Tag Archives: Car Review

2023 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS Review

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PROS:


  • Beautiful styling

  • Superb performance

  • All-weather excitement

CONS:


  • Expensive

  • Slight road noise increase

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The extra weight of the Targa over the Cabriolet for me is small price to pay for the extra style that this flavor of 911 exudes.

There are few more iconic sports car shapes than the Porsche 911, and I’d argue there are no more iconic targas than the 911 Targa. It helps that Porsche is one of the few major manufacturers still making the things, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is the one that defines the template.

What is a targa? Not quite a hardtop coupe, not quite a convertible, a targa attempts to split the difference. Whether it’s something like the split T-Tops of the ’80s and ’90s or the more comprehensive setup you see here, a targa has always been a good choice for someone who wanted the feeling of open-top motoring without all the compromises that a convertible brings to the table.

Compromises

Mind you, there are still a few compromises here. Porsche’s 911 Targa 4 GTS weighs 3,653 pounds, about 200 pounds more than a comparable Carrera 4 GTS, 50 more even than a Cabriolet, but it comes with a number of advantages. Perhaps most significant? The look. That iconic, fat B-pillar roll hoop that defines this car is just as strong as ever on this, the latest version of the Porsche 911, the 992.

Still there and still creating some massive blind-spots, but harkening back to the 1965 911 Targa that kicked all this off. This new Targa is rather more advanced, though, with a power-folding mechanism that drops the top in 19 seconds.

That wide hoop flows perfectly into the giant sheet of curved glass that is the other signature element of the Targa, a pane that is hoisted rearward by the folding mechanism to allow the fabric portion of the top to tuck itself into the rear parcel shelf. It’s a dramatic process.

With the top up, the 911 Targa is very nearly as civilized as a regular 911 Carrera. There’s a bit more road and wind noise, sure, and harsh suspension compressions like separation joints on concrete do tend to jar the nerves, but part of that must also be attributed to the massive 245/35 R 20 front and 305/30 R 21 rear tires on here.

With the top down and the windows down, the driving experience is every bit as good as a convertible. The wind pattern is a bit different, and if you’re the sort who likes to roll with the top down and the windows up you’re going to have some buffeting to deal with. But, drop the windows down a few inches and all that goes away.

Familiar

On the inside, the 911 Targa is little different than a standard 992 Porsche 911. A pair of buttons sit just ahead of the central cupholder, one to drop the top and another to hoist it. Then there’s a single latch positioned above the rear-view mirror that engages and disengages all on its own. The headliner is just as soft and premium as you’d expect on a coupe, though not quite as nice as the Alcantara-like material that covers the inside of the roll hoop.

Creases run through the middle and down either side of the headliner where it folds in upon itself, functional elements that could just as well be design signatures.

But otherwise, everything else is the same, almost entirely monotone Truffle Brown in this example, a chocolate hue that feels eminently appropriate for the ’70s vibe the Targa still carries, bolstered by the optional 930-style leather stitching pattern seen. 911 interiors are still simple and spartan but in the best of ways, a clean look that has everything where you need it. More and more of the more nuanced features of the car have been buried into the PCM’s 10.9-inch touchscreen, but you can still change drive modes, lift the nose, adjust suspension, and toggle seat heaters at the touch of dedicated buttons.

On-wheel controls are comprehensive as well and haven’t moved to capacitive touch yet (thank goodness), providing easy access to the pair of seven-inch displays mounted to either side of the large, 8,000 rpm central tachometer that has a real needle swinging over real numbers. In the center of the dashboard, the Sport Chrono clock peeks back at you, another classic nod.

The car you see here came equipped with Porsche’s 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus, which are just comfortable enough for long drives and just supportive enough for sporty ones. Rear seats are actually tolerable for children, so long as they don’t mind sitting bolt upright.

Row your own

All the interior details here circle the focal point of this 911 Targa, which is the stick shift sitting almost exactly in the middle of the car. This GTS came with Porsche’s seven-speed manual. Porsche’s semi-automatic, dual-clutch DSG transmission will always be quicker and is certainly nicer when stuck in traffic, as I was immediately after picking up this car, but there’s still nothing quite like shifting for yourself.

Which transmission you choose is a personal preference and I’m happy to report that you really can’t go wrong. Pick the manual and you’ll be blessed with short shifts that, at least on this nearly new car, are stiff. You really need to move that shifter with purpose, but the reward is an incredibly engaging feeling. With seven forward speeds there are a lot of gears here to manage, but the shifter linkage is perfectly set up to ensure you always get the next one you want. Auto rev-matching will help it engage smoothly.

Roads were terribly icy when I tested the GTS you see here, wet and covered in road grime at the best of times, but the sure-footedness of Porsche’s all-wheel-drive system meant putting down the 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque from the 3.2-liter, twin-turbocharged flat six was never much of an issue. Sure, the tires spun up plenty of times and the car started to slip and slide on multiple occasions, but the Porsche Stability Management system always ensured that I never had to do more than make a slight correction to keep myself going in the right direction. The gigantic Michelin snow tires helped, too, without compromising the inherent feel of this car, a feel enlivened by the optional rear-steering system, which helped hide the Targa’s extra heft.

Acceleration is strong, as you can imagine, the GTS offering 94 more horsepower than the base Carrera. Conditions were bad enough that I never really needed the extra ponies during my time with the car, but it’s always good to know they’re there, and the sport exhaust meant I could hear them all when I wanted to. Or, when it was time to cruise by the neighbors, the flip of a switch muted the experience.

Likewise, another switch lifts the nose up to get over any troublesome piles of snow and ice, just a few features that make the 911 a sublime car for everyday drives. The Targa loses nothing in that regard. The main storage area, up under the hood, is exactly the same as on the coupe. 4.6 cubic feet isn’t a lot by GT standards, but it’s more than enough for a couple of overnight bags or TSA approved carry-ons. Anything more than that will need to fit in the rear seats.

Ride quality is on the firm side but compliant when cruising, engaging and sharp when you want to drive the 911 hard. If there’s a flaw here it’s that the 911 GTS has so much grip, so much poise, that you really need to be moving to feel like you’re pushing the car at all. That’s one of the reasons why winter driving can be so much fun. Those limits are brought down to a level where you can approach them without risking your license.

Pricing and Options

The 911 Targa 4 GTS you see here was quite well appointed. A $156,800 base MSRP rose to $181,610 thanks to that Truffle Brown interior ($6,040 plus another $1,490 for the 930 Leather Package and another $3,030 for the 18-way seats), $3,760 for the Premium Package (including a better Bose sound system and power folding mirrors), $2,090 for the rear-steering system, plus a few other odds and ends and $1,350 destination.

Yes, that is an awful, awful lot of money for a sports car, but today’s 911 is so much more. This is a reasonably practical, reasonably comfortable car that will delight you every day without exhausting you on those days when you just want to get home. While it’s hard to feel good about Porsche charging so much for every little option that you might want, it does mean that you can skew the 911 in whatever direction you want it. Whatever way you choose, you’re going to get something that drives as well as it looks.

The extra weight of the Targa over the Cabriolet for me is a small price to pay for the extra style that this flavor of 911 exudes. It’s not the choice for purists who want the ultimate handling from their Porches, but for those who want to let a little extra light and wind in on sunny days, this is the way to go.

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2023 Chrysler Pacifica Review

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PROS:


  • Huge cargo space

  • Comfortable seating

  • Endless media options

CONS:


  • Expensive

  • Boring colors

  • Dated infotainment

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Chrysler's minivan is so incredibly practical that even if you don't have kids in your future, this Pacifica might still be the perfect vehicle for you.

With EVs creeping up many sales charts, even dominating in a few segments, it’s easy to look at humble plug-in hybrids as has-beens, a stop-gap solution for a problem that’s already been solved. But, after spending a week with the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, I’m reminded just how practical these flexible solutions can be.

Sure, global charging networks are incredibly prevalent, but they’re not everywhere yet. Likewise, at-home charging for renters is still a big problem in most places. But the biggest factor working in the Pacifica Hybrid’s factor? This thing is a road trip machine and good ol’ gasoline is still the most convenient way to go in that situation.

Design

So Chrysler’s PHEV is a practical choice for sure, but for a minivan it’s a good looking one, too. The Pacifica is getting a bit old now, current generation introduced in 2017, but it still has a sophisticated style. That said, I confess I’m not a big fan of the teal-ish Fathom Blue Pearl (a $495 option) that this one came painted in. Chrysler offers seven colors to choose from and none are terribly exciting. Personally, I’d go with the flat Ceramic Gray and pair it with the $995 S Appearance Package, which blacks out much of the chrome and comes with matching wheels, but that’s just me.

Keep the chrome and, as you can see in the photos here, there’s plenty of the shiny stuff to be found. Brightwork extends from the logo on the grille up front all the way to the silver insert in the rear bumper. The chrome surrounding the windows is a bit much for me, but the jaunty, bright upward stroke running along the lower doors helps to add a bit of personality to what would otherwise be a dour looking vehicle. The subtle, matching crease that connects the door handles and runs back to form the rear similarly helps keep things interesting.

Out back, the sweep of the taillights pairs nicely with the winged Chrysler logo, prominently placed in the center, while the low bumper makes loading and unloading cargo nice and easy, a task made even easier thanks to the third row of seats that disappear into the floor with the tug of a little strap. That creates 87.5 cubic feet of cargo space, 32.3 with the seats folded up, or a whopping 140.5 cubic feet if you remove the second-row.

Inside

The interior is similarly stately if unexciting, Caramel-colored leather interior pairing nicely with the blue/green exterior. Highlights here are the thoughtful storage areas, like a generous open cubby beneath the center console and a pull-out bin for the second-row that will soon be filled by action figures, charging cables, and half-eaten granola bars.

Infotainment duties are handled by a 10.1-inch touchscreen high in the dashboard, which honestly looks a little small for a modern car this big, but works well. Chrysler’s Uconnect 5 system is very menu-heavy, but it’s also snappy. That’s definitely a nice thing, but the voice recognition leaves a lot to be desired. It’s great for changing in-car settings like temperature and the like but proved hilariously bad at trying to figure out addresses.

