In beautiful Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for the past 20+ years, the Midwest Automotive Media Association has been hosting their Spring Rally, and this year, I was able to take part for the very first time in this land of Cheese, Fish Fries, Road America, the Osthoff Resort and the Stop-Inn Tavern at Siebkens. As someone who grew up just outside of Chicago and spent many a vacation in Wisconsin it was a very special occasion.
Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy
The Hyundai Santa Fe is certainly a bold departure from the prior design, now in fully boxed digital H design glory! Despite the lengthy looks and new (to the U.S.) standard third row, it’s only 1.8” longer than before. Powertrains are also enhanced with a standard 2.5 liter turbo 4-cylinder with 277 horsepower and 311 pound feet of torque.
While this top spec Calligraphy trim with all wheel drive just barely crests the $50k mark, it’s got a LOT going for it. Ride quality and comfort are terrific and worthy of even a luxury badge. Nappa leather, heated front and second row seats, power second row captains chairs, dual sunroofs, sueded headliner, even dual wireless chargers up front.
Truly a serene and comfortable drive with plenty of power. Third row space is even adult size friendly, it just can’t fit as much behind it versus something like the bigger Palisade.
Polestar 2 Single Motor
What is a car that can change from being front wheel drive to rear wheel drive in the same product generation? The all electric Polestar 2 that’s who! Now, we have had a longer term Polestar 2 lease for a few years now, but it’s a dual motor all wheel drive unit. Was super curious to drive the new long range single motor (aka rear wheel drive) unit and was glad to take a chance here.
Where the “old” single motor 2 was fairly sleepy with 231 horsepower driving the front wheels, and had a range rating of 270 miles, this updated model literally flips the script. Rear wheel drive, as is proper for a true sport sedan, the single motor now makes 299 horsepower AND delivers up to 320 miles of range. 0 to 60 sprints also drop from 6.8 seconds down to 5.9. That’s what I’m talking about!!
While the dual motor is still more powerful and quicker, I loved how light the front end of the single motor felt. It allowed the steering to feel a bit sharper and more nimble overall. Ride quality of the new vehicle also felt much better balanced for comfort while not losing any grip or handling prowess from our 2021 model. Amazing improvements in such little time!
Subaru BRZ tS
No, Subaru still hasn’t turbocharged the BRZ, nor have they given it (or anything really) the full STI treatment. What they DO have is the BRZ tS. Think of it as an STI-lite. It does receive important go-stop fast things like Brembo brakes front and rear, 18″ wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and an STI-developed sport suspension. There are also some design accents here and there. The core of the BRZ tS remains the same with 2.4-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine with 228 horsepower and the tS is only available with the 6-speed manual transmission. All this in a still tidy rear wheel drive package that tips the scales under 3,000 pounds.
Inside, there was just enough headroom for me to get behind the wheel with my track helmet on. There aren’t really any drive modes to speak of outside of a track mode to the stability control. And that is part of the simplicity and ease of driving something like the BRZ, no overthinking, just you and the car. There isn’t a ton of power on tap, and that’s quite alright. At $36,465, the BRZ continues to be accessible price wise. For those that need more, Subaru offers up things like the WRX TR. Curious to see if the BRZ lives to see a third generation, as sales figures continue to dwindle.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392
Now, you can get a Wrangler Rubicon with the standard 3.6 liter V6 or even a 2.0 liter turbo 4 cylinder. You can even spec a plug in hybrid version of the 2.0 liter turbo 4 cylinder. But… for a limited time (3,300 units so ACT NOW!) you can still spec your Wrangler Rubicon with a fire breathing 6.4 liter V8 SRT Hemi with 470 horsepower and the same number in torque that can catapult this beast to 60 miles per hour in well under 5 seconds I’m told.
With nearly a foot of ground clearance, an 8,000 lb rated @warnindustries winch, balloon like 35” all terrain tires from the team at @bfgoodrichtires I’m pretty sure the Wrangler didn’t even realize we were on an off road obstacle course at @roadamerica. Its pulse barely registered a blip on our deep muddy ruts, uphills, downhills and rock gardens. I might as well have been driving over parking medians at the mall.
