Quick Spin

Before 2018, Subaru’s three-row efforts hadn’t exactly been noteworthy. In fact, more people talk about the odd rear seats in the bed of the Brat than think about the short-lived Tribeca nameplate. Despite existing for nearly a decade, the Tribeca didn’t help put Subaru’s three-row efforts on the map. Though, in a market dominated by crossovers, it was only a matter of time before Subaru would take another bite at the three-row apple. Well, that time came in 2018 with the release of the 2019 Ascent. The Ascent takes what makes Subaru crossovers successful and stretches it enough to make space for a third row of seats. Naturally, powering this Ascent is a 2.4-liter boxer 4 that sends 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque through a CVT and into the standard all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the ’23 Subaru Ascent to put it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the Subaru Ascent and highlights some of his favorite features. Murphy also takes you along a live drive review of Subaru’s three-row crossover. Alongside these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Subaru Ascent, Subaru’s history with crossovers, and more. The pair also discuss the Subaru Ascent’s position in the perpetually growing crossover space. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the Ascent special.

Cadillac’s Escalade might not have always carried the weight of legendary models like Brougham or Biarritz. However, after two decades sitting atop luxury SUV sales charts, and becoming a part of popular American culture, the Escalade has easily risen to the heights of Cadillac’s best-known nameplates. With that ascension comes lofty expectations. Entering its fifth generation in 2021, the Escalade adds an independent rear suspension, alongside a host of consumer-facing tech features like a massive media screen. The three-row SUV still rides on a ladder frame and packs a standard 6.2-liter V8 under the hood, or an optional 3.0-liter diesel.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel and puts the 2023 Cadillac Escalade through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the Escalade before taking you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the Escalade, the competition, and more. They also discuss the evolution of the Escalade nameplate, and where it will go in the future. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2023 Cadillac Escalade special.

The Nissan Z is one of the most important cars in the company’s history. It might not be its best seller, but Nissan’s Z-cars helped put the company on the map over half a century ago. Most recently, the Nissan 350Z and 370Z offered affordable fun performance for over two decades. Trying to build on that success and keep the Z-name alive in a market dominated by crossover SUVs, Nissan brought its Z back without a numerical prefix. Now just named Z, Nissan stuffed a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 under the hood that’s good for 400 hp. Naturally, the Nismo version cranks the performance up a notch and offers more power and a revised suspension. However, this extra power comes with a price hike and no manual transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s West Coast editor Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Nissan Z Nismo and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a tour of the ’24 Nissan Z Nismo and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review. Host Wesley Wren chats with Vaughn about the Nissan Z and the lack of a manual transmission. The pair also look at the Nissan Z’s competition and price. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Nissan Z special.

Honda’s Civic Type R was a forbidden fruit among Honda fans and collectors until it was formally added to the U.S. Honda lineup with the introduction of the 2017 Civic Type R. This 10th-generation Civic was a watershed moment for fans, but some didn’t appreciate some styling decisions. Well, with the 11th-generation Civic, Honda brought back the Type R with the major styling change that came with the next-generation car. The latest Civic Type R carries over a lot of the major hardware from the previous car. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that sends 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual transmission. This ’23 Civic Type R also shares the interior updates that came with a new generation but adds red bucket seats for the driver and front passenger.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the ’23 Civic Type R through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Civic Type R and highlights some of his favorite features on a guided tour. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to the conversation, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Emmet White about the new Civic Type R, the experience of driving it, and how it stacks up against its Acura Integra Type S counterpart. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Civic special.

Alpina has a similar story to that of its rival in Affalterbach. Once known for upgrading BMW products, and even an independent automaker, the company was rolled into BMW in 2022. While Alpina is probably still best known for upgrading BMWs, its role under BMW ownership is basically unchanged. Case and point: the BMW X7 Alpina XB7. Technically still a BMW, and not a remanufactured product released by Alpin, this X7 has all the accouterment you’d expect from the brand. The XB7 squeezes more power out of the 4.4-liter turbocharged V8, bringing it up from 523 hp to 630 hp. The Alpina also sports a posh interior and the classic Alpina spoked wheels -- even though the company has moved away from the hollow-spoke wheel-center inflation.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the Alpina XB7 and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you around the high-riding Alpina and highlights some of his favorite features. Carone also takes you along for a live drive review. Alongside this live commentary, Carone chats about the Alpina XB7 with host Wesley Wren. The pair talk about the competitive set, the finer details about the XB7, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Alpina XB7 special.

