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The longtime knock against Lamborghini’s Urus SUV has been that buying an Audi RSQ8 delivers seven-eighths of the car for about half the money. Not that such things bug Lambo owners, but what if the all-electric Q8 e-tron with gobs of low-end torque could keep up while drag racing against an Urus?

Now, Audi sells a re-named version of the EV formerly known as e-tron. The newly minted Q8 e-tron comes with the choice between a Sportback roofline or a taller SUV canopy that cuts into range estimates ever so slightly. Neither, however, can hold a candle to a Lamborghini Urus in a straight line or while canyon carving and unimpressive EPA range numbers for both are something of a bummer—but that’s not the point here. 

Instead, Audi clearly built the Q8 e-tron hoping to entice any lingering holdouts among luxury urban buyers looking for the perfect EV to haul the fam, go grocery shopping, or take out for nights on the town. And in those regards, this luxury SUV from Audi—which just happens to be electric—absolutely nails the brief.

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Design
• Price
• Interior and tech
• The urban luxury EV
• Power and range
• Conclusion

Price & Specs

Audi Q8 e-tron: see prices at CarGurus

Base price:	$74,400
As-tested price:	$88,990
Motor/battery:	Dual motor + 114 kWh lithium-ion battery pack
Transmission:	single-speed
Drivetrain:	e-Quattro all-wheel drive
Power:	355 horsepower; 402 horsepower w/ Boost mode
Torque:	414 pound-feet; 490 horsepower w/ Boost mode
Weight:	5,798 pounds
0-60 mph:	5.4 seconds
¼-mile:	13.9 seconds @ 101 mph
Top speed:	124 mph
MPGe:	80 city, 83 highway, 81 combined
Range:	285 miles

Audi Q8 e-tron exterior design

The Q8 e-tron’s styling winds up simultaneously similar to both the former e-tron SUV and all the Q8/SQ8/RSQ8 siblings. Not quite as aggressive as the range-topping RSQ8—nor the Urus, obviously—the electric version still sports subtle fender flares and a statuesque profile, especially with the air suspension pumped up to the highest setting. A closed-off grille and lack of exhaust tips serve as the main hints that an electric drivetrain hides beneath the crispy skin.

This loaner from Audi arrived in a spectacularly understated “Plasma Blue Metallic” paint job (a $595 option well spent) that approaches shades of matte Nardo Blue in some lights with a hint of sparkle in others. And the 21-inch wheels might look simple from afar, but a closer inspection reveals pure sculptural art in rolling form.

What’s hot?

– Quintessential Audi design, inside and out – Buttery smooth ride, even on massive wheels – Absolutely silent and serene NVH – Spectacular heated, cooled, and massaging seats – Bang & Olufson sound system is all that much better in an EV

Q8 e-tron pricing breakdown 

The base Q8 e-tron starts at $74,400 before options and a $1,195 destination charge. Standard equipment includes a 114-kWh lithium-ion battery, dual motors for single-speed Quattro all-wheel drive, and adaptive air suspension that raises and lowers the body depending on selection of drive modes. Ticking the box for the most opulent “Prestige package” adds another $10,400 to those numbers, which explains most of this loaner car’s $88,990 MSRP along with the Black optic package (another $2,000) and rear side airbags ($400).

Two years of free charging at Electrify America also come standard, and Audi’s four-year/50,000-mile warranty applies to everything on the car. To true buyers rather than lessors, the high-voltage battery is covered by an eight-year/100,000 warranty.

Q8 e-tron interior and tech

As usual for Audis since the first-gen TT back in 1998, the Q8 e-tron’s interior design stands out from the bland, overly plasticine era overtaking most luxury automakers. Plenty of leather and brushed trim abounds, though a few pieces of piano black plastic have snuck in here and there. Otherwise, the deft application of angularity and ergonomics leaves most controls sufficiently intuitive and satisfying to operate—other than the distant volume control knob, that is, another Audi standard for the past decade or so.

But maybe the highlight of the entire driving experience so often goes overlooked: the steering wheel. The Q8 e-tron sports a four-spoke design that offers multiple comfortable hand placement options, with minimal buttonry to get in the way. Then there are the seats, quite possibly some of the best in existence, and obviously equipped with heating, ventilation, and surprisingly firm massaging functions.

Onboard tech, however, falls a bit short by most modern EV standards. Sure, the dual touchscreens for climate control and infotainment require a pleasing amount of haptic pressure to actually make selections—but not always, sometimes only a light touch does the trick. For some reason, however, the Q8 e-tron forgets drive modes regularly enough to approach annoyance, requiring the constant selection of regen settings via paddle shifters even after just turning the adaptive cruise control on or off. 

Lane keep assist also intrudes regularly, the seats find new positions upon every start-up (which might change for a more permanent owner using a consistent key), and the range estimate seems to vary wildly. Did the engineering team truly need to reinvent the shifter for the umpteenth time? 

An EV for the last urban luxury holdouts

Slipping into the Q8 e-tron for the first time, a sense of serenity and confidence emanates from the entire interior. Luxury buyers not accustomed to the more typical over-technologized interiors of most other EV options might even be forgiven for struggling to recognize a difference between the controls for an internal combustion or all-electric Q8. Hell, there’s even a stop-start button!

Most importantly, anyone still poo-pooing the Q8 e-tron’s range estimate of 285 miles needs to take that initial impression into more consideration. The whole point of this car, clearly, is to convert any stubborn holdouts who simply don’t want to shift their thinking too much while making the switch to electrification. Audi even withheld aggressive regeneration, which means the Q8 e-tron cannot be driven in a full one-pedal mode. 

Otherwise, the gauges and dash seem very familiar, halfway between an Urus and other Audi models. The interior even smells similar to a first-gen TT or a 2016 A3, despite the lack of gasoline, gear oil, and belts to warm up on a cold day. Similarly, the gauges offer multiple customizable readouts for either more or—to the point—less EV-specific information. 

But the Q8 e-tron still prioritizes the benefits that electric cars offer, too. The large and spacious interior allows for plenty of legroom in the second row, which, when folded down, then opens up to a cavernous cargo area big enough for ski bags or bicycles. Even more importantly, this thing rides so damned quiet that the lack of sound can almost get creepy. Zero tire or wind noise until about 75 miles an hour absolutely bedevils the mind, especially compared to other EVs not named Lucid. Talk about NVH as a priority.

And the suspension rides in god mode, insanely smooth, given 21-inch wheels and 265-mm wide Hankook eco tires. Everything from asphalt ripples to pavement cracks and speed bumps simply evaporates. Only the most unpredictable road surfaces create the occasional rafting sensation when one wheel popping upward forces the entire skateboard chassis to lift noticeably.

Power and range in line with ICE performance

For any EV aficionados, however, the Q8 e-tron’s power and range wind up on the slightly disappointing end, without a doubt. The dual electric motors deliver plenty of peppy acceleration, from a standstill or while passing at highway speeds, but nowhere near the neck-snapping jerk of other EVs at similar, and even lower, price points. Typically featherweight Audi steering actually becomes slightly firmer on center, then lightens up while whipping around corners. But those eco tires start to squeal early when pushed hard.

Switching between drive modes lifts the suspension’s ride height while adjusting throttle response and traction control modes. Out on the dirt roads of Johnson Valley, raised all the way up in “offroad” mode, the prospect of puncturing a low-profile tire prevented any true Quattro rally-racing shenanigans. And yet the air suspension and dampers still gobbled up washboards on rough graded surfaces with ease.

Most of the time, the Q8 e-tron putters around happiest in “efficiency” mode, which dulls down throttle response and lowers the suspension to minimize aero drag and maximize range. But on the drive out to Johnson Valley, the onboard range estimate’s programming almost immediately caused some serious range anxiety.

Theoretically, a 99% full charge with 280 miles of range remaining should be plenty to drive 135 miles at highway speeds. Yes, EVs run most efficiently in stop-and-go traffic, but come on now. Instead, almost immediately, the Q8 e-tron started eating through miles of range—to the point that only 20 miles into the drive, the estimated range left only 90 miles to spare. This is despite purposefully staying below 80 miles per hour.

Switching to Audi’s onboard MMI navigation, rather than using Waze through wireless Apple CarPlay, seemed to change the estimated range available as the computer took into consideration traffic and elevation changes. Around 65 miles later, with about 154 miles of range remaining, the situation started to plateau. But then, driving up the 15 Freeway towards Victorville restarted the range, plummeting to the point that hypermiling behind semi trucks seemed prudent (while searching for nearby Electrify America charging stations to use those two years of free charging).

Back at speeds below 60 miles per hour on State Route 247, the dissolving range once again settled down. Upon arrival at Johnson Valley, the range estimate still read 78 miles remaining. And then, on the last leg of the drive home, the remaining range actually increased over the total course of a 90-mile journey. Such wild fluctuations in Audi’s ability to predict range might not affect city slickers quite so much, and presumably, a family spending $90,000 on an EV commuter owns another car for road-tripping. But still, better programming would be nice—or maybe Audi just believes in ceding all trust to the machines.

In town, while charging regularly at home or at the occasional fast charger, those 280 miles of range should serve 99% of owners just fine. Most range anxiety, after all, comes from false promises of a life lived on the adventurous edge. Even without a pre-conditioning button to push, the Q8 e-tron topped up from 66% to an overstuffed 99% at an Electrify America charger in Culver City in just 55 minutes. Not bad.

A few other general gripes might require a longer adjustment period than the mindset shift to EV life. Audi’s extremely aggressive driver aids—similar to the Urus, in fact—will absolutely yank the car away from lines on the road, to the point of pulling tires well into dangerous areas or cutting off lane-splitting motorcyclists regularly. (A button on the turn signal stalk turns off lane-keep assist, which cannot be controlled by any of the various settings deep in the MMI system either.) Automatic emergency braking can also sound and feel similar to tapping bumpers while parallel parking, partially because tipping into the go pedal afterward requires a bit more toe due to EV regen. 

Lastly, the MMI regularly disconnected the entire smartphone interface with a warning banner, which required turning the car off and then on again, then re-connecting the Bluetooth (only possible when fully stopped, of course). This might just as likely be Tim Cook punishing any older iPhone users, though…

What’s not?

– Range more akin to previous generation of EVs – No full one-pedal driving – Priced high as the market keeps expanding – Doesn’t remember drive settings at all, even between switching cruise control on then off – Infamous MMI glitches out and disconnects smartphone regularly

new Audi vehicles: see prices at CarGurus

Can luxury be defined at the right price?

In reality, nobody will mistake a Q8 e-tron for a Lamborghini Urus, and not just because of the mild EV whine. But similarities across the entire Volkswagen AG conglomerate do shine through, mostly for the better. 

The question of Porsche’s newly announced Macan EV then starts to crop up. Sure, the Q8 e-tron is bigger by a fair amount, but the Macan’s 380-mile range capability adds to the impression that this Audi hails from a previous generation of electric vehicles—which it does.

And yet, for the refined urbanite waiting to make the jump to an EV without giving up the familiarity of ICE cars, regardless of newfound nomenclature, the Q8 e-tron remains a solid option that delivers most of Audi’s strengths with just a few of the old weaknesses cropping up. In an increasingly crowded electric crossover-SUV market, such steadfast engineering likely combines the right attributes at the right price to stay fairly popular for the foreseeable future.

The number of new electric models is exploding, but like gas vehicles, some are great and others leave something to be desired. We’ve had a chance to drive several of the year’s best EVs and have come up with a list of the best electric models we’ve driven so far this year! Do any of these fine science projects on wheels tickle your fancy?

We’ll update this list as the year goes on and we get our hands on newer vehicles, but let’s get rolling to see our current favorites.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Starting price: $41,650

Horsepower: 168 to 320 hp

Torque: 258 to 446 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 99 to 114 mpge

Battery Capacity: 58 to 77.4 kWh

Range: 220 to 303 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? Top Safety Pick +

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 combines retro-futuristic styling with advanced driver aids and smooth, silent acceleration. It operates on an 800V electrical architecture, enabling blazing-fast charging, and it can travel up to 303 miles on a charge in its most generous configuration. While all-wheel drive is available, the most efficient and longest-range models are those with rear-wheel drive. The Ioniq 5 has a smooth ride and refined operation, and while it’s not the most powerful or exciting EV on the market, it’s certainly tuned for comfort and delivers on that promise.

Hyundai’s tech isn’t as fancy or flashy as others, but it gets the job done and makes interacting with the vehicle a pleasure. The EV comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, HD radio, SiriusXM, and more. Additionally, the Ioniq 5 earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS in 2023.

Hyundai Ioniq 5: see prices at CarGurus

Kia EV6

Starting price: $42,600

Horsepower: 167 to 576 hp

Torque: 258 to 545 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 83 to 117 mpge

Battery Capacity: 58 to 77.4 kWh

Range: 218 to 310 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? No

The Kia EV6 shares a platform and much of its underlying technology with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, though it presents unique styling and a hotter performance variant in the EV6 GT. The 800V architecture it features enables a 10 to 80 percent charge in as few as 18 minutes using the fastest chargers available. All configurations offer healthy acceleration, but the EV6 GT’s prowess rivals that of some supercars. At the same time, the SUV has engaging handling and can hold its own in corners. It’s a little tightly wound, but most will find the ride quality agreeable. 

Psst. To any speed junkies here, note it’s the only Korean EV available with that hotted-up, sports car-fighting powertrain option. Or at least it is until Hyundai drops the Ioniq 5 N on our shores. But until then, it’s an EV6 GT or bust!

Like Hyundai, Kia focuses on functionality over flashiness in its infotainment systems. It also offers two 12.3-inch screens, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 14 speakers, wireless charging, navigation, and more. It earned a Top Safety Pick in 2022, but the IIHS hasn’t yet smashed it in the newer, tougher side-crash tests.

Kia EV6: see prices at CarGurus

Ford F-150 Lightning

Starting price: $49,995

Horsepower: 452 to 580 hp

Torque: 775 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 66 to 70 mpge

Battery Capacity: 98 to 131 kWh

Range: 230 to 320 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? No

Ford wasn’t the first to market with an electric pickup, but it hit the market hard with the F-150 Lightning — a normal-looking, full-sized truck that is surprisingly capable and demonstrates decent range. Though it has raised prices and struggled to keep up with demand, Ford configured the truck to be as familiar as possible for everyday buyers, and the Lightning delivers on that goal. It offers fantastic interior space and comfort and plenty of available tech – including BlueCruise hands-free driving. Though its range extends to 320 miles, towing and hauling heavy loads has an outsized impact on the distance it can travel, but 66 to 70 mpge combined is still pretty darn good for what it is.

Ford’s excellent Sync infotainment system runs on a 12-inch touchscreen, and the truck comes standard with a 12-inch digital gauge cluster. Buyers can upgrade to a massive 15.5-inch display, and other options include wireless charging, HD radio, and SiriusXM radio. Though it missed out on a Top Safety Pick, the Lightning comes standard with a load of advanced safety kit, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane keep assist, and more.

All said and done, it’s a fairly well-equipped and heavy-hitting product, even if it can get egregiously priced near the top of its trim levels. And sure. Although, it’s clearly not ideally sized for urban environments, don’t let a little girth deter you from an otherwise compelling product, especially if utility is a huge plus for you.

Ford F-150 Lightning: see prices at CarGurus

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Starting price: $104,400

Horsepower: 355 to 649 hp (751 hp w/ boost)

Torque: 417 to 700 lb-ft. (752 lb-ft. w/ boost)

Combined MPGe: 76-96 mpge

Battery Capacity: 108.4 kWh

Range: 280 to 352 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? Not yet tested

The Mercedes-Benz EQS is a flagship electric sedan from the luxury brand that offers futuristic tech, striking style, and an available AMG variant with breathtaking performance. No matter the powertrain choice, the car carries itself with authority and composure. It remains comfortable over various road surfaces and is surprisingly capable in the corners. At the same time, the interior remains quiet, and the car feels like an S-Class Mercedes at all times.

