Still, we have a vehicle with tremendous power, a comfortable interior, and body panels formed into the perfect vehicular shape: the wagon. I recently spent a long weekend with a particularly peanut buttery BMW fast wagon on a family trip to the Pacific Northwest. Our goal? Find Orcas. The car? Absolutely perfect for our planned adventure.

After a day spent exploring Seattle, my family and I settled in for an hour-long drive north of the city. We needed to catch a ferry in Anacortes, Washington, which would shuttle us to San Juan Island. Escaping an urban space like Seattle is exactly what you want to do when you have access to a luxury longroof.

There’s a plugin-hybrid powertrain hiding beneath the polarizing Sepia Brown paintwork. That color, by the way, is a $5,000 option, and I don’t believe it’s even available for the 2027 model year (the tester here is a 2025). You can easily outrun the opinions of those who dislike the hue thanks to a combined output of 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Forward thrust arrives thanks to a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine paired with an electric motor.

On its own, the gas-swilling mill generates 577 hp and 553 lb-ft, while the AC motor can dole out 194 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic sends power out to all four wheels, but you can get rowdy if you want and run the car in a rear-wheel-drive-only mode. With my wife and daughter in the car, the weather lightly sprinkling, and highway ground to cover, I opted to keep all four wheels putting power to the ground.

Once in Anacortes, we were lined up to load onto the ferry. Depending on which lane you’re sent down, the corners can be a bit tight. Since the M5 Touring arrives with rear-wheel steering as standard kit, this proved to be a non-issue for the 200.6-inch long wagon.

Arriving in Friday Harbor and exploring the island’s roads, I expected to find that I was piloting the only BMW wagon within a few hundred miles. I was wrong when I pulled up to a local Oyster house and parked next to an M-swapped F80 wagon, complete with a manual gearbox.

After seeing as much as we could from land, it was time to park the M5 for a bit and head into the ocean. If you want to get close to the Orcas, you need a proper vessel. The NAIAD rigid hull inflatable is described as the 4WD of the sea, and it allowed us to get up close and personal with a family of Orcas. It’s always fascinating to see truly glorious animals in their natural habitat. More people should find ways to get closer to nature like this, and perhaps opinions about how we’re treating the world around us could change. I certainly felt the same after a trip to Africa in 2025.

What won’t help change the world is a car like the BMW M5 Touring. However, I do think a plugin-hybrid can serve as a great bridge vehicle. Not just the M5 Touring, since it’s so niche, but the PHEV in general. Owners can get used to operating electric vehicles while retaining the ability to fuel up anywhere and cover long distances with minimal worry. Additionally, when used in performance applications, a hybrid powertrain can deliver tremendous power.

The other side of the discussion, of course, is that they have to deliver that much power since they now weigh so much more. But in a vehicle like the M5 Touring, I do believe the powertrain is well applied. I’ve heard reports of mixed feelings regarding the driving dynamics, but on this trip, I wasn’t pushing the vehicle hard. The ride was comfortable, pleasant, and even slightly entertaining when my family finally fell asleep on our drive back to the airport in Seattle.

The weather, once again, began to drizzle. But I managed to work my way through growing traffic as we moved closer to the city, all while my family slept comfortably in the M5 Touring. As a road trip car, this thing is fantastic. And it should be, considering it starts north of $120k. As tested, this particular brown BMW rings in at $145,475. That’s a fantastic amount of cash, but it’s also a truly fantastic amount of power for a fast wagon in a small competitive segment.

Even at that price, BMW shows no issues selling every one it makes. In fact, the wagon is selling as well as, if not better than, the sedan version. This has led BMW brass to now consider bringing over the new M3 Touring. Audi is considering offering its new RS5 Avant here in the US. And even Genesis has a wicked concept wagon in the G90 Wingback.

Perhaps the wagon revival is just around the corner. And then all of us longroof fans are in for a whale of a good time…

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2026 Volkswagen Tiguan: Overview

The 2026 Tiguan lineup is a pretty straightforward situation. You get four trims, one powertrain, and a clear progression of features from the base S to the top-of-range SEL R-Line Turbo we are driving here. All versions get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and an 8-speed automatic transmission. AWD is optional on lower trims and standard on the SEL R-Line Turbo.

Tiguan S — $32,280.
The entry point, and it’s a genuinely strong one for the price. Heated front seats, wireless charging, an adaptive front lighting system, natural voice control complete with ChatGPT integration, and Volkswagen’s full IQ.The DRIVE suite of driver-assistance technologies is standard. Front-wheel drive comes standard, and AWD is available. At this price, the Tiguan S undercuts a lot of the competition while giving away very little in daily usability.

Tiguan SE — $37,280.
Adds a panoramic sunroof, a larger 15-inch touchscreen, a Harman Kardon premium audio system, leather seating, and ventilated front seats. AWD is available. For most buyers who want the full Tiguan experience without climbing to the top of the range, the SE is the sensible landing spot.

Tiguan SE R-Line Black — $40,030.
The style trim. Adds R-Line exterior treatment with gloss black accents, 20-inch black wheels, R-Line interior badging, and black exterior mirror housings. It’s got the same powertrain as the SE. For buyers who care about how their Tiguan looks in a parking lot, this is the one.

Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo — $43,085 base, $45,410 as-tested.
The range-topper, and the car we’re driving here. The powertrain steps up from the 201-horsepower unit in lower trims to a 268-horsepower version of the same 2.0-liter turbo four. AWD is standard. The SEL R-Line Turbo adds massaging front seats (!), ventilated seats, a head-up display, a digital instrument cluster, power-folding mirrors, heated rear seats, a cargo area privacy cover, and R-Line exterior and interior treatment throughout.

The window sticker on our test car adds Avocado Green paint ($850), Amber Brown leather interior (no charge), and AWD (no charge at this trim). As-tested: $45,410. Let’s see what’s what.

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo: Inside & Out

Avocado Green is a lovely choice. Paired with the Deep Black roof option, it comes across as deliberately styled rather than accidentally bold. The two-tone treatment works better than you might expect on paper. In a segment full of Silver, White, and Titanium Gray, Avocado Green is a excellent.

Beyond the color, the Tiguan SEL R-Line’s exterior treatment adds a front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser styling, and R-Line badging throughout. The 20-inch wheels fill the arches properly without being too showy. The overall stance is compact and purposeful without pretending to be something more aggressive than it is. It is a good-looking small SUV that does not get overtaken by trying to be too sporty or upscale.

The Amber Brown leather interior is a strong pairing with the Avocado Green paint. It is a warm, earthy combination that gives the cabin a personality that beige interiors don’t quite match. The R-Line trim adds stainless steel pedal caps and ambient lighting across the dashboard, and the overall effect is a cabin that is just dramatic enough to look good.

