Family Car guides

Mercedes is changing the formula for the performance end of its A-Class range, which will now feature two models: a hot A35, which was just revealed, and an even hotter A45 we don’t yet know very much about. But why wait for the A45 when this A35 is already a very enticing premium hot hatch with a unique look and strong performance?

The A35 has over 300 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque, and all-wheel drive to enable it to hurl itself from naught to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. Its top speed is electronically pegged at 155 mph, but if other similar cars with comparable power numbers are anything to go by, it should nudge 170 mph when unrestricted.

It also looks quite appealing, I think, with its aggressive bumpers, side skirts, and rear spoiler. Inside, it’s been spruced up with sports seats, yellow details, and a flat bottom steering wheel to leave you in no doubt that it is a performance-oriented car.

Not everything about it is perfect, though; here are ten must-know facts about it you should be aware of.

At its Charged Event in Northern California, Audi revealed its first all-electric SUV - the 2020 Audi E-Tron. As the newest electric vehicle on the market, the Audi E-Tron brought a wealth of new equipment, and some of it is truly cutting edge. Among the latest invasion of electric SUVs (the EQ C, the I-Pace, the iX3), the Audi E-Tron, despite its conservative appearance, surprisingly seems to be the most advanced of the lot. I will list here 15 facts and features that make the newest Audi electric SUV the most advanced, and possibly the most appealing, electric SUV on the market.

Mercedes-Benz is going on an all-out SUV onslaught. Not only did it reveal the fascinating 2020 EQC electric SUV only a week ago, but now, the company is showing us the first photographs and revealing facts about the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE - a mid-sized luxury SUV that evolved all the way from 1997 when Mercedes-Benz started the trend with the ML. Honestly, I liked the ML name the most, and I’d prefer if that name remained the official designation for the car. Nevertheless, I made my peace with the GLE and now, I find the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE to be the best ML yet. As with every Mercedes-Benz, even before the company unveils the new car, we all have certain expectations. First, it has to be cutting edge in some sense. Secondly, it has to look appealing. Thirdly, it has to pack technology like no other similar car on earth.

This is a living hell for Mercedes-Benz engineers as the whole world has basically the same expectations. Yet, they deliver. Like every single time.

I compiled here a list of reasons that tell you why everyone should be amazed by the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE, a car so advanced that only five years ago we’d probably think it’s a piece of alien technology. Be it Borg, Worlon, or Mon Calamari.

Before Mercedes-Benz officially pulls the sheets off it at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, learn here about many extraordinary features of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz ML. Sorry, I meant the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE. An honest mistake.

Mercedes is finally here with its trump card in the electric crossover segment – the Mercedes-Benz EQC. On 4 September, when the whole world was excited to witness the launch of this beast, there was one particular nervous face as well - the face that has been dominating the e-crossover market for quite some time now – The Tesla Model X. It was natural for the Model X to be threatened by a car which has a name that stands for ‘Electric Intelligence’. The king of the jungle finally has stiff competition (no offense, Jaguar lovers! the I-Pace is good too) in terms of looks, practicality, and performance. How can we not compare the two? Tesla’s days of bullying the kids in this segment seem to be nearing its end.

Luxury cars are appealing for those who want to showcase their lots in life. But just because there’s appeal in riding in class and elegance, that doesn’t mean the second-hand market has been good for models in this segment. There are a number of reasons why luxury cars don’t break the bank on the used-car market, and one of those reasons revolves around crossovers, SUVs, and even pickup trucks. Luxury cars, especially of the sedan persuasion, have lost their appeal because consumers these days have flocked towards more versatile vehicles, whether its’ an SUV, pickup, or in the case of the cars below, affordable sedans, hatchbacks, and hybrids. An unexpected paradigm shift is another reason.

The idea of what a luxury car is has eroded because customers’ tastes aren’t what they used to be. Not a lot of people are as interested in the bespoke materials inside a car or how fast it is from 0 to 60 mph. What matters these days is a sprinkling of all those things in one versatile package. Combine all that with cheaper costs in the second-hand market and lower maintenance costs upon ownership, and you get the picture why second-hand luxury cars aren’t as appealing as they used to be, and why the cars below have become the fastest-selling models in the used-car market.

The Mercedes-Benz EQC against anything Tesla.

Tesla is not all though. The EQC will enter the ring against the I-Pace, against the Audi E-tron Quattro, and against the upcoming BMW iX3. That is the playground for the expensive, yet, it seems, highly popular electric SUVs. Can’t even imagine what kind of bloodshed we should expect to see in the near future. Regardless of this, these are the most important facts about the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Like most mainstream automakers, Mercedes has been working on an all-electric drivertrain for more than a decade now. However, the Germans joined the market relatively late, with its first production model, the B-Class Electric Drive, being introduced in 2014. Four years later and Mercedes has finally rolled out its first fully independent EV built on a stand-alone platform. It’s called the EQC, and it’s part of the company’s new EQ brand for electric vehicles.

