2026 Lincoln Aviator Black Label

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This is luxe. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Lincoln, in December 2014, launched its Black Label trim level, which was then remarkable in terms of the quality of the craftsmanship of the interior execution, to say nothing of the quality of the materials in the vehicles. It was amazing then and it continues to be remarkable now. There are other aspects of opting for the Black Label trim, such as remote new vehicle delivery, premium maintenance for four years/50,000 miles, car washes when you want them, and more. Lincoln has also created an awards program that allows owners to get special products (“The Komuso Classic Shift is the original breathing necklace that uses an ancient breathing technique (proven by Stanford Labs) to calm the mind and body. . . “) or experiences (“Immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythm of Miami with a bespoke three-night getaway designed exclusively for Lincoln Access Rewards™ members. . .) for various quantities of points earned. While that program is open to all Lincoln owners, those opting for Black Label get the biggest tranche of points at the start.

The Lincoln Aviator. Powered by a 400-hp, twin-turbo V6. (Image: Lincoln)

It had been a while since being in a Lincoln Black Label for me when I climbed into the 2026 Aviator with the Black Label trim. I was in the midst of judging some 25 different vehicles for the Wards 10Best Interiors & UX at the time. Realize the vehicles in that program tend to be the best of the best, selected by the OEMs to show what they have on offer. (The Lincoln wasn’t in the competition because it isn’t a new execution and the refresh occurred in 2024 for model year 2025).

But I was absolutely impressed with the interior.

It has the “Moonbeam” trim on the interior, which the company describes thusly*:

“The Lincoln Black Label Moonbeam theme uses Moon Ash wood Appliqués and rich Opulence Leather seating surfaces to help evoke the strength of the human spirit and the irrepressible exploratory nature of our existence.”

Now it should be noted that there is no such thing as “Moon Ash wood” in nature, nor did the Artemis II astronauts spot any on the dark side of the Moon.

This trim is certainly both refined and unique. (Image: gsv)

But the execution of the material is the sort of thing that you don’t find in automotive interiors and consequently subtly screams “special.”

The leather is first rate and the way it is wrapped on the instrument panel provides a visual degree of opulence.

The front seats have 30-way power adjustability. Where else are you going to find a seat that allows you to have such precise setting? (Answer: probably only in another Lincoln.)

And while in the area of large numbers: there is a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio system.

There is a 13.2-inch touchscreen for infotainment purposes, and while the vehicle runs the Google operating system, there is also Apple CarPlay for those who are not Android-oriented.

But, and this is worth noting, there are still physical things like a volume knob, as well as various selectable functions via your thumbs on either side of the steering wheel. The gear selector is a row of depressible buttons in a horizontal row slightly tucked under the trim on the IP.

I was once told that people are skeptical when recommendations are all positive.

So something I am not taken with in regard to the Aviator: It is a three row vehicle with a third row that doesn’t strike me as particularly functional.

To get a sense of this know the legroom in the front row is 43 inches. It is 40.2 inches for those in the second row. But for those who have the misfortune to be relegated back there. . . well, you probably won’t be as intrigued by the interior as I am.

It officially seats seven. It practically seats fewer.

Incidentally, the base MSRP for a 2026 Lincoln Aviator Black Label is $85,910.

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*When dealing with an upscale SUV like the Aviator, the word “thusly” seems appropriate.

2026 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor Pilot, Plus & Performance

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They call it an SUV. It isn’t

By Gary S. Vasilash

In December 2025 Polestar began deliveries of its striking Polestar 4 in the US. As an indication of just how global the auto industry is, know that the Polestar 4 comes from a company headquartered in Sweden that is owned by a company based in China and the vehicle available in the US is made in a plant in South Korea.

Polestar, it must be acknowledged, isn’t particularly well known in the United States. Outside enthusiasts—and they might have to be electric vehicle enthusiasts, because that’s what Polestar has on offer in its showrooms—it is pretty much a stealth brand. But the Polestar 4 is anything but a stealth vehicle because it is gorgeous inside and out.

It is considered to be a an “SUV coupe,” and the SUV part of it is probably a label given to it by the Polestar Marketing Department because the global vehicle market is increasingly interested in SUVs, so given that there is the Polestar 3 that is SUVish, the company needs more SUV product to proffer.