Photo Credit: Chrysler

Photo Credit: Chrysler

Better to bring your own, then. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both on tap here. And there are no shortage of places to connect should you prefer a wired approach. You have a whopping six between the front seats alone, evenly split between USB-A and USB-C. You’ll find more in the second row and another pair way back in the third-row too. No shortage of charging options here.

The Pinnacle trim comes standard with Uconnect Theater, which includes an integrated Blu-ray player that’s tucked down in the center stack, powering either or both of the integrated second-row screens. Each of those has its own remote control. Using those, or through the front infotainment system, the driver or passengers can bring up controls for either of the rear screens, including the Pacifica’s integrated FireTV stick, which can stream directly from the car’s integrated LTE connection. You’ll have to pay for the data, but that may be a small price for hours of quiet cruising.

Photo Credit: Chrysler

Photo Credit: Chrysler

You can also BYO media through the Pacifica’s many USB ports, which again can be browsed via the infotainment screen or remotes in the back seats. Someone getting a little fussy? You can even power off and lock either screen from the front until the troublesome passenger gets themselves an attitude adjustment.

So disabled, your passengers will still have the giant windows on either side to look through and watch the scenery go by, or indeed the massive, panoramic sunroof above that spans clear back over the second row’s seats and comes standard on all but the base Touring L spec. All that glass makes for a bright, open space and, while those in the way back do without the glass above, there’s still great visibility out of the sides.

That third row is remarkably comfortable, even for adults my size, with a set of cup holders, HVAC vents, and even window shades. Again, this is a true road-trip machine.

Photo Credit: Chrysler

Photo Credit: Chrysler

Road Tripping

Big, big miles are no problem in the Pacifica. The ride quality is good and the road noise is admirably muted, especially for a van. That’s even when the engine is running. When the car is burning only battery power it’s even more quiet.

That’s a trick the Pacifica Hybrid can do for up to 32 miles on a full charge of its 16-kilowatt-hour battery. In my testing I managed to do just that, though annoyingly it’s not possible to force the car into an EV mode. By default, on a cold day it’ll run the engine to warm up early, then try to go exclusively on battery until running that dry, then will act like a traditional hybrid. That’s how you’d want it most of the time, but it sure would be nice to tell it to save the battery for later. If you’re going to be droning down the highway for an hour or two before getting into a city, you’d be better off saving that charge for the low-speed stuff to come than blowing all your electrons on the highway.

That’s really my only complaint, though. Even without spinning up the 3.6-liter V6 engine the Pacifica Hybrid is responsive and easy to drive. Dip too deep into the throttle and the engine spins up to help, seamlessly and smoothly adding a total of 287 horsepower, smoother and stronger than most hybrids. That initial EV surge followed by the continual torque of internal combustion makes this an engaging, if not quite exciting drive.

Likewise, steering is direct but not particularly quick and overall handling is capable. You can push the Pacifica hard and have some fun for sure, but your passengers would probably rather you didn’t. When it’s time to haul cargo of the non-living variety, the Pacifica is more practical than many trucks. Again, tug on a strap and the third-row seats disappear into the floor like magic. On a regular Pacifica the second-row seats do the same, but here on the Hybrid you’ll have to carry them away. The process is easy, but they are on the heavy and awkward side.

Seats removed there’s plenty of room back here for just about anything short of a shipping cargo container. The low floor makes loading and unloading easy, and also makes for a stellar bench for either strapping in ski or snowboard boots before hitting the slopes, or untying muddy boots after a long hike. Minivans are of course known for their family practicality, but they are vastly under-appreciated for just how well they fit into an average, active lifestyle.

Efficiency and Safety

Nature-lovers will also probably be drawn to this van’s semi-EV capabilities, and the Pacifica Hybrid’s generous 82-mpg equivalent rating is appealing. In my testing, though, I averaged 27.1 mpg. Most of that was highway, on longer runs that depleted the battery early. If you’re doing shorter, more frequent trips and charging up overnight at home, you’ll do much, much better.

As far as safety systems go, the Pacifica Hybrid comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path alerts, and lane departure warnings. Interestingly, you can equip the adaptive cruise control system separate from the non-adaptive cruise. That was very handy when snow buildup disabled the active cruise system. On most modern cars, that situation would result in no cruise at all.

That said, the lane-keep here leaves a lot to be desired. It typically results in the car ping-ponging back and forth between lines, often losing sight of them altogether, resulting in the car simply wandering off to the left or the right. As far as lane departure systems go, Chrysler’s is far simpler than that offered by other, comparably priced SUVs.

Pricing and Options

But then this isn’t an SUV and there aren’t many other vehicles in this class worthy of comparison to the Pacifica. Minivans in the US are few and none are as posh as the Pacifica can be made to be. This top-shelf Pinnacle model starts at $60,190 and had just one option, $495 for that paint. The less luxurious Touring L starts at $50,495. If you’re more interested in hauling cargo or pets than people, that may be the better buy, but if you need to keep a fussy family comfortable and entertained, the Pinnacle will deliver.

So, yes, you’ll be paying a premium price but this is doubtlessly a premium product. It’s pleasant to drive, pleasant to be driven in, and so incredibly practical that even if you don’t have kids in your future, this Pacifica might still be the perfect vehicle for you.

Photo Credit: Chrysler

The post 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

2023 Toyota Sequoia review

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PROS:


  • Bold, stately looks

  • Good power

  • Towing capacity

CONS:


  • Cramped third row

  • Compromised storage

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

A big, capable SUV wrapped in a stately look that gives it the presence to match its volume.

Sometimes you look at a car and look at the name of the car and you’re left with the feeling that the designers and engineers and product planners were pretty far down the list before everyone finally decided what to call the thing. That’s not the case with the Toyota Sequoia, which for the 2023 model year gets a much-needed full redesign.

The sequoia is a tree, of course, but not just any tree. Sequoias are the tallest trees in the world. If that weren’t enough, they’re also the heaviest. Apt, then, that Toyota chose that particular stoic woodland fixture for the name of its biggest SUV, a titanic, three-row machine that will stand large and proud in any company.

Volume Play

How big is it? Well, it’s just 7 cm shorter than Chevrolet’s titanic Tahoe, three cm shorter, and a mere three cm narrower. So, yeah, pretty big, but it fills those proportions well. It looks stately and sophisticated, especially in the Wind Chill Pearl white that my test car you see here was painted.

The Sequoia has always taken styling cues from the Tundra upon which it is based, and thankfully the edgier front-end on Toyota’s redesigned full-sized truck works great here on this full-sized SUV. Big creases in the fenders lead to the headlights up front and the taillights out back, while more creases down low on the doors ensure the thing doesn’t look too slab-sided.

Those creases are highlighted with a bit of brightwork on this, the top-shelf Capstone trim, which pairs nicely with the massive chrome grille out front. (Lesser trims get rather more subtle black grilles, either with horizontal bars or the same honeycomb mesh you see here.) The wheels, too, are polished, measuring a massive 22-inches at all four corners, while the chromed mirror caps ensure there’s plenty of shine throughout.

Interior

The interior, too, has a light and bright look and feel to match the exterior. That’s helped by the cream-colored leather, which the designers thoughtfully included only on the upper portions of the seats. This is a smart move, avoiding the gloomy doldrums found in so many automotive interiors yet also keeping the high-wear areas of the upholstery dark, so you won’t have to worry about stains from blue jeans or brown dogs or anything else that’s liable to come in contact.

That’s typical Toyota family friendliness, which is readily found on even this big, luxurious rig. There are enough cup holders scattered about here for even the thirstiest of little ones and USB charging for every seat, even in the way-back. There’s no in-cabin, middle-seat entertainment offered, but since everybody brings their own media for road trips these days that seems like a smart move.

Starting at the back, the third row is actually reasonably easy to get into thanks to second-row seats that fold forward. But, once those seats are clipped back into position there’s not a lot of room left for luxuries like feet or knees. This is, then, a spot best reserved for little ones. Again, a pair of USB-C ports back here will keep their devices charged up, while manual window shades keep them out of the sun.

Or, if you’re rolling with fewer folks, these seats fold down at the touch of a button. They don’t, however, fold flush with the floor, which makes loading longer cargo a bit awkward. Toyota designers attempted to address this with a moveable rear shelf that can be lifted and then expanded to fill the gap. It’s functional and durable, but it’s also heavy and cumbersome to slot into place.

Second row seats are plenty comfortable, with enough head and leg room to suit adults. Middle passengers have their own USB-A and C ports, along with discrete HVAC controls and even a little plastic storage cubby between the seats.

Up front, though, is of course the most comfortable place to be. The heated and ventilated seats are plush enough for longer trips and wide enough for squirming around when those trips get to be a little too long. Those heaters are also extremely effective; you’ll never suffer from a chilly posterior here. Visibility is great and, with the massive panoramic sunroof, there’s never any shortage of light. That said, the view out the back is limited, whether you use the traditional rear-view mirror or the digital one. The digital mirror has the advantage of not forcing you to look past a truckload of passengers, but the flat colors and lack of contrast just make everything look awfully muted.

Tech

The other displays in the cabin fare better, particularly the 14-inch center display. It sits up high in the middle of the dashboard, up above a comprehensive set of HVAC controls — and a USB-A plug that looks a little bit randomly tacked on there. Toyota’s new (and cunningly named) Toyota Multimedia System is stripped down basic to the extreme, with few controls and menus, but despite that it works well. Everything is easy to find and everything is extremely snappy. Even the voice recognition is near-instantaneous. Overall, it’s a huge upgrade over previous generations of Entune.

But, of course, you can supplant all that with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, wirelessly here, with a Qi wireless charger capable of keeping your phone charged while it drives the in-dash experience.

Another display lives behind the steering wheel, a 12.3-inch virtual gauge cluster that displays all the information you need, with configurable displays showing everything from boost pressure to pitch and roll. If that’s not enough, a 10-inch heads-up display beams intel onto the windscreen, too.

