Quick Spin

Mercedes-Benz had a problem: convertible and coupe variants of almost every car model. While this is good for folks that want an S-Class coupe, or a C-Class cabriolet, it does add complexity to the portfolio. While more options are always better for the end-user, the Mercedes-Benz is shrinking some of its coupe and convertible options and rolling out a one-size-fits-all replacement. Cleverly dubbed the CLE-Class, this cabriolet or coupe-only machine fills the void from its C and E-Class stablemates and still gives Mercedes-Benz shoppers a comfortable, stylish cruiser. Powering the base-model CLE 300 is the 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that makes 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Stepping up to the CLE 450 nets you the ‘Benz mild-hybrid 3.0-liter I6 that cranks power up to 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.    On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the CLE 450 and highlights some of its features before taking you along on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Mercedes-Benz CLE, its place in the ‘Benz lineup, and why it exists. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the CLE 450 special.

The Lexus TX solves an important problem for Lexus – it gives the brand an upscale, large people mover. This three-row crossover joined the Lexus brand at the end of 2023 as a 2024 model-year vehicle and is the cousin of the Toyota Grand Highlander. The Lexus TX also packs a variety of powertrains, with a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4, a turbocharged 2.4-liter I4 that works with a hybrid system, and the top-flight 3.5-liter V6 that works with the plug-in hybrid system. This particular tester slots under the TX 500h+ trim which moves by way of the turbocharged 2.4-cylinder hybrid powertrain.  On the Toyota side of the dealership, your three-row options open up. Sure, you can snag a Grand Highlander or Sienna, or you can move to the body-on-frame Sequoia. Based on the latest TNGA-F architecture, the latest Sequoia follows the same pattern as the new Tundra. That means it packs a 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 under the hood that works with the i-Force Max hybrid system to throw 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission.   On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, host Wesley Wren chats with Natalie Neff about these two three-row people movers. The pair talk about their respective experiences with each of these distinctly different people movers, and discuss their merits. Closing the show, the pair decide which one of these two three-row machines they’d want to throw into their driveway.

Stuffing a big engine into a small car has been a formula for success throughout the history of the automobile. Oldsmobile stuffed its new overhead-valve V8 into its 88. Later, Pontiac stuffed 389 cubic inches worth of V8 into a Tempest. While this trend never really went away, it did change – turbocharged, smaller displacement engines squeeze more oomph out of smaller displacements. That said, Lexus looked at its parts catalog, saw the 5.0-liter V8 was available, and stuffed it into the small IS sedan. Of course, there was more to the mating of this 5.0-liter V8 and this small sedan, but it does follow the same formula as some of the most beloved muscle machines of yore. This ’24 Lexus IS 500 sends 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. From there, power shuffles to the IS 500’s rear axle, only.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Lexus IS 500 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 IS 500 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Lexus IS, this V8-powered version, and how it compares to the competitive set. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this 2024 Lexus Is 500 special.

After a brief hiatus, Ford brought its once-compact Ranger pickup back to the United States for the 2019 model year. After a handful of years on the market, Ford has given the North American Ranger another lease on life and launched a new generation in 2024. This updated Ranger borrows a lot of the same concepts from the previous-generation model, as well as its global variant, but also brings some serious updates to the table. Namely, the ’24 Ranger ushered in the Ranger Raptor to the North American portfolio. This latest Ranger also expanded the powertrains and now includes the 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 and the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 mills in various trims. The ’24 Ford Ranger also sees an overhauled interior, with two available digital instrument clusters, and a large standard touchscreen media system.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Ford Ranger and puts it through its paces. Murphy Takes you on a guided tour of the 2024 Ford Ranger and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2024 Ford Ranger, Ford’s pickup truck lineup, and the Ranger’s competition. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this Ford Ranger special.

Toyota’s stalwart mid-size truck entered a new generation with the 2024 model year. Entering its fourth generation, Toyota’s popular Tacoma didn’t carry along its V6 but did add a hybrid to its portfolio. While the 3.5-liter V6 was replaced with a series of turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder options, the manual transmission stuck with Taco’s order sheet. If you don’t want to spring for the six-speed manual transmission, an eight-speed automatic is effectively standard. Of course, the top-flight TRD Pro carries on, but Toyota also expanded its Tacoma offerings with an overlanding-focused Trailhunter model.   Sitting across the lot from your would-be next pickup is Toyota’s RAV4. The RAV4 entered its fifth generation in 2018 and saw a styling update only a few years ago. While it still might be approaching the end of its generational life, the RAV4 still manages to do what it's supposed to do: easily haul people and stuff. The perennial all-star on the sales charts, Toyota’s RAV4 is spread through three powertrains, with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid available, as well as a traditional ICE powertrain. This ICE-only tester uses a 2.5-liter I4 to send 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, host Wesley Wren chats with Natalie Neff about her time with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma and 2024 Toyota RAV4. The pair talk about the new Tacoma, Natalie’s experience with it, and more. The pair also talk about the RAV4, its continued sales-chart dominance, and some minor gripes with the infotainment system. The two hosts also talk about Toyota’s four-cylinder engine family, the departure of the Tacoma’s V6, and more. Closing the show, the two decide which of these ‘Yotas they’d rather have in their driveway. 

