Posts from ‘Hatchbacks’
First Spin: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition
The “hot-hatch” segment, for a longtime defined by Volkswagen’s enthusiast-beloved Golf GTI, is inarguably shrinking, in sales volume and in number of models offered. In fact, the whole small, sporty-car thing is in serious decline. Sadly, buyer attitudes have changed, and shoppers—especially young shoppers—seem to value utility over fun these days. I curse their pragmatism.
Test Drive: 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
2022 Volkswagen Golf R in Lapiz Blue Metallic
2022 Volkswagen Golf R
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 449
Fuel used: 22.2 gallons
Test Drive: 2022 Hyundai Kona N
2022 Hyundai Kona N in Phantom Black
2022 Hyundai Kona N
Class: Subcompact Crossover
Miles driven: 243
Fuel Used: 11.0 gallons
2022 Honda Civic Sport Touring in Platinum White Pearl (a $395 color option)
2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring
Class: Compact Car
Miles driven: 320
Fuel used: 10.8 gallons
Test Drive: 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge
2022 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Ultimate in Fjord Blue (a $695 color option)
2022 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Ultimate
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 702
Battery capacity: 78 kWh
Test Drive: 2022 BMW i4 M50
2022 BMW i4 M50 in Brooklyn Grey Metallic (a $550 option)
2022 BMW i4 M50
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 276
Battery capacity: 80.7 kWh
Buick Regal TourX
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2021 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
It’s a cliché to say it’s the end of an era, and it’s still difficult to believe, but Buick is technically out of the car business. That’s right; every 2021-model Buick in the U.S. market is a crossover SUV. Perhaps more surprising, the last Buick cars weren’t the marque’s famously all-American four-door sedans. Rather they were the 2020 Regal Sportback and Regal TourX wagon.
2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe in San Remo Green Metallic (a $550 option)
2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe
Class: Premium Compact Car
Miles driven: 248
Fuel used: 10.5 gallons
First Spin: 2023 Nissan Z
2023 Nissan Z
It’s tough out there for traditional sporty/performance cars these days, especially for the true two-seater or 2+2 sports cars. The things just don’t sell like they used to American shoppers, and as a result, the automakers who are still sticking it out in this segment have had to get creative. Toyota partnered with BMW to revive the Supra for 2020, and renewed its partnership with Subaru to introduce a new-generation version of the Toyota 86 rear-wheel-drive sports car (now dubbed GR 86) for 2022 (Subaru’s variant continues as the BRZ). Mazda partnered with Fiat to share some of the load for the 2016 redesign of the MX-5 Miata; Fiat got its own version in the revived 124 Spider, which only lasted through the 2017-2020 model years before it was dropped.
Test Drive: 2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line
2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line in Ascot Green
2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line
Class: Premium Midsize Car
Miles driven: 170
Fuel used: 7.8 gallons