Mercedes offers a serious array of tech in the EQS, including standard 64-color ambient interior lighting and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Though optional before, the expansive Hyperscreen system now comes standard, bringing a 17.7-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger display. The EQS comes standard with blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward and rear automatic braking, and more.

Mercedes EQS: see prices at CarGurus

Nissan Ariya

Starting price: $43,190

Horsepower: 214 to 389 hp

Torque: 221 to 442 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 87 to 101 mpge

Battery Capacity: 63 to 84 kWh

Range: 205 to 304 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? Top Safety Pick +

Nissan had delays with its new EV, the Ariya, but it landed in 2023 with a decent range and impressive horsepower. Acceleration feels solid, though the front-wheel drive model takes more than seven seconds to reach 60 mph. The all-wheel drive configuration is considerably quicker, making the run in 5.5 seconds, and the SUV manages itself well on the road. Braking and steering are confidence-inspiring, and the Ariya holds its own in the corners.

Nissan equips the Ariya with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen running wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Wi-Fi hotspot, HD radio, Amazon Alexa capability, and much more also come standard. The Ariya has a solid list of standard safety equipment, though the IIHS hasn’t tested it yet. It’s equipped with blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, lane departure warnings, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, a rearview camera, parking sensors, and driver attention warnings.

Nissan Ariya: see prices at CarGurus

Genesis Electrified G80

Starting price: $79,825

Horsepower: 365

Torque: 516 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 97 mpge

Battery Capacity: 87.2 kWh

Range: 282 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? Not yet evaluated under new criteria

Genesis took a tried-and-true approach with the Electrified G80, fitting batteries and an electric motor to the gas model’s body. The results are impressive: 365 horsepower, 282 miles of range, and all the luxury ride quality anyone could want. The car retains its flagship sedan feel, and the silent electric drivetrain offers strong acceleration and smooth operation. It’s not the most agile option around, but the car’s extreme level of comfort is a substantial consolation prize.

The Electrified G80 gets a 14.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12 speakers, dual-zone automatic climate controls, a digital gauge cluster, and USB inputs. A 12.3-inch gauge cluster is available, along with wireless charging and an upgraded Lexicon audio system. The Electrified G80 earned a Top Safety Pick + in 2022 but hasn’t been subjected to the new, more intense side-crash tests. 

Genesis Electrified G80: see prices at CarGurus

Cadillac Lyriq

Starting price: $58,590

Horsepower: 340 to 500 hp

Torque: 325 to 450 lb-ft.

Combined MPGe: 89 mpge

Battery Capacity: 102 kWh

Range: 307 to 314 miles

IIHS Top Safety Pick? Not yet tested

The Lyriq is Cadillac’s first EV, riding on GM’s advanced Ultium platform. And while not everyone on board Acceleramota seems to love it, there’s no denying what it has to offer GM fans. It offers up to 500 horsepower, and even the base configuration brings 340 ponies to the table. Acceleration isn’t exceptionally thrilling, but the SUV delivers refined power and good handling. It’s also every bit a Cadillac, bringing a smooth driving experience and a stable ride quality. The Lyriq’s one-pedal driving function works well, and standard braking feels solid.

The Lyriq’s dash is adorned with a massive array of screens, collectively spanning thirty-three inches, and equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, multiple USB ports, seven speakers, and more. Additionally, Cadillac includes ambient interior lighting, an AKG premium stereo, and a panoramic sunroof. Though it hasn’t been evaluated by the IIHS yet, the Lyriq comes standard with a vibrating safety alert seat, lane departure warnings, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warnings.

2024 Cadillac Lyriq: see prices at CarGurus

It’s been said before, and I’ll say it again. Korea is on a roll with turning its automotive image around in a full one-eighty defined by legitimate quality, performance, and design. And there’s arguably no better practitioner of this newfound efficacy than the Genesis brand, which has now revamped the G70 sports sedan for the second time in its current generation. So, even though it feels like the car had just launched yesterday, extend a warm welcome to the newly-refreshed 2024 Genesis G70, now loaded with more tech, more style, and, ahem, more power, baby!

Queue lightning sound effects and loud James Pumphrey noises, please. Thank you.

Price and specs

Yes, you can still get a cushy, reasonably well-equipped G70 for well under the average American new car sales price, with the base model rear-driver selling for $41,500 before the $1,195 destination fee. All-wheel drive is a $2,100 upgrade to all models, while the top-shelf Sport Prestige pack with diamond-stitched Nappa leather, a heads-up display, and extra tidbits of safety and performance tech fetches a $4,200 premium on base engines and $4,400 on the 3.3T.

Fun fact: If you mosey on over to their online configurator, you’ll notice the outgoing, pre-revision G70 started at $39,400. The gap between the old base car and the current base car is the same in cost as the upgrade to all-wheel drive. Neat.

Genesis G70: see prices at CarGurus

Base prices:	$41,500 (2.5T Standard RWD), $43,600 (2.5T Standard AWD), $49,950 (3.3T Sport Advanced RWD), $52,050 (3.3T Sport Advanced AWD)
Engine choices:	2.5-liter turbocharged I4, 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission choices:	8-speed automatic
Drivetrain choices:	rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive
Power:	300 horsepower (2.5T), 365 horsepower (3.3T)
Torque:	311 pound-feet (2.5T), 376 pound-feet (3.3T)
Weight:	approx. 3,700 pounds (2.5T), approx. 3,900 pounds (3.3T)
Zero-to-60 mph:	approx. 5.5 seconds (2.5T), approx 4.5 seconds (3.3T)
¼-mile:	approx. 13.5 seconds @ 105 mph (2.5T), approx. 13.0 seconds @ 110 mph (3.3T)
MPG:	21 city, 29 highway, 24 combined (2.5T RWD), 20 city, 28 highway, 23 combined (2.5T AWD), 18 city, 27 highway, 21 combined (3.3T RWD), 17 city, 26 highway, 20 combined (3.3T AWD)
Fuel capacity:	15.8 gallons

What’s new?

A goodie bag of smaller details

On the surface, it looks like much hasn’t changed from this generation’s first revision, and you’d be mostly correct. Genesis admits the biggest addition to this generation of G70 is a new base engine, which we’ll dabble in just a sec. But for now, it’s also worth diving into all the subtle performance and tech changes made to keep this compact luxury sports sedan relevant in an age of increasing competition from EVs and fellow sports sedans alike.

The former half is headlines by the standardization of 19″ wheels across all G70s, part of Genesis’ bid to further lean into the car’s inherent athleticism. Multiple new designs better in keeping with the Genesis design language are available, and all are 19-inchers wrapped in Michelin Primacy all-seasons or Pilot Sport 4 summers, depending on powertrain configurations. There are also four new color options: Bond Silver, Cavendish Red, Vatna Gray, and Kawah Blue. The interior also gets a new two-tone Fog Gray and Obsidian Black upholstery option.

The latter half is where the more substantial details rear their heads, such as improved iOS support for using your phone as a digital key, as well as cloud-connected support for over-the-air updates, customizable driver profiles, and routing.

More accessible go-fast goods

As an added bone to throw at prospective G70 buyers, go-fast goods once exclusive to the 3.3T are now standard across the board. Most notable are the enlarged Brembos, with its 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers chomping down on 13.8-inch front and 13.4-inch rear rotors. Standard 2.5T cars get white/silver-painted calipers, while Sport Prestige and Sport Advanced 2.5T and 3.3T cars come red-painted. 3.3T cars get variable-ratio steering as standard, while speccing the Sport Prestige pack adds electronically-controlled suspension tied to the adjustable drive modes and a mechanical limited-slip diff.

Oh. And if you can believe it, all-wheel-drive G70s will continue to feature a hidden “Drift” mode. Because that’s exactly what you need on the way to the grocery store.

An all-new base engine

Bazinga! The real big-ticket to the G70’s continued relevance. Enter the new base engine, a 2.5-liter turbo inline-four now pushing an even 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Those are gains of half a liter in displacement, 48 ponies, and 51 pound-feet. Interestingly, despite the added size and grunt, fuel economy versus the outgoing base engine is roughly unchanged, meaning this new engine closes that gap between it and the top-dog V6 with little sacrifice in the process. And as we journos found out during a day behind the wheel, the new engine is certainly a bottom-rung option worth considering.

What is it like to drive?

On Phoenix’s open roads

What can I say? The enhanced G70 drives like a compelling product. A very compelling product. An instant fan favorite among journos and engineers when the car was first launched, the G70 continues to remind us of Korea’s exponential upscaling of quality and refinement. Although our press drive across Phoenix, Arizona was formulated to primarily showcase the new 2.5-liter engine and remind us of the G70’s performance credibility, we still received an ample glimpse of just how nice of a place the G70 is to commute in, from the plush leather seating that never leaves you fatigued after hours to the attractive and logically-laid out interior controls.

The 10.25-inch infotainment screen proved as crisp and quick to the touch as ever and appreciably remains at an arm’s reach. The all-new digital climate controls are equally as intuitive, with haptic feedback to boot. And old-fashioned types fret not, as the most important controls, such as temperature, Off, and Auto, still exist as hard physical switches flanking the display. And speaking of physical switches, all hard controls in the car carry a sense of heft and density not always found in other luxury vehicles. Plastic buttons feel properly tactile and without the usual plasticky hollowness or looseness, and even the climate vents move with a bit of weight as though they were dampened.

You’d figure this to just be the norm for this class of car, but I’ve been proven wrong on a few occasions. I’ve been in current Mercedes products that didn’t feel this tightly screwed together nor had this likable of an infotainment system.

Whether behind the wheel of a four-banger or a V6, the powertrains and sole 8-speed transmission all proved buttery smooth and more than capable of wafting you along in traffic. Even the itty-bitty 2.5T had no issues with on-ramps or stoplight drags, feeling every bit as strong as a base model pony car or some higher-tier hot hatches. Both powertrains were fairly inoffensive, although the four-banger does make the typical droney groan, made nonissue by the G70’s commendable sound insulation.

Just as refined was the G70’s ride over the admittedly terrible and potholed-to-hell Arizona roads. The Sport Prestige’s electronic suspension was as serene as can be for a shorter-wheelbase luxury sedan with sporting intentions. You can still feel the occasional rock or expansion joint, but it never jostles you nor sends any impacts up your tush. You’ll probably hear the bumps more than feel them, but you’ll know they’re there. Even so, the G70 remains composed and compliant over such harsh tarmac. Impressive, considering the Michelin’s thin sidewalls on the 19-inch rollers, and one can wonder how a set of 18s could be even better.

Color me impressed overall, especially with the ride quality. Your average Scottsdale retiree wouldn’t mind rocking one to ferry them to and from the country club.

Smashing apexes (and cones)

Saved the best section for last. Even though no sensible G70 owner is ever going to track theirs, they totally should because the G70 totally can. It’s not perfect, and even the engineers know there’s room on the table for a real BMW M or Lexus F fighter, alluring prey for a car graced by ex-M engineer, Albert Biermann, who spearheaded the development of Hyundai’s acclaimed N lineup. But as it sits as just the bread-and-butter sedan, I can confidently the G70 earns its place as a formidable foe to those long-standing titans from beyond its borders.

On track, the Pilot Sport 4 tires and electronically-controlled dampers on our rear-drive 3.3T track testers easily dispatched the tight corners of APEX Motor Club, with our lead driver quickly encouraging us to push harder and harder to keep pace. The variable-ratio steering was nowhere near as aloof or unpredictable as I thought it’d be and proved to be wonderfully precise for reigning in those little drifts you can get on corner exit. Body control was rock solid, with a noticeable but buttoned-down lean that never incited fear, whether on track or out in the twisties of Tortilla Flats. With a 225-wide front tire and 255 rear, understeer is the dominant trait, but it’s nothing a little extra throttle and steering input can’t quell.

While our track and canyon runs were in Sport Prestige variants of the 3.3T, we did get the chance to sample the 2.5T on a tight autocross course, where the estimated 200 to 300-pound weight difference became immediately apparent. Yes, the 3.3T is where it’s at for performance junkies. And again, no, no one’s really going to track or autocross any Genesis G70 except for us weirdo journalists. But if they should dare, there’s a lot to love with the lighter, more responsive nose of the four-banger. And even without the oomph of the V6, 311 pound-feet plus shorter gearing for the 8-speed gearbox and final drive prove to be plenty for lighting up the rear tires and hanging slides left and right. Ask us how we know.

Yeah. It’s, first and foremost, a cushy luxury car for 21st-century yuppies to haul themselves and perhaps a guest or two around downtown en route to the nearest North Italia. But it still puts the “sport” in sports sedan.

A proper sports sedan made better

We’re happy to report the G70 remains a fantastic, playful, fun-to-drive offering in a segment often criticized for distancing themselves from their old driver’s car mantras in favor of solely tech advancements. And if one of the Genesis team member’s warning that we “haven’t heard the last of G70” is anything to heed, we’re certain there’ll be even hotter versions in the near future.

Thankfully, the G70’s added performance chops across its entire lineup didn’t dent its luxury car cred. In fact, I’d argue this is the best balance of the two halves of its identity to date, and we can’t wait to score one for a few days of testing to see what’s really hot and what’s actually not. So, stay tuned! Or, if you’d rather not wait and prefer to see for yourself as you should, you can check out the updated G70 when it hits U.S. showrooms in a matter of weeks.

Genesis vehicles: see prices at CarGurus

Now, Genesis. Please allow the Hyundai N team to work their magic. Korean M3 fighter, anyone?

Many companies, from established automakers to fresh upstarts, view the quandary of last-mile transportation as a business opportunity best solved by electric vehicles. And now, the big dog of van life has jumped into the fight: Mercedes-Benz with an electrified version of the popular Sprinter vans.

The obvious advantages of stop-start efficiency, low-speed torque, and compact drivetrain packaging make vans something of a perfect use case for electric utility. And not just to help Jeff Bezos earn another penny or two on every Amazon Prime one-day delivery, since mobile detailers, handymen, contractors running a handful of local projects, and even private buyers might view this new electric van as a solid solution. To show off the eSprinter’s capabilities and range, Mercedes-Benz recently invited select media out for a test drive around Southern California.

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Exterior
• Pricing breakdown
• Interior and tech
• Sport Utility Van?
• Electric drive modes
• Real-world range
• Conclusion

Price & specs

Mercedes Sprinter: see prices at CarGurus

Base price:	$71,886 (standard output)
As-tested price:	$75,316 (high output)
Motor/battery choices:	Single permanent magnet synchronous motor w/ 113 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack
Transmission choices:	single-speed
Drivetrain choices:	rear-wheel drive
Power:	134 horsepower (standard), 201 horsepower (high output)
Torque:	295 pound-feet (for up to 30 seconds)
Weight:	6,746 lbs
Top speed:	75 mph
10-80% fast charge time:	42 mins (at 115kW)
MPGe:	TBA
Range:	approx. 273 miles

eSprinter exterior design

Other than branding on early vehicles that Mercedes-Benz brought to Newport Beach for media testing, the eSprinter flies under the radar next to ICE vans. And that’s kind of the point: avoiding any of the frill or futuristic styling that more consumer-focused EVs might prioritize to woo any early adopters unless that’s your jam like the Koreans would like to hope.

The big Benz logo on the front hides a charge port, so the eSprinter lacks a fuel filler door. But even the open grille allows airflow to support an impressive cooling management system that combines the drivetrain and climate control circuits to best maximize range and battery life cycles. Otherwise, the sliding side door, double rear doors, and high roof all create a familiar profile.