The Toyota Land Cruiser’s story is almost as long as the brand's. Evolving from a Jeep alternative, the Land Cruiser has since grown into a luxurious off-roading superstar. Technically split between two separate series, the Land Cruiser 200 carried the water for Toyota’s Land Cruiser in North America until it reached the end of the road in 2021. While Toyota hasn’t brought the replacement Land Cruiser 300 to the United States, yet, the company did bring over its smaller Land Cruiser 250. Formerly dubbed Land Cruiser Prado, this downsized Land Cruiser sits closer to the 4Runner and Tacoma than the oversized Lexus LX. Powering the reborn Land Cruiser is a turbocharged 2.4-liter I4 that works with a hybrid system and an eight-speed transmission to throw 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels.    On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Toyota Land Cruiser and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the latest Land Cruiser highlights some of his favorite features, and tells you what it’s like to live with in the real world. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Land Cruiser, the Toyota TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Land Cruiser special.

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N takes everything you’d expect from a battery-electric vehicle and throws it for a loop. Hyundai’s performance-oriented BEV gives you battery-electric bonafides like 601 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque but throws the brand's N image into the mix. That translates to fake shift points, hilarious engine noise, and a package that is still useful despite the hilarity. This combination of performance and cartoonish enthusiasm makes the Ioniq 5 N one of the most exciting battery-powered vehicles on the road today. Eschewing battery power, but also stuck with high-strung downsizing, the Toyota GR Corolla takes the tried-and-true enthusiast car path and features gobs of power for not a lot of mass. This GR Corolla packs a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine under the hood that throws 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual transmission and into a standard all-wheel-drive system. Like the Ioniq 5 N, the Corolla shape and the potent powertrain have turned the GR Corolla into an instant enthusiast darling.   On this episode of Talking Car with the Boss, Natalie Neff and Wesley Wren discuss their respective times in these machines. The two talk about the Ioniq 5 N’s effect on battery-electric cars, the hilarious simulated features, and what makes it so interesting for non-EV shoppers. They also talk about what makes the GR Corolla so special in today’s marketplace. Closing the show, the pair both pick which machine they’d add to their collections.   

The Mercedes-AMG GT showed its face in 2014 and laid the groundwork for some of the most interesting Mercedes models of the decade. After Mercedes-AMG expanded the GT’s offerings by folding a four-door variant into its naming convention in 2018, there were some doubts about the small coupes push for a second generation. Fortunately for AMG GT coupe fans, Merc did roll out a second-generation AMG GT in 2023 during Car Week festivities. This second-generation AMG GT did bring a new set of naming conventions and an all-wheel-drive system but still kept the coupe shell. Alongside the changes to the second-gen GT, this latest iteration also adds a second row of seats for those who need extra passenger space and a more price-conscious powertrain for those who don’t need four-liters of turbocharged grunt under the hood.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the second-generation AMG GT and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63, the generational changes that came to the AMG GT Coupe, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the ’24 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 special.

Audi’s SQ8 showed its coupe-ified styling back in 2019, but the folks at Audi have given this two-row people mover an overhaul for ’24. Albeit minor, this update provides the SQ8 with a new front fascia, revised rear styling, and an updated set of Audi rings. The interior, and more importantly, the powertrain were largely left alone. That means that this two-row crossover SUV features a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, which sends 500 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Adding to the potent powertrain, the Audi SQ8 offers an electro-mechanical front stabilizer bar, which helps better control body roll.   On this episode of Quick Spin, your host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Audi SQ8 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the updated SQ8 and highlights some of his favorite features and what it’s like to experience. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Joining these segments, wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Audi SQ8, its other variants, and the competition. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Audi SQ8 special.

The Genesis G90 helped spin off the fledgling Genesis brand from its Hyundai starting place. Pivoting away from the Genesis Coupe of yore, the Genesis G90 helped push the Genesis brand into a hotly contested, and loyal, luxury sedan space. A space dominated by the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and more. After helping establish the brand, Genesis launched the second generation of its G90 in 2021. The transition to its second generation added needed tech upgrades and helped the brand’s flagship sedan better fall in line with the current design language. While the V8 didn’t make the transition to the second generation, the G90 offers a pair of turbocharged V6 mills, with the e-supercharged variant boasting 409 hp.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Genesis G90 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 G90 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of the large Genesis sedan. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about Genesis, the G90, and the luxury sedan space. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the ’24 Genesis G90 special.

