First Drive

First Drive articles

2024 Mercedes AMG C43



PHOENIX — As SUVs and pickup trucks garner all of the attention and the lion's share of sales, Mercedes is quick to remind us they still find value in the sedan market as verified by the new-for-last-year fifth-generation mid-sized C-Class sedan. And, with that comes a new four-door AMG model that foregoes its 385-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 in favor of more powerful 402-hp but smaller hybrid integrated electrically charged turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with power delivered to all four wheels passing through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

2024 Kia Telluride X-PRO



PHOENIX — The Kia Telluride remains as a carry over into 2024 virtually unchanged from 2023 after a styling refresh and updating, the first since it launched for the 2020 model year. Last year's refresh included a new updated grille, redesigned LED headlamps, a new front bumper and fascia on the exterior. Inside, there was an all-new digital instrument panel with dual 12.3 inch panoramic LED screens that serve as the infotainment center and gauge displays.

2024 Toyota Sienna Woodland



PHOENIX — There's a stigma associated with owning and driving a minivan that somehow you've reached maturity and now a fully responsible adult signaling to the world and your family that among those at the school "drop your kids off lane" you're the sensible adult here. When you were younger and pre-parenthood, minivans' sole purpose was seemingly the hideous monster of the automotive world, monstrously ugly, that sucked all the life and fun out driving.

2024 Buick Envista



MIAMI — In a prior life, the Buick Envista that debuts as a 2024 model might have been dubbed a hatchback coupe. But in keeping with company’s vehicle E-style nomenclature Buick prefers to call it a crossover SUV,  joining compacts Envision and Encore GX and the mid-size Enclave in the company’s North American portfolio.

2024 Ford Mustang GT



PHOENIX — Just recently, Ford introduced an all-new seventh generation Ford Mustang as a 2024 model. To say I'm a bit surprised isn't much of a reach. Against all odds and in the face of a consumer onslaught of buying trucks, SUVs, and fully electric vehicles, the top brass in Dearborn remains convinced that a goodly number of Americans still aspire to what a Mustang offers.

2024 Chevy Colorado Trail Boss



PHOENIX — The vast majority of pickup truck buyers today are what's called "never-never" truck owners — never tow, never haul, but seek the tireless experience and unique takeaways from driving one on a daily basis. Likewise, not everybody needs an oversized half-ton pickup thus there are the masses who opt to buy an easier-to-drive and park midsize with nearly all the convenience of a larger truck.

2024 Audi Q8 e-tron



PHOENIX — Along with Tesla's quirky Model X and Jaguar iPace, the Audi e-tron was among the first fully electric SUVs introduced to the buying public with e-tron first arriving in the spring of 2019. Fast forward five years and these early pioneers are now surrounded with market competitors including the BMW iX, Cadillac Lyric, Mercedes EQE SUV and others.

2024 Cadillac Escalade-V ESV



PHOENIX — Not unlike European high performance marques including the AMG moniker from Mercedes and BMW's M division, Cadillac threw its horsepower into the competition with its own performance-focused skunkworks within the brand by creating the V-Series some two decades ago.

2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2



MIAMI — Still slightly smaller than its sibling Silverado, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado has grown some since its introduction as a compact pickup for the 2004 model year. A midsize truck now, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is more of a work horse than those of earlier generations and is a good option for the budget conscious who need more capability than a compact offers but can’t afford, or want, a bulky full-size pickup.

2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV



HERNDON, Va. — Enzo Ferrari drove for Alfa Romeo in the early 1920s, and campaigned the company’s race cars — under his Scuderia Ferrari banner — in the decade immediately before World War II. Italian driver Tazio Nuvolari would pilot various Alfa Romeo Grand Prix and sports cars throughout the ‘30s, compiling a record of legendary wins for Alfa, Ferrari’s Scuderia and — not incidentally — himself.