What’s hot?

– Electric drivetrain is perfect for urban delivery or work vans – Mercedes’ expertise and engineering at work – Peppy and quick below about 50 mph – Planted handling helps make this big van eminently easy to drive – Just enough range for some freeway cruising

eSprinter pricing breakdown

A base eSprinter starts at $71,886 with a 113-kWh battery, a 170-inch wheelbase, and a 100-kW electric motor powering the rear wheels. The battery pack and exterior dimensions remain the same across the lineup, though an optional high-output 150-kilowatt motor bumps that sticker up to $75,316.

The rest of Benz’s planned options pricing remains something of a mystery. On other vehicles, the MBUX infotainment system typically runs between $1-2,000, but keep in mind the eSprinter’s version will include specific navigation software that takes into account traffic and charging stops, even elevation topography to better estimate potential range remaining. Other eSprinter options will include the choice of dual bucket seating layouts or different access configurations for the rear cargo area.

Mercedes will build the eSprinter at a plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, which may make government incentives and rebates possible for buyers in the right income bracket.

Pricing and destination, however, totals $2,295—not an insignificant number, and likely attributable to the eSprinter’s serious size.

eSprinter interior and tech

In something of a surprise, but one that also makes sense, the eSprinter’s interior can best be described as Spartan. Maybe the Benz logo suggests another rung up the luxury ladder versus Ford’s E-Transit, the eSprinter’s main competitor at this point, but the design hews more closely to the utilitarian ethos. Severely upright seats that require a choice between legroom or seat recline especially prove the point—for drivers jumping in and out constantly rather than taking long road trips, presumably, this shouldn’t be too much of a concern.

The steering wheel will look familiar to anyone who owns a Benz, but for construction workers or delivery drivers, getting used to haptic buttons will require an adjustment period. Whether the buttons can sense finger movement through work gloves also remains a mystery. Plenty of cupholders and room for central storage, at the very least, round out the compact front cabin.

In terms of tech, the optional MBUX gets those aforementioned EV-specific helpers, displaying range remaining, navigation, and drive modes in addition to the standard media screens. A perfectly serviceable, happily basic gauge cluster also provides a minimum and maximum range estimate, as well as displays for power output and regen, plus battery state of charge and speed. Using paddles on the steering wheel shifts between five different regen modes, from “D-” for the closest to one-pedal driving all the way to “D++” to allow for full coasting.

A variety of configurations for the front seats include dual buckets, a driver’s bucket, and a single passenger jumpseat with a narrow door to the rear cargo area in between, or a driver’s bucket with a double bench for two passengers—the latter requiring a solid wall blocking access to the cargo area.

In the back, the eSprinter’s large canopy and compact electric drivetrain packaging allow for a 79.1-inch standing height at the center of the 173.6-inch-long bed. A variety of tie-downs and shelf mounting points dot the floor and walls, respectively. But in another surprise, the rear does not include any power outlets for powering tools or accessories. Benz reps on site in Newport suggested that upgrade will almost certainly arrive for later model years.

SUV: Sport Utility Van? Not quite…

For drivers accustomed to either gasoline or diesel-powered Sprinter vans, the eSprinter’s 201 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque might sound a bit underwhelming (and that’s the high output motor’s rating). But first things first, rest assured that the little e-motor does just fine. Low-end torque means that pulling off the line at a stoplight or stop sign requires just a bit of light toe into the go pedal (can’t call it “throttle” here). Though power dies off a bit from there, once wound up, the eSprinter accelerates most happily from about 30 to 50 miles an hour.

Note that Benz mounted a 440-pound box in the cargo area to allow journalists to mimic tools or packages for delivery. Meanwhile, the modular low-slung skateboard chassis (which all Benz vans will share starting in 2026) helps to prevent body roll and top lean much better than on ICE Sprinters. But that composure comes at a cost, mainly felt when harsh reverberations jolt up into the van while rolling over pitted road surfaces or speed bumps.

Still, the eSprinter is surprisingly easy to just get in and drive. At 92.3 inches wide without mirrors, the tall sidewalls squeeze through traffic without much concern for the overall 280-inch length, and the rear tires even track closely to the fronts thanks to a 170-inch wheelbase. Visibility sometimes presents a challenge, though large rearview mirrors and blind-spot monitoring help a ton.

Playing around with electric drive modes

Once accustomed to the sheer size and speed of the eSprinter, fiddling with the three drive modes came next. Starting in “Comfort” allows full access to every last horsepower and pound-foot of torque, but dropping into “Eco” or “Maximum Range” cuts max output to 100 and 80 kilowatts, respectively. The difference is immediately noticeable, especially at low speeds in Maximum Range mode where full “throttle” all day becomes necessary. In reality, does that then save range versus driving as economically as possible? Sounds like a game that employers can play with employees.

In each drive mode, the “+” and “-” paddles on the steering wheel can then toggle between five regen settings. With “D++” selected, the eSprinter coasts almost more smoothly than an ICE car, with zero engine braking. Three steps down to “D-” and the van almost approaches one-pedal driving, but not quite. 

For those eagle-eyed readers keeping track of their abacuses, D- to D++ only adds up to four regen settings—correct, because holding the + paddle also activates “D-Auto,” which allows the eSprinter to adjust regen based on the scenario to maximize range. The concept sounds good, taking the onus away from flawed or distracted humans, but in execution, D-Auto requires serious attention while used in traffic because the rate of regen changes from moment to moment.

The lack of one-pedal driving, meanwhile, makes a lot more sense within the context of last-mile deliveries. After all, if a driver in one-pedal mode comes to a stop without touching the brake, they might then forget to put the eSprinter in Park before hopping out and dropping off a package. Not ideal, from both logic and liability standpoints.

In Comfort mode with full power available, the eSprinter can get up to highway speeds just as fast as average traffic. The top speed of 75 miles per hour means employees don’t have to risk incurring their employer’s wrath after getting a speeding ticket, though reaching that pace creates a fair amount of wind noise within such an upright vehicle.

On other electric Benzes, reducing NVH clearly took far more of a priority during the development process. Not so for the eSprinter and that Spartan ethos. Even the leather seats seem fairly firm—though, in another surprise, also very well bolstered for a confirmed non-sports car. Maybe with all the climbing in and out, the seats will break in more, though the walled-off cargo area means that taller drivers definitely face a tough choice between knee room and back comfort.

Real-world range performance

Range performance clearly took a higher level of priority than M-B’s more standard silent and sumptuous interiors. And the eSprinter absolutely delivered over the course of 100-plus miles in traffic and on the highway around Newport, despite confirmed journalistic drag racing.

Part of the impressive range performance for such a large, aerodynamically inefficient van comes down to effectively managing the battery and inverter temps, so a nifty setup that combines the routing for coolant used in climate control and drivetrain components probably plays a big part in maintaining accurate range estimates.

Mercedes-Benz’s research indicates that the average delivery van travels much less than 100 miles per load anyway, so the eSprinter’s claimed ability to drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles on a single charge should do the trick just fine. But a few shortcomings do arrive due to the electric drivetrain, as well. Mostly a significantly reduced payload compared to ICE Sprinters, officially rated at 2,624 pounds or less than half of a gas or diesel van. The lower number stems from the batteries making up more of the official Gross Vehicular Weight Rating, though if the batteries actually weigh 1,007 pounds as Benz claims, the math doesn’t quite add up.

A few other practical questions arose in Newport, too, in addition to the payload and whether haptic steering wheel buttons can sense work gloves. No, Benz currently has no plans to build an all-wheel-drive dual-motor eSprinter. Outlets in the rear will almost certainly arrive later, as will a fully open cockpit and cargo layout with no wall divider behind the seats. 

And most importantly for a company running eSprinters as delivery vans: charge times. Benz claims the eSprinter can manage a 10-80% charge in 42 minutes, which falls in line with the large battery pack. The lithium-iron phosphate battery itself also uses zero cobalt or nickel to help reduce the environmental impact of mining rare-earth minerals.

And yet, the eSprinter maxes out at only 115-kW charge speeds, so the best fast charging stations will need to throttle back. That’s a bummer because two drivers working together can probably pack in another load of boxes and reach the max payload faster than the van can top up on electrons. Presumably, the guesstimated drive routes under 100 miles for each delivery run fit into this equation, as well.

What’s not?

– Not particularly comfortable seats – Needs 120-volt outlet(s) capacity in the cargo area – No all-wheel-drive version in the works – No wide open layout so far

Built to satisfy very specific use cases

Mercedes vehicles: see prices at CarGurus

In many ways, the eSprinter seems catered to very precise use cases rather than satisfying the full gamut of the van market, from utilitarian delivery spec to uber-expensive overlander platform. But the electric drivetrain kind of cancels out camping or overlanding as a market segment, anyway. 

Without a doubt, the few production-line vans in Newport showed all the quality expected from Mercedes-Benz, and pricing seems just about right for the commercial buyer. More refinement, increased range, and more configurations will almost certainly arrive in years to come. But for now, Benz clearly waited this long to make their first step into the electric van game a strong one.

Making the most of old technology usually takes the form of automakers making big profit margins on platforms that have been around for longer than usual. It’s not a bad strategy. Look at the previous-generation Lexus LX and GX; excellent trucks that barely changed over the better part of fifteen years. Or the W-body Chevy Lumina … Okay, bad example. However, legendary British sports car maker Lotus takes a completely different approach to this strategy with its latest mid-engine sports car, the Emira.

The UK brand does it by going against what every other sports car maker has grown a little too accustomed to: Instead of the Emira having electric power-assisted steering like everyone else these days—this side of McLaren, at least—this mighty midship has hydraulic-assisted power steering. It’s very old technology, yet it possesses far better characteristics, like improved communication, excellent weight, and so on, that make the driving experience quite special.

Hydraulic steering may be a little harder to amortize over time due to its higher cost, and it’s more of a pain to service, but it’s well worth it. In fact, when combined with the 2024 Lotus Emira First Edition’s other top qualities—a stiff and lightweight chassis, as well as a potent V6, standard six-speed manual transmission, and gorgeous sports car looks—it makes for an overall excellent package that anyone who considers themself a driving enthusiast would thoroughly dig. Here’s how it all comes together to not only be one of the best Lotus sports cars ever made but also a very refreshing option in a new car market that’s awash with portly curb weights, excessively long wheelbases, as well as bland, lifeless electric power steering.

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Design and tech
• Compared to Evora GT?
• Actually daily drivable?
• A great chassis
• A greater powertrain
• Conclusion

Price and specs

To hop in the 2024 Lotus Emira First Edition with a supercharged V6 behind its two seats, turn the key, and rip off down the road in a hilariously fun manner, it’ll require $104,500 to start. That’s no small sum of money, but then, it’s no small sum of car. Well, it’s dimensionally pretty small, but you know what I mean.

Bolt up this tester’s lightweight forged 20-inch wheels, and the price comes out to … well, just $1,000 more. Its Dark Verdant Green paint, tan leather interior, sports suspension, and manual gearbox are no additional charge, so the total works out to $105,500. Suppose you’re inclined to go for an automatic gearbox, that tacks on an additional $2,150. Save the manuals, as well as some cash: Pick the stick. 

Lotus Emira: see prices at CarGurus

Base price:	$104,500
As-tested price:	$105,500
Engine:	3.5-liter supercharged V6
Transmission:	6-speed manual
Drivetrain:	rear-wheel drive
Power:	400 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm
Torque:	310 pound-feet @ 3,500 rpm
Redline:	6,800 rpm
Weight:	3,212 pounds
Zero-to-60 mph:	4.2 seconds
¼-mile:	12.7 seconds @ 111 mph
MPG:	17 city, 26 highway, 20 combined
Observed MPG:	19.0
Fuel Capacity:	14.5 gallons

Coming soon is a turbocharged four-cylinder from Mercedes-AMG bolted up in place of the supercharged V6, which’ll start a little less at $99,900; Acceleramota will report more on that at a later date. I’ve had the pleasure of revving out this mighty four in other vehicles, and it’s an absolute riot; choosing between the two powertrains will be a tough decision.

Design, interior, and infotainment

Let’s cut right to the chase: The Lotus Emira is simply beautiful. While the brand’s never been a stranger to penning striking design, this new two-seater slots nicely within its Greatest Hits alongside the Elan, Esprit, Esprit V8, and Elise.

The Emira’s short and wide stature is nicely adorned with intakes and venting cut into its bodywork, pronounced front fenders, wide hips, sharp headlights, and taut lines throughout. It’s got trim athleticism in spades and looks drop-dead gorgeous from every angle. Where the Evora looked ever-so-slightly awkward from a couple of angles, possibly due to being 2+2, the Emira simply can’t be faulted. Especially on my tester’s 20-inch silver wheels and paint that errs towards British Racing Green yet has more depth and faint metallic flake to it. It’s a beautiful take on this default-good color.

Inside is the same song, second verse. Where the Evora was a little more bare and focused (which I actually loved about it), the Emira is more geared towards luxurious everyday liveability. This is a good thing—less knocks against it parked next to a Porsche Cayman, and the world would be a better place if more people were inclined to daily drive high-end mid-engine sports cars. Giving it this plush interior extinguishes excuses not to.

Speaking of plushness, much of the interior’s square footage is covered in supple Nappa leather and Alcantara, and the overall design is quite chic. It may also be a small two-door sports car, but it’s actually plenty bright and airy, making something like a Toyota GR Supra feel like solitary confinement by comparison. With this airiness comes an appreciable increase in spaciousness over the Evora, with plenty of head, leg, and shoulder room for my slim six-foot-three stature. 

Seating-wise, I was initially a little disappointed that the Emira didn’t have the same near-race-level Sparco seats that the final iteration of the Evora GT possessed. But the 12-way power-adjustable buckets actually proved to be quite good: the driver’s seat was easy to slide in and out of, had great all-day comfort, and even held me in respectably well on fun roads. Win across the board.

Then, it possesses some select fine details that really upped the interior’s bespokeness like a good bit of the shift linkage that’s exposed behind some metallic mesh. I like to think that is Lotus’ way of paying tribute to the almighty, sacred manual gear change. It even lights up at night; how cool is that?

One aspect of the Emira’s interior that’s somewhat unchanged from the Evora is its cargo room. Like the Evora, there’s sadly no frunk to impress your friends or passers-by, but the trunk area could accommodate either a small piece of luggage or two or a small haul of weekly groceries. Just don’t travel too far if you’ve got ice cream in there—it sits next to one bank of cylinders and atop most of the exhaust system. Then, instead of the old Evora’s rear “seats” that were less roomy than an iron lung, there’s a cargo shelf that’s plenty commodious for daily haulings or some light luggage.

When it comes to infotainment, the Emira doesn’t have a whole lot going on, and that’s very much a good thing. The center 12.25-inch touchscreen has good feedback, a nice layout, and no lag, and it’s quite easy to navigate through. It’s equipped with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, and the stereo system has great overall audio quality.

 To split hairs, I had to re-pair my phone every morning to get Apple CarPlay working. But when the car’s own soundtrack is as wonderful as it is, I didn’t find myself as inclined to listen to music or podcasts as I’d normally be. Even while rolling along in mundane Los Angeles traffic. 

What’s hot?

– Wonderful overall handling – Surpringly great ride quality around town – Brilliant hydraulic steering – Rioutous supercharged V6 – ‘Dem looks

Versus the outgoing Evora GT

It’s important to point out that the Emira isn’t the full-on replacement for the Lotus Evora GT. As far as Evora vs. Emira goes, it’s the succeeding model. But as far as non-GT vs. GT goes, that’s like comparing the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS against the Cayman GT4—Both are well-regarded as massively fun mid-engine sports cars and their Lotus’ direct competitors. But they aren’t interchangeable in the Porsche trim hierarchy, nor are they meant for the exact same purpose. One’s more daily-friendly, whereas the other is more engineered for laps on track.

