Posts from ‘Hatchbacks’
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
Test Drive: 2022 Mazda MX-30 EV
2022 Mazda MX-30 in Soul Red Crystal (a $995 option)
2022 Mazda MX-30 EV Premium Plus
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 302
Battery capacity: 35.5 kWh
First Look: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla
2023 Toyota GR Corolla
Today Toyota unveiled a rally-inspired high-performance version of its Corolla compact car—the 2023 GR Corolla—at an event in Long Beach, California. When it arrives later this year, the GR Corolla will be available in a base Core model. A limited-production Circuit Edition will join it in 2023, and it will be available for the 2023 model year only. The GR branding is used globally to identify Toyota’s sports cars—the letters stand for Gazoo Racing, which is Toyota’s in-house motorsports operation.
5 Cheapest American Cars of 1977
1977 Ford Pinto
I was 12 years old in 1977, and the biggest news—really the ONLY news—of the year that was of any real consequence to me was the release of Star Wars. I still recall waiting for two hours with my shockingly patient parents in the lobby of the now-defunct Edens Theater in Northbrook, Illinois to secure tickets. I’m pretty sure this was the day the movie opened.
2021 Hyundai Veloster N
Note: The following story was excerpted from the December 2020 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine. The Veloster N continues unchanged for the 2022 model year, but other Veloster trim levels have been dropped.
In a market that’s more and more dominated by small sport utilities, enthusiasts can still find some reasonably practical hot hatchbacks. One of the raciest of the latest crop is the Hyundai Veloster N. It’s the first American-market model from Hyundai’s new high-performance N brand, which sounds like fertile ground for future collectibility.
2021 Volkswagen Arteon SEL R-Line in King’s Red Metallic (a $395 option)
2021 Volkswagen Arteon SEL R-Line
Class: Premium Midsize Car
Miles driven: 375
Fuel used: 17.1 gallons
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI (left) and Golf R
Volkswagen announced complete pricing info for its redesigned 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R high-performance 4-door hatchbacks at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show. The ’22 Golf GTI and Golf R kick off the eighth generation of VW’s long-running compact hatchback in the U.S., and they are the only Golfs we’re getting… the non-performance versions of the Golf have been dropped for the American market and essentially replaced on our shores by VW’s new-for-2022 Taos compact crossover SUV.
2021 Toyota Prius Prime Limited (left) vs 2021 Toyota Prius XLE AWD-e
With hybrid vehicles of all sorts now commonplace in the American new-vehicle market, the Toyota Prius doesn’t get the respect (or sales numbers) it once did. These days, most major manufacturers offer numerous hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or both—and increasingly, these hybrids are versions of regular-line vehicles, not stand-alone, hybrid-only models. The majority are also SUVs—the type of everyday family vehicle American buyers are choosing in greater numbers than 4-door sedans of any stripe.
I can’t track down the first person to predict that only cockroaches would survive the next world war, but the would-be truism is well known at this point. Kudos to the comedian who would later add Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards to the short list of life forms expected to live through a nuclear apocalypse; his continued existence remains an inspiration to those of us who have only occasionally drank to excess and have largely passed on injected opioids. Though not a life form, I would like to add another icon of longevity and fortitude to the nukeproof list: the Pontiac Vibe.
