Daily Drivers : Car Reviews And News

Yesterday we talked about Ford confirming the end of the road for all its cars save the Mustang and the Focus Active – which really is just a small crossover. Some new details are floating around now that put dates on when the cars will leave end production for the US.

With sales of traditional sedans and coupes continuing to fall here in the US, it may come as no surprise that Ford is making some big changes. The automaker has announced that it will be axing all cars here in the states, except the strong selling, iconic Mustang.

While the current generation Toyota Avalon is a very nice car indeed, frankly it’s a bit dull. Sure, it’s smooth and quiet, but with its average buyer being in the mid-60s, it’s never really been designed to thrill.

Back in March, I talked about a rumor going around that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 would be getting a healthy power bump to keep fans happy. What we heard was that the 2.0L Skyactiv-G engine would be going from 155 hp to 181 hp.

For those who read my reviews regularly, which is probably just my wife and my parents, you’ll know I have enjoyed almost every Audi sedan I’ve driven. I even had the fortune of spending a week in the Audi R8 V10 Plus, which was my all-time favorite car I’ve reviewed.

One of Ford’s most popular cars is the Focus, which has been sold around the world for a long time now. The current Focus is a bit long in the tooth, and Ford has an all-new version of the compact car in the works.

Despite the wild popularity of the RAV4, Toyota’s versatile mid-size SUV hasn’t had a complete redesign in six years. Well, 2019 changes all that, with the release of an all-new RAV4 that not only looks completely different, but rides on a brand new platform.

The first time I laid eyes on the Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe at last year’s Chicago Auto Show, I absolutely fell in love with the styling of this elegant vehicle, both inside and out. From its muscular and confident stance, to its dramatic faceted grille, the E400 just exudes substance and power from every angle.

LYNK & CO, a new subsidiary of Volvo-owning Geely, is ready to launch in Europe after a successful introduction in China. The vehicle they’re bringing to market first in Europe will be the 02 crossover recently revealed in Amsterdam.

Subaru has unveiled the all-new 2019 Forester, and fans of the sensible SUV will like what Subaru has cooked up. The new Forester gets a new 2.5L Boxer four that makes 182 hp and 176 lb-ft.

What started life as the Scion iM, and then later rebadged as the Toyota Corolla iM is getting a well-deserved do-over as it bids adieu to its shaky start and becomes a proper Corolla hatchback for 2019.

I’ve become quite a fan of Volkswagen in recent months, after buying my first German car in the form of a new VW Alltrack a few months back. The build and ride quality of these cars is fantastic compared to the Ford and Nissan vehicles I owned in the past.

We are two years away from 2020, and despite what we thought when we were kids, we’re nowhere close to flying cars, or even Back to the Future-like hoverboards. The Cubs did win the World Series, so the future doesn’t seem that far-fetched any longer.

A few months back, I spent a day or so driving the new Toyota Camry lineup, and overall was very impressed with the progress that Toyota has made in turning its trusty sedan into a truly desirable car.

Despite their growing availability, many people still feel that plug-in hybrids are a waste of resources and money, a sentiment that automakers like Kia are working hard to to amend. Unassuming from head to tail, and stuffed with all manner of “Eco-minded” engineering, the Optima PHEV plays Korean counterpart to Hyundai’s Sonata plug-in, both of which come powered and packaged in a very similar manner.