -- and that's almost like finding a pound of bacon at the store that's still actually a pound of bacon.

And...Read more

You've probably read about the average new vehicle selling for nearly $50,000. How about one for about a third that much?

Chevy makes one like that.

It's called the Trax.

What It Is

The Trax is a small crossover with a very small asking price -- $20,400 for the base trim -- that is powered by one of the smallest engines (a 1.2-liter three-...Read more

How much are you willing to spend to save on gas?

That's the question presented by the Big Three hybrids in the compact crossover class, the Honda CR-V hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 Prime (Toyota-speak for a hybrid you can plug in) and the Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, which is the focus of this write-up.

They use less gas than their gas engine-only ...Read more

The Mazda3 offers something that's become uncommon ...

Variety.

It does not come just one way, with just one engine. Or just one transmission (invariably an automatic), as many of its small-car rivals do.

It's also like one other car, the Miata, with room for more than just two.

What It Is

The Mazda3 is an entry-level compact sedan and five...Read more

Dodge is known to most as the brand that sells V8 performance cars like the Charger and Challenger. And now it's got a performance crossover for those who need something a little more practical -- and a lot less pricey.

What It Is

The Hornet is a compact-size crossover that Dodge has tried hard to infuse with some personality in order to ...Read more

One of Mercedes' most successful vehicles ever was the M-Class SUV, which Mercedes no longer makes. (The last year was 2015.) Its place has been taken by two SUVs -- both of them so similar it's hard to tell them apart.

One, the GLE is a little bit larger than the old M. The other, the GLC, is a little smaller.

But it's just gotten a little ...Read more

The Nissan Frontier, like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado, used to be a compact-size truck that almost anyone who wanted a new truck could afford to buy because its base price was less than that of almost any new car.

Today's Frontier, like the Ranger, Tacoma and Colorado, is an almost full-size truck (by the ...Read more

There was a time -- it was not a long time ago -- when V8s were pretty common in the luxury car class and V12s were exotic.

This was circa the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Now, it's V8s that are becoming exotic. Most of the midpriced luxury cars that used to at least offer them now come standard with four-cylinder engines; a six is the usual ...Read more