2025 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus

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Where function meets fun. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Mazda has long had a reputation for superb ride-and-handling performance at an affordable price.

I think in some regards this reputation—well earned—doesn’t necessarily translate into the array of crossovers it has on the market, despite many reviewers giving those vehicles high marks for those characteristics: It is something of a reputation-based belief (i.e., if Mazdas in the past were X, then Mazdas of today are X, too).

The thing is: This doesn’t give credit where credit is due.

And the Mazda3 deserves a whole lot of credit. (Some of the crossovers: not so much. Sorry.)

This is the car—and yes, it is a car, and in this case, a hatchback (!)*—that not only has the litheness, maneuverability, and performance that are associated with Mazda. And, yes, there is the issue of affordability, too.

That is, this Turbo Premium Plus model, with AWD, the top-of-the-line model in the lineup, has an MSRP of $37,150—or some $10,000 less than the average transaction price (ATP) for vehicles out there.

Mazda3: This is a car that has all of that Mazda goodness you’ve heard about. (Image: Mazda)

Of course, the ATP covers vehicles of all configurations and sizes, and while, according to the EPA classification, the Mazda3 is a midsize car, it is on the compact side. (That is, it is 175.6 inches long, 70.7 inches high, 56.7 inches wide, and has a 107.3-inch wheelbase.)

The EPA calculates the categories based on interior volume, with midsize vehicles having from 110 to 119.9 cubic feet of space. The Mazda3 hatch has 92.7 cubic feet of passenger volume and 20.1 cubic feet of cargo volume with the rear seat up, so it comes in at 112.8 cubic feet.

(The 2025 Bentley Flying Spur is also in the EPA midsize category, which just goes to show you that one man’s categorized vehicle is another man’s absurdity.)

The thing is, the Premium Plus package puts things on the outside, like a rear spoiler and front air dam. Yes, the car is quick, but those probably are more trim than hard-working aero elements.

On the inside there are things like leather seats and a solid Bose audio system. The Premium Plus package also increases the size of the infotainment screen on board to 10.25 inches.

The car has a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine.

If you go to the gas station and fill the tank with regular, it produces 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque

If you opt to spend a few bucks more at the pump and go for 93 octane, then it is 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque.

There is a six-speed automatic. Suspension-wise, it is MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar in the front and a torsion beam in the back.

There is also a feature called “SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS:  G-Vectoring Control Plus.” It is as seamlessly tricky as its name is complicated. Essentially, it makes various adjustments—such as to the torque of the engine and the braking of specific wheels—when cornering or simply making lane changes.

This greatly contributes to the aforementioned reputation for ride and handling.

The Mazda3 has it.

Given the performance of the engine and the engineered ride and handling, the Mazda3 is the kind of vehicle that you can drive to work, plodding along with all of the others who are in the same jam you are, but then get a chance to make a quick maneuver that gets you another spot a bit further along.

It is the kind of vehicle that you can take to Costco and load up with Costco-sized products.

It is the kind of vehicle that you can drive on the weekends on a parkway and have fun while you’re going to the place in the park where you’re going to have some out-of-car fun.

It is one of the most enjoyable cars I’ve driven in some time.

//

*As there is the increasing transition to crossovers from cars, here’s hoping that Mazda keeps the Mazda3 in its lineup. It has long offered hatchback and sedan body styles for the Mazda3, again something that I hope continues long into the future.

Aloha, EVs

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By Gary S. Vasilash

Among the many things that you’ve heard/read about Chinese vehicle manufacturers such as BYD and SAIC is something that may not have resonated a whole lot (after all, the amounts of praise that is heaped on the companies, BYD, in particular, for its EV product development approach and consequent products pretty much buries everything else):

They have built their own vehicle-carrying cargo ships.

The BYD Shenzhen is said to be the world’s largest roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier in the world, with a capacity of 9,200 cars.