Does this look like an SUV? (Images: Polestar)

But the thing: the ground clearance of the Polestar 4 is 6.5 inches in the front and 7.3 inches in the back* (a clue that this vehicle dives toward the front). An SUV like a Honda Passport has a ground clearance of 8.3 inches. Or a Subaru Outback at 8.7 inches. Or a Jeep Grand Cherokee at 10.9 inches (with air suspension).

That’s not what people think of when they think “SUV.”

What’s more, just look at that roofline: coupe-like, yes; SUV, no.

And that roofline leads to an unusual feature of the Polestar 4: There is no rear window. None.

It is worth noting that the roof is full-length glass, so it isn’t like one is in some sort of cocoon.

And it is said that because of that panoramic glass roof (no headliner), a low floor due to the EV powertrain, and the elimination of that back glass there is more rear headroom than would otherwise be the case: 37.8 inches for those in the back (a possibility of three back there, but more likely two). (For those in the front, 40.2 inches.)

So how do you see what’s behind you?

There is a video image appearing in the rearview mirror.

The Polestar 4 is nothing if not camera-centric: 4 short-range cameras, providing a 360º view; 1 rearview HD camera;2 forward-facing HD cameras behind windshield; 4 side-view HD cameras; 1 driver-monitoring camera in A-pillar.

While I am not going to get all huffy about the inability to look over one’s shoulder while backing up (there is a horizontally oriented 15.4-inch infotainment screen that provides real-time views of what’s what while in reverse), I will acknowledge that there were a few instances when driving west in the morning there was a less-than-sharp image in the mirror because the sun was shining on the lens.

There’s no rear window back there.

While this probably wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for a well-appointed EV that has a starting MSRP of $72,900 (for the dual-motor, Pilot Plus and Performance packages**) that has a zero to 60 time of 3.7 seconds.

But it is something to consider.

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*As for the rest of the specs:

  • Wheelbase: 118 inches
  • Length: 190.5 inches
  • Height: 60.4 inches
  • Width: 79.1 inches

**The Pilot package adds things like Pilot assist, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering. The Performance package brings Brembo four-piston calipers, active dampers, and exceedingly nice touches including gold valve stem caps that are sizeable enough to be noticed poking out of the 22-inch forged alloy wheels.

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Announced

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Will this be the one that really makes VW a contender in the US market?

By Gary S. Vasilash

Some thoughts about its While many people may associate Volkswagen, still, with the Beetle*, in the US, at least, the Volkswagen brand is predicated largely on, well, with one of the more-popular categories in the market: midsize SUVs.

The VW Atlas, and its sibling the Atlas Cross Sport, both of which roll out of the company’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, had combined sales in the US last year of 102,608 units.

The Atlas alone had sales of 71,044, putting it just behind the Tiguan, which had sales of 78,621, and the Tiguan is in the compact SUV category, which is even more popular than the midsize.

2027 VW Atlas. A serious midsize SUV. (Images: Volkswagen of America)

And now VW is upping its game with the second-generation, seven-passenger Atlas.

As Kjell Gruner, president and CEO, Volkswagen of America, put it when announcing the next Atlas, “When we first launched Atlas in 2017, we delivered the space and style the SUV market was missing: practical, well‑designed, and unmistakably Volkswagen.”

Which, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration, as there was an array of three-row SUVs (e.g., Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Traverse) that are “practical, well-designed,” but not VW. Of course.

The 2027 has a more aggressive and futuristic front-end appearance than the current model. There are double-stacked LED headlights set in a slab-like surface that projects a sense of solidity.

Note the stylish execution of the rear lamps. A detail that shows there was consideration given to all aspects of the design.

The body side is sleeker, so the notion that this is something created by designers who were deeply influenced by the Brutalist school of architecture doesn’t hold either there, on the side, or when moving around to the back, where there is a more-pronounced spoiler, although it should be noted there is a lower diamond-mesh pattern that echoes the one in the front, so again, some serious elements.

While some German interiors may make you feel like you’re in the Black Forest in the dark, the VW Atlas is open, light and fresh.

Inside, there is a clean, open look. Whereas one may think of the interiors of vehicles from German brands being a bit too Teutonic, that is far from the case with the new Atlas. Its interior design combines the fresh with the functional.