The 15-inch touchscreen is the focal point, and you also get the configurable VW Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display just ahead of the wheel. CarPlay immediately and completely takes over the main screen, and the system’s integration is clean. The Harman Kardon 12-speaker audio system is quite good. Really good. The kind of good that makes you bump the volume up a few notches just to see what it’ll do.

The massaging front seats are standard at this trim level. After a week of press cars where this feature was conspicuously absent (looking directly at you 2026 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and ur expensive plastic blanks!), finding them standard on a $45,000 Volkswagen is amazing. VW has an excellent setup, multiple patterns, adjustable intensity, very useful on longer drives.

The wireless charging pad works reliably. Placement is sensible. Retrieval is easy. After a stretch of inconsistent wireless chargers in recent press cars, a pad that simply does its job without drama is worth noting.

The cupholders in the center stack are sized in two different formats for front-row passengers, which sounds like a small thing and is actually a small thing, but is the kind of small thing that signals someone thought about how this car gets used.

The heated rear seats are great, even though it’s summertime in the D.C. area at the moment. The cargo area privacy cover is standard at this trim. The cargo under-floor storage solution provides a useful secondary area for items you want accessible yet out of sight. The hockey bag fit just fine, but the stick ended up partially in the back seat.

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo: On the Road

The 268-horsepower version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter TSI engine is the best upgrade at this trim, and it earns its place in the spec sheet. The power delivery is smooth and linear rather than dramatic: the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo does not jolt or surge, it simply accelerates with a confidence that the lower-powered trims do not quite match. Highway merging, passing, and getting up to speed from a stop all feel appropriately effortless for a compact SUV at this price. It is not a performance vehicle, but it does not drive like a dull compact SUV.

The 8-speed automatic handles the power cleanly. The Shift logic system is well-calibrated for normal driving, and in Sport mode the transmission sharpens responses without introducing harshness. The 4MOTION AWD system on our test car delivers grip in the corners and in the wet without you having to think about it.

Ride quality is composed. Not soft, not firm, just right. The Tiguan absorbs road imperfections without transmitting them to the cabin, and its NVH levels are reasonable for this class. It does not have the isolation of something twice the price, but it doesn’t feel like it is trying to achieve that either. It feels like exactly what it is: a well-engineered German compact SUV.

The head-up display is excellent: clean, well-positioned, and readable without polarized sunglasses, causing the washout issues that plague some versions. Speed, navigation prompts, and driver assist status are all visible without eyes off the road.

Parking the Tiguan is easy. The footprint is genuinely compact, the surround-view camera is high-resolution and responsive, and Park Assist handles parallel and perpendicular spots with minimal drama. After spending time in press cars that feel outsized in urban environments, the Tiguan’s manageable dimensions feel like a feature rather than a compromise.

One small detail that impressed: the volume control falls immediately to hand on the steering wheel, and the track-forward-and-back controls are in the expected position and work without looking. These are baseline expectations that a surprising number of vehicles still manage to get wrong. The Tiguan gets them right.

The automatic volume reduction when reversing, which I noted in the RS 6 review last week, is present here as well. It is becoming a recurring detail actually helps when backing a vehicle into a tight space. Or maybe I’m getting old.

Summary

The 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo at $45,410 as-tested sits in interesting territory. It costs more than some mainstream compact SUV alternatives, and it does not offer three rows or hybrid powertrains to justify the premium on purely practical grounds. What it does offer is a more considered driving experience, a more distinctive design, a cabin that feels genuinely upscale for the price, and a feature list that includes massaging seats and a head-up display at a point where competitors are still talking about heated steering wheels as highlights.

In a segment where the safe play is also the forgettable one, the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo is the Volkswagen answer to whether a compact SUV can have a personality. It can. This one does. And at just over $45,000 with a real engine, Harman Kardon audio, massaging seats, and Avocado Green paint, it makes that personality look like a very reasonable choice. In the end, I was surprised by the Tiguan, and in this case that’s a good thing!

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo

Base MSRP: $43,085 | As-Tested: $45,410 | Engine: 2.0L TSI Turbo 4-cyl | Output: 268 hp / 295 lb-ft | Transmission: 8-speed automatic | Drivetrain: 4MOTION AWD (standard) | Fuel Economy: 22/29/25 mpg (city/hwy/combined) | Cargo: 17.2 cu ft (seats up) / 47.8 cu ft (seats folded) | Assembly: Mexico

The post 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo: Quite Surprising appeared first on Hooniverse.

The forever car question is back. Is it still the one?

Audi RS 6 Avant Overview

The 2026 RS 6 Avant lineup is pretty focused: three versions of the same essential vehicle, distinguished by output and equipment. All are built around a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with a mild-hybrid assist system, an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic, and Quattro all-wheel drive.

RS 6 Avant — $109,900.

The entry point, which is obviously a relative term at this price. It only gets 590 horsepower, 590 lb-ft of torque, and hits zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds. Standard equipment includes 21-inch wheels, adaptive air suspension, Bang & Olufsen audio, sport seats, and the full RS driver interface. This is the RS 6 for buyers who want the performance wagon experience without diving deeper into the options list.

RS 6 Avant Performance — $130,700.

The car we’re driving here. Output jumps to 630 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds. The Performance adds a sport rear differential, revised suspension tuning, 22-inch wheels, and an RS-specific performance brake system as standard. This is not a trim upgrade with a different badge. It is a meaningfully different driving experience.

RS 6 Avant Performance with Audi Sport Package — $141,000+.

Raises the top speed limiter from 155 mph to 190 mph, adds carbon ceramic brakes, and adjusts the suspension for track use.

Our tester carries the ceramic brake option ($9,000 from the matte carbon package) and the RS Design package in blue ($3,000), among others, landing the as-tested figure at $158,865. That number includes a gas guzzler tax of $1,300.

Audi RS 6 Avant Performance Inside & Out

The wide body, the pronounced wheel arches, the long roofline that flows into the rear, and the Avant stance that makes it look like it is moving even when parked. In Glacier White with matte carbon trim, black roof rails, and blue brake calipers peeking through the wheels, our test car looked genuinely spectacular. I still prefer a more interesting color, but it’s better than the black one we tested in 2023.

The proportions are simply right. Compare it to the current BMW M5 Touring: the BMW looks slightly overwrought, like it is trying to communicate its performance. The RS 6 Avant does not try. It just is. The result is a car that will look correct ten years from now, which is a rare quality.

One honest note on the 21-inch black wheels that come standard on this trim: they are not the move. The black finish reads as anonymous on a car this distinctive, and the RS 6 Avant deserves something that lets the design breathe. There are brighter, more interesting wheel options in the Audi catalog that would do the exterior proper justice. The ceramic blue brake calipers on our test car, visible through the spokes, are genuinely beautiful. Give them a wheel that shows them off.

