2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC

This Mitsubishi was not nearly as polarizing as our former long-term 2011 Outlander Sport, but the 2014 Outlander had to deal with much of the sentiment left over from the junior's lackluster time in the MT garage. While the 2014 model didn't wow most of the staff, it did make some headway repairing the Outlander's reputation through its dependability, redesign, and value.

Our $32,720 Outlander came with a base MSRP of $26,620 but we added the $6100 SE Touring package with navigation, power sunroof, heated leather seats, a premium sound system, and additional safety features including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and a forward collision mitigation system. I could have done without the lane departure warning. I was never once glad to have it and I always turned it off after the first beep. Forward collision mitigation gave me a feeling of security during my numerous hypnotic stop-and-go commutes to work, and more than once its alerts popped me out of my driving daze. I thankfully never triggered the automatic braking.

I asked our Motor Trend archivist, Thomas Voehringer, to hit the road in the Outlander for a family vacay and he appreciated the adaptive cruise control. "You could set the cruising speed and following distance, then electronically latch onto the driver in front of you," Voehringer said. But he warned, "Choose wisely because their ability to drive consistently is immediately reflected in your ride. If they slow, you slow. If they speed up, you will speed up (until the max speed is reached)." He added: "Over thousands of miles the ACC was a better way of accelerating than using the throttle. It was smoother, and more efficient."

So two out of three for added safety isn't bad. You can't disable the lane departure warning system permanently -- you have to do it every time you restart the vehicle. A small annoyance that compounds over time.

2015 BMW X6 xDrive50i

It's quite easy to blame BMW for the proliferation of genre-defying vehicles we've seen lately. Over the past few years we've gotten the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe (a four-door sedan), the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo (a hatchback), and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (a compact minivan). But there's perhaps no segment-buster more infuriating to enthusiasts than the BMW X6 "Sport Activity Coupe." Never mind that AMC essentially built the same vehicle back in the '80s -- the X6 eschews the inherent practicality of the SUV's two-box design for a slopping roofline and sporty pretensions. But after driving the new 2015 BMW X6 outside of its Spartanburg factory, I'm not sure enthusiasts have much to get angry about.

Essentially a heavily refreshed version of the old model, the 2015 BMW X6 is designed to offer more of the same for the 250,000 buyers worldwide the model line has found over the past seven years. Outside, the fastback SUV gets the latest evolution of BMW's design language, which somehow completes the impossible task of making the X6 more garish than before. The bigger and bolder new X-inspired nose helps make the new X6 more aerodynamic than before with its coefficient of drag dropping from 0.34 to 0.32 cd, thanks to BMW's Air Breather and Air Curtain technology, which help to route clean air down the sides of the X6 to make it easier for the big bruiser to cut through the air. Other visual changes include an extended rear greenhouse that gives the X6 a more dynamic look than before while giving the rear seats enough room for full-size adults, and a lower, more aggressive rear decklid.

The sheetmetal styling isn't the only thing X6 owners will immediately find familiar on the 2015 X6, as the powerplants carry over with little change as well. Driving the base X6 is BMW's familiar 3.0-liter turbocharged I-6 producing 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic. For the first time ever on an X6, the base engine will be available in either rear (sDrive, in BMW-speak) or all-wheel drive (xDrive) forms. While those sixxers are all well and good, it’s easiest to get excited about the X6's V-8. The twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V-8 carries over from the previous generation but gets a 45 hp and 30 lb-ft bump in power, bringing its output to 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. For our international readers, Europe also gets two diesel versions of the X6: a 3.0-liter turbodiesel I-6 making 255 hp and 413 lb-ft in the X6 xDrive35d, and a 3.0-liter tri-turbodiesel inline-six making 381 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque in the X6 M50d. The former diesel we'll get here in the U.S. within a year or two; the latter we sadly won't. As X6 project head Anton Landinger told us over dinner, if you want that rad tri-turbodiesel X6 here in the States, you'd better start writing some letters.

Bmw X4 M Red Color Cool Sedan Loos More Coupe Front View Hd 2015 Bmw

2015 Chevrolet Colorado

While standing at the rear end of a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 crew cab with four-wheel drive and the long truck bed (a mere whiff of the truck world's whimsical configuration possibilities), it becomes obvious. This is not a "small" truck by traditional terms. And, after driving it, I can say that's OK.

