Week-long press vehicle reviews scored on the published MoneyShift rubric: Capability, Daily Livability, Value, Character, and Feel, out of 10, with redline starting at 9. Every car is driven on real roads with real errands, and every verdict is filed permanently in The Garage.
The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS is a 210 hp electric hatchback with a new 65 kWh LFP battery, an EPA-rated 262 miles of range, 150 kW fast charging through a Tesla-style NACS port, and available Super Cruise hands-free driving. My tester was a fully loaded RS at $37,445, but the number that matters is a…
The 2027 Kia Telluride X-Pro SX Prestige is the new establishment: a 274 hp turbocharged three-row with 9.1 inches of ground clearance, 30 inches of screen, heated AND cooled second-row seats, and came with an as-tested price of $59,580 in matte Terrain brown. This thing has freakin everything. It is almost overwhelming, and even though…
The Honda Pilot Elite is a 285 hp naturally aspirated V6 three-row SUV with a traditional 10-speed automatic, a $53,695 sticker, and steering feel straight out of the late-90s SUV wave. That is not a complaint. The Pilot felt like an old friend all week: this is your parents’ SUV, with your technology, and after…
The 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige scores a 7.7 out of 10, and it earns it the hard way. This is the twin-turbo V6 car, 375 hp, all wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and an as-tested price of $78,525. The first thing I did when I saw that number was build its German rivals to…
The Lexus NX 350h F Sport Handling is a 240 hp hybrid luxury SUV that returns about 40 mpg, starts at $55,495 including destination, and takes a completely different road from every German it competes with. That price sits above the average new car price (but barely). My verdict after a week: keep the hits,…
The Subaru Outback Wilderness runs a 260 hp turbo boxer, 9.5 inches of ground clearance, electronically controlled dampers for the first time on an Outback, and a window sticker of $49,480 as tested in Deep Emerald Green Pearl. I came into this one loving the Subaru Outback, but unsure of this new generation’s design. I…
The Toyota RAV4 Woodland plug-in hybrid makes 324 hp, carries a rated 49 miles of electric range that I routinely beat, and stickers at $46,895 before options, $47,745 as tested before destination. I have been rejecting the RAV4 for a long time. Not because I doubted it was good, reliable, or the right look, but…
The Toyota Sienna Platinum is a 245 hp hybrid minivan with a refrigerator, a vacuum, and an EPA rating of 36 mpg, a number that I have confidently beat in the real world consistently. I am a millennial dad, a group that you can almost solely attribute to causing minivan sales to climb again, so…
The Ford F-150 Tremor is the point just below the Raptor: a 400 hp 3.5L EcoBoost, a factory lift on 33-inch tires, a two-speed transfer case, and, in the 402A trim I drove, a window sticker over $80,000. Ford gives you the option at this price bracket to either go luxury with the Platinum, or…
The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is effectively a modern day old Rav4. It makes 196 hp, comes with standard all-wheel drive, carries an EPA rating of 42 mpg combined, and starts right around $30,500. I came in expecting an appliance and left pleasantly surprised: for a one-kid family this thing is great. The right amount…
