Raise your hand if you want a Jaguar sedan? Not many of you? Ok, so the XF is probably not your first choice when shopping the British brand but there’s something sneaky good going on with this top-of-the line R-Dynamic model that I think you should now. Yep; SUVs and EVs are the name of the game for the leaper these days BUT the slow-selling XF – we’re talking less than 100 per month – has been updated for 2021 with simplified choices: now just one engine with 2 tunes in the 4-door body-style. High-performance variants, wagons and diesels have left the building. But I’m going to give you some reasons why this updated XF – particularly this R-Dynamic model – shouldn’t completely be ignored. First off, with a starting MSRP of $45,145 including destination this is one the least expensive ways to get into a Jaguar. Secondly, just like their best-selling F-PACE, the XF has been given the once over this year with a thoroughly updated cabin almost identical to that found in the SUV. And lastly, despite that a 4—cylinder turbo is the only engine left on the menu, this XF P300 with the optional Dynamic Handling Package achieves sleeper status with its sinewy backroad moves. As it sits, this car is priced at $62,695. That gets you the 296 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque 2.0-liter turbo, all-wheel drive, 20” wheels, British Racing Green paint and just about every option Jaguar offers. But it’s the $1,350 Dynamic Handling Package you’ve got to have in order to get that friskiness you want. For about 8 grand less than a comparable Mercedes E-Class with more exclusivity, the XF is worth a look and hey, you can’t get 20” wheels or green paint on the Benz.

TOYOTA CAMRY SE NIGHTSIDE EDITION. Freshened styling, all-wheel drive and a Dynamic Force engine pumping out 203 horsepower, the Camry SE Nightshade Edition, with its honest to goodness key and no side blind zone alert, could be the $30,000 car of your darker dreams. So, what is it you want out of your Camry? There are 17 different choices in the Camry family. The car you’re looking at here blends 4-wheel traction, the sport-tuned suspension of the SE trim and the sinister looks of the Nightshade Edition and with the Carpet Mat Package, MSRP is $29,839. Fact of the matter is that this chassis is stellar and despite its lack of oomph I really enjoy driving this Camry; the ride is as smooth as Taylor Swift’s airbrushed face and this car legitimately handles – Toyota has nailed the suspension tuning. The engine is a smooth character as well but, man, it often feels really slow and the disconnecting all-wheel drive system can be clunky. The SE Nightshade Edition; a Camry that I like but one that leaves me wanting a little more.

Foreshadowing the future of MINI, the brand’s first fully-electric car is almost ready to hit dealerships. The 2020 Cooper SE is a MINI 2-door hardtop at its core with its drive technology from parent company BMW. Under the hood is an electric motor fed by a high-voltage lithium-ion battery positioned in the vehicle floor.

2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review by Auto Critic Steve Hammes It’s been a while since I’ve had a GTI on the show. Instead, I’ve been testing the halo Golf R model over the past several years.  But that’s a $40,000…

2018 Volkswagen Atlas Video Review by Auto Critic Steve Hammes Just as the SUV rebirth is hitting its stride, VW has brought 2 excellent examples to market – the not so compact all-new Tiguan and this; the most decidedly American…