It's not just the bed length -- the longest among midsize pickups by 0.5 inch over the Toyota Tacoma -- throwing me off, either. With the box measuring 74 inches long (61.7 on the crew cab's standard bed) by 55.5 inches wide at the tailgate by 20.9 inches tall, General Motors is leaving lots of cubic footage at the Colorado and GMC Canyon driver's disposal without the footprint of a full-size truck. Those beds will be hauling fallen leaves, empty water bottles, and all the free air they can handle the majority of the time, but knowing there's space available can be mighty reassuring.

Chevy says its new midsize pickup's customers are "very diverse" with an "active mindset," in the words of Colorado marketing manager Tony Johnson, which is a not-so-secret code that there will be as many purchasers looking to commute during the workweek and then haul/tow their playthings during the weekend as there are folks wanting to commute throughout the week and then only ever set foot in the bed because some stray pinecones have been rolling around for a few too many days. The latter consumer is ideally matched with the base 2.5-liter inline-four with a reasonable 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque, which proved to be a solid engine in an LT extended cab with rear-wheel drive (starts at $26,045) we took for a spin.

All the basic, desirable truck traits manifested. The 2015 Colorado's I-4 is punchy off the line and revs willingly, and the six-speed automatic can shift up and kick down quickly without bucking the cabin. Feedback from the Mando rack-assist electric power steering is surprisingly good, and the Colorado's standard four-way powered driver's seat (seat back recline is manually adjusted by lever) means humans of all heights and appendage lengths can find their perfect sitting distance from the steering wheel. The two back seats are best suited for adults in a pinch -- the crew cab's three-person bench is substantially better -- and the interior is generally pretty spacious (especially headroom). Outward visibility is excellent, even from my low-to-the-floor seating position.

2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring

The Honda Accord Hybrid is not a luxury car, but our top-flight Touring model has leather seats (as does the midlevel EX-L) that have been wearing in acceptably through 15,000 miles. As expected, the front left seat is showing the most wrinkles. Yet, for the amount of activity the other four seats have seen -- I'd bet good money the Accord Hybrid has the most butts-per-mile action of any current Motor Trend Garage long-termer -- each has been holding up well. You should also know that any adult who's sat in the middle rear seat for longer than 15 minutes -- yours truly included -- parrots the same message: The bench center's bottom is way harder than any other seat's. The difference in comfort would be laugh-worthy if it weren't so rump-numbing.

It's good, then, that I'm primarily in the driver's seat, where I've familiarized myself with all things Accord Hybrid during many 60-mile roundtrip commutes. For example, the electric servo braking at first touch makes the brake pedal seem overly stiff, but it feels convincingly natural after you get used to its nuances, and when compared to the braking in other hybrid vehicles. Even with battery-charging regenerative properties built in, the brakes aren't grabby. Nor do they leave the impression there's a lot of electronic manipulation going on in the background -- even if that is the case.

Then there's the gas pedal, which pulsates when the 2.0-liter I-4 kicks on as the powertrain enters Hybrid Drive, before settling into a gentler thrum against the metatarsals (such vibration is absent in EV Drive). The sensitiveness of said gas pedal is easier to modulate when the car is in its Econ mode, which is activated by the green, round button to the left of the steering wheel. The finer sensitivity in the throttle pedal's initial travel is helpful when operating in EV Drive, for moments when I want to accelerate quickly enough so as not to impede traffic, but not so quickly that the engine lights up for Hybrid Drive. The Accord Hybrid's electric motor (166 hp) is a more willing partner for brief spurts of emissions-free driving than in the Ford Fusion Hybrid (118 electric hp), Hyundai Sonata Hybrid/Kia Optima Hybrid (47), and Toyota Camry Hybrid (141).

One tidbit of knowledge I learned thanks to our partnership with Emissions Analytics: At a standstill, the car emits an average of 0.245 pound of CO2 when the engine cycles on to top off a battery low on charge. Imagine you're at a long red light and the battery drops to our observed minimum state of charge (about 24 percent) because the A/C is blowing. The engine then has to burn 0.013 gallon of gas to bring the battery up to around 35 percent before shutting off. If the car had earned 50 mpg over 10 miles until the extended pause, it would leave the stoplight at 47 mpg (44 mpg if you get stuck with two charge-ups).