Just like the most extreme of sports cars, I’m sure many lucky owners will hardly scratch the surface of what their Wranglers are capable of. And also wouldn’t blame them given the equally impressive as-tested price of $108,475. What a time to be alive!
Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road
As its former product planner, the Taco is still near and dear to my heart. Love to see the level of change and investment that the Tacoma FINALLY receives. New frame and platform, new powertrains, new cabin space/proportions and on and on. And, yes, the TRD Pro is joined by the Trailhunter atop the heap, but the true heart of the lineup is truly found in the TRD Off-Road and TRD Sport trims. These are priced just a few thousand more than the SR5 trim (of course you can load these up with options quickly as well).
Getting in, prior Taco fans should appreciate the new elevated seat height off the floor of the truck, while ride comfort, good low-end torque from the turbo 4-cylinder and smooth shifts from the 8 speed automatic transmission are appreciated on and off road. Against some heady competition from Raptors and Bison and Rubicons this mid-tier Taco held its own, scrambling through rock gardens (with some minor clanging of the skid plates), digging through soft rutted mud trails and up and over some good hills. Was it effortless? No, not quite. Did it get through with confidence? Absolutely. This is the redesign the Tacoma needed at exactly the right time as competition in the midsize pickup truck segment is heating up again.
BMW M3 Competition
The BMW M3 Competition is just so boring to drive around a track. But that’s absolutely not a dig. It’s boring because it’s just utterly so capable, far more than anything I can willingly throw at it at least. Nearly 30 years since I fell in love with the E36 M3, the once quintessential BMW sports car, it has leveled up many times over to now be far beyond the simply delightful balance of sport and luxury.
It would be a shame to relegate such a machine to the rigors of daily chores and errands. At least with the older M3’s you could still wring it out on public roads pretty safely and feel like you were pushing the car towards its limits. With these new M’s you likely can’t approach anything close to its limits before the local constable finds you. And therein lies the rub, I feel like you’d be doing the M3 a disservice by shlepping it around town when you basically need access to an actual track like we did at Road America to let it stretch its legs out. The “simpler” rear wheel drive M3 with its still available manual transmission is definitely on my list for final new row your own vehicle to buy, just need to win a small’ish lottery.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 N
Hyundai is serious about EVs and is surprisingly serious about performance. The IONIQ 5 N shows that it can blend those loves into something delightful in the modern era. Applying N to a car is more than just aesthetics and more than just slapping more power under the hood. In the EV-era, superfluous power is easy and the standard IONIQ 5 isn’t sorely lacking there. Hyundai has done well to establish the N-badged cars as fun and joyful performance cars that are relatively accessible price wise. One might see the near $68,000 price tag on the IONIQ 5 N and think that all goes out the window, but then you need to see the 5 N for what it is, a stunningly quick SUV that can hang a shingle on the track, still have gobs of space inside AND create an EV that tugs at some traditional performance heartstrings.
Again, EVs that make sounds aren’t new, but the way Hyundai tuned the sounds of a turbo gas engine and even created power curve profiles mimicking a geared transmission to go along with the sounds speaks to how much Hyundai’s wizards went to make this an engaging drive. Yes, it’s still heavy because EV, yes, you can turn off the sounds and whatnot, yes it’s gimmicky, but it’s all these things in the best possible way. It wasn’t some afterthought or just some quickly put together little project. The 5N makes for such an enjoyable drive and one that, yes, even at just under $70K, still a relative bargain.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The Mustang is the last American Pony Car standing. Camaro? Gone, again. Same story for the Challenger. But that doesn’t seem to thwart the powers that be at Ford from pressing on and continuing to deliver some epic, V8, rear wheel drive beasts with the requisite 6 speed manual transmission.
