There are only so many times you can tell someone they should buy a wagon, then see them park a new SUV on their driveway, before you start to question your sanity. America's wholehearted embrace of trucks, SUVs, and crossovers has done a shockingly efficient job of squeezing out the humble wagon from consideration. Audi's strategy with the 2020 A6 Allroad, then, is to make its wagon anything but humble.
It's clear that Genesis is on a roll right now, its first SUV reaping rave reviews, and a smaller - and even more striking - crossover set to do the same in the segment below. Easy, then, to forget where that punchy reputation arguably first started, in the shape of the G70 sedan. Flag-bearer for the South Korean luxury marque's eye-catching aesthetic, the G70 also neatly demonstrated that Genesis knew how to dial in a sports sedan.
Life at the entry-level can be tough, particularly if you’re a luxury automaker like BMW trying to please both the badge-hungry and the price conscious at the same time. Spare a thought for the 2020 BMW X1 xDrive28i, then, first step into the car company’s crossover line-up, and tasked with balancing a relatively affordable sticker price with the prestige the Bavarians are known for.
You can’t accuse the 2020 Maserati Levante Trofeo of lacking focus. Indeed, you could make a solid argument that in Trofeo form, this is a supercar in crossover disguise. The Ferrari roots of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 make it one of the most affordable ways to put a Maranello engine on your driveway, and Maserati makes throughly good use of it.
Chevrolet has no shortage of different 2020 Silverado variants, but having spent time with two of the more unusual models, it's clear that you feel the pickup's charm most out on the fringes. On the one hand, the Silverado 1500 Duramax attempts to make diesel power more palatable with a focus on smoothness, while on the other the Silverado 1500 Custom Trail Boss cuts the cosseting for a very good reason. Read on for why both are worthy of your consideration.
Heritage can be a lodestar or it can be a crippling anchor holding you back, and few cars illustrate that quite so well as the Corvette. America's homegrown sports car star has the history, sure, but it's fair to say that in its last few generations it's felt more "quarterback gone to seed" than all-out contender. The 2020 Corvette Stingray changes that.
My first surprise when the 2020 Mazda6 arrived was the color. Mazda sure does love its Soul Red - and with good reason - but the Signature-spec sedan was a far more sober Machine Gray metallic. The second surprise was the price.
Wisdom, as an enthusiast, basically boils down to knowing when to spend and when to save, and few cars illustrate that quite as neatly as the 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman T. Purists and badge-zealots may sniff that, because it doesn't have "911" on the trunk, this isn't the "proper" Porsche coupe. They're wrong.
Some electrified cars can't stop shouting about their green credentials, but the 2021 BMW 330e sedan is a little more surreptitious about its plug-in hybrid status. Then again, were I a member of the latest 3 Series family, I'd probably not want my electric drive to potentially overshadow the rest of the features that have long made BMW's compact sedan a best-seller. It's all about balance, and when it comes to going green that can be a tricky thing to judge.
Growing up is tough: usually, age brings with it responsibility and, when you're a punchy little enthusiast plaything like the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata, "sensible" is the bogeyman. While that purity of purpose keeps long-time Miata fans happy, though, the pool of potential owners willing to make compromises in everyday driving isn't getting any bigger. We know Mazda's little icon is fun, but can it be flexible?
Audi's strategy with electrification has been "don't rock a smooth-sailing boat," and it's sticking with that recipe for the 2020 Q5 55 TFSI e. If the e-tron SUV and e-tron Sportback feel much like regular Audi models that just so happen to be all-electric, the Q5 plug-in hybrid sticks even closer to that recipe.
In 2020 we take our reassurance where we can find it, even if that's in the sound and feel of an SUV door when it closes. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG G63 is known for plenty of things - not least its wanton profligacy, Brutalist proportions, and conspicuous dedication to excess - but even with 577 horsepower to play with it's those doors I keep coming back to.