Though, after spending a week with the ravenous and ever-entertaining Evora GT two years back and now becoming well-acquainted with the Emira, I really hope there will be an Emira GT. Though, in light of some recent unfortunate news, the chances are slim.

Well-natured around town and on the highway

Where the Lotus Evora GT’s suspension was surgical in its precision, the Emira is a bit more toned down and everyday friendly. This isn’t intended as an apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s important to point out for anyone fiending for something built by the British firm in the past couple of years. The Emira hits it out of the park with daily-ability compared to the former GT.

My favorite place to see how any car deals with crappy city roads is Los Angeles’ neighborhood of Silver Lake. Decades of yuppification have left its tarmac thoroughly brutalized by construction vehicles, with many stretches littered with tar patches that resemble a welding student’s first couple inches of MIG work. It’s a rough place to drive.

The Lotus Emira dealt with all of it shockingly well. From sharp and bumpy stuff to flat-out violent bits that’d make a trophy truck blush, I could feel the Emira’s conventionally damped compression and rebound work overtime to filter it all out. It’s still a sports car—it didn’t waft across the road like a Rolls. But for something sporting an enthusiast-focused chassis, low weight, and just 101 inches between its wheelbase, I was impressed. Who needs adaptive dampers when you’ve got low weight and a Lotus engineer’s legendary stamp of approval?

The same goes for its highway manners. Where the Evora GT would lightly dart around and tramline, the Emira felt more solid. It still tramlined ever so slightly here and there over particularly offensive SoCal highway asphalt, but it generally tracked forth with confidence, and that same nicely tuned compression and rebound gave it a very roadtrip-ready ride quality.

Here’s the thing: Lotus offers either what it calls a Sports or Touring suspension package for the Emira. The former is more focused on performance, whereas the latter is on the softer side. I had no qualms with Sports option ride over construction-equipment-beaten tarmac in the heart of Los Angeles gentrification. But for someone who is perhaps after even more comfort that bolsters daily-ability even further, I couldn’t fault them.

Then, when it came to noise, there was more of the wind and road variety than your average car while rolling along on the highway, but not to any annoying degree. Most folks would quickly check it off as something that goes with the territory in a little high-end sports car.

The best part: a chassis Chapman would love

But where the Lotus Emira truly shined was where Lotuses have always been tuned for: twisty fun roads.

Setting out up Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway, I took it easy at first to bring its tires up to temperature. At a mildly enthusiastic clip through its picturesque sweepers, I couldn’t help but smile in excitement—if body motion was this flat, and grip was this unbothered, I couldn’t wait to bump up the pace.

Once its 245-front and 295-rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s felt ready, I dipped the throttle and went to work balancing out the Emira’s inputs with bigger and bigger values. First and foremost, and perhaps what truly separates this British sports car from its competition, is its steering, which is pure bliss. Past a few degrees, the ratio felt nearly 1:1 with the angle of the nose, so much texture transmitted through the wheel, and its weight loaded up perfectly through every flavor of corner.

Why more manufacturers don’t spend a teeny bit more coin to throw a good old-fashioned hydraulic steering rack in their prized sports cars is beyond me. But I’m quite thankful that Lotus still does.

Equally brilliant was the Emira’s suspension and chassis tuning. That same feeling of unwavering, sure-footed grip at modest speeds never ceased at much higher paces. Its aluminum extruded and bonded chassis, plus double-wishbone suspension under each wheel arch and 40/60 distribution of just 3,212 pounds, meant there was very minimal sway under the hardest lateral G force. Like any good mid-engine chassis, once I got into a corner-carving rhythm, I never wanted it to end. 

It was such a wonderfully communicative experience as if I had a head-up display telling me every tenth of a percent change in weight balance across all four wheels. I felt so in tune with every little input. Traction control rarely intervened, too: This chassis is a little forgiving, but it was happy to reward well-balanced steering, acceleration, and braking inputs with shockingly high numbers on the speedometer.

The brakes were always up to the task of maintaining control and reigning you in. Behind its bright silver wheels live 14.5-inch front and 13.8-inch rear two-piece drilled rotors with four-piston AP Racing calipers, and they made for a brilliantly firm yet easy-to-modulate pedal. The pedal box itself is quite narrow, just like the Evora GT’s was, but the spacing makes for easy heel-toe downshifting. Overall, braking performance was quite good, though, after half an hour of hard use, they did start to exhibit some fade and vibration. Considering the Emira’s increased daily-friendly sports car appeal over the more focused Evora GT, this is easy to forgive.

The other best parts: an engine and transmission like no other these days

People may poke fun from time to time at the Evora’s, and now Emira’s, Toyota Camry-sourced 3.5-liter V6, but Lotus could’ve fooled me of its origins. A massive air-to-water-cooled Edelbrock supercharger sits atop its intake valves and helps boost horsepower and torque to 400 and 310, respectively, which push the little Emira to 60 mph in as little as 4.2 seconds.

Its soundtrack is a beautiful mix of baritone V6 growl and supercharger whine. The latter is the most audible with as little glass as possible interrupting the aural fun—thus, it’s definitely a windows-down-as-much-as-possible experience. This thing’s anything but Camry-like. The way the mighty 3.5 revs up and bounces off the 6,800 rpm limiter is quite intoxicating and sounds like Lotus went to town with its own bespoke drivetrain and internal components. Such as a lightweight flywheel and some lightweight valvetrain work. If not, massive props for making me think it did.

Power builds linearly, as is characteristic of any supercharged powerplant, and it just does so with all the gusto you’d expect after taking one look at that prominently placed blower. Nobody would call 400 horsepower lacking in the pursuit of shoving 3,212 pounds down the road. The mighty 3.5-liter was too fun to rev up and down, and its baritone growl turned into an all-out baritone scream above 5,000 rpm. It’s also a powerband that takes commitment, as you want to make sure there’s plenty of clear road ahead to get the full experience.

It’s an engine and transmission that’s more than happy to be driven lightly short-shifted around town, too, which really bolsters its daily-ability. There’s ample torque down low, and transmitting it via the Emira’s six-speed manual transmission is a hoot, just like listening to its delightful soundtrack during every up-and-downward sweep of the tach needle. Never gets old.

I should point out that traction control was a tad loose on cold tires around town. One time, while jabbing the throttle during a low-speed 45-degree left turn onto a 35 mph street, I had to feed the wheel some hilarious counter steer and make a bit of a scene. Upon further investigation (the kind that makes this job too fun at times), it turns out that the Emira’s ECU will allow a little slip to keep its occupants entertained but then follows up with a throttle cut. Neat.

A few months back, I did a brief drive in a very fresh, sub-thousand-mile Emira. Between it, the Evora GT, and this Emira with around 5,000 miles on the clock, the latter’s gear shift felt the best. I chalk it up to the bushings and linkage being more broken in, like a comfortable pair of leather shoes. There was very little play and a good amount of spring, and engagement felt quite positive in every gear. However, it was still a bit stiff and took a careful wrist to shift quickly. Treating it like a gated unit and shifting more methodically made for a much happier harmony between the output shaft and cog, though some folks may not dig that.

What’s not?

– Shifter action not quite on par with the rest of the inputs – Steep price may be hard to justify against stiff competition – Uhhh, ummm… Geez, lack of cons?

People better buy a lot of these things

The 2024 Lotus Emira First Edition is a very special sports car for this day and age. It one-ups everyone else by making the most of old steering technology. This blissful steering then combines with a wonderfully communicative chassis, manual gear shift, rousing supercharged engine, and overall brilliant driving dynamics to make it a true top-level driver’s car.

I’m really glad that Lotus is still at it and still makes stuff that’s quite nice to look at, to boot. The Emira may not be as hardcore as the old Evora GT was, but that just means a potential future Emira GT is worth crossing our fingers for. It costs a bit more than the more commonplace Porsche 718 Cayman GTS—in fact, it’s a considerable ten thousand or so dollars more. The Cayman’s steering may not quite stack up (though, I really want to find out for myself and report back), and it doesn’t mini McLaren, Ferrari, or other sharp, wedge-like mid-engine exotic. Though, that might not be enough to sway folks—only time will tell.

I’m glad the Emira is here and hope that by some stroke of luck, it sticks around for longer than its current reported prognosis. If you’re in the market, please take one for a spin and consider not only helping keep hydraulic-assisted power steering around, but also vivacious supercharger noises and brilliant, conventionally damped handling. We need to protect low-production sports cars like the Emira at all costs.

As the sun casts its last light on this Maserati’s otherwise subdued metallic coat, I stand starstruck. Half a day spent touring SoCal’s finest roads and towns in the Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo left me imbued with a newfound respect for what a grand touring car can really be. I had always dismissed them as country club shuttles for rickety old rich men (and they still kind of are). But this voluptuous land yacht sitting pretty on the beach makes a case that its breed can be more than just hulking, overpowered pillows, both on its spec sheet and in practice. I’d like to think that’s a good thing.

Not long ago, you knew exactly what a grand tourer was and where the fine line was between it and sports cars. Aston Martin DB9 and DB11. Bentley Continental GT. The last-gen Maserati GranTurismo. The usual suspects. But now? Sports cars have been softened and pumped up with extra cabin space and niceties, while traditional GTs got a little more hardcore. 911s are now nicer than ever. There are AMR versions of Astons with blinding liveries and carbon brakes.

Now we have this: the new-generation Maserati GranTurismo, a tourer poised to be among the most lively and theatric in its class, especially in its racier Trofeo trim. Over five days, including my half-day lap of Circuit De Los Angeles, it was time to see how well its transition to modernity has sharpened this perennial favorite’s blade without dulling its table manners.

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Design
• Price
• Interior and tech
• Still a land yacht
• The obese BRZ
• Conclusion

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Price and specs

$229,620. Two-hundred thirty thousand. Yeah, I’ll break that down in a sec. But at least that supercar price tag affords some gnarly supercar tidbits. Most notably, the new-gen GranTurismo ditches that glorious, naturally-aspirated V8 of yesteryear for the MC20 supercar’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, belching out 542 horsepower to all four wheels. The 8-speed automatic is supplied by none other than ZF (and in other news, water is wet) and should help yield some wicked test numbers should a publication get their hands on one for instrumented sciencing. Still, the suspiciously conservative-sounding 3.5-second rip to 60 sounds plenty healthy to me, especially for something packing this much digital screen and dead cow skin within.

Maserati GranTurismo: see prices at CarGurus

Base price:	$205,000
As-tested price:	$229,620
Engine:	3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission:	8-speed automatic
Drivetrain:	All-wheel drive
Power:	542 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
Torque:	479 pound-feet @ 3,000 rpm
Redline:	6,500 rpm
Weight:	approx. 3,900 to 4,200 pounds
Zero-to-60 mph:	approx. 3.5 seconds
¼-mile:	approx. 11.6 seconds
MPG:	18 city, 27 highway, 21 combined
Observed MPG:	16.7 MPG
Fuel Capacity:	18.5 gallons

GranTurismo Trofeo exterior design

What can I say? It’s a beauty. A stunner. Dropdead gorgeous. It takes the same design language and proportions as the generation it replaces and evolves it for the present day, with a long snout, short deck, and those iconic Maserati porthole vents. Even the shape of the roofline and side windows are nearly identical, and that’s fine by me. Don’t fix what ain’t broke.

Some more prominent evolutions include headlights and taillights that look straight off the exotic MC20, reinforcing Maserati’s current theme of somewhat bulbous headlights and slender taillights. Twin hood vents peer from right behind the border between the front bumper and the hood itself, while physical door handles are replaced with buttons within a recessed hole.

Unless you look at this alongside the tamer Modena, you’d be hardfetched to realize there’s a difference. But alas, the Trofeo rocks a slightly angrier front fascia with more pronounced side intakes, teeny-tiny black sideskirt extensions, and of course, red-outlined Trofeo script over the porthole vents. As an added plus, the aerodynamic refinements drop its drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.28, all while retaining that silhouette. Part of that is likely attributable to the adjustable air suspension, which can range from proper sports car low to wannabe-crossover high. I’m sure all that adjustability is a good thing.

What’s hot?

– Drives a whole lot smaller than it actually is – Raucous powertrain delivers near-supercar speed – Sports car agility and response in most aggressive drive modes – Everyday livable, even in Sport or Corsa – Surprising highway fuel economy – Quick, intuitive touchscreen response

GranTurismo Trofeo pricing breakdown

What’s not a good thing is how its price has inflated well into supercar territory. The base price for the final iterations of the last-gen GranTurismos fell anywhere between $150,000 to over $160,000. The lower-rung, 483-horsepower Modena starts at roughly $175,000. Our higher-performance Trofeo tester started at $205,000 and climbed to $229,620 with options. Good. Freaking. Grief.

The Sport Design Package adds beautifully crafted metal pedals and an aluminum door sill plate for $1,450. The Tech Assistance Package adds a rearview mirror camera and a HUD for $2,600. Comfort Assistance adds ventilated seats and a hands-free trunk for $1,070. Okay, it’s not so egregious thus far. But Maserati’s advanced driving assist suite, with surround cameras, adaptive cruise, and lane centering, not unlike lesser Stellantis products, is a tear-jerking $8,300. Our upgraded wheel package’s 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels add $4,500, a “premium alarm system” adds $2,000, and the upgraded Sonus sound system adds $4,000. At least everything else, from the Skyhook adaptive and height-adjustable air suspension, dual-zone climate, powered everything, all-wheel drive, and the Trofeo-exclusive eLSD, comes standard.

To make you feel better, the Maserati still kind of stands as the same value proposition as it always has in the face of rivals. The current Aston Martin DB12 and Bentley Continental GT start somewhere just below $250,000, with both easily able to skyrocket deep into the $300,000s. But then we must acknowledge its peers on the sportier side of the fence. The 911 Turbo S starts at $230,400, while the outgoing Audi R8 V10 Performance started around $161,395. Perhaps the GranTurismo’s closest rivals come in the form of the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 Roadster, which starts at $183,000, or Maserati’s own MC20 supercar, which starts at a little over $210,000.

To be fair, if you were eyeing a new GranTurismo, cross-shopping was never that big of an issue; you were going to buy several of these cars, anyway. But for those who didn’t win the full jackpot at the casino, it’s something to consider.

GranTurismo Trofeo interior tech

Mirroring the Grecale luxury crossover, the GranTurismo boasts an entire cabin that’s posh, cozy, and appreciably easy to acclimate to off the bat. Anyone can get in and become familiarized with it in minutes. As mentioned, our tester featured a whole suite of surround-view cameras that came in handy in tight parking situations, including a rearview camera for the mirror, whose camera is cleverly disguised as a shark fin antenna. You can view your fine Italian surveillance equipment via the sizeable 12-inch touchscreen, which houses wired or wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the latest generation of Stellantis’ uConnect.

As one would expect, leather is abundant. The seats themselves are pretty much 132% cow and are soft to the touch but not too soft that results in the bolsters not doing their job in sporty driving. It’s a fine piece of in-car furniture that anyone can slide into for a thousand-mile jaunt across continents or a rip in the mountains, made easy by heating that cooks you alive and ventilation seats that actually cool you down instead of letting an asthmatic mouse blow on you. As for the rear seats? Shockingly roomy, with their own cupholders and USB and USB-C charging.

All creature comforts and most vehicle switchgear, including the headlights, are controlled via the 8.8-inch touchscreen saddled just beneath the infotainment system, creating one giant mass of touchscreen. While intimidating at first, you notice all the controls displayed on the screen are logically laid out and fall easily to your touch, with little to no second guesses if you’re looking in the right spot. Such a seamless blend of modernity and elegance seems like a recipe for one hell of a road tripper, as a proper GT should be.

