MotorTrend Buyer's Guide 2018-19

You might be reading a lot in the business pages about “peak auto” and how car sales are about to decline sharply. That should be music to your ears, Monsieur and Madame Consumer. It means automakers have their assembly lines cranked up too far and are building more vehicles than shoppers actually need. In other words, it’s time to play Let’s Make a Deal on the showroom floor, especially on certain model lines that are long in the tooth or have been historically slow sellers. And if you have good credit, this might be the time to pounce on some incredibly good APR or lease deals. For those of you looking to get in on some new car smell this year, welcome to Motor Trend’s 2018–2019 model year Buyer’s Guide. We’ve got…

KEY ALL-NEW An addition to an automaker’s lineup MAJOR Significant sheet metal redesign, powertrain, and/or feature changes MINOR Midcycle updates, minor powertrain, or feature changes UNCHANGED Minor trim or package changes, new colors DISCONTINUED Vehicle is going out of production 5M five-speed manual 6A six-speed automatic 6-sp auto-cl man six-speed auto-clutch manual 7-sp twin-cl auto seven-speed twin-clutch automatic FWD front-wheel drive AWD all-wheel drive RWD rear-wheel drive NHTSA and IIHS safety data is derived from recent model years. IntelliChoice five-year retained value data might apply to common vehicle variants, not an average of all model variants.…

KEY ALL-NEW An addition to an automaker’s lineup MAJOR Significant sheetmetal redesign, powertrain, and/or feature changes MINOR Midcycle updates, minor powertrain, or feature changes UNCHANGED Minor trim or package changes, new colors DISCONTINUED Vehicle is going out of production 5M five-speed manual 6A six-speed automatic 6-sp auto-cl man six-speed auto-clutch manual 7-sp twin-cl auto seven-speed twin-clutch automatic FWD front-wheel drive AWD all-wheel drive RWD rear-wheel drive NHTSA and IIHS safety data is derived from recent model years. IntelliChoice five-year retained value data might apply to common vehicle variants, not an average of all model variants.…

If you are considering joining the crowd buying a sport-utility vehicle or pickup, you should know some essential terms before you walk into a dealership. Here’s a basic primer to ensure you are on the right (perhaps muddy) path. Four-Wheel Drive (4x4) vs. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Four-wheel-drive systems— usually used with pickups and truck-based SUVs—use a selectable transfer case that can shift the vehicle’s power to both the front and rear drive shafts when needed. The transfer case also has low-range gears for difficult off-road situations. AWD systems use a series of differentials and clutches to distribute torque to all four wheels—but in varying percentages depending on the system and conditions. The majority of crossovers and car-based SUVs use AWD systems for their lighter weight and simplicity for light off-road or…

“We’re already all connected to the Wi-Fi,” Miguel Cortina Sr. says through the window as I approach the scarlet minivan. He’s speaking for himself; his wife, Cecilia; his daughter Fernanda; and his eldest son and Motor Trend en Espa–ol editor, Miguel Jr. They’ve been in the van less than five minutes. The Cortina family has joined me and photographer Robin Trajano on Hawaii’s Big Island for the launch of the all-new 2018 Honda Odyssey, and they’ll be consulting on our review. Yes, I’m a professional car reviewer, but I don’t have children, and I’ve had little experience loading kids and their stuff into a minivan. I can tell you how the Odyssey rides and handles, but the Cortinas have owned seven from four automakers (including two Odysseys) over nearly 20 years.…

During our compact luxury sedan Big Test comparison, the Audi A4 won in virtually every category, but it just couldn’t win our hearts. Part of that had to do with its design, which showcased Audi’s precision and craftsmanship but was mostly devoid of emotion. For the customer who would choose an A4 if it weren’t for its sedate looks, there’s now the 2018 Audi A5 Sportback to consider. Audi helped pioneer the modern swoopy hatchback sedan with the A7 and followed that with a four-door version of the A5 for Europe. We didn’t get the firstgen A5 Sportback, but Audi has decided to bring the latest iteration Stateside, likely after seeing the success BMW has had with its 4 Series Gran Coupe. The A5 Sportback, along with its sportier S5 sibling,…