The Dark Horse builds on the GT with a 500 horsepower naturally aspirated V8 engine and makes available a terrific Tremec manual transmission (although an automatic transmission is also offered). Extra track focused goodies like the standard MagneRide adaptive suspension, Torsen rear diff, enhanced sway bars and some sticky Pirelli tires. Ours had the optional handling package as well as the Recaro seats for extra nice hugs.
It was a sublime dance partner for our laps at Road America, where the Mustang absolutely gobbled up corners and straightaways with ease.
No doubt the magicians a Ford are cooking up the latest and greatest ultra Mustang, but likely at a significant premium over this ~$72,000 example, and likely won’t have a manual transmission available like this one. So for our hearts and dollars, the Dark Horse might just be the sweet spot. Is this the last hurrah for a V8 manual transmission rear wheel drive sport coupe? We hope not.
Volvo EX30
The EX30 is possibly one of the most anticipated cars of the year. A fully electric subcompact utility vehicle from a luxury brand that will start around $36,000. For that you get a city sized outside, at 166” long it’s 9 inches shorter than their existing XC40 and just a hair shorter than something like a VW GTI.
Standard is a single motor, rear wheel drive unit with 268 horsepower, able to get you to 60 mph in ~5 seconds. So it’s no slug! EPA range estimates are still pending, but it looks to be pretty efficient at nearly 3.8 miles per kWh and DC Fast Charging could bring you from 10 to 80% in under 30 minutes.
Interior feels spacious with the dedicated EV platform and associated packaging and proportion benefits. Rear seat is ample for friends and likely car seats alike and there’s still good cargo room with of course easily foldable seats for more. Drive was smooth and comfortable as EVs should be!
Excited to see these on the road, but looks like the U.S. launch has been delayed from what was supposed to essentially be now until sometime in late 2025 due to tariff impacts on China produced vehicles, Volvo is pivoting to source U.S. market vehicles from a European factory. Loved the Cloud Blue color here, it can look a mix of white and sky blue depending on the lighting.
RAM 1500 Tungsten
Ooooo Tungsten. Sounds refined and palatial and yet strong. At least that’s what the marketing folks at RAM want you to associate with that name. While the off-road side of the product ladder has things like Rebel and RHO (rest in power TRX!), the luxury side now has a leader in Tungsten. It offers up such dominating superlatives like over 50″ of combined digital displays with over 24″ being touchable! This includes a segment first front passenger display, the 12″ digital driver display and the 14.5″ infotainment display. 8-way power seats? Those would be for peasants, 24-way available here WITH massage! Speakers in the upscale Klipsch audio system? 23. Even the number of wireless chargers is big: 2!
The 2025 RAM 1500 does away with V8s and ushers in its turbocharged era with available turbo inline 6-cylinder powertrains along with the Pentastar V6 that still soldiers on. The top rung Tungsten comes with the high output turbo standard, good for 540 horses and 521 lb-ft of twist. It’s also only available in 4X4 in a crew cab and short bed configuration. All those features are hefty, so there are some penalties when it comes to overall towing and hauling. Price? Well, if you have to ask… yes you do have to ask, as this one sits on its 22″ wheels $90,585! It lacks nearly nothing compared to a modern luxury sedan or SUV except perhaps garageability.
Genesis GV80
The GV80 is a delightful luxury SUV. We had our own long-term tester, a few years ago. While smooth and comfortable, it lacked a few things. Well, the 2025 refresh addresses two of the daily living nitpicks we had. One was CarPlay, while our unit used a wired connection, the 2025 model is finally capable of wireless phone mirroring. This is a feature that once you have a car with it, it’s hard to go back to a wired connection.
Similarly, we took issue with the fact that the GV80 lacked door lock/unlock sensors on the exterior rear door handles. As parents who typically load the kid in first and get them out last, this is a big deal. Again, for 2025, the refreshed design brings those door functions to the rear handles, hallelujah!
The GV80 at its core is still a luxury and design forward entrant into the luxury midsize utility segment. Love the updated grille with the two-line theme going into the metal cross pattern and the updated wheels. It still lacks any sort of electrification/hybridization, and it’s still not sporty to drive, but maybe Genesis still has a few tricks up their sleeves for the coming years based on the Magma and Neolun concepts!
