ArcaMax

How much is not having to buy gas worth to you?

That question can be answered by comparing the VW ID.4 electric crossover with VW's two otherwise similar small crossovers, the Tiguan and Taos -- neither of which is electric.

And for that reason, they cost about $12,00 to $15,000 less to start -- and come standard with twice as much range.

On ...Read more

Sports cars come and (usually) go.

Not because they aren't appealing or even because they're impractical. Historically, they mostly have left the stage shortly after they took a bow because they cost too much or weren't that reliable or some combination of both.

However fun a car may be, it's no fun if the thing's so expensive you can't afford...Read more

The Lexus RX used to come standard with a V6. Hence RX350 -- the numbers after the letters denoting the size of the V6 (3.5 liters) it came standard with.

The V6 is gone now, but the number remains the same. Probably because "RX240," which would denote the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine the current RX comes standard with, wouldn't quite have ...Read more

What's the difference between Mazda's CX-5 and the new CX-50?

One is a little bit more than the other. A little larger, longer and wider -- plus a bit more capable.

And only slightly more expensive.

Mazda has done this before with the CX-3 and then the CX-30, the latter being a little more than the former. But the difference wasn't enough to ...Read more

If there were more cars like Volkswagen's Jetta, there would probably be more cars (as opposed to crossovers) for sale.

Because more people would want to buy them.

What makes the Jetta stand out is what has made most other cars fade away. It isn't like them. It comes standard with a manual transmission -- something that's ...Read more

It wouldn't take a mandate -- or subsidies -- to get people to buy an electric car that could go almost 700 miles, that could get going again in just a few minutes, that could carry a family comfortably and only cost a little bit more than $28,000.

There is such a car.

It is called the Camry hybrid.

Yes, it's not entirely electric. ...Read more

When the Toyota Prius hybrid came out more than 20 years ago, it made a point of not looking like other cars.

So did the first electric cars, notably those made by Tesla. They were shaped differently -- and they lacked the grilles that cars have (up to now) always had.

The idea was to both be and look different.

The electric version of the ...Read more

There are lots of compact-sized, luxury-brand crossovers.

And there are lots of hybrid crossovers, too.

But there's just one compact-sized, luxury-brand crossover that's a hybrid, too.

The Lexus UX 250h.

What It Is

Per the above, the UX 250h is a small hybrid crossover made by Lexus. It is the only model of its type in the segment and it ...Read more

Occupying the middle ground is sometimes just the right place to be -- depending on what you're looking for.

The 2023 Ford Expedition MAX isn't quite as long or as spacious as a Chevy Suburban, but it's longer than a Chevy Tahoe, the shorter version of the Suburban. (You can also think of the Suburban as a longer version of the Tahoe, both ways...Read more

There are Kahunas and then there is the Kahuna -- Jeep's Grand Wagoneer L.

"L" for length -- and more.

More than 3 tons (6,621 pounds) and 500-plus horsepower to keep it all moving and pulling. This Kahuna can tow 10,000 pounds and seats eight, too.

It also includes the house the kitchen sink was in -- just about.

What It Is

The ...Read more

There are now lots of electric vehicles on the market, but only two of them can be characterized as affordable alternatives to nonelectric cars.

One of those two being Nissan's Leaf.

It doesn't go as far as other EVs, and it's not nearly as quick, an EV selling point. But the fact that it's a car within the means of people who cannot afford a ...Read more

Why do most people prefer to drive rather than take the bus? It's because they don't have to plan their trip -- and so, their day -- around a schedule they didn't make.

Electric cars have that same issue in that you have to think constantly about scheduling your day around how much range you have left -- and how much time you don't have to wait...Read more