My first go around in this current generation ES was 2 years ago when Lexus last redesigned it.  I really embraced the changes but ultimately decided that the hybrid powertrain was simply not for me.  Well now, Lexus is offering the ES with all-wheel drive for the first time but unfortunately they’ve paired it with the wrong engine.
Just to make it clear, I like the ES… but not like this.  With the 4-cylinder engine, this has to be the slowest luxury car I’ve ever driven and I’m not one that believes everything has to be a sports sedan; far from it.  I love cushy, smooth rides and quiet cabins.  But this here is a mistake and putting the F SPORT badge on it is an insult to the letter F and the word Sport.  So just make sure the numbers after your ES begin with a 3 and not a 2.
The ES F SPORT is an attractive, conservatively styled car with a little extra flair that when V6-powered can make for a worthy luxury companion.

I love Volvo’s pair of wagons but this is the first time I’ve driven the V90 without the Cross Country treatment which translates into a car that rides 2” lower.  Coupled with the optional air suspension and upsized 20” wheels, the drive is refined and luxurious while at the same time agile and confident.  It’s a beautiful blend of comfort and athleticism befitting a Volvo Inscription model.  And though it sounds a little funky, Volvo’s T6 motor moves this wagon along quite nicely with a dynamic setting that puts that supercharger to work.
The V90 is Volvo’s flagship wagon.  It’s elegantly long, svelte, and beautifully Scandinavian.  But you don’t see many of them like this, and by that I mean without the Cross Country specification.  This is the less rugged V90 and for the 2021 model year its appearance has been refreshed and it looks absolutely perfect.  In Platinum gray with optional 20” wheels the V90 emits an air of estate gracefulness. 

Toyota considers this XSE Hybrid the RAV4’s flagship model. It features a sport-tuned suspension, racier styling and a standard 2-tone paint scheme. So if you’re shopping for a small SUV that delivers fun and frugality, put the XSE Hybrid on your short list. The RAV4’s redesign has been a runaway success for Toyota, partially because they’ve done such a good job at offering it in multiple flavors. From a very capable TRD Off-Road model to plug-in hybrids and everything in between, there’s likely a RAV4 that’ll specifically fit your small SUV needs. And this one here is the sportiest one you can buy without a plug; the XSE Hybrid.

The Sorento is one of Kia’s best-selling nameplates.  It arrived in 2002 and has since grown into a 3-row segment heavy hitter, battling the likes of the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder.  But with this all-new 4th generation model, Kia is giving the Sorento a fresh perspective.  The V6 is gone, a pair of hybrids is in and this hero model takes the Sorento in a more premium yet rugged direction.   

This X-Line SX-Prestige gets the “off-road look” with exclusive bumpers, unique 20” wheels and a bridge-type roof rack.  There’s also a 1” increase in ride height, standard all-wheel drive with a center locking differential and hill decent control.  So this is the Sorento you want if you have a more adventurous family.

At some point you’ve fantasized, like me, about owning a car you can’t afford. Perhaps a Bentley. Thanks to my job, I’m lucky to have driven many of these British-born beauties over the past 20 years, but never did I imagine way back at the beginning while driving around in an Arnage that Bentley would ever be involved in the SUV game. But here’s the Bentayga — on the market for 5 years, but have you ever seen one in the wild? With a starting MSRP of $180,000, they are rare but Bentley has sold more than 20,000 of them during that span. And now for the 2021, it’s been given the once over inside and out and this one with nearly $60,000 in options is tagged at $238,870.