Ineos Grenadier
Ineos continues to intrigue with the Grenadier SUV and the Quartermaster pickup truck. The retro boxy exterior design ethos carries through inside, where aside from an old BMW electronic gear selector, you’re presented with honest to goodness real button and toggles and switches and knobs. That BMW gear selector is indeed hooked up to a BMW turbo inline 6-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. Pricing starts in the mid $70,000 range and rises through two different personas of the even more rugged Trialmaster trim or the slightly posh Fieldmaster.
The question seems to be, have you fancied the older Land Rover Defenders from the past but want something a touch more modern? Although the fuel economy at roughly 15 miles per gallon seems pretty archaic as well, but that’s the challenge of pushing big flat boxed front ends through the air with any sort of speed. Ride and drive feel steady and solid, nothing blistering here, but also nothing to detract from what are immensely capable rigs. It manages its body-on-frame-ness quite well. The Grenadier presents an almost modern analog view in an increasingly digital world where we now have the likes of a 1,000 horsepower+ Rivian R1S that roam same rugged trails.
Mazda CX-70
You have to give Mazda some credit as the little company that could. Yes they’ve got some level of backing from Toyota, but Mazda is charting a lovely little course for itself as it makes this final pivot to premium mainstream cars. Their designs are generally lovely and so are their paint colors and combinations. Lots of the interior work and drive characteristics are also a step above the typical sterile appliances that exists out there (you know who you are brands). The CX-70 comes across as a bit of an odd product placement/naming convention as it’s essentially a 2-row version of their new-ish CX-90 crossover. That platform forgoes the front wheel drive, transverse engine mounting that exists for nearly all of the mainstream sector save for the Ford Explorer. This helps to give the CX-70/90 some elegant proportions.
Inside, you get the space benefit of something that was originally developed as a 3-row, so you have some big cargo space and you have nice adjustment capabilities for the 2nd row seats. Although would love to see 40/20/40 folding seats there. Powering this SUV you have a choice of a turbo inline 6-cylinder engine (there are actually 2 tuning choices of the 6-cylinder), something akin to the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, or a plug-in hybrid paired with a turbo 4-cylinder capable of 26 electric miles of driving range. That 26 miles is a bit middling by today’s plug-in standards. CX-70 starts in the low $40,000 point for the gas engines and in the mid $50,000 mark for the plug in hybrids. Final oddity, the pricing of the 2-row CX-70 is the same as the CX-90. So would you want a 2-row with some underfloor storage or a free 3rd row of seats?
Lincoln Nautilus
Lincoln continues its quest of serene luxury with the all-new Nautilus. Although that serenity may be a bit impacted by the massive 48″ wide screen that goes literally door to door under the windshield. To view that the Nautilus comes with a compact squircle (squared circle) steering wheel that you actually position to look over the wheel itself, and not through, something most Toyota Prius owners have become accustomed to over the years. Maybe some reinventing of the wheel going on there. You don’t actually touch the panoramic screen, you control it through both steering wheel thumbpad/rocker controls and the 11″ screen more closely positioned to the driver. This new Lincoln Digital Experience is powered by Google’s Android Automotive operating system, so there are apps from the Google Play store available, and the system can support CarPlay or Android Auto from your phone as well.
What doesn’t change is that the Nautilus is still a 2-row midsize luxury crossover. But the overall design, materials and feature set now firmly target some lofty competition, as does its new price, with this Black Label version touching nearly $80,000. That reaches higher than the Lexus RX and goes alongside the European heavy hitters like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class or the Audi Q8. Powertrains are a turbo 4-cylinder or a $1,500 uplift to a hybrid turbo 4-cylinder with over 300 horsepower. That’s still down relative to the Europeans who offer 6-cylinder levels of power. To give Lincoln credit, they seem content to focus in on their identity of luxury rather than chase the airs of faux ruggedness or extreme sport.