Rising from the ashes of the defunct Hummer brand, the team at GMC gave the oversized off-roader a new lease on life as a model in its lineup. Leaning into Hummer’s legacy, this GMC Hummer is appropriately large and carries a hefty price tag. Unlike its stand-alone predecessor, the reborn GMC Hummer showcased GM’s massive Ultium battery-electric platform and previewed the rollout of the company’s larger battery-electric offerings. Packing a 205 kWh battery pack underneath its shell. This large battery pack feeds either two or three electric motors, depending on how your rig is configured. In top trim, GMC says the Hummer EV throws 1,000 hp and over 1,200 lv-ft of torque toward the wheels. This potent power unit can shuffle this nearly five-ton pickup truck to 60 mph in an astounding 3.3 seconds.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn climbs behind the wheel of a 2024 GMC Hummer EV Pickup and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the GMC Hummer EV and highlights some of his favorite features and what it’s like to experience in person. Later in the show, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the reborn Hummer brand, using the Hummer EV pickup as a pickup, and more. Closing the show, the pair try to wrap their heads around this massive EV.

When Chrysler revived its Pacifica badge for its reborn minivan in 2017, few would have imagined that a minivan would be Chrysler’s only 2024 offering. Split across a plug-in hybrid powertrain and a traditional ICE powertrain, the Pacifica sticks with Chrysler Corporation’s dedication to comfortably hauling people. Technically split further into the Voyager and Pacifica models, Chrysler’s minivan ascends to near-luxury territory with the top-flight Pinnacle trim. Maybach-Esq pillows adorn the second row, and leather and soft-touch materials appear in droves. Sitting atop the Pacifica hierarchy, the Pacifica Pinnacle is also available with the 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar under the hood or the 3.6-liter Pentastar that works with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. With PHEV power the Pacifica can move over 30 miles on battery-only power and can manage around 540 miles of range per tank of fuel.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the Pacifica and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Carone takes you along for a live drive review of this Chrysler minivan. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the Pacifica, the state of the minivan, and Chrysler’s current lineup. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Pacifica special.

The latest Bentley Continental GT might not break the mold for the Continental as we’ve known it for decades, but it does evolve one of Bentley’s most important names. While it doesn’t look too different from its predecessor, this latest generation Continental GT packs some serious hardware changes at the top of its range: the Continental GT Speed. Formerly packing a W12 under the hood, the folks in Crewe have moved away from a W12 and moved toward electrification. Don’t worry, working with the electric motors in the Continental GT is still a V8. This plug-in hybrid Continental GT Speed is good for 771 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. That bests the most recent W12 by 121 hp and 74 lb-ft. And, it still rolls all the way up to 208 mph, if you can find the track to make that happen. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the latest generation Continental GT and highlights some of the changes and how it feels. Later, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review of the ’25 Bentley Continental GT Speed. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Bentley, its PHEV powertrain, its underpinnings, and the competition. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Bentley Continental GT Speed special.

Like all great spinoffs, the Toyota Supra has created its own story over the last 45 years. Once a variant of the Celica, and then a hero car in one of a movie that would launch a multi-billion-dollar franchise, the Toyota Supra name carries a lot of gravitas. That’s ignoring its racing pedigree in Super GT, on drag strips, and more. Honoring the Supra’s 45th birthday, the folks at Toyota churned out 900 limited-edition examples of the 3.0-liter-powered Supra. Not officially linked to the Fast and Furious film franchise, the company does hint that it’s inspired by a custom MkIV Toyota Supra that appeared on the big screen. Still fundamentally the same as the rest of the six-cylinder Supras, this special edition comes in an orange or white finish, sports special graphics, and has a wing.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Toyota Supra 45th Anniversary Edition and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 Supra and highlights some of its features, nods to the Fast and Furious car, and more. Wren also takes you along on a live drive review of this stick-shifted Supra. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Toyota Supra, The Fast and the Furious, famous movie cars, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Supra special.

The Lucid Motors Air sedan joined the fray in the luxury electric car space only a few years ago, and the landscape is constantly changing. While the company gears up to launch a much-needed ‘ute, the Lucid Air still fills an important space for the brand: it exists. Spread across four price tiers, the Lucid Air is fighting against legacy BEV stalwarts from Tesla like the Model S, and the more recent ventures into the space from Audi, Porsche and so many other automakers. This Lucid Air Touring sits below the flagship Sapphire and Grand Touring and boasts 620 hp from its twin-motor layout. The folks at Lucid say that this combination is good enough for zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and a 140 mph top speed, all while weighing two and a half tons.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the ’24 Lucid Air Touring and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the Lucid Air Touring and highlights some of his favorite features while describing what it's like to live with. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Lucid Air, its space in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the ’24 Lucid Air Touring special.

