The Lexus RX might not be the flashiest piece of kit in the brand’s portfolio, but it has been an important piece of the brand’s showroom for over two decades. Entering its fifth generation only a couple of years ago, the Lexus RX has never really deviated from its roots of being a comfortable people mover. While this fifth-generation RX features aggressive-if-not-polarizing styling, it is also stuffed with a predictably comfortable cabin that is also home to the latest Lexus infotainment and media system. Powering the 500h is a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4 that works with the Lexus and Toyota hybrid system to send 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque to the all-wheel-drive system. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Lexus RX 500h and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the 2024 Lexus RX 500h and highlights its styling and some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Carone takes the RX 500h out for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the Lexus RX, the luxury crossover space, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Lexus RX 500h special.

The Toyota GR86 has had a surprisingly convoluted history despite its relatively short tenure in the Toyota portfolio. Once the flagship sport coupe that flew under the youth-oriented Scion brand as the FR-S, the coupe earned the 86 badge to ride out the remainder of its original generation under new management. For the launch of the second-generation car, Toyota stuffed the two plus two under its GR banner and renamed it the GR86 – adding a third name for the North American shopper to know. This second-gen coupe still shares a platform with Subaru’s BRZ and still has flat-four power. However, the second-generation car now packs 2.4 liters of naturally aspirated flat-four power under the hood and throws 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Toyota GR86 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the evolving, second-generation GR86 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of Toyota's entry-level sport coupe. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy about the GR86, the competitive set, and more. The pair also look at how the GR86 compares to the Subaru BRZ on the sales charts. Closing the show, Murphy and Wren break down what makes the 2024 Toyota GR86 special.

General Motors downsized the people-moving Acadia for its second generation, but for three-row-conscious consumers, the company reversed course for its third installment. The third-generation GMC Acadia sports three rows of seats, which are stuffed inside a 204-inch-long shell. While the Acadia is stuffed full of the latest GM suite of digital screen tech, the biggest departure in the Acadia’s lineup might be the 3.6-liter V6. Stuffed under the hood of the Acadia since its launch, the 3.6-liter V6 was left at the factory, with GMC stuffing a turbocharged 2.5-liter I4 in its place. This turbocharged I4 shoves 328 hp and 326 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels, or through the all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of a 2024 GMC Acadia and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a tour of the ’24 Acadia and highlights some of its new features and styling. Later in the show, Murphy also takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the new Acadia, where it sits on the sales charts, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 GMC Acadia special.

The Lexus TX solves an important problem for Lexus – it gives the brand an upscale, large people mover. This three-row crossover joined the Lexus brand at the end of 2023 as a 2024 model-year vehicle and is the cousin of the Toyota Grand Highlander. The Lexus TX also packs a variety of powertrains, with a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4, a turbocharged 2.4-liter I4 that works with a hybrid system, and the top-flight 3.5-liter V6 that works with the plug-in hybrid system. This particular tester slots under the TX 500h+ trim which moves by way of the turbocharged 2.4-cylinder hybrid powertrain. 

On the Toyota side of the dealership, your three-row options open up. Sure, you can snag a Grand Highlander or Sienna, or you can move to the body-on-frame Sequoia. Based on the latest TNGA-F architecture, the latest Sequoia follows the same pattern as the new Tundra. That means it packs a 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 under the hood that works with the i-Force Max hybrid system to throw 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission.  

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, host Wesley Wren chats with Natalie Neff about these two three-row people movers. The pair talk about their respective experiences with each of these distinctly different people movers, and discuss their merits. Closing the show, the pair decide which one of these two three-row machines they’d want to throw into their driveway.

Stuffing a big engine into a small car has been a formula for success throughout the history of the automobile. Oldsmobile stuffed its new overhead-valve V8 into its 88. Later, Pontiac stuffed 389 cubic inches worth of V8 into a Tempest. While this trend never really went away, it did change – turbocharged, smaller displacement engines squeeze more oomph out of smaller displacements. That said, Lexus looked at its parts catalog, saw the 5.0-liter V8 was available, and stuffed it into the small IS sedan. Of course, there was more to the mating of this 5.0-liter V8 and this small sedan, but it does follow the same formula as some of the most beloved muscle machines of yore. This ’24 Lexus IS 500 sends 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. From there, power shuffles to the IS 500’s rear axle, only. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Lexus IS 500 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 IS 500 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Lexus IS, this V8-powered version, and how it compares to the competitive set. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this 2024 Lexus Is 500 special.