Dodge Durango SRT 392
Now the Dodge Durango debuted for this generation back in the 2011 model year and we know it will exist at least through the 2025 model year. That’s an eternity for an automotive product cycle, but the Durango continues to fight on. Also still alive is the availability of V8 HEMI engines like this 6.4 liter 475 horsepower version we sampled @roadamerica. That power gets laid down to all 4 wheels via a responsive 8-speed automatic transmission while slurping down gas at a rate of 13 miles per gallon in the city and 19 on the highway. Where it does overdeliver is in smiles per gallon though. Ours was also equipped with one of the Last Call editions as the AlcHEMI, noted quickly by the yellow accenting inside and out.
I’m impressed with how well this platform has aged and still provides good space in 3-rows of seats and decent cargo room. It is falling short of some competitors for comfort, size and convenience, but they can’t really match the aural performance offering here. That said this thing rings up the ol’ dealer register for $91,785 as equipped. If V8 power still tickles your fancy, act now as these go out of production at the end of the year.
Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison
The midsize truck segment is rich with updates this year and the off-roadiness continues to impress with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. Long name, but the Bison part is important here. This continues to be the top dog of the Colorado lineup with a collaboration with off-road experts AEV to add $12,000 of equipment to an already formidable factory ZR2 package. The Bison boasts over a foot of ground clearance, massive 35″ tires up from the mere 33″ ones on the ZR2, Boron steel skid plates, a bed mounted spare tire carrier, enhanced dampers and more.
Altogether, price jumps to over $60,000, about double where the Colorado lineup starts. It doesn’t offer more engine than the core of the Colorado lineup, but the TurboMax engine presents well with over 400 lb-ft of torque and over 300 horsepower. This rock crawler has presence and capability that I don’t know what to do with in typical suburban life, especially with that spare tire taking up so much of the bed and rearward visibility, but I still find it a comfy rig in which to spend time. Hopefully those buyers checking the Bison box will actually leverage this beast and throw it to where it can be challenged!
Buick Envista
Buick, yes Buick, marches on here in the States. No they don’t make any big floaty sedans anymore, they actually don’t make ANY sedans anymore. They come to market with a set of four “En-” named crossovers, starting with the entry-level Envista that we sampled here. While the Preferred trim starts at just $23,495 (which is about half of the average new car price these days!) our as-tested Avenir trim rung up $31,430, still quite attractive for an elegant and premium-minded vehicle. The exterior wears the brand’s current sharklike front design, while the body takes a crossover coupe type shape. Crossover coupes are basically the sedans of today.
Envistas all share a diminutive 1.2-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder with 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. All wheel drive is not offered on the Envista, but expect fuel economy to be ~30 miles per gallon combined. Inside, an 11″ widescreen infotainment is standard as well with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The top-spec Avenir adds comfort and convenience goodies like a wireless charging pad, heated fronts seats and steering wheel, power driver seat, passive entry with push button start, remote start and even a power rear lift gate. Blind spot detection is optional, definitely would have expected that as standard these days on a $30,000 car, but I suspect most if not all Avenirs will be equipped with the $795 safety package. Coincidentally the sunroof is also a $795 option. One potential oddity – there were no auto-up windows at all, front or rear. Will customers notice/care?
Ford Ranger Raptor
For the first time on American soil, we finally have access to the Ford Ranger Raptor! With the new generation Ranger the powers that be in Dearborn, Michigan finally caved to the demands of the market and just in time. With a new Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter on the market, as well as the new Colorado ZR2 and Bison (see above) the off-road midsize truck segment literally couldn’t be any hotter. Ranger Raptor comes out as the “bargain” of the bunch, largely keeping its price tag under $60,000, but still offering gobs of power with 405 horsepower from a turbo V6 and capability. One element I do wish the Ranger Raptor had from its big brother Raptors is the orange daytime running lights!
Visibility was good all around on the quick off-road course where it barely broke a sweat. And nice surprise was the rear seat was least penalty box like of the mid sizers present at the rally. F-150 Raptor starts at $80,000 and then you’re stuck handling something the size of a full-size truck day in and day out. Bronco Raptor? Delicious but pricing starts at a steep $90,000. Ranger Raptor may just be the Ford goldilocks.