BYD is certainly vertically integrated, but it seems that this is really taking things to a whole other level.

But there may be something to it that goes beyond just being able to coordinate production with logistics in a way that probably can’t be done as efficiently with a third-party being involved.

Shipping company Matson, which describes itself as providing “a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia, and the South Pacific and premium, expedited service from China to Southern California,” noting, “The company’s fleet of vessels includes containerships, combination container, and roll-on/roll-off ships and barges” has announced that when it comes to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, it is no longer interested.

“Matson has more experience shipping cars for consumers, manufacturers, businesses, and the military than any other carrier in the Pacific.” With experience, presumably, comes knowledge.

And in boldface type on the Matson site there’s this:

No battery-powered electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be transported from any Matson location due to the hazardous material classification of their components.

It is worth knowing that on a per capita basis, Hawaii is third among the 50 states when it comes to EV ownership. This is not going to do much for increasing those numbers.

Given that U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs is up to 145%, odds are there isn’t going to be much in the way of deliveries by the BYD Shenzhen to U.S. ports anytime soon.

But one day they may be ready with a whole lot of capacity.

Introducing the 2026 Hyundai Palisade

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The next generation of the three-row SUV from Hyundai. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The Hyundai Palisade is now, with the 2026 model, in its second generation. The three-row SUV launched in the summer of 2019 as a 2020 model, and over the years has consistently gained plaudits and sales.

One notable thing about three-row SUVs is that they’re more popular than you might imagine.

2026 Hyundai Palisade: Style meets substance. (Images: Hyundai)

According to Hyundai figures, for the first half of 2025 there were 1,394,000 compact SUVs sold, which puts that category head and shoulders above everything else in the mainstream segment.

But three-row SUVs are in second place, at 754,277 vehicles sold.

Entry SUVs come in third, at 717,117.

But in the three-row space that the Palisade competes in there is a variety of choices, whether it is the Ford Explorer or the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, the Honda Pilot or the Toyota Grand Highlander.

In other words, Hyundai designers and engineers had their work cut out for them when they developed the first generation, and arguably even more work for the 2026 model year Palisade.

Premium Approach

When Soomin Choe, Exterior Creative Design Manager, Hyundai Design North America, talks about the development of the new model he repeatedly uses the adjective “premium,” whether he’s referring to the execution of the exterior design or how the interior is architected and adorned.

Another word he uses is “furniture.”

Here’s the thing: the ’26 interior is capacious for those who are housed in it.

The Space

Its interior volume, 181 cubic feet (that’s 161.9 for passengers and 19.1 for cargo behind the third row), is bigger than that of its competitors from Chevy, Kia, Honda, VW, Toyota, Ford, Subaru, Nissan, and Mazda.

So like a modern room, the Palisade includes comfortable seating, storage capacity for the stuff that you have when seated, premium materials on surfaces, and an impressive sound system (14-speaker Bose—which is likely better than what most people who buy three-row SUVs have in their homes.)

Soothing

And speaking of what people have in their homes, often times there are TV commercials for furniture stores touting massaging chairs. The Palisade has got an “Ergo Motion” driver’s seat and the front passenger and the second-row passengers have “relaxation” seating, which means there are powered tilt and recline.

(The third row does have power adjustable seating, but it isn’t to the extent of the other places. It is notable that the third-row seats are heated, which is unusual given that space is often a penalty box in vehicles. They even increased the size of the rear side windows so those in the back have a better view of their surroundings.)

Go the Distance

A word about the powertrain offerings. There is a 287-hp, 3.5-liter V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic. Given the nature of this being a family hauler, which can translate every now and then as “vacation vehicle,” the Palisade can tow up to 5,000 pounds. It is also available with all-wheel drive.

