Quick Spin

The Cadillac CTS-V reset GM’s luxury arm’s image when it launched all the way back in 2004. Nearly 20 years later, the CT5-V Blackwing is picking up where the hopped-up Caddy left off. While some of the CTS-V’s attitude has softened during the transition to its new CT5-V Blackwing nameplate, the performance is only higher. Powering the CT5-V Blackwing is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that sends 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. If you want to live the life of luxury and have the gears shifted for you automatically, Cadillac will replace that six-speed manual with a 10-speed automatic.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the ’23 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and puts it through its paces. Carone guides you around the Cadillac and discusses the styling, material and features. Later in the show, Carone takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the car’s features, competitive set and price. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing special.

When it started life in the mid-'90s, it might have been hard to picture the Kia Sportage growing up to where it is now, or having three different styles of powertrain. Entering its fifth generation in 2021, the Sportage badge evolved with the times. The latest Sportage follows the bold and angular styling seen across the Kia and Hyundai lineup, and perfectly matches the stylized Kia logo. Under the Sportage’s hood, you’ll find a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 that makes 187 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, or one of two hybrid systems that help out the turbocharged 1.6-liter mill. The traditional hybrid powertrain makes 227 hp, while the plug-in hybrid model makes 261 hp. Both hybrid models boast the same 258 lb-ft of torque.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the ’23 Sportage and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a tour of the ’23 Sportage and talks about its features and materials. Later, Murphy takes you along on a live drive review. Adding to the show, host Wesley Wren chats with Murphy about the Sportage, its competition and more. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV special.

The Lucid Air might not be as ubiquitous as, say, a Tesla Model S, but the upstart EV brand is stretching its legs and making a name for itself. The luxury EV space was once wide open. If you wanted to drive a high-end BEV, you didn’t exactly have many options, and you were going to climb behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S anyway. Well, since Tesla’s flagship sedan launched, the marketplace is vastly different. Between Tesla expanding its lineup, legacy automakers like Mercedes-Benz entering the BEV fray and startups, it’s hard to stand out. Helping Lucid’s Air make a splash, the company launched the base-model Air with big power and impressive range figures. This Lucid Air Touring model sports a pair of electric motors that drive all four wheels. Those motors make a combined 620 hp while advertising you can move along 425 miles on a single charge.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the Lucid Air Touring. Vaughn highlights some of the Lucid Air’s features while giving you a tour of the luxury EV before taking you along on a live drive review. Giving context to the Lucid Air, Vaughn chats with Wren about the company’s history, the current competition and how the Lucid stands in the luxury car field. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the Lucid Air special.

The Honda HR-V made its way to the United States in 2015 as a 2016 model. This hi-rider revolutionary vehicle skipped its first iteration stateside but expanded the Honda lineup of crossovers in the crossover-hungry US world. Sharing a platform with the Fit, the Honda HR-V might not have been the largest, or most powerful crossover on the market but it did give Honda fans a smaller option to the CR-V. While the smaller HR-V was dwarfed in sales by the larger CR-V, the second-generation HR-V chugged along until ’22 when it was replaced with the HR-V you see here. This third-gen crossover ditches the Fit platform and moves up to the larger Civic base. That growth also means a larger 2.0-liter naturally aspirated mill that makes 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. This power travels through a continuously variable transmission to the front or all four wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’23 HR-V and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a tour of the new HR-V to highlight its features before taking you along on a live recorded drive review. Expanding on that, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn. The pair talk about Honda’s latest crossover, the competition and the HR-V’s features. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this car special.

The Lexus RX entered its fifth generation with the introduction of the ’23 RX. Topping the range, the RX 500h is packed with consumer tech, big screens and a hybrid powertrain. This Lexus uses electric door handles to release the doors, the HUD as the multi-function steering wheel controls and a big screen that relays all of your media. Dominated by consumer tech features, this Lexus pushes the brand’s interior styling into the future. Powering the RX 500h is a turbocharged 2.4-liter mated to a parallel hybrid system, which makes a combined 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged four-cylinder mill makes 271 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque without any electrical assistance.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’23 Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the latest Lexus RX and shows off its features and styling. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of the RX 500h to see how it handles the road. Joining the show, Patrick Carone chats with Wren about the Lexus RX, Lexus’s interiors and the target demographic for this crossover. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Lexus special.

