The BMW brand has a certain mystique about it, but in the end a driver has to like the entire experience for that loyalty to remain once someone picks up one. It’s a fine line between focusing all-out on performance, while also maintaining a comfortable experience for the driver and their family.

With their expansive X line of SUVs (X1 to X6 on sale now, with X7 and X8 coming very soon), BMW is treading that line very closely. I recently spent time in one of their compact SUV offerings, the X3, and I’m back with a full report.

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Taking a look at the exterior of the redesigned 2018 BMW X3, including the unique BMW split grille up front, I would easily put it at or near the top of the class when we’re talking about compact luxury SUVs.

Moving inside, it’s also plush and comfortable with attractive wood trim, and the rear seat has decent leg and headroom for the segment, something that’s often missing. You get a heated steering wheel, plus heated front and rear seats.

With fold-down rear seats, cargo space is impressive at 62.7 feet, considering this is a compact SUV, and you get 8 inches of ground clearance.

For the 2019 model year, the Infiniti QX60 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, essentially carrying over from the 2018 design. And that’s fine by me, as I’ve been a big fan of this model since its introduction more than a handful of years ago.

The calling card of the QX60 is that it’s a midsize luxury SUV that’s roomy, comfortable, quiet and family-friendly with superb styling, and skips some of the more sporty setups you’ll find on its luxury SUV competition. Read on for a full report based on my recent experience behind the wheel of the new QX60.

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For a vehicle that fits seven people inside comfortably, the 2019 QX60 manages to have a design that looks a bit more svelte on the exterior than some of its competition. The QX60 comes standard with leatherette seating, and a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel. But you can chose a Limited package upgrade featuring leather seating and a bunch of other attractive tweaks to the interior and exterior design.

A separate options package (the Sensory package) includes the superbly attractive addition of hourglass seat quilting, which is as attractive as any seating design I’ve seen in the luxury realm. Beyond looks, the materials used on the seating materials provide for supreme comfort, even on longer journeys, and other visual accents make the interior shine.

Hexagon’s Positioning Intelligence division (Hexagon PI) has welcomed AutonomouStuff following the completion of the acquisition as announced by Hexagon AB.

AutonomouStuff being part of Hexagon PI will boost collaboration between the organizations to provide superior solutions for autonomous vehicle development.

“Combined with Hexagon PI’s leadership in high accuracy, functionally-safe and high-integrity positioning technology, the addition of AutonomouStuff and their offerings is helping our customers to accelerate the development of more comprehensive Autonomous X solutions,” said Michael Ritter, President and CEO of Hexagon PI. “Our expanded capabilities will allow Hexagon PI to meet the industry’s ever growing demand for more robust autonomy solutions.”

Hexagon PI has been an important technology provider to AutonomouStuff for several years, and the two organizations have worked closely together to serve common customers and collaborate on important industry events.

As the division grows, AutonomouStuff will continue to function as an independent brand within Hexagon PI. Founded in 2010, U.S.-based AutonomouStuff is pioneering solutions and platforms for autonomous vehicle development, robotics and data intelligence innovation.

Its cutting-edge platforms, which utilize an expansive portfolio of technologies, are deployed in pilot programs worldwide – representing thousands of customers in the automotive and technology sectors across the globe.

“The combined entities now provide the fuel and support for exponential growth while affording us the ability to make continued advances in the mobility space,” said Bobby Hambrick, founder & CEO, AutonomouStuff. “I’m very excited for our shared future."

With its first design lasting a full decade (2008 to 2017), after a very long wait the Buick Enclave finally gets updated for the 2018 model year.

And the results are pretty spectacular.

The new exterior look for the entry-level luxury brand’s biggest ride is much smoother looking looking than the previous version, and inside it’s more practical too.
I’m back with a full report after spending some time in the new-look Enclave.

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The less bulky, slimmer look of the new Enclave is clear upon first glance and a big improvement on its predecessor. As part of the redesign, the vehicle got slightly longer but still shed weight while increasing interior space.

Inside, the materials in the Enclave are consistently high-end and you get a litany of creature comforts, even if you don’t go for the top trim lines. The three rows in the Enclave can host up to seven people. Third row is easy to access, but best for kids.

Among comfort features are heated and ventilated front seats (driver and passenger), tri-zone climate control and heated second row seats.

The 2019 Chevy Suburban isn’t just big.

It’s not just huge.

It’s absolutely massive.
It’s too big for some people, probably most people.

But the truck-based full-size SUV is great for large families (and sports teams) and can seat up to 9 people comfortably, a claim not many vehicles can make.

It’s also very adjustable, with the second and third rows folding down for maximum storage space. You can either pack in a bunch of people or a bunch of stuff, or sometimes both. You’ll find 39.3 cubic feet of space behind the third row (which is actually comfortable for adults to sit in), and 121.7 cubic feet with the 2nd and 3rd rows folded down.

The downside of this size is maneuverability (or lack thereof) in tighter spaces, as well as the difficulty of finding a proper parking space at times. Once you’re parked though, you won’t have any trouble finding this big boy in the lot. I often just parked farther away, which is generally a wise move anyway.

It terms of the interior, you’ll find in the Suburban a well-appointed design that is sharp looking but just shy of luxury level materials that you’ll find in its GM cousin Cadillac Escalade model

All passengers have plenty of leg and head room, seats are comfy, there’s lots of charging locations for your devices, and tech setup/controls are intuitive.

The Beetle is a resilient little bug … and yes, I'm talking about the 2-door hatchback car legend first introduced in the U.S. in 1949.

Still around almost seven decades after its introduction, the Beetle remains a unique vehicle that's so well-known it's even got its own road game that involves punching your siblings.

I recently tested a 2018 VW Beetle, and I'm back with a full report on how the latest version of this iconic ride fits into today's automotive world.

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While there are some adjustments to the look, including a lower roof profile, in the end the 2018 Beetle is what a Beetle has always been -- a small, two-door vehicle that is shaped, well, like a Beetle.

There are technically a couple competitors in the segment (MINI Cooper and Fiat 500), but no one is ever going to confuse those little rides for the Beetle. No other car looks like this, and it’s a very stylish design from the headlights and taillights, to the interior wood design and the sunroof. The exterior design overall was very snazzy, right down to the red trim on the rims to match the paint job.

While visually attractive, the design of the Beetle does lend to poor visibility out of the rear.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in the Beetle is that the back seat of the 2018 Beetle is basically nonexistent. It’s there, but no adult wants to sit there. Consider it a storage area unless kids are going in the rear.

The Beetle comes in four trim levels: S, SE, Coast and Dune: Cloth seats come standard on S models, SE comes with leatherette seating. Coast features two-tone beige and black cloth seats, and the Dune features sport cloth seats with leatherette accents.

Sometimes you’ve got to start over, especially if what’s been hanging around for a while is getting outdated.

Such is the case with the Volkswagen Jetta, which gets a much-needed redesign for the 2019 model year that steps up its presence in the compact car segment. I recently spent some time in a 2019 Jetta, and I’m back with a full report on the improvements and how the updated model measures up.

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The Jetta remains a compact car, so don’t expect massive amounts of room. But things are improved in terms of driver and passenger comfort from previous models, and both front and rear passengers will feel comfortable in terms of legroom and headroom. That’s because the 2019 Jetta is longer, wider and taller than the previous version.

The leatherette seating materials in the sporty R Line version of the Jetta I tested were quite comfortable (leather is offered on top trim level), but some of the interior featured hard plastics generally associated with vehicles in this price range. Attractive two-tone seating is also offered.