The RS 6 Avant Performance is a nearly $160,000 car. The interior earns that number in most places and falls short in one specific, frustrating one that might be important to people who can afford this car.

Let’s start with what works. The dual-screen setup, with the main infotainment display flanked by physical shortcut buttons on the left and a dedicated climate and comfort screen below, is one of the better implementations of the multi-screen layout currently available. CarPlay cleanly takes over the primary screen, while the physical buttons remain accessible for quick jumps back to native functions. The lower screen handles HVAC without requiring menu navigation. It is a setup that works well for daily use. On a bright day, glare on the lower screen is a real problem. The small metal strip at the bottom of the upper display acts as a reflector, making the lower screen difficult to read when the sun hits it at the wrong angle.

The carbon fiber trim in our test car is genuine and looks excellent. You can tell immediately. It has the right weight and texture, and the blue threading woven into the fabric ties directly to the Mercato Blue stitching on the seats and the blue seatbelts. It is a coherent interior design story, told in detail, and it reads as intentional rather than decorative. The Alcantara-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel is, without exaggeration, one of the best in the business. The material has a warmth when heated that leather cannot match. Leather gets hot. Alcantara gets warm.

RS sport seats are excellent. They are deeply bolstered, well-ventilated on the first two settings, and appropriately firm for a car built to be driven hard. The heat is well-calibrated. Level two is genuinely pleasant. Level three will remind you it is there and burned my heiney a bit.

(Somehow I was so excited to drive the car, I forgot to take more interior pics. These are from Audi.)

Now the disappointment. Reach down on the side of the driver’s seat where the massage controls would be, and you find plastic placeholder inserts. Blanks. The massage seat option is not available on the RS 6 Performance, apparently in the name of keeping the focus on driving dynamics. I understand the argument. I disagree with the conclusion. At $158,865, buyers have earned the right to a lumbar massage on their commute. Audi makes some of the finest massage seats in the segment. The person buying this car almost certainly has other Audis with massage seats and will notice the absence of them here. It is a strange omission on a car that otherwise refuses to compromise.

My iPhone paired immediately on first connection. No hesitation, no confirmation loop, just connected. After a week of press cars that required multiple attempts and menu navigation, this landed as a genuine luxury. The wireless charger in the center console fits the iPhone 17 Pro Max with just enough room to spare. Getting it back out while driving requires some attention. Fortunately, the charger sits deep enough in the console that if you leave it in the car while running an errand, it is out of sight and not advertising itself. One practical note, there is no clear way to power off the wireless charging pad, which raises the question of what happens if you set something metal down on it. I did not test this for obvious reasons.

The volume knob is positioned within the natural reach of the driver’s right hand, which may sound like a baseline expectation, but it is not universal in this segment. The steering wheel also carries a rotary volume control that works predictably. Track forward and back fall easily to hand without looking. These details combine to create a driving experience that does not require you to take your attention off the road to manage basic functions.

Audi RS 6 Avant Performance: On The Road

You press the RS button on the steering wheel.

Let’s go.

You’re probably wondering, is 630 horsepower notably more impressive than 590 horsepower? Yes, yes, it is. The RS 6 Avant Performance does not build power the way a naturally aspirated engine does, where you feel the crescendo coming and have a moment to prepare for the next wave. The twin turbos deliver an immediate, slightly alarming sensation in the best possible way. On the highway, pulling out to pass something with your foot down produces a result that belongs in a different category than most things wearing wagon bodywork.

RS mode completely transforms the car’s character. The exhaust opens, the throttle response sharpens, the transmission holds gears with more aggression, and the car becomes something that sounds as serious as it goes. In normal mode, it is composed and quiet, a supremely comfortable long-distance machine that returns reasonable fuel economy and asks nothing difficult of you. The dual personality is not a marketing claim. It is a genuine engineering achievement, and one of the things that makes the RS 6 the answer to the forever car question for people who live real lives with their vehicles.

The paddle shifters deserve their own mention in the context of the recent Maserati Grecale Trofeo review. The Trofeo’s paddles are large, fixed, and quite satisfying to use. The RS 6 Performance’s paddles are smaller and move with the steering wheel rather than staying fixed to the column. In most driving situations, this is a non-issue. In situations where you want to make a quick sequential downshift while the wheel is turned, the smaller moving paddles require a little more deliberate reach. Neither approach is wrong, and honestly, when I wanted to downshift through a parking garage, I used the shift lever, which falls easily to hand.

The steering wheel, heated and Alcantara-wrapped, communicates what the front wheels are doing with a precision that makes the RS 6 feel smaller than it is. Parking garages and tight parking lots require attention at this width. The car is long and wide, I couldn’t even get my car cover all the way onto it. The automatic volume reduction when reversing is a thoughtful touch. You are already concentrating on not clipping something. Not having to reach for the volume knob simultaneously is a nice touch.

The driver assistance systems are worth documenting. On the highway, with three cars ahead running at speed and no indication of hazard, the pre-collision system issued a high-pitched alert and executed a brief emergency brake intervention before canceling itself. Nobody was stopping. Nothing had changed in the traffic ahead. It was a false alarm, and it was, to put it plainly, terrifying in the moment. This kind of false positive erodes trust in the system over time, which is exactly the wrong outcome for safety technology. Sensors can fog in morning dew conditions, which may have been the case here.

Finally, the sun visor situation, which has now appeared in two reviews. The driver’s side visor has its grab indentation on the right side only. Reaching for it with your left hand is awkward. Like Inigo Montoya, I am not left-handed, though I often drive one-handed on the right side enough that it catches me. The Grecale was the same, so that’s European cars in a row with the same design choice.

Summary

Here is what the 2026 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is: a 630-horsepower family wagon, capable of 190 mph with the right package, wearing optional ceramic brakes, all for $158,865 as tested.

It is truly one of the best cars currently on sale. It is quick enough to embarrass dedicated sports cars at a stoplight and composed enough to carry your family across three states in comfort. It is beautiful from every angle and understated enough to park in a regular lot without attracting the kind of attention that makes you nervous. It has a gas guzzler tax on the window sticker, and it has earned it. The omission of the massage seat is a genuine miss. The glare on the lower screen in direct sunlight was mildly annoying. The false positive from the pre-collision system was memorable for the wrong reasons. All easy fixes.

None of that changes what this car is. I drove the 2023 RS 6 Avant and called it a forever car candidate. The Performance variant has more power, better brakes, and a sharper tune. The answer to the question has not changed.

It is still this one.

2026 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance

Base MSRP: $130,700 | As-Tested: $158,865 | Engine: 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 + 48V mild hybrid | Output: 630 hp / 627 lb-ft | 0-60: 3.2 sec | Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic | Drivetrain: Quattro AWD | Fuel Economy: 16 mpg combined | Assembly: Neckarsulm, Germany

The post 2026 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance: It’s Still the One! appeared first on Hooniverse.