Performance

So you won’t be lacking information, nor power. Every Sequoia trim gets Toyota’s i-Force Max V6, with 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque thanks not only to a pair of turbos but also a hybrid system. Make no mistake: Toyota’s not really making this out to be an economical choice. In fact, the default gauge configuration shows the power from the hybrid system right next to the turbo boost pressure. This, then, is purely a power move, and the EPA figures show it: 20 mpg is the combined rating on 4WD Sequoia, 19 in the city and 22 on the highway. I didn’t come anywhere near those figures, scoring 16.5 in my testing.

So yes, it’s a hybrid, but not the sort that you can expect to cover any miles in emissions-free. In fact, I struggled to speed to more than a crawl before the 3.445-liter engine spun to life. Even pretending there was a fresh egg between my foot and the gas pedal didn’t help. When it does fire, you’ll hear it. Even in Eco mode that V6 is quite loud. It sounds good to my ear, but it can tend to drone after longer stretches on the road.

Acceleration is strong and towing healthy, the Sequoia, with its Class IV hitch, is rated to tow 8,980 pounds in Capstone trim, 9,520 if you step down to the SR5. Handling, meanwhile, is tolerably good but with some unmistakeable, truck-like vibes that harken back to its Tundra underpinnings. It’s calm and smooth on the highway and deals with minor road imperfections without too much complaint, but bigger bumps definitely upset things.

For anyone coming from a truck, like the aforementioned Tundra, this will all feel very familiar and the Sequoia is quite comfortable for the most part. But, if you’re stepping up from a smaller, crossover SUV, the driving dynamics will feel harsh. Par for the course for something that can tow this much or, indeed, hold its own after the asphalt ends. I sadly didn’t have a chance to properly test the Sequoia’s off-road chops, but with its two-speed transfer case and limited-slip differential at the rear, it should handle itself just fine in the rough stuff.

Options and Pricing

If you are more interested in challenging ruts and rocks, the TRD Pro trim might be more your style, with its locking rear differential and 2.5-inch Fox coilovers. What you see here is the Capstone trim, with a more luxurious intent. It is priced to match. Toyota lists a current base price for the Sequoia SR5 at $56,365. This 4X4 Capstone trim, with about $1,000 in options and a $1,595 destination charge, came in at a rather more dear $80,906. For that you get all the extra flare on the outside, plush posh, multicolor ambient lighting inside, nicer materials, and auto-leveling air suspension.

Capstone doesn’t really get you much beyond the Platinum trim, which starts about $5,000 cheaper. That seems like the right place to start.

So it’s big, capable, has plenty of room inside and out, and wraps it all up in a stately look that gives it the presence to match its volume. It is, in other words, a great choice for those who want to haul lots of folks, tow lots of things, and go to lots of places that aren’t necessarily paved. Toyota’s refreshed big boy delivers.

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Toyota Corolla Cross Review

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PROS:


  • Comfortable, calm ride

  • Affordable

  • Boomin' sound system

CONS:


  • Underpowered

  • Too few USB ports

  • Somewhat anonymous

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Toyota's little SUV doesn't exactly reach out and grab you to make a first impression. But, spend some time with one and you'll find a comfortable, capable partner available at a compelling price.

With the rush of every manufacturer on the planet to meet the unyielding need for more and more crossover SUVs, every consumer everywhere seemingly yearning for the things, there’s enough volume there for manufacturers to come up with their own interesting, unique take on the segment. Something quirky, something different, something perhaps a bit weird.

The 2023 Corolla Cross is none of those things. From the conservative exterior to the monotone interior, Toyota’s little SUV doesn’t exactly reach out and grab you to make a first impression. But, spend some time with one and you’ll find a comfortable, capable partner available at a compelling price.

Growing up

It almost feels a bit derivative for Toyota to call its littlest SUV the Corolla Cross, milking nearly 60 years worth of name recognition for small, value-oriented motoring. But the Corolla Cross is very much a bigger, taller version of the stoic Corolla, and for that reason you have to respect the no-nonsense nomenclature here.

That said, for a crossover SUV that shares so much with the sedan, on the outside there’s very little visually to connect the two. It starts up front with a tall, dark grille that itself sits on top of more dark material, some black plastic cladding that runs all the way around the car, forming the lower extents of the fenders, rocker panels, and rear bumper. This gives the car a slightly chunky, vaguely rugged look that’s necessary for this segment.

The blocky fender flares help in that regard, too, highlighting the rear tail-lights, which stand out from the receding flanks of the car. A tiny spoiler mounted on the top of the hatch gives only the tiniest of sporting pretensions, mounted just aft of the only real bit of visual flare: a tiny chrome badge that says “Corolla Cross.”

All that cladding on the front, back, and sides pairs well with the Blue Crush Metallic paint, a color that, like the rest of the car, is pretty straightforward.

While the outside of the Corolla Cross doesn’t share too much with its namesake, it’s a completely different story on the inside. The interior is an almost identical clone of that found in the Corolla hatch and sedan. Mind you, that’s not a bad thing. Surely it helps keep the cost down, a factor I’ll be referencing a lot in this review, but regardless it’s a nicely laid out and well-made space.

The dash is a combination of simple, clean shapes of soft-touch plastics embossed with an unfortunate faux leather pattern, complete with pretend stitching. With so many premium manufacturers like Volvo and Mercedes-Benz going out of their way to offer vegan interiors, I’m inclined to say it’s time for manufacturers to give up on the pretend leather patterns.

Materials overall are good, hard plastics limited to the lower door cards and center console between the seats, though the headliner does feel a little cardboardy. Only the gloss piano black surfaces around the shifter and infotainment system are a real bother. They’re impossible to keep clean at the best of times and, given how your average Corolla gets used, they’re liable to be properly filthy in the wild.

The center stack contains a simple, separate HVAC row with a pair of temperature knobs for driver and passenger, a few physical buttons, and a little LCD for temperature and mode readouts. Up above the vents you’ll find the main infotainment touchscreen, eight inches in the XLE and standing proud out of the dashboard.

This is flanked with another pair of knobs, including one for volume thank goodness, plus eight buttons for going home or skipping straight to various sections of Entune. Entune itself is, well, Entune, dated and tired but perfectly functional. There’s no navigation out of the box, you’ll need to install that separately, but if you’re going to go through the trouble of connecting your smartphone I’d say you might as well just use either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Either of which work just fine here so long as you don’t mind plugging in.

That means the lone front USB port up front will be used to drive the infotainment experience. There’s a wireless Qi charger, too, but if your passenger wants to gain a little juice and use their phone at the same time they’re out of luck. Rear-seat passengers, meanwhile, get one each of USB Type-A and USB Type-C.

The gauge cluster is a large, centrally mounted LCD. A physical tachometer runs up the left side and, on the right, separate dials for fuel level and coolant temperature. That large central LCD doesn’t offer much in the way of customization, its middle section able to cycle through things like trip info and ADAS status — all the usual stuff and nothing too flashy. Much like the rest of the car, then.

There is, though, one thing that’ll make you sit up and take notice: the nine-speaker JBL sound system. This thing kicks. Sure, it lacks a little finesse, and I had to drop the bass in the settings before I could really hear the lyrics clearly in most of the music I listened to, but for a car this affordable it’s a great system. Bass lovers will find little need to upgrade.

Patient driving

While so much of the car is fair to middling, if there’s one area sure to leave you wanting it’s the powertrain department. The Corolla Cross features a 169-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a continuously variable transmission. The CVT here does its best to ape a traditional automatic, changing ratios to simulate gear shifts every now and again, but still you’d best get used to the continuous droning complaints of each of the four cylinders whenever you push the accelerator flat to the floor.

And you’re liable to do that a lot. Anytime you want to get up a hill, for example, or accelerate to highway speed. Passing on a two-lane road? You’d best make sure the road is clear for a good, long way before putting on that turn signal. This is the same motor used in the smaller, 175-pound lighter, FWD Corolla. Here, dragging around a heavier, AWD Corolla Cross, it struggles.

It is, at least, frugal. The Corolla Cross in XLE trim is rated at 29 mpg city, 32 highway, and 30 combined. In my mixed testing I came in at 29.2 mpg.

Underwhelming though it may be, lack of performance is not the end of the world. The Corolla Cross is perfectly driveable and, if you’re a little less impatient on your commutes than I, you’ll be just fine. In fact, with the Corolla Cross’s relaxed suspension and comforting ride, there’s no reason to push.

Your back-seat passengers will probably appreciate your taking it easy anyway. There isn’t exactly a massive amount of legroom back there, but it’s enough, plus plenty of headroom. There’s seating for three-across, but unless your guests are small you’re better off keeping it to two and letting them use the flip-down armrest.

When rolling solo, the seats split and fold 60/40, giving easy access to the 25.2 cubic feet of storage space (slightly more, 26.5, if you go with the FWD version). The rear of the car is accessed through a power liftgate (part of the $1,250 Convenience Package), where the floor has handy cubbies on the left and right, perfect for stuffing avocados and other bits of produce from your grocery run that are otherwise liable to roll around on the ride home.

In terms of active safety, the Corolla Cross comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which includes the usual niceties like adaptive cruise and advanced lane-keep assist. It does a fair job of keeping you centered in the lane, but beeps annoyingly any time you stray near the lines.

If you want blind-spot monitoring, you’ll need to opt for at least the mid-tier LE model, which also gives you rear cross-traffic alert, ensuring you don’t back yourself into trouble. Finally, step up to the top-trim XLE and you also get parking assist sensors along with automatic emergency braking.

Pricing and Options

The base Corola Cross L starts at $22,445. The model you see here, however, is a top-trim XLE AWD, with a starting price of $27,625. $1,465 added on that banging JBL sound system, plus an integrated alarm, while $1,250 brought the power liftgate and sunroof to the party. Self-leveling and auto-dimming headlights add another $615, plus $249 for cargo mats and $299 for the crossbars on the roof rack.

Total price for the car you see here was $32,718, including a $1,215 destination charge. That’s for a fully loaded car, and one that feels like it, but the sweet spot is found on the lower-spec Corolla Cross LE in FWD, which you can get with the brighter, light gray interior and still spec many of the desirable options, walking away with a lot more money in your pocket.

