Driven Car Reviews

The new 2022 Nissan Frontier pickup is headed to dealerships now. Here's a serious look inside and out with Hiren Patel, the Project Lead Designer. He gives all sorts of insights to why the new Frontier looks they way it does, much of it is all about function. Tom Voelk stays out of his way and lets him describe the design process. This is part of a Nissan manufacture's event in Utah that Tom attended.

It can be argued that SUVs are essentially raised station wagons, or that wagons are sleek SUVs. Volvo’s V90 Cross Country splits the difference, an all-wheel drive wagon with more ground clearance than most. And it has a beautiful interior. Tom Voelk takes a 2021 model to Bend, Oregon for a family vacation. It might be the ultimate road trip vehicle. And if you need food recommendations in Bend, you’ve come to the right place.

Honda’s new 11^th generation Civic is very good. How good? Tom Voelk takes a 2022 Civic Touring on a 700 mile weekend getaway to Walla Walla, Washington to check out the comfort, quietness, fuel efficiency and Bose Centerpoint audio system to see if it’s best-in-class (because Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra and Volkswagen Jetta want your money too). It’s a full look at the best Civic ever plus a little bit of Washington wine country thrown in for good measure.

When it comes to the compact SUV segment there’s a wide variety of choices. Maybe too many. Looking for something upscale but find the premium brands too spendy? Then the Volkswagen Taos might be for you. A foot shorter than big brother Tiguan, the cabin has nearly the same amount of space plus it has a polished driving dynamic. But understand it’s among the most expensive in class. Tom Voelk checks out a loaded SEL model with 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

The 2022 Ford Maverick comes standard with a hybrid powertrain but many buyers will crave more power. That’s easily solved by going with the 2-liter EcoBoost powertrain, a turbocharged 4-cylinger pumping out 250 horsepower. If you want all-wheel drive and the ability to tow up to 2 tons, it’s the engine you need. Tom Voelk takes a closer look at the gas-only Maverick and takes an FX4 package off road.