Posts from ‘First Spin’
First Spin: 2019 Toyota RAV4
2019 Toyota RAV4
Even before this latest redesign, the RAV4 was hot. According to Toyota, the 2018 model closed out its tenure not only as the company’s best-selling vehicle, but as the best-selling non-pickup in the country. And almost without question, the 2019 RAV4 is even better.
First Spin: 2019 Lexus UX
2019 Lexus UX
If you haven’t noticed, compact crossovers are all the rage nowadays. That applies to premium ones as well, and increasingly, to premium ones that have been downsized to near subcompact proportions. And that’s the game Lexus has entered with the new UX.
First Spin: 2019 Volvo S60 and V60
2019 Volvo S60
As one of the oldest members of Volvo’s reinvigorated – and fast-growing — lineup, the S60 premium midsize sedan was due for an update. And boy, did it get one.
First Spin: 2019 Nissan Altima
2019 Nissan Altima
In the midsize-sedan game, the King and Queen have long been the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, both of which were redesigned for 2018. But in recent years, Nissan’s Altima has made a surprisingly strong showing, and with its redesign for 2019, it comes to the table with an Ace up its sleeve.
First Spin: 2019 Subaru Forester
2019 Subaru Forester
Even considering the phenomenal recent growth in the compact-crossover segment, Subaru’s Forester has been incredibly popular of late. And it’s poised to get even more so.
First Spin: 2019 Cadillac XT4
2019 Cadillac XT4
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Cadillac’s newly introduced compact crossover is that … it took so long to get here.
For a market that is essentially 15 years old, has long contained more than a dozen entries, and is growing in popularity at an incredibly rapid rate, Cadillac seems kind of late to the party. But they’ve finally arrived for 2019 bearing a pretty darn nice gift: the impressive new XT4.
First Spin: 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque
2019 Ram 1500 Hemi with eTorque
In a quest for better fuel economy in traditionally thirsty trucks, Ram takes a page from the automotive playbook and banks on … a hybrid.
Well, a mild hybrid, actually, and while unique in today’s marketplace, it’s not the first.
First Spin: 2019 GMC Sierra
2019 GMC Sierra Denali
GMC has long used the tagline, “Professional Grade,” promoting the brand as being a cut above others in the same class. That has been best demonstrated in the top-line Denali trim level — recently offered on nearly all GMC models — which has been elevated to essentially a “luxury” sub-brand. It’s been particularly noteworthy in the case of the company’s Sierra full-size pickups, as the rest of the lineup didn’t really offer much over its very similar Chevrolet Silverado cousin. But that’s changing.
First Spin: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
OK, stick with us here—this gets a bit complicated. With the introduction of the redesigned 2019 Santa Fe, Hyundai is changing up its midsize-SUV strategy. Previously, the Santa Fe was offered in a 3-row, 7-passenger version called Santa Fe, and a shorter 2-row, 5-passenger version named Santa Fe Sport.
First Spin: 2019 Honda Pilot
2019 Honda Pilot
Honda’s popular midsize crossover has long been a Consumer Guide Best Buy, and revisions to the freshened 2019 Pilot only serve to make it better.
As this is a “refresh” and not a redesign, the Pilot platform and appearance haven’t changed much. Oh, the grille is different – taking on what Honda deems as a “more rugged” demeanor to reflect Pilot’s admittedly good off-road prowess – but the vehicle still looks and drives like a Pilot … which is just fine.
