The 2018 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 will cost you $20k more than the base CLA-Class, but is it a real AMG car? Benjamin thinks so, and while both he and Sami have reservations, it's a major improvement over the standard version of the vehicle. Get ready for more gushing about the 2018 Volvo XC40 SUV, too, as Benjamin hauls tires in class and style. Finally, the pair talk about the Chevrolet Colorado's airbag problem (hint: the explode when you go off-road), and the death of the new new VW Beetle.

Links:

• Chevrolet Colorado Side Curtain Airbags Keep Deploying On Easy Off-Road Trails

Did adding a turbo to the Miata teach Mazda an important lesson about not messing with the MX-5 formula? After a week behind the wheel of a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata from Mazdas' classic collection, Benjamin certainly seems to think so. Sami, on the other hand, can't get enough of Benjamin's weird winter tales of driving the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van to the Alaskan Arctic Circle after he himself samples the new model in warmer climes. Before wrapping things up, Sami posits that the 2018 Honda Pilot is really just a fancier minivan - and is totally ok with that - and then the pair riff through Volvo's new 'languge' designed to help its autonomous bed-office-living-room cars communicate with mere human beings, as well as a BMW lightning round featuring the longest SUV name in automotive history.

Sami is terrified - really and truly - after spending a week behind the wheel of the ferocious 2018 BMW M5, but wonders why you need to input the Konami code to really have a good time. Benjamin counters with the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V's 640-horsepower simplicity, and then contrasts it against the much more raw experience of driving his own first-year, first-generation CTS-V with a manual transmission. The pair wrap things up by lamenting Ford's short-sighted decision to leave the car market in the pursuit of trucks and SUVs.

Is the 2018 Acura NSX the ultimate example of soulless supercar perfection? Sami discovers that an amazing powetrain and incredible performance statistics don't make for a mesmerizing drive experience - but that the 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder that he drove the next day - also at Monterey Car Week - more than made up for it. Benjamin, on the other hand, is less impressed by the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali, a full-size pickup that comes across more like a missed opportunity than anything else after his time behind the wheel on the coastal roads of Newfoundland. Finally, the two investigate claims that Volkswagen has been controlling the weather, James Bond-style, at one of their Mexican factories.

Links:

• Volkswagen accused of ruining Mexican crops with weather-altering 'hail cannons'

This week AutoGuide's head honcho Jodi Lai, guest hosts with Sami and Benjamin to talk about her disappointing experience with the 2018 Jeep Cherokee SUV. Sami compares the 2019 Acura RDX's incredibly frustrating touchpad infotainment system against the 2019 Infiniti QX50's variable compression engine, while Benjamin puts many miles on the largest Mercedes-Benz convertible, the S560. The three also try to figure out why, exactly, NextEV decided to patent a self-destruct system for electric vehicles.

The Miata finally has more power - but is it in the right place? Sami drives the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata long the California coast to get the answers. Meanwhile, Benjamin gets behind the wheel of the also-more-mighty 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, redesigned for the current model year, as well as the 2018 BMW 430i Gran Coupe, which might be the best option for entry-level luxury shoppers. Wrapping things up, Sami road trips in the 2018 Ford F-150 Limited and the 2018 Ram 1500 Limited in a battle of the best full-size pickups.

Links:

• First Drive: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Benjamin takes the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye to the track at Club Motorsports in Tamworth, New Hampshire, to find out what happens when you try to make a 797 horsepower muscle car turn a corner. He also spends some time on the same track with the surprisingly fun Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Widebody, which is also new for 2019.

Links:

• Track Tested: 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye vs. 2019 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Widebody

The 2018 BMW M5 can certainly haul the mail around a race track, but what's it like corralling its 600 horsepower in bumper-to-bumper traffic? Benjamin takes the hit for the team and finds out, spending a week with the super sedan and trying his best to figure out the Konami code for unlocking its many computerized customizations. Sami compares and contrasts the stalwart 2018 BMW 340i against the upstart 2019 Genesis G70 and discovers that the new kid on the block has a few finishing lessons to teach the German. Sami also gets some wheel time with the new 2018 Porsche 911T, and talks about...the weight of its door handles, or lack thereof.

Sami heads to Japan to drive the 2019 Subaru Forester and comes back to tell you where it fits into the world of compact SUVs - and to argue with Benjamin about its always-watching robot eye - in this first drive bonus episode.

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG C63 S introduces brand-new 'predictive' driver's aides in the form of the AMG Dynamics system, and Benjamin hits the track at Bilster Berg in Germany to decide whether they help lap times or just get in the way while sampling every single model in the C63 line-up. Sami spends a week with the 2018 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS and is stunned by how incredibly quick and competent the 911's little brother has become in just a few short years. Finally, Benjamin tells a sad story of driveline vibration, hair loss, and classic Datsun ownership.

Links:

• First Drive: Electronic charm school civilizes the wildest C-Class family members, the 2019 AMG C63 and C63 S