2016
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We're fond of Mini Coopers around here. The little British cars are fun to drive, often produce smiles from others, and in their latest incarnation, are considerably more fuel-efficient than they used to be. We've already tested the third-generation Mini hardtop in both its three-door and the new five-door variants. DON'T MISS: 2016 MINI Cooper Clubman: More Maxi Wagon With Six Doors Now, we've had a chance to test the newest version of the Clubman wagon, which has grown up into a proper four-door wagon but retained its vertical "church doors" in the back. The previous generation of Clubman...
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Toyota Mirai seeks to reclaim green image from Tesla, sans Supercharger network
Toyota believes the Mirai can recapture the green image it cultivated with the Prius.
Stephen Edelstein -
Gas-mileage error halts sale of GM's large SUVs; new labels on the way
It would appear that every automaker is rechecking its gas-mileage calculations these days. The ongoing VW diesel-emission cheating scandal and Mitsubishi's recent admission that it misstated fuel-economy results in Japan for more than 20 years have led to renewed public attention to how makers are...
John Voelcker -
Updated 2016 Tesla Model S also gets new 75-kWh battery option
The Tesla Model S will get the 75-kWh battery option introduced on the Model X.
Stephen Edelstein -
Can Malibu Hybrid volume cut costs, kickstart sales for Chevy Volt?
General Motors is trying to get as much use as possible out of the current-generation Chevrolet Volt's Voltec powertrain.
Stephen Edelstein -
2016 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Drive-E: gas mileage review
Volvo is in the process of reinventing itself as a luxury brand with a practical focus, but such transitions don't happen overnight. While many reviewers and owners have fawned over the new XC90 seven-seat luxury SUV, legacy models from the Swedish automaker are still being modestly updated as they...
Joel Feder -
The reality of range—reproducible, real-world daily-driving range—is one of the most important concepts you have to become familiar with if you’re new to electric vehicles. Generally speaking, the faster you drive, the quicker you accelerate, and the more accessories (like climate control) you use, the more energy you consume. But the interface plays an especially important role in how much of the range you use. Each EV has its own way of anticipating the number of miles you have left at any point of battery charge—sometimes optimistic then revisionist, other times...
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2016 Ram 1500 HFE EcoDiesel fuel-economy review: 24-mpg full-size pickup truck
It may not look like it, but the Ram full-size pickup you see here may be one of the more interesting new trucks on the road today. You might view it as this decade's version of the Camaros, Mustangs, and Mopars that emerged in earlier days from back-corner "skunkworks" engineering groups at each...
Andrew Ganz -
Updated 2016 Tesla Model S 90D now rated at 303 miles highway range
If 200-mile electric cars are the new black, then what does that make 300-mile electric cars? With the launch of the Chevy Bolt EV less than a year away, and 400,000 reservations for Tesla Model 3 cars to be delivered sometime in 2018 or later, clearly 200 miles is the new benchmark for range below...
John Voelcker -
2016 Tesla Model X electric SUV: so about those falcon doors ...
Quality issues are cropping up in early 2016 Tesla Model X crossovers.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid cash-back offer spikes for California buyers
The 2016 Ford Fusion Energi now comes with a large cash-back offer in California.
Stephen Edelstein -
2016 Chevy Cruze gas mileage beats even previous Eco model
The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze achieves a best of 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway, 40 mpg combined.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan made big waves a few years ago when it introduced its then-new 2013 Altima. On the side of a barn not too far from its Franklin, Tennessee, headquarters, the automaker painted "38 mpg"—referring not to its combined EPA rating, but its highway number. And then it took a bunch of pictures of the 2013 Altima in front of the barn. We’re not sure what that barn looks like today, but it just became outdated. That’s because the 2016 Altima, a relatively mild refresh, is now rated at 39 mpg highway. You can’t buy a midsize sedan with a higher fuel economy rating unless...
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Tesla Model X gets new 75D base version, replacing 70D that was never built
With a restyled Model S released yesterday and more than 300,000 reservations globally for its $35,000 Model 3 coming in 2018, Tesla Motors has had a busy, busy month. Almost overlooked in all the news about those two electric cars was another update to another Tesla product. That would be the 2016...
John Voelcker -
2016 Tesla Model S gets styling update, 48-amp charger, new interior options, $1,500 price increase (updated)
The Tesla Model S electric car, which went into production in June 2012, is getting its first styling updates in almost four years. The Silicon Valley carmaker said that Model S luxury sedans produced starting today in its Fremont, California, assembly plant will have a new front-end design...
John Voelcker -
2016 Dodge Dart lineup cut to 3 models as small sedan simplifies
The 2016 Dodge Dart lineup gets streamlined midway through the model year.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model X recall to replace third-row seat backs after European safety test
Tesla Motors will recall 2,700 Model X electric crossover utility vehicles to replace seat backs in the third row after a recliner unexpectedly slipped during seat-strength tests. The vehicles in question were built prior to March 26, and are all located in the U.S. Tesla said in a letter e-mailed...
John Voelcker -
2016 Toyota Prius hybrid gets good IIHS, NHTSA crash safety scores
The 2016 Toyota Prius earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.
Stephen Edelstein -
Once again Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has released some new product information, this time on the 2016 Tesla Model X electric crossover utility vehicle. And he did it via his most frequent method of communcation: Twitter. The news is that the online configurator for the full array of Model X versions, powertrains, and prices will go live today (Monday, April 11, 2016). DON'T MISS: 2016 Tesla Model X electric SUV first drive by Model S owner As noted by Engadget on Saturday, the first tweet by Musk saying that the configurator would go online today was subsequently deleted. Musk later...
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2016 Tesla Model X electric SUV first drive by Model S owner
Its maker is doing a great job these days of quarantining the new 2016 Tesla Model X electric crossover SUV from unwanted prying eyes. The only folks lucky enough to get up close and personal with the slick, powerful electric SUV are those who’ve plunked down deposits of up to $40,000 to...
David Noland -
Tesla Model X trailer towing: how much range impact on electric SUV?
A trailer company hitches up a Model X to one of its products.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota Mirai manga: hydrogen fuel cell beats electric cars, plug-in hybrids
Manga are comics created in Japan, conforming to a style set more than 100 years ago and still very much a part of popular culture. While they may look like no more than light entertainment, they're widely read by people of all ages—and sometimes used to market commercial products. A year...
Matthew Klippenstein -
2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE Td6: fuel economy review of luxury diesel SUV
Buyer expectations of a silent, refined driving experience traditionally kept diesel engines out of the upper echelons of the automotive market, but times have definitely changed. Witness the major expansion by Jaguar Land Rover to offer American buyers a 3.0-liter turbo diesel V-6 in a large...
Andrew Ganz -
2016 Honda Civic Touring: Gas Mileage Review
The once-humble Honda Civic has been a mainstay of the carmaker's lineup in the United States for nearly 40 years. But never before has it been so aspirational inside, outside, and underneath. This year, the Civic's makeover was intense, to say the least. Shedding its ugly duckling looks for a...
Andrew Ganz