Regardless how you option it out, you’ll wind up with a nice-driving, comfortable, and clean-looking SUV that’ll do a great job of hauling you and all your stuff wherever you need to go — just so long as you’re not in a hurry to get there.

The post Toyota Corolla Cross Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

First Drive New Honda Civic Type R

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PROS:


  • New more mature-looking design

  • Brilliant handling 

  • Quicker and more responsive acceleration

CONS:


  • Exhaust note could be sportier

  • Cabin is very red

  • The LogR data-logger only works at certain tracks

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

This Type R feels seriously quick, light, chuckable and genre-beating. It just gets on with the business of driving as fast as the pilot wants, but making that driver feel like a production car series hero in the process.

It might only be the second Civic Type R model to come to the U.S. but it’s by far the best looking and most epic handling R we’ve ever seen. And Honda tells us that they will take their new road-going scud missile to Germany’s famed Nurburgring circuit ‘soon’ to recapture the “world’s fastest front-drive car” record—the one they lost to Renault’s Megane R.S. Trophy-R back in 2019.

Hurtling at 100 mph into Corner 3 on the Autopolis Circuit in southern Japan, the new Type R was tempting me to push harder. This 2023 Type R has higher cornering speeds than its predecessor and it’s so much easier to drive at the limits of adhesion.

Its weight balance is so well-sorted that you don’t have to provoke it into oversteer to get around a corner quickly. Steering response is pinpoint accurate and superbly weighted and the 4 piston Brembo brakes wipe off speed prodigiously and with little fade.

The 6th-generation is by far the best-looking

But before we dive into the juicy bits, let’s first revisit some of the brand’s history. This is the sixth generation of the Civic Type R, a high performance marque that normally appears at least a year after the base Civic launches. And this time it’s no different. Honda introduced its eleventh generation Civic in 2021, and followed that up with the hybrid version and Type R in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Civic. This year also just happens to be the 30th anniversary of the very first “Type R” road car—the NSX Type R which went on sale in 1992.

The first ‘EK9’ Civic Type R of 1997 was a tame-looking 3-door hatchback based on the 6th generation Civic. It was very basic with some nice wheels, a rear spoiler and a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter pumping out 182-hp and 118 lb-ft of torque. It was the same story for the ‘EP3’ 2nd generation Type R that came along in 2001. It had new sports wheels, chunkier side skirts, a rear spoiler and a 212-hp 2.0-liter VTEC engine, but it still looked like a bread delivery van. The next ‘FN2’ Type R followed the same formula, even though it looked a little more futuristic.

Fortunately things started to heat up when Honda revealed the more extreme ‘FK2’ model appeared in 2015. That car looked more race car-inspired boasting splitters, wings, vents and a high performance 2.0-liter turbocharged engine packing 306-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Seemingly inspired by the outgoing version, Honda’s stylists threw caution to the wind with the totally over-the-top 5th-generation ‘FK8’ Type R that arrived in 2017. That car had more edges and sharp lines than a Zaha Hadid designed museum, with bigger splitters, wings, vents and hood scoops than any 2.0-liter before it.

Can Honda regain its Nurburgring lap record?

But it was the 5th generation model that put the Type R name on the map when it posted a lap time of 7 minutes 43 seconds around the Nurburgring circuit in 2017, making it the fastest ‘front-wheel-drive car on the planet.’ That record, however was snatched away in 2019 when the Megane RS Trophy-R bettered Honda’s time with a blistering 7 minutes 40 seconds.

To rub salt in the wound, Renault brought their Megane to Honda’s home race track of Suzuka Circuit in central Japan in late 2019, and proceeded to rewrite the Civic Type R’s lap record by three seconds with time of 2 minutes 25 seconds. So it’s a given that straight after Honda recaptures the Nurburgring lap record, it will return to Suzuka to retake its spiritual home record. That should be something to see.

So what about the all-new car? When we say “it’s the best-looking so far,” we don’t really have much to compare with, given that the predecessor employed such busy styling that it looked strangely like something from Transformers. Of course, if you back to the earlier models, the ones that did not make it to the U.S., then we can see the evolution of the series. Even if we compare the new model to the previous five generations, with original version first surfacing in 1997, then we would still say that the latest version is the best-looking.

One look at the all-new model and you can see that it is altogether more mature and less flashy. Gone is that edgy, boy-racer styled, Fast and Furious-inspired design, replaced by more subtle edges and a less angry face. One colleague even suggested that it looked a lot like an Accord, and I had to nod in agreement. One reason—there’s no more 3D protruding hood scoop, a definite sign that Honda is trying to dial down its boy-racer image.

New Type R is more mature but still has plenty of attitude

Mind you, the Type R still has attitude, a lot of attitude. From its improved aero-body and triple exhaust pipes, to its brake-cooling front air intakes to its huge rear wing and rear diffuser, the Type R screams high performance. That’s right, all of the vents are real and functional this time, which adds to the car’s performance and helps to slice precious seconds off of lap times. The rear spoiler is still bigger than anything you would find on an Audi S3 or Mercedes-AMG A35, but this time, the R’s wing sits on shorter, more aerodynamic vertical struts rather than huge vertical metal plates like on its predecessor.

To keep the high performance nuance at max however, Honda retained the cool Ferrari-inspired triple aluminum exhaust design feature and carried over the rear diffuser from the old model. Also, the fake rear vents on the outgoing version have been replaced by a much smoother and more mature-looking rear bumper. The new model also gets a set of black side skirts, like the predecessor, but the stuck-on wheel arch extensions have thankfully gone. Instead, you now get flared wheel arches that have been neatly smoothed to sit flush with the bodywork. In addition, the cool-looking vent behind the front wheel is functional in that it cleans up the airflow coming out of the wheel arch to reduce drag down the side of the car.

All of these upgrades combine to make the new car not only more aerodynamic and planted, but make it look far more mature. It still stands out of course, but you won’t be embarrassed to show it off to your car buddies.

Inside, the Type R hints strongly at what it was made for. With its bright red seats and carpets, red stitching on a black Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel (to help soak up sweat!!) and its aluminum accented dash, the R lifts the adrenalin level even before you fire up its engine. But perhaps, stylists may have used a little too much red. It’s everywhere. The compact aluminum gear knob, that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, is vintage Honda and puts a smile on your face every time you flick through the gears. I’d argue that it’s mechanical precision and nice short throws are nearly as good as the 6-speed stick shift on the NSX, or at least as good as that on the now-out-of-production S2000.

In the hot seat

Speaking of that engine, there is some good news about that too. The new Civic doesn’t just benefit from weight saving and beefier rigidity, it also employs the most powerful Type R powerplant ever courtesy of its uprated 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This unit gets revised turbo geometry, improved cooling and more exhaust back pressure to sharpen up its responsiveness. It’s married to that brilliant 6-speed manual gearbox and pumps out 315-hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, increases of 9 hp and 15 lb-ft over the old Type R.

Exercise your right boot generously and the tacho and digital rev bar climb quickly towards its 7000rpm redline, complete with blinking F1-style red gearshift lights. Power arrives in a constant, linear ascent, and almost feels naturally aspirated in the way it climbs. Keep the turbo spinning between 3000 and 7000 and you’ll have prodigious amounts of power ready for the taking. But because of revisions to the chassis and suspension, you’re able to get that power down onto the tarmac better than ever before, a development that realizes quicker lap times.

The Type R continues to use Honda’s automatic rev-matching tech, which is now 10% faster according to Honda. Of course, you can switch it off if you prefer to heel-and-toe for real, but it works superbly when left on. Also, the rev-matching helps to make day-to-day driving smoother and is a helpful feature for those new to manuals.

The Autopolis track was the ideal place to put this R through its paces. As I punched the brake pedal quickly and grabbed 3rd on entry to a 70mph right-hander, the R hunkered down with massive grip from the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and then launched out of the exit with an almost overconfident “is that all you got?”

This car feels seriously quick, light, chuckable and genre-beating. It just gets on with the business of driving as fast as the pilot wants, but making that driver feel like a production car series hero in the process.
It is very clearly in its element on a race track. But it does feel stiff. We took it for a one-hour on public roads too and while the car can cope with bumps and tram-lines and potholes, the Type R is definitely on the firm side.

When you drive at full throttle on a circuit like this, it occurs to you that the “Fastest front-wheel-drive car in the world” (as Honda says it will be!) was made possible thanks to the development team’s efforts in fine-tuning their Type R entry in Japan’s Super Endurance Series. The difference in acceleration and handling between the previous generation and the new model was eye-opening and grin-generating.
The front suspension has been modified to provide improved traction and turn-in at the limits, while the rears squat nicely thanks to their reinforced rear rigidity, providing better around grip and quicker exits from corners.

To elevate the thrill level on track, Honda has fitted a data logger, aptly named “LogR.” This device will time your laps, but more importantly, determine how good your driving technique is and then give you a score. During my test drive session, former Japan Touring Car and F3000 champion racer Akihiko Nakaya scored 96 points, the best score of the day. My score was a little lower as I was not as familiar with the track as he was, or at least that’s my excuse.

The only downside is that the Type R still doesn’t sound as sporty as it should, even with the new model’s improved exhaust flow and active valve design. If only the designers, or should we say engineers, had added as much aggression in the sound department as they have in the aerodynamics and interior styling departments. It doesn’t bark, pop or crackle like a Toyota GR Corolla, Ford Focus RS or Hyundai Elantra N, and the synthetic exhaust note pumped inside through the speakers needs a tweak.

Expectations are high for the new model, as the previous generation became a hit, selling 47,200 units worldwide. I am half saddened by the thought that this will be the last gasoline version of the Type R that I will be able to test drive on the race track. I am half enthused though to see what the Type R electric version might look like.

Pricing and Options

Rivals from Toyota, Hyundai and Renault, for example will be the Type R’s strongest competitors, especially since they significantly undercut the Honda’s $43,990 base price. As far as options go, the Type R pretty much comes like this straight out of the box. You can choose from one of two Michelin brand tires, including the more road-going friendly Michelin Pilot Sport 4S we used in Japan.