2015 Audi S3

Around the time my predecessors at Motor Trend were testing the 2004 Audi S4 -- pitting it against the Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG in a head-to-head battle in which the Audi handily triumphed -- I was driving it for another car mag, in a comparison against the Benz as well as the BMW M3. While both the C32 and M3 came with high-output six-cylinder engines, the S4 boasted a rip-roaring, naturally aspirated 4.2-liter, 340-horsepower V-8 – unheard of for the day in a compact luxury sedan, certainly one paired with a six-speed manual and all-wheel drive.

As you can probably surmise, the Audi placed first, in both tests. What can I say -- back then a tidy four-door that could rocket from 0-60 in 5.0 seconds flat, eclipse the quarter mile in 13.4 at 105.1 mph, go from 60-0 in 117 feet, and hug the skidpad at 0.90 g was pretty much going to annihilate every competitor in its path. The Audi S3 is a 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year contender - find out in November whether the A3/S3 has what it takes to win.

Fast-forward 11 years and Audi is at it again, though in this go-around the engine has shrunk by more than half. The all-new 2015 S3, the first S-badged A3 to make it stateside, comes with VW Group’s tiny but potent 2.0-liter TFSI (turbocharged, direct injection) inline-four, good for 292 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, and paired exclusively to a six-speed S Tronic DCT. And guess what? It’s quicker and better in just about every performance measurement than that 3,825-pound V-8-powered S4. At our test venue (the balmy Hyundai Proving Grounds in the Mojave desert), the 3,467-pound S3 launched from 0-60 in 4.7, through the quarter in 13.4 at 102.4, stopped from 60 in 112 feet and, thanks in part to sweet split-spoke 19-inch alloys shod in sticky 235/35 Continentals, pulled max lateral accel of 0.92 g. Not too shabby for a little four-banger. Speaking of little four-bangers, let’s take a look at the S3’s most direct competitor, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. Similar to the Audi, the Benz sports a turbocharged I-4, all-wheel drive, and a DCT. But two noteworthy differences: AMG cranks its 2.0-liter to the tune of 355 horsepower and 332 lb-ft, and adds a seventh cog to its dual-clutch transmission. So, despite being a bit heavier, at 3,599 pounds, the CLA proved noticeably quicker out at the Mojave dragstrip, where it laid down 0-60 in 4.2 and the quarter in 12.7 at 108.3. Braking from 60 (109 feet) and maximum lateral grip (0.96 g) superseded the S3’s stats as well, but by much closer margins.

Nuevo Audi S3 Cabrio 2015

2014 Infiniti Q50S 3.7

The elegant, liquid platinum Q50S was past the 12,000-mile mark and overdue for its 10,000-mile service, so I popped into a local dealership and waited for the quick, $80.20 oil change and accompanying multipoint inspection. Not that it would take long anyway, but service appointments are quicker than average thanks to the staggered fitment of the Q50S' wheels – no tire rotations necessary.

About 20 minutes into my time using the dealership's free Wi-Fi to do some work, the service adviser came in with great news: "There's an update to the InTouch software." After more than a year of promises, it seemed, Infiniti was ready to release an update to its InTouch smartphone app, which already had basic connectivity to email but would now allow users to keep in touch via Facebook and use Google search. Pandora and iHeartRadio are rumored to be right around the corner.

2014 Infiniti Q50 Specification And Price

2014 Infiniti Q50 Specification And Price

2015 Porsche Cayman GTS

While my colleague, Scott Burgess, got to carve through the scenic mountains in Mallorca in the new 2015 Porsche Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS, I got to do some carving of my own, in the scenic hills of Monterey, at a little place known as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Not quite as exotic, but I definitely think I got the better end of that deal.

On hand at MRLS, Porsche had a Boxster, Boxster S, and Boxster GTS as well as a Cayman, Cayman S, and Cayman GTS. All of us there got to lap each, following an instructor in a 911 Turbo S. Our sessions consisted of three hot laps, then a pit, swapping of cars, then repeat until we had time in each vehicle. Was it enough time to really enjoy each for what it was? Not a chance. But it did give us just enough time to feel the difference between each. And, hey, any time spent lapping at MRLS is a good time.

