Driven Reviews

As Hyundai’s best-selling model, and its resident competitor for the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Mazda CX-5, it’s no surprise that the fourth-gen model takes style, technology, and personal performance to an all-new level. As an all-new model for the 2022 model year, the Tucson brings an attractive, bold look, an impressive and comfortable interior, and a lot of standard technology to the table. The launch model includes a range of fuel-efficient powertrains, including the 187-horsepower inline-four from the Hyundai Sonata or a new 226-horsepower hybrid system that pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter with an electric motor. While the exterior looks bold and commanding, the interior is more relaxing and well-rounded. When you bring it all together, the new Tucson is certainly heading to the top of the segment, and we’re more than happy to confirm that after spending plenty of time behind the wheel.

Alpina might be a longtime collaborator with BMW and has tuned just about anything with a BMW badge that you can think of, but Alpina isn’t your typical tuner. Where some companies will dazzle you with oodles of power and impressive lap times, Alpina sticks to a more traditional – and usable – recipe. Alpina is more known for tweaking BMWs in just the right way, it builds a little on performance, but it also brings mild improvements to the appearance and, more importantly, it makes every single model it works on ride more comfortably than BMW ever could. For a big, bulky model that the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, that’s a very big deal, and we’re here to tell you that Alpina did it just right.

The Ford Edge, in general, competes against models like the Acura RDX, Hyundai Santa Fe, and even the Chevy Equinox. And it competes well. But Ford has kicked things up a notch with the Edge ST by replacing the four-cylinder with a V-6 and injecting a few other performance credentials to go with it. Now, the midsize luxury SUV segment has no shortage of high-performance offerings, but the Edge ST doesn’t exactly fall into the luxury category, nor does it fit into any category really.

See, none of the Edge’s competitors are offered as high-performance models, so the Edge ST actually sits in a niche all its own. That means that, unless you’re dead set on an Edge ST, you actually have to look at the luxury segment to find anything that actually competes. Dare I say the Ford Edge ST competes with the Audi SQ5 or the Porsche Macan? It’s not quite as expensive in base form, but with the 401A equipment group, which includes things like the panoramic vista roof and remote start, and the ST Performance Brake Package, it suddenly slips right into the same territory. Does it really hold its own, though? We spent a week with it to find out.

The Mercedes-AMG E53 Cabriolet sort of sits in a niche of its own, mainly due to the lack of performance convertibles on the market. Its closest competition, as of the time of this writing, is the BMW M4 Convertible, which offers quite a bit more power at a similar price, or the Lexus LC500 Convertible, which is considerably more expensive. The biggest highlight of the 2022 AMG E53 Cabriolet is arguably its impressively appointed and nicely equipped cabin and the turbocharged straight-six under the hood that can, in fact, raise your blood pressure. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, the AMG E53 Cabriolet is as gorgeous as it is quick and is designed to excite and soothe your soul at the same time.

The Infiniti QX55 was launched four years after the second-generation QX50 – in 2021 as a 2022 model – as a competitor to models like the Audi Q5 Sportback, Mercedes GLC Coupe, and (to some extent) the Acura RDX. Essentially a QX50 with a raked roof, the QX55 serves a spiritual successor to the Infiniti FX \ Infiniti QX70. With the coupe-SUV segment being more crowded than ever, was releasing a new model based on one that was due for a facelift really a wise move? We spent a week with the QX55 to find out, and this is our story.

Nissan’s desire to get a bigger share of the ‘three-row SUV’ pie resulted in it reinvigorating the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder has been around for a long time and needs no introduction. For the 2022 model, the SUV has been redesigned on the inside and out, and it looks quite fresh and modern. Just like most of the other three-row SUVs, the Pathfinder is trying to offer the practicality of a minivan in an SUV form.

The Pathfinder doesn’t have a widespread buffet like the Ford Explorer and is offered in just four trims. It also comes with just one engine and transmission option. However, it has a spacious cabin with lots of little storage places inside. The towing capacity is impressive, too. The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder recently arrived at TopSpeed’s headquarters, and here are our impressions of it.

