Drew Dowdell

Heavy. Luxury. SUV. Built by a domestic. And GM already has this tech. Doesn't leave a lot of options.

That stopped being true for most front-wheel drive based AWD vehicles 10 years ago. Most AWD systems now are dual-clutch or some variation on haldex. Even my Encore could send 50% of the torque to the back and did so at every launch, it didn't wait for slip. The 200C and the Envision are two more that I know of that have this. The Ioniq 6 is also larger inside than a Sonata despite being smaller outside. They could probably make a smaller version of it (if they hadn't already screwed up the naming scheme... maybe Ioniq 5 sedan) and sell it closer to the Sonata's price point. But Hyundai doesn't want to keep making those $249 a month lease deal models anymore anyway. Jeep killed the Renegade and Cherokee because they are trying to force Jeep up market and because Jeep has failed in China. Part of the economies of scale for Jeep included China sales, and for the first few years of the Renegade it was selling well there.... until it wasn't. The other problem is that the platforms the Renegade and Cherokee are on are being phased out without Fiat support. Compass is next.

Both my Avalanche and my 300C have snow tires. My driveway is steep and my neighborhood is in a microclimate. I'll have snow/ice when the Waterfront, just 5 miles away, has rain. I'm also a skier, so if/when we ever do get snow, I'm out in the mountains.

I think they did a really nice job on this. Look at the etching in the wood. Apparently, each trim level gets a different pattern so you can be extra snobby about it. One nice dial for volume control, and the rest can be controlled by voice. And I know that most designs try to blend away the HVAC vents, but look at those! They look purposeful and somewhat deco/retro. Triple thumbs up on something simple that adds loads of character to the design. Shame the PHEV is gone. It was positively the best driving comfort vehicle this side of a '77 Mark V. Absolutely effortless power and it erased road imperfections, though that may have mostly been the Air Glide suspension that this still has available.

Same. I find the Trax kind of pointless since I can't buy it in AWD, and for my area I really need it. If I'm going to buy a hatchback, I'll buy a hatchback, not a wannabe crossover. The saving grace for the Trax on this list is that is one of only two that doesn't have a CVT. The Jetta will be the comfort king here. They're the most spacious of the bunch, ride really well, have a pleasant powertrain, and I wouldn't even mind rowing my own gears for once.

There are some smoothness concerns with a single rotor setup. I could only see that being something they did for low cost hybrids. Not the luxury push they are going for.