Quick Spin

The Toyota Prius might not have been a style icon when it launched in 1997, but it did quickly become a symbol of fuel savings. The fuel-sipper entered its fifth generation with the 2023 model year and ushered in a new era for ‘Yota’s hybrid. This new Prius sports a wholly redesigned shell but sticks with traditional hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. This Prius Prime tester features a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle I4 that works with an eCVT to make a combined 220 hp. This Prius PHEV also packs 13.6 kWh, which Toyota says can move the Prius Prime over 40 miles on with only its electric motors. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Toyota Prius and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 Prius and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of the ’24 Prius Prime. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Toyota Prius, the latest Prius’s curb appeal, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this Prius special.

Toyota’s fourth-generation Highlander builds on almost two decades of momentum, and growing interest in the crossover space. This latest Highlander launched in 2019 and spun off a Grand Highlander variant that’s slightly larger to meet continued demand. Pivoting to four-cylinder power, this Highlander packs a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4 that feeds 265 hp through an eight-speed automatic. That power travels through the front wheels or an all-wheel-drive system.

It's hard for other automakers to ignore the hot-selling crossovers, and Hyundai  jumped into the ring with its three-row Palisade. This three-row family hauler sports a 3.8-liter V6 under the hood that pushes 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque to the front or all four wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Wesley Wren, and Natalie Neff chat about two darlings of the midsize crossover space. The pair share their experiences with the Highlander and Palisade, and discuss the growing demand for large, three-row crossovers. Closing the show, the pair break down which of these family haulers they’d like to add to their driveway. 

The Lexus NX kicked off in 2014, with its current, second generation coming seven years later. This mid-size, two-row crossover might not move the volume as its larger RX stablemate, but it handles the needs of the popular two-row midsize crossover space. The NX 350h packs a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle I4 that’s paired with an eCVT and hybrid system to send 239 hp through a four-wheel drive system before hitting the pavement at each wheel. 

Slotting below the NX, the entry point into the Lexus crossover lineup is the subcompact Lexus UX. This ’23 Lexus UX250h sports aggressive styling and a hybrid powertrain. Powering the UX250h is a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle I4 that works with an eCVT and a hybrid system to make a combined 181 hp through the front wheels, or through an all-wheel-drive system. 

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Wesley Wren chats with Natalie Neff about a pair of Lexus crossovers. The pair breakdown where these Lexus crossovers sit in the hierarchy of the company’s portfolio, and where they stand in the greater scheme of the car world.  The pair also share their respective experiences with these machines. 

The latest-generation Toyota Tundra is a popular full-size pickup. While its 5.7-liter V8 didn’t carry over to the new generation, a turbocharged 3.4-liter V6, and a turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 hybrid take its spot. The top-flight hybrid powertrain shoves 479 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic. This truck also comes with a large touchscreen media system, comfortable seating, tech, and ride quality you’d expect from a full-size sedan. 

Carrying the lower-priced load for Lexus, the ES 300h might not be as exciting as the company’s LC500, but it fills an important, mid-size role. In 300h trim, this hybrid people mover packs a 2.5-liter I4 under the hood that works with an eCVT to make 215 combined system hp. This hybrid sedan might not hustle from stoplight to stoplight, but it also manages over 44 mpg combined.

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Natalie Neff and Wesley Wren chat about these two vehicles and the evolving passenger car space. The pair breaks down how trucks have changed roles in the marketplace, and how mid-size sedans are losing some ground to crossovers, SUVs, and trucks. They also discuss their experiences with the respective vehicles and close the show by deciding which one they’d add to their stable.  

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Wesley Wren, and Natalie Neff talk about their experiences with a pair of dissimilar Mazdas. They compare and contrast the benefits of the MX-5 and its more utilitarian Mazda3. The pair also discuss which one they’d park in their driveway. 

