The Toyota Land Cruiser was ‘Yota’s top-shelf off-roading machine. Sure, the 4Runner is good, but if you’re really trying to go anywhere, especially in style, you’ll want a Land Cruiser. Lexus was part of that game, too, with the LX. Though the Land Cruiser might have overshadowed the LX-Series on the street, the Land Cruiser isn’t hitting American shores. That’s not a problem for the 2022 Lexus LX 600. The new Lexus LX 600 sports many of the same upgrades headed to the Toyota Tundra: a new 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 replaces the outgoing 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. While it’s dropped cylinders, the turbocharger compensates and helps this 3.5-liter make 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Managing that power is a standard 10-speed automatic transmission, which feeds the standard all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of the 2022 Lexus LX 600. Wren walks you around the new Lexus SUV and highlights the vehicle’s styling and its interesting features. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review, which shows off how the vehicle feels in real-time. Adding to these segments, Wren chats about the Lexus LX 600 with Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn. The two talk about the Lexus LX’s styling, its purpose and its features. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes the 2022 Lexus LX 600 special.

#toyota #lexus #offroad #truck #carreview #carpodcast #car #suv

The 2022 Honda Civic SI joins the rest of the Civic lineup with its transition to the eleventh-generation platform. This new Civic sees a substantial upgrade in the interior and a distinctly different design direction. While the previous generation of Honda’s beloved Civic might have been excessive to some, the latest Civic takes a more mature approach. The 2022 Civic Si adds some spice with sportier styling. Most importantly, the 2022 Honda Civic Si drops five horsepower compared to the outgoing model, which means its 1.5-liter turbocharged I4 sends 200 hp through the six-speed manual. That power drop doesn’t mean this Civic is any less fun.

In this episode of Quick Spin, Executive editor Tom Murphy slides behind the wheel of the 2022 Honda Civic SI and takes you along for the ride. Murphy walks you around this hopped-up Civic while talking about the vehicle’s styling, market position and features. Murphy also takes you along for a live drive review. Expanding on his thoughts, Murphy talks with host Wesley Wren about the ’22 Civic Si. The pair give the Civic some context, and talk about its performance and its position in the marketplace. Closing the show, the two explain what makes this Civic SI special.

Volkswagen might have been lagging behind the rest of the market in the highly competitive crossover battle, but the company has fleshed out its portfolio to try to solve all of life’s transportation problems. The latest gas-powered crossover to join VW’s ranks is a compact crossover that effectively fills the void left by the departed Golf. Dubbed the VW Taos, this entry-level VW starts just shy of $25,000 and pits it in the middle of the compact-crossover battle. Powering this Taos is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sends 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through either an eight-speed automatic transmission before hitting the front wheels or a seven-speed automatic if equipped with the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.

In a similar place, Genesis is also constantly expanding its crossover options to help sway buyers into the fold. While larger, and more expensive, than the Taos, the Genesis GV70 does a similar amount of heavy lifting for the team at Genesis. At least, the GV70 helpts to expand the Genesis lineup and give prospective buyers all the options that their heart, and the market, demands. Powering the Genesis GV70 is either a 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 or a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. Both transmissions feed an eight-speed automatic that then transfers power to the standard all-wheel-drive system.

On this bonus episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek boss Natalie Neff chats with Wesley Wren about her time in the Genesis GV70 and the Volkswagen Taos. The pair also talk about the growing demand for crossovers, the roles that both of these vehicles play for each respective company and more.

It’s a vicious cycle: brandnew cars are exciting, but fall to the back of the auto show display after a couple of years. After awhile, that once brand-new machine is a few years old and is starting to show its age. Sure, a car might get a mid-cycle update to freshen it up and add some tech, but its bones might still have some age. By the time it’s at the end of its production cycle, the once-loved machine sees jeers for being past its prime. Well, that’s kind of what’s happening with the venerable Lexus GX 460 -- the V8 powered luxury off-roader cousin to the Toyota 4Runner. This Lexus debuted all the way back in President Obama’s first term. Now, Lexus did update the GX 460 in 2019, but it’s still old. Though, instead of bemoaning its aging tech or slightly behind the curve V8’s output, the GX offers you a body-on-frame SUV experience with the hardware to take you anywhere you want to go, which should be appreciated.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Lexus GX 460 and takes you along for the ride. Wren takes you on a guided tour of this Lexus SUV and highlights its styling, features and interior. Wren then climbs behind the wheel and takes you along for a live drive review. Along with these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn about the Lexus GX, off-roading and the demand for vehicles like the GX 460. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this Lexus special.

The Genesis G80 sits in the middle of the Genesis sedan lineup: below its top-rung G90 and above the sporty G70. Even though sedans aren’t as popular as the increasingly-in-demand crossover and SUV segments, Genesis gave its G80 a second generation in 2020. This second-gen G80 updates the car’s styling to the current Genesis design language and streamlined the engine options. The G80, in the US, sports either a 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 or a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. Both engines feed a standard eight-speed automatic.

Volkswagen might be thinning its sedan herd, but it’s not bowing out completely. Volkswagen’s Arteon is the company’s flagship sedan, and lives up to the task. Blending the current VW design language with a sleek sedan body, the Arteon looks like the rest of the VW lineup while still etching out its own distinct style. Powering the Arteon is exclusively a 300 hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, which feeds a seven-speed automatic transmission. The Arteon might not have the same luxury cache as, say, an Audi, but the sleek Arteon is far from basic.

On this bonus episode of Quick Spin, Natalie Neff talks with Wesley Wren about her time with these two stylish sedans. The two discuss the features of each car and chat about each car’s space in the world. Expanding on these cars, the two dissect the shrinking sedan segment and talk about dire future for sedans.