Put up against its rivals, the Type R may be a little more expensive, but then again, if Honda can recapture the R’s ‘fastest front-drive car’ title at the Nurburgring, then the extra status could be a deal-maker.

The post First Drive New Honda Civic Type R first appeared on Yanko Design.

Volkswagen Golf R Review

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PROS:


  • Engaging handling

  • Plenty of power

  • Top-shelf AWD system

CONS:


  • Can feel sleeping

  • Few visual upgrades over GTI

  • Expensive

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

I pushed the Golf R a little harder on the day-to-day, spent a bit more time customizing things, and was left wanting only more time with VW's all-wheel-drive powerhouse.

It’s not often that I get a second bite at the apple with a car for evaluation. Usually something shows up in my driveway, I live with it for a week, and then it disappears again, turning into a proverbial pumpkin with no more lasting presence than a few megabytes on my camera’s memory and some lingering impressions within my own.

However, this is the second time I got to sample this Lapiz Blue Metallic Volkswagen Golf R, and I’m very thankful for that extra go. The first sampling I only had a few days with it and, after handing back the keys, I felt it was a really fun car when pushed hard but kind of bland on the whole. On my second go, I pushed it a little harder on the day-to-day, spent a bit more time customizing things, and was left wanting only more time with VW’s all-wheel-drive powerhouse.

Don’t call it a hot hatch

With Volkswagen’s GTI still merrily filling the role of hot hatch, moving ever up-market but still attainable and fun, the Golf R really has to be something else. Something more, really, And it is: more money, more power, more capability, and in a lot of ways more mature, too.

It starts with the look, which is purposeful but far from randy. The eighth-generation Golf is, I think, a step towards sophistication. The low nose is sharp, with slender, double-fluted headlights and running lights that wrap well around into the front fenders. Below that, the cooling vanes for the radiator and heat exchangers are generous, spreading practically the full width of the bumper and looking a fair bit more aggressive than the hexagonal grille on the current GTI.

Beyond that, visual differentiating factors between the Golf R and GTI are admirably few. There’s a bit of badging here and there, a hatch-mounted wing that’s quite large but fits so nicely into the overall profile of the car it’s easy to miss. The most notable difference is the exhaust, four large pipes sitting low, flanking a petite diffuser that probably doesn’t do much for aero but does clean up the lower extent of the bumper.

Park this thing next to a regular Golf and 99 people out of 100 wouldn’t pick the R out as being anything particularly special. For a lot of performance car buyers that would be a major turn-off. For me, that’s a plus. I like a special car that blends in, a classic sleeper, and the Golf R is definitely that.

The understated vibe continues on the interior. You could call it too dark, and compared to something like the VW ID.4 it certainly is desaturated, but there’s a lot of subtle detail on the inside that is easy to miss but charming when you spot it.

Black is the predominant color but subtle blue highlights add a lot of visual intrigue. There’s the stitched R logos in the seats and blue piping, sure, but look closer and you’ll see that the black leather seats are actually dyed blue, which you can really only see in the perforations.

Downcast, midnight blue lights highlight the wireless charging cubby and blue stitches hold the leather on the steering wheel. Blue over black isn’t much of a highlight, but again, it’s subtle and clean and mature. Only the insert that runs from one door to the other, spanning across the dashboard, doesn’t work for me. It’s a patterned weave of some sort, with an almost carbon fiber look to it that is just a little busy for my taste. Sadly, there are no other options available.

Beyond the chromatic, the interior of the Golf is sophisticated if a bit low-rent for what is a $45,440 car. The Golf R gets custom seat inserts, but otherwise it’s much the same as the GTI. Plastics are a bit harsh and the omnipresent piano black trim collects dust and fingerprints like a hoarder. Carpet-lined door cubbies seem like a nice touch, but sadly the inner side of them is unlined, so anything you throw in there will still rattle away.

Like all modern VWs, there’s a preponderance of touch-sensitive controls to be found, which may or may not be your thing. I like a mix and to my eye the Golf R skews a little too far to the wrong side of touch-obsession. There’s no volume knob, for example, just a finger slider beneath the 10-inch touchscreen, a volume slider that I accidentally hit at least a dozen times in my most recent week with the car.

Beneath the touchscreen there’s a small panel with four capacitive touch buttons for adjusting driver-assist settings, climate control, car mode, and a shortcut to bring up the auto-park functionality. These are not actual buttons. Press one and the only feedback you get is a very loud click sound through the speakers.

Steering wheel controls are likewise capacitive touch and a little harder to find without looking than traditional buttons, but here at least the embedded grooves and crosshatch shapes keep your thumbs falling in the right direction. Usually.

Blissfully, the shift paddles behind the wheel are real, physical things that really move when you pull them.

Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system seems far more snappy now than it was when I first sampled it, generally responsive and, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, has all the smartphone integration you need.

The 10.25-inch virtual gauge cluster is extremely customizable, with each side showing you any of about a dozen different telemetry readouts, from mpg to turbo boost, while the heads-up display gives you even more data. You will not be uninformed while driving this car.

Putting it into D

The Golf R is available with a six-speed manual transmission, an option that only American cars received and something that I am very thankful for. But, whereas I said you should order your Nissan Z with a stick, with the Golf R I think the DCT is the way to go.

That’s the transmission equipped on the car you see pictured here and it is an impressive thing. With seven speeds there’s always a right ratio and the car does a fine job of making sure you’re in it. Slender, wheel-mounted paddles are right at hand should you feel like overriding things, and if you do the car is happy to hold that gear up to redline.

That’s mated to a series of clutch-type differentials to handle getting power where you want it. This new all-wheel-drive setup is far racier than the previous generation, capable of distributing power exactly where it’s needed and doing proper torque vectoring. This means the outside rear wheel can get a bit (or even a lot) of extra torque. This helps push the car out of the corners, reducing understeer and making sure the Golf R keeps heading in the right direction even in low-grip situations.

All that is controlled by an advanced driver assistance system with four modes: Comfort, Sport, Race, and Custom. Then there are two additional, limited flavors within Race: Drift and Special. Drift accentuates the rearward power of the car, while Special is a, well, special configuration designed expressly for use on the Nurburgring. That’s a bit silly and not particularly useful for the vast majority of Golf R purchasers, but still you have to love it.

In Comfort mode, the Golf R is surprisingly tractable. Despite the skinny, 235/35 R19 tires, ride quality is very good. You’ll get more bumps and buzzes in the cabin than you might on a base Golf, but it’s really not bad at all. And, considering the Golf has all the active safety niceties you could want, like adaptive cruise and automatic lane keeping, this would make a fine machine for a road trip.

Snap the car into Sport and honestly, nothing much changes. This I think is where the car fell flat for me last time. It gets a little louder and the adaptive chassis control a bit firmer, but the throttle response and transmission are still just about as lazy as in Comfort. The car still feels reluctant.

Step up to Race and things finally start to get interesting. Now the transmission is far more aggressive and the power delivery more satisfying. There’s a nagging, constant amount of turbo lag while the 2.0-liter four-cylinder builds all the way up to a whopping 33 psi, but drive it like you mean it and you can get around that.

In Race, however, the car needlessly firms up the steering the way most cars do. Thankfully, in the Custom mode you can dial up all the engine and transmission aggression you want and pair that with the softer, Comfort steering. That’s my preferred mix and, driven like this, I really fell in love with the Golf R. Again, you have to be very aware of that turbo lag and drive it hard to get maximum performance, but the harder I pushed the more the Golf R delivered.

Losing grip, gaining respect

The most eye-opening time in the car for me was a quick run after a heavy rain. I knew that’d be my only chance to really test the grip on the car and the first time I got on the power coming out of a corner I was rewarded. On a lot of all-wheel-drive cars, over-exuberance with the throttle results in immediate, terminal understeer.

On the Golf R, whenever I lost traction it was at the rear, and no I wasn’t in Drift mode. Again and again I’d stomp my foot down like a hoon, wait for the boost to surge, then have to countersteer quickly as the tail stepped out. Mind you, the traction control stepped in quickly to ensure things didn’t get out of hand, but that the car’s nature is to wag its tail coming out of the most mundane of roundabouts really changed my perspective. This is largely thanks to that new AWD setup squirting a little extra power to the outside wheels.

And, once I learned to rely more on the paddles to choose my own gears, my enjoyment just increased. Though the transmission can shift in the blink of an eye, if you’re not driving on the ragged edge it has a tendency to drop down into fuel saving mode. The more I shifted myself, the more time I spent in the racer modes, the more I loved the Golf R.

But it does still feel a bit flat in the in-between times. You really have to throw the car into R mode (or your custom flavor) and drive it hard to get the most out of it. Casual cruising with the odd stabs at the throttle will likely underwhelm.

Pricing and options

In the US, the Golf R has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $44,445. The car you see here is equipped with the classy Lapiz Blue paint and the Titan Black Leather interior. To get those options you’ll have to pay… actually nothing. They’re no-cost, meaning the only additional cost on the car you see pictured here is the $995 destination, bringing us to the $45,440 final cost.

Through the online configurator, the 7-speed DSG gearbox shows as a $800 option over the six-speed manual. Beyond the usual floor mats and wheel locks, that’s about it. Really, you’re looking at a car that is far from cheap but is fully equipped without having to tick any boxes.

The post Volkswagen Golf R Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

2023 Honda HR-V Review

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PROS:


  • Smooth, comfortable ride

  • Roomy cabin

  • Great value

CONS:


  • Underwhelming power

  • Anonymous styling

  • No Magic seats

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The HR-V rides with a poise and composure that's unusual for an SUV of this size, soaking up road imperfections with no complaint or negative feedback transmitted to the driver. There's little to tell you that you aren't driving a car costing far more than this one's $30,590 as-configured price.

Sometimes, growing up means losing a little bit of magic. Your outlook on life changes along with your priorities, as might your waistline, but at the end of the day you’re still you and, in many cases, a better you. Wizened, yes, but wiser too.

