Autos
Surprising sedans
Three four-doors that stand out in the crowd
To cut through the clutter of so many sedans ā there are more than 220 models available ā many automakers are giving their four-door mavens extreme makeovers. This includes such popular rides as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Camry and VW Passat. Even the tried-and-true Buick Regal is getting an eye-popping redo. Yet most of these faves wonāt be available until next year. Luckily, some automakers have beaten their competitors to the punch, often with surprising results. Below are three of the best.
Kia Optima
$18,500
MPG: 20 city/29 highway
Biggest surprise: Sexier than the luxe Sonata
Kia has always been Hyundaiās poor relation, and it showed: lackluster designs, put-put engines and frumpy handling that only your great aunt would love. But that all changed when Kia snagged Audiās design chief ā the man responsible for the uber-hot Audi TT ā and decided to remake its entire lineup. For the Optima, this means styling thatās a cut above the handsome Hyundai Sonata, which is built on the same stellar platform. But while the Sonata tries to emulate the much pricierā and relatively bland āLexus ES 330, the Optima opts for originality, with Origami-like creases in the side panels and a bat-wing grille surrounded by sleek wraparound headlights.
Three engine choices: a capable 200-hp four-cylinder in the base model, a peppy 274-turbo and a hybrid due next year. These are the first turbo and hybrid power plants from Kia, which shows the automaker is trying to offer more thrilling and more eco-friendly models at the same time. And there are plenty of standard features, even on the LX base model: satellite radio, USB input jack, Bluetooth, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power everything and an air-conditioned glove box. The midlevel EX adds voice recognition system, rearview camera, keyless entry/ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control and power driver seat. And the top-of-the-line SX adds leather seats and upgraded interior trim.
Suzuki Kizashi
$19,000
MPG: 20 city/29 highway
Biggest surprise: Two new models ā already
Suzuki introduced its all-new Kizashi less than a year ago, yet already this flagship sedan, which received plenty of accolades the first go-round, is getting a glitzy Sport version of its high-end GTS and SLS trim levels. While the engines, transmission and tires are still the same, the GTS Sport and SLS Sport are lower to the ground and have a tighter, tuner-like suspension for better cornering and acceleration. The exterior styling gets kicked up a notch, as well, with crisper front fascia, grille and rocker panels, along with a subtle rear spoiler. All Kizashis ā even the base model ā have a trendy Euro-like cabin, with metallic accents, keyless entry/ignition, power doors/windows, dual-zone automatic climate control and nine-speaker stereo. Upper-level models add iPod interface, cruise control, heated seats, rear-parking sensors and a blaring Rockford Fosgate audio system.
VW Jetta
$16,000
MPG: 24 city/34 highway
Biggest surprise: Cheaper this year
Bigger, roomier and less expensive ā that was the VW game plan for the reworked Jetta. And it works, sort of. All models are $1,700 to $2,300 less than their predecessors. And all come with standard stability control ā often a pricey option ā as well as free routine maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles. Yet to cut costs, VW put in a smaller engine with 55 less horsepower and nixed the rear disc brakes and independent rear suspension ā replacing both with cheaper alternatives. And the classy Audi-like cabins also are now a bit, well, cheaper, in both design and build quality. Still, the Jetta hasnāt lost its sport-sedan roots, with primo handling, accelerating and braking. And it still takes corners and navigates around potholes better than the competition. Another plus: thereās plenty of headroom, legroom and trunk space. Best of all, there soon will be three other engine choices: a clean diesel, a sporty turbo and a hybrid
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/BMW_i7_xDrive60_insert.jpg)
Sometimes itās good to be a fairy godmother. Thatās how it was for me when organizing a surprise dinner party for my husband Robert, who was celebrating a milestone birthday.
Event planning isnāt my thing, yet somehow the stars aligned. It seemed like all I had to do was wave a wand and ā voila! ā the magic began.
Make reservations at a fave intimate restaurant, which often gets booked months in advance? Zing! Ensure that family and childhood friends from across the country could all attend the same weekend? Zing! Find a handsome pianist to serenade us with Broadway show tunes. Zing again!
The only thing missing: a stunning chariot. But then, at the last minute, my test car for the week turned out to beāzing!āthe all-electric BMW i7 xDrive60 glam sedan.
