Awesome Car Reviews

We spent a week driving the most potent version of Lexus’ luxury crossover, the NX 450h+ AWD. This well-rounded plug-in hybrid impresses with sharp, modern styling, a quiet and comfy cabin filled with upscale appointments, and a smooth, responsive ride. It’s capable of driving short distances on pure electric power, enhancing its refined performance.

If one type of vehicle nails the balance between fun, performance, and everyday practicality, it’s the hot hatch. After a week with the 2025 VW Golf GTI, that belief is only reinforced. With its punchy turbo engine, sharp handling, and accessible price point, this latest iteration of this German icon proves it still delivers where it counts.

Hyundai calls its new flagship, the IONIQ 9 EV, “pretty at every angle”. We agree. In a sea of SUV styling sameness, we love the Teutonic styling cues borrowed from sleek jets, the windswept, aerodynamic profile, clipped boat-tail inspired back end, and the parametric pixels that punctuate the exterior lighting.

Volkswagen has a long history with vans, dating back to the 1950s. The 2025 ID. Buzz is a modern reinvention of the Microbus that’s roomier, more practical, and much quicker than the O.G. thanks to an electric drivetrain. Now that we’ve spent two weeks driving one, we can confidently say that it’s a fun and functional ride that leaves other minivans in the dust.

The Toyota GR Corolla has all the makings of a great hot hatch: a small, turbocharged engine with ample horsepower, all-wheel drive, performance brakes and suspension, and aggressive styling. For its first two years, it came solely with a manual transmission. Now, a new, fast-shifting automatic does not disappoint and opens the car up to many more buyers.

The V8 HEMI-powered Durango has been a staple of the Dodge brand for two decades. To celebrate this occasion, the performance brand created a special edition of the three-row SUV and loaded it with upgrades including Brass Monkey wheels, performance brakes, sharp graphical accents, and a tricked-out cabin with high-end finishes.

Redesigned from top-to-bottom for 2025, the Nissan Kicks has a bold and dynamic new look. Its design is sharp outside and in, with more space and a modern new dashboard with the latest technology. While it’s not going to break any performance records, the new Kicks is proof positive that an entry-level vehicle can balance personality with practicality.

Italian automaker Alfa Romeo’s compact crossover is a hoot to drive, and it looks sharp, too. Its plug-in hybrid version offers plenty of horsepower and torque, along with crisp handling, and sporty styling. The special Tonale Tributo Italiano comes loaded with premium equipment and painted in one of three classic Italian colors.

Are you looking for a three-row SUV that can shuttle the kids to school and also take them on weekend adventures? The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek takes Nissan’s substantial family SUV and cranks up the fun factor, offering extra capability and attitude for those who like to wander off the beaten path.

When it comes to performance vehicles, the Hyundai Sonata isn’t the first name to come to mind. The 2025 Sonata N Line offers stellar driving dynamics, a powerful drivetrain, and sporty styling outside and in. From its bold design to its zesty engine, this Korean sports sedan is among the best new car values on the market today.

It’s been a few years since we drove the mid-size Lexus ES sedan. After receiving a makeover last year, we experienced the latest iteration of the ES 300h, the hybrid variant. While it’s not as potent as the V6-based ES 350, it’s undoubtedly more fuel efficient, and the F SPORT Handling trim we drove offers bold looks and a performance suspension for agility.

The recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma is particularly impressive in its Trailhunter grade, which loads the pickup with its most potent powertrain and a full array of factory-installed equipment for overlanding adventures. Its ample upgrades include a beefed-up suspension, rugged off-road tires, heavy-duty bumpers, and rock rails.

It’s been 10 years since Hyundai spun off Genesis into its own brand. One of the first models to bear the luxury car label was the G80, which has evolved quite nicely over the years. We spent a week driving the potent and performance-oriented 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD, and it’s as good as mid-size sedans get.

For 2025, the Lexus UX compact SUV received a new, more powerful drivetrain and a new UX 300h designation. Sporting Toyota/Lexus’ 5th-gen hybrid system, it’s quicker and more enjoyable to drive. We tested the F SPORT Handling model, which has a performance-tuned suspension, bold styling and looks stellar in Copper Crest metallic paint.

Genesis continues to make some of the best luxury vehicles on the market. Last year, we drove the Genesis GV80 Prestige and thought it was excellent. For 2025, the high-end SUV has a dynamic new grille, new high-tech headlights, and a new dashboard with an ultrawide display panel. Its sophisticated looks are as good as ever, and it drives like a dream.

Volvo flew us to Denmark, then we drove into Sweden to test the latest version of its popular 3-row family SUV. The 2025.5 XC90 is better than ever, with a fresh front-end design, dynamic new wheels, a significantly enhanced suspension, a streamlined dashboard, and a bigger screen with a much-improved Google built-in multimedia system. Video review here.