Then there is a hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 258-hp four that is mated with two electric motors that are mounted in the six-speed transmission case that increase the overall propulsion system output to 329 hp. What is particularly interesting about this is that even though this is, as previously mentioned, a large vehicle—199.2 inches long, 78 inches wide, 69.5 inches high, with a 116.9-inch wheelbase—it is going to be providing on the order of 34 mpg. (Let’s say for the sake of argument that someone gets only 30 miles per gallon. It has an 18.2-gallon fuel tank. So let’s posit someone wants to end up with at least 0.2 gallons in the tank. 30 x 18 = 540. That’s a lot of miles on a single tank of fuel.)

The ’26 Palisade comes in seven trims, from the entry SE to the top-of-the-line Calligraphy.

Special Trim

But there is one trim that is particularly interesting.

While the Palisade is certainly a refined vehicle, the Hyundai product planners know that especially in the U.S. market there is a non-trivial number of people who want vehicles that not only look rugged but are capable of performing at levels that suburban sleds can’t.

XRT PRO: Go play in the dirt. (Inside it is still well-appointed.)

So the designers and engineers came up with the XRT PRO model. It has thing like an electronic rear limited-slip differential. There is 8.4 inches of ground clearance as well approach (20.5°), departure (22.4°) and breakover (18.3°) angles that take the ground into account.

There are 18-inch dark-finish alloy wheels and the darkness theme carries through to the exterior trim.

Clearly, with the ’26 Palisade Hyundai is doing all it can to increase its share of the three-row SUV market.

2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite

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Yes, this goes on tough terrain but is still quite pleasant during the daily drive

By Gary S. Vasilash

I was recently watching a TV program set in New Zealand. A detective who was not familiar with the area, asked a local how to get there. She was told it would take a couple days walking. Or she could get a 4×4.

In the next scene she’s driving a Suzuki Jimny—known in the U.S. as the Samurai—through the terrain. It was striking because the Samurai hasn’t been sold in the U.S. since 1995.

If you think about off-roading or at least hard-condition driving Japanese marques, the Nissan Patrol and the Toyota Hilux might come to mind.

Honda Passport TrailSport Elite: tougher than you might expect from Honda. (Images: gsv)

But Honda has always seemed more of an urban/suburban brand, more about Accords and Civics than anything that you’re going to drive over or among boulders.

The first-generation Honda Passport, which was on the market starting in 1993, had off-road credentials. It was a body-on-frame vehicle, some of which were available with a Dana Spicer 44 rear axle. The original Passport was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo.

With time the Passport has undergone changes, including switching to the type of unibody construction that is used by its other products—not just Accords and Civics, but Ridgelines and Pilots.

While it may seem well behind us—or something we’d rather forget—COVID had consequences far beyond masks and Purell.

As people wanted to spend less time close to other people (e.g., think of an airplane), they took to trips by wheels. And as a percentage of those people figured there weren’t enough Lysol Wipes to assure that a hotel room would be sufficiently sanitized, they went to REI and bought gear so they could go to the great out of doors.

As an Accord or Civic wouldn’t necessarily cut it, they went looking for more robust vehicles. There were always various Jeeps. And Ford cleverly brought back the Bronco after 25 years and had a hit on its hands. Other OEMs have followed suit with vehicles that either can or that appear to be able to take to the Great Outdoors.

Honda has seriously entered this space with the 2026 Passport TrailSport.

All you need to do is walk up to the TrailSport and glance at the chunky tires Honda developed with General Tire, 275/60R18s. These tires—the widest and tallest tires on any Honda—clearly are built to take terrain. Cleverly, the valve stems on the wheels are embedded in the wheel structure to protect them.

Overall, the design, with more angles that bring to mind a rectangular shape, which is, as you may not know, good for load distribution and therefore good for strength. Of course the angles are smoothed, so it looks more stylish than structural.

Speaking of structure, they’ve made it substantive in many ways:

  • Compared to the last-gen model, this has a 72% increase in front lateral rigidity
  • A 50% increase in rear torsional rigidity
  • A new front suspension with a 7% increase in lateral stiffness
  • A new rear suspension with an increase in lateral stiffness of 21%

There is a hood scoop on the front which is non-functional. There is a 285-hp V6 under that hood which is fully functional, providing 262 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm.