With the 2023 Honda HR-V, growing up quite literally means losing its magic — well, Magic Seats, anyway. But, despite that unfortunate omission, the latest flavor of Honda’s littlest crossover SUV is a nicer-driving, nicer-looking machine than what came before. An improvement, then? Let’s dive into the details.

New Platform

The outgoing Honda HR-V, introduced in 2014 and refreshed in 2019, was based on the beloved Honda Fit. Serving as a slightly bigger, marginally more practical SUV flavor of Honda’s mini-MPV, it inherited the Fit’s great packaging and lively, if buzzy, dynamic.

This new HR-V is a very different beast. Now built on the same platform as the latest Honda Civic, it features a substantially different design inside and out, top to bottom. Certainly from the outside it looks radically different, bigger and frankly more pedestrian than before. Where the old car had an almost tall-hatchback vibe, the new one is all SUV.

That’s not a bad thing, mind, and I do think it’s a handsome looking thing. The face of the car is simpler and cleaner without the chrome nose that the old car wore, and I like the way the new facia sculpts down aggressively to a well-defined, vertical grille.

From the side, well, there’s really nothing to differentiate this from any other little crossover on the market, but from the rear there’s a bit more intrigue, with wide tail lights wrapping nicely around to to the fenders, a clear organic shape with black inserts that pair nicely with the black trim that formers a border and a base for the entirety of the HR-V’s body.

Again, I think it looks quite good, especially in the deep, greenish-blue shade of Nordic Forest, which is about as accurate a name for an automotive color I’ve ever heard. While that shade will set you back an extra $395, it works well with all the black and the few bits of silver and chrome to be found.

New Interior

On the inside, things are much darker. Much, much darker. The color scheme inside my test car was black on black on more black, a little bit of white stitching plus a few silver hints trying and failing to break up the monotony. An off-white headliner brightens things up just a little bit, but I’m going to go ahead and say that if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, this may not be the interior for you. (There is a light gray interior available, but only on the top-shelf EX-L trim.)

Despite the monotone look, it’s actually a very nice interior, a massive improvement both in terms of layout and features than before. And, frankly, it does look good, especially the sweeping, honeycomb vent that runs nearly the entire width of the dashboard, borrowed from the new Civic and looking just as classy here as it does there.

The 9-inch infotainment system sits perched above that, again familiar Honda-spec stuff but easy to use and responsive, and blissfully featuring a volume knob, something missing on the first HR-V. Both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on display, and the HR-V integrates nicely with them, pulling turn-by-turn directions out and adding them to the gauge cluster.

That gauge cluster, meanwhile, is half digital, multi-function LCD on the left handling tachometer duties, seamlessly blending into a physical speedometer needle on the right.

Inset in the tacho is a selection of information ranging from trip details to navigation, as well of course as all the various active safety settings, which I’ll delve into in just a moment. I find this half-digital layout a bit odd, if I’m honest, but it works well and presumably saves a few bucks somewhere along the line.

The center console in the new HR-V has been completely redesigned, shifter now sitting on an arched section that flows seamlessly back to the driver’s armrest. That arching shape creates room for a small cubby underneath, with a pair of USB-A ports sticking out at odd angles on either side. Another USB-A port is situated ahead of the cupholders and next to a Qi wireless charging pad. Rear-seat passengers, though, will have to make do without even a single USB port. (There is at least a 12-volt way back in the hatch, but that won’t help your compatriots much.)

The bigger change out back, though, is the aforementioned loss of the Honda Fit’s Magic Seats. Though the name was somewhat hyperbolic, those seats really were pretty special, folding up to make room for tall objects or folding flat to provide lots of cargo space. In the new HR-V, those seats fold only flat.

They do so easily and nicely, opening up 55.1 cubic feet of cargo space, down from 57.6 on the old car. But, when the seats are up, there’s plenty of room for rear-seat passengers. I’m six-feet tall with short legs and I had plenty of headroom and oodles of legroom, even with the driver’s seat positioned exactly where I’d have liked it.

The front seats, too, are comfortable and roomy, power adjusting on the driver’s side, manual for the passenger. Despite the sunroof there’s an abundance of headroom up front, too, and good visibility throughout.

New Drive

Buckle up, hit the Engine Start Button, slot the shifter into D, and you’ll quickly realize this feels very different. In terms of driving dynamics, there’s little here to compare to the old HR-V. Though the previous one was far from bad, this one’s very good. Mostly.

The suspension and overall ride quality are the biggest changes. The HR-V rides with a poise and composure that’s unusual for an SUV of this size, soaking up road imperfections with no complaint or negative feedback transmitted to the driver. Even on the worst roads I could find, the HR-V was perfectly comfortable, handling maybe skewing a little too far to the soft side but it’s still an engaging thing to drive.

Really, other than a bit of road noise coming through on broken surfaces, there’s little to tell you that you aren’t driving a car costing far more than this one’s $30,590 as-configured price. But, get on the accelerator and you’ll get a noisy reminder.

The 2023 Honda HR-V is powered by a 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a continuously variable transmission and all-wheel drive. CVTs and AWD systems both have a tendency to suck the life out of small-displacement engines. Saddling the poor two-liter four-pot here with both leaves it really struggling.

Try to accelerate hard and you’re greeted with more noise than thrust, transmission running up to redline and staying there until you take mercy on the thing and lift. It is, suffice to say, not a particularly engaging acceleratory experience.

That’d be okay if it were particularly frugal, but it sadly isn’t. The HR-V is EPA-rated for 25 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway and 27 combined. That’s down one point across the board compared to the 2021 AWD HR-V. In my mixed testing I averaged 24.8 mpg, and other than a few quickly aborted acceleration tests I was not pushing hard.

Honda doesn’t yet offer a hybrid flavor of the Civic nor the HR-V, but I think such a system would do wonders both for efficiency and driving dynamics here. There’s what appears to be room for an entire second engine under the hood of the car, so while nothing’s been announced, hopefully Honda plans to do something with all that space.

Pricing and Options

All HR-Vs come with the Honda Sensing system, which includes adaptive cruise, lane-keep, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-jam assist. On the highway the HR-V does a great job of following the flow of traffic, keeping itself centered in the lane. When it’s time to change lanes, the HR-V won’t do it for you, but standard blind-spot monitoring will at least make sure the way is clear.

There really aren’t many options. The AWD EX-L HR-V you see here had a starting price of $28,950, with that Nordic Forest paint the only option at a bargain $395. Going for FWD would have saved $1,500, while the only other options would have been different wheels and things like floor-mats.

After a $1,245 destination charge, the final price for the car you see pictured here is $30,590.

The post 2023 Honda HR-V Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

2022 Tesla Model Y Review

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PROS:


  • Long range of 330 miles and quick ‘Supercharger’ network

  • Blinding acceleration

  • High levels of in-car tech

CONS:


  • Steering could generate more feedback

  • Firm ride for SUV

  • Nearly all operations must be done through the touchscreen

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Y’s steering is light and while it could have weightier feel, it is still quick to respond to inputs, giving you a sense of control and connection through corners.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk transformed the automotive landscape when he launched the fully electric Model S a decade ago. Its combination of cool styling, blistering performance, industry-leading range and a game-changing quick-charge network resonated with customers who were ready to fork over sums clearing $100,000. In quick succession, he added the Model X, Model 3 and, most recently, the Model Y, and has dangled soon-to-be-launched models including the Cybertruck, the Semi and even a new roadster in front of an ever-growing Tesla audience.

In this review, we will examine the ‘Model Y Long Range,’ (in contrast to the super-quick ‘Performance’) the brand’s latest mainstream marque to see what it has to offer. Boasting an EPA-rated 330 miles of range, a new SUV body style, rocket-like performance and user-friendly onboard tech, the Model Y will appeal to motorists catering to family needs, but who also want some Tesla street cred. The Y, however, is not the perfect EV for everyone and has a few aspects that may lead potential buyers to rethink their choice. Let’s move right into the review.

Model Y shares 75% of its parts with the Model 3

Employing the same platform as the Model 3, the Y shares around 75% of its components with the 3, which includes a familiar-looking front end, an almost identical interior and the same powertrain. The Y however offers optional third-row seats for a seven-passenger capacity.

In North America, the Y debuted in March 2020, a time that coincided with the start of the pandemic. That forced the company to shutter factories and caused major disruption to parts supply chains. But the car’s SUV-style styling, range, dimensions, acceleration and pricing helped it clear those various hurdle, enabling it to sell 161,000 units in 2021. In fact, The Y is expected to outsell last year’s sales figures, and is on track to become one of the world’s best-selling cars.

CEO Elon Musk told a recent gathering of shareholders that the Model Y will be the world’s best-selling vehicle from a revenue perspective this year. In addition, Musk said that the Y will be the world’s number one vehicle in terms of overall sales volume in 2023. The Model Y’s sales success is even more significant when you consider how expensive it is. Never before has a $70,000 car sold roughly 150,000 units per quarter (Tesla only gives combined Model 3/Y sales figures, so precise Model Y sales are unknown).

Model Y finally arrives in Europe and Japanese showrooms

Strong demand at home and various parts supply issues helped delay the Y’s launch onto the international stage, with the car finally landing in Europe and Japan this year. When Tesla launched the Model Y a month ago at Japan’s first owner’s delivery event, it was comprehensively covered by the local media with many journalists shocked to hear that most buyers bought their Y online without having seen one or test driving one. With all of Japan’s Model Ys being sourced from the Gigafactory in China, Tesla Japan tells us that between 20 to 40 Model Ys are scheduled to be delivered to their new owners every day until the end of 2023. The fact that Tesla’s Supercharger network is expanding at a good pace in the home of Angle’s star Shohei Obtain helps sales too.

With prices starting from $65,990, the all-wheel-drive Model Y will go head-to-head with the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Audi Q4 e-tron, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Mercedes Benz EQA, Nissan Ariya, BMW iX3, Volvo C40 Recharge and VW ID.4, even though most offer cheaper entry prices to their respective ranges than the Model Y.