In the 10 years since the Atlas was introduced the competitive offerings have gotten all the more competitive, particularly in their exterior designs. Although there have been refreshes for the Atlas, including a major one in 2024, which included new front and rear fascias, the 2027 has an appearance that is seriously appealing.

//

*That there is such close association with a vehicle that hasn’t been available new in the US since 2019 is most impressive. There are few auto brands that have established such an icon directly associated with their past and present offerings. VW also has the Microbus in its portfolio, another unmistakable design, which was updated to the ID.Buzz, which, unfortunately, being an electric vehicle, is not doing well in the US market and, as it has limited range (<240 miles), is doing less well than its design might make one think. But ask yourself what is the iconic Chevy or Chrysler? Odds are, ask five people and get five answers.

2026 Toyota Crown Platinum

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Yes, electrified. Yes, a hybrid. Yes, the top trim. But no, not amazing mpgs. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The people who operate the Toyota shopping site know that while EVs may have lost luster, in the context of gas prices that have shot up significantly as of late, there is a bit more interest in not to have to pump so many dollars into one’s tank.

So where they can—and there are a lot of where’s there—they label vehicles as “Hybrid EV.”

Even though Toyota has been offering hybrids in the US for 26 years—yes, the Prius was launched in 2000—there are probably those who are still wondering just what a hybrid is.

So by calling them a “Hybrid EV” there might be some benefit at the moment.

But I would argue that they are actually making the wrong move, just as I thought Toyota did when the infotainment screens in a Prius would focus on the flow of energy from the engine to the wheels and the wheels to the battery: ideally people simply drive and let the propulsion system work behind the scenes. I really don’t care how the computer I am writing this on does what it is doing, and I suspect you don’t care how the website you are looking at right now puts words and images on your screen.

The point is, the Crown Platinum is a hybrid.

Yes, it has a fuel filler neck just like on probably every vehicle you’ve ever driven.

No, it doesn’t have any place to plug it in.

It has an engine, a 264-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four. But it also has supplemental electric motors in the front and the back and it even has a nickel-metal hydride battery for purposes of propulsion.

So the Crown Platinum—yes, the top-of-the-line—produces, with the engine and the motors, 340 hp and 400.4 lb-ft of torque. What’s more, it has full-time electronic all-wheel drive (which basically means that the vehicle figures out when all the wheels need to be powered and when they don’t).

Yes, that is the Toyota Crown Platinum in front of appropriately swanky digs. (Image: Toyota)

But here’s something that is somewhat non-hybridesque in the minds of those who think about hybrids: the Crown Platinum is not exactly the sort of thing that is going to keep you from visiting gas stations with some frequency: It doesn’t provide the sort of fuel efficiency that a “hybrid” brings to mind.

It has an estimated fuel economy of 29/32/30 mpg (city/highway/combined).

By way of comparison, a 2026 Toyota Camry XSE AWD—the least fuel-efficient Camry (all Camrys are hybrids)—returns 44/43/44 mpg.

And know that all of the other Crown trims–XLE and Limited—have estimated fuel economies of 42/41/41 mpg.

But they aren’t as powerful as the Platinum, having a combined system horsepower of 236, not 340, in large part because the internal combustion engine is different, as is the transmission (the Platinum has a six-speed automatic and the others an electronically controlled CVT).

The MSRP difference is notable, too, as the entry XLE starting at $41,440 and the Platinum $54,990.

But the Platinum brings with it more stuff than just a more powerful powertrain.

Like an Adaptive Variable Suspension that uses variable oil pressure in the shock absorbers to minimize pitch when going into a turn at speed as well as (and this is probably more important for people who are going to buy a hybrid sedan) attenuate some of the bumps on bumpy surfaces. There is also Active Cornering Assist, again to help when making turns by reducing understeer.

While this is a feature that was once talked about more, it has an Advanced Park system that can perform hands-off parking, parallel or perpendicular.

There is a 10-inch head-up display. There are standard 21-inch wheels. A hands-free power trunk (yes, a regular trunk with 15.2-cubic feet of cargo space).

The Crown is an interesting sedan, one that replaced the Avalon in the U.S. market.

