Quick Spin

The current generation of Ford’s Mustang is arguably the best to ever roll out of a Ford factory. With a Mustang GT that makes 460 hp and a Mustang Shelby GT 500 that makes 760 hp, this pony has no shortage of power. That said, in base trim, Ford’s storied coupe is now powered exclusively by a turbocharged 2.3-liter I4. This turbocharged four makes 310 horsepower at its worst, but that number rises to 330 hp when you check the box for the performance package. The performance package also includes suspension and style upgrades that turn this Mustang into a track-rat special. This Mustang is available with a ten-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Ford Mustang Performance Pack 2.3-liter to put it to the test. Wren walks you around the car and shows off its upgrades and the features exclusive to this odd pony. Wren also takes you along for a live-recorded drive review and relays his experiences. Adding to the conversation, Wren talks with Patrick Carone. The two expand on these recorded segments, compare this high-performance four-cylinder Mustang to its more powerful GT counterpart and discuss the competitive set. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this Mustang special.

The Hyundai Palisade shares a platform with the fantastic Kia Telluride and changes just enough to personalize the experience. While we’ve already discussed Kia’s Telluride, the Hyundai Palisade takes most of the great features from the shared platform and stuffs them in a restyled shell. The exterior and interior styling gives customers options depending on what they prefer, but the bones of each crossover remain the same: solid. Hyundai’s twist on this three-row crossover is an aggressively styled interior and exterior, which falls in line with the rest of its line. The exterior features a massive grill will narrow headlamps. The interior sports a push-button gear selector and more tactile buttons than a space shuttle mission control. Powering this Palisade is a 3.8-liter direct-injected V6 that makes 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque that feeds an eight-speed automatic transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the Hyundai Palisade through its paces. Wren walks you in and around the Palisade giving you a guided tour of the SUV’s styling and features before hopping behind the wheel to give you a live drive review. Expanding on his thoughts, Wren chats with Patrick Carone. The two expand on Wren’s segments and talk about the Palisade’s context in the greater landscape. They also compare it to the Kia Telluride. Closing the show, the pair explain what makes this car special.

One of the most controversial styling trends centers around one of the most popular trends of our time: the crossover coupe. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S takes the crossover coupe style and blends it with the outlandish Mercedes 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 to make one of the more interesting combinations of performance, utility and style on the road. Based on the standard GLE-class Mercedes-Benz, the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S is a 603 hp people mover with all of the attitude you’d expect from an AMG. Of course, this top-flight crossover isn’t a bare-bones performance machine and is also well-appointed with leather and soft-touch materials throughout the interior and lots of high-tech consumer features.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and puts it through its paces. Carone guides you around this GLE 63 S in a recorded walk around and takes you along for a real-time drive review. Adding to those segments, Carone expands on his thoughts with host Wesley Wren. The pair talk about the GLE 63 S’s features, its price and the experience of driving this Mercedes-AMG. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S special.

Even though crossovers are constantly demanding more and more effort and attention from automakers, the devout enthusiast segment of hot hatchbacks is still sticking around. While the segment might be smaller than it was in its heyday, the hot hatch world is enticing enough to draw in Hyundai and its Veloster N. Like other hot hatchbacks, the Veloster N takes the bones of Hyundai’s economy car and turns it into a performance-oriented machine. Powering this Veloster N is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that makes 275 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Veloster N is now available with either an eight-speed DCT automatic transmission or the standard six-speed manual transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of Hyundai’s hot hatch and puts it through the paces. Wren walks you around the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N and highlights its special features, styling and quality. After walking you through the car, Wren takes you along for a drive review. Along with these segments, Wren chats with Patrick Carone and further elaborates on these points. The pair talk about the Veloster N’s competition, its price and its performance. Closing the show, the pair explain what makes this Veloster N special.

The Hyundai Santa Fe has made leaps and bounds in the past 20 years. Slotted between Hyundai’s compact Tucson and larger Palisade, the Santa Fe might fall out of sight for some shoppers in the fiercely competitive crossover. Curbing that, Hyundai stuffed the Santa Fe with features other automakers have started removing like physical buttons and doubled down on making it a competitive crossover. Powering the Santa Fe is a turbocharged 2.5-liter I4 making 277 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque, which travels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai also stuffed its top Calligraphy trim with soft leather and tech creature comforts.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren and Patrick Carone both spent time behind the wheel of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy. Wren takes you along a walkaround of the vehicle to highlight its interior and exterior features. Afterward, he puts you in the passenger seat while reviewing the car in real-time. Between segments, the pair talk about their time with the car and elaborate on their thoughts. Closing the show, they discuss what makes the 2021 Santa Fe special.

