2004 Kia Sorento Ex Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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2018 Kia Stinger GT Quick Spin Review | Running the diaper-to-racetrack gamut

Considering I'm about to throw a bunch of caveats, small gripes, and unflattering anecdotes about this car at you, I want to preface this by saying the rear-wheel-drive Stinger GT does enough well that I actually spent some time with the configurator building one to, perhaps, serve as a family car that can haul ass as well as a bunch of stuff. And people, too, in five-person comfort, with an infant child seat in the mix. There's a lot of bargain-basement Audi S7 appeal to the thing, and it feels even quicker than its 0-60 number of 4.7 seconds would indicate. Another highlight: the Brembo brakes, 13.8 inches up front clamped by four-piston calipers, and 13.4 inches in the rear. They are superb. The liftback is a nice touch, adding some extra capacity without a wagon profile that would make it allergic to sales. I put it through a daunting real-world test: a big stroller, a giant box of diapers, two backpacks, two rolling suitcases, and a couple armfuls of baby toys. With a little creative stacking it all went in without causing passenger compartment intrusion. With further rearrangement, there was even room to deal with a truly distressing diaper crisis — the GT dealt elegantly with this inelegant situation. The Ceramic Silver paint (one of a frustratingly slim selection of exterior colors) didn't dull the Stinger GT's impact much. It's one of the most handsome and understated colors available, and even so, it drew a lot of attention. Fresh from baby-carrying (and changing) duties, I took it to a SCCA Track Night in America event at the Ridge circuit near Shelton, Wash., where the liftback cargo area swallowed a tub full of tools and a racing helmet with plenty of room to spare. Hell, a set of four rims with track tires could've fit, too. Despite a strong field of interesting cars in attendance, everyone wanted to ask about the Stinger. I feel this color dampens some of the car's over-styling — it would look just as aggressive with fewer faux vents — and displays the unconventional taillights well. Speaking of Track Night, after about an hour of track time spread over three individual sessions (not bad for just $150), the Stinger GT never felt fully comfortable in its dynamic skin. It had the scoot to top 130 mph on the front straight, and the brakes to haul it down before a super fun series of uphill S-curves immediately afterwards. However, certain situations caught the Stinger out.

Weekly Recap: Mazda's rotary revival ignites Tokyo Motor Show

Forty-eight years ago Mazda pioneered rotary engines in the Cosmo Sport. Mazda then honed the technology, won with it on the racetrack, and made it one of its signature features. If you're an enthusiast, rotary was a reason you like Mazda. It's a great part of the company's past. But until this week, that's exactly what we thought it was. History. That all changed with the reveal of the RX-Vision concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, which reignited the passions of the Mazda faithful. Suddenly, rotary was no longer a relic. The rotary concept shown in Japan was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car wrapped in the company's latest Kodo design language. It's powered by a Skyactiv-R unit (R for rotary), though specs were not disclosed. Mass production is "currently on hold," Mazda said, maintaining it never stopped development of rotary technology, even after the demise of the RX-8. Beyond that, we know nothing, other than the optimistic statement Mazda offered that: the "RX-Vision represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality." Put simply: we agree. OTHER NEWS & NOTES: Subaru previews next-gen Impreza While the Mazda concept was the headliner from Tokyo, Subaru's Impreza design study also stood out. The five-door concept is a signpost for the look of next-generation Impreza. It blends sportiness with functionality, and it's wrapped in a striking shade of 'high-luminance silver.' The fenders are flared to signal Subaru's all-wheel-drive capability, and the front has futuristic headlights that look like something from an Audi E-Tron concept. While most of this will be toned down in production, the concept suggests an elevated style for the Impreza, which is due as a 2017 model. Porsche adds potent GTS model to 2017 Macan line Porsche is giving the Macan crossover the GTS treatment, which will start at $68,195 when it goes on sale in March. GTS translates to more power, a sportier suspension, and interior and exterior design cues that sharpen the looks and reflexes of one of the most athletic SUVs on the market. Porsche recalibrated the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Macan S to make 360 hp and 369 lb-ft, (up from 340 hp and 339 lb-ft in the S). It teams with a seven-speed PDK gearbox and all-wheel drive. An air suspension is standard. The body features a slew of black accents, and the standard 20-inch RS Spyder wheels are done up in a shade of satin black. The cabin gets leather, Alcantara, and GTS logos.

2018 Hyundai Kona vs other small crossovers: How they compare on paper

The 2018 Hyundai Kona is the hottest new thing in the hottest new segment: subcompact crossovers. Or B-segment SUVs. Or whatever you might want to call this hodge-podge collection of vehicles of vaguely similar specs. Each is pretty much just a raised hatchback in some form (or literally in the case of one entry), skewing the increasingly vague line between car and SUV. If there was ever a segment that deserved the term "crossover" for more reasons than just its car-based unibody architecture, this would be it. Now, for this specs and photos comparison, we lined up the new 2018 Kona with an appropriate variety from that hodge-podge. Most are those that people are actually cross-shopping the Kona against — the Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR and Subaru Crosstrek — while the Kia Soul and Jeep Renegade line up well in other regards. There are certainly others we could've included, but we're frankly a little pressed for spreadsheet space, and if you really want to know how a Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X or Ford EcoSport would've stacked up, you can always use our Compare Cars feature. (You can also check out our Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross comparison that includes a few larger choices) Performance, fuel economy and drivetrains Immediately you can see how all over the map this segment is. True, all but the Jeep come with a standard naturally aspirated four-cylinder and fairly comparable horsepower. Torque differs, but not wildly so. Then things get nuts. Some are automatic only, the Toyota is CVT only, the Honda and Subaru come with a manual standard and offer a CVT as an option. The Renegade's base engine is manual-only ... in 2018. Of course, then things flip-flop with the Renegade's upgrade being naturally aspirated and the Hyundai and Kia offering turbocharged mills. The Korean corporate cousins also come with automated manuals, whereas the Renegade has a box with nine gears selected by a lethargic monkey. Then there's the drivetrain. The C-HR is front-drive only, which pretty much cements the Soul's place in a segment it arguably created despite not offering all-wheel drive. That's the only way to get the Crosstrek, while the Honda and Hyundai offer a typical option of a part-time system. In Jeep fashion, the Renegade's "four-wheel drive" systems differ by trim level.