Posts from ‘Cool Things’
2021 BMW M5 Competition in Motegi Red Metallic
We’re old friends now, the BMW M5 and Consumer Guide editors. A week in the 2021 model with the Competition Package was our third turn in one of the current-generation cars, following tests of a 2018 M5 and a 2019 Competition.
2021 Dodge Durango SRT 392 in F8 Green
This post could have just as easily been “480 Cool Things about the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT 392.” That would have counted each of its 475 horsepower and five other cool things of some sort.
2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited
As if the Chrysler Pacifica wasn’t good enough with a conventional powertrain, through 2020 it had the distinction of being the only minivan on the market with the availability of gas/electric hybrid power. That bragging point disappears with the arrival of the ’21 Toyota Sienna, but the Pacifica has done a few things that secure its place as a Consumer Guide “Best Buy” in the class.
Hyundai Venue SEL in Black Noir Pearl
Ever since the Hyundai Venue subcompact SUV debuted as a mid-2020 model, we at Consumer Guide have held this penny-pinching urban runabout in high regard. We added it to our Best Buy awards roster as a midyear addition for 2020, and kept it on the list for 2021 as well. Though it isn’t what you’d call quick, and it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive like most of its class rivals do, the Venue is an exceptionally likable vehicle.
2020 Subaru Outback Onyx Edition XT in Abyss Blue Pearl
Excluding the Jeep Wrangler, few passenger vehicles better sum up their maker’s brand identity better than the Outback does for Subaru. The popular SUV-styled midsize wagon was redesigned for 2020, kicking off its sixth generation and gaining improved cargo room and rear-seat space, as well as a host of new available features.
2020 Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition
There is magic in the Toyota name, and in the brand’s fanbase. Though the Tundra has not been fully redesigned since the 2007 model year, the full-size pickup generally sees better than 100,000 sales annually. And while that may seem like chicken feed when compared to the 800,000 sales Ford’s best-selling F-Series trucks boast, it is roughly 400 percent better than the Nissan Titan–which was redesigned for 2017 and refreshed for 2020–is expected to show this year. The Tundra’s sales numbers are quite impressive for a truck that has gone without a from-the-ground-up redesign for so long.
2020 Nissan Versa SR in Electric Blue Metallic
When Nissan redesigned its Versa subcompact sedan for 2020, the Japanese automaker truly transformed its most-affordable offering. Compared to the car it replaced, the all-new Versa is roomier, quieter, better finished, and better equipped with desirable safety equipment. The 2020 Versa is also arguably better looking than the previous-generation car.
2018 Jeep Wrangler
The long-awaited redesigned Jeep Wrangler will be hitting the streets (and not-streets) soon; it’s slated to start arriving dealerships in January. You can read our full First Spin test-drive report here, but there were so many cool details and factoids about the new Wrangler “JL” that we couldn’t fit them all into our original review. Check ‘em out:
Ever since the introduction of the Volvo Turbo in 1981, the company has proclaimed, “We’re not boring.” Fast, turbocharged Volvo: we’re not boring. Volvo convertible: we’re not boring. Volvo coupe: we’re not boring. After 30 years of such advertising, we should have forgotten that Volvos are safe and practical. Yet the Volvo press kit felt the need to tell us that the S60 is “the sportiest, most dynamic Volvo ever.” The consumer website advises that with stability control set in Sport Mode, one can “get a little more naughty.”