The EQC joins a rather tight niche of all-electric crossovers, with competitors including the Tesla Model X, Jaguar I-Pace, and the upcoming BMW iX3. The Model X is already dominating the segment, but the I-Pace is also new to the market. With the EQC set to go on sale in 2019, it’s the right time to compare it against it’s most important rivals. This time around, we’re looking at its European counterpart, the Jaguar I-Pace. Let’s find out how the two compare in terms of design, technology, and drivetrain below.

The Mercedes EQC was finally unveiled by Mercedes-Benz, and while it does share a number of styling cues with its concept counterpart, the Generation EQ Concept, you’re not going to mistake one for the other. That’s to be expected; the concept still looks far more dynamic than the production model. The latter, on the other hand, looks a lot more like what you’d expect from a production version. It looks safe, conservative, and, well, it’s not as visually arresting as we hoped it would be.

Used luxury sedans with price figures that don’t reach $40,000 provide value for money, at least if you know where to look. Don’t do your homework on the subject and you could wind up spending more than you thought on a clunker. But if you know what you’re getting yourself into, used versions of models like the 2018 Infiniti Q70, 2018 Mercedes E-Class, and 2018 Audi A7 can be yours at prices that suit your budget and financial well-being. There are nine cars on this list, each offering qualities that make them good choices. Some models have posh interiors; some have massive cargo spaces. Then there are those that have power and those that have edge-of-your-seat driving dynamics. All that matters is you know what you want, and you’re prepared to spend on it.

I am presenting you 5 Affordable SUVs worth considering from a crazy, overfilled segment with more contenders than we can count. With the SUVs taking over the market at an unprecedented pace, I am pressed to find nice affordable SUVs you should actually consider before your next purchase.

No, I did not focus only on the cheapest, smallest or the best equipped - I actually tried to find some balance between the size, image, power output, and price. What I’ve found out is that quite a lot of rather formidable SUVs fall in the price category between $25,000 and $30,000. I picked out five of the SUVs that will be fast enough, that won’t break the bank, that have enough room inside, yet aren’t oddballs.

True, nothing surprising is on the list, but that may be just a sign that these five vehicles simply tick the most boxes of interest when it comes to new SUVs.

What is a sleeper?

If you asked me, I’d say that a sleeper is an ordinary looking car with some extraordinary capabilities. Something like the BMW M5 E39, or the Ford Taurus SHO. You know, a car you simply can’t imagine having spirited performance because of its regular looks that do not hint at anything adventuristic. Well, I think that these kinds of cars are special and somehow far more appealing than proper sports machines. That is actually where I found my undying love for sedans and cars in general. Now, apart from sporty sedans, today we have awesome wagons and incredible SUVs.

Over the years, manufacturers showcased numerous iterations of cars that got that sleeper title, but now I am giving you thirteen awesome sleepers which were available only some years back, or are available right now. We have here a Lincoln, a Ford, a Jeep and even a Honda. Let’s start with a Cadillac though. Not the CTS-V, mind you.

Starting a car company is like trying to reinvent the wheel. In other words, it’s almost impossible. It all comes down to offering something no one has offered before and making a marketing campaign so massive it would leave Coca-Cola PRs impressed. Pagani survived thanks to its exceptionally expensive and detailed cars, Tesla offered the first appealing electric cars, while Rimac is still fighting its way in the world of cars without actually producing any (except for some hypercars).

Rimac is developing tech, and things could stay at that. However, we have a newcomer to the world of cars. It is from China and in its first three years among the living it is doing well. At least considering what we can see on the surface.

Lynk & Co was launched as a new company by Zhejiang Geely Holding in 2015. These people own Volvo and are actually sharing Volvo technology with all the cars produced under the Lynk & Co name. While this is a formidable alliance, it is not in itself the most important fact about Lynk & Co. As reported right at the get-go, Lynk & Co cars will be the most connected cars on earth, and they will all offer a special subscription service that releases its users from any hurdles of car ownership.

In essence, like TopGear and many others have reported - Lynk & Co is the Netflix of cars. You subscribe to it via monthly payments and choose a car of your liking. You do not buy, own, maintain, insure, register or take care of anything except for driving. Lynk & Co will do it all for you.

Earlier this year, Ford announced that it will discontinue most of its cars in the U.S. to expand its crossover lineup. The company has already confirmed that it will revive the Bronco and that it will also offer a smaller, boxier SUV based on the Focus. Word has it that Ford is also planning to build a subcompact truck on the same underpinnings and it could be called the Ranchero.