GMC Hummer EV 3X SUV
WTF is WTF in the context of the Hummer EV 3X SUV you might wonder? A little (okay a lot) tongue-in-cheek the WTF here is the Watts To Freedom mode that, in GMC‘s words, “unlocks maximum torque, allowing for extremely fast acceleration.” And that is a pretty apt description. Everything about this reincarnation of the Hummer brand, now a sub-brand, is extreme. Horsepower for this triple motor 3X? 830. Torque? 11,500 lb-ft. Now there’s definitely some funny car math going on to arrive at that astronomical number, but let’s allow it for now. You’ll need plenty of that power as this land crushing (9,000+ lbs of dad bod weight) EV can catapult itself to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds with said WTF mode. And there’s a pageantry of theatrics as you engage this mode (on a closed course obviously!) and the SUV lowers itself and makes changes to the shocks and even cooling systems. You’re instructed to use your left foot to brake and use your right foot to then press the accelerator to the floor. Lift of the brake and BAM, or BAM BAM BAM BA- 60 miles per hour.
Yes, you can still have all this and incredible off-road capability (if the land and obstacles can carry the mass) and still have an EV range of over 300 miles. What does that take? A battery that is over 200 kWh in capacity! That’s monstrous (also a driving factor of that weight issue)! The battery itself weighs some 3,000 pounds, which is more than the entire Toyota GR 86 weighs. So yes, extreme. And yet everything works fairly cohesively with some sense of purpose in it. $118,205 as tested, and that includes a laughable $40 for the front license plate bracket .
Ford Bronco Raptor
I want one of these, bad. But then I see the price, over $90,000 and I rethink. But then I get out and see the insanely wide fender flares that blister out over those blimps called tires and the absolutely bonkers clearance underneath and I’m back to wanting it. But I can’t. Can I?
There’s not much about the Bronco Raptor that makes sense, especially as a dad with two young kids that I’d have to hoist up and drop down multiple times a day. I don’t cross anything other than a Costco parking lot which is supremely challenging in its own right. Ford has struck an enthusiast chord with so much of its current lineup and the Bronco Raptor has character up the wazoo.
For $90,000 I’d want the powertrain from the F-150 Raptor, which is a 450 horsepower 3.5 liter turbo vs the 3.0 liter unit here, not to even mention the dreams of the F-150 Raptor R’s 720 horsepower supercharged V8… but no that’d just be silly, right?
Toyota Crown Signia
Toyota grows the Crown sub-brand with the Crown Signia, as an SUV counterpart to the existing sedan. I’d say the design works better with this SUV shape than the sedan, especially since we don’t see any odd two tone themes on the SUV.
Like the sedan, the Crown Signia will be hybrid only and with all wheel drive as standard. The hybrid unit here is a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder variant with 240 horsepower while returning just under 40 miles per gallon in fuel efficiency. No word yet of if the Crown Sedan’s turbocharged Hybrid Max powertrain will be offered.
Toyota claims the Crown Signia is not meant to replace the 2nd gen Venza (also a hybrid all wheel drive only SUV offering) but the Venza is being discontinued… so what do you think? Regarding the second coming of the Venza, I found that model a bit perplexing. It was basically a RAV4 Hybrid with a jellybean exterior design and unique interior bits. The Crown Signia actually seems much closer to the mission of the original Venza, something more premium than a Camry, but with a nice elevated ride height and interior room from the wagonesque shape.
Pricing reflects that now as well. Where the outgoing Venza was between $36,000 to $45,000 the Crown Signia effectively comes in on top of that.
Ride, handling and power on our little jaunt were well managed and quite enjoyable. While the Crown Signia has successfully differentiated itself from the RAV4 Hybrid, I can’t help but wonder if this might encroach on the Lexus NX Hybrid which is priced similarly, let alone the RX Hybrid.
AND…. THAT’S A RALLY! Thank you for having us MAMA, can’t wait til next year.