1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia on 2040-cars

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Best sport sedans for 2022 and 2023

SUVs dominate the car industry at every size and price level, but some people still prefer the looks, and more importantly, the performance and comfort, of the traditional sedan. With a lower ride height, lighter weight and generally smaller size, they often are much more fun to drive, and can even be more comfortable. Sport sedans of course lean harder on the performance side of things, and are among the best options for sheer speed and fun, thanks to those inherent characteristics. We've rounded up the ones in the segment that do the sporty dance better than any others in 2024 to give you a handy guide when you're shopping for one of your own. You'll find a wide array of cars here including gas, electric and hybrid powertrains. They'll have manual and automatic transmissions and drive the front, rear or all four wheels. Technically a few hatchbacks have slipped in, but they're close enough in look and feel that we wanted to include them. And excluding them means you might miss out on some of the best-driving options available. You wouldn't want that, would you? Alfa Romeo Giulia Why it stands out: Punchy four-cylinder; astounding power from Quadrifoglio; light and nimble character; awesome shift paddlesCould be better: Clunky infotainment; sub-par switchgear Read our Alfa Romeo Giulia review We start this list with one of the most predictable inclusions: the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Yes, it's a stereotype that the Italian sport sedan is fun to drive, but the fact is, well, it is. The Giulia comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 280 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful four-cylinders in the segment. It's paired with a snappy and smooth eight-speed transmission and either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.  The engine is lively and torquey, if a little short of revs, and the chassis feels super-light. The steering is eager and the car jumps into corners. We also highly recommend getting a version with the enormous and superb aluminum paddle shifters that make clicking through gears much more entertaining. And on the topic of the interior, it's attractive, but the various switches and knobs feels a little cheap, and the infotainment system is clunky. Of course there's also the incredible Giulia Quadrifoglio at the high end. It gets a Ferrari-derived twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 making 505 hp, and it's rear-wheel drive only.

Alfa Romeo teases 'a new era' with Tonale taillights

The Italians from Turin opened their Facebook page to put the world on alert that "a new era begins with Alfa Romeo," and they did so using Alfa Romeo Tonale taillights. The leading guess as to what this might portend is a battery-electric Tonale. Such a vehicle is possible, but there are questions. Brand product chief Daniel Guzzafame admitted it was "technically possible," and we're expecting an EV from Alfa next year; however, that's meant to be the Italian version of the Jeep Avenger EV sold in Europe. FCA Italy runs the Facebook page in question, and the page contains plenty of Europe-specific content, so perhaps this teaser isn't meant for us in the U.S. Or perhaps the new EV gets Tonale taillights. Or perhaps some market will see a Tonale EV soon.  Another guess is that engineers have created an enhanced Tonale variant to put the Dodge Hornet in the dust. Alfa Romeo was said to be less than pleased about Dodge borrowing the Tonale and launching its Hornet first, then showing a Hornet GLH (Go Like Hell) concept with more than 300 horsepower compared to the Tonale PHEV's 285 hp. So what if there's a Quadrifoglio PHEV headed to market, marking the first time the go-fast division would have put four leaves on a hybrid powertrain? CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said that after the Tonale launch, "we have one big product event every year for five years." This year was the 33 Stradale, next year comes something, and in 2025, "a full EV super-performing car." After that, every Alfa Romeo will be battery-electric, and Quadrifoglio trims make the jump. Imparato said there'd only be a Quadrifoglio variant of the current version if engineers could unlock "the highest level of performance." A four-leafed Tonale could break the seal on the future of performance Alfas, and be among the department's last ICE-powered hurrahs. All shots in the dark, though. Now that the tease campaign has begun, the next clue won't be far away.

Mazda leads Consumer Reports' latest Brand Report Card Rankings

The latest automaker brand report cards from Consumer Reports are in, and there are quite a few changes for 2021. At the very top of the charts sits Mazda, up three spots over last year, followed by BMW and Subaru to round out the top three. It's interesting to note that mainstream brands (non-luxury in CR-speak) don't seem to be at a disadvantage in CR's rankings, with five of the top 10 spots. In addition to Mazda in first and Subaru in third, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, and Buick were the other high-ranking non-luxury marques. The ratings are derived from "a combination of predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction based on member surveys, and CR’s hands-on analysis" and also includes safety features and crash test scores.  At the very bottom of the list sit Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo. "Our brand rankings don't just look at how models perform on our test track, but the broad picture of vehicle quality," said Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Automotive Testing at Consumer Reports. "Fortunately, consumers will find they have many options that are safe, enjoyable, and reasonably priced." The biggest jumps in the brand report card rankings come from Chrysler, Buick and Honda, which each moved up five spots compared to last year's rankings. The news wasn't nearly as good for Lincoln, which fell an alarming 15 spots this year, Genesis, which fell 13 spots, or Kia, which fell 10 spots. Related Video: