To be a successful competitor in the luxury automobile world is no easy task, even for established brands, which jockey back and forth for position annually.

And for a new entry in the field, it’s that much harder. Enter Genesis, now in its second model year as the official luxury brand offshoot of Hyundai (Like Lexus to Toyota; Acura to Honda; Infiniti to Nissan, etc.).

In this cutthroat area of the industry, where most buyers are fiercely brand-loyal, how does the Hyundai offshoot fare, and will car buyers respect it as a luxury brand? I recently spent some time in the 2018 Genesis G80, and I’m back with a full report.

Rare is the vehicle that’s hard to fit into a specific box … but the new Kia Niro is one of those vehicles.

The Niro is in a category with few direct competitors, if any. It’s a hybrid, which can be described perhaps as a wagon, perhaps a hatchback, and perhaps a small SUV/crossover, or some sort of combination of those options.

There are some vehicles out there which may be cross-shopped -- i.e. the Ford C-Max hybrid wagon, the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, the Prius hatchback and the Honda HR-V -- but none of those is an exact fit to what the Niro offers.
I recently spent some time in a Niro Touring model and I’m back with a full report on what it offers.

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The Niro walks a fine line between categories, but is mostly wagon-like in its exterior look. It’s not the most attractive vehicle you’ll find, but not one that will cause you to avert your eyes either.

The big hit in the design is its roomy interior. It’s essentially a small SUV with room for five, 2 up front and 3 in back, and everyone can be comfortable. There’s a decent amount of storage room, especially with the rear seats folded down, but it trails other vehicles in total real estate for storage.

As Volkswagen rethinks their SUV lineup, the Tiguan was bound for a shakeup.

Having introduced the large three-row VW Atlas SUV last year as the top dog in the lineup, that left the Touarag and the Tiguan. And the Touareg got the boot.

The Tiguan, a compact SUV, gets an extension (10.6 inches longer) for its 2018 model, so it’s basically become a midsize SUV to replace the Touareg (and even offers a third-row option).

I recently spent some time in the 2018 Tiguan, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up.

It takes a special vehicle and lots of effort to win top automotive awards like the North American International Auto Show’s top utility honor … and Volvo figured it out for 2018 with its XC60 reboot.

The stylish Swedish offering has drawn much acclaim in Detroit and beyond, but what’s all the hype about, and is it merited? I recently spent some time in a 2018 XC60, and I’m back with a full report.

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Just like the larger XC90 on which it’s based, classy is the first word that comes to mind when you look at the XC60. Even sitting next to vehicles from BMW, Benz, Audi or Cadillac, the Volvo holds its own visually.

The exterior is distinctly Volvo -- somewhat bold yet still sleek and elegant. It’s a good mixed personality. 20-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires were featured on the vehicle I tested.

A panoramic moonroof with power sunshade is offered, and you will find very comfortable leather seating. The seats remain comfy on long rides, and the heated seats were very effective. The front seats can also use memory to save your settings.

Up front on the interior, you’ll find attractive and well-designed vertical slotted air vents. Another pretty touch is the subtle driftwood inlays up front. Rear seats are also roomy for the segment.

No need to fumble in your pockets, as the XC60 comes with keyless entry and drive. Four-zone climate control is featured, and you can fold down the rear seats for a good amount of storage space.

Avoiding anonymity is a fight all sedans that aren’t the top sellers in the category must take on. The way to do it is distinguish yourself in a way that the bigger names don’t, and hopefully that will lead to a maintained or growing market share.

Subaru is one of the smaller brands fighting this battle, and I recently tested out a 2018 Subaru Legacy, their midsize sedan offering. While the vehicle has its hits and misses, the good news is that its standard all-wheel drive very strong tech and safety features are standout in the segment, so it does make a name for itself.

With some vehicles, you wonder what you’ll get with each model year, with tweaks coming on every version. And then there are vehicles like the Dodge Durango, which generally hold steady with what they offer yet continue to maintain the public’s interest -- because what they are doing is working.

I recently spent some time in a 2018 Dodge Durango, and I’m back with a full report on this SUV, which you could call the big friendly giant of the three-row SUV segment.

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The short and simple way to describe the design of the Durango is that it’s perhaps the boldest looking of all three row SUVs.  It’s large, heavy and muscular in design, a visual meant to present it as a strong vehicle -- which it is.
Sharing a platform with FCA relative the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is longer than the Jeep and adds a third row and features lots of leg and headroom.

If you look down any street in America, you’ll probably see a Toyota Camry … or two, or three. That’s because it’s been among the top-selling vehicles in this country for a decade plus, and they last, so people hang on to them.

Still, everything needs to change, and as it faces challenges from other sedans and some small SUVs, the Camry has been redesigned for 2018, inside and out. I recently spent some time in on and I’m back with a full report.

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The new look of the Camry starts up front, with a grille full of bright metallic horizontal strips that some will like, and others not so much. The new Camry is also lower to the ground, and I was a fan of the headlamp and taillight designs. 18-inch chrome alloy wheels were also featured.

On the inside, a redesign on the gauges and center console is somewhat improved, but still trails competitors in terms of design. Inside, the vehicle is definitely a quality offering, but it’s far from a luxury feel, featuring some prominent hard plastic. Also, the back seat felt a bit tight for taller people. (You can seat 2 up front and 3 in the rear).
Cargo room is pretty limited too.

In the arena of compact vehicles, Hyundai makes sure to have you covered at all angles. Their Elantra lineup features everything from a Euro-styled GT hatchback model, to an Eco sedan, to a Sport sedan … and then there’s the old standby, a regular compact sedan.

That final one is the version I recently tested, the 2018 Elantra SEL, and I’m back with a full report on how it measures up in the compact sedan segment.

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The big difference when you go to the standard sedan, as opposed to the hatchback version of the Elantra, is less storage space.
By comparison, the GT hatchback offered 25 cubic feet of storage even with the back seats up. In the SEL sedan I tested, that number is 14.4 cubic feet. So if storage is a dealbreaker for you, you need to go the GT route. If you don’t plan to haul a lot of things in the back of your vehicle, you can go the sedan route and save a few grand.

The Jeep brand, without a doubt, is one of the most recognizable brands in the auto world, and has its rabid fans across the globe. But when examining the lineup, highlighted by vehicles like the rough-and-tumble Wrangler and the plush Grand Cherokee, some tend to be more forgotten.

The Jeep Compass (which is larger than the subcompact Jeep Renegade, but slightly smaller than the Jeep Cherokee) is one of those more forgotten vehicles, so it has gotten a refresh in the past year in an effort to get it more up-to-date and boost its profile in the Jeep lineup.

I recently spent some time in a 2018 Compass and I’m back with a full report on what it has to offer.