Buying a used truck can be a great choice for many people regardless of make and model, and the legendarily reliable Toyota Tundra is no exception. Nearly three million Tundra’s have been sold in the US as of this writing, and a typical Tundra can easily go 250,000 miles with proper maintenance—multiple Tundras have famously […]
It’s been a long time since anyone at AutoInfluence wrote about Maserati. That, in and of itself, is telling. What was long considered the pinnacle of Italian luxury automobiles and one of the most frequently mentioned car brands in rap music, according to Car and Driver, has become an afterthought. In six of the last […]
Historically, Buick has been known as a premium automotive brand, slotted one spot below Cadillac on the GM luxury ladder. This made the Buick Envista’s arrival for the 2024 model year a major shift in the eyes of the car-buying public. Starting at just $22,400 for the entry-level Preferred trim and $28,600 for the top-end […]
People think of certain names when someone mentions luxury vehicles. BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Acura, and Bentley are some of the names synonymous with luxury driving, but notice how I didn’t mention Hyundai Motors as one of those names. Indeed, for decades, Hyundai’s reputation has been a high-value brand with modern cars and leading warranties, […]
Luxury SUVs are making up a larger and larger portion of the cars for sale today—not just in the United States but everywhere. The appetite for SUVs is well known; when you add features like high-performance engines, sophisticated aesthetics, cutting-edge technology, and premium materials, it’s no wonder people are hungry for a luxury version. This […]
In 2021, Ford made a splash with the introduction of its Pro Power Onboard system. This technology integrates a mobile generator into a vehicle so it can supply 120V or 240V AC power on the go, letting you operate everything from power tools to microwaves. However, the original rollout was limited. The generator was only […]
When the Passport returned to the Honda SUV line-up in 2019 after a 17-year hiatus, questions abounded about whether it would succeed. The original Passport, which was Honda’s first SUV, ran from 1994 to 2002 but fizzled out at the end, selling less than 4,000 units in its final model year before being replaced by […]
Like a giant snowball rolling down a hill and getting bigger as it goes, Chinese EVs are gobbling up the worldwide market. The US International Trade Commission reports that between 2018 and 2023, Chinese EV exports grew by 1,016%, totaling nearly 1.6 million vehicles—more than any other nation. They’re also ranked second only to Germany […]
In March 2024, news broke that a new car brand was planning to enter the US market. Cupra, a high-performance marque originating in Spain and rapidly spreading across Europe and Mexico, now has its sights set on North America with hopes of being ready for launch by 2030. It’s now been nearly a year since […]
It’s no secret the average vehicle is getting bigger. According to data from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the average American car in 2023 was 22 inches longer and 12 inches wider than a decade before. Weight has also increased, with EPA data showing the average current heft of 4,300 lbs has increased […]
Ever since development began on autonomous vehicles, speculation has run rampant about the rise of self-driving taxis, more popularly known as robot taxis or robotaxis. In 2017, outlets from the Wall Street Journal to Forbes were predicting robotaxis and other self-driving vehicles would soon lead to the end of car ownership in big cities. More […]
Part of the 21st-century automotive technology boom has included the rise of dash cam technology. According to expert estimates, between 10 and 20% of vehicles currently have a dash camera installed, and a 2024 survey found that up to one-third of people who will be buying a vehicle in the next few years want it […]
Although the news had been known for months, it became a crushing reality this past November. After an uninterrupted 28-year run, you will soon no longer be able to find a new Chevy Malibu for sale as Chevrolet has officially ended production of the Malibu for the second time. The vehicle initially ran from 1964 […]
As someone who’s worked in auto racing for 14 years and been a fan my whole life, I’ve witnessed and experienced more disasters and near-disasters than I care to talk about. However, I’ve also witnessed great strides in motorsports safety, from local short tracks to the highest levels of stock car and open-wheel competition. Although […]
It wasn’t long ago that solid-state batteries were the hottest new EV technology, promising longer ranges, faster charge times, and other benefits versus lithium-ion. However, despite extensive ongoing investments from automakers, optimism has cooled as the tech’s potential seemingly remains far from reality. As Julia Poliscanova of Transport & Environment told CNBC in October 2024, […]
When you’re looking for a new truck, like almost everything in life, you want to get the most for your money. There are many reasons for this, from a higher resale value to having more performance and tech options at your disposal. The question of a great deal doesn’t just extend from model to model […]
When Hyundai introduced the Tucson compact crossover SUV in 2004, it quickly became a reliable part of their lineup, appealing to value-conscious people who wanted smooth handling and high storage capabilities even from a smaller vehicle. Since the late 2010s, though, the Tucson’s popularity has exploded as part of a larger shift in buying habits […]
Earlier this year, I wrote about the unexpected return of the Scout automotive nameplate, which was Jeep’s biggest off-road challenger in the 1960s and 1970s before a combination of factors led to its untimely end. Volkswagen announced the revival of Scout Motors in 2022 to produce EVs inspired by the original SUV lineup; when I […]
It wasn’t too long ago that the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) was the darling of the automotive industry. After Volkswagen became the first major automaker to add a DCT to a mass-market car in 2003, other brands like Ford, Dodge, BMW, Fiat, Audi, and Skoda jumped on the bandwagon, releasing new transmission designs based on the […]
In 1999, BMW first offered the X5 for sale, making it the company’s first SUV—or, as the brand referred to it, “Sports Activity Vehicle.” Twenty-five years later, this midsize crossover stands at the pinnacle of the luxury automotive market. The X5 is the top-selling BMW model in North America, outshining other noteworthy machines like the […]