Hyundai revealed the Vision T concept at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show with a promise that it would loan at least some of its DNA to the next-generation Tucson. As a very bold concept, it didn’t seem likely that much of its design would make it to production, but here we are looking at the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and, sure enough, it has a daring new design akin to that of the concept that previewed it. The new entry-level Tucson has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is derived from the Sonata, but a Hybrid and PHEV model is also available. The Tucson comes fairly well equipped even in base trim, but it’s the comfort, practicality, and driving dynamics that will really wow you. The Tucson has an uphill battle in a crowded segment, with its main competitors including the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, and even the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Five years into its lifecycle, and the AMG GT sports car has grown into its own dedicated lineup that includes a convertible and the car you see here – a sedan that Mercedes markets as a four-door… ahem… 4-door coupe. This specific model blends the sporty essence of the coupe with the comfort, practicality, and family friendliness of a traditional sedan. We got to spend an entire week with the AMG GT53 – the middleman between the new GT43 and the GT63 (and GT63 S) to see just what it’s like to live with the sportiest four-door car Mercedes makes.

The Mercedes-Benz GLB, in general, is a weirdly positioned vehicle that seems derived from nothing more than Mercedes’ desire to populate every single corner of a segment possible. It sits between the GLA and GLC, which makes it not quite small enough to be declared a subcompact, but not exactly large enough to sit in the compact segment, either. It is a comfortable vehicle, has a rugged look and feel to it, and it can even be had with a third-row seat – something essentially unheard of in this segment (and largely unusable). We’re comparing it to the BMW X3 and Audi SQ5, which might seem a little silly at first, but you’ll understand as we dig deeper into it. This is what it’s like to live the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35, and why it may or may not be for you.

There’s no denying that in its short time in existence, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has seen its fair share of controversy. It started off when the name was officially announced, and to be honest, even a year in, not everyone is convinced that Ford’s first important EV is worthy of the Mach name. Is the Mustang Mach-E a true Mustang? Is it worth the price? How does it stack up against its non-Tesla competitors like the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Audi E-Tron? The answers to these questions will probably surprise you.

The Nissan Rogue rolled into its third generation for the 2021 model year as the brand’s best-selling vehicle and one of the most popular small SUVs on the market. That’s saying a lot since it contends with cars like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, among many others. The third generation kicks off with updated looks, new tech, and some all-new features along with an all-new range-topping Platinum trim – the model we just spent an entire week with. Will the third-gen Rogue live up to the standards set by its predecessor and, more importantly, can it overshadow its stiff competition?

Mitsubishi revealed the fourth-generation Outlander back in February 2021 with a lot of styling influenced by the Engelberg Concept, but if you’re hoping to get all that new goodness in an Outlander PHEV, you’re out of luck. Why? Well, because while the rest of the Outlander lineup transitioned into a new generation, here we have the forgotten Outlander PHEV that’s still stuck in the past, flaunting styling and tech that’s beyond dated. So, is it still worth it to buy an Outlander PHEV in 2021 or should you look for alternatives? Our tester had a final price of $39,835 and its generation went into production in 2012, so you should probably read on if you really want the answer to that question.

At the onset, it seems like the Grand Cherokee L is nothing but a Grand Cherokee with an extra row of seats. Essentially, that’s pretty much true, but, it is much more than just that. The Grand Cherokee L rides on a new platform, comes with a whole lot of new tech features, and is arguably the most off-road capable SUV in the segment. The standard Jeep Grand Cherokee is a big hit, selling over 200,000 examples every year. So, instead of coming up with a completely new model altogether, Jeep decided to build on the Grand Cherokee’s reputation by offering a product with the same ethos, but a lot of distinct differentiation.

Chevrolet debuted the twelfth-gen of the Suburban in December 2019. The SUV came out looking rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Introduced as the 2021 model year Suburban, the SUV was now based on a new platform, featured a new diesel engine option, and came with a range-topping High Country trim. Chevy even capitalized on space optimization, plonked in a new suspension setup, and turned all the screws in the right direction to make this a complete package.

We recently laid our hands on the 2021 Chevy Suburban in the Premier trim with the Duramax diesel engine. Our example was finished in a black exterior shade and looked exquisite, to say the least. It is definitely one of the best full-size SUVs that you can buy today with a five-digit budget.

The Hyundai Venue isn’t only one of the brand’s newest cars, but it’s also the smallest SUV or crossover the brand currently sells. As a subcompact model, it competes with models like the Mazda CX-30 and Honda HR-V, but there’s a catch, because the Venue is significantly smaller, sitting on the lower border of the subcompact segment. With that in mind, we have been itching to find out if a smaller, more affordable Hyundai can actually hold its own against the larger, more expensive competition. It does have its faults, but you’ll be surprised as to what those faults really are.