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Autoblog's ultimate holiday rides

Over the hills and through the woods, it's the time of year when many of us visit family and friends for the holidays. But getting there can be a chore. It's cold and snowy across much of the United States, and even if the climate is favorable, the drive to grandmother's house often is not. Think back to holiday road trips of yore: They probably included crying babies, antsy children, hungover adults and frequent bathrooms stops all around. Now, we're all at different life stages here at Autoblog, and the perfect car for one staffer might be as useful as a team of Budweiser Clydesdales to another. Some of us bounce from family event to family event with children and a labrador in tow, while others prefer a quieter, simpler holiday. But whatever the endeavor, we all need wheels. With that in mind, here is the unofficial Autoblog list of the ultimate cars in which to tackle the holiday season. 2015 Ferrari FF To borrow a chestnut from Top Gear presenter James May, "As you'd expect, I've done this properly." That oddly voluptuous ruby bolide in the photo above? It's a 2015 Ferrari FF – all 652 all-wheel-driven horsepower of it. What makes a Ferrari the ideal for holiday time in PaukertLand? My Midwestern winter breaks are wonderful, but they're typically frenetic and slushy, involving a lot of schlepping from house to house and even city to city, not to mention inevitable last-minute runs for forgotten presents and dinner ingredients. Needless to say, a powerful V12 is a welcome ally for such duties. And this one isn't just a friend when the road is clear. The FF has been gifted Ferrari's novel 4RM AWD system, and despite sitting lower to the ground than, say, an SUV, it's a pretty effective tool for real winter driving, especially when outfitted with a set of snow tires. Unlike other Ferraris, it's also a rather practical thing, with legitimate seating for four adults and 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space – that's precisely as much room as a Mercedes E-Class – and you can fold the rear chairs and cram 28.2 cubes-worth of holiday cheer in the back. Okay, so it's far from cheap and fuel economy isn't that great, but who cares? Just drop a paddle-shifted gear or two, bury the throttle and Repeat The Sounding Joy. Ain't the holidays grand? – Chris Paukert Executive Editor 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe My Mom gives out more presents than any other human being I've ever encountered.

Subaru Crosstrek gets a modest price increase for the 2021 model year

Subaru has published full pricing information for the 2021 Crosstrek, which gains a bigger, more powerful engine and a handful of visual modifications. It's slightly more expensive than the outgoing 2020 model. Buyers have four trim levels — base, Premium, Sport, and Limited — to choose from. Pricing for the entry-level model starts at $23,295 once a mandatory $1,050 destination charge enters the equation, a figure that represents a modest $100 increase over the cheapest 2020 model. This price gets you a relatively basic crossover powered by a 2.0-liter flat-four rated at 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission; motorists who ask for two pedals will be charged $24,645. Subaru priced the Premium trim at $24,345 with a six-speed stick and $25,695 with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). All-wheel drive and the base model's 2.0-liter flat-four come standard regardless of the transmission chosen. Stepping up to the Premium variant adds features like fog lights, body-colored door mirrors, a six-speaker sound system, a better infotainment system, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. New for 2021, the Sport trim benefits from a 2.5-liter flat-four that finally gives the Crosstrek the power it badly needed. Its output checks in at 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, yet it's nearly as efficient as the aforementioned 2.0-liter four. Priced at $27,690, the Sport model gains Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud drive modes, 17-inch alloy wheels, water-repellant upholstery, plus a handful of trim-specific accents inside and out. It's exclusively offered with the CVT; buyers who want a manual will need to forgo the bigger engine. Finally, the last rung on the Crosstrek hierarchy is occupied by the Limited model, which carries a base price of $29,045. It receives the same 2.5-liter as the Sport, but it boasts a longer roster of standard features including LED fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, plus additional driving aids like reverse automatic braking, high-beam assist, and blind spot detection with lane-change assist. Made in Japan, the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek will begin arriving in American showrooms before the end of the summer. As of writing, nothing suggests the Impreza that the Crosstrek is based on will get the 2.5-liter four. Related Video:    

Subaru EyeSight: Autoblog Technology of the Year finalist

Peering out of the top of the windshield of a growing number of Subaru models, looking like a pair of cyborg eyes on either side of the car's rearview mirror, are twin cameras that make up the visible portion of Subaru's high-tech EyeSight system. For 2015, the stereoscopic camera-based system is available on the Forester, Legacy, Impreza and Outback.
These cameras allow Subaru to equip its vehicles with such safety and convenience features as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and pre-collision braking that can slow the car automatically if an imminent accident is detected, even bringing the vehicle to a complete stop.
Subaru has offered EyeSight technology on its vehicles in the United States since the 2013 model year. Newly upgraded for 2015, EyeSight's smaller cameras now see in color and are capable of scanning further ahead and over a wider swath, which means an EyeSight-equipped car will now be able to respond more quickly. That means a higher chance of accident avoidance for 2015, something everyone on the road will surely appreciate.