Quick Spin

Nissan is no stranger to battery-electric vehicles. The Nissan Leaf has been a staple of mass-market BEVs since it hit the streets in the 2010s. While the Leaf built a foundation for electric vehicles in Nissan’s lineup, the company hasn’t really expanded its offerings. Well, Nissan is joining the rush to EV crossovers with the 2023 Nissan Ariya. This battery-electric crossover hits the high notes you’d expect from a mass-market BEV. It’s available with single and dual-motor powertrains, standard and extended-range batteries and a host of interesting interior features. The Ariya shares its CMF-EV bones with its French cousin, the Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of Nissan’s latest EV and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Nissan Ariya and relays its features and how it feels. Later in the episode, Wren takes you on a live drive review of the Ariya. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the competitive set, where Nissan stands in the world of car making and the hard facts about Nissan’s new EV. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the Nissan Ariya special.

The Infiniti QX50’s bones were given a stylish makeover and threw Infiniti’s badge into the growing pool of crossover coupes. Of course, Infiniti is no stranger to this cargo-compromising crossover design and launched its own crossover coupe all the way back in 2003. Dubbed the FX45, Infiniti was ahead of the curve when it came to high-riding personal luxury vehicles. Of course, the FX fell in line with the QX naming convention as the QX70 before it saw the end of the road in 2017. Following in its footsteps, the QX55 follows the same formula of slicing away some of the utility from the Sport Utility Vehicle and doubling down on style. Just like its QX50 platform-mate, the Infiniti QX55 sports the 2.0-liter VC turbo. The VC stands for variable compression, which makes this engine one of the most fascinating parts of the car. The variable compression four-cylinder mill sends 268 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Infiniti QX55 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a tour of the QX55 and shows off its features before taking you along on a live drive review. Murphy also chats with host Wesley Wren about Infiniti, the variable compression engine and the QX55’s competition. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this special.

Toyota launched its A90-generation Toyota Supra after a long lull in the Supra’s nameplate. The beloved automotive star of the first Fast and Furious film went on hiatus after 1998 in the United States. Toyota famously brought the Supra back under its Gazoo Racing subbrand in 2019. While the Supra might not be on the bones of a Celica or a Lexus SC, the A90-Generation still sticks to what made the Supra a Japanese classic. Powering the ’22 GR Supra is a turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 that’s mated to an eight-speed transmission. Toyota will offer the manual transmission on the ’23 models, but this ’22 example is automatic only.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Toyota Supra and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Supra and highlights its styling, features and interior materials before taking you on a live drive review. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Supra, its position in sports car history and where it stands against the competition. The two talk about the car’s performance, and its automatic transmission. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this car special.

Tune in below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are played.

Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac were the stars of the long-forgotten “medium-priced” car. While the times have certainly changed, and two of those General Motors brands have gone by the wayside, Buick is still sticking with its near-luxury roots with the latest Buick Envision. Buick’s Envision started life as a wild concept back in 2011, but went into production for the 2014 model in China. Envision made its way to the United States in 2016, which was replaced by the second-generation model for 2021. This second-generation Envision stuffs a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 under the hood that sends 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of a 2022 Buick Envision Avenir and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the Envision Avenir before taking you along for a live recorded drive review. Adding to the show, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the ’22 Buick Avenir, its position in the market and Buick’s position in the United States. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this car special.

Cadillac’s Escalade is probably the first image that springs to your mind when you think of high-end, full-size SUVs. It’s earned that by dominating the luxury SUV sales charts for a long time. Not resting on their laurels, the folks at Cadillac took their flagship SUV and added a hefty dose of horsepower before slapping on a V-Series badge. Formally named the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V, this hot-rodded people mover features a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that sends 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission and a standard four-wheel-drive system. This all works together to help this three-ton luxury liner sprint to 60 mph in only 4.3-seconds.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Executive Editor Tom Murphy slides behind the wheel of the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V and puts it through its paces. Murphy guides you around the Escalade-V and shows off some of its best interior and exterior features. Later in the show, Murphy takes you along on a live drive review. Adding to the discussion, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Escalade-V, the competition and Cadillac’s direction. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this ’23 Cadillac Escalade-V special.