The McLaren 720S is fantastic. It’s a 710 hp aerodynamic wonder car that looks as futuristic as it does elegant. Well, the team at McLaren didn’t stop with the 720S, and cranked up its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8’s power, stretched the body and changed the name. The 765LT’s name is an homage to the legendary McLaren F1 GTR “long tail” race cars. While it’s designed for public roads, the combination of interesting aerodynamic solutions and the brutal 4.0-liter V8’s power would make it interesting to take out on a track.

On this episode of Quick Spin, west coast editor Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of a 2022 McLaren 765LT and takes you along for a ride. Vaughn walks you around the 765LT and highlights some of its exterior features and walks you through its track-focused interior. Vaughn also takes you along for a ride in a live drive review. Expanding on these segments, Vaughn chats about the McLaren with host Wesley Wren. The two talk about the McLaren 765LT, its competition and more. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the 2022 McLaren 765LT special.

The Toyota Prius is arguably the most well-known hybrid vehicle in the world, and its Prime-badged plug-in hybrid is right there with it. Launched at the start of the new millennium, the Toyota Prius has helped push hybrid powertrains to the forefront of American consumers. The plug-in Prius Prime joined the Prius nameplate in 2012 and entered its current generation in 2016. Powering the current Prius Prime is a 1.8-liter inline-four-cylinder engine that feeds Toyota’s Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. Combining the engine with the electric motor, the Prius Prime throws 121 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels.

Just down from the Prius Prime at your local Toyota dealer is the Toyota Sequoia: a V8-powered, body-on-frame SUV. The Sequoia launched its second-generation effort all the way back in 2007 and hasn’t changed significantly in the last 15 years. While Toyota has announced and shown the next-generation Sequoia, it’s still waiting to head into production. That next-generation Sequoia will ditch the 381 hp and 401 hp 5.7-liter V8 and replace it with a turbocharged V6. Still, the second-generation Sequoia offers off-road capability and bold styling, if you can’t wait for its replacement.

On this bonus episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren sits down with Autoweek’s Editor in Chief Natalie Neff to talk about her time with this unlikely pair of Toyotas. They talk about the driving dynamics and experiences with both of these Toyotas and show where both shine and both falter. The pair also break down the constantly changing SUV and small car landscape and the growing new car crisis.

The Volkswagen Golf is entering its eighth generation. It’s almost hard to believe that Volkswagen’s beloved hatchback is nearing 50 years in production. Still, VW’s Golf is giving hatchback fans a well-sorted and continually confident option. Well, that’s the case at least in the United States with the performance variants of the Golf, which fill the void for the departed base model. The 2022 Golf GTI is the entry point to VW Golfs in the US, and that’s not a bad thing. The latest Volkswagen Golf sticks to the same MQB platform as the outgoing generation, and sports an updated version of the same powertrain. This version of VW’s EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill sends 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Controlling that power is either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI through its paces and brings you along for the ride. Wren walks around the latest Golf GTI and highlights its design, features and interior before taking you along for a live-recorded drive review. Along with these segments, Wren chats with Mark Vaughn about the legacy of Volkswagen’s GTI, how it compares with previous models and what they like about the latest model. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes this eighth-generation Golf GTI special.

Volkswagen’s Passat was one of its most important nameplates and a staple of the Volkswagen portfolio. Entering the United States for the 1974 model year, the Passat has filled the driveways of countless folks over its nearly 50-year span in the ‘States. Though, Volkswagen announced that the Passat was seeing the end of the line after the 2022 model year, and even sent it away with a special final edition. Powering the current generation Passat is a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that makes 174 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque. Slotted above the even more beloved Jetta, the Passat was in the middle of VW’s sedan lineup, which is a spot in the market that is continually shrinking.

Toyota’s Avalon is a similar story. While its run is shorter and was introduced fewer than 30 years ago, the Avalon quickly became a staple of Toyota’s sedan lineup. With five generations under its belt, it was probably hard for folks to see Toyota also discontinue the nameplate in the United States. Available with either a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 that makes 301 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque or a 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain that makes 205 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. Both of these powertrains are surrounded by the same mid-size sheet metal.

On this episode of the Quick Spin bonus show Talkin’ Cars With the Boss, host Wesley Wren chats with Autoweek’s Editor in Chief Natalie Neff about her time with both the 2021 Volkswagen Passat and 2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. The pair discuss how both cars drive, feel and look while also tackling the greater question of declining space for sedans in the new car marketplace.

If you just look at sales numbers and available models, minivans are dead and are buried under the crushing weight of crossovers and SUVs. While that might be true on the sales charts, it’s not exactly true on the showroom floor. Sure, fewer automakers are churning out these people movers, but minivans are still here to handle your multi-passenger problem. The 2022 Toyota Sienna entered its fourth generation last year and eschewed its traditional internal-combustion-only approach. This latest generation of Toyota minivan is hybrid only, and available with all-wheel-drive if you want the extra traction. The only available powertrain uses a 2.5-liter inline-four that feeds Toyota’s eCVT. Combing the electric motor with the internal combustion engine, this Sienna makes a respectable 245 hp while making 36 mpg city and highway.

In this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn puts the 2022 Toyota Sienna through its paces and brings you along for the ride. Vaughn walks you around the ’22 Sienna and highlights its styling and gives context around the minivan world before bringing you inside the Sienna to show off its interior features. Vaughn also brings you along for a live-recorded drive review. Adding to these segments, Vaughn talks about the Sienna and the greater role of minivans in the market with host Wesley Wren. The pair talk about the influx of consumer tech in the Sienna, the reason for minivans and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the ’22 Sienna special.