Note the attention to detail on this pad in the center console.

There is a new all-wheel drive system that includes a rear drive system that provides 40% more torque at launch. This is a torque-vectoring system that can provide up to 70% of the power to the rear and up to 100% left to right.

In addition to the Normal, Econ, Snow, and Sand drive modes that have been available, the 26 TrailSport adds Trail, Sport and Tow modes.

And while on the subject of towing it is worth noting that the vehicle comes with the first factory tow hitch on a Passport, and this is a substantial hitch: it is made with 12.7-mm thick high-strength steel. The hitch is designed with rear recovery points. Front recovery points are integrated into the front skid plate, which is made of 4-mm thick high strength steel, and which protects the engine and 10-speed transmission. There is also a fuel tank skid plate, which is made of 2.8-mm thick high strength steel.

(Geek observation: You might be thinking, “Hmm. . .that hitch is made of 12.7-mm thick high-strength steel and the front skid plate is 4-mm thick and the fuel tank plate 2.8 mm. What gives?” Well, for one thing, the hitch has to take a lot if there’s a trailer on the back. But for the other thing, the high-strength steel for the hitch is measured at 345 MPa and the two skid plates with 590 MPa material—and higher is stronger. This is an example of how Honda engineers put the right material with the right strength in the right places, something that is engineered throughout the vehicle.)

The new Passport is bigger than the pervious model:

  • Wheelbase: 113.6 in. (+2.7 in.)
  • Length: 191.5 in. (+2.4 in.)
  • Width: 79.4 in. (+0.8 in.)
  • Height: 73.1 in. (+0.9 in.)

To accommodate the trails the front overhang is 3.1 inches shorter, and the approach angle is increased, now at 23 degrees. The departure angle is 27.1 degrees.

One of the places the additional length provides a nice benefit is for the second row passengers: the rear seat leg room is 40.9 inches, a 1.3-inch increase.

And speaking of space, doing things in the outdoors requires plenty of equipment. The Passport provides 44 cubic-feet of cargo capacity with the second row up; 83.8 cubic feet if folded down.

While this is a feature that is undoubtedly good for everyone who is going off-road, it is particularly good for those who only occasionally go off road: the TrailWatch system. Put the vehicle in Trail mode, and when under 15 mph there is a forward-view camera that shows what is ahead and is angled such that it shows a section of space the driver otherwise can’t see. (If you’ve ever crested a hill and not known what’s on the other side you know that there is a certain associated anxiety.) There are also TrailWatch top and side views.

But let’s face it: Most Passport TrailSport drivers are going to spend most of their time driving on paved surfaces, in parking lots and through neighborhoods, on surface streets and freeways.

And this brings me back to the Accord and Civic, two vehicles that are absolutely engineered for those environments.

And the TrailSport feels like one of those vehicles when simply going about your daily drives. The Elite trim, with leather all around and a 12-speaker Bose system, and a 12.3-inch center touch screen, and an array of other amenities is something that makes that daily drive as pleasant as all of that aforementioned engineering makes the off-road driving thoroughly manageable.

Maybe a few years from now I will watch a TV show set in New Zealand and the detective will be behind the wheel of a Passport TrailSport.

Here is a Google Map, which, as you can see, is rather busy. (This is not just an issue in Hondas using Google Maps.) The good news is, as you’ll notice, there is Apple CarPlay availability.

Driven to Engineer

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Credit to the folks who help make performance happen. . .

Car designers get a lot of attention, or at least more attention than anyone at OEMs who aren’t top execs.

Engineers—not much at all.

So it is impressive to see that General Motors had three engineers behind the wheels of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, ZR1 and ZR1X at the Nürburgring Nordschleife to put the cars through their paces on the 12.9-mile track.