In the Japanese market the Crown badge was the flagship model (there is one above it: Century, which was a niche model compared to the Crown; Century is now being established as a brand above Lexus). As the flagship, it has nice materials and tech, so know the Crown Platinum ticks the boxes in that space.

Still, there’s the 27% reduction in fuel efficiency between the Platinum and its other trim mates, which makes me wonder.

Where’s Affordability?

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Prices keep going north, not south. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Apparently vehicle affordability is like the weather, with lots of talk and not much else.

According to the just-released JD Power and GlobalData report for February 2026 new vehicle sales, the average retail transaction price is expected to be $46,303, a 2.7% increase over last year.

That’s a 2.6% bump for EV prices (to $46,528) and a 3% bump for the rest (to $46,097).

Isn’t that a move in the wrong direction for consumers?

What is surprising is that discounts for EVs in February are expected to average $10,356—and that’s a reduction of $1,664 from February 2025.

So that would mean that last February there were an average $12,020 in discounts and potentially a $7,500 tax credit. With all that on offer, on the order of $19,500, it would seem that lots of EVs would have been sold in February 2025, yet the firms note that for this February EV sales will be off only 1.8% from last year, to 6.6% of the market.

Didn’t some auto execs last February look at those numbers and consider that maybe the consumer demand wasn’t turning out the way they thought it would? Yes, the elimination of the tax credit was a huge blow, but when big discounts aren’t getting it done, you’ve got to wonder.

And here’s something that speaks to the K-shaped economy that is now manifest in the U.S.

Speaking to the issue of the decline in EV sales, Tyson Jominy, senior vp of OEM customer success at JD Power, said:

“The pullback is concentrated in the mass market, where EV share contracted to 1.9% from 4.0% a year ago. In contrast, EVs represent over 26.4% of premium sales year to date – a figure which includes direct-to-consumer brands – and only 5 percentage points below last year’s pace.”

Apparently the premium space has plenty of EV sales, comparatively speaking.

Another affordability-related finding is that even though the average interest rate for new-vehicle loans is 6.72%, a decline of 0.31 percentage points from February 2025 the average monthly finance payments are up $32, to $811.

Also up in the finance space is the percentage of loans that are greater than or equal to 84 months (a.k.a. seven years): 12.7%, an increase of 5 percentage points from February 2025.

Again, a move in the wrong direction if affordability is what everyone would like to achieve.

Makes you think “everyone” isn’t all that interested in achieving it.

Toyota 2026 bZ XLE

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Something to know about some numbers. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Some people spend a lot of time searching out stats before buying a vehicle, which is certainly a good thing to do because there is that very big stat, which is the MSRP, which then comes along with plenty of additions that make what might have started out as a reasonable number a whole lot higher.

When it comes to electric vehicles, one of the stats that is highly significant is range: how many miles the vehicle is expected to go on a full charge of its battery.

(It has occurred to me that there are few vehicles powered by gasoline that ever even talked about range. Miles per gallon, which is more about efficiency than anything else, yes, but range? The only ad I can remember touting range was in the mid-teens, pre-Dieselgate, when two guys were driving a VW Golf TDI across country and refueling wasn’t an issue because the vehicle had a combined range of nearly 500 miles.)

So if someone looks at the range stat for a 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE FWD they’re going to see a range of 252 miles. Since that 2023 model Toyota has dropped the last two alphanumerics on the name and made some other changes.

Like the range of the 2026 bZ XLE FWD being 235 miles.

Toyota bZ. Charged up. (Images: Toyota)

Clearly a move in the wrong direction, right?

What’s more (or less) is that the power output of the 2023 model is 201 hp. It is 168 hp in the 2026 model.

But then we get to the really important number, the base MSRP for each of the vehicles.

For the 2023 XLE FWD it was $42,000.

For the 2026 XLE FWD it is $34,600.

Toyota did something else for the 2026 model.

It added the XLE FWD Plus model.

It provides 314 miles of range. It generates 221 hp. And it has a starting price of $39,100.

And it—and the other bZ trims—has the NACS charging port (a.k.a., the Tesla port) so the bZ can use Tesla Superchargers. (It also comes with an adapter so it can use the non-Tesla CCS stations, too.).