Let's start with the Boxster GTS. The one we sampled was equipped with Porsche's brilliant PDK transmission. The first thing you notice is the power difference among the three Boxsters -- more specifically, the lack of power in the base Boxster. Entering and going through the corners, the base was on par with its more powerful siblings, but exiting corners and the points in between -- the other two Boxsters just walked away. Stability in all three was good over the hill through turn 1, though the rear did get light. Going into turn 2, you could feel the weight shift forward, making the rear get light and want to wiggle a little. You can probably attribute this to the lack of a fixed roof and less aggressive suspension tuning, making the Boxster a little less rigid.

Watch the 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS Shred a Go-Kart Track Once settled down, you can really steer the car with both the wheel and your right foot and, with the S and GTS, you can make the Boxster drift a little through corners at will. Not the fastest way, but a smile-inducing way for sure. The rest of the lap around MRLS is as expected with a nimble, roofless mid-engine car, with the fun increasing as the horsepower and torque rise.

De Los Nuevos Porsche Boxster Gts 2015 Y Porsche Cayman Gts 2015

De Los Nuevos Porsche Boxster Gts 2015 Y Porsche Cayman Gts 2015

2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD

My updates thus have focused more on experiences with the MDX and comments about said experiences. Now I would like to look at the MDX's competitive set. I pulled these comparative vehicles from our testing data base, meaning these are vehicles that we had in-house and tested. Now, we simply aren't able to test every vehicle that comes out, so a couple of these vehicles are a year or so older that others, but nothing on the older vehicles has changed significantly compared to current vehicles. The comparable vehicles are as follows: 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35, 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport, and 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4MATIC.

Our Acura MDX has the Advance/Entertainment package and is the top of the line for the MDX, meaning you can't get any more options. It comes in at $57,400. The BMW starts at $56,450, and our tester came in at $67,375, meaning it probably had almost all available options as well. An un-optioned similar Lexus started at $48,245. Adding an LCD display, navigation and rear entertainment package and blind-spot monitoring (which the MDX has) adds $6,415, bringing the price to $54,600, but it's still lacking features the MDX has. We don't have an as-tested price for the one we had, as it was a pre-production vehicle. The Benz starts at $50,675 with our tester coming in at $63,915, so, like the BMW, it was a pretty well-optioned vehicle.

Now let's talk measured performance. The MDX hit 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and completed the quarter mile in 14.9 seconds at 92.7 mph. The BMW ran 5.9 seconds to 60 mph and finished the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds at 95.1 mph. The Lexus took 6.9 seconds to hit 60 mph and tripped the quarter mile in 15.2 seconds at 92.1 mph. The Benz ticked 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, finishing the quarter mile in 15.0 seconds at 92.9 mph. Only the BMW was quicker than the MDX – while it weighs more, it also has more horsepower and torque.

We can't look at this segment without talking fuel efficiency. According to fueleconomy.gov, the Acura, BMW, and Lexus have close to the same MPG numbers: 18 city, 27 highway (26 for the Lexus) and all three get 21 mpg combined. The Benz gets 17 city, 22 highway, 19 combined mpg. Our Real MPG numbers for the MDX are 19 city, 27 highway, 22 combined, actually a tick better than official EPA numbers.

2015 Acura TLX 2.4

When Acura introduced the TLX sports sedan earlier this year, it was something of a two-fer -- a car that replaced the small, sporty TSX and the larger, luxe-oriented TL. To that end, Acura vowed that the TLX would be even more engaging to drive than the former and nearly as spacious and comfortable as the latter. Did it deliver? Mostly.

The tester in our garage is a 2015 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech, which means it contains the base 2.4-liter I-4 engine similar to that found in the discontinued TSX but with direct-injection, which boosts output slightly to 206 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque (an additional 5 hp and 10 lb-ft over the TSX). An eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, complete with torque converter for smoother around-town driving and torque-multiplication benefits off the line, is the only available transmission. All-wheel steering is standard and is said to combat the front-wheel-drive sedan’s inherent understeer in low-speed cornering, while contributing to stability at higher speeds.