And you’re right.

Yup, it can still be your everyday land yacht

Oh, come on now. No one should’ve ever had any second guesses as to what this car is capable of when the odometer starts climbing. It’s in the car’s name, for crying out loud. The GranTurismo swallows miles with ease, both out on the highway and in dense urban settings. A 250-mile grand tour around SoCal taught me that as I traversed the 5, conquered the 405, and embarked on risky journeys into the heart of LA County’s concrete jungles.

Turn the rotary drive mode dial on the steering wheel to Comfort or GT and leave the shocks in their base setting, and you’re off to a world of motoring nirvana, or as close as we can come in 2024. The Sonus sound system is a crystal-clear banger, and the ZF transmission slurs its shifts just enough to iron out the exchange in torque between gears without dampening its acceleration for on-ramps or between traffic lights. The Skyhook air suspension, coupled with the GranTurismo’s boat-like wheelbase, means expansion joints and potholes are rendered mostly negligible. The car’s sporty intentions mean it’s far from perfect, however, and the thin tire sidewalls can transmit some high-frequency impacts. But it’s never harsh, even in Sport. Dare I argue that this car is still everyday-livable in Corsa?

After half a day cannonballing from Malibu’s Marmalade Cafe to El Monte’s Fujiwara Tofu Cafe, the GranTurismo never let me down, not even in the slightest. Fuel economy was remarkable thanks to sky-high overdrive gears and cylinder deactivation. I frequently matched or beat the EPA figures, hitting anywhere between 27 to 29 mpg on the freeway. My 16.7 average came with some fairly aggressive canyon runs, but even that’s still admirable. The long wheelbase wasn’t too problematic when making U-turns and sharp right-handers once in downtown LA.

Perhaps my only gripes included camera resolutions that could be better, and larger cupholders would do nicely for the afternoon coffee runs rather than the ones that can barely fit water bottles. There were also some electrical gremlins with my tester, but I’ll save those for the end, as I refuse to believe the customer cars can be that frustrating. Oh, and the length can be a bit too much sometimes. And no, that is not what she said. That is what I said. Although the car drives smaller than it is, you’ll never forget it measures over 16 feet once in a garage or actually attempting to park in a space. Just ask the knick I left on one of the wheels.

Once again, I’m terribly sorry, Maserati.

If it’s any condolences, I will say that although this behemoth of a car drives quite a bit smaller out on the open highway or under the city lights, it absolutely shrinks once you let it loose for some exercise. Which you totally should in this thing.

Now an obese BRZ?

Yes. It’s an obese BRZ. A double-thicc FR-S, if you will. A heavy Hachi-Roku, if I must. And I don’t say that as complete hyperbole. Only a little. I knew the GranTurismo would shine cruising down the California coastline. What I didn’t expect was how it annihilates the canyons high above. From the sweepers and switchbacks cascading the hills near Malibu and later onto the Angeles Forest, this (presumably) two-ton hunk of sculpted metal and cowhide never missed a beat.

Leave the dampers in Comfort, Sport, or Corsa. Doesn’t matter. The chassis never gets upset. Leave the drive mode in Sport or turn the wick up to the Trofeo-exclusive Corsa mode if you feel like tangling with deactivated safety nannies. The car still doesn’t care. The car will ensure you’re having a blast. A flick of the drive mode dial, and the GranTurismo clears its throat for a more baritone growl out its four tailpipes, snarling and blatting on rapid-fire upshifts. They’re not PDK quick but don’t expect it from this platform. It’s quick enough. In Auto mode, this raucous ‘Rati is smart enough to choose the right gear 99% of the time. But the real treat is Manual mode, where the oh-so-satisfying metal paddles go from centerpieces on your steering column to playthings with long throws and a satisfyingly tactile click-clack.

The all-wheel-drive system mostly acts with a 30/70 rear bias, deceiving even me into forgetting it’s all-wheel drive at all. Even in the tightest of slow-speed bends like the hairpins of Decker Canyon and Yerba Buena en route to Point Mugu, the actions of the front wheels are mostly invisible. Get a little snarky, and you can even get the ass end to wriggle just a wee bit. The GranTurismo can and will play if prodded hard enough.

The 3.0-liter Nettuno V6, first debuting in the MC20 and making headlines with its trick, F1-derived prechamber ignition, feels every bit of its 542 horsepower. I wouldn’t be surprised if Maserati’s 3.5-second 0-to-60 claim was sandbagged harder than any German car. And despite sporting forced induction, it builds power gradually enough to fool some purists, clamoring for every opportunity to slam into its 6,500 redline. Or I think it’s 7,000. The different shades of red near the end of the tach sort of mesh together. Torque peaks at 3,000 rpm, and power peaks at 6,500 rpm, so just wring it out and let the Nettuno sing its little song to its heart’s content, even if it’s a bit muted. Nothing companies like Akrapovic or Novitec can’t fix.

Steering is sharp and well-weighted, never requiring you to cross arms in the Malibu canyons and doing a decent job at conveying road imperfections or changes in grip. I won’t call it as good as sports cars of old, but it’s as good as some of the absolute best EPAS systems today and has a clear tie to its distant Ferrari cousins. And try as those potholes may, the GranTurismo is unflappable. Left to right to left to right, the GranTurismo turns in with eagerness and spirit, takes a set, and holds its line beautifully, no matter the road, and without a hint of understeer. After rocketing down the straights and leaning onto the resilient, easy-to-modulate steel brakes, you can let the Trofeo cling onto a single pivot and whip itself around a bend.

Props to the Skyhook adaptive air suspension. Props to Goodyear Eagle F1s that measure 265-mm wide up front and 295 out back. Props to the Nettuno being pushed deep behind the front axle. And before you start hypothesizing as to what else could lend to the GranTurismo’s agility, the answer is no. This does not have rear-wheel steering. It’s just that agile. Yeah, I’m as surprised as you are.

Impressive for such a massive luxury coupe, isn’t it? Almost reminds me of a pair of sub-3,000-pound Japanese twins. Almost. Okay, not really. The luxury car half of Maserati might never let this be a true sports car. Too insulated. Too big. It could transmit even more feedback and sing with more confidence in its voice. Am I being harsh? Or am I simply remembering that Aston Vantages and Porsche 911s also occupy this realm? But the GranTurismo is a great everyman, even for sporty driving. It’s better than anything I could’ve ever expected merely seeing it parked at the Malibu Country Mart, where rainbow-colored Huracan Technicas and AMG G-Wagons dwarf its road presence.

What’s not?

– Needs more l o u d from the exhaust – Rivals some boats in length – All-touchscreen center stack may not resonate with some drivers – Can never be a true sports car when it’s still a luxury tourer – Painful price tag encroaches on entry-level supercar territory – Hiccups with electronics range from “whatever” to “what the hell”

New Maseratis: see prices at CarGurus

Long live Italian automakers

And now here I come, back to the coastal sunset where I started this discussion. As I let the car tick cool by the water at Point Mugu, the sun beaming off the chrome Trident after driving half of my planned grand tour by this point, I had already realized what this car was all about. A night spent racing beneath downtown’s lights and over the LA River towards a certain anime-themed dessert shop, the last possible setting you’d expect to see one of these, rendered my beliefs unshakable.

I can see certain traditionalists not getting to grips with the digital dash or all-touchscreen center stack, no matter how logically arranged or responsive it is. And in traditional Italian fashion, the electronics were… temperamental. Try TPMS sensors or lane centering that intermittently stops working or a key fob that apparently dies after 3,000 miles, leaving you unable to lock the car and then stranding you atop a mountain when you manually lock it. Just Italian things. Things I can only hope are mere duds in my test car that don’t make it into the production customer vehicles.

But all can be (sort of) forgiven when a car is this damn lovable. To hell with its size and weight, for it wears it well. To hell with its rivals, for they lack this car’s charisma.

What we should think when graced with the new GranTurismo is a proper hats off to Maserati engineers for not sullying this fan favorite. It may not be the fastest, most hardcore thing in its price range, nor is it the most prestigious in its class or even just reliable as a car. But it plays the role of a Jack of All Trades performance car remarkably well, eager to put a smile on your face on your favorite asphalt ribbons or traverse a thousand miles of interstate at your command, and it does so in that undeniably lovable way only the Italians know how to pull off.

Poor man’s Ferrari, they say? Hell yeah. Long live Maserati. Long live Italian automakers. Viva L’Italia!

Next year marks a big step in the tale of Maserati, as the last batch of V8 engines in the Italian marque’s long history will finally roll off the assembly lines at Modena and Turino. That story runs the gamut from early open-wheeled racecars in the 1930s to modern twin-turbocharged V8 mills built by Ferrari and then dropped into uber-opulent tourers, including the full-size Levante SUV. To celebrate such V8 heritage, Mas decided to run out a pair of final-edition packages for the 2024 Maserati Levante and Maserati Ghibli, dubbed the “Ultima” and “334 Ultima,” respectively. 

But as something of a (much more) surprising send-off, Maserati then invited media to Northern Italy, in the middle of winter, up to a ski resort, at over 6,900 feet of elevation, to take these final V8 cars ice drifting on a snowy racetrack. Unusual and unexpected, to say the least, but an opportunity I obviously could never pass up. And that’s how I wound up spending 17 hours flying to Milan, then another three hours driving further into the picturesque Alps, surrounded by stunning cliff faces shrouded in low clouds and dotted with terraced vineyards or marble quarries, up past Lake Como, through the low valleys, and into the small ski town of Bormio near the Swiss border. 

When past and present meet in Maserati showrooms

This trip actually presented my first opportunity to drive the outgoing Maserati lineup since most of the company’s many press events over the last couple of years since pandemic travel restrictions lifted fittingly focused on the three forthcoming models that aim to transition Maserati towards larger scale production and a wider customer base. The process started in eye-popping form with the eye-catching MC20 supercar, a stone-cold stunner equipped with a raucous Nettuno twin-turbo V6 engine featuring pre-chamber combustion tech borrowed from F1 racecars. 

The turbo whooshes and hardtop convertible of the Cielo trim make the MC20 my second favorite supercar on the market today—sorry, nothing beats the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato for outright absurd fun—but enforced scarcity means that infinitely more potential consumers will undoubtedly envision the new Maserati Grecale crossover as a possible entry point to Maserati as a brand. Aimed squarely at Porsche’s Macan and Cayenne, the Grecale also gets a Nettuno engine option, though with a dialed-back ECU tune, as well as a mild hybrid system and an eventual all-electric version.

Last but not least, Maserati also re-booted the GranTurismo this year with a more contemporary exterior that borrows cues from the MC20 and—you guessed it—a pair of detuned Nettuno engine options plus an upcoming all-electric Folgore trim. The GT’s full packaging leans more toward sporty than the traditionally soft grand touring cars that inspired its name, but with all-wheel drive and a low-slung chassis, it manages to nail that middle ground nicely nonetheless. 

The three new models will overlap with the outgoing Levante, Ghibli, and Quattroporte for 2024, so I arrived in Bormio very curious to experience how the older cars perform. Imagine a customer walking into the showroom and getting to test drive all six side-by-side. Does the new-new, packed with tech and a lighter turbo V6 engine, take the cake? Or maybe the staid, refined spirit of Maserati’s more historical feel paired with the 3.8-liter Ferrari V8? At this turning point throughout the automotive industry, somehow, past and present paired up side by side most perfectly at Maserati.

For the drive up to Livigno, another ski town with an ice track nestled even nearer to the Swiss border, Maserati tossed me into the Ghibli 334 Ultima, which adds lighter wheels and a carbon fiber aero package to that 572-horsepower Ferrari V8 to produce the fastest sedan in history. The 334 refers to a top speed of 334 kilometers per hour—or 207.5 miles per hour—made possible by additional downforce, less drag, and new tires developed specifically for this application.

I never hit anywhere near that top speed, thanks largely to wet and cold roads that dictated care while navigating hairpins, in addition to true Pirelli winter tires on 21-inch wheels rather than the as-yet-secret special tires. Over tall passes, roaring through tunnels with openings exposed to the elements, the climbs and descents reminded me of scenes straight out of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. Unfortunately, the Stelvio Pass nearby—scene of so many epic cycling battles, not to mention James Bond tomfoolery—was already closed due to the winter snow.

But on those wet roads, with ice and snow packed up around six inches in turnouts, so many tight hairpins never stressed the 334. Low-end torque from the V8 never caused a moment of slip-and-slide, despite wheeling a long four-door with a curb weight of nearly 4,300 pounds around the bends. Of course, I kept traction control and electronic stability control fully activated, but I also never noticed any intrusions from the electronic nannies. Unbeknownst to me at the time, TC and ESC would wind up becoming a big focus of the rest of the day.

Three old Maseratis walk into a ski bar

I pulled the 334 into a snowy parking lot just off the main road through Livigno as cross-country skiers huffed and puffed along a track to the left and alpine riders ripped around the tree line, maybe 600 vertical feet above us. Maserati’s safety team gave us a quick briefing on what to expect for the day, and then we hopped into a Ghibli for a couple of sighting laps with a test driver. He played a bit between drifting and taking time to demonstrate all the settings for drive modes, TC, ESC, and paddle shifting—then, again, to the amazement of all, simply pointed to our cars and sent us out onto the ice. No helmets, nobody in the passenger seat to rein in any potential shenanigans, just lap after lap of ice-drifting fun.

Earlier this year, I spent a day on the ice with the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle edition at Circuit Mecaglisse in Canada but immediately recognized the folly of comparing a fully electric Swedish concept car to a bunch of opulent V8-powered Italian grand tourers. So I spent my first two laps with ESC fully on, aware of my own penchant for spinning cars and getting stuck in snow. I felt out the winter tires—Maserati installed winter Pirellis on the Ghibli and Quattroporte but Continentals on the Levante—with all the electronics holding me back, could easily floor the throttle without coming anywhere near losing grip. And this is in a heavy, powerful, rear-wheel-drive sedan, remember?

I turned ESC fully off. In the first lap, my own inhibitions allowed me to only ease into a couple of slides. But confidence builds quickly, perhaps too quickly—this is a heavy, powerful, rear-wheel-drive sedan, remember. I kept the transmission in auto mode and the drive mode in Normal, thinking the softest suspension would best keep me from upsetting the car’s balance. 

But even in Normal, I felt the surging boost of that Ferrari V8 building, pulsing through the rear tires, and by the tightest turn of my second ESC-free lap at the far end of the track, I spun out pretty good. Happily, my ego suspects nobody noticed because I recovered quickly and kept working through the rest of the course, slaloming between understeer and then stabbing into oversteer with a quick hit of the throttle, big V8 easily setting the rear tires loose until the turbos spooled up to keep them spinning for a second or two even after I lifted.

After a few laps, I settled into a zone of progressively wider slides, trusting the front wheels to retain a bit of grip in mild countersteer while the tail end pushed us into and then out of the drifts. On level ground or coming up over a rise, especially, the Ghibli managed easy rally-style transitions between short S-curves, then happily bent akimbo through a final wide rip into the pits. 

I handed off driving duties to a fellow journalist and, grinning ear to ear, walked over to chat with Maserati Senior Global Product Planner Victor Eumenidi. A huge Alfa Romeo nerd, Eumenidi admitted at dinner the night before that he’s hunting to find his dream car, a high-mileage SZ, probably out of Japan. On the ice track, he immediately asked with a sly smile whether I preferred the twin-turbo Ferrari V8 or an electric Polestar. I shook my head with a grin and asked why we were even here, playing in the snow, way farther out in left field compared to an all-wheel-drive Swedish commuter car.

