Posts from ‘Hatchbacks’
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.
Test Drive: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD in Rapid Red Metallic (a $400 option)
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 280
Battery capacity: 88 kWh
Test Drive: 2021 Nissan Leaf SL Plus
2021 Nissan Leaf SL Plus in Sunset Drift Chromaflair paint (a $395 option)
2021 Nissan Leaf SL Plus
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 179
Battery capacity: 62 kWh
2020 Mini Cooper SE Hardtop in White Silver Metallic
2020 Mini Cooper SE Hardtop
Class: Electric Vehicle
Miles driven: 151
Fuel used: NA
2021 Subaru Crosstrek Limited in Horizon Blue Pearl
2021 Subaru Crosstrek Limited
Class: Compact Crossover
Miles driven: 184
Fuel used: 6.2 gallons
Test Drive: 2020 Nissan 370Z NISMO
2020 Nissan 370Z NISMO in Pearl White Tricoat (a $395 option)
2020 Nissan 370Z NISMO
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 162
Fuel used: 8.9 gallons
First Spin: 2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo
When the Mazda 3 lineup was redesigned for the 2019 model year, Mazda gave its sporty compact hatchback and sedan lots of new stuff: sleek new styling (with a striking bobtailed shape for the hatchback body style), new technology features, a notably more upscale look and feel, and, for the first time, the availability of all-wheel drive. What the 2019 Mazda 3 DIDN’T get, however, was more horsepower or a new engine—its sole powerplant was a 186-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that was carried over from the previous-generation 3.
