The word Prius is synonymous with the idea of hybrid vehicles. That tends to be the case when you’ve been doing this for two decades, and really dug in before anyone else got serious about it, like Toyota did in the 1990s -- long before there were dozens of hybrids on the market to choose from.

I recently spent some time in a 2017 Prius, specifically a Prius Three Touring model, and here are the top five things you need to know about it:

1. It’s extremely quiet
When driving the Prius, you’ll have perhaps the quietest experience you’ve ever had in a car. The sound of it powering up and down is less car-like and more appliance-like, which is fitting since the tech involved here makes this more of an appliance than a traditional vehicle.

Especially during stops, when everything shuts down to save gas, you’ll forget the car is even running due to lack of noise. Speaking of forgetting, if you ever get out of the car before powering off (which I may have done a time or two), it beeps to remind you the vehicle is still running. The one exception to the quiet, which is quite odd to me, is the very loud beeping noise (only audible within the vehicle, oddly) when you are going in reverse. There is also a very loud beep if you ever forget to put on your seat belt. And it will not stop until you buckle up, like that 7 a.m. alarm where you keep hitting snooze and it stills come back.

The Buick name means different things in various places around the world. In China, it’s seen as a foreign status symbol by many and sales reflect that, with the brand selling a record 1.18 million vehicles in China in 2016.

But in the U.S. it has more of an uphill battle to climb, with its reputation as GM’s luxury-lite brand (behind the truly luxurious Cadillac), and the brand having to convince potential buyers that a Buick is not just your grandpa’s car anymore.

The Buick brand represents a small portion of GM’s U.S. sales (roughly 230,000 sales out of 3 million total for GM in 2016); and among those Buick sales the majority were for SUVs.

Still, every sale counts, and the Buick brand’s sedans persist in America, and they plan to stick it out for the long run.
I recently tested out their flagship sedan, the largest and best one Buick offers -- the 2017 Buick Lacrosse, which got a major overhaul for the 2017 model year -- and I’m back with a full report.

Mercedes-Benz USA has announced pricing for the 2018 AMG GT R Coupe. Arriving in U.S. dealers this summer, the AMG GT R will start at $157,000*. The new Mercedes-AMG GT R features a front-mid-engine with a transaxle, handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo engine rated at 577 hp, extensively modified suspension, active aerodynamics, active rear-wheel steering, nine-way adjustable traction control and intelligent lightweight construction throughout.

Mercedes-AMG continues to grow and is expanding the top end of its product range with the introduction of the new AMG GT R. Starting at $157,000 in the United States, the AMG GT R features extensive amounts of motorsport technology developed on the most demanding race track in the world—the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Already living up to its "Beast of the Green Hell" nickname, the AMG GT R is proving to be a record-setter in the Mercedes-AMG family. In an independent test drive conducted by the magazine "sport auto," on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the AMG GT R was faster than any other rear-wheel-drive road-going sports car ever tested with a laptime of just 7:10.9.

Key data at a glance:

*Price excludes $995 destination and delivery charge

-- Press release courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

In the U.S. of A., the SUV is the modern-day station wagon. Instead of the “way back” seat, we now drive stretched-out, boosted-up vehicles with a third row as our families get bigger.

With the numbers for SUVs on the rise and profits to be made, this is an area where being competitive is critical for automakers -- including Toyota, which battles in this segment pretty impressively with the Toyota Highlander (it trails only segment-leading Ford Explorer in annual sales).

I recently spent some time in a 2017 Highlander, which has received some updates from previous models, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up in the segment.

LOOKS
Among changes on the outside for the 2017 model, you get a bigger, redesigned grille and new taillight design. These changes aim to set it apart from the cookie-cutter look of many SUVs, and succeed somewhat in doing so.

Seating in the Highlander can accommodate up to 8 people (2/3/3/). The two front seats are comfy and high quality materials are used in the vehicle. Middle row on my test vehicle had cozy captain’s chairs, so only two could fit, but there’s also a version with bench seating for three in middle. Rear seat claims to fit three but I would say two is best, even for little ones.

Lexus has long captured the allegiance of many luxury car buyers in the United States … folks who probably will be loyal to the brand for years to come.

When they expanded their lineup in 2015 with a new model, the NX compact SUV, the question was whether the brand could duplicate the success it has seen with other models -- namely its midsize RX crossover -- in this segment.

In short, they’ve done quite well in very quick time -- selling more than 60,000 units in 2016 between the U.S. and Canada.
I recently spent some time in a 2017 Lexus NX 200t, and I’m back with a full report on what all the fuss is about, and how this luxury SUV measures up to the competition.

The Trax, being just a few years old now, is among the lesser known vehicles in the Chevy lineup. But this subcompact SUV is one the automaker has high hopes for, as sales continue to rise amid a surge in support for this emerging class of vehicles.

In essence, Chevy’s entry in the mini-ute category is a more simplified version of GM’s more upscale Buick Encore offering. I recently spent some time in a 2017 Trax and I am back with a full report on how it competes against the other small soldiers on the roadways.

LOOKS

While higher off the ground than sedans, mini-SUVs are going to all be pretty tight inside. It comes with the territory.

But overall, the Trax has a decent amount of room for the segment. Though sitting two up front and three in back will be a tight squeeze. I wouldn’t do it regularly unless the ones in back are all little ones.