A most interesting feature of the bZ is it offers support for Apple Maps EV Routing via Apple CarPlay. What this means is that Apple Maps has access to real-time vehicle information so that drivers can get routed to chargers on their way to wherever they’re going. Not only does it take into account the battery performance and charge, but any elevation changes along the way (which, again, is something that drivers of ICE vehicles pay little attention to unless they are traversing the Alps or something). This is displayed on the bZ’s 14-inch multimedia screen.

Know that Toyota has developed its own operating system (Arene) so it is not wholly relying on third parties like Apple.

Apple Maps connect to the system to help drivers find charging stations along their routes.

But it clearly recognizes lots of customers—including customers of EVs—are part of the Apple ecosystem and want to use it, something that General Motors thinks isn’t particularly important.

The 2026 bZ is a competent car crossover. (It looks like an enlarged hatch, not like any of the other Toyota crossovers, with the exception of the Crown, which also seems very car-like to me.)

Going back to the spreadsheet, there are a total five variants of the bZ, the two mentioned, as well as the XLE AWD (288 miles; 338 hp), Limited FWD (299 miles; 221 hp), and Limited AWD (278 miles, 338 hp).

A Visit to the Service Department

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People smile about as much when waiting for their vehicles to be serviced as they do while waiting for an appointment with an endodontist

By Gary S. Vasilash

Once upon a time, General Motors’ Saturn had the kind of customer satisfaction—both in terms of the showroom and in the service department—that other brands (including GM brands) could only dream of. And evidently they did more dreaming than modeling those excellent Saturn methods.

Remember: Saturn was selling to the mass market.

While Lexus, which was also renowned for service in its early days, had a cappuccino machine for people who were waiting for their vehicles to be serviced, Saturn had a popcorn machine.

That’s the difference between “premium” and “mass market.”

Still, even if it is a great service department, no one really wants to have to take their vehicle in. It is generally inconvenient. And that is just one issue.

For 46 years JD Power has been conducting its U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study.

This year it found that consumers are rating their service experience higher this go than last year: on a 1,000-point scale it rates 868, a three-point increase.

That has more than a little something to do with the experience in the premium segment, which is up eight points to 886.

Meanwhile, in the mass market, the score is 865, another three-point rise.

In the premium space the top three for overall customer satisfaction are:

  1. Porsche:                           915
  2. Infiniti:                             912
  3. Lexus:                               900

But what’s interesting to consider is that in 2025 Porsche sold 76,219 vehicles in the U.S., Infiniti sold 52,846, and Lexus sold 370,260 vehicles.

In other words, you could add Porsche and Infiniti together and then double that number and it still wouldn’t reach the Lexus 370,260 (it is 258,130).

Presumably there’s something to be said for fewer vehicles when it comes to service.

This is almost as clearly borne out in the mass market segment:

  1. MINI:                                887
  2. Subaru:                            886
  3. Buick:                               882

In this case, MINI had 2025 U.S. sales of 28,749, Subaru 643,591, and Buick 198,155.

It is worth noting that Ford came in 4th—and it sold 2,204,124 vehicles in the U.S. in 2025. And had 153 recalls (not all of which required a visit to a service department because there were some modifications made via over-the-air updates).

One of the things that OEMs are banging on about as they justify their developments of autonomous driving technology is “giving back” time to the driver.

They should probably have a chat with their franchised dealers about that notion.

JD Power found that when people bring their cars in for maintenance—oil changes, tire rotations—it takes three times longer at a dealer than it does at an aftermarket service center.

One thing that seems somewhat unusual is the finding that 64% of customers want photo/video documentation along with multi-point inspection results. It is almost as though they are a bit suspicious of what was—or wasn’t—done.

An interesting finding is that customers who have purchased a vehicle from a brand like Tesla or Rivian, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, and then go back to a traditional brand for their next vehicle have less satisfaction with that tradition service experience, having had things like mobile service from the DTC brands: in the premium segment the score is 855, or 29 points lower than the mass-market average.

Given that service departments account for as much as some 50% of a dealership’s gross profit, keeping customers satisfied is essential.

