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2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport

2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport Adventure and Youth Distilled to an even stronger Love By Kevin Joostema, Partner, Car-ED.com | September 2020 Subaru has developed two new trims for the high volume Crosstrek 2021 model year: the Sport and the Limited. Both models share the introduction of the larger and more powerful 2.5-liter direct-injection SUBARU BOXER engine to the Crosstrek family. While the Limited comes with upgraded 18-inch wheels and everything but the kitchen sink, it is the Sport model that keeps you falling in love with Subaru as a brand, yet again. The Sport contains the core elements of the great Crosstrek but in a distilled, more concentrated, manner. What is this vehicle? These distilled elements start with the fact that the Crosstrek is more a true SUV than the newer competitor crossovers being introduced in this compact vehicle category. With segment leading ground clearance of 8.7 inches and the standard, symmetrical 4 Wheel Drive of Subaru (versus All Wheel Drive systems of competitors), it is an SUV, not a crossover with SUV styling. The Sport model elements that are distilled to a stronger statement begin on the exterior. It has a unique gun metal color scheme on exterior parts – starting with the grille design, a new and exclusive 17-inch wheel design with gun metal (gray) color, and the side mirrors and the badging. The front bumpers are beefier in look while the [...]

2020-09-18T11:55:46-04:00Sep 2020|Car Reviews, News, Research|

First Impressions: Lexus RX 350L

2018 Lexus RX 350L Does an extra row of seats make for a better Lexus SUV? By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor, Car-ED.com | July 2018 What is this vehicle? The 2018 Lexus RX 350L is a bigger and roomier version of the Japanese luxury brand's popular SUV. Stretching roughly four inches longer than the standard five-passenger RX, the 350L variant offers the convenience and utility of a standard third-row seat. In total, there is now room for seven people, though anyone sitting in the back had better be of modest proportions. Where the RX scores a homerun is with its ride comfort and cabin quietness. This Lexus sport-utility is tuned to take the stress out of every drive, though sometimes all the extra coddling starts to sap the fun out of the driving dynamics. Even when toggling the adjustable drive mode selector to its sportiest setting, the RX 350L remains a serene environment. Everything from the feel of the door handles, to the muted sound of the exhaust seems to have an extra layer of isolation. If you need to get places and enjoy feeling like you're traveling on a cloud, however, this three-row Lexus could be your dream machine. Who is this vehicle for? The Lexus RX 350L is aimed primarily at SUV shoppers who might have overlooked the RX, simply because it never offered an extra row of seating. The second-row [...]

2018-07-31T15:25:43-04:00Jul 2018|Car Reviews|

2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Returning some sparkle to the triple-diamond By Randy Lioz, Editor, Car-ED.com | June 2018 The compact utility segment–with well-known entries like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape–is the best-selling in the industry, having leap-frogged the sedan segments as the family car of record for Americans. Mitsubishi wants to use its new entry in the segment as a basis for its climb back to relevance with U.S. consumers. The brand has had a tough slog, with a 10-year decline from 2002 to 2012, which saw the brand lose 83% of its sales volume. Over the past five years the tri-diamond has been growing, with 2017's sales nearly 80% above that of 2012. Nearly all of that increase has been owed to the brand's two existing crossovers, the Outlander and Outlander Sport. But to really kick up the momentum, and to introduce its new sense of design flair, Mitsubishi has resurrected the Eclipse name for a utility vehicle that tries to offer a distinct sense of sportiness in a field of crossovers that's more focused on utility and efficiency. What is this vehicle? The Eclipse Cross actually occupies the space in between the compact and subcompact segments, though Mitsubishi is positioning the vehicle against the compacts of the world. Its wheelbase and width suggest a vehicle right in the thick of competitors like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, but its [...]

2018-06-15T00:50:28-04:00Jun 2018|Car Reviews|

2018 Nissan Kicks

2018 Nissan Kicks Nissan’s smallest SUV joins the car world’s biggest craze. By Nick Kurczewski, Car-ED.com | June 2018 Small SUVs are the next big thing in the car world, and automakers are rapidly adding more of them to their lineups. The 2018 Nissan Kicks joins in as the latest entry in this growing range of subcompact SUVs, which includes similarly brand-new models like the Ford EcoSport and Hyundai Kona. More established competition in this segment – which Nissan expects to more than double in sales volume over the next 3-4 years – includes the Kia Soul, Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V and Toyota CH-R. What is this vehicle? In terms of its size, the Kicks is right in the thick of its competition. The Nissan stretches 169.1 inches in total length, making it slightly larger than the Kia Soul (163 inches long), a bit smaller than the Toyota CH-R (171.7 inches), and the exact same length as the Honda HR-V (169.1 inches). Helping the 2018 Kicks stand out from the crowd is an aggressively low starting price of $18,965, including the $995 destination fee. A fully-loaded Kicks SR, such as the one we recently test drove in San Diego, California, still came with an affordable as-tested price of $22,025. Our test car included features such as a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android compatibility, blind spot monitors, surround-view camera, rear cross-traffic warning, leather-wrapped [...]

2018-06-12T22:58:38-04:00Jun 2018|Car Reviews|
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