Vehicle dynamics engineer Drew Cattell took the electrified, AWD 1,250-hp ZR1X out and did the circuit in 6:49.275, making him the fastest non-professional racecar driver to make an officially recorded lap at the track.

Vehicle dynamics engineer Brian Wallace was behind the wheel of the 1,064-hp ZR1 and turned in a time of 6:50.763.

And vehicle performance manager Aaron Link took the 670-hp Corvette Z06 out and did a lap in 7:11.826.

Corvette Z06, ZR1 and ZR1X (back to front) at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany piloted by engineers who helped develop the vehicles. (Image: Chevrolet)

GM President Mark Reuss noted of the accomplishment: “We have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish.”

Reuss added: “These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”

It is worth noting that with the exception of additional safety equipment required to run the Nordschleife these are all U.S. production-spec Corvettes, just like you can get through a Chevy dealer.

However, because the ZR1 and the ZR1X aren’t sold in Europe and the Z06 is a North American variant, the cars are categorized as “Prototypes/Pre-Production Vehicles” for the records.

Credit to all involved, but especially to these engineers that helped make these Corvettes the cars they are.

Tough Times for Porsche

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China cooling on the cars. The U.S. imposing tariffs. Hard to see a silver lining.

By Gary S. Vasilash

Back in the good old days of 2024, the tariffs on vehicles exported to the U.S. from the E.U.—things like Porsches, for example—were 2.5%.

Today the tariff is 27.5%.

Friday (August 1) that is supposed to drop to 15%.

Still: 2.5% to 15%.

To put that in real numbers:

A 2.5% tariff on an $80,000 vehicle is $2,000.

A 15% tariff on an $80,000 vehicle is $12,000.

Even rich people would notice the difference.

Porsche reported that in the first half U.S. tariffs cost the company $400 million euros (~$459 million).

According to Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, there are three factors affecting the company’s business:

“In China, demand in the premium and luxury segment has fallen sharply. In the U.S., import tariffs are also putting huge pressure on our business. Looking ahead, the movement of the dollar could also have an impact. In addition, the transformation to electric mobility is progressing more slowly than expected overall, with consequences for the supplier network.”

And not only the supplier network.

Porsche is undertaking what it calls a “strategic realignment.”

Part of that realignment means it is going to start negotiating with employees, with the objective, says Dr. Jochen Breckner, member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT, “to make Porsche fit for the future.”

Given the present, the future looks like it is going to be less robust than it would have been.

In the first half of 2024 it delivered 155,945 vehicles globally.

In the first half of 2025 it delivered 146,391 vehicles globally.

Roughly a 6% decline.

While Blume’s observation sounds somewhat bland, there is really a lot of sharp edges to it for Porsche (along with other premium German brands).

The China market is increasingly turning more of Chinese brands including BYD and Geely.

The U.S. 15% tariffs are certainly going to cut in the number of Porsches purchased in the U.S. (how many people are going to, say, delay the purchase, hoping that in a few years the number will be reduced?), and the decreased global value of the dollar means it will take more of them to buy something like a 911.

And the “electric mobility is progressing more slowly than expected overall” is something of an understatement.

While you might think that this is an issue only for people with Porsche money, when GM says it took a $1.1-billion hit in Q2 because of the tariffs, this goes throughout the types of consumers.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD

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Don’t be misled by the box on the back. This is far more than just a pickup

By Gary S. Vasilash

The Ford Maverick pickup and the Hyundai Santa Cruz both came out in 2022 and there was an immediate comparison made between the two vehicles because they both have boxes behind the cabin.

But this is a convenient but false comparison.

The Maverick is first and foremost a truck, a truck in more of the classic sense of being utility-first and everything else gravy.

The Santa Cruz is described by its marketers as a “Sport Adventure Vehicle.” And while no one outside of a Hyundai dealership is likely to describe the Santa Cruz as such, in one regard that is more accurate than calling it a compact pickup truck.

