Editorial archive

May 2022

2022 Lucid Air — A remarkable all-new electric vehicle

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 20, 2022) PHOENIX — A year ago, if I mentioned the name “Lucid Air” it may have you thinking of a '70s rock band rather than a luxurious all-new all-electric vehicle built in a sparkling new factory here in Arizona. Lucid Motors is a multi-billion-dollar startup with its sites set as a legitimate alternative to the only true electric vehicle success, Tesla.

NHTSA: Traffic fatalities reach 16-year high in 2021

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(May 18, 2022) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its early estimate of traffic fatalities for 2021. NHTSA projects that an estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, a 10.5% increase from the 38,824 fatalities in 2020. The projection is the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the largest annual percentage increase in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history.

2022 Honda Passport TrailSport — Off-road-oriented SUV

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 17, 2022) One of the hottest automotive segments today is off-roading Pickup, SUVs and dedicated-rugged 4x4s eagerly ready to tackle the best of “hardcore rock-crawling” challenges. Vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, new Ford Bronco and Raptor pickup, Land Rover Defender and numerous others.

Expensive milestone — Nearly every state above $4 per gallon

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AAA photo

(May 17, 2022) WASHINGTON, D.C.  — With the national average cost for regular gas steadily climbing, three states — Georgia, Kansas, and Oklahoma — are still holdouts for crossing the $4 per gallon mark. The national average for a gallon of gasoline is now $4.48. The increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which is hovering near $110 a barrel.

Hybrid drivetrains coming to Kia Sorento SUV at right time

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 16, 2022) Talk about good timing. With gas prices hitting record levels, Kia is bringing the plug-in version of the Sorento to showrooms this year after introducing the standard gas-electric hybrid drivetrain on the Sorento last year. The two hybrid models round out the portfolio for the company’s SUV that slots in between the smaller Sportage and slightly larger Telluride in the South Korean’s stable. Even though a bit more compact than the Telluride, the Sorento still offers 3-row seating.

New-vehicle transaction prices continue to increase

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(May 12, 2022) ATLANTA — New-vehicle average transaction prices (ATPs) increased to $46,526 in April, according to new data released by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company. Prices rose 0.7% ($304) month over month and remain elevated compared to one year ago, up 13.0% ($5,354) from April 2021.

Hitting the gas — Pump prices surge as oil gets more expensive

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AAA photo

(May 10, 2022) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Drivers are paying more at the pump — a lot more — as the cost of gasoline moves steadily higher. In the past two weeks, the national average for a gallon of gasoline has risen 20 cents to $4.32, a penny less than the record high set on March 11. The increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which was hovering near $100 a barrel last week and is now closing in on $110.

Choose the Hybrid if you’re buying a 2022 Toyota Highlander

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By Jim Prueter
MotorewayAmerica.com

(May 9, 2022) Suburban America has a love affair with the mid-sized Toyota Highlander. It seems to be the sensible choice for those who value practicality, reliability, safety features, attractive styling but nothing that will turn heads or have people stopping to snap a photo of it.

2022 Audi Q5 Sportback 45 TFSI Quattro — Refined elegance

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 5, 2022) Oh yes, looks matter. The luxury compact SUV segment that began well over a decade ago and sells by the bucketloads has moved on to a supposedly more stylish SUV-coupe iteration and as expected sells in big numbers. Luxury automakers Porsche, Genesis, Mercedes and BMW all offer slope-backed variants of their mid-sized SUV product offerings like Mercedes GLC Coupe, BMW’s X4 and X6, Porsche Macan and Genesis GV70.

Drivers not catching a break as gas prices rise again

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(May 3, 2022) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pump prices rose again over the past week due primarily to the high cost of crude oil. Fear of a global energy supply disruption due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine outweighs the demand concerns prompted by the impact of COVID-19 on China’s economy, according to AAA. The cost of a barrel of crude continues to hover around $100.