Part of that– and much of the 86 twins’ charm– is how little extra fluff exists. This is a sports car that really leans on the roots of what driving is about.

Sure, it’s comparatively slow. Even a minivan or crossover can beat it in a drag race. The 2.4-liter Boxer engine makes 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, and it very much is still a low number in the grander automotive landscape, but driving the BRZ is all about perspective. You feel like you’re going fast, even if you aren’t; nobody reading this needs an introduction to the concept of “slow car fast,” but it’s something that never gets old when you get out from behind the keyboard and sit in the driver’s seat.

Using the BRZ’s gearbox never gets old, either. While the Miata’s engine might be more charismatic, the Subaru’s transmission is decidedly more precise and rewarding to use. Not that this is a comparison test, but as the two most affordable driver’s cars on sale today, it’s impossible to not draw comparisons.

Let’s avoid that and focus on the BRZ. And focus on the BRZ we should, because it’s perhaps one of the best things on sale at any price. It’s so pure that it genuinely feels like a look into the past, a window into a time when sports coupes were more prevalent and CUVs/SUVs were reserved for those who didn’t have a want but rather had a need for four-wheel-drive capability or the spaciousness that generally came with the associated vehicles back then.

Even though this generation of car is only a few years old, driving the BRZ truly feels nostalgic, and its outright speed tells a similar story. Ripping off supremely rapid 0-60 MPH and ¼ mile times isn’t impressive anymore, so the BRZ’s ~5.8 and 14.5 second times (respectively) are hardly anything to write home about.

It doesn’t diminish how much fun being behind the wheel of this car is, though. Blast through the BRZ’s first two gears and you feel like a high-schooler again, slamming upshifts in a fury to extract every ounce of performance from a car that you can approachably find the limits of within the confines of a normal road.

Better yet, the delicacy of the chassis allows for you to drive the car at a certain tipping point uncommon in cars today. The steering can be manipulated to the finest point possible concurrent with being able to use the transmission and power to dance the back end around. On a back road, to quote a cliché, it’s effectively telepathic. What you tell the car to do, it does.

And that’s a joy that’s scarce among modern vehicles. You take a penalty for it– the BRZ is small, tight, cramped, inefficient relative to its footprint, and comparatively slow– but in the end, who cares? For a laugh, you can use the BRZ as an everyday, errand-capable car; yours truly packed it full of a quarterly Costco run’s worth of household needs, and it showed just how important the design brief for fitting four track wheels/tires in the car is when you actually want to use it as your only car. A car seat even fits, though work on your acrobatics and prepare to do your best impression of a contortionist to make install of said seat happen.

In the same price range, only the Miata lands higher as far as driving joy goes. But there’s no question it lacks in usability; I drove my NC Miata year-round as a DINK, but in my week with the BRZ tS I was able to throw my children in the back. Anything roughly the same size and amount of fun with the capability to do so will cost more or be drastically worse to drive.

Buyers in the market for the BRZ aren’t trying to maximize their efficiency or practicality; otherwise, they wouldn’t be in the market for a BRZ in the first place. BRZ (and GR86) buyers want fun at the forefront– with a splash of daily usability– and everything else falls behind such on the list of important traits. Amenities, as such, suffer; the infotainment is more circa 2016 than 2026, and that’s about as much as you get when it comes to tech (though Subaru EyeSight is present and nice to have from a safety perspective). The heated seats barely heat, and the seats are manually operated.

But, who cares? The seats are supportive and comfortable, the driving position is excellent, and you have a manual handbrake. Naturally-aspirated engine up front, rear-drive out back, stick shift in the middle. As far as “the perfect automotive formula” goes, this is damn-near spot-on.

The Landscape

Perhaps by now I’m beating a very, very dead horse. The BRZ, despite the Miata technically being a competitor, is really in a class of its own. Subaru’s variant starts at $35,860, with the tS we tested carrying a base price of $36,360 and as-tested price of $37,756. Over at Toyota, effectively the same vehicle starts from $31,400. The Miata starts at $30,430 and the Club trim– most comparable to the tS tested here– is $33,930 before options, many of which you want (like the Recaros and Brembo brakes), bringing the “best” Miata to around $40k. Go to the retractable hard-top RF and those numbers jump to a base of $38,450 and $41,900 for the Club (with the Recaro/Brembo package included in the latter’s price). Fun is pricey, as it turns out. One rung up the fancy ladder, BMW’s 2-Series Coupe starts at $42,200 and for the sporty M240i you have to spend $53,600.

Consider the BRZ the place in the venn diagram where the Miata Club and M240i overlap, albeit it’s more practical than the former and more dynamic than the latter, all while staying closer in price– and cost of ownership– to the Mazda. It was co-developed between Toyota and Subaru after all, and we don’t doubt the two companies want this joint venture to stand as something they can be proud of. Which they should be, considering the BRZ/FR-S/GR86 is coming up on fifteen years of production (over two generations), which is no small feat in the modern era. In a world littered with CUVs and SUVs, building and selling a sports coupe for that long should be hailed as nothing short of a miracle.

All of this is to say, the BRZ tS is a damn good time and, even with so few actual competitors, it’s fantastic when considered in a vacuum or otherwise. With a two-plus-two cabin and a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, manual-transmission configuration, the BRZ is in a class of few regardless of price. It’s a pure, true sports car that makes you happy to drive so long as you can ignore the outside world. Camaro pulls up next to you at a stoplight? They will smoke you. But will you have a bigger smile in the BRZ if you can be blind to others’ flaunting? Hell yes.

Yay

• Chassis from the automotive gods themselves
• Excellent handling, cornering, and steering feel
• Great gearbox

Nay

• Buzzy engine that could use more character
• Excess road nose from the front end
• Gas mileage isn’t what it could be

The Takeaway

• The 2026 Subaru BRZ tS is a truly excellent sports car with fun to be had in spades and the added bonus of real-life daily usability.

(The manufacturer provided insurance and a tank of fuel for this loan, and thanks as always to the team at FMI for arranging and coordinating logistics).

The post 2026 Subaru BRZ tS Review: Same As It Ever Was (& That’s A Good Thing) appeared first on Hooniverse.

A lot of things to like…

Let’s look at the list of equipment, which tells most of the story here and comprises so much of the Kicks’ price (since it’s light on some driving-focused niceties, which we’ll get to later). There’s a massive slew of safety tech on board– something entry-level buyers are particularly interested in– including things like automatic front/rear braking, pedestrian detection, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, blind spot warning and intervention, intersection assist, parking sensors, and the list goes on.