You may recall that when BMW launched its X3 SUV it didn’t want to merely call it an “SUV” because it is, after all, a BMW. So it coined the term “Sports Activity Vehicle.” Which, of course, hasn’t had a whole lot of resonance.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD: Style meets substance. (Images: Hyundai)

But the SAV that is the Santa Cruz is in someways closer to the SAV that is the X3 in that the Santa Cruz, certainly, is more like an SUV with a bed on the back than it is like the Maverick, which is like a “Honey, I Shrunk the F-150.”

The level of sophistication in the cabin of the Santa Cruz is simply in a completely different space than the DIY nature of the Maverick.

And while they both have beds, the Maverick’s is not only bigger (54.4 inches long vs. 52.1 inches; 20.3 inches deep versus 19.2 inches; 53.9 inches maximum width versus 53.3 inches; 33.3 cubic feet of volume versus 27 cubic feet), but it simply seems like the sort of thing you’d fill with landscaping material while the Santa Cruz would be more about mountain bikes.

It is a difference between utility and, well, weekend, low-impact adventure.

If there is any product in the Ford lineup that the Santa Cruz resembles, it is the Explorer Sport Trac, which had a run from 2000 to 2010: essentially a four-door Explorer with a box on the back. It was more Explorer than Ranger or F-150.

The Santa Cruz is like a Tucson with a box on the back.

When the refreshed Santa Cruz was revealed last year, José Muñoz, then-president and Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America (he has since become president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company), said, “The development goal for freshening Santa Cruz was to give it an even bolder, stronger design.”

While I agree with the “bolder,” I would quibble with the “stronger,” at least in the context of a vehicle with a box on the back. Usually when “stronger” is used in relation to truck-like vehicles, that means “boxier,” and the style of the front end of the Santa Cruz (or any Hyundai vehicle, for that matter, even the Class 8 Xcient tractor) doesn’t bring a T-square to mind. Rather, with it’s B-LED projector headlamps and LED daytime running lights it looks completely contemporary.

(There are also LED taillights, and LED cargo light on the rear edge of the roof, and LED bed lighting. This vehicle probably has more LEDs than most people have in their houses.)

The Limited is powered by a 281-hp 2.5L direct-injected turbocharged engine. There is an eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). This vehicle can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Inside there are such things as a powered 8-way driver seat and 6-way for the front passenger; both are heated and ventilated. There are leather surfaces on the seats. There is leather for the steering wheel and the shift knob.

That circle on the black rectagular surface is something you ordinarily don’t see in vehicles. It is a biometric interface: just like on smartphones, it is a fingerprint recognition system that allows the Santa Cruz to be started and it also loads the profile preferences for the person who is identified.

There is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster (i.e., what’s in front of the driver, with the speedometer, for example) and a 12.3-inch infotainment touch screen with the now-obligatory wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Bose premium audio. Plenty of USB-C ports. Wireless charging.

There is Hyundai Digital Key 2 Touch, which allows a phone to be used in lieu of the fob.

There is even a fingerprint authentication system that allows a fingerprint to unlock the vehicle, start it, and load driver profiles.

There is BlueLink+ a connected vehicle service (remote start; lock-unlock; emergency assistance; etc.) that is. . .subscription free.

The point is, yes, the Santa Cruz may be truck-like because of the bed on the back, but it has contemporaneous amenities and style such that it really might make someone refer to it as a “Sport Adventure Vehicle.”

How Often Do You Think About Your Chassis?

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Probably—unless there is something amiss—never. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Odds are, unless there is a problem with your suspension system like one corner of the vehicle sagging to a surprising degree or continued bouncing long after the pothole has been hit, you probably don’t think much about it.

So it is probably a good thing that there are companies like ZF that do. Otherwise there could be serious problems—dare I say?—down the road.

ZF has developed what it calls its “next-generation* Smart Chassis Sensor.”