Porsche took inspiration from its history of off-road racing 911s and put that into a limited-edition, road-going package dubbed Dakar. This model transforms the 911 Carrera and turns it into a high-riding machine. Equipped with no back seat, and fixed-back buckets in front, this 911 isn’t making light of its racing focus, even if none ever see a rally stage in anger. The 911 Dakar also sports bespoke front and rear fascias, that help better protect the machine from the trials and tribulations of off-roading. Porsche also lifted the 911 Dakar and included an adjustable ride-height suspension to crank it up a little more. Behind the driver is still a flat-six that sends 473 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed PDK transmission. From there, power travels through the standard all-wheel-drive system to get to the off-road rubber.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the 911 Dakar and highlights some of the changes and his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along on a live drive review of this limited-edition Porsche. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the 911 Dakar, the proliferation of off-roading sports cars in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this 911 special.

The Volkswagen GTI has been a staple of the affordable but fun roster of cars since its inception almost half a century ago. This hopped-up Rabbit or Golf gave folks an affordable outlet for their gear-wringing fun. Well, halfway through the eighth generation of this legendary nameplate, Volkswagen is moving away from the manual transmission and pivoting to an automatic-only GTI in the United States. Before sending it away, VW launched a special stick-shifted celebration version of the GTI dubbed 380. Powering this 2024 VW GTI 308 is the same 2.0-liter EA888 turbocharged I4 that powers the other GTI variants. This turbocharged 2.0-liter sends 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque through either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic. Of course, in 380 S and 380 SE trim, the stick is the only transmission available. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone climbs behind the wheel of the 2024 VW Golf GTI and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided walkaround of the last-year stick-shifted Golf GTI and highlights some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Carone takes you on a live drive review of the ’24 VW GTI. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the GTI, the manual transmission disappearing, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the 2024 Golf GTI special. 

Ferrari’s not-quite-a-crossover Purosangue enters a world where the crossover is king, which is pushing sports-car-focused automakers toward adding more high-riding commuters into their respective lineups. Like a spiritual successor to the GTC4Lusso, the Purosangue has as many doors as it does seats, and is pointing its nose more at the highway than the racetrack. Of course, under the hood is still 6.5 liters worth of V12 that sends 715 hp and 528 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. From there, power travels to all four wheels before hitting the pavement. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Ferrari Purosangue and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the Purosangue and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Ferrari Purosangue, its place in the Ferrari history books, and where it stacks up in the growing world of higher-riding family haulers from sports car makers. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Purosangue special.

The Mercedes-Benz GLS Class might have started out without the S in its name, but after the company shook up its crossover and SUV portfolio, it ascended to the top of the Mercedes hierarchy. The Mercedes GLS-Class functions effectively as the S-Class of its crossover and SUV lineup, and sports the largest footprint you’ll find on a road-going ‘Benz. This three-row Family Truckster saw a styling refresh last year, for the 2024 model year. This brings a new grille, and a new front fascia, among other more subtle styling changes. Thankfully, the 4.0-liter V8 stuck around in standard in GLS 580 guise. This V8 sends 510 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic. From there, the power travels to all four wheels by way of the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the GLS 580 and highlights some of his favorite features and what’s new for ’24. Later. Murphy takes you on a live drive review of the latest GLS-Class. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, the competition, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this GLS special.

The Lamborghini Huracan is, unfortunately, seeing the end of its run. While the entry-level Lambo has spun off a handful of wild variants in its decade-long run, the team at Lamborghini is sending off the V10-powered sports car with a series of variants that include a rally-inspired, off-roader. The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato takes the bones of the Huracan, gives it a lift, slaps on some all-terrain rubber, and adds a set of off-road lights to the nose. There’s also a roof-mounted air intake, which helps your V10 not gulp sand, dirt, or water as you’re blasting through the desert or rally stage. That 5.2-liter V10 sends 602 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque through a seven-speed automatic transmission and into the Lamborghini all-wheel-drive system. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of this special Huracan and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to those segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy about this Lamborghini, off-road-inspired supercars, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Lamborghini special.