Most notable is ProPilot Assist, which is Nissan’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which is basically adaptive cruise control that can function in stop-and-go traffic, plus allows for basic hands-free functions. Big stuff for a small, relatively inexpensive car.

As for the luxuries, there’s a lot going on here, too. The interior has a 12.3” digital dashboard which is matched by a 12.”3 infotainment screen set in the middle of the center stack. There’s automatic HVAC, a big sunroof, USB-C plugs, keyless entry and start, and remote start as well. The funky exterior (which we like the design of quite a lot– or at least the front half– given the confines of the car’s class) has LED headlights and low beams plus LED daytime running lights. The Canyon Bronze Metallic paint won a lot of fans, too.

…And some things that are just so-so

Not all is spectacular though. The 2.0L DOHC 4-cylinder engine makes 141 hp and 140 lb-ft torque, which is adequate for pushing around the ~3,300 pound Kicks (extremely light by modern standards), but the Xtronic CVT is still fairly loathsome to live with especially when you ask it do so something other than accelerate at a leisurely pace. The EPA ratings of 27/34/30 MPG city/highway/combined is also mediocre and well behind class-leaders.

The ride quality, too, is rough even for the standards of a sub-compact crossover. Maybe the $34,715 as-tested price (optioned up from a $28,160 base price) is what makes us think it should be a little less impacted by imperfect surfaces. For the price, we think Nissan could have equipped it with better shocks. Then again, this was a press car, so who knows what life it lived before arriving in our hands.

Low entry price creeps up quickly, but a very solid vehicle overall

More on that price: Roughly $35k is a tiny amount by modern standards (the average new car sold in 2025 was around $50k), but the as-tested price can easily get you into a larger vehicle should you want it. The back seat of the Kicks is decidedly small, and you can get a very well-equipped, much more car-seat friendly Rogue SV AWD for the same money. Then again, we applaud Nissan for continuing to build truly small cars, as they work great in tighter situations, and if nothing else the truck is fairly sizable even if it comes at the expense of the rear seat. And not everyone needs a back seat for regular use, so we’re just glad a small “hatchback” (even if they call it a CUV) exists in the Nissan lineup.

On the road, the Kicks is unremarkable. It felt right at home driving through New York City en route to the New York International Auto Show, easily popping around in traffic and caring little about the city’s rough surfaces, but it’s not particularly fun or engaging to drive (which comes as no surprise to us). It’s a nimble, easy-to-drive thing with good visibility, proportions, and maneuverability, and spending time behind the wheel is quite easy. Just don’t expect it to be a driver’s vehicle.

Ultimately, the Kicks is a very competent vehicle all-around, albeit one that could be magnificent had it been built with more insulation from road/wind noise and a traditional gearbox rather than the CVT. The big kicker (ha) here for sales numbers is that the Kicks boasts a lot of equipment for the money, which is what buyers want these days, and that alone will move units.

Yay

• Tons of tech and safety equipment for the price
• Easy to drive and live with
• Amenities galore
• Small footprint makes for high maneuverability

Nay

• Tight rear legroom
• Fuel economy lacks behind class standards
• Crashy ride quality
• Substantial road and wind noise

The Takeaway

The 2026 Nissan Kicks SR AWD is a good vehicle, showing how much an automaker can do when they cram a lot of features desired by the car-buying masses into a small package. Those not wanting something slightly larger (a la Rogue) will find a lot to like in the Kicks, but it’s worth prospective buyers’ time to look around at the competition to see what can be gained by a better powertrain and/or more NVH prioritization. There’s a lot to like on the surface here, but we can see the novelties wearing thin once the shine and newness has worn off.

(The manufacturer provided insurance and a tank of fuel for this loan, and thanks as always to the team at FMI for arranging and coordinating logistics).

The post 2026 Nissan Kicks SR AWD Review appeared first on Hooniverse.

Fun fact: The Trail Finder 2 platform is over a decade old. So with a new release, what’s actually new? This 1985 Toyota Pickup model gets a pretty cohesive and substantial round of upgrades, all of which we’re thankful to see for a dated chassis. Most notable is the ultra-retro 1985 single cab Toyota Pickup design, accessorized with a period-correct roll bar and high-mount KC lights.

That pretty body also gets a new quick-release mount system. This is honestly excellent news since the old system was anywhere from annoying to infuriating depending on the mood of the user. There’s also new BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 1.7” tires with the GripTec Red compound and hand-painted white lettering. That’s some above-and-beyond stuff right there. The wheels are 1.7” stamped steel SR5-style lookers with scale hubs that you remove with a socket.

The big story here is the Toyota body. To a guy who cares more about performance than peacocking, the actual appearance of this thing is extremely is impressive. It’s the first RC truck I have had second thoughts about running and subjecting to my regular gambit of trailing and rock crawling. Then I remembered that it’s ultimately a toy meant to represent the full-size thing and that my own full-size rig is scratched and bruised in ways that show it has been used as intended.

Underneath the hood of this 1/10 scale RC is the legendary 22RE engine with painted details, and the truck is sprung on X-Ring shocks mounted on V2 Toyota axles with Xtreme Velocity Duty axles shafts. Being a Trail Finder 2, this is a leaf-sprung rig with a leaf-under-axle configuration. The truck can be reconfigured to have the leafs over the axle, and RC4WD even provides the directions to do so. The benefits of doing such come at the expense of the dialed-in factory-look scale aspect of this rig, but in turn you get extra ground clearance, better off-road capability, and the ability to run larger tires. Needless to say, we will eventually be doing the suspension reconfiguration on this test unit.

Let’s discuss the suspension further. About those leaf springs: They’re period correct, and that’s awesome, but they take some getting used to. Out of the box, the springs themselves are extremely stiff. So much so that I actually said out loud, “Man, I can’t believe how stiff this thing is.” Then I looked around to see if anyone heard and remembered I was home alone. So, thankfully only Google and my iPhone heard. Whew.

The stiffness of the leafs also means you need to adjust your driving style to account for this, at least until they soften up and really let the shocks themselves do more of their job. Driving or piloting a leaf-sprung RC (whether scale or full-size) is completely unlike anything else. On the trail, even out of the box, it’s simply an awesome, totally different experience.

Backing up a bit, it’s no secret that the RC community has a love-it-or-hate-it relationship with leaf springs and the RC4WD brand alike. You have the die-hard fanatics, and then you have those who wouldn’t touch either with a ten-foot pole. One of the latter’s concerns is usually portrayed as build quality, and with any RC4WD product you need to nut-and-bolt the rig for tightness of all the pre-installed hardware. And as for this test unit, that means pre-”installed” stickers, too, which needed some finessing. Minor qualms, but qualms nonetheless.