This unit fits into a ball joint in the control arm.

“Next Generation Smart Chassis Sensor”: seems like a straightforward integration that results in useful information. (Image: ZF)

Consequently, it is able to measure a number of factors related to the vehicle, some to help ensure the ride as is as smooth as it can be, some that are unexpected.

For example, if a tire has been changed and the lug nuts aren’t sufficiently tight, it can detect that and send an alert to the driver.

Or if the vehicle is at the local landscaping supply store and being loaded with those decorative rocks, it can determine whether the vehicle is being overloaded.

(Apparently this load-detection capability is good for electric vehicle drivers in that it can provide more accuracy regarding when it is going to be necessary to get a recharge.)

ZF says the sensor system can even provide an assessment of “Chassis Health,” providing alerts when maintenance or repair is required.

Of course, this is the sort of thing that must be specified in a vehicle during development, not the sort of thing you have your local repair shop integrate into your vehicle.

Here’s hoping some chassis engineers look at the functionality and capabilities of this unit.

==

*A few weeks ago ZF introduced the Smart Chassis Sensor. Already there’s another, this enhanced with the integration of an accelerometer. Certainly not the rate of development more common in automotive, which tends to be measured in months, not weeks.

2025 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD, Woodland Edition

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The question is: why wouldn’t you if you transport people and their stuff?

By Gary S. Vasilash

I once owned a Toyota Tercel. A subcompact. A vehicle that was as stylish as a pair of orthopedic shoes.

There were three reasons why I had the Tercel:

  1. I needed a car to get to work
  2. I could afford it
  3. It was available

All of those reasons are fairly pragmatic, more about needs than desires.

On Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Tercel was at the base level. It was far from the Self-Actualization that many people imagine they achieve when buying a vehicle.

But is that the case? Really?

Sure, we all like to have something that reflects who we think we are, which explains why we buy particular shoes (ideally not orthopedic) or phone. Those objects send a message to those we encounter. But arguably, unless those objects are rather egregious—like wearing clown shoes or using a Jitterbug phone years before AARP membership kicks in—odds are there is less of a message being sent than we would like to imagine.

Which brings me to the Toyota Sienna XLE AWD minivan.

Suddenly the word “minivan” causes in some people a reflexive reaction like what happens when a doctor taps your knee with a little hammer: you can’t stop it.

But unlike that reflex, which physiologically occurs without involving the brain (the reaction goes straight through the spinal cord), the reaction to “minivan” is a social construct.

“I’m not a minivan person” or “I just wouldn’t feel right driving a minivan” or “What would it say about my sexuality if I was behind the wheel of a minivan?”

OK. No one says the last one out loud. But that’s what plenty of people are thinking.

For some reason, when people are buying a crossover or SUV, none of those things arise.

They do have to run some quick calculations like why I needed that Tercel. What’s more, they have to determine whether there is the sort of functionality that they will need. Toyota, for example, has 11 crossovers and SUVs to choose from, each with its own suite of specs. If you have multiple family members a Sequoia will work in a way that a RAV4 doesn’t. If there are just a few of you, the RAV4 works in a way that the Sequoia would be just overkill.

So there are at least a couple of proverbial back-of-the-envelope decisions that need to be made in terms of what the vehicle can do to meet your needs: how many people might you want to bring along with you; how much stuff do you generally carry of a nature that a pickup truck wouldn’t be right for?

So let’s take the stuff part of the equation.

The Toyota Sienna minivan offers 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet with the third folded, and 101 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.

While those numbers may not mean a whole lot, know that they translate into Big, Bigger, Biggest.

Toyota Sienna Woodland: yes, you don’t need an SUV to do things like this. (Image: Toyota)

And if that isn’t enough and you need to pack a U-Haul trailer, the Sienna offers 3,500 pounds of towing capacity.

Or what about people?

Depending on the seating configuration selected, it is either seven or eight people.