If this happens, the iconic nameplate will return to the U.S. market after more than 40 years. There’s no official info as to when this will happen, but sources "familiar with Ford’s future product plan," as unveiled by Automobile Magazine in July 2018, said the truck could arrive as early as 2022, and that it could be produced in Mexico.

With the Ranchero likely to make a comeback soon, we decided to take a closer look at the iconic truck that was built between 1957 to 1979.

Continue reading for the full story.

From hatches to muscles, cars of all shapes and sizes are adopting green technology. Whether autonomous cars will become a reality or not is a different question; electric cars are the future. Even though the ‘EV’ cars were introduced barely a decade ago, the kind of transformation and innovations we’ve seen in the last couple of years makes the whole thing look like a yesteryear concept. In this article, we’ve listed out the ten most fuel-efficient vehicles.

But before that, let’s just put the basic questions to rest once-in-for-all: the difference between EV, Hybrid, and Plug-in Hybrid - an electric vehicle is the one that runs solely on electric power. You don’t have a combustion engine here whatsoever. A hybrid engine is the one where the car will charge its own batteries on the run with the gasoline engine. As for the plug-in hybrids, the car can be plugged into electricity points to charge the batteries. Now that we have clarified the obvious and bored you enough, let’s move on to the heart of the article.

I remember when one of the American automotive publications revealed the first pictures of the latest Passat destined for the European market. Some of the first comments under the post were along the lines of “Why don’t we get something like this?; We have garbage, this is the Passat we need! Why is Volkswagen doing this to us?”

Well, Volkswagen listened closely, and while they couldn’t bring the European Passat to the U.S., it did something even better. It brought the new Arteon which is, by all counts, a better looking, coupe-like saloon. Revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in its U.S. guise, the Arteon seems like the ultimate expression of what Volkswagen stands for right now. It is, aside from the new Touareg (awesome SUV, I must add), the flagship of Volkswagen combining technology one may usually find on upper-scale Audi vehicles.

Yet, it will not be cheap. At all. Volkswagen has yet to disclose pricing, but some suggest it will start at $35,000-$40,000, just like the CC. Yet, the one you would really like will probably set you back closer to $50,000.

Regardless of this, I can list at least five reasons why the new Arteon may vivify Volkswagen in the U.S.

I read a lot of Bronco stuff in my research for this article and let me tell you right away that we are in for the ride of our lives. Ford has some balls and, if we are lucky, it will probably give us just what we wanted - a retro looking 2020 Ford Bronco with live axles, three doors, a cool “no-roof” mechanism, a modern engine, and a freaking spare tire slapped at the back. A gazillion rumors have surfaced over the past few years about the new Bronco, but the last teaser picture revealed a lot.

The Bronco always was a cool vehicle. All the way from 1966, but it wasn’t until that OJ Simpson situation that it reached the status of an automotive icon like no other. Interestingly enough, we’ve had to wait a quarter of a century for Ford to reveal an all-new Bronco, a vehicle that will be a staple of American off-roading culture and the first one in a long time to attack the likes of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

This is what we know about the 2020 Ford Bronco.

There are no clear favorites when choosing the best all-wheel-drive sedan under $35,000. The important thing to remember here is to know what your preferences are. The Ford Fusion SE ($23,500), for example, is regarded for having a good amount of interior space to go with one of the most spacious trunk spaces — 16 cubic feet — among all sedans in its class. It also has a fuel economy rating of 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. If you’re not particularly into cavernous trunk spaces and instead prefer sedans that are known for their power and handling, the two Subarus could be in your future. The WRX ($26,995) has the most powerful base engine — a turbo-four unit that produces 268 horsepower — of its class, and while its fuel economy ratings aren’t anything to write about — 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway — it’s still regarded as one of the most dynamic cars in its class to drive.