The build quality is otherwise solid, though it should be for an RC dating back so long; Toyota certainly nailed the build quality of the 5th gen 4Runner by the end of its run, and it’s one of the best-built vehicles of all time. The new RC4WD single-cab body is quite nice, with real craftsmanship as the showcase here, especially for us Toyota fans— and don’t forget, this is a scale-forward truck, so it’s more about the details than outright capability.

We (i.e., I) do have to voice a few other qualms: The included remote is old and feels even older. We’d at the very least like to see the wheel on it reflect the era of the truck it controls instead of looking like it came out of the early 2000s tuner scene. The battery straps are, too, ancient and infuriating. After ten minutes battling these needless frustration points I promptly affixed Velcro to the battery and its tray, immediately remediating the needless straps.

Similarly, the new quick-release body mounts are better than the screw-style mounts used on prior RC4WD trucks, but the new design is still far from perfect. Getting the body and mounts to line up requires some manipulation, and we can’t help but think other brands have figured out the body mount situation much more simplistically. Then again, for a first go at a modern mounting system, it’s certainly a huge improvement over what prior TF2s had to deal with.

Pricing comes in at $569.99, which is in line with other Trail Finder 2 rigs. That’s a huge number if you’re most familiar with the smaller side of RC crawlers, like I am. But as far as details go, the new Trail Finder 2 is unmatched.

Ultimately, the newest TF2 is a very good time, especially if you’re a Toyota fan and/or care about your RC vehicle representing the full-size side of things in reality. It’s nowhere near the most capable RC4WD product; those looking for such should seek the C2X or Bully. But looking at this TF2 bouncing along the trail is just pure joy. Still, this truck isn’t as much about the driving experience as it is the experience of looking at it doing what it’s capable of. Hardcore trailers or crawlers should look elsewhere and brands like Axial, Redcat, and Traxxas have you covered. Yet those interested in true scale RCing and running flat/hiking trails will find the newest TF2 to be pretty close to perfect, especially if you’re a Toyota fan or someone who loves what are not retro 4x4s.

Bonus: Because so much of the RC hobby is tinkering and making things your own, I wasted no time throwing a bigger, grippier, more aggressive set of wheels and tires onto the TF2.

Pulled from a stock Axial UTB18 Capra 4WS (which now runs the stock tires that came on the RC4WD C2X), the directional Mickey Thompson Baja Pro X tires mounted to Pro-Line Holcomb Crawler Bead-Loc wheels look properly mean underneath the Toyota’s body. Sure grips better, too…

(Disclaimer: RC4WD provided the vehicle for the purpose of this review.)

The post RC4WD 1985 Toyota Pickup Trail Finder 2: Scale RC 4x4ing At Its Finest appeared first on Hooniverse.

My daughter and I were on our way to the Lucerne Valley region of California for a bit of desert camping. Unfortunately, due to our schedules, we set off a day later than the rest of our group. But the 3.5-liter V6 with 285 horsepower on hand had no issues helping us pick our way through the relatively sparse Saturday morning traffic. Sure, the rig could use a bit more grunt to make up for the added weight of its rather nice interior, all-terrain tires, and extra stuff that comes fitted to most modern cars. Add in the meager weight of my camping gear, and we had a decent amount of stuff of our own—but this Passport kept on trucking.

The aforementioned problem arose, as I said, when we got to the dirt. Good news for the Honda, however, is that this was not a capability issue. Waze had sent us about a mile and a half away from our actual intended destination. Here, off the beaten path, not far from the even more rugged Johnson Valley landscape, I needed to pick a spot in the distance that seemed like a good idea, and ramble my way up and over rocks, across dual-track width side-by-side trails, and through the increasingly hot California desert landscape.

Never once did I put a General Grabber tire in the wrong spot. There was no complaining from the suspension system. And the only weak spot in the whole setup is a braking system that could use a slight punch up in performance to handle the overall heft of the Passport Trailsport.

Once settled, I was able to test some other fresh gear: my new Gazelle T4 tent and Hest Foamy Wide sleeping pad. I purchased both with my own money (however, Hest did send a second pad for me to test free of charge—it just didn’t get here in time for our camping trip). This sleep pad isn’t cheap, but good sleep goes a long way when you’re camping.

With sustained winds north of 10 mph and gusts hitting the high 20s, the ideal camping weather was not to be found. Still, my Gazelle tent stood rock solid while other tents were crumpling in the wind. Setting it up is a delightfully simple affair, and the stakes held their ground wonderfully. Inside the tent, I let my daughter have the sleeping pad for the night while I just double-stacked a pair of sleeping pads. We both slept great, and I actually got some time on the Hest pad in the morning when my daughter woke up early to go for a short walk.

This setup is easily the most comfortable I’ve felt in a ground tent. There’s so much cushion in that Hest pad, and it’s a perfect blend between a stiff mattress and memory foam squish.

Since I no longer have my roof-top tent (or my Montero, more on that soon), this will be my new go-to camping method: the Gazelle and the Hest. After a weekend in fairly brutal winds, I’m happy to report just how well the whole setup works. I look forward to my next camping trip that much more, in fact.

Once the weekend was over, everything was effortlessly swallowed up by the Passport. This is a perfect weekend-warrior machine that doubles as a comfortable daily driver capable of easily dismissing the average potholes around town.

This trip helped show me that, while my roof-top tent was great, sometimes a simpler setup can deliver an equally or more impressive weekend away from home. Even if the wind doesn’t want to play nice.

Disclaimer: Honda tossed me the keys to the Passport Trailsport and included a tank of fuel. Hest sent over a sleep pad for review, but the specific one used here I bought myself. And I’d buy it again, it’s awesome.

The post The Honda Passport Trailsport is a Perfect Weekend Warrior appeared first on Hooniverse.

This wasn’t my first go with an Escalade V. The first one I drove was back in October of 2022, and guess what? The truck is still alive and kicking, loud as ever. Pricier than ever, though, with this example starting at $168,000 and tallying $179,335 thanks to the Executive Second Row Seating package ($7,500), Radiant Red paint ($1,250), front license plate bracket ($15.00– really?), and $2,595 worth of Destination.

Then again, shouldn’t it be expensive? Luxury is expensive. Going fast is, generally, expensive. Combine the two and the result is exactly as expected.

So is the V’s driving experience. It’s fast by the book, but the V is more about the drama. Floor it from basically any speed and the rear squats and the front lifts towards the sky, the quad exhaust tips bellowing to the heavens pleading for the V8’s life to be spared.

Cadillac says the V does 0-60 MPH in 4.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds. Those numbers are hardly impressive in the land of the less expensive Rivian R1S Quad-Motor running the same sprints in 2.6 and sub-11 seconds, and weirdly the V doesn’t even feel outstandingly quick from the driver seat even though its 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque are unquestionably massive numbers.