“It’s fun,” he laughs. “And for us, it seemed like a great way to have fun with these cars. To celebrate the V8 engine and also to prove that, even if they are rear-wheel-drive cars, not only the Ghibli but also the Quattroporte, there is a lot of fun driving this car in the winter, in the snow, on the ice.”

Swapping through the Maserati lineup

With media on hand alternating between driving the Levante Ultima and Ghibli 334 Ultima on asphalt, I then received a new GranTurismo in top-spec Trofeo trim to take out on the track. And here, the decision-making seemed clear since the Trofeo pairs all-wheel drive with that Nettuno V6 now putting out 542 horsepower in a low-slung chassis. Surely, the better car for this day, right?

And yet, even after forcing myself to take another test lap with ESC on, I found the GT much harder to set into a happy flow. In this case, maybe more grip required too much more speed—not necessarily ideal for tight, technical twists on increasingly chopped-up ice—but the Nettuno engine also requires more revs to spool up into torque and set the tires spinning. 

By the time I gained the confidence to hit the sheer velocity that could break through the chassis’ inherent grip, the transition from understeer to oversteer hit much more quickly, leaving me little room for error. 

To be fair, I never spun the GT, even through the tightest corner that caught one Ghibli driver who needed six guys to push out from deep snow in the runoff zone. But my pace got faster and faster as a bit more tail slide entered the chat, so I also ended up waiting behind other drivers enjoying much more opposite lock in the RWD cars. Turns out, lap times aren’t necessarily best for racking up smiles per hour.

I pulled back into the pits with the GT and subbed into a Maserati Quattroporte executive sedan. Longer and about one hundred pounds heavier than the Ghibli, so still quite similar, the Quattroporte seemed to be the favorite of another journalist friend from duPont Registry who’d already been absolutely crushing the widest, fast drifts of the group. (He’d just spent four hours on a wet skid pad at BMW Test Fest, turns out, honing those sidewayz skillz in an M2.)

Following his lead, I threw the Quattroporte into Sport mode, which noticeably opened up the engine response and firmed up the suspension to somewhere between the soft Ghibli and the firm, almost harsh GranTurismo. Immediately, I discovered a new level of flow in the bigger sedan as the weight and power combined to create a sense of composure that kept me right on the edge of losing control.

Very impressive, I told Eumenidi when I returned to the pits. And he agreed, especially in contrast to his favorite car for ice-driving, the GranTurismo.

“Honestly, I love the Quattroporte,” he admitted. “A big rear-wheel-drive sedan for sure, but to me, in terms of handling, I found the car very easy. And for sure, the new GranTurismo, it’s a different thing, it’s way more easy to use, practical, and with rear-wheel drive, drives much faster in the snow.”

Lastly, Maserati gave everyone a final romp out on the ice in the Levante Ultima—with the caution to please be extra, extra careful because it’s the only one built so far. I went last after keeping an eye on how everyone (especially duPont over there, still crushing it) handled the larger, taller SUV weighing over 5,000 pounds. Behind the wheel, I decided to risk Corsa mode to prioritize the all-wheel-drive system’s rear bias, but even still, the Levante’s additional suspension travel made for a much smoother ride than all the other cars.

The softer ride helped me work with nose and tail weight distribution, gobbling up the by-now-shredded track. Corsa also opened up the Ferrari engine’s exhaust valving and automatically set me into manual shift mode. With my ears more easily able to keep track of revs without glancing down at the tach and nearly redlining repeatedly, I sent the Levante through each turn almost perfectly, hammering throttle this time but only feathering steering input, trusting the fronts to gently pull us through with less countersteer until a hint of Scandinavian flick opened up the rears again into the next corner. After only a couple of laps, I sent it too hard into my final bend and spun a nice 180 like a full-on Hoonigan. 

Box box box, apparently. Tempted to act like I couldn’t get back into the pits without another lap, I cranked the steering wheel and floored it, spinning the Ultima through another tight 180 like the best rally driver on the planet, then slow cruised into the pits. Nobody cheered, but rest assured, the crowd in my head kept the applause roaring for at least a few minutes.

I told Eumenidi that I enjoyed the Levante Ultima most and wondered whether inherent chassis similarities to the trucks, SUVs, and side-by-sides I take out for hardcore desert ripping produced a more familiar comfort zone. Of course, none of those have yet sported a 572-horsepower twin-turbo Ferrari V8—but a guy can dream, right?

Surprisingly nice, if undoubtedly dated, Maserati finales

I also took the Levante Ultima out for a quick rip on asphalt, where 99.9% of the potential total of 206 customers will spend their time. With far more grip, the low-end boost of that powerplant hooks up to render speed limits absolutely irrelevant—even on wet roads as the afternoon sun peeked through to melt more snow. Here, the traction control and ESC undoubtedly helped, though selecting Sport mode allowed for a bit more fun than Normal in the Levante 334 earlier in the day.

By the time we drove back to Bormio for a dinner of pasta and cured meats, I could confirm that these three outgoing Maseratis were surprisingly nice cars. Sure, the interior feels a little dated compared to the rest of the industry—not to mention the techy, minimalist designs of the MC20, Grecale, and GranTurismo—but the special two-tone leather treatment and all the carbon-fiber trim on the Ultima and 334 help to enhance the old-world luxury spirit. And wireless Apple CarPlay worked perfectly the whole time, even allowing me to pair it with the car moving each time I got in a new vehicle.

My mind still balks at the pricing for the Ultima and 334—which should be a serious step above even a “standard” Ghibli Trofeo for $125,195 or a Levante Trofeo at $168,495. But the limited production numbers and the final Ferrari V8 will likely serve as highlights to attract collectors, even if Eumenidi wanted to talk more about Maserati’s long history than Ferrari’s specific contribution.

Looking to tomorrow’s EVs while honoring yesteryear’s V8s

“Let’s not talk about the Ferrari V8,” he admonished me, “But the V8, in general, they were a big thing in Maserati history with more than a hundred thousand cars produced. And today we are celebrating these engines, so not only the latest Ferrari V8 but also the previous ones, all the V8 legacy of Maserati.”

Longtime Maserati fans and newcomers to the brand alike might miss the V8 option after 2024, despite the obvious benefits of the Nettuno V6 and four-cylinder variants. But I left Italy wondering how the forthcoming Folgore electrics might have handled our day in the snow. Weight gains could be either a pro or a con, I suspect since I did find the heavier Quattroporte and Levante easiest to slide around the track. The optimal weight distribution of Maserati’s “dogbone” style EV powertrain installation will probably highlight the instantaneous torque of electric motors to make popping the rear tires loose as easy as I found on the Polestar—whether Maserati decides to program in a rear-biased drift mode, or something near to rear-only, will come into play big time since EVs can never turn ESC fully off.

That day at Mecaglisse in the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle provided plenty of thrills, without a doubt, and only a couple of spins despite studded tires. But, probably to the surprise of absolutely nobody, I enjoyed the days spent ice-drifting on an unexpected trip to the southern Alps in a handful of internal-combustion Maseratis so much more. Hopefully, the buyers who leap at this last chance to snap up a Ferrari V8-powered grand tourer will trust their tires and traction control settings enough to do so, as well.

After all the forum fights and magazine banter, what do you think when you imagine the Subaru BRZ? Tearing up back roads and race tracks? Hype beast influencers in overpriced streetwear posted outside the boba joint? What about the hotheaded kid thinking they’re Ken Gushi slamming into a wall and ruining insurance rates for prospective buyers? The Subaru BRZ and its Toyota twin mean many things to many people and have amassed a vivid reputation as an affordable driver’s car. But forget the endless stereotypes behind every Toyobaru and ponder this.

Sports cars were always a bone thrown our way whenever business was booming or when companies needed a four-wheeled hype person for the brand. Now more than ever, they’re an endangered species, constantly coming and going and inflaming our anxiety over a future without any real driver’s cars left. Thankfully, the Subaru BRZ is here, brandishing its pure intentions in the least offensive way possible in an age where cars are gradually getting more… Beige. And I don’t mean color. The current BRZ is not merely a good sports car for the modern era. It’s driving excellence and all the sports car you’ll ever need.

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• Specs
• Design
• Price
• Interior and tech
• The tiniest GT
• Driving excellence

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Price and specs

Note that we’re looking at our loaner from the perspective of the recently updated 2024 model, as pricing will be adjusted to reflect the most recent updates. A goodie bag of added standard safety equipment inflated pricing out of being a sub-$30,000 car. But let’s face it. Destination, taxes, and annoying markup meant these were never sub-$30,000 cars, anyway. Thankfully, all BRZs across all trims and model years are pretty much mechanically identical, so that should make your window shopping a little easier.

Subaru BRZ: learn more at CarGurus

Base price (2024):	$31,315
As-tested price (2024):	$33,815
Engine:	2.4-liter flat-four
Transmission:	6-speed manual
Drivetrain:	rear-wheel drive
Power:	228 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
Torque:	184 pound-feet @ 3,700 rpm
Redline:	7,400 rpm
Weight:	2,815 pounds
Zero-to-60 mph:	5.4 seconds
¼-mile:	13.9 seconds @ 101 mph
MPG:	20 city, 27 highway, 22 combined
Observed MPG:	28.7
Fuel Capacity:	13.2 gallons

(Author’s Note: Performance numbers reflected in Car and Driver’s review from January 2022. Our press loaner is a straggler from 2022, but pricing has been adjusted to reflect the equivalent 2024 car.)

BRZ exterior design

This second generation of Subaru BRZ wowed its fanbase with a premium and aggressive redesign, conjuring visions of cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars more. Everything from the steeply swept-back headlights to the fender vents screams honest-to-goodness sports car, while the profile stays true to the long-nose, short-deck formula that makes legendary sports car designs of old so iconic. 

If you find this overall design unattractive, you should be condemned to a lifetime behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Mirage (uh, duh, I’m still going to link that). Count your blessings we even have cars that look like this in such a price range. 

Any foibles with the BRZ stem from Subaru’s tweaks to differentiate it from its Toyota counterpart and better suit the Subaru design language. The lack of a decklid spoiler that this car desperately needs and the quirky hexagonal smile are apparently what makes a Subaru a Subaru. However, shoutout to the World Rally Blue Pearl paint, a redeeming quality that’s never done justice in photos or press material. This is an upscale color that anyone with functioning eyeballs would enjoy, even against the dark, hazy fog of an autumn evening in Monterey.

What’s hot?

– A refreshing palette cleanser for what good driver inputs are – Potent engine drastically improves speed and acceleration – Lightning fast on even the tightest of roads – Shocking comfort and compliance over the worst pavement – Easily beats its EPA mileage figures – More than practical enough for everyday use

BRZ pricing breakdown

Fascinating! The cheap budget sports car is priced cheap for buyers on a budget. Pricing on 2024 models reportedly begins at $31,315 for the base Premium, which includes a $1,050 destination charge. Shoot for a Limited like ours, and the price jumps to $33,815, which gifts your less-than-frugal spending with suede interior accents, heated seats, larger 18-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires, an upgraded audio system, and cornering headlights.

The recent price increase does afford Subaru’s EyeSight safety systems as standard on all models, including manual transmission-equipped cars. Now wannabe tofu delivery drivers can enjoy the extra watchful eyes of adaptive cruise control, collision prevention, lane departure warning, and lead car start warning. A new high-performance tS model also enters the lineup at $36,465 rocking a blue-accented interior, Brembo brakes, and retuned dampers by Hitachi.

As for options, there aren’t many. At least not in the way of performance or amenity-altering packages. What you see on any trim of BRZ is what you get, with the only main option being your choice of an automatic transmission on Limited cars for $950. Prior model years offered automatics on both Premium and Limited trims.

BRZ interior and tech

As expected for the price range the Subaru BRZ is pretty sparse compared to today’s crop of sport compacts and sports cars. It’s almost like a Lotus Elise to their Bentley Continental. But in all seriousness, there’s everything you need and little of what you don’t. The interior is a modernized evolution of the previous car, with a flat dashboard that’s great for resting stuff (or mounting aftermarket gauge pods) on road trips. The lower portion of the passenger side just above the glove box could’ve been a neat shelf, but oh well. 

The digital cluster that switches between a circular and bar-style tach in Track mode is a fantastic touch and can display heaps of performance and trip info. But the real star is the 8-inch touchscreen, leaps and bounds ahead in quality and functionality than any head unit to have come in BRZs before. It’s quick to your touch, runs Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay without a hitch, and is well-integrated instead of resembling some tacked-on afterthought from Circuit City. Also included on our Limited tester was blind spot monitoring, adaptive cornering lights, and a six-speaker stereo that bumps quite hard for what it is.

Again, note that 2024 models include the aforementioned suite of EyeSight tech as standard, even with manual transmissions, a first for the BRZ. So add adaptive cruise and the litany of safety warnings. So new buyers can finally drive more at ease on their way to the hillclimb route. Even so, the BRZ is not a complicated car, as much of its cost goes towards handling and driving involvement first and foremost. But how has that affected its ability to be used as just a normal car? Surprisingly, not much at all.

The tiniest grand tourer

Deceptively accommodating

I knew the Subaru BRZ would be exemplary in the twisties. That’s not news. Ultimate enjoyment is what it was bred for. But a day in Los Angeles and hundreds of miles traversing the BRZ’s antithesis, the American freeway system, highlighted a hidden side to the BRZ I never knew existed.

It’s just a damn fine car. Like, a car car. Just a car. You can use it as a normal-ass car with minimal compromises. Who would’ve thought? Not me. Not when a majority of the BRZs and 86s I’ve experienced have been purpose-built for performance and modified to high hell. But there’s a lot to get jiggy with in a stock BRZ.

The interior, even if you’re a six-and-a-half-foot walking tree like this one 86/BRZ fanatic friend of mine, is plenty spacious. Seats are comfortable enough for my journey up the coast, with supportive bolstering that’s not intrusive and heated seats that comically range from “eh, kind of warm” to “WELCOME TO HELL.” The trunk swallowed two large backpacks and a medium-ish duffle bag with ease, and anything extra my adventuring buddy or I needed was able to be shoehorned in the gaps. Worst case scenario, the rear seats, useless to anyone over the age of 8, make for secure luggage shelves. Visibility was top-notch, and the digital gauges and touchscreen were within easy reach and perfectly legible in the dead of night or midday.

These traits make for an excellent everyday commuter in the dense concrete jungle of LA. Tight parking garages, battered side streets, and narrow alleys were no problem for something this small. However, the low-slung ride means you’ll still have to take the steepest driveways at an angle. God help you if you’re on coilovers.

The pride of Japan versus American highways

Most impressive was the BRZ’s highway manners cruising up Route 1 and 101 from LA to Monterey chasing GRIDLIFE Laguna. The EPA rates our manual-equipped tester at 27 mpg on the highway. That’s a little pessimistic. Set our cruise control to 75, and my friend and I saw an easy 30 to 32 mpg for most of our highway journey and averaged over 28 mpg during our entire press loan. In cities and towns, I was seeing around 21 to 22, also besting the EPA estimate of 20 mpg. Trips to the gas station won’t be as frequent as you think.

This runt tracks straight on its factory alignment, making highway excursions less of a chore, and its sound-deadening is commendable enough if not anything to write home about. Ride quality was the true standout on California pavement, however. Expansion joints, potholes, and gravel were no match for unfathomably compliant suspension tuning in such an inexpensive, short-wheelbase performance vehicle. Dare I say this is the world’s smallest grand tourer? It’s that livable in stock form.

Like many great split-personality cars, its dulled edge almost makes you forget just how potent of a performer it is. And this the Subaru BRZ is as distilled of an experience as modern sports cars come.

An example of driving excellence

Say it with me. It’s quick.

Subaru heard your cries about the last car’s motor. They said, “Shut the hell up, we’re working on it.”