The Y takes strong design hints from the 3

It goes without saying that the Model Y borrows heavily from the Model 3’s lines. Both use the same basic architecture, with the obvious differences being an increased ride height for the Model Y, along with a higher roof line, and black plastic trim around the door sills. While the Y’s nose section appears almost identical to the 3’s, the rest of the Y’s body looks like a 3 that’s been stretched upwards using photoshop. The Model Y’s slanted roof pinches its back window, impeding visibility. However, this problem plagues many new SUVs with the same popular half-SUV, half-coupe shape. Yes, it is functional but it’s no where near as pretty as the aging Model S’s exterior which boasted some of the industry’s best proportions over a decade ago.

For 2022, Tesla is making some small changes to the Model Y. These range from a new, lighter 12-volt lithium-ion battery (replacing the traditional lead-acid one) and laminated rear windows to better insulate the cabin from noise.

Spartan, minimalist interior is futuristic

Dashboards boasting massive central touchscreens and no gauges are a sign of the future. Following in the footsteps of the Model 3’s interior, the Model Y’s minimalist cockpit offers few surprises in the design department, with the huge 15-inch central touchscreen dominating the chic but spartan cabin. In fact, the only physical controls to be found are on the multi-function steering wheel and column stalks. Every adjustment that must be made to air-con, steering wheel tilt or telescopic functions, door mirror angles, and of course audio and satnav, must be made though the touchscreen. Luckily it has impressive graphics and quick response times. Switching to a Tesla from a standard gasoline powered or hybrid car is a big adjustment for drivers as even reading the Model Y’s speedometer, which hides in the top right corner of large touchscreen, can be challenging at first. Some drivers may find the steep learning curve too much to overcome.

The Y’s cockpit delivers high levels of comfort in some areas and disappoints in others. The seats are well padded and provide sufficient leg and back support, but the simulated leather upholstery does not breathe well and will retain heat in summer. As you’d expect from a clean dash with minimal switches, the climate control is touchscreen-operated and can be fiddly to quickly find, adding to frustration.

Why don’t all carmakers offer twin smartphone charging pads?

Like a new iPhone 14, drivers will need to take extra time to learn the ins and outs of the touchscreen. Speaking of smartphones, one feature we particularly liked was the Model Y’s twin charging pad located just under the touchscreen which lets passengers lay two phones on charging pads side by side. Why doesn’t everyone else do this? The Y’s air-con can cool and heat the cabin well, but it has to work hard if the sun is shining through the Y’s large glass roof. Like many EVs now, you can remotely switch on the air-con before you get in, which can save the day.

Fitted to the Y, Tesla’s Autopilot system uses a combination of cameras and sensors to scan your surroundings and channel data into advanced cruise control programs that can significantly lower driver fatigue levels. But during our test we felt that the standard adaptive cruise control worked well enough.

You can open your car with your smartphone. As long as you’re logged into your car with your smartphone app, the car will unlock and turn on when it detects your phone. If you don’t want to use your phone, you can opt for a separate smartcard that unlocks the car when you hold it up to the B-pillar.

The Driving Experience

Tesla established itself as a maker of blisteringly quick electric cars back in 2009 with the introduction of the Roadster model. It followed this up with the Model S in 2012, the unique ‘falcon wing’ door fitted Model X in 2015 and the Model 3 hatchback later in 2017, all offering supercar equivalent acceleration. We’ve all seen YouTube videos of Teslas trampling over Lamborghini Aventadors and Nissan GT-Rs to 60 mph and the quarter mile, so we don’t need to reiterate how quick any Tesla is.

As mentioned above, you get a choice of two specs; the Long Range or the Performance. If you opt for the former, you get a 75kWh lithium-ion battery, which the EPA rates at 330 miles for the Long Range Dual Motor specification. Upgrade to the ‘Performance’ spec and your range falls to a claimed 303 miles, but in return power leaps from 434-hp to a massive 563-hp. The EPA also estimates that the Long Range version is good for 131 MPGe in the city and 117 MPGe on the highway, while the Performance spec’s fuel numbers are 115 MPGe city and 106 MPGe highway.

In Performance guise, the Y is capable of jumping from zero to 60-mph in 3.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 155-mph. Even in Long Range spec, it is still able to post a pleasingly quick zero to 60-mph time of 4.8 seconds and a 135-mph top speed. Of course, the Model Y’s dual-motor/all-wheel-drive set-up helps get the power down when you need that quick bout of grunt, but, in everyday driving, it will settle nerves when roads are slippery.

The Model Y’s firm suspension delivers the liveliness and precision of a sports car, some would say ‘supercar,’ but not without the sacrifice. Sure, the Y is a very comfortable cruiser on smooth interstate of local roads, but once on rougher terrain the car’s overly firm set-up can become jittery, and you’ll notice some harsher crashes and bumps. Ride quality improves a smidgen on Model Y’s with 19-inch tires, but if you prefer a less jittery and more compliant ride, then perhaps you’d better look elsewhere for your EV.

While the ride is a little on the firm side, handling in the 4,416-lb Model Y is good and predictable. The steering is light and while it could have weightier feel, it is still quick to respond to inputs, giving you a sense of control and connection through corners. It does not, though, have the driver engagement of, say, a BMW iX3, but the Model Y is still a very capable handler.

Using regen braking with one pedal allows a complete stop

Veteran EV drivers will enjoy the adjustable regenerative braking which allows carefree one pedal driving. We were particularly impressed with the Y’s ability to drive and stop smoothly using just one pedal—the accelerator. Unlike many of its European or Japanese rivals, the Model Y will come to a complete stop when you lift off the throttle, and without touching the brake. In heavy traffic though, it does take some getting used to. While Tesla claims you can charge from 10% to 80% of battery capacity inside of 30 minutes, it also says that you can top up 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes at its ever-expanding Supercharger network. The Model Y should qualify for the U.S.’s new $7,500 tax rebate starting January 1, 2023 under the new Inflation Reduction Act. More details on that later.

PRICING AND OPTIONS

There are basically two prices for the Model Y: $65,990 for the Long Range, and $69,990 for the Performance. Interestingly, options are few and far between. Unlike rivals which supply options for seats and trim, wheels, paintwork, audio system, and even interior illumination, the Model Y only offers options for body color, seats and wheels. Everything else comes as standard. While it does offer impressive tech on its huge display like Spotify and YouTube, it does however clearly lag behind the rest of the industry, though, in smartphone integration with no Apple or Android options.

CONCLUSION

When it comes to delivering a pleasing mix of roominess, range, tech, performance and quick charging for SUV, the Y stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Of the two versions, we prefer the Long Range (LR). It may lack the ballistic acceleration of the Performance but it is still quick enough. But of all the EVs on the market now, we’d have to rate the Model Y as one of the best, even at a starting price of $65,990.

However, in saying that, we cannot ignore the car’s quirks, such as an overly firm ride, challenging touchscreen operation and no Apple or Android access—which we feel may be deal breakers for some potential EV buyers. Our best advice would be to test drive one and see how it fits your lifestyle.

The first 3 recipients of the Tesla Model Y in Japan

The post 2022 Tesla Model Y Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

2023 BMW 8-Series 840i Coupe Review

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PROS:


  • Big power and bigger torque

  • Sharp styling hides massive proportions

  • Comfortable, effortless performance

CONS:


  • Performance comes at a cost

  • Token rear seats won’t fit much

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

I headed for the twistiest, bumpiest set of roads I could find and the 840i did not disappoint in any way. This big coupe was always so very smooth and planted.

Green over tan isn’t traditional coloring on a German sports car, but then the BMW 840i Coupe isn’t exactly your traditional sports car. Long, low, and mean, the 840i is a grand tourer with the focus on “grand” — grand dimensions, grand styling, and, with 335 horsepower on tap, grand power, too.

How does it shape up? Stand by to be impressed.

Grand Styling

The BMW 840i makes a striking first impression, especially in the shade of emerald green that you see here. BMW calls it San Remo Green Metallic, and it’s delightfully a no-cost option. Even if it did come with a financial premium, it’d be money well spent in my book for a hue that not only accentuates the big coupe’s big curves (especially those fenders), but also pairs so very nicely with the various black highlights on this, the xDrive with a pair of M Sport packages.

Those packages come with BMW’s Shadowline detailing, which blacks out a lot of what would otherwise be chrome, including the trim around the windows, headlights, and grille. Black and the green are a great combo, made a little more bright by the two-tone, polished, 20-inch wheels, a $1,300 option wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires.

Those wheels fill out the massive fenders and give the car a definite, purposeful look that’s a little bit lacking on the four-door Gran Coupe flavor of the 8 Series. It’s a subtle difference between the two flavors of the same car, but the more direct line from roof to rear spoiler on the Coupe is much cleaner to me, leading to a rear end that is thoroughly creased and perforated.

On the inside, the 840i follows the templates of many modern BMWs, a more traditional interior than the radical iX, but eminently comfortable and purposeful. Really, though, on this particular car it’s not the layout or the patterns used inside the two long, sweeping doors that stands out.

No, instead it’s the righteous two-tone interior that really opens peoples’ eyes and elicits the most comments. Never have I seen an interior that was so very polarizing. I must admit that my first reaction was to recoil (I am, in general, not a fan of two-tone anything), but within a few minutes of looking about I was quickly won over.

Dark, tan leather frames the cabin and the seats, with white inserts providing a stark contrast. Each seat almost looks like a baseball inside of a traditional leather glove. This is not for everyone, maybe not even for most, but at the end of my week with this car I’d grown to love it. I’m not sure I’d pay the extra $2,000 for it, though.

All that flash is capped off, literally, with a soft, sueded headliner in the same light cream color that looks and feels fantastic, arching overhead then cutting downward sharply over the rear seats — such as they are. There’s no sunroof here, which is a bonus in my book, as it’d just compromise headroom. And, with the light coloring here, everything looks plenty airy without.

There isn’t, however, room for much air in those rear seats. In fact there isn’t room for much of anything. I set the driver’s seat to where I wanted it, then hopped in the back and pulled the seatback upright. The driver’s seat then started to motor itself back into position, slowly but surely crushing my feet like the trash compactor in Star Wars Episode IV.

