2020

2020 BMW X1



MIAMI — As you may surmise from the numerical designation, the X1 is the smallest of BMW’s fleet of  SUVs, but don’t sell it short. This is a roomy vehicle that delivers both a fun driving experience while remaining true to the functional aspects of the SUV segment, or SAV for Sports Activity Vehicle in BMW parlance.

Toyota Camry Hybrid — How to avoid gas stops



By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(May 31, 2020) Perhaps the three most important statistics you will need when shopping the 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid are — 51, 53 and 52. Those numbers represent the Camry LE's EPA-rated miles per gallon in city, highway and combined driving respectively. The Camry's sporty SE trim level falls off slightly to 44, 47 and 46. Those figures are probably fairly accurate regardless of your driving habits because we — as members of the "lead-foot club" — were able to realize 45 mpg in a combination of driving situations while behind the wheel of a SE and an XLE.

2020 Toyota Highlander



PHOENIX — The ubiquitous Toyota Highlander is the best-selling three-row crossover utility vehicle in the very crowded mid-sized segment. Facing stiff competition from superb all-new or redesigned competitors like the excellent Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, a new generation 2020 Ford Explorer, and others, Toyota has introduced its completely redesigned fourth-generation Highlander for 2020.

Chevy Traverse High Country — Moving on up


MotorwayAmerica.com photo

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(May 24, 2020) The large three-row Chevrolet Traverse crossover SUV shed its minivan persona with the introduction of the second-generation in 2018, and now in the third year of the second iteration the 2020 Traverse continues with one of the roomiest third-row seats in the industry together with a segment-leading 23 cubic feet of luggage space behind the three rows. At the same time, it's capable of towing 5,000 pounds and carrying 98.5 cubic feet of cargo with all seats folded — four more cubic feet than the truck-based Chevy Tahoe.

Lexus RX 350 — A comfortable luxury hauler



By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(May 17, 2020) The Lexus RX was introduced in the U.S. 22 years ago and the trailblazing crossover is now in its fourth generation, growing from a compact size into a mid-sized vehicle. Although dozens of copycats have sprung up over the years, and the luxury market is now saturated with crossovers, the RX has been the segment sales leader since its inception. The current generation was introduced in 2016 as the RX 350, and a stretched model was added to the lineup in 2019 increasing its length by 4.4 inches to accommodate a third-row seat.

2020 BMW 840i



INDIANAPOLIS — I’ve been craving a grilled chicken sandwich and rolls from the Beef House Restaurant near Covington, Indiana.  With a BMW 840i in the driveway, an 80-mile drive for a yummy snack no longer seemed excessive.  Given too many days locked down with COVID-19 restrictions, I just wanted some road time and a great meal.  I got both in BMW’s best coupe in decades.

2020 Cadillac XT6



MIAMI — The short take on Cadillac’s new XT6 crossover SUV: It’s like the XT5 that I recently reviewed, but, as you may deduce from the alpha-numeric tag, a bit bigger. Perhaps you want more details. The Cadillac XT6 is a new vehicle for 2020 and completes the trio of crossover SUVs that replaced the SRX in the company’s portfolio.

2020 VW Atlas Cross Sport



PHOENIX — The mid-sized Atlas Cross Sport is an all-new addition to the Volkswagen lineup for 2020, and a more stylish derivative of the boxier Atlas on which it’s based. For comparison, the Cross Sport is to the Atlas what the Honda Passport is to the Honda Pilot. Other competitors for the Cross Sport are the Ford Edge, Chevrolet Blazer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Sorento, and Nissan Murano. Outside, while there’s a lot of Atlas in the Cross Sport’s design language, front and rear fascia are different, as are side and rear windows and other small flourishes to the sheetmetal.

Nissan Sentra — A noteworthy remake



By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(May 10, 2020) Several months ago we were introduced to the sub-compact 2020 Nissan Versa, which for years wore the title as the "least expensive car in America." It was also one of the least desirable small cars in America unless you were on a very strict budget, but wanted to purchase a new car. We were blown away by the new 2020 Versa, which is attractive and loaded with safety and technology features — a remarkable makeover.

Subaru Legacy — Safe and comfortable



By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(May 3, 2020) Subaru has a very loyal following that has kept the company moving forward in sales virtually every month for the last several years. For instance, sales in February — the last month before the current COVID-19 crisis — jumped 5.3 percent over February 2019 and nearly hit 100,000 for the first two months of the year. There's little doubt that 2020 would have been another record year. We point this out because in addition to the company's loyal buyers, Subaru has kept its vehicles fresh and desirable.