And so they have. Because this FA24 flat-four is a skittish, leash-tugging sweetheart. Aside from making some disconcertingly agricultural noises, especially low in the rev range, it’s surprisingly smooth and oh-so willing to zing right up to its redline. 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet feels a hell of a lot more potent in this car than those numbers suggest, and it’s more of a mind twist to learn how these second-gen cars are starting to punch above their weight.

The added grunt and near-elimination of the infamous torque dip equate to magazine test numbers that are consistently within a stone’s throw from more powerful turbo-four and V6 pony cars. The BRZ rewards you with short gearing that not only aids acceleration but also encourages you to enjoy the art of rowing gears. Screw the old stereotypes because the new BRZ is genuinely quick. It’s quick. I’ve driven Porsches, AMG GTs, and Corvette ZR1s and have ridden in Model S Plaids, so say this with me. The current Subaru BRZ with its FA24 is quick.

It’s a shame this spritely powertrain is neutered by one of the most intrusive fuel cuts. It stops the party if you edge just a smidge too far past the redline, which is easy to do with such short gears and a quick-revving engine and doesn’t seem to restore power until somewhere above 7,100 rpm. What. Horse. Shit. Why such a harsh cut was implemented baffles me. But it’s the BRZ/86 platform, after all, so it’s nothing a tune can’t fix. Hard rev limiter, anyone?

Decent powertrain. Impressive, even. Now Subaru, please resolve the on-track oiling issues. No, I will not elaborate. You know well enough.

With beauty and grace

From the countryside back roads behind the Monterey hills to harrowing downhill canyons of Malibu, the BRZ makes short work of them all. There’s no real drive mode aside from Track, which cuts out stability and traction control. Just slot this tinker toy in gear, drop the hammer, and disappear beyond the apexes, a daunting feat made brainless by this well-balanced machine.

It darts. It dives. Despite its seemingly relaxed factory alignment, it attacks corners with an eagerness and tenacity that’d have Cayman-killers like an Integra Type S on high alert on your average touge. And that supple ride I adored so much means you can still haul ass around the most tattered bends and hold the line without upsetting the chassis or shattering your spine.

The brakes were decent. The firm pedal and strong performance inspired confidence on the tightest of asphalt ribbons high in the hills, but the sheer speed you can carry so nonchalantly quickly produced the all-too-familiar aroma of burning pads at the end of a particular Malibu canyon. Track rats may want to consider more resilient pads and fluid or jump ship to the tS and its larger Brembos. 

The steering, although a step back in weighting from the deliciously hefty and natural rack of the previous-gen cars, is Porsche precise. I’m never making second guesses in the corners. Never having to adjust. The only steering corrections made were when trying to let the rear end stretch its legs a little, but against the stereotypes, it was a task that proved to be trickier at slower canyon speeds with my Limited tester’s Michelin summer rubber. Still, that level of capability paired with such beauty and grace makes you feel like a real hero. There’s a fluidity in the way this car moves that’s hard to match, resulting in one of the most confidence-inspiring and rewarding cars to hustle.

What’s not?

– Abysmal fuel cut at redline – Groaning engine noises – Infamous on-track reliability concerns are always looming – More standard features mean a higher price tag for 2024 – Rear seats are little more than an extra storage shelf (see how hard I’m nitpicking here?) – The Toyota GR86 exists

The Ghost of Akina lives on, with or without a Toyota badge

Halfway through our loan, with that blue pearl paint glistening under the NorCal sun that had just unsheathed itself from the clouds, I already knew everything I wanted to say about the BRZ. The review had written itself by the time the car arrived for the second day of GRIDLIFE Laguna, yet I was dreading the moment I had to give it back. It’s such a sweetheart on any occasion.

But despite all it gets right, you can’t help but feel that the BRZ gets its toes stepped on by its more youthful twin, the Toyota GR86. The suspension is tuned to favor rotation on track, and many find the GR’s simpler mug and the available lip spoiler to be the “proper” look, all for a marginally lower price. But I suppose if you’re a die-hard Subaru loyalist or find the more mature appeal of the BRZ to be your jam, that’s also fine. Either way, you’ll have the privilege of piloting one of the best driver’s cars ever made, and that’s no hyperbole.

Few cars nowadays cater as fervently to enthusiasts as the Subaru BRZ without soiling their merits as possible tofu delivery vehicles. One moment, you’re meandering around town, smashing potholes and darting through alleyways easily and efficiently. The next, you’re Keiichi Tsuchiya showing Max Orido how it’s done on the Gunsai Touge on some episode of Best Motoring. That type of euphoria should be celebrated! Because in an age of increased borification, who doesn’t love a genuine, tactile, old-fashioned, row-your-own, free-breathing, rear-drive, lightweight pocket rocket of a sports car?

Not this guy. I’ll take a tS in World Rally Pearl, please.

Welcome to Johnson Valley, home of rocks, rattlesnakes, and the legendary King of the Hammers off-road racecourse. Last year, Johnson Valley also played host to the gnarliest dynamic vehicle launch of my automotive career, when Ford brought media out for a day of technical rock crawling, high-speed whoop running, lakebed autocross, and straight-up jumping (on purpose) in the absolutely manic Bronco Raptor. And today, it’s the perfect setting for Chevrolet to pull out the stops in a bit of one-upmanship by debuting the new Colorado ZR2 Bison, the Chevy Colorado’s most hardcore off-roading package. In fact, Chevy unveiled an entirely new “Bison Family” at Johnson Valley including the Silverado’s Light Duty and Heavy Duty variants. But for a real King of the Hammers experience, a Colorado jam-packed with goodies from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) definitely takes the cake.

I showed up to Johnson Valley with plenty of experience driving a “base” Colorado ZR2 on the Vegas to Reno off-road racecourse earlier this year. Over that three-day adventure,  I somehow planted enough seeds of confidence among Chevy’s PR and engineering teams that they planned a one-on-one afternoon for me and GM’s Engineering Group Manager Tim Demetrio to take a Bison even further off the beaten path and hopefully find some Raptor-style ripping and rock crawling to fully reveal the new truck’s impressive off-roading capabilities.

(Editor’s Note: Updated 3/1/2024 with pricing and fuel economy information.)

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Design
• Pricing breakdown
• Interior and tech
• Hardcore performance
• Thunderous capability

Price and Specs

Price is currently unknown as this is an especially new, fresh-off-the-drawing-board model that we’ve had the privilege of reviewing. However, do expect it to sticker at a healthy increase over the non-Bison ZR2’s $48,295, further detailed in our pricing breakdown. In the interim, please enjoy the specs we were given, juiced up with extra off-road-centric figures for your sand-kicking pleasure. 

Base price:	$60,995 ($48,395 for ZR2, $11,700 for Bison pack, $445 for necessary Safety Pack)
As-test price:	Approx. $65,000
Engine:	High-Output 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four
Transmission:	8-speed automatic
Drivetrain:	RWD/4Hi/4Lo with electronically locking front and rear differentials
Power:	310 horsepower
Torque:	430 pound-feet
Weight:	5,265 pounds
Tow rating:	5,500 pounds
Max payload:	1,050 pounds
Tires:	LT315/70R17 Mud-Terrains (35” OD)
Approach angle:	38.2°
Departure angle:	26.0°
Breakover angle:	26.9°
MPG:	16 city, 16 highway, 16 combined
Fuel Capacity:	21 gallons

Chevrolet Colorado: learn more at CarGurus

ZR2 Bison Exterior Design

The Colorado received a ground-up redesign for the third generation, seemingly taking plenty of styling and engineering cues from the Toyota Tacoma. Boxy, angular headlights up front transition to a square body with subtle fender flares on lower-spec trucks and more aggressive details on the ZR2 and Bison. The entire lineup comes only in the most popular crew cab with a short bed configuration, which unfortunately renders long beds and extra cabs extinct.

Spotting a Bison from afar, versus a base ZR2, requires 20:20 vision. Up close, the steel bumpers and 17-inch wheels from AEV stand out as slightly more off-road-focused. An additional 1.5 inches of ride height over the ZR2’s 3.0-inch lift contributes to a bolder stance that the 35-inch mud-terrain tires only enhance.

What’s hot?

– Sublime Multimatic suspension with new hydraulic jounce control bumpers – Improved tech with trick four-wheeling drive modes – Ventilated seats!

ZR2 Bison Pricing Breakdown

The full Bison package adds a set of Multimatic’s hydraulic jounce control bumpers (more on those later) to complement the spectacular Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers that already make the ZR2 an impressively specced pickup from the factory. AEV then contributes the steel bumpers, hot-stamped boron-steel skid plates, and rock sliders to protect the truck from the toughest trails. Those 35-inch tires are Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud-Terrains mounted on beadlock-capable wheels that measure a half-inch wider than the ZR2’s.

Chevrolet plans to announce pricing for the Bison closer to the start of production, but we know that the 2023 ZR2 stickered for an impressive $48,395, and adding the Bison package to the Silverado ZR2 ran about $8,000. However, the Colorado’s full spec sheet tacks on more than the Silverado received, mostly in the form of tires and those hydraulic jouncers, so expect the Colorado Bison to slot in just shy of $60,000 — critically, a step below Ford’s pricing for the F-150 and Bronco Raptors that start in the high-$60,000 range, and in line with the Ranger Raptor that starts at a smidge above $55,000. Avoiding that level of sticker shock clearly fits into the plan, since nearly half of Colorado ZR2 buyers count as conquest customers switching to Chevrolet for the first time.

Update! Surprise, surprise. We were right on the money at $60,000, as ticking the Bison option box on your spec sheet adds an extra $11,700 on top of the base ZR2’s price tag.

ZR2 Bison Interior and Tech

Redesigning the Colorado for a third generation included a desperately needed step up for the trucks’ interior and technology. For the first time, an 11.3-inch touchscreen crowning the dash includes Google Built-In as well as Wireless Apple CarPlay, while the four-wheel-drive controls move to piano keys and knobs located close to the gear shifter and, therefore, the driver’s right hand. 

The Colorado’s front seats can fit taller drivers with ease, though the rear bench feels tight even with the front seats scooted fairly far forward. Four-legged friends will no doubt enjoy the rear ergonomics, but the relative lack of real liveable space makes the decision to skip an extra cab and long bed configuration all the more confusing. But most importantly, the Bison package includes ventilated seats, which all desert rats know as the greatest piece of automotive engineering ever and what the standard ZR2 surprisingly lacked.

The most hardcore Colorado possible

A race-ready powerhouse

Significant updates to the exterior, interior, and tech should help the entire Colorado lineup stand up to competition from Toyota’s Tacoma and Ford’s Ranger. But really, the whole point of hitting Johnson Valley in a Bison was to show off what’s going on beneath the skin (some of which is easily visible, to be fair). The off-roading goodies arrive hot off years of testing by Chevrolet’s factory efforts with Chad Hall Racing at the full calendar of events including King of the Hammers, but also the Mint 400, Vegas to Reno, and more. 

Chasing Chad Hall himself across Nevada from behind the wheel of a base ZR2 showed off the difference (other than race tires) between the ZR2 and Bison, but now the time has arrived for Demetrio to take me out in Johnson Valley and prove it. We left the rest of the group behind a bit surreptitiously, but once out of view behind a small hill, Demetrio gave me the go-ahead and I tipped deep into throttle. The High-Output version of Chevy’s new-ish 2.7-liter inline-four takes a minute to build turbo boost before unleashing all 430 lb-ft of torque. But really, when it comes to off-road in the slippery stuff, instantaneous response may only lead to wheelspin, anyway.

Once up into the powerband, though, I trusted the Bison with a loose hand on the reins and my faith in that magical suspension setup and its revised mounting points. Sure enough, after charging over whoops and blasting up rutted washes, this version of the Colorado takes comfort and confidence to a new level despite me doing my darnedest to slide around and apply plenty of countersteer. Catching air under the front and rear axles never bottomed out the DSSV dampers. Not once. Or at least, as Demetrio explained, it never felt that way. 

A proper chassis for a proper performance vehicle

The hydraulic jounce bumpers create that illusion by absorbing and dissipating impacts that more traditional rubber bump stops would absorb and then rebound back into the chassis. Of course, the 35s serve as the first and most important part of the entire suspension system, but the Multimatics help to control any perceived weight and balance concerns that bigger tires and more lift might otherwise create.

The resulting combination of trophy truck speed and nimble handling at the limits of traction also helps explain why Chevy ditched the diesel engine option for the new Colorado. The new gas four-banger puts out more torque, but in the desert, the diesel’s cast-iron block would have messed up the ZR2 and Bison’s front-to-rear weight balance. Instead, I can now click into two-wheel drive and lock the rear diff, which most manufacturers won’t allow, to produce some real hooning fun.

Fishtailing around as fast as possible never matches the sheer pace possible in 4-Auto or 4-Hi, though, and Demetrio and I only had so much time out on our own. After showing off the Colorado’s high-speed abilities, he also wanted to take me on some more hardcore rock crawling that the Bison’s additional armoring and bigger tires make possible. We ended up entirely over a far ridge, searching for the best route home while hopping over rocks and clambering up bouldered trails that, to my eye, looked more suitable for side-by-sides. And yet, once again the Bison just kept chugging along even as I truly tested the rock sliders and skid plates with some bangs and scrapes. 

Supreme confidence down Chocolate Thunder

Fear no boulders

Eventually, we wound up at the top of a KoH segment known as Chocolate Thunder (children, these off-roaders, I swear) and Demetrio explained how the Colorado’s new Terrain drive mode makes the most of an electronically assisted brake booster to create ideal one-pedal driving. Playing friendly, I switched over into Terrain mode and inched down the technical trail, occasionally using the front camera to help with visibility over the Colorado’s square hood (which might just be my least favorite part of the trucks, actually).

At points where I expected a wheel (or two) to lift off or lose traction after my experience with a ZR2, the Bison simply stayed put. That kind of articulation in a truck with independent front suspension and a leaf spring solid rear axle simply boggles the mind. Once again, the third gen’s revised suspension mounting points prove their worth. I still prefer two-foot driving while rock crawling, and can admit to leaving a bit more boron on the rocks of Chocolate Thunder. But once we got underway, I never felt anything near the kind of trepidation that crept in looking down from the top of the trail.

Baja Blastin’

Time to rejoin the group. Lost in our fun, we might even be running late. No problem. Pop out of Terrain mode and back into Baja, and it’s time to find the fastest way back to home base. Demetrio keeps telling me to push harder and stop slowing down for those whoops, how once during testing he saw the underside of a truck’s front diff while chasing another development engineer across the desert. Now we’re both laughing, the off-road children ourselves, amazed at how much punishment the Bison can take—without dishing it out on the driver or passenger. This truck rollicks like a bucking Bronco. Wait, no, a bucking Mustang. Dammit, like something that’s not a Ford product name!

Almost back to the group, I pepper Demetrio with a few questions of my own. Why no disconnecting sway bars, as on the Bronco or Jeep’s Gladiator and Wrangler? Well, other than added cost, the ZR2 and Bison both get locking front diffs that make a bigger difference while rock-crawling with a leaf spring rear axle than a sway-bar disconnect might. And how about some paddle shifters to keep that 2.7L in the power band? A grimace and not-so-subtle “no comment” in response, so I blame the bean counters here, though at least Demetrio’s team recalibrated Baja mode after my incessant complaining about weird shifting throughout the Vegas to Reno ZR2 drive. Should I truly take credit? Who knows, but it’s always nice to think someone, anyone, maybe in a blue moon, ever listens to us journalists.

What’s not?