The Tech package adds roughly $4,000 to the TLX’s entry price, but the list of included equipment is long. Acura bundles navigation with voice recognition, a multi-view rear camera, AcuraLink communications system, ELS premium stereo, leather seats, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic monitor, and rain-sensing wipers. That’s not shabby for $4K. All TLX models include such niceties as LED headlamps, dual-zone climate control, and a touch-screen infotainment system. The cabin is handsome with good-quality materials and comfortable seats, though the dual-screen display still isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Unfortunately, the TLX does loose an incremental amount of cabin space to the TL, and most adults taller than 5’8” will find the rear seat a bit cramped. The extra structural bracing behind the rear seat also eats into the space available in the trunk pass-through area. With the rear seats folded down, the throughway is more oval-shaped than square.

2015 Acura Tlx Prototype: Detroit 2014 Photos

2015 Acura Tlx Release Date

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2013 Tesla Model S P85+

Not a week goes by that somebody doesn't ask me, "Still have the Model S long-termer? I thought it would have gone back already." Yes, its one-year temporary residency here formally ended a few months ago, but I made a plea that we keep it longer because, unlike other cars, its frequently updated software makes the whole experience an ever-changing proposition.

And I really like driving it, too. Hey, Ayn Rand said selfishness is a virtue. I've sunk to a new low, haven't I? Redemption came soon enough, though, when a request appeared on the car's nav screen to download the latest Version 6 software. I tapped the Accept button, and that night the Tesla's 3G connection magically filled the car's mind with some pretty nifty new ideas. At the time, the car was parked in my driveway; it might have been 12:30 a.m. when I noticed its headlights flashing outside. It's in REM sleep again, I mused, having another automotive dream. What was it learning?

The next night, while driving down the street to my house, the car automatically rose on its air suspension a few seconds before I turned into my steep driveway. Previously -- and only if I remembered -- I had to stop and push buttons to raise it. What's happening is that the car is recalling everywhere I've requested greater ride height and now does it without waiting to be asked. To my knowledge, I think this is the first time an aspect of a car's vehicle dynamics has been reprogrammed by over-the-air instructions, and it previews how the Model S' recently announced Autopilot (semi-autonomous driving technology) will also be incrementally deployed. All the tricks its sensors will eventually allow -- like opening your garage door and parking itself, for instance -- will simply be rolled out by these nighttime over-the-air software updates. All of a sudden, one morning it'll be able to do something new.

2013 Tesla Model S, Au Rappel

2013 Tesla Model S, Review, Priece, Specification

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2015 Mazda CX-5 Touring

When it's time to take that much-anticipated road trip, whether you're just driving up the coast or traveling cross-country, it's important to have a solid car to take you from point A to point B and back. We took a short trip from Orange County to Santa Barbara to see just how well our long-term 2015 Mazda CX-5 performed.

2015 Mazda Cx5 Profile We've had our CX-5 for two months, and while we've driven it around the city, on short weekend jaunts, and to and from work, we've never done any long drives with it. And now, we can't wait to get behind the wheel of our long-term for an even longer adventure. Our trip started in Orange County, some 130 miles from our final destination. A two-hour drive, we decided to head out early, hoping to beat some of that morning weekend traffic. Although it isn't that bad compared to a weekday, by noon, you'll be at a dead stop for a few minutes the closer you get to Los Angeles. The drive started off impressive, as we were making great time. Filling up before we set out, we hoped we wouldn't need to stop at a pump.

2015 Mazda Cx5 Front Seats During the drive from the OC to Santa Barbara, we noticed a few things. While the seats are comfortable for those shorter city drives, they can become less than supportive if sitting for hours, but a slight change in our driving position had that discomfort easing away. Although our model is powered by a four-cylinder engine, it had enough pep to keep the drive from being boring. Thanks to its tight handling, we were able to zip in and out of traffic with ease. Acceleration from a stop isn't as strong as we would have liked, but it was quick once you were already going. As with all road trips, navigation becomes a necessity rather than an option. We've had issues with the Mazda navigation system in the past, as it can be difficult to enter a destination, but once we got over the learning curve, it was easy to enter our destination. But what we really didn't like was when you wanted to cancel a route. There's one button to press to change a route destination or go a different way, but another button to cancel a route. Having those in the same area would make the system easier for owners to use.

2015 Mazda Cx 5 Release Date

2015 Mazda Cx 5 Release Date

Mazda Cx 5 2013 Sports Cars