Car of the Year: Extreme Tech’s Best Cars for 2020

 

For starters, the following Hyundai SmartSense driver-assist features below are standard on all four trim lines of every 2020 Sonata (and the last is standard on the trims above SE that account for 85-90 percent of Sonata sales):

• Stop and go adaptive cruise control (Hyundai’s term: “advanced smart cruise control”)
• Forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, pedestrian detection (“forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection”)
• Auto high beams (“automatic high beam assist”)
• Lane keep assist (steers the car back from the lane edges)
• Lane centering assist (“lane follow assist”)
• Driver drowsiness detection (“driver attention warning”)
• Dynamic backing guidelines for the (federally mandated) rearview camera
• (SEL, SEL Plus, Limited:) Blind-spot detection (“blind-spot collision avoidance assist”) / rear cross-traffic alert (“rear cross-traffic avoidance assist”)
  
  
  

2019 Subaru WRX STI S209 Makes America Great Again

No, this isn't the all-new STI whose arrival we have been awaiting so anxiously, being instead yet another upgrade to the current model. But we will say it's an interesting one, a limited edition with more power, a wider track, and upgraded suspension elements. Finally, in a somewhat ironic touch considering how long the STI was denied to the U.S. market, it'll be sold exclusively in America.
Subaru is touting the 2019 STI S209—it follows S201 through S208 versions sold only in Japan—as "the first STI-crafted S-line performance vehicle sold in the United States." The car's improvements start with the 2.5-liter boxer four, which gets a bigger, boostier turbo; forged pistons and con rods (which are lighter and stronger); a high-flow intake; bigger injectors; a burlier fuel pump; and freer-flowing mufflers. 

Coolest of all is the intercooler's external water-spray system, operated by a button on the steering wheel. Horsepower is estimated at 341, 31 more than the standard 2019 STI and 36 more than the non-RA 2018 cars. Subaru didn't specify a torque figure, but it did promise a 10 percent bump at 3,600 rpm. (Regular STIs peak at 290 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm.)

The chassis gets updates as well, starting with a 0.6-inch wider track and widebody sheetmetal that makes the S209 1.7 inches broader of beam than a standard STI. Also of note are stiffer springs, upgraded Bilstein dampers, a 0.8-inch rear anti-roll bar, upgraded bushings, and a handful of stiffening braces and bars, plus specially developed 265/35 Dunlop GT600A summer tires wrapping 19-inch BBS wheels. It all adds up, Subaru says, to more than 1.00 g of lateral grip.

2019 Lincoln Nautilus First Drive

Ditching dry alphanumeric names is a crucial move for a brand looking to extend the new Navigator's momentum down to a segment Lexus owns with the RX, but Lincoln will need more than just a new name to elevate the game of a two-row crossover formerly known as the MKX. We drove the new Nautilus to determine where the updated model fits in a very competitive segment.

The Ford Edge based luxury crossover starts with a four-cylinder base engine that wasn't initially part of Lincoln's plans for this 2019-model-year refresh. The 2.0-liter turbo-four replaces the MKX's 3.7-liter naturally aspirated V-6 and is good for 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Don't be dissuaded by the fact that the 2019 Nautilus' base engine has two fewer cylinders than what you're used to—the engine moves the Nautilus with enough authority around town that it doesn't feel like a slug. And thanks to the new engine, fuel economy and driving range see meaningful improvements compared to that old 3.7-liter V-6. It's just a shame that sticking with the Nautilus' 2.0-liter base engine doesn't translate to a jump in fuel economy compared to the V-6 option; EPA-anticipated fuel economy for the Lincoln's base engine is 20-21/25-26 mpg city/highway, compared to the much more powerful V-6's 19-20/26-27 mpg. For comparison, the 295-hp 2019 Lexus RX 350 is EPA-rated at 19-20/26-27 mpg.

Where the 2019 Nautilus earns back some points is with its decently spacious rear seat and rear-seat backrest recline controls conveniently placed at the passenger's thigh—this isn't as universal a feature as you'd think. Neither is the Lincoln's helpful addition of rear-seat headrests that can fold down, increasing rear visibility, or the one-touch buttons in the cargo area that fold down the rear seats.

Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition Gets Suicide Doors

Lincoln is celebrating the Continental's 80th anniversary with a nice dose of nostalgia, adding coach doors—otherwise known as "suicide doors"—to a limited run of 80 examples. The aptly named Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition integrates a design cue first introduced on the model in 1961 and pays homage to that vintage classic

When it first arrived in 1939, the Lincoln Continental was a custom-made, handcrafted luxury car commissioned by Edsel Ford and built by Eugene T. Gregorie. But the model's status as an automotive icon arguably wasn't achieved until 1961, when the fourth-generation Continental launched with rear-hinged rear doors and a chrome-accented upper shoulder line that would become a Lincoln trademark. A modified fourth-gen Continental also had the distinct honor of serving as a presidential limousine from the early 1960s until 1977. That vehicle made history for a more sorrowful reason in 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in the back seat.

Buyers interested in the Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition will need to order the car via a dealership certified to sell Black Label-grade Lincoln models. Like all Black Label models, the special edition Continental gets you perks like annual vehicle detailing, complimentary car washes, access to exclusive restaurants, and pickup and delivery of the vehicle for maintenance at a designated location throughout the duration of the warranty. Pricing has not yet been announced, but considering the low production run, expect to pay north of the standard Black Label's $71,040 starting price.

2019 Honda Odyssey Now on Sale in the US

Priced from $31,065 including destination, the 2019 Honda Odyssey is mostly a carryover model. The minivan now comes standard with Honda Sensing on EX and above trim levels, a suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, which includes collision mitigation brake system, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.

All models are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, with a nine-speed automatic transmission on the LX, EX, and EX-L trims. The Odyssey Touring and Elite models come with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy however, is rated the same across the entire lineup, returning 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for a 22-mpg combined rating.

The Honda Odyssey EX is priced from $35,035, while the EX-L starts at $38,585. The EX-L Navi/RES model has a starting price of $40,585. Stepping up to the Touring model with the 10-speed automatic starts at $45,635 and at the top of the range is the Elite with a price tag of $47,945. For the 2019 model year, Honda has added a second 2.5-amp USB port inside the center console on EX-L and above trims.

First Buick Avenir model is a China-only minivan

Buick’s lineup in China includes a minivan called the GL8, and it’s this model that has become the first recipient of Buick’s Avenir treatment.

Avenir, French for “future,” is the name of a luxurious sedan concept Buick rolled out in 2015. The concept didn’t make it to production but its name and more upmarket treatments feature in a new sub-brand Buick is using to denote extra luxurious versions its existing models, starting with the GL8 Avenir.

For the exterior, the vehicle benefits from an exclusive color called Earl Purple. There’s also the distinct grille with a honeycomb-like pattern and extra chrome. Designers have also added a unique set of 18-inch aluminum wheels.

For the interior, the Avenir treatments include a unique dash lining with a textured surface and an “Avenir” script. This is joined by quilted leather on the seats, plush carpeting, a suede headliner and an ambient lighting package.

Buick says the the GL8 Avenir will go on sale in China in November following a debut at the 2016 Guangzhou auto show. While there are no plans to bring it to the United States, it likely hints at some of the treatments we can expect on Avenir models sold here.

Unfortunately, it isn't clear when Buick will actually launch an Avenir model in the U.S.

Volvo S90 Excellence's Lounge Console

The Lounge Console doubles as a mobile work station and entertainment center with a large touchscreen display built in it. The sumptuous arrangement offers a heated and cooled cup holder, a refrigerator, and Swedish-made Orrefors crystal glasses. The front passenger seat is eliminated to make room for all of this. Overhead, the roof offers a full panoramic view.

The S90 Excellence was shown ahead of the Guangzhou Motor Show, which will be held in late November. It will be built in Daqing near Harbin. The sole engine option will be the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid version. Volvo showed previous Lounge Console concepts at the Beijing and Shanghai motor shows.

Volvo says the Excellence will be exported globally from the Northeastern China factory, following the S60 Inscription model which is also built there and sold in the United States. US implications are unclear for the S90 Excellence. A Volvo spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"China will play an increasingly important part in our global manufacturing ambitions. Our factories here will deliver world-class products for export across the globe in coming years, contributing to our objective of selling up to 800,000 cars a year by 2020," Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said in a statement.