– Only available as a crew cab w/ short bed – Competitive pricing is still expected to be fairly steep – Not the prettiest tool in Chevy’s shed, even if it is the sharpest

Off-road god mode without sacrificing on-road dynamics

Throughout our time at top speed or rock crawling, Demetrio never flinches. He believes in the Bison, and I’d like to think he even enjoyed some time watching me wheel around Johnson Valley somewhere near the absolute limit. But, perhaps as impressive as the off-roading capability the ZR2 delivers and the Bison package only enhances, somehow the most hardcore of Colorados still sacrifice little for on-road dynamics.

Sure, adding 35-inch tires without regearing the final drive ratio cuts a bit into even the High-Output engine’s low-end grunt. But out on the asphalt, those 430 pound-feet make for plenty of pep while daily driving. The glory of the Multimatics is how well the spool valves can fine-tune fluid flow for stability on the road as much as off, resulting in noticeably less body roll and chassis flex than the taller Bronco Raptor on its 37-inch tires.

And where the Braptor’s proportions peak in absurdity, with the rear hatch opened to reveal a tiny little cargo compartment, the Bison still comes with a truck bed (albeit a relatively small one). So buyers looking for a truck to daily drive, rip around the desert, or serve as the base for an overlanding build should be satisfied. What the new Tacoma TRD Pro or Ranger Raptor might have to say next year remains a mystery and exact pricing is obviously a big question mark. But, for now, the ZR2 Bison charges into uncharted territory in a class and segment all to its own.

“YOU DRIVE A TOYOTA PRIUS!? HA, WHAT A LOSER,” exclaims everyone who watched a little too much Top Gear in 2005. But here you stand, grown and matured, ready to tackle the 9-to-5. And it is you who shall have the last laugh. Or will you?

The 2023 Toyota Prius XLE is indeed as pedestrian as econoboxes come and always will be. The shape. The stigma. The acceleration. You can get a Toyota Prius in almost any color, but its personality was always never more than beige. It has never garnered much respect over the years despite all it has done over the years to polish its image and be the best damn everyday economy car money can buy, but no amount of gas mileage or interior space was enough. Not for enthusiasts nor for Dirty Mike and The Boys. But those who have welcomed it into their hearts and homes love it for a reason. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be a new Prius.

So here we are. The Toyota Prius has gradually been honing its skills and changed threads every few years to get with the times to divisive reception, but this new one? Oh-ho, this new Prius. Toyota may have just struck gold thanks to some stints at the gym and a trip to its tailor, and now it’s here to ask the haters who are laughing now.

Skip to section:

• Specs
• Design
• Price
• Interior and tech
• NPC car
• Hypercool

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Author’s Note: This review was made possible thanks to Turo and the generous owner, who agreed to allow us to rent this vehicle for review purposes. Check out the app or site to see what rides are available in your area! 

Prius price and specs

In a world of astronomical price increases and rampant inflation, the Prius remains grounded in the ever-shrinking realm of affordability. This time, it does so with an extensive list of standard features and worthwhile upgrades over the outgoing generation, not least of which is a significantly more powerful hybrid powertrain with a larger two-liter gasoline engine and a heap of standard driving safety assists. Our vehicle was a 2023 model from Turo, but the equivalent 2024 XLE bases at  $31,095. 

Toyota Prius: see prices at CarGurus

Base price (2024):	$31,095
As-tested price (2024):	$33,925
Engine:	2.0-liter inline-four + 2 AC electric motors
Transmission:	CVT
Drivetrain:	front-wheel drive
Power:	194 horsepower
Torque:	139 pound-feet (engine only, total system not rated)
Redline:	N/A (no tachometer!)
Weight:	approx. 3,200 pounds
Zero-to-60 mph:	7.1 seconds
¼-mile:	15.5 seconds @ 92 mph
MPG:	52 city,  52 highway, 52 combined
Observed MPG:	50.3 mpg
Fuel Capacity:	11.3 gallons

(Author’s Note: Performance numbers reflected in Car and Driver’s review from December 2022)

Prius exterior design

Glow-up of the century

Don’t deny it. The new Prius is hot! Still an egg, yes. But it’s a smoking pistol compared to the car it replaced and the cars it rivals. More interesting than a Corolla. More understated than an Elantra. Yet, it’s sleeker and more aerodynamic than them all. Less goofy cues and proportions than an Ioniq Hybrid. Gone are the angular Gundam slashes that adorned the awkwardly shaped body of the last Prius, and in its place are smooth lines, soft creases, and a seemingly elongated nose complementing the short decklid. 

The rear lights are comprised of a single light bar, while the front angular C-shaped headlights are perhaps the sharpest lines on the Prius and arguably its most attractive feature. Further enhancing the sporty appeal of Toyota’s reborn hybrid hatchback is an upward sweeping side skirt that screams tuner car body kit.

A slippery little snake

Of course, the still-eggy silhouette of the Toyota Prius will forever be a staple of its design and an integral key to its efficiency, and the current generation rocks more than just a prettier face. 

Smoothened lines, grill shutters, and rounded edges contribute to the 0.29 drag coefficient or 0.27 with the lower trim levels’ smoother wheels, which are actually up from the previous car’s slipperier 0.24. This is likely due to the new Prius’ newfound inch of extra width and higher-trim wheel that value style over outright economy.

What’s hot?

– The same fuel miser it always was – Actually quick and dynamic-ish!? – As maneuverable as even smaller cars – Rapid-fire touchscreen response – Abundance of storage nooks in the cabin – Audio system engineer deserves head pats

Prius pricing breakdown

Prius pricing for current 2024 models starts as low as $27,650 for a stripper LE and rockets as high as nearly $43,000 for a loaded Prime plug-in XSE Premium. A 2024 equivalent for our non-plug-in XLE loaner will ring in towards the lower end of the spectrum, with the dual moonroofs and enlarged 12.3-inch touchscreen bringing the total to roughly $34,000 before taxes and fees. Other add-ons like a digital key, as is a smorgasbord of $300 to $450 carpet and all-weather floor mat packages, are available. Our XLE tester came standard with dual-zone climate and heated seats. However, higher trims offer heated rear seats and digital rearview mirrors as part of smaller options packages priced at a few hundred dollars. Solar charging is available on Prime plug-ins as part of its exclusive option packages, and Toyota’s AWD-e is available on standard Prius hybrids for $1,400. 

Not too bad, given how inflation has affected other vehicles far more significantly. Pricing is on par with what a Prius Four Touring cost in 2016, albeit with stronger performance, similar efficiency, and a much more attractive look inside and out. 

Prius interior and tech

As tech-savvy as always

Our Prius XLE came equipped with a lovably clear and ultra-fast-responding 12.3-inch touchscreen that handled nearly everything from stereo controls to vehicle settings, although a physical volume knob and power button are appreciated. I just wish it wasn’t on the damn passenger side. Seriously, why there? I’m right here, not there. At least the screen is big, bright, and quick to respond.

Besides a bit of confusion digging through the menus to set up CarPlay, the screen worked flawlessly. Bluetooth connection was quick to sort itself out on every start-up, and while wireless CarPlay does drain your battery, it’s nowhere near as taxing as other cars I’ve experienced. And if your battery is still a concern, the wireless charger is there to come in clutch with spring-loaded grips to keep your phone from flopping around over bumps. And it actually charges, too, unlike older Toyota wireless chargers where I found they just kept your phone held at a certain charge. 

Toyota’s Safety Sense systems are also standard, with blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise with lane-centering, and even a mild brake assist that leans into your hybrid system’s brake regen to help you slow down when it detects stopped traffic in the distance. It won’t fully stop and will flash a warning if you get too close, but it’s a nice little helper around town.

Faux luxury

And to think all of this comes wrapped up in a package that’s just as attractive as the outside. Dare I say you could probably slap on some wood paneling here and call it a new Lexus CT200h? It’s cozy and modern, like an overpriced luxury apartment.

Regardless of screen size, it’s saddled atop the dash right in the peripherals of the driver, as is the digital gauge cluster, which sits high but rather far down the long dashboard. And I mean a long dashboard (see gallery below). They are brilliantly lit and wonderfully crisp, like a 4K TV, and even the animation of sliding between screens and menus appears to be in 60 FPS, evoking thoughts of cars that cost multiples more. Even some Mercedes products don’t have screens this nice. But for those who admonish the overuse of screens, the hard buttons for the climate controls are a nice complement. There’s also no shortage of storage cubbies throughout the cabin, including the cheeky #HIDDENCOMPARTMENT bin beneath the climate controls. Clever, aside from the very obvious latch to open it.

The glass roof doesn’t open, but it does let an appreciable amount of light in for an even airier feel for the already-expansive greenhouse. Best of all, it’s tinted well enough that it blocks heat and UV quite well. Of course, if it’s still not enough, roll-up shades are stored in the center bar dividing the glass panels. The dashboard lightbar above the climate controls and soft white LED interior lighting are a fun touch for adding a splash of color and modernity to this frugal front-driver, and the optional gray interior would spur that theme further. I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone. It’s perhaps a little too youthful and videogamey in here. But it sure is nice to decompress after a long day of complaining on social media and shopping at Trader Joe’s. 

Yep, the new Prius is still an NPC car

A coddling egg

But you certainly won’t complain about how the new Prius goes about its daily business. Ever heard jokes about NPC (non-playable character) cars? The new Prius is the definitive NPC car, and I mean that in the most positive and inoffensive manner possible. This car is a lovely and unbothersome place to eat up the many miles loaded into that minuscule gas tank. Like, damn near 600 miles out of 11.3 gallons, not including the full-EV stints you may accomplish. I hope you can remember what side the tank is on.

The seats are reasonably plush and supportive for a budget-minded car, and the expanses of glass yield impressive visibility everywhere but the rear quarter views. Back there, thick pillars and a lack of sizable quarter glass force you to rely more on the blind-spot monitor, which softly beeps when it detects you are signaling into a pesky hidden car.

Another nitpick inside would be that the glass roof impedes headroom, forcing my six-foot-plus friend to readjust his seating position. The spare tire kit protrudes upward into the hatch space, wiping away what could be feet of space had it not been for the annoyingly intrusive styrofoam tray of just-in-case-the-universe-hates-you tire sealant. Additionally, the digital gauges, while legible, are a tad small and in an awkward place far along the dashboard, which means some drivers who like their steering wheels a bit high, like me, may have their view partially obstructed. There’s always a catch with modern car interiors, isn’t there? At least everything else is as comfortable and ergonomic as can be for the price point.

The engine is a little droney, as Priuses have always been, but I’m happy to report it’s easy to drown out with the standard eight-speaker stereo that genuinely bumps when cranked up without sounding cheap or tinny. What an appropriate stereo to blast Eurobeat out of if Toyota didn’t wire it to the most inappropriate car for Eurobeat. I imagine the optional JBL system must be a certified banger. And for such a small cabin, there’s an abundance of chargers, including the wireless charger, ports beneath the climate controls, and USB-C ports for the rear occupants mounted on the otherwise minimal center console stand. Because charging matters more to your rear occupants than air conditioning. 

Drives as easily as it looks

Once you’re off, it’s immediately apparent how quick and light the steering is, meaning parking lot maneuvers are brainless. The Prius further buffs its maneuverability with a tight turning radius spanning parking spaces wide. Anyone who feels like pushing that turning circle will get an audible slap on the wrist from the handy (and perhaps a bit too overreactive) front parking sensors.

As for the highways, the Prius eats interstates like its GR86 stablemate devours corners. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a car that hasn’t jittered over expansion joints or wandered at the site of ruts. This thing just tracks straight and glides over asphalt, its newfound horsepower making short work of passes where the old car would wheeze its way to barely inch up. Hold it at 75 mph on a flat stretch of road, and you’re humming along in full electric-only mode for as long as the battery says it can.

Its 587-mile cruising range can stretch beyond that if you can hold it in electric-only driving. Nowadays, I’m starting to grow weary of press car stints in vehicles that need a fill-up at least once a day. With the Prius, 260 miles of driving over three days in my care barely knocked the fuel gauge down to below half. Note that lower-trim Priuses feature a more economical and aerodynamic wheel-and-tire package that delivers a meaningful boost in mpg, ensuring easily attainable 600-mile ranges all day long. Huzzah!

The B mode on the shifter is not brake regen like I previously thought but actually a slight engine braking mode to rely less on regen when the battery is fully charged. Alternatively, the aforementioned mild brake assist leans into the regen when the car detects stopped traffic head, which is handy for urbanites who wish to have every ounce of juice available. An actual EV mode exists, but like prior Prius models, it’s solely for parking lot speeds and deactivates upon too much throttle input or when exceeding 25 mph. See Prius Prime for all your I-don’t-want-an-electric-car-copium. 

But Sport mode, however…

How the hypermiler got hyper-cool

Oh yeah. In case it wasn’t already clear, the new Prius is fun. And kind of fast? I think. Nah, it is. This is a quick car with a competent chassis that just so happens to get over 50 mpg everywhere it goes when you’re not making it groan and howl like a garbage disposal. Thanks for that, CVT. But other than the droney engine noise, this thing is fun. Get that. A cool Prius? I didn’t think I’d ever see the day.

So about Sport mode. The new Prius has it. And it sure is something.

With Sport mode, throttle response and battery power ramp up and show you how far of a leap that 194 horsepower, two-liter hybrid powertrain is over the outgoing car’s measly 121 horsepower. Slam the throttle, and the electric powertrain whirs as the engine groans, their combined power thrusting you to 60 mph not far off the likes of the Fiat 500 Abarth, Ford Fiesta ST, Mk6 Golf GTI, or Scion FR-S/Toyota 86. This thing scoots! Or at least it scoots enough to piss off traction control from a stop. Don’t ask me how I know, wink, wink. But you won’t be pulling such antics in the last-generation car. 

Stoplight sprints are no longer a chore, and highway on-ramps are more of a pleasure than an obstacle, not only due to the power but also the Prius’ revamped chassis and steering that no longer wallow at the sight of a one-degree bend. Just as the Prius is surefooted and stable on interstate escapades, it’s a (kind of) playful and competent city runabout. No, it’s not a hot hatch. It’s not even lukewarm or even room temperature. It’s too numb for that, and the CVT is, well, a CVT. Not that the average Prius buyer cares. But finally, at long last, the Prius not only looks good but drives well enough, too. This is a likable driving experience.

What’s not?

– Groany engine noises – Tire repair kit interferes with trunk space – Glass roof may hinder taller occupants – Digital gauge cluster is small and in a stupid place – Lower trims get more efficient wheel-tire packages – Faces formidable competition from plug-ins, crossovers, and full EVs

New Toyotas: see prices at CarGurus

The near-perfect daily driver for almost anyone 

Never thought I’d say this. But the Toyota Prius? Pretty damn cool nowadays. Unfortunately for Toyota, Dirty Mike’s posse has more options than ever. EVs and plug-ins are edging closer and closer to mainstream relevancy each day, with advancements bringing greater range, more practicality, and improved infrastructure, even if it’s marginal gains. Rivals like the Honda Insight and Hyundai Ioniq are also highly compelling choices from rapidly improving and maturing companies, meaning the Prius doesn’t stand alone as the king of this hill anymore.

But even so, the Prius still makes a case for itself with its own suite of upgrades at a good value that ensures newcomers and veteran fans alike will find something worthwhile. I certainly have. It’s loaded with tech, all of which works quite well. The improved performance is a hoot for getting errands knocked out quicker at the Albertson’s Grand Prix and for turning the tides of rush hour death matches in your favor. And it does it all while still getting over 50 miles to the freaking gallon. Five-zero! 

The enthusiast who may snag one as a daily will greatly appreciate the improved dynamics and not paying a gazillion-bajillion dollars at the pump, while the average consumer will walk away from every commute unoffended by the maturity and composure the Prius now carries in spades. Those two attributes in tandem definitely make for a great car and a stellar consumer product. So who’s laughing now, Clarkson?

Now let’s urge Toyota to put a GR version into production.