And the thing to know about that is that these people are all going to feel comfortable, not as though they are occupants of the proverbial sardine can.

The functionality of the configuration of the minivan’s architecture is simply more package-efficient than an SUV (or sedan, for that matter).

“Oh, but a minivan isn’t stylish,” comes the knee-jerk reaction.

It’s not like the people at Toyota’s Calty design studio in Newport Beach aren’t aware of that objection, so they’ve added style to the substance of the vehicle.

One of the notable characteristics of the Sienna is that it is now, in all trim levels and packages, a hybrid. There is a 189-hp four-cylinder engine. There is an electric motor up front. And in the AWD version (yes, AWD—just like in some SUVs!), another in the rear.

All told the propulsion system provides 245 hp.

But the impressive part of this is that on the AWD model, like the one driven here, the combined city/highway fuel economy is 35 mpg.

And the beauty of that is that with the 18-gallon tank you can achieve a theoretical 630 miles before you need a fill up, but even if you use 17 gallons to be on the safe side, it is still 595 miles.

If the average American drives 37 miles per day, then the Sienna can be driven for more than two weeks without visiting a gas station. And once there, only regular gas is required.

I drove the Sienna from Detroit to Traverse City (255 miles) and back, putting on freeway miles as well as slow city miles (Traverse City is increasingly popular). And I got the 35 mpg without a problem and it was in the Normal mode throughout (there are also Eco, Sport and EV modes, with the first eking out all the energy it can, so this is a bit on the slow side; Sport amps things up, but let’s face it: this is a minivan; EV is a short spurt of low-speed all-electric driving: this isn’t a plug-in hybrid).

The Woodland trim driven here includes a smidge more ground clearance (it is 6.9 inches rather than the 6.3 inches of other trims).  There are 18-inch six-spoke dark wheels and black roof rails on the outside. There are themed floor mats and things like a 12-speaker JBL audio system on the inside.

And there is an abundance of the types of things one would expect on a vehicle that you’re going to be spending plenty of time in (from the 12.3-inch screen to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; four-zone climate control), as well as things that add to the overall utility (e.g., being able to open the sliding doors by putting your foot beneath it is a nice function). Of course, there is an array of safety tech bundled into Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, etc.).

If there is any stigma associated with the Sienna minivan it is one of simply being smart. Which isn’t a bad thing.

The Tercel did the job for me. The Sienna could certainly do it for those who are looking for efficiency, capability, capacity, and, yes, soupçon of style.

Massaging Seat Innovation Announced

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Long drives can cause muscle tightness. Even short drives (e.g., to the endodontist) can create knots. This seat can handle them. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Adient—which designs, engineers and manufactures automotive seating—has developed a mechanical massage device that’s embedded in automotive seats.

While there are pneumatic systems available on some vehicles, according to Adient the mechanical approach “precisely simulates professional kneading techniques, delivering much stronger effects in relieving occupant fatigue than traditional pneumatic massage solutions.”

Having experienced my share of the pneumatic executions, I imagine this really has to be a robust approach to working out those knots.

However, the system allows for the adjustment of strengths and modes—the actuators are programmed using approaches associated with Western fascia therapy and traditional Chinese medical philosophy to address back and lumbar issues.

Location of the mechanical actuators in the seat that provides massage capabilities. (Image: Adient)

It is, of course, capable of receiving over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The packaging of the 3D massage module is such that seat heating and ventilating systems can be used in the seat, as well.

The mechanical massage seating has been launched in the GAC-Trumpchi M8, a three-row luxury minivan.

Apparently there will be deployments in other mid- to high-end Chinese vehicles.

Adient says the massage seat is “getting attention” in both the Americas and Europe.

Editorial observation:

Given that Adient’s global headquarters is in Plymouth, Michigan, less than an hour’s drive from GM, Ford and Stellantis North America headquarters, one would hope that there is more than “attention” for this interesting innovation.