I confess I may have squealed a little bit as I yanked my feet upright, pulling them right out of my already-trapped shoes, which were summarily squashed beneath the unstoppable rearward progression of that seat. Suffice to say, manually move your seat all the way forward before slotting any passengers in the back.

Those passengers will need to be short. Not only was there no room for my feet but my head didn’t have a place to go, either. Sitting upright, my ear pressed firmly into that lovely, plush headliner running along the ceiling.

None of this should come as any surprise and I really don’t hold it against the Coupe. Those rear seats are token gestures more than anything. Their most important feature is that they easily fold down to make room for long bags. There is, however, no pass-through for skis or the like.

Grand touring

My first drives in the 840i Coupe were long stretches on open country roads and even more open highways. These were the sorts of things this car was designed for — clearly, though, BMW engineers had higher speed limits in mind than American roads provide.

The 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six here is a venerable thing, available in many a BMW model large and small. Here it performs admirably, doing 29 mpg on the highway when cruising, its digitally augmented acoustics offering a suitably low growl when accelerating, increasing in volume and pitch along with speed. The torque of the straight-six surges early and just keeps on pushing until you’ve reached the limit of your risk tolerance.

That of course means effortless passing in any situation, though if you’re in comfort mode you’ll likely need to grab for one of the wheel-mounted shift paddles as the shifting is understandably lazy. That’s perfectly fine, of course. That’s why those paddles are there.

Cruising along broken asphalt the big BMW offers commendable ride quality, but particularly harsh bumps do result in a bit of a crash of noise and vibration. Blame the 20-inch wheels and tires, which look so good I’m willing to forgive a bit of harshness here and there.

Generally, though, the BMW is calm, composed, and quiet. Only the hum of the exhaust intrudes at speed, reminding you that you’re piloting something special.

Grand sporting

Throw the BMW 840i into Sport Plus mode and, while it isn’t exactly the kind of Jeckyl vs. Hyde transformation some sports cars can manifest, things do become far more engaging. The Coupe’s character remains true, just a little more edgy.

Suspension in Sport mode firms and delivers far more feedback, while the transmission and engine both get far sharper. In Manual mode, the gearbox will hold any gear you like up to the rev limiter and shifts with brevity. A dual-clutch box this ain’t, but neither does it tarry in giving you the cog you want.

Steering, too, firms up in Sport Plus, but sadly feedback does not. Thankfully, BMW allows you to customize this mode to your heart’s content, meaning it took just a few seconds of fiddling with the iDrive to switch the steering feel back to Comfort, which I found far preferable.

I headed for the twistiest, bumpiest set of roads I could find and the 840i did not disappoint in any way. It never felt light on its feet — this is a 4,012-pound car, remember — but it was always so very smooth and planted.

Even when the asphalt got bad and the bumps got big, big enough to find the end of the effective range of the BMW’s suspension, things still felt competent and calm. The coupe never reacted harshly or unpredictably. It just motored on, whisking me with it.

It was only an unexpected spray of gravel at the apex of a fast, blind corner that finally caused the car to exhaust its seemingly endless supply of grip. Even this situation was handled with aplomb. The car slid about six inches, found grip again on the other side, and continued on its way. I didn’t even bother to make a steering correction.

Grand technology

While the contrasting leather interior won’t be for everyone, I found BMW’s Live Cockpit Pro system quite intuitive and easy to use. BMW’s infotainment experience just keeps evolving and getting more refined. Whether you prefer iDrive, touch screen, voice or even gestures, you can do it here. And, with both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, your phone can get in on the action, too.

The digital gauge cluster dynamically reconfigures based on whatever mode you’re in, while a heads-up display beams the important stuff on the glass. Heated seats, wheel, and even armrests were great on a chilly morning, while the Laserlight headlights did a fine job of making those days last a little bit longer.

Pricing and Options

The 2023 BMW 840i xDrive Coupe starts at $87,900. It’s reasonably well-equipped at that price but, as with most things BMW, there are lots of boxes you can tick from there should you have the means.

That two-tone interior, for example, is a $2,000 premium, while the Alcantara headliner is another $650. The basic Driving Assistance package, with active blind-spot detection and emergency braking with pedestrian detection, is a token $100, but if you want Traffic Jam Assistant for more help when stuck in gridlock, you’ll need to add the $1,700 Driving Assistance Pro package.

Those wheels are $1,300, $500 for ventilated seats, and a final $995 destination charge means the 840i you see pictured here has a total price of $96,595.

The post 2023 BMW 8-Series 840i Coupe Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

2022 Nissan Z Review

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PROS:


  • Stunning looks

  • Comfortable cabin

  • Oodles of power

CONS:


  • Relaxed handling will disappoint some

  • Automatic transmission is too sluggish

  • Some low-rent plastics

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The new Z is a beautiful, fun, and practical sports car, the kind of thing that's just as good at making you smile on a Sunday-morning run as it is at a quiet cruise home from the airport.

Z isn’t just the last letter of the alphabet. It’s one of the most storied sports cars of all time, and this particular iteration of that entry in the alphabet has been a real long time coming. The Nissan 370Z was first introduced all the way back in 2008, a design that shared so much DNA with 2002’s 350Z that it wasn’t hard to mistake it for a mere facelift. Now, in 2022, we finally, finally have a full-on replacement.

Long-awaited, yes, but this new Z didn’t exactly land to universal acclaim. Back when it was first unveiled in 2020, the Internet had a decidedly cool reaction. I have to confess that when I saw the initial photos I wasn’t too hot on it myself. Even when I saw it on the auto show floor for the first time I was hardly moved. But, when I finally saw it in the real world, I can unequivocally say I fell in love.

Well, with the styling at least.

Old and new

When the car you see here showed up in my driveway, clad in Seiran Blue with black Rays wheels, looking long and low and clean, I couldn’t stop looking at it. On the show floor I think it looked a little too clinical and fussy, but out in the real world, among real objects and real light, it all came together in a huge way.

That color, that blue, was a big factor. It’s one of those hues that you feel like will pull you in if you stand too close, much like the Soul Red hero color on the current-gen MX-5. For those with an eye to other Nissan sports cars, Seiran Blue isn’t too far off of the iconic Bayside Blue that made the R34 GT-R look its best.

The shape of the new Z is an interesting blend of historical sources, too. It’s impossible to miss the original 240Z in the car’s silhouette, but the taillights and rest of the rear treatment are an undoubted nod to the fourth-generation Z, the 300ZX. Those two cars have vastly different shapes, yet somehow the mix here works.

The oval insets in the tails are echoed in the front grille, the part that most critics seemed to have the biggest issue with. I think it works, the two-tone insert keeping things from looking too tall, though I’m not sure I like how that cut-out continues down through the front diffuser. Overall, the combination of simple geometric shapes and creases work really well.

“Simple” is probably a good way to talk about the interior, too. Sitting down here felt in some ways like sitting down in a time machine set to 1992. From the chunky knobs and switches that move the seats to the generally harsh plastics, some aspects of this felt a bit dated. But, as a fan of early ’90s sports cars, I’ll go ahead and call it “familiar” instead.

The sueded leather seats are wonderfully comfortable and they look stellar in blue, but they’re lacking a bit in the kind of support you might want in more aggressive driving. Headroom is generous and I was thankful there’s no sunroof here to ruin the beautiful curve of the headliner.

That line continues down over the rear parcel shelf and, instead of token rear seats, you instead have an exposed chassis brace. I’m not sure how much this actually helps to stiffen the chassis (the actual strut towers are another six inches back or so), but it definitely looks cool and ensures your weekender luggage doesn’t wind up in your lap under hard braking.

Shift into D

Buckling in and adjusting the mirrors, I was left with a healthy view of those generous rear fenders flaring in the reflection. That alone was enough to get me ready for action, but dragging the puck-shaped shifter into D was something of a vibe-killer.

Yes, rather sadly the Z you see pictured here was configured with the nine-speed automatic. Nissan very kindly is also offering a six-speed manual and, in my opinion, that’s the one to choose. To be fair, the auto isn’t bad. If you’re not able or not interested in driving a car with three-pedals then don’t fear, it won’t kill the experience — but it does take some of the edge off.

I found the auto smooth and snappy when left to its own devices, but when I reached for the wheel-mounted shift paddles I was often left feeling flat. Yes, in M-mode the car gladly held a gear all the way up to redline, but requests for subsequent or previous gears were often met with a nagging delay. It’s little things like that which, for me at least, dampen the mood.

Regardless of trans choice, the Z gladly spun those rear tires up through the first couple of gears. 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque will do that. The 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 sounds as good as it performs, but I couldn’t help wondering how much of that is digitally augmented.

Driving the Z is an interesting experience because of how far back you’re sitting. The mechanical, rear limited-slip differential would be readily within reach were the floor not there, giving the car a delightful, old-school roadster feel. In that way it isn’t a hardcore race car, either, much more a sports car in the classic sense: it’s quick and engaging but never harsh and punishing. If that sounds a little soft to you, I’m sure the eventual NISMO edition will help scratch your itch.

This then is a car very well suited for long-distance getaways, at least from a comfort standpoint. And it has most of the tech you’d want to match. Active safety systems are comprehensive for a sports car, including adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert and auto headlights. The 9-inch touchscreen is cleanly integrated into the dash, but the interface is basic and the navigation experience crude. Thank goodness for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Bose sound system has a good punch but lacks finesse.

Overall, the Z is not a hardcore racer nor track toy. Instead it exists as a beautiful, fun, and practical sports car, the kind of thing that’s just as good at making you smile on a Sunday-morning run as it is on a quiet run home from the airport. It’s easy to be down on cars that try to play a couple different tunes like this, but for me this one sings such a compelling chord that I was genuinely sad to see it go.

Pricing and options

The car you see here started at $49,990. Options are respectably few, including $500 for illuminated kick plates, $1,295 for that lovely blue, and a further $400 for floor mats. Add a $1,025 destination charge and you have an as-configured price of $53,210. That’d get you a very nicely equipped Ford Mustang GT with 450 horsepower, but something tells me there won’t be a lot of cross-shopping there. Though fundamentally similar, these are two very different cars.

The post 2022 Nissan Z Review first appeared on Yanko Design.