Whether you want a traditional gas engine, a 54mpg hybrid or a turbo with a 6-speed, the new Elantra has got it covered.  With spacious passenger volume and a trunk that’s bigger than that of a Mercedes S-Class, this is an affordable, frugal, do it all kind of sedan that Hyundai decided needed edgier styling.  And boy did they deliver on that front.  Now, I’m not sure it’s going to age very gracefully because the body is so overly styled with crazy creases and a very prominent grille, but if you’re allergic to boring in the inexpensive, not-so compact car segment this is your cure.  Much like Hyundai did with the new Sonata, they’ve reversed course on reigning in the design and instead opted to make a visual splash and that it most certainly does. For $26,000, you are not going to beat what this Elantra Limited is offering.  It’s highly stylized, pleasing to drive and packed with high-end features and top notch infotainment.  And because this system is fed information from the cloud you’re navigation is always up to date and the Blue Link system can answer common questions through speech much like you would ask Siri.  When is Mother’s Day?  But for times when you’re using the Smart Card you have to place in down here on the wireless charger in order for it to start the car.  And this area down here is kind of congested already because you still have to use your Lightning Cable on this particular model so the ergonomics get a little muddy.
At night, the ambient light choices add a dash of Mercedes to your sub-$30,000 car – another reason you might want the Limited.  Loaded with advanced safety features and creature comforts – though no heated steering wheel, this is the kind of car that would have cost $40,000 not long ago.  Now, you can lease this exact car for $212 per month.  Pretty impressive but it has 2 things working against it: 1) it’s not an SUV and 2) it’s not electric so the Elantra’s relevance is waning.  

Hey, look what’s back! It’s the Audi A6 allroad. So for those who’ve got some money and like to go glamping at the lake house, a luxury, quasi off-road wagon like this will not only make an affluent impression on the out of town neighbors, it’s practically standard operating procedure.
Every summer when I venture into the bougie coastal towns of New England I’m reminded of what a Mercedes exec told me many years ago; their most affluent customers buy the E Wagon. It’s a sign of old money and you always see one parked underneath the port-cochere of some magnificent beach home. But Audi hasn’t been quite as committed to the wagon in the U.S. market with the A6 Avant quattro discontinued after the 2011 model year and it’s been 15 years since the allroad name graced an A6 wagon – both of which I tested, back when stickshifts, superchargers and V8s were still on the menu. But the new E-Class All-Terrain Wagon now has some fresher competition in the A6 allroad.
It’s a stately wagon, here in upcharge Vesuvius Gray and far more attractive than the blah looking, facelifted E-Class. If the Benz says old money then the Audi says I’ve got next. But money you will still need plenty of and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the rich it’s that they want what few others have. So even though a Q7 Prestige costs almost the same, they’ll gladly overpay for the A6 allroad because of its exclusivity. So welcome back A6 wagon and enjoy your time at the shore.

Buick’s lineup of 4 SUVs is selling especially well and it’s the hottest GM brand at the moment. Bigger than the Encore and smaller than the Enclave this is a compact-sized 2-row SUV that now looks much more attractive and car-like. It’s priced from the mid $30ks and now comes in Buick’s highest Avenir trim and available in front-drive model or all-wheel drive as an option. There’s lots of cool stuff in here like a head-up display, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, an air quality sensor, a really nice sounding Bose 9-speaker audio system, wireless phone projection with a conveniently placed wireless charger, remote start, a rear camera mirror, auto high beams, adaptive cruise, the vibrating safety alert driver’s seat, a pano roof and top notch, intuitive infotainment with some cool apps and easy to use voice controls. So people who love stuff more than they love driving will be giddy with the Avenir. This new Envision is pretty good, but would I rather have a Venza?

If you’re shopping for a new minivan you’ve picked a good time. First of all, there are only 4 models from which to choose so that makes life simpler but more importantly they’ve all been recently refreshed or completely redesigned with the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica midway through their product cycles and the Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna the all-new vans on the block. So minus the Pacifica’s ace in the hole with its more creative seating configurations – the personal importance of which only you can decide — Can the Sienna bump itself to the top of the class? From its provocative new styling that now presents as even more premium and handsome than the Pacifica’s to its Lexus-infused aura I, and everyone I’ve been transporting this week have been raving about the Sienna’s sophistication and family-friendly personality. I won’t bury the lede. This Sienna is arguably the best minivan of all-time.

In the USA where SUVs are king, the DBX will court the wealthy, trying to steer them away from other luxury SUVs such as the more established Bentley Bentayga. What we have here is a 5-seat, all-wheel drive sport-utility with dimensions not too dissimilar from an Audi Q7 but without the 3rd row. Like many of these types, it runs with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, comes with an air suspension and works through a 9-speed auto. The aluminum-intensive body keeps the curb weight below 5,000 pounds, there’re 6 selectable drive modes, a limited slip rear differential and standard 22” wheels. This Buckinghamshire Green is a special paint you won’t find on the configurator – a $6,100 option and all told this DBX sits before you at $205,186. Gas mileage is rated at 15mpg in combined driving.