The 2018 Mini Countryman is a compact crossover that adapts the automaker’s shape into a bigger body. It’s newly available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is the automaker’s first. We give the Mini Countryman a 6.6 on our overall scale thanks to plentiful features and good style. The plug-in hybrid would do better thanks to its…

The 2018 Kia Optima Hybrid is a mid-size sedan with all the right moves. On top of its safe package (its crash-test scorecard is spotless) and relatively handsome looks, a fuel-efficient powertrain is subbed in for fewer trips to gas stations. For those reasons, the 2018 Optima Hybrid earns a heady 7.3 overall score on our scale, reflective of its…

If you remember the very first days of Lexus, you remember the clever ads: the champagne glasses on the hood of the car, the ball bearing rolling down its hood, the “relentless pursuit of perfection.” Forget it all. Now Lexus is chasing after world-class luxury and performance with big power, great handling, and outrageous styling. It…

The 2018 Infiniti Q50 is the automaker’s most popular vehicle and returns this year after a modest restyling and reshuffling of its trim levels. The major changes include new front and rear fascias, some light, stylish interior refinements, and a reshuffled trim lineup. These changes are enough to score a 7.0 out of 10 on our overall scale…

The 2018 Toyota Prius C remains the least expensive hybrid from the company that’s made more hybrids than any other. Now in its seventh and perhaps last year, the 2018 Prius C is a compact hatchback that’s the smallest of the four-car Prius lineup. For 2018, it gets some minor styling tweaks after a more comprehensive front and rear…

The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu is a solid contender in the crowded mid-size sedan class. It stands out for its attractive styling, refined demeanor, and efficient hybrid powertrain, but we wish that its high-tech safety equipment didn’t require ponying up quite so much cash for a loaded model. Overall, we’ve assigned it a 7.0 out of 10…

The 2018 Chevrolet Volt is a dual-personality compact five-door hatchback that can be driven solely on electric power for typical day-to-day driving—but it also offers the backup of a gasoline motor for long-distance trips. It was the pioneer extended-range electric car, a vehicle that eliminates range anxiety associated with, say, the…

These days BMW leaves no stone unturned, yet the 2018 BMW 3-Series is still its rock. The automaker seemingly makes a model for every imaginable mood, and the 3er’s starting to feel tired to us. It earns a respectable 6.7 out of 10 on our overall scale. Its style, tech, and execution are outclassed by competitors from Mercedes and Audi, but…

The 2018 BMW 7-Series is excellence hiding in plain sight. The flagship sedan from BMW may be lost among the company’s growing number of crossovers, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. The 7-Series features the automaker’s most advanced construction, its most powerful or most efficient engine, and the latest technology. It earns a…

Most will see a mid-size luxury sedan, but the 2018 BMW 5-Series is more than that. Aside from the hardware that powers the car, helps drive the car, and is the car, the new 5-Series is more about what you don’t see. It’s one of BMW’s most advanced vehicles. It can park itself without a driver, take pictures of its own surroundings without a…