BMW i7 xDrive60
$121,000
MPGe: 87 city/95 highway
Range: 291 to 321 miles
Fastest charging time: 212 miles in 34 minutes (80% charged)
PROS: Hyper fast. Sublime cabin. Dazzling tech.
CONS: Pricey. So-so cargo area. A sedan in a world of SUVs.
IN A NUTSHELL: To drive or not to drive, thatās the question with the BMW i7. Rarely is it more exciting to be the passenger than the driver in a sports sedan, especially a Bimmer. But as I chauffeured my husband to the restaurant on his birthday, he seemed to be having way too much fun enjoying the dizzying array of creature comforts.
Spa treatment. The futuristic seats, made of quilted Merino leather, are as plush and comfortable as anything from Roche Bobois. But the optional cashmere/wool fabric looks and feels even better. All seatsāboth front and rearācome with ventilation and heating that activates much quicker than in most cars. The superb massage function does bodywork like a real masseurābut without the need to tip 20% when your session ends.
Concert-hall acoustics. Other high-priced rides offer premium audio, but the standard Bowers & Wilkens stereo in the i7 is bravo: 18 speakers and 655 watts. Better yet, my test car had the much-ballyhooed Diamond Surround Sound System, with 36 speakers powered by a 1965-watt amplifier. Yes, two of those speakers use actual diamonds to increase clarity. The result is perhaps the best-sounding vehicle acoustics ever.
IMAX-like screen. The Rear Executive Lounge Seating package adds a reclining right rear seat with footrest and a center console with foldable table that serves as a floating desk. Think first-class seating on an airplane. Most impressive is the huge, 31-inch 8K theater screen that drops down from the ceiling and comes with Amazon Fire capability. All rear window shades lower and the panoramic-glass roof shade closes when in theater mode. Built tastefully into the armrest on each rear door is what looks like an Apple iPhone to control the rear lighting, movie screen and other functions. Any home theater system should be so good.
Racecar features. Up front, the driver is spoiled with many other goodies. A curved digital screen, the same as in the cutting-edge BMW iX SUV, houses a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment monitor. Two motorsāone for each axleācreates an impressive 536-horsepower. Press the accelerator andāwhoosh!āthe i7 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. The amazing auto-leveling suspension absorbs potholes and speed bumps as if this 6,000-pound sedan were floating on air.
Rolls-Royce aura. BMW, which also owns Rolls-Royce, has sprinkled the i7 with stately design cues. This includes softer, more graceful styling and none of the severe, chiseled angles of previous BMWs. Other plusses: Swarovski crystals in the headlights and 22 precision-focused LEDs in the high beams. But the illuminated grille, while impressive, has a more ominous vibe. (Stephen Kingās Christine, anyone?)
Full-size comfort. The i7 is a full-figured ride, more than 17-feet long and 6.4-feet wide. Hereās where the automatic parking comes in handy, allowing this BMW to parallel or perpendicular park itself. Trunk capacity is 18 cubic feet, which is decent but less than some competitors. Inside, though, there are plenty of clever storage compartments.
A pretty penny. Full of options, my test car was a wallet-busting $152,000. But thatās a bargaināwell, sort ofācompared with the high-performance i7 M70. With 650 horsepower and a 0-to-60 time of 3.5 seconds, the M70 is the fastest all-electric M car ever made. It also costs $169,000.
Alas, such sticker prices are too rich for my blood. Sorry Robert, maybe if we win the lottery.
Autos
Seductive sport-utes: Buick Evista, Subaru Outback
Two vehicles that punch way above their weight
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/05/Buick_Envista_insert.jpg)
Two recent sport-utes are surprise hits this year. Well, at least they are for me. Thatās because the all-new Buick Envista and tried-and-true Subaru Outback both deliver more than expectedāa lot more. Call it bait and switch, but in a good way.
BUICK ENVISTA
$24,000
MPG: 28 city/32 highway
0 to 60 mph: 9.3 seconds
Maximum cargo room: 42.0 cu. ft.
PROS: Yowza design, yowza cabin, yowza price
CONS: Modest power, no all-wheel drive, so-so stereo
IN A NUTSHELL: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Buick Envista is practically a Teutonic clone. Just a few months ago, I wrote about the BMW X6āa riveting ride with glam looks, oodles of high-tech gizmos and an uber-comfy interior. But all that awesomeness comes at a price: $75,000āand thatās just the base model. Choose a higher trim level or load up on chichi extras and this bad-ass Bimmer easily tops $100,000.
