1971 Lincoln Mark Iii on 2040-cars

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Editors' Picks, May 2023: Some Subarus and a pair of luxury SUVs

The month of May saw a number of new vehicles jump into the pool of Editors' Picks. Subaru grabbed a pair with its brand-new generation of Crosstrek for 2024, and the Legacy earns one in the ever-shrinking midsize sedan segment. In the luxury space, we have one entry from Britain and one from here at home. The new Range Rover already got an Editors' Pick, but now the Range Rover Sport joins the ranks. The Corsair earned Editors' Pick status before its update, too, but now the refreshed version rejoins the ranks. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in May that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2023 Subaru Legacy 2023 Subaru Legacy View 15 Photos Quick take: The Legacy brings all-wheel drive with sedan dynamics to a shrinking segment, and it does so with a competitive price, respectable tech and tons of utility. Score: 7.5 What it competes with: Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 Pros: All-wheel drive in every trim, spunky turbo engine, tons of space in the rear and trunk Cons: CVT makes for a dull drive, infotainment is clunky, styling is on the bland side From the editors: Associate Editor Byron Hurd — "Not everybody has abandoned sedans. Not only is Subaru keeping some of its eggs in this four-door basket, but it's dyeing them in some festive shades. The new turbocharged and tightened Sport model makes a great case for itself as a grown-up WRX without all the GT-themed nonsense. Shame about the CVT." In-depth analysis: 2023 Subaru Legacy gets Sport trim, more tech, fresh design   2023 Range Rover Sport Quick take: It may not be outwardly sporty, but the Range Rover Sport has a killer design, gorgeous interior, buttery-smooth driving characteristics and a clean tech interface.

Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

Lincoln MKC prototype caught partially covered, reveals some changes

When Lincoln pulled the wraps off the MKC Concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, we said that the very attractive concept was going to closely mirror the production vehicle. With few exceptions, a clad prototype recently caught running on public roads seems to substantiate our statement.
From what the pictures reveal, the disguised Lincoln MKC production mule and show concept seem to share the same waistline with identical sculpting over the wheels. The midsection of the two also appear to match with the same flare and styling. The lower rockers have been cleaned up a bit, mainly to be more practical in the real world (the deep chisels on the show car would have collected mud and snow).
Taking a look at the exposed front bumper, we see a very similar lower fascia complete wtih the metal skid plate on the chin. The window profile also seems to match the concept, though we're still unclear exactly how that C- and D-pillar section is going to look. Of course, and it always seems to be the case when concepts evolve into production vehicles, the MKC gains four normal door handles, standard-sized mirrors and a slightly smaller wheel/tire package. We expect the production version of the Lincoln MKC to debut later this year.