Saturn, incidentally, ceased to exist in 2010. Of the four GM brands that the corporation decided to concentrate on as a result of its 2009 bankruptcy, as noted, Buick did well in the 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index Study, coming in third in the mass-market category. Chevrolet came in seventh; GMC came in 10th (at 862, below the segment average of 865); and Cadillac, in the premium category, came in fifth, tied with Lincoln.

Wonder what GM’s numbers would have been like if there was still that “Different Kind of Company” in its portfolio. . . .

2026 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+

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You can, but would you?

By Gary S. Vasilash

The Lexus GX 550 is a vehicle that seems to be a finely orchestrated mashup of two different things.

On the one hand it is a Lexus. And as such it has all of the craftsmanship and amenities that the marque has been known for since it first became available in the US in 1989. Remember the pyramid of 15 champagne coupes on the hood of the LS 400 that held their places even when the vehicle went to a simulated speed of 145 mph in that early TV ad?

That is the level of quality and refinement that is indicative of Lexus in real life.

In 2002 Lexus launched the GX in the US market.

It is now in its third generation.

Then as now there’s the other part of that mashup: the GX is a vehicle that functionally and capably drive on and in places that aren’t country-club manicured.

The current model is based on the company’s GA-F global body-on-frame platform.

That’s right: not a unibody structure. Something engineered to take it.

In fact, that GA-F platform is also used by the Toyota Land Cruiser 250, and while the word “legendary” is often thrown about in articles like this, the Land Cruiser has absolutely earned its illustrious status.

The GX is available as Premium and Premium+, Luxury and Luxury+, and Overtrail and Overtrail+.

While that desert surface is flat, the GX 550 Overtrail+ is engineered to go places that aren’t. In comfort. (Image: Lexus)

All of them come with a 349-hp 3.4-liter V6 that produces 479 lb-ft of torque. There is a 10-speed automatic.

There is standard full-time 4WD.

There is a Torsen limited-slip locking differential.

There is the ability to tow over 9,000 pounds.

If you looked at those attributes and they were associated with some sort of work truck you’d agree they’re appropriate.

But this is a Lexus.

The Overtrail+ driven here has all of the lux amenities, but a 9.34-inch ground clearance. Even with the optional running board rock rail I suspect that anyone wearing an evening dress to a country club fete is going to have one heck of a time trying to clamber into the SUV.

However, that challenge might be more than mediated by the fact that when rolling up to that country club the purposeful exterior design will undoubtedly cause more than slight pangs of jealousy by those who arrived in something less fashionable and less functional.

The Overtrail+ has something called an “Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System.” It will lock or unlock the front and rear stabilizer bars as needed, based on the driving conditions, speed, steering input and the setting the driver selects (when in four-low there are Auto, Sand, Mud, and Rock; when in four-high there are Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, and Deep Snow) through the Multi-Terrain Select lever. There are 26-degree approach, 24-degree breakover and 21-degree departure angles, which aren’t Jeep-like, but then again Jeeps aren’t Lexus-like.

The GX 550 Overtrail+ starts at $82,845.

And here’s the thing: What is the likelihood that very many people are going to take a vehicle like that out in the wild where the paint might get scratched?

One could, of course. But would one? I surely wouldn’t, but I must admit liking the idea that while cossetted in Lexus quality I could.

2026 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige

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Sleek, statement-making and fun to drive. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

In 2025, some 76% of the vehicles sold in the US were either light trucks—as in those things with boxes on the back—or SUVs—as in things that are either bodies-on-frames that can actually drive under more demanding (sometimes sporty) conditions or vehicles that are exceedingly car-like in their underpinnings although a bit higher than cars such that they seem more robust when, in many cases, they aren’t what they seem.

Yes, if you have four vehicles sold in 2025 next to one another, three of the light truck/SUV variety and one in the car category, then there is a 100% chance there will be two adjacent light trucks/SUVs and a 50% chance there will be three light trucks/SUVs in consecutive order.

This isn’t a recent development. People have been buying these bigger or higher vehicles for the past few years. They are now familiar with them. Comfortable with them. Accepting of them.

And they don’t realize that “them” probably subtract significantly from the pleasures of driving.

The Genesis G80 is a sedan. In the 3.5T Sport Prestige it is a sport sedan.