Not so the Buick Envista, an all-new compact that starts at just $24,000. I test drove the high-end Avenir version, which wasāwait for itāonly $5,000 extra. And the Avenir comes standard with 19-inch nickel-finish wheels, upgraded suspension, power liftgate, keyless entry, remote start, heated seats, heated steering wheel and other goodies.
After doing a double take on the Envistaās exquisite exterior, I did the same when slipping behind the wheel. Yep, there definitely is a Buick logo inside. But everything else could come from the kicky cabin of a BMW X6. This includes a fully digital dashboard stretched wide beneath the windshield, as well as stylish trapezoidal air vents, tasteful aluminum trim, armrests sculpted seamlessly into the doors and well-bolstered sport seats.
Turn on the stellar stereo in a BMW X6 and you could be in the front row at a Queen and Adam Lambert concert. In the Envista, the audio may not be quite as impressive, but those six speakers and nicely calibrated noise-cancellation function still provide a pleasant experience.
This bantamweight Buick also has a surprising amount of space for passengers and cargo. Headroom is more than adequate, even for tallish backseat passengers. And folding those rear seats more than doubles the overall stowage.
All Envistas boast a bevy of safety gear, including lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic braking, forward collision warning with pedestrian protection, and a āfollowing-distanceā indicator to monitor vehicles ahead of you. Oh yes, thereās a superb backup cameraāhigh definition, no less. As with the BMW X6, this camera helps offset limited visibility from the small rear window in the sharply sloped roofline.
For less than $1,000, you can add a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, rear-park assist and heated side mirrors. Such options are much pricier on other vehicles.
No, this Buick is not a NASCAR rival. Thereās no raw power or intimidating exhaust rumble. But the Envistaās acceleration, handling and braking are all solid, especially in commuter traffic.
Affordable. Economical. Thrifty. Call it what you will, the Buick Envista is half the price of an average vehicle today. Thatās impressive for this āMini-Meā of a BMW X6.
SUBARU OUTBACK
$29,000
MPG: 26 city/32 highway
0 to 60 mph: 8.8 seconds
Maximum cargo room: 75.6 cu. ft.
PROS: Relaxed ride, spacious interior, off-road maven
CONS: Slow base engine, dated touchscreen, less fuel-friendly
IN A NUTSHELL: Station wagon? Sport-ute? All-activity vehicle? The Subaru Outback is all three, mixing the agility of all-wheel drive with sedan-like handling. The result: A composed ride equally at home on highways or trailways.
The overall look is sleeker than a Ford Bronco but less luxe than a Lexus RX. While the Outback was last redesigned in 2020, each year Subaru makes at least a few improvements. For 2024, this mid-sizer receives minor styling updates, as well as more standard features on many of its nine trim levels.
I test drove the top-of-the-line Touring XT for a week. At $41,000, the price is a whopping 40% higher than the base model. But the amenities rival what many competitors offer on vehicles costing twice as much. Along with heated/ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and heated power-folding side mirrors, there are plenty of other creature comforts: hands-free liftgate, water-repellant faux-leather upholstery, windshield wiper de-icer, tinted rear windows and premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo.
Curiously, the dual 7.0-inch touchscreen seems stuck in the 1990s. But you can choose a vertical, iPad-like 11.6-inch monitor instead.
A front-view camera with 180-degree viewing angle makes it easy to peak around corners, while a digital rearview mirror allows you to see behind the vehicle even if the cargo area is fully loaded. Other safety items include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, pre-collision braking, lane-departure warning and drowsy-driver alert.
Perhaps the only downside is the pokey 182-horsepower base engine. Skip it, and go for the quicker, more satisfying turbo.
Feature-laden but frugally priced, the Outback is similar to the Buick Envista ā two vehicles that punch way above their weight.Ā
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/05/Subaru_Outback_insert.jpg)
Autos
Sport haulers: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercedes GLE-Class
Updated cabins, adept handling, and more
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/04/Jeep_Grand_Cherokee_insert.jpg)
Now that March Madness and the Masters are over, itās time for, well, everything else. For my husband and me, this means water sports, as in kayaks and rowing sculls, which is why we trekked to the Potomac for the George Washington Invitational regatta last weekend.