Hyundai’s N division first flexed its muscle with the hopped-up Veloster N in the ‘States. This rally-inspired hatchback showed that Hyundai can build exciting sport compacts and take what is learned from its time on the rally stage and put it on the public road. Well, the Veloster N might be done, but its spirit lives on in sedan form with the Elantra N. The ’22 Elantra N packs the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 as the Veloster N and makes 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. That power can travel through a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic before hitting the front wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin. Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn puts the Elantra N through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the Elantra N and highlights some of its exterior features before taking you inside and guiding you through its interior. Later in the show, Vaughn takes you on a live review of the Elantra N. Adding to the discussion, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Elantra N’s performance, its features and its competition. The two also talk about the Elantra’s price. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this car special.

To put it bluntly, the 2022 Toyota Sequoia was old. The second-generation Sequoia was launched at the end of the Bush administration. After nearly two decades in production, Toyota introduced the third generation of its Sequoia. This Sequoia follows the same formula as the similarly updated Toyota Tundra, which means that the 5.7-liter V8 is gone and a turbocharged, V6 hybrid powertrain is in its place. While the Tundra also offers a non-hybrid powertrain, the ’23 Sequoia will only be available with Toyota’s I-Force Max 3.5-liter V6 hybrid powertrain. This hybrid powertrain feeds power through a ten-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels in two-wheel-drive trim or all four wheels when ordered as such. Of course, the new Sequoia sees more than just a powertrain and features an entirely new shell and interior.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of Toyota’s three-row off-roader and takes you along for the ride. Wren guides you around the new Sequoia to show off its features and new hardware before taking you along on a live drive review. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn about the Sequoia’s slow sales this year, the competitive set and more. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the new Sequoia special.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class might best be known for the fire-breathing 6.2-liter-powered, or 4.0-liter-powered C63 models, but the entry-level C-Class has filled the needs of compact luxury sedan owners for nearly 30 years. Entering its fifth generation, the eyes are still on the upcoming C63, but the base model still sticks with the C-Class’s main objective: do it all. For ’22, the C 300 sports a turbocharged I4 under the hood and sends 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic. That power hits the rear wheels, or all four wheels when optioned with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. This four-cylinder also features a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help squeeze out more fuel efficiency and extra low-end torque.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 to put the entry-level C-Class through its paces. Carone takes you around the C 300 to highlight its features before taking you on a live drive review. Adding to the conversation, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class, its price and the advantage of driving a sedan. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this new C-Class special.

Polestar isn’t new. Polestar has graced special Volvo products for years but was finally tasked with building its own cars a few years back. The creatively named Polestar 1 launched the company’s official efforts and hinted at the company’s electric offerings. Realizing its full, battery-electric place, Polestar launched its second machine, the Polestar 2 in 2020. The Polestar 2 is available in single and dual-motor trims, with different battery sizes to give different ranges. Naturally, the more power and range you want, the higher the cost. This dual-motor, long-range Polestar 2 pushes 408 hp to the wheels from its front and rear axle-mounted motors.

On this episode of Quick Spin, associate editor Emmet White hops behind the wheel of the Polestar 2 and puts it through its paces. White takes on you a guided tour of the Polestar 2 and highlights some of its exterior and interior features before taking you on a live drive review. Joining the show, host Wesley Wren chats with White about his experiences with the Polestar 2, taking a road trip in an electric vehicle and the Polestar’s place in the market. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes this Polestar 2 special.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata entered its fourth generation nearly a decade ago in 2014. Of course, the folks at Mazda updated its ND-generation MX-5 Miata in 2018 and brought serious upgrades to the engine along with the update. Still, as Miata’s beloved MX-5 ages and the world around it changes, it only becomes a more interesting proposition. Under the Mazda’s hood is still the updated ND powerplant, which translates to a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder that feeds a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic before sending all 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of Mazda’s two-seater to put it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Miata and highlights its features and shows off the interior. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Patrick Carone joins to chat with Wren about the Mazda Miata, the car’s price and the competitive set. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the 2022 Mazda Miata special.