Somehow, the Lexus LC is in the back half of a decade in production. Debuting in 2016 at the Detroit auto show, the LC500 helped give something similar to the legendary Lexus LFA to the masses – well, the masses that could afford a spendy-but-more-affordable grand tourer. Powered by either a 5.0-liter V8 or a 3.5-liter V6-based hybrid system, the Lexus LC 500 can offer a growing exhaust note or the more demure world of a fuel-sipping hybrid grand tourer. In LC 500h hybrid trim, the 3.5-liter works with a CVT and electric motors to make 354 hp of total system output and, according to Lexus, only suffers a 0.3-second penalty in a sprint to 60 mph. For 2024, the team at Lexus overhauled the LC 500’s interior and replaced the old touchpad-based media system with a more modern touchscreen-based media system.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Lexus LC 500h. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 Lexus LC500h and highlights some of its new features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of this hybrid grand tourer. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Lexus LC 500, the changes, and where it sits in the greater world of luxury sports cars. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Lexus LC 500h special.

Mazda launched its fourth generation, or ND as MX-5 fans would call it, almost a decade ago. Shaving weight from its NC-generation predecessor, this MX-5 excelled at what Miatas do best: be fun. Along the way, Miata squeezed more power and moved the redline of its 2.0-liter I4. The most recent group of upgrades usher in the ND3-era, or the third update for the ND-generation, and brings along some interesting hardware. While the powertrain is unchanged, Mazda stuffed a new limited-slip differential at the rear of Club models. The company also revised the steering system to increase steering feel even further with a new steering rack. Mazda also revamped its media system, which now features an 8.8-inch touchscreen.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a tour of the ’24 Mazda Miata that highlights some of the new features and explains what it’s like to live with. Later, Wren will take you along for a live drive review of the updated MX-5. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the latest Mazda MX-5, how the changes affect Mazda’s beloved sports car, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Mazda MX-5 RF special.

Genesis rolled out its G70 sedan onto the road all the way back in 2017, for the 2018 model year. While the G90 helped kick the Genesis brand off, the G70’s launch was a big part of the brand’s expansion down market. This smaller sedan fights with the likes of luxury heavyweights like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and more. This Genesis also shared a platform with Kia’s Stinger, which went out of production after 2023. Genesis gave the G70 a substantial styling update in 2022 to bring it in line with the rest of the Genesis portfolio, but also added a more powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 as the base powertrain, which replaces the outgoing 2.0-liter mill.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Genesis G70 and puts it through its paces. Wren guides you around the G70 highlights some of his favorite features, and explains what this Genesis sedan feels like in the real world. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Joining these segments, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone joins the show to discuss his experiences with the G70, the competitive set, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the G70 special.

The Hyundai Elantra has come a long way since its early ’90s inception. Over the last three decades, Hyundai’s Elantra has evolved and stayed with the ebbs and flows of automotive trends. This seventh-generation Elantra might have brought the Elantra N into the fold, but there’s more to this compact sedan than just its torque-steering stablemate. Elantra also offers its base non-N model with either a 2.0-liter or 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. However, there’s also a hybrid variant of the Elantra. The Elantra Hybrid blends a 1.6-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder with an electric motor in the search for better fuel economy. This I4 only makes 104 hp and 109 lb-ft of torque, but it gets a boost from an electric motor that cranks total system power to 134 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque.  On this episode of Quick Spin, hosts Wesley Wren and Patrick Carone both spend time with the 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and put it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the ’24 Elantra highlights some of its features and shows off what it’s like to live with. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Carone about the Elantra, the changing automotive landscape, and the evolving role of hybrids in the United States. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Elantra Hybrid special.

The Volkswagen Atlas joined the VW roster for 2018 and gave the company the ever-important mid-size SUV. Expanding on the Atlas, Volkswagen added the Cross Sport variant of its MQB-based crossover, which put the company’s hat in the ring of the crossover coupe argument. After five years on the road, Volkswagen overhauled both versions of the Atlas. While these updates do come with some interesting new hardware, there is one downside for some: Volkswagen ditched the VR6. That means powering every Atlas Cross Sport is the 2.0-liter EA888 Evo 4 mill, which shoves 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed transmission.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you along on a guided tour of the ’24 Atlas Cross Sport and highlights some of his favorite features before taking you along on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Atlas Cross Sport, crossover coupes, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Atlas Cross Sport Special