On the exterior it has stylish lines that many SUV designers can only wish they could active on the skin of their vehicles:

(Image: Genesis)

On the interior it has a look that is certainly not something you’re going to find in a whole lot of vehicles of any configuration.

Look—there’s red Nappa leather, quilted seats, not the usual desaturated colors that are found inside vehicles of all varieties:

(Image: gsv)

And also look—there isn’t what simply “appears” to be carbon fiber material used for the trim: that is the real stuff, not the result of hydrographic printing:

(Image: gsv)

What’s more, the vehicle is enjoyable to drive.

Yes, you are sitting lower than you would be in an SUV (like, say, the GV80: yes, Genesis has on offer SUVs, too).

Which means you are closer to the surface you are driving on, which provides a better sense of where you need to be pointing your vehicle.

As this model so happens to have AWD and 375-hp (there is a twin-turbo V6 under that long hood), it provides the stuff needed—and I should also mention that this package has a rear limited-slip differential and rear steering—to put the car where it needs to be among the behemoths that are likely surrounding you as you drive.

And on the subject of being surrounded by what is largely a sea of sameness (if we just consider the number of pickups sold in 2025 by Ford and GM it is on the order of 1.8 million so odds are there is a truck in the lane next to you), the number of G80s sold in the US in 2025 was rather small (on the order of 4,000 units), which is great for you if you get one (sameness is something you won’t be about), but not so good for Genesis and its retailers.

2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

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Even if you have no intention of taking on trying conditions, this truck has got to make you smile just looking at it

By Gary S. Vasilash

If there is any television segment that is more popular than “Saturday Night Live’s” “More cowbell!” it has to be that of Jeremy Clarkson in the early days of Top Gear—series 3, episode 5—when he takes a beat-up Toyota Hilux pickup truck and beats the you-know-what out of it.

If you haven’t seen it, here you go.

It is amazing what that midsize truck can take.

Now the Toyota Hilux and the Toyota Tacoma are relatives, but they are not the same vehicle.

While the Hilux is engineered for an array of global markets—including places on the globe where demanding circumstances are just the order of the day—the Tacoma is engineered for the North American market where, let’s face it, there is a desire for comfort, the latest tech, and the like.

But let’s face it: when you have the Hilux in your bloodline, the engineers who put together the Tacoma aren’t oblivious of what can be accomplished.

The 4th generation Tacoma, which debuted in model year 2024, is available in eight different trim packages–SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter—each providing its own packages and available options.

Arguably because of the variety there was the possibility to tailor the Tacomas to their likely use, from daily driving to, well, traveling in extreme conditions.

Some times you just want to get out there. (Images: Toyota)

Which brings me to the TRD Pro.

The thing about this truck is that it is a toy dream-come-true for grownups. Grownups who can look at the base MSRP of $64,450 and see it as nothing unsurmountable, just as the truck seems as though there’s little it can’t overcome.

There’s cool stuff galore on the TRD Pro.

Like TRD-tuned FOX Quick Switch 3 adjustable internal bypass shocks with rear remote reservoirs. External FOX Internal Floating Piston (IFP) rear bump stops. An ARB steel rear bumper with recovery hook. Rigid Industries LED fog lights.

And a plethora of Toyota tech, too.

One of the elements that indicates just how serious this all is: the IsoDynamic Performance front seats.

You know when the seat is engineered to this extent, this truck is built to take it.

Yes, there are those clever shocks to deal with the structure of the truck, but in the case of this seat, there is an air-over-oil shock absorber system that accommodates lateral and vertical seat movement so that the head and neck stay better aligned with the spine.

Yes, under some driving conditions that isn’t a quick run for some milk, the head, neck and spine are certainly considerations.

And here’s another feature that just seems incredible: This model is a hybrid.

It has the i-FORCE MAX 2.4-liter turbocharged four that is integrated with a Toyota hybrid setup. It produces 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle—and note it is a double-cab 4×4—is EPA stickered at 22 city, 24 highway, 23 mpg combined.

Yes it has a solid 10-speaker JBL audio system (and one of the speakers, the one on the top of the IP, can be removed for listening outside the truck. It has a 14-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A moonroof. And, of course, the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system with pre-collision.

One can only think that the engineers who put this truck together—especially this TRD Pro truck—had one hell of a good time.