The ever-expanding Genesis portfolio initially saw a rollout of luxury sedans. Following that was the current focus on its solid crossover lineup. Well, the recently refreshed Genesis G70 is proof that the folks at Genesis aren’t ignoring the shrinking sedan segment. Sharing a platform with the Kia Stinger, it might be harder to stomach the more expensive G70. Though, there are huge differences in styling and interior appointments. That said, they both share the turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 that makes 365 hp. This turbocharged V6 is an optional engine that replaces the standard-issue 2.0-liter turbocharged I4. Power travels through an eight-speed automatic transmission and into the Genesis G70’s all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the Genesis G70 through its paces and takes you along for the ride. Wren walks you around the G70 and highlights its styling and interior features. Wren also describes what the interior feels like. Afterward, Wren takes you on a live drive review and talks about the G70’s dynamics and his experiences with the car. Peppered between those segments, Wren talks with Patrick Carone and expands on his thoughts about the car. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the Genesis G70 so special.

The second generation of Volvo’s  popular XC60 has been running for a while now, which means its mid-cycle update was only a matter of time. Well, it’s finally here and adds serious updates to the mid-sized Volvo crossover. Adding to the XC60's refinement, Volvo makes its 48-volt mild hybrid system  available to certain models in the XC60 lineup. Volvo also ditches its traditional, belt-driven supercharger for an electrically powered unit, which should give Volvo’s tuners more control over how the blower is working and help reduce parasitic draw. Powering this XC60, in B6 trim, is a 2.0-liter I4 that’s turbocharged and equipped with the aforementioned electric supercharger. Helping the XC60 better sip fuel is also the 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the Volvo XC60 and brings you along for the ride. Carone walks you around the refreshed XC60 with Volvo’s Gaurang Kalsaria. Kalsaria and Carone talk about the XC60s design and its position in the Volvo lineup. Afterward, Carone takes you along for a live test drive of the XC60. Between these segments, Carone talks with host Wesley Wren about the 2022 Volvo XC60. They discuss the XC60’s new features, styling and performance. Before closing the show, they also discuss the Volvo XC60s price and what makes it special.

The Ford Maverick is finally here to give mini-truck fans the replacement for their aging 1997 Ford Ranger or Chevrolet S-10. Since the mass exodus of compact trucks in the US, this small-truck space has stayed quiet. Though, with the introduction of Ford’s Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, this could start heating up. Ford’s Maverick pulls double duty for the company that abandoned small cars in its US lineup: it’s the most affordable truck you can buy and the most affordable hybrid. Ford’s entry-level XL-badged Maverick comes equipped with a 2.5-liter I4 engine that mates to a hybrid powertrain by way of Ford’s PowerSplit transmission. Ford packaged all of this with space for five and a 4.5-foot long bed.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the Ford Maverick and puts it through its paces. Wren walks you around the new compact pickup from Ford and talks about some of its new features. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review to discuss the truck’s dynamics. Adding to those segments, Wren talks with Patrick Carone about Ford’s latest truck. The two discuss the importance of the truck, its size and its pricing. They also discuss more of the truck’s features. Closing the show, the pair break down why this truck is special.

The Lexus LS 500  sits atop the Lexus  sedan lineup with all of the luxurious appointments you’d expect from a full-size luxury sedan. While you might expect the Lexus LS 500 to carry the 5.0-liter V8 under its hood, as its name would suggest, the Lexus LS 500 bucks the alphanumeric naming convention in the spirit of fuel efficiency and silence. Instead of the snarling V8, this Lexus shuffles along the highway with a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. Despite the powertrain differences, the rest of the Lexus LS 500 walks in step with the Lexus flagship coupe, the LC 500. The interior features are similar to both models, namely sharing styling, door handles and other accessories. Of course, rear-seat passengers in the LS 500 have plenty of comfortable space to sit back and relax during any trip.

On this episode of Quick Spin , host Wesley Wren puts the 2021 Lexus LS 500 through its paces and brings you along for the ride. Wren walks you around the flagship Lexus and shows off its features before hopping behind the wheel and taking you along for a live drive review. Between those segments, Wren talks with Patrick Carone and elaborates on his thoughts on this Lexus sedan. The pair talk about the changing consumer trends around full-size sedans and the transition away from cars towards crossovers. They close the show by explaining why this Lexus LS 500 is special.

Acura showed off a bold sedan concept at Pebble Beach in 2019. Well, as time has shown, that wonderfully styled concept car became the top tier of Acura’s TLX lineup and carries the Acura TLX Type S nameplate. While most concept cars are severely watered down in the transition into a production machine, Acura’s Type S Concept translated well into its production form. Under the hood of this well-designed Acura sedan is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 355 hp. Mated to that V6 is a push-button-controlled 10-speed automatic.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren takes you along for a ride in this flagship Acura as he puts it through its paces. Wren also walks you around the 2021 Acura TLX Type S to show off its design and its features. Wren elaborates on his thoughts with Patrick Carone. Between the drive review and the walk-around, the pair discuss where the TLX Type S fits in the market, its price and its competition. Closing the show, the pair breakdown what makes the 2021 Acura TLX Type S special.