Maybe it’s the sheer volume; in a land of near-silent cars being able to fire off rapid, constant, repeatable dizzying acceleration runs, the amount of volume created by the V makes you think it should be accompanied by more speed. Sure is a good time though. The transplanted Blackwing engine’s power is potent, yet full-time AWD means you’re hard-pressed to get in trouble aside from the speed limit standing as a perpetual foe.

On the luxury front, the V actually does a good job overall. Some aspects are major letdowns— for example, the gear shifter and turn signal stalks are the same parts-bin components as those in the $30k Chevy Bolt— which you have to expect in what is, ultimately, a gussied up Tahoe underneath the fancy clothes. Then again, the massaging seats, panoramic infotainment screen, automatic powered doors, plentiful tech, and that magnificent V8 do a fair job of making the Caddy convincing of its price.

Not that an Escalade V buyer will notice or care. We suspect the person getting into one of these either comes into the dealer for a Blackwing and remembers they need space for their kids’ hockey gear, or simply is an existing Escalade buyer that wants the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive Escalade there is. That’s the Escalade V for you; equal parts Escalade and rocket-powered land yacht, it’s no doubt the daddy of the Caddies.

Rowdy, pointless, and a perfectly American take on the super-SUV, the Escalade V is more power-flaunting than it is about outright speed. The name of the game here is sheer flamboyance, and the best thing about the V is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It cares about fun and utter hooliganism above all else. Debating the merits of a 6,350 pound rig’s dynamics is moot; those seeking the ability to tango over line dance have plenty to choose from in the land of German hi-po SUVs. Yet the Cadillac Escalade V is just something else entirely. It’s obscene, it’s unhinged, and we love it.

Yay

• Hilarious sound and most of the speed to go with it
• Rides well and is no less comfortable than a non-V model
• The luxury equipment you expect from a vehicle at this price point
• Super Cruise is an excellent hands-free system

Nay

• Some economy car grade materials and switchgear
• Fuel economy? Hahahahaha good one
• Could use slightly visual distinction from non-V models

The Takeaway

There really is no reason for the Escalade V to exist other than that it can. We’re grateful it does.

The post 2026 Cadillac Escalade V Review appeared first on Hooniverse.

Big Time Upgrade

Ever living up to the kind Canadian reputation, Elka sent me their 2.5 Reservoir Coilover suspension kit (P/N 90116) to test on the rock-strewen trails and pothole-littered roads of the Northeast. The package includes 2.5 Reservoir shocks with 56mm anodized aluminum bodies housing internal hydraulic valving, a proprietary low-friction oil, and a beefy ¾” shock shaft.

The remote reservoir suspension is coilover style up front and with the shock and coil separate at the rear axle, making the only thing missing from the Elka kit the rear springs. To match the weight of the GX and its use case, I ordered Dobinsons C59-327 springs.

Newly Suspended

Initial impressions of the Elka suspension (uninstalled and waiting patiently on the floor of my garage) showed immediate high-quality craftsmanship and appearance. Actual care went into making these parts. It’s refreshing given how so much of the automotive industry is focused on volume exclusively. These parts look great.

I planned to install everything myself yet once again life had other plans. Instead, my trusted “local” shop tackled the job. They told me that installation of the Elka kit was very straightforward: Unbolt the old parts, bolt on the brackets for the reservoirs, install the new parts, and give it a test run. Done.

Tarmac time

Driving the GX home was a revelation. I won’t go so far as to say it rides like stock, mainly because I haven’t driven my or any GX460 in stock form in over 4 years, but it’s extremely comfortable on every surface. Any harshness is from the overly-heavy duty Load Range E tires. The Ironman4x4 suspension that was on the truck prior wasn’t “shot” per se, though it was definitely showing signs of being worn thanks to the rough roads in my area and the extremely rock-forward wheeling it endured. Compared to before, the Elka simply rides beautifully on tarmac, caring very little about uneven and pothole-ridden surfaces. Small impacts hardly make it into the cabin, and bigger bumps are controlled, single-motion events.

Trail time, too

I also put the Elka kit to the test on my local trails. Here, the compliance was also very present, however it was outshined by the amazing performance. The flex is excellent and the uptravel-downtravel balance is a strength of this setup and ride height. If there is a limiting factor off-road, it’s either the independent front suspension or KDSS tying everything together. The Elka suspension did great, doing its damndest to keep tires on the ground every possible second, and even though there’s plenty of settings to tinker with, I didn’t feel the need to.

Needless to say, the Elka suspension looks killer and feels truly premium. I do want to adjust the mounting location of the remote reservoirs at some point– perhaps up under the hood or behind the bumper for the front and in the spare tire well out back, so as to move them further out of harm’s way– but the truck looks and feels so much better that I genuinely love driving it again.

A New Contender Takes The Stage

I first heard about Elka when exploring suspension options for the ATV that I owned about 15 years ago. The Canadian company had a reputation for quality, and they really only started making a push into the truck and SUV world as of the last few years. While there’s plenty of options out there for the J150 Land Cruiser Prado platform, Elka’s GX460 setup is eye-catching, beefy, and extremely tunable without carrying an ultra-premium price tag.

Durability obviously remains to be seen, but it’s comforting knowing that the shocks are fully rebuildable, and Elka tells me they should be good for 50-60k miles before needing that service. Expect closer to a ~30k interval when frequent, harder off-roading is involved, but Elka also told me some drivers have put 100k on this or similar suspension before needing a rebuild, so YMMV.

Really, no qualms whatsoever to this point. Kudos to Elka for taking a swing at the GX460 platform and hitting it out of the park on the first try; this is a great upgrade for anyone going from stock to a lifted ride height or someone looking to change up their already-modified truck and put fresh suspension underneath the rig.

The post 2018 Lexus GX460 Build Project | Elka Suspension appeared first on Hooniverse.

This isn’t just a regular TX, though. The 2026 TX 550h+ gets an exclusive powertrain, a quieter cabin, and the longer warranty that comes with the Lexus purchase. Whether the financial math maths for you is a personal question. Let’s look at what the $80,000 ($85,369 in this case) is actually buying.

2026 Lexus TX Plug-in Hybrid Overview

The TX lineup for 2026 spans four powertrains and multiple trim levels, which sounds complicated but sorts out cleanly once you understand the logic. Basically, you start with the TX 350, then hop up to the TX 500h Hybrid (both of which I have reviewed). The 550h+ sits at the top of the powertrain hierarchy and is available only in the Luxury grade.

TX 550h+ Luxury AWD — from $82,060.
A 3.5-liter V6 working with two electric motors and an 18.1-kWh battery gets a combined 404 horsepower. AWD is standard and the only option available. EPA-estimated at 29 mpg combined in hybrid mode, 76 MPGe, and 33 miles of all-electric range. Zero to 60 comes in 5.9 seconds, about as quick as my 2001 Honda Prelude was back in the day.