The Subaru Legacy ($22,195), on the other hand, doesn’t have as powerful of an engine as the WRX. It’s 175-horsepower, four-cylinder unit is uninspiring compared to the WRX, but that’s likely a product of the Legacy sitting below its fellow Subie on the automaker’s totem pole. Still, the Legacy has a pretty spacious interior and returns one of the best fuel economy ratings among all models in its segment at 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Then there’s the Kia Stinger ($31,900), a car many people consider as one of the future stars of its segment. Maybe it’s a byproduct of the Stinger being a new model that still gives it a fresh odor among buyers, but a big part of the Stinger’s appeal rests on its all-around quality. This model really is a star-in-the-making. Even with just the base version, you’re already getting a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 255 horsepower at its disposal. Combine that with its own large cargo area — a whopping 23.3 cubic feet of space — and an engaging and athletic drive that’s pure fun for all of us, and it’s no wonder why the Stinger is one of the most sought-after all-wheel-drive models in the market today. All that despite the sedan only returning an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Four models in and the choices are about to get more difficult once you bring in Germany’s finest into the fold. The Audi A3 Premium and the Mercedes CLA 250 4Matic may be visitors from the Old Continent, but you’re going to quickly realize how at-home they make you feel once you get either one of them. The A3 Premium ($31,950) is one of the cheapest compact luxury cars on the market. In fact, the difference in price between the Stinger and the A3 Premium is a measly $50. As promising as the Stinger is, there’s a big population of people who will prefer an established model over an upstart. The A3 Premium is the base unit of the family, but it doesn’t feel like one, thanks in large part to having its fair share of luxury amenities. From leather upholstery to a panoramic sunroof to a 10-speaker audio system, they’re all there as standard equipment. About the only downside of the Audi sedan is that the Quattro all-wheel-drive system doesn’t come standard across the whole lineup. You’ll need to upgrade to the Quattro to have the most fun in the sedan. Doing so comes at the expense of a lower fuel economy rating — 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway — but that’s ultimately a small price to pay for all the fun you’re going to have driving it.

If the A3 isn’t your cup of tea, the Mercedes CLA 250 4Matic ($32,700 plus $2,000 to get the 4Matic AWD system) is a solid, albeit slightly more expensive option. Nobody needs to remind you what kind of model you have when you’re driving a Mercedes. The CLA 250 4Matic is teeming with luxury like only Mercedes can provide. It doesn’t have the same power figures as the A3 Premium — a four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces only 208 horsepower — but it does get some of its appeal back by how engaging it is to drive and by having one of the highest fuel economy ratings — 24 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway — of any sedan in its class. The last two sedans we’ll mention are both American bred, but like all the models we’ve mentioned, these two are special for entirely different reasons. The Chrysler 300 Touring ($28,995 plus $2,500 for an AWD version), for example, packs a punch with its 292-horsepower V-6 engine. It’s also one of the bigger sedans in its class, and that size comes into play in the spacious interior. Its fuel economy rating is average — 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway — but if you look past that, you’ll come to realize that the 300, despite all the negativity surrounding it, is a pretty fun ride, as well. Unfortunately for the 300, it’s still not as fun to drive as the Dodge Charger ($28,995). The meaty sports sedan packs a similar V-6 unit with an identical 292-horsepower output as the 300 Touring, but make no mistake; the Charger is a completely different animal when it comes to driving dynamics. Some people may not like it because it’s a little too wild for their capabilities, but those who have seen the Charger in action can vouch for what it’s capable of. Ultimately, choosing one sedan among these intriguing options is an exercise in futility. But if I were to choose one, my money’s going to the Kia Stinger. It isn’t as established as some of the other models here, but when you combine everything it has to offer with its starting price, there’s no better value for money than Kia’s new performance-oriented sedan.

SUVs are rad, sedans are dying out, coupe-like saloons look cool, and hot hatches seem to be on drugs. Hot hatches being on drugs isn’t the first reason I listed to make you buy them, but writing about it, I think it might as well be. See, the hatchback layout may be the perfect one for creating a car. Its sheer shape offers safety and practicality. Plus, hot hatches aren’t expensive to produce or expensive to buy. I managed to come up with eight reasons why your next car should be a hot hatch.

SUVs rose to popularity in the early 2000s, with customers being drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety. The fact that automakers scored bigger profit margins from them also contributed to the surge. Starting in 2015, sales of SUVs started dominating the auto industry, and carmakers began building them in all shapes and sizes. But, while you can buy everything from compacts to full-size vehicles with taller ride height, three-row SUVs are limited to only midsize and large SUVs.

It’s obviously a matter of practicality here. And, while most haulers aren’t exactly practical, three-row vehicles retain one of the most important features of original SUVs: the ability to carry more than five people. With minivans almost extinct, the three-row SUV is arguably the most practical of its kind. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the ten best three-row SUVs you can buy today and compare what they offer in terms of features, power, and third-row practicality.

One of the most difficult questions to answer in the auto industry these days doesn’t involve supercars, luxury cars, or even premium cars. It involves crossovers and SUVs, specifically the question of which is the best of its kind among those priced at a certain cost point. In this case, our cost point is $20,000, which means that a lot of today’s compact crossovers are involved in this difficult, if not impossible, discussion. And like every question posed in this business, answers vary depending on who you ask. In our case, ask us which are the best SUVs under $20,000, and these are our answers.