MotorTrend August 2021

A public service announcement: There are no self-driving cars for sale today—anywhere. You don’t own a self-driving car, no one you know does, and anyone who tells you differently is wrong, and dangerously so. This seems like something car fans should already know, and it’s something MotorTrend has reiterated in its stories. However, it’s become abundantly, disturbingly clear the message isn’t reaching an increasing number of people. So, I’ll say it louder: YOU CANNOT BUY A SELF-DRIVING CAR. They don’t exist outside of the tech companies trying to develop them, and they likely won’t exist in public for many more years. What exists today is a collection of tech called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which can handle basic driving tasks for short periods of time in specific, ideal conditions. ADAS must…

Ten years ago, the Lotus Evora S finished dead last during our inaugural Best Driver’s Car competition. It was rough around the edges, but it had enormous potential. The original Evora won praise for its on-road handling, but driving it on a track revealed unpredictable behavior at the limit. The Evora GT eliminates the sketchiness. There’s plenty of grip once the rubber heats up, with mild understeer midcorner and modest oversteer on the exits. Overall, the Evora GT is super communicative and playful without being harsh or threatening. The Evora’s ability to deliver serious performance without beating up its driver has always been its greatest strength; in the GT, performance has increased demonstrably, and comfort has improved. The pedals used to be positioned too far to the right, with the throttle obstructed…

Even among Subaru’s already fanatical customer base, Outback buyers are among its most fervent. And yet a subset wanted this wagon-UV to be even tougher and more adventure-ready. Subaru obliged, and out popped the Outback Wilderness. More than just a trim, the Wilderness takes a top-spec Outback and drives it through an ORV parts catalog before bounding into an REI. Changes include additional cladding, gold accents, redesigned bumpers, LED foglights, new 17-inch wheels with Yokohama A/T tires, and a stronger roof rack. Inside are all-weather floormats, while gold stitching adds a little zazz to the shifter boot and knob, steering wheel, dashboard, and seats. The aesthetic updates would probably sell more than a few Outback Wildernesses on their own. But there is the question of increased capability, and a few mechanical changes…

The S-Class of Mercedes’ new EQ subbrand, the 2022 EQS electric sedan is aimed squarely at the Tesla Model S in size and range. But it serves up far more luxury, including a dash-spanning “Hyperscreen” and a rejuvenating “nap mode.” So yeah, it’s fancy. The styling is decidedly cab-forward and points the way for EQ. With no engine to package, roominess and comfort were prioritized, and this lozengelike design facilitates more space for humans. It also makes the car look like a supersized and electrified Lincoln MKZ. Built on Mercedes’ new EVA2 architecture, the EQS rides on a skateboard-style chassis stuffed with a proprietary battery pack. The U.S. will only get the biggest 108-kWh pack at launch, though the smaller 90-kWh battery could come later. The single-motor rear-drive EQS 450+ is rated for…

Fresh aesthetic takes on the two-box SUV are rare, especially now, when there are simply so damn many of them. Yet Hyundai has managed to create a stunner, using sharply creased panels to visually separate its new small SUV from the pack. Of course, it would all be in vain if the new Tucson didn’t deliver across the board. As it turns out, if you’re the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, you should be afraid. But if you’re expecting the exterior styling to bleed into the cabin, you’re in for a surprise. The dashboard encompasses a wide, flowing arc with the instruments and center stack floating on standalone panels. Touch-sensitive controls dominate the cabin, but the “buttons” are easy to find and press while on the move. Our biggest complaint is…

Faced with slumping U.S. sales at the start of the 1990s SUV boom, Subaru added plastic body cladding (and eventually a suspension lift) to the Legacy wagon, called it “Outback,” and thus convinced Americans to actually buy longroofs. Porsche hopes the tactic will yield similar results with the new electric Taycan Cross Turismo. The Cross Turismo is basically a dual-motor all-wheel-drive Taycan sedan featuring a Gravel drive mode, a standard air suspension, a longer roof, and minor ride-height increases. With dual-motor AWD standard, the entry Taycan 4 Cross Turismo has 375 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque; the 4S boasts 482 hp and 479 lb-ft. The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo—which we drove for this review—features 616 hp and 626 lb-ft, and the Turbo S spits out 616 hp and 774 lb-ft.…