Standard equipment at this grade is extensive: heated and ventilated front and second-row seats, power-reclining third-row seats, a 14-inch touchscreen, a panoramic glass roof (new for 2026), semi-aniline leather, and a Mark Levinson audio system. One important note for PHEV shoppers: the TX 550h+ supports Level 1 and Level 2 charging only. There is no DC fast charging option. A full charge takes approximately three hours on a Level 2 outlet. Plan accordingly.

While we’re talking specs and features, back to that Grand Highlander question. The top trim Platinum AWD rings in around $60,000 fully optioned. The extra $20,000 buys you the exclusive PHEV powertrain, a quieter, more refined cabin with better seat materials, a 14-inch screen versus the Grand Highlander’s 12.3-inch screen, a longer warranty (4 years/50,000 miles versus Toyota’s 3/36,000), and, if you need it, the Lexus badge.

Our TX tester had some options added; you can read for yourself above. That all results in an out-the-door price of $85,639. Whether that math works is, again, a personal question. Let’s get into the details, shall we?

2026 Lexus TX 550h+ PHEV AWD: Inside & Out

The TX 550h+ gets Lexus’s current Unified Spindle grille treatment, which is body-colored and cleaner in execution than the more aggressive expressions of the spindle design from a few years back. The proportions feel right for a three-row vehicle of this footprint. It feels substantial but not bloated. The 22-inch alloy wheels on our test vehicle looked pretty good, and at least they aren’t black.

Despite its dimensions, the TX handles urban parking with less anxiety than you might expect from a three-row SUV. Visibility is good, and the available surround-view camera means you are never truly guessing about where you’re going.

Inside, the 14-inch touchscreen feels large, but Lexus has integrated it thoughtfully rather than just bolting it to the dashboard. Round physical shortcut buttons flank the screen on both sides, which keep the most common functions accessible without menu navigation.

One honest note on muscle memory: I kept reaching for the temperature control when I meant to reach for the volume. The layout puts those two functions closer together than I expected, and I made the wrong grab more than once during the test week. This is the kind of thing that vanishes after a bit of ownership time, I’m sure.

Front seat quality is excellent. Nice leather, and the 14-way power-adjustable seats have heating and ventilation. The driving position is elevated, giving you a nice perch to see what’s happening around you. The standard panoramic glass roof brightens the cabin nicely.

Storage in the TX is genuinely well thought out. The wireless charging pad sits on a surface that retracts to reveal a hidden cargo compartment underneath, which I have been seeing in more vehicles recently, and I like it every time. It is the right idea to keep valuables out of sight, but with easy to access when you need them.

The cupholders in the center console are removable, so you can store something larger in the space or clean out crumbs and accumulated debris without a shop vac. The center console between the second-row seats also has the same removable cupholder system. For families, this is a small detail that becomes a large one over time.

The second row is adjustable fore and aft. With the second row pushed forward, adults in the third row have legitimate legroom. With it pushed back, the third row becomes less hospitable, but the second-row passengers are correspondingly more comfortable.

Cargo space in the TX is solid for the class. Behind all three rows, you get 20.2 cubic feet, which is enough for a real grocery run without asking anyone to move. Fold the third row, and that opens to 57.4 cubic feet, and the power-fold makes it quick. Drop the second row as well, and you end up with 97 cubic feet of flat floor space, which puts it in minivan territory. The liftover height is low enough that none of this requires an athletic commitment.

However, because of the batteries and such in the TX, the Grand Highlander actually wins on interior storage space and can seat eight versus the TX’s six.

2026 Lexus TX 550h+ PHEV AWD: On the Road

The TX 550h+ does not feel like a performance vehicle in normal driving, but 400 horsepower in a three-row SUV sort of sneaks up on you. In EV mode around town, it is whisper-quiet, the powertrain transitions are seamless, and the whole experience feels serene rather than urgent. Then you need to get through a yellow light, or a gap opens on the highway that requires immediate commitment, and the TX feels quick. The surge is immediate, smooth, and somewhat out of character for something this size.

Regenerative braking is noticeable, and even more so in Sport mode. Lift off the accelerator, and the TX slows with more gusto than a conventional SUV would. This is not unusual in PHEVs, but it is worth knowing if you are coming from a traditional powertrain. The aforementioned sport mode lives inside the menu system rather than on a dedicated button, which is a choice that prioritizes clean design over quick access. I checked whether the car remembers your Sport mode selection after you power it off and back on. It does not. Every drive starts in Normal.

The driver attention monitoring system, which watches for signs of inattention, struggled with my habit of resting my hand at twelve o’clock on the wheel. I reviewed the Volvo EX30 recently and had the same experience. This is apparently where my hand goes, and apparently where the sensors do not want it to go. We seem to be at an impasse, automakers.

The steering wheel controls use a touch-to-identify system where hovering your thumb over a button displays its function before you commit to pressing it. The concept is sound. In practice, the system requires your finger to fully register before it activates, which means quick inputs sometimes require a second attempt. Tracking forward on a playlist while driving requires more deliberate finger placement than it should. I understand the logic. I, once again, miss normal buttons.

The door handles, however, open immediately on contact. Coming from the Hyundai Palisade the week before, where the capacitive sensor required deliberate hand placement to register, the TX’s immediate response felt like a small luxury every single time.

Summary

The 2026 Lexus TX 550h+ is a genuinely excellent three-row PHEV that makes a strong case for itself on the merits of its powertrain and features. The interior is quiet and refined, and delivers third-row flexibility that is thoughtful, reflecting how real families actually use these vehicles. The 33 miles of electric range covers most daily driving without touching the V6.

No DC fast charging means planning accordingly. Sport mode requires a menu trip to activate and resets every time you park. The steering wheel touch controls require more patience than physical buttons do. These are the trade-offs for a cabin that prioritizes cleanliness and refinement over immediacy.

About that Grand Highlander comparison, though: the Toyota is a great option, and the $20,000 gap is not imaginary or insignificant. The TX 550h+ offers something the Grand Highlander cannot match at any price: the PHEV powertrain, a quieter cabin, and the Lexus ownership experience. I know people who would spend the extra money on the badge. I know why. And I think they would be happy with the Lexus Texas.

2026 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury AWD
Base MSRP: $80,310 | Engine: 3.5L V6 + 18.1-kWh battery | Output: 404 hp combined | 0-60: 5.9 sec | EV Range: 33 miles | Fuel Economy: 29 mpg combined (hybrid) / 76 MPGe | Drivetrain: AWD standard | Charging: Level 1/Level 2 only (no DC fast charge) | Seating: 6 passengers

The post 2026 Lexus TX 550h+ PHEV AWD – Worth the Premium over the Grand Highlander? appeared first on Hooniverse.