By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 14, 2017) Earlier this year, I was loaned both an all-wheel drive 2016 Toyota Highlander XLE and 2017 Toyota Corolla XLE to test. The Highlander, whose only option was the seven-seat layout with a pair of captain’s chairs in the second row, had absolutely no options, and listed for $39,450 with delivery. It was as I remembered it from my 2014 review of a similar Highlander, though that one was slightly more expensive.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 7, 2017) I should have taken pictures. I should have, but didn’t. I was hoping to return a piece of equipment to one of my brothers, and make room in the garage. And I wanted to do it while I had the Pacifica. I knew it could swallow the cargo, carry the weight, and do so easily. But I forgot to grab a camera — even the one on my iPod — to record the loading and unloading.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 30, 2017) It was one of the most unusual demonstrations of a new technology I’d ever seen. Doug Strock, president of Predictive Fleet Technologies (PFT), suggested we meet somewhere halfway between his office and mine. That put us in the largest parking lot near the freeway exit that merges into the Flint, Mich., business district. It just happened to belong to the local Hooters.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 22, 2017) Buick’s new Regal lineup for 2018 is a bit of a surprise. Instead of selling just an Audi A4-sized sedan this time, Buick decided to drop the sedan altogether, and replace it with a hatchback with coupe overtones. And, if that wasn’t enough, it took the plunge and added a high-riding station wagon in the mold of Audi’s A4 Allroad to the mix.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 16, 2017) Demand for small SUVs is very strong, with buyers moving up — and down — into the comfortably sized vehicles. This has driven automakers into a competitive frenzy, and given buyers unprecedented choice. Built off the platform of a brand’s C-segment sedan, these vehicles scratch an itch that has afflicted buyers like a trip through a poison ivy patch, allowing them to own a crossover without throwing thrift out of the widow or sacrificing amenities or style.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 9, 2017) If it hasn’t happened by the time you read this, Tesla’s stock price son will reach $300 per share. That’s an amazing number for a relatively low volume car company that continues to lose money. The latest uptick in price came when the company announced it had sold more than 25,000 vehicles in the first quarter of the year, beating analysts’ forecasts.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 3, 2017) In some ways it’s hard to believe that the Ford Expedition has been around for 20 years. Then again, the looks of the vehicle changed so glacially that it’s even more difficult to believe that this is the fourth generation Expedition. Which, if you do the math, suggests a new generation every five years.

By William G. Sawyer
Editor at Large, The Virtual Driver

(March 25, 2017) When the Editor of The Virtual Driver discovered that I was making a trip to Sebring for the 12 Hours along with my son, and ace photographer, Danny, he shrugged off suggestions for a spectator’s view of the race, claiming it would add nothing to the voluminous coverage that would follow on TV and motorsport-focused websites.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 20, 2017) In the movies from the 1930s and early 1940s, whenever the youthful performers got together to think of something to do, inevitably someone blurted out with great enthusiasm. “Hey kids, let’s put on a show!” Today that throw away line seems to be, “Hey kids, let’s build a hyper performance electric vehicle!”

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 19, 2017) The production Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo broke cover at the Geneva show. Available in four versions — Panamera 4, Panamera 4S, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and Panamera Turbo — the new model is every inch the sporting European “shooting brake” that combines attributes of a station wagon and coupe.