Alas, high winds splashed cold water on the event, canceling much of it. But there was still plenty of spirited camaraderie to rival āThe Boys in the Boat.ā
And I was reminded of my time years ago as a rower with D.C. Strokes, ferrying teammates to races up and down the East Coast. Back then my ride was a dated, rather cramped four-door sedan.
If only we could have paddled around in a sporty SUV like the two reviewed here. Now that would have been some smooth sailing (wink-wink).
JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
$40,000
MPG: 19 city/26 highway
0 to 60 mph: 7.5 seconds
Maximum cargo room: 37.7 cu. ft.
PROS: Updated cabin, adept handling, strong towing
CONS: So-so gas mileage, no third row, pricey trim levels
IN A NUTSHELL: Rough, tough and buff. Itās doesnāt get much more butch than a Jeep. This yearās Grand Cherokee is no exception, with rugged looks, expert off-road capability and better-than-average towing capacity of 6,200 pounds.
There are a dizzying number of trim levelsāmore than a dozenāstarting with the barebones base-model Laredo at an affordable $40,000. The lineup tops out with the Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV, which is almost twice the price at $76,000 and one of various plug-in hybrid versions available. Those plug-in hybrids can drive up to 25 miles on all-electric power before the four-cylinder gas engine kicks in. Otherwise, you can choose from a standard V6 or V8. Gas mileage on all trim levels is basically the same as the competition.
Where the Grand Cherokee really shines is in the handling. More refined than a Wrangler but less lavish than a Land Rover, this Jeep maneuvers just as well on city streets and highways as it does on bumpier terrain.
I tested the mid-range and mid-priced Overland, which comes standard with four-wheel drive and large 20-inch wheels. It also boasts a slew of niceties, such as quilted upholstery, panoramic sunroof and high-tech digital displays. These include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen and rear-seat entertainment system.
The nine-speaker Alpine stereo, designed specifically for the Grand Cherokee, is pleasing. But I really wanted to hear the boffo 19-speaker McIntosh surround-sound system that Jeep also offers. Sigh, itās only available on the premium Summit trim level.
MERCEDES GLE-CLASS
$64,000
MPG: 20 city/25 highway
0 to 60 mph: 6.6 seconds
Maximum cargo room: 33.3 cu. ft.
PROS: Lush interior, silky-smooth suspension, speedy
CONS: Some confusing electronics, tight third row, many competitors
IN A NUTSHELL: For a more high-class hauler, thereās the Mercedes GLE-Class. This midsize SUV is similar in size to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But instead of seating five passengers, the GLE can carry up to seven. Sure, legroom in the optional third row may be tight for taller travelers, but itās perfect for a cocky cockswain or two.
Six trim levels, ranging from the base-model GLE 350 to two high-performance AMG models. For eco-conscious buyers, the GLE 450e plug-in hybrid arrived earlier this year and can run on battery power alone for almost 60 miles.
My test car was the top-of-the-line AMG 63 S 4Matic, a head-turner in every way. Priced at a whopping $127,000, this GLE looks best in glossy black with the Night Package, which includes tasteful jet-black exterior accents and matte-black wheels. To complete the Darth Vader effect, thereās a deep, menacing exhaust rumble thatās downright threatening.
You expect such a ride to be wicked fast, and it is: 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.7 seconds. Yet the carbon ceramic brakes with their devil-red calipers are equally impressive in slowing things down quickly.
Inside, each GLE comes with two large digital displays on the elegantly sculpted dashboard. My favorite feature is the āHey Mercedesā digital assistant, which responds to voice commands such as opening or closing the sunroof, operating the infotainment system or activating the climate controls.
Itās hard to find sport seats that are more comfortable, especially with the heavenly massage function (though those massage controls could be a bit more user-friendly.) For AMG models, the seats come with red-contrasting stitching and red seatbeltsāa nod to the devilish demeanor under the hood.
Considering all the SUVs available in showrooms, few make quite the splash of a GLE.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/04/Mercedes_GLE-Class_insert.jpg)
-
Canada2 days ago
Toronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
-
Baltimore4 days ago
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
-
Sports5 days ago
Haters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend
-
Politics1 day ago
HRC slams White House over position opposing gender affirming surgeries for minors