Porsche’s legendary 911 ushered in its eighth-generation sports car just a few years ago in 2019. While the 911’s main layout has carried on effectively unchanged since its inception over half a century ago, it has grown up, added some creature comforts and, controversially, added liquid cooling. Porsche’s latest 992-generation doesn’t buck any major trends and keeps the formula the same: engine in the rear, and available manual transmissions. While the base 911 Carrera might catch some criticisms of not being sporty enough, Porsche adds a dose of lightness with the 911 Carrera T. This model ditches creature comforts like a rear seat, removes some insulation, and adds lightweight glass to help shave weight. In doing so, Porsche turned the 911 Carrera into a more sport-focused machine with the Carrera T.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the ’23 911 T and highlights some of his favorite features. Vaughn also takes you along for a live drive review. Vaughn also chats with host Wesley Wren about this Porsche 911, its price, and where it sits in the pantheon of 911s. Vaughn and Wren also discuss the transmission options for this 911. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T special.

Bentley’s Bentayga helped bring Bentley into the modern crossover battles when it surfaced in 2015. Bentley updated its hot-selling Bentayga in 2020 with some styling and tech enhancements to help make it even more competitive in a hotly contested luxury car space. Borrowing the styling direction from the rest of the Bentley lineup, the Bentayga doesn’t look out of place in a Bentley fan’s driveway. Available in standard and long wheel base versions, the Benyaga also packs an array of different powertrains. The top-flight W12 is at home in the Bentayga speed, where it sends 626 hp into an eight-speed automatic. Bentley also offers the Bentayga with its 3.0-liter V6 hybrid and a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8. This Bentayga tester packs the 542 hp V8 under the hood.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2023 Bentley Bentayga Azure and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the Bentley and highlights some of its interesting features. Murphy also takes you along on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Bentley Bentayga, its competitive set, and if it lives up to the Bentley heritage. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Bentayga special.

The Jaguar F-Type is unquestionably one of the most exciting cars to leave Jaguar’s workshop in decades. Maybe dwarfed by the absurd XJ220, the F-Type took inspiration from legendary two-seat Jaguars of yore and brought them into the modern age. Debuting in 2013, Jaguar’s F-Type has had a solid decade in the company’s lineup. Making the F-Type even more interesting, Jaguar made it home to its absurd, supercharged V8. While the F-Type was interesting, and recently saw a styling refresh, it’s going offline after 2024. Celebrating the F-Type, Jaguar gave this model a special 75th-anniversary package dubbed R 75. Formally named the 2024 Jaguar F-Type P575 R 75, you can rightfully decode that this Jag packs the potent 575 hp version of its supercharged V8 under the hood. That power travels through an eight-speed automatic to a four-wheel drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Jaguar F-Type P575 R 75 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of this F-Type and highlights some of his favorite features. Murphy later takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about this snarling Jaguar. The pair talk about the F-Type’s run, the car’s inspiration, and how it sits in the market amid shrinking competition. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Jaguar special.

Honda’s Civic Type R made a big splash when it launched in the late 1990s. The Civic Type R gave sport compact buyers around the world a potent front-wheel drive hatchback and fueled the growing interest in Japanese imports. The only problem: It didn’t come to the United States. No, instead Honda decided to shuffle its sport compact onto U.S. shorelines under the Acura banner. This low-production Integra Type R was obviously popular and now commands a premium as a collector’s piece. Fortunately, in 2017, Honda did bring the Civic Type R to the U.S. and finally gave Honda fans the option to easily and legally own Honda’s hot Civic. When Acura brought back the Integra, it was only a matter of time before the company ushered in its Type R analog, and it’s finally here. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S borrows the powertrain and hard points from Honda’s Civic Type R but gives it a more road-friendly makeover. The Integra Type S doesn’t have the heavily bolstered seats or large rear wing, but it does have more power than its Honda counterpoint.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of Acura’s hopped-up Integra and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Integra Type S and highlights some of his favorite features and what sets it apart from the Civic Type R. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review. Wren chats with Autoweek associate editor Emmet White, who also spent time with the Integra Type S. The pair discuss how the Integra feels compared to the Civic and what they both like about the car. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the Integra Type S special.

Jaguar started its big crossover push in 2016 with the launch of its F-Pace. Considering the luxury crossover space is full of brute 'utes, it only makes sense that Jaguar found another home for its 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Even though this Jag made its first appearance nearly a decade ago, the team behind it gave it a serious update for 2021. While the Jaguar F-Type is scheduled to see the end of the line next year, this F-Pace moves along with the 5.0-liter still under its hood. While the supercharged 5.0-liter is the star of the F-Pace’s show, it’s not the only upgrade. The F-Pace SVR also receives a special SVR body kit, quad exhaust tips, and revised suspension tuning to take advantage of the supercharged V8.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Jaguar F-Pace SVR and puts it through its pace. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the F-Pace SVR and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Carone takes you along for a live drive review where he shares his experiences with this Jag in real-time. Carone also chats with host Wesley Wren about the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, where it sits among the competition, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Jaguar F-Pace SVR special.