After a brief hiatus, Ford brought its once-compact Ranger pickup back to the United States for the 2019 model year. After a handful of years on the market, Ford has given the North American Ranger another lease on life and launched a new generation in 2024. This updated Ranger borrows a lot of the same concepts from the previous-generation model, as well as its global variant, but also brings some serious updates to the table. Namely, the ’24 Ranger ushered in the Ranger Raptor to the North American portfolio. This latest Ranger also expanded the powertrains and now includes the 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 and the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 mills in various trims. The ’24 Ford Ranger also sees an overhauled interior, with two available digital instrument clusters, and a large standard touchscreen media system. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Ford Ranger and puts it through its paces. Murphy Takes you on a guided tour of the 2024 Ford Ranger and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2024 Ford Ranger, Ford’s pickup truck lineup, and the Ranger’s competition. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this Ford Ranger special.

Toyota’s stalwart mid-size truck entered a new generation with the 2024 model year. Entering its fourth generation, Toyota’s popular Tacoma didn’t carry along its V6 but did add a hybrid to its portfolio. While the 3.5-liter V6 was replaced with a series of turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder options, the manual transmission stuck with Taco’s order sheet. If you don’t want to spring for the six-speed manual transmission, an eight-speed automatic is effectively standard. Of course, the top-flight TRD Pro carries on, but Toyota also expanded its Tacoma offerings with an overlanding-focused Trailhunter model.  

Sitting across the lot from your would-be next pickup is Toyota’s RAV4. The RAV4 entered its fifth generation in 2018 and saw a styling update only a few years ago. While it still might be approaching the end of its generational life, the RAV4 still manages to do what it's supposed to do: easily haul people and stuff. The perennial all-star on the sales charts, Toyota’s RAV4 is spread through three powertrains, with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid available, as well as a traditional ICE powertrain. This ICE-only tester uses a 2.5-liter I4 to send 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, host Wesley Wren chats with Natalie Neff about her time with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma and 2024 Toyota RAV4. The pair talk about the new Tacoma, Natalie’s experience with it, and more. The pair also talk about the RAV4, its continued sales-chart dominance, and some minor gripes with the infotainment system. The two hosts also talk about Toyota’s four-cylinder engine family, the departure of the Tacoma’s V6, and more. Closing the show, the two decide which of these ‘Yotas they’d rather have in their driveway. 

The Toyota Land Cruiser’s story is almost as long as the brand's. Evolving from a Jeep alternative, the Land Cruiser has since grown into a luxurious off-roading superstar. Technically split between two separate series, the Land Cruiser 200 carried the water for Toyota’s Land Cruiser in North America until it reached the end of the road in 2021. While Toyota hasn’t brought the replacement Land Cruiser 300 to the United States, yet, the company did bring over its smaller Land Cruiser 250. Formerly dubbed Land Cruiser Prado, this downsized Land Cruiser sits closer to the 4Runner and Tacoma than the oversized Lexus LX. Powering the reborn Land Cruiser is a turbocharged 2.4-liter I4 that works with a hybrid system and an eight-speed transmission to throw 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Toyota Land Cruiser and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the latest Land Cruiser highlights some of his favorite features, and tells you what it’s like to live with in the real world. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Land Cruiser, the Toyota TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Land Cruiser special.

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N takes everything you’d expect from a battery-electric vehicle and throws it for a loop. Hyundai’s performance-oriented BEV gives you battery-electric bonafides like 601 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque but throws the brand's N image into the mix. That translates to fake shift points, hilarious engine noise, and a package that is still useful despite the hilarity. This combination of performance and cartoonish enthusiasm makes the Ioniq 5 N one of the most exciting battery-powered vehicles on the road today.

Eschewing battery power, but also stuck with high-strung downsizing, the Toyota GR Corolla takes the tried-and-true enthusiast car path and features gobs of power for not a lot of mass. This GR Corolla packs a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine under the hood that throws 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual transmission and into a standard all-wheel-drive system. Like the Ioniq 5 N, the Corolla shape and the potent powertrain have turned the GR Corolla into an instant enthusiast darling.  

On this episode of Talking Car with the Boss, Natalie Neff and Wesley Wren discuss their respective times in these machines. The two talk about the Ioniq 5 N’s effect on battery-electric cars, the hilarious simulated features, and what makes it so interesting for non-EV shoppers. They also talk about what makes the GR Corolla so special in today’s marketplace. Closing the show, the pair both pick which machine they’d add to their collections. 

The Mercedes-AMG GT showed its face in 2014 and laid the groundwork for some of the most interesting Mercedes models of the decade. After Mercedes-AMG expanded the GT’s offerings by folding a four-door variant into its naming convention in 2018, there were some doubts about the small coupes push for a second generation. Fortunately for AMG GT coupe fans, Merc did roll out a second-generation AMG GT in 2023 during Car Week festivities. This second-generation AMG GT did bring a new set of naming conventions and an all-wheel-drive system but still kept the coupe shell. Alongside the changes to the second-gen GT, this latest iteration also adds a second row of seats for those who need extra passenger space and a more price-conscious powertrain for those who don’t need four-liters of turbocharged grunt under the hood. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the second-generation AMG GT and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63, the generational changes that came to the AMG GT Coupe, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the ’24 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 special.