September 2024

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser — Retro-style, smaller, less expensive



By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 30, 2024) Having first launched back in 1951 as the Toyota Jeep BJ and by 1955 changing the name to "Land Cruiser" to avoid trademark legalities with the Willys' Jeep moniker and better compete with the British Land Rover, the moniker has motored on for more than 70 years. Over that time Toyota has sold more than 10 million Land Cruisers globally on its unstoppable off-road beastly reputation of legendary go anywhere e.g. (Sahara desert, Amazon jungle, Arctic tundra, war zones) toughness, capability and reliability.

2024 Buick Envista packs punch with affordable price, premium features


Photos by Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 29, 2024) Debuting in the U.S. last year, the 2024 Buick Envista serves as an entry level option for the company’s family of crossover SUVs that all share the letter “e” in their model names (Envision, Encore GX, Enclave).

2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T — A luxury crossover with a touch of British flair



By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(September 27, 2024) Many of us would love to drive a Bentley Bentayga luxury crossover, but virtually none of us will ever rise to a station in life to afford one.  Its big mesh grille, gleaming headlamps, chiseled bodysides, and giant wheels convey a sense of presence and potential.  While I completely get it is no Bentley, the 2025 Genesis GV80 has just a touch of that panache to make you feel and look special.

Pump prices pause as a hurricane comes ashore



(September 27, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The national average for a gallon of gas wobbled by a few cents before ending up where it started a week ago at $3.22. Pump prices have been sliding recently, but the rapid intensification of Hurricane Helene appears to be having an effect.

New vehicle sales expected to dip slightly in Q3, according to Edmunds



(September 26, 2024) SANTA MONICA, Calif. —  The car shopping experts from Edmunds forecast that 3,902,326 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2024, which will be a 2.3% decrease from the third quarter of 2023 and a 4.7% decrease compared to the second quarter of 2024.

GasBuddy fuel availability tracker activated ahead of Helene



(September 25, 2024) DALLAS, Texas — GasBuddy today announced that effective immediately, the fuel availability tracker is active for motorists in Florida, Georgia and Alabama as Helene’s projected path progresses toward the Florida panhandle. Activated out of an abundance of caution in the scenario that the storm causes disruptions to fuel supply, the tracker helps motorists in affected areas find fuel should stations temporarily run low or out.

51% of Americans find the idea of a vehicle being a 'digital wallet' appealing



In 2020, 91% of new vehicles
in U.S. considered 'connceted'

  
(September 25, 2024) MESA, Ariz. — Verra Mobility Corporation, a leading provider of smart mobility technology solutions, has announced the results of a new survey of 2,000 Americans who own or lease a vehicle 2019 or newer. The survey, which was conducted by Verra Mobility's Commercial Services business, explored attitudes and awareness around connected vehicle features. The survey found that over half of Americans find the idea of a vehicle being a "digital wallet" appealing, and 54% would enable such a feature if available.

Stingray Karaoke app available for the first time on select Ford vehicles



(September 24, 2024) Creating joy inside the vehicle by delivering amazing experiences is a huge part of our team’s job at Ford. Now, for the first time karaoke will be available to Ford owners, starting with F-150 Lightning and followed by Mustang Mach-E. This capability is also coming soon to the Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience, Ford proclaims in a press release.
 

2025 Ford Explorer ST — Updating America's most popular SUV



By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 24, 2024) Having debuted some 35 years ago, Ford's Explorer — the all-time best-selling SUV in America — receives its first major refreshing since 2019 and is now offered in just four trim levels: Active, ST-Line, Premium, and ST, our tested version. Ford discontinued the Base, Limited, King Ranch and Timberline editions for 2025. Top to bottom there is about a $20,000 price variance in trim levels.

2024 Kia EV9 — Electric models spur sales for S. Korean automaker


Photos by Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 23, 2024) Kia has set a goal of filling its electric vehicle portfolio with 11 new models by 2026, and early indications are the move toward Benjamin Franklin’s discovery of “electrical fire” is paying off. The South Korean automaker credited its new electrified vehicles as spurring record-setting sales for the company in August. EVs, or more precise BEVs, showed an increase of 27 percent over the same period as last year.