Reviews

For vehicle review columns

Mazda CX-30T — Just right for a small family



By Jim Meachen
Editor, MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 2, 2023) If you're a family man, but enjoy a fun-to-drive automobile with a modicum of performance then we suggest you consider the Mazda CX-30 Turbo. It's a practical vehicle for a small family that will keep dad entertained on the weekend and mom with enough room to carry her purchases from an afternoon shopping spree. The icing on the cake is that this compact crossover has very appealing styling and an interior that could live quite nicely in a near-luxury SUV.

Jeep Compass — Power to the people



By David Boldt
MyCarDara

(June 26, 2023) At the base of the Compass windshield (on the driver’s side) is etched the profile of a World War II Jeep; that, after all, is the origin of the Jeep story, developed for the U.S. military immediately prior to World War II, and soon serving in both European and Pacific fronts. After the war civilian versions (known as the CJ) were used by hunters, fishermen and what we’d later call outdoorsmen in pursuit of their God-given right to get-the-hell out of the house.

Toyota Prius — Original hybrid car is reinvented


MotorwayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica.com editor

(June 25, 2023) Over the past couple of years the Toyota Prius — demonstrating underwhelming performance combined with rather frumpy styling — has been rapidly losing relevancy. What with the onslaught of full electric vehicles and the addition of high-mileage hybrid versions of popular compact crossovers and sedans, the nation's "original" hybrid car is fading.

Mercedes AMG E53 Cabriolet — Adding fun to the driving experience


Photos by Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(June 20, 2023) The E-Class has long been a staple in the Mercedes-Benz lineup though the midsize luxury car didn’t actually gain that “E” designation until the mid-1990s when the German automaker simplified its model nomenclature to the familiar alpha-numeric format we know today.

Lexus RX350h — Efficient and comfortable


MotorwayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica.com Editor

(June 18, 2023) The luxury division of Toyota introduced a car-based sport utility — the RX300 — in March 1998 as a 1999 model. The RX 300 was promoted as the first vehicle to combine SUV versatility and all-road traction with the performance, agility and comfort of a luxury sedan. Crank up the way back machine to the spring of 1998 and I find myself driving the RX300 at a press event on mountain roads that unexpectedly became icy near the Greenbriar resort in West Virginia. The newly minted sure-footed AWD unibody SUV got me down safely after some white knuckle driving.

Toyota Corolla Hatchback — Fun and affordable family transportation


MotowayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica.com editor

(June 11, 2023) We tend to discount the Toyota Corolla when discussing compact cars even though the Corolla is historically the best selling vehicle in the world. At the top of our list are the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra with a nod to the Mazda3 and acknowledgement of the outgoing Volkswagen Golf. Perhaps it's time to get our mind wrapped around the Corolla and give it the attention it deserves in 2023 — particularly in hatchback configuration. This conclusion was reached after a week behind the wheel of a Corolla Hatchback in top XSE trim.

Land Rover Defender 130 is a big, comfortable, capable trail wagon



By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(June 4, 2023) Land Rover makes an array of fancy and capable SUVs from the entry-level Defender Sport to the Billionaire class Range Rover.  But, the one that traces its roots to 1948 and gained popularity after World War II is the classic Defender that first appeared as Britain’s take on the Jeep.  Aluminum bodied and loaded for bear, it could assault trails like a soldier in hiking boots.  A couple of redesigns since brings us to the current generation, available in two-door 90 series, four-door 110 series, and this giant broadside, the three-row 2023 Defender 

Mazda CX-90 — A standout three-row crossover


MotorwayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica.com Editor

(June 4, 2023) An inline 6-cylinder engine in a Mazda? Very strange, indeed.  And the powertrain is not the only unusual thing with the all-new three-row 2024 CX-90 that replaces the aging CX-9 at the top of the Mazda food chain. It's the biggest crossover Mazda has ever built, and it can be configured for up to eight passengers. And another thing — the CX-90 is rear-wheel biased with full-time all-wheel drive standard.

Volkswagen Golf R — Long live the internal combustion engine


MotowayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica.com Editor

(May 28, 2023) While the Golf GTI is Volkswagen's long-running hot hatch, the Golf R is the brand's over-the-top hotter version equipped with a 315-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an all-wheel-drive system that can distribute power in a number of different ways. The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R is a four-door hatchback and may be the last of a dying breed.

BMW 760i gets radical makeover



By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(May 18, 2023) It seems about every 20 years, BMW gets radical with the 7-Series.  Remember back a couple of decades to the 2003 model that debuted the iDrive infotainment system and “Bangle butt” raised trunklid, named for former BMW design chief, Chris Bangle.  Eventually, though, BMW’s competitors copied the car’s controls and rump.  As BMW configures the 7-Series for an electric future, it gives a radical makeover that nods to the past and future in the 2023 760i xDrive.