Toyota’s Tacoma started life nearly three decades ago as a replacement for the creatively named Toyota Pickup. Since its inception, the Tacoma was popular with off-road and compact truck enthusiasts alike. Toyota seems to have only fostered this popularity over three decades and turned it into a dominating sales success. While the Tacoma is gearing up for a new generation, this current-gen Tacoma features a 2.7-liter I4 or a 3.5-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic. Available in two-wheel or four-wheel-drive the Tacoma has something for folks that need off-road chops or just want a smaller truck to cruise around sunny California streets.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’23 Toyota Tacoma. Wren takes you around the Toyota Tacoma to highlight its styling and features before taking you along on a live drive review. Mark Vaughn chimes in to talk about off-roading, midsize trucks and more. The pair discuss the Tacoma’s competition in the market and its overwhelming success. Closing the show, the two breakdown what makes the Tacoma special.

The Ford Bronco helped expand Ford’s offerings when it first hit the pavement in 1965. Over the years, Ford’s Bronco changed its shape and role in Ford’s lineup and became a pop culture icon in the process. Though, Ford eventually discontinued the Bronco in 1996 when the company focused its efforts on the Expedition. Ford revived the Bronco in 2020 to take on the Jeep Wrangler. Ford’s reborn Bronco is available with two or four doors but both bodies offer the same off-road chops. Powered by either a 2.3-liter turbocharged I4, a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6, or a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in the Bronco Raptor, the Bronco has different powertrains for different needs. Ford even helps keep manual transmission fans happy, with a seven-speed manual available behind the 2.3-liter I4.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of Ford’s Bronco and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of a 2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak four-door to show off its features, styling decisions and materials. Later, Wren takes you on a live drive review to show how the Bronco handles in real-time. Patrick Carone joins the show to discuss Ford’s Bronco, how it drives and the competitive set. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Bronco special.

After almost a decade, the folks at Land Rover are moving on from its fourth-generation Range Rover and into its fifth-gen luxe off-road bruiser. While the styling change isn’t as dramatic as you’d expect, the changes are there. The new Range Rover offers a new infotainment system, a slew of new powertrains and, of course, fresh looks. While the new Range Rover is available in plug-in hybrid variants, this tester uses the 3.0-liter I6 mild hybrid for motivation. This 3.0-liter sports a turbocharger, supercharger and hybrid system to help it make 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. That power travels through an eight-speed automatic before hitting the all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover P400 and puts it through its paces. Carone walks you around the next-generation Land Rover Range Rover and highlights some of its new features before taking you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Host Wesley Wren chats with Carone about the new Range Rover, its competition and its spot in Land Rover’s legacy. The pair discuss the Range Rover’s price and if its luxury appointments are a good value. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this special.

Nissan’s Pathfinder branched into its new generation for the 2022 model year. This generational shift brought a new platform and fresh styling, but it also gave the Pathfinder a traditional automatic transmission. Expanding the Pathfinder’s footprint, Nissan is rolling the Rock Creek edition back out to the new Pathfinder. This trim level adds more off-road appointments like beadlock-style wheels, more aggressive all-terrain tires and a slight lift. The Rock Creek models also add tubular roof racks to help hold your camping accessories. While this does help make the Pathfinder more adventure-ready, this crossover sports the same bones as every other model. That means powering this Pathfinder is the same 3.5-liter V6 that you’ll find in other models, though this edition does see a boost in output to 295 hp and 270 lb-ft while burning premium fuel. This power travels through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek edition and puts it through its paces. Murphy gives you a guided tour of the Pathfinder Rock Creek that highlights its features. Murphy also takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Pathfinder’s sales performance, its competition and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Pathfinder special.

The world of personal luxury coupes exploded in the 1950s and 1960s. Land yachts like the Buick Riviera and the Continental MkII and, to a certain extent, the Jensen Interceptor. While the idea of personal luxury has effectively died, its spirit lives on in the wild Lexus LC. The aptly named Luxury Coupe exists between the world of brutal, luxury sports coupes and hyper-luxe grand tourers. This Lexus might not be as track hungry as, say, a Porsche 911, but it makes up for its lack of track performance with a hefty dose of luxury appointments on the interior and wild, striking design on the outside. While this Lexus is available with a naturally 5.0-liter V8, the hybrid variant replaces the screaming exhaust note with a fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V6 and electric motors. This hybrid might not be as potent as the V8, but its combined 354 hp is more than enough to hustle this 4,200-pound coupe to highway speeds.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Lexus LC 500h to put it through its paces. Wren walks you around the LC 500 to highlight its styling and features before giving you a guided tour of its wild interior. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review. Wren also chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about this Lexus, where it stands in the market and what kind of competition it faces. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this car special.