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2025 Honda Civic Si: The  Perfect Spring Training Sports Sedan

One rite of spring is getting the sports model onto the road for a joyride. Another is the opening of Major League Baseball camps where the crack of bat on ball makes sweet music to so many. This week we were able to combine the two as we road tested the 2025 Honda Civic Si, one of our favorite performance sedans, in and around the Spring Training sites of several Major League Baseball teams near…

2025 Honda Civic Si: The  Perfect Spring Training Sports Sedan

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Opposites Attack: 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport, 2024 Lexus LC 500 Convertible

Our two test vehicles this week couldn’t be more different. The 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport is the brand’s latest effort to cash in on the current off-road craze that continues to sweep the nation. With all-terrain tires, a trick torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system and some appearance mods, the Passport TrailSport isn’t just fun to say; it is also fun to drive. But will it do the job…

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2018 Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Museum at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen played host as the automaker unveiled the third-generation of its Cayenne crossover on August 29, 2017. Porsche’s first four-door production model has appealed to more than three-quarters of a million owners over the last decade and a half. As the world’s car buyers shift toward crossovers, the Cayenne emerged as an important chapter in the history of Porsche and this will continue as this new chapter opens.

Initially, the new Cayenne will be available with a choice of turbocharged six-cylinder engines. The standard 3.0L engine produces 340hp and launches the lighter Cayenne to 100km/h (62 mph) in 6.2 seconds. Offered in the Cayenne S, the 2.9L twin-turbo engine increases that output to 440hp and lowers the acceleration time by a second.

To take advantage of the upgraded powertrains, the new 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission changes gears quicker. New ratios improve low-end acceleration while increasing fuel economy.

Completely re-engineered, the new Cayenne adds a number of new features while reducing the vehicle’s weight and fuel consumption. To improve on- and off-road ability, the new model showcases rear-axle steering and Porsche Dyanmic Chassis Control (PDCC) electronic roll stabilization with Porsche 4D Chassis Control tying everything together for better synchronization. Further improvements in the vehicle’s design, including extensive use of aluminum and a lighter lithium-ion battery, have reduced the mass of the Cayenne by as much as 65 kg (143 lbs).

Production of the new model begins in September at the Bratislava plant in the Czech Republic.

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Behind the wheel of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander GT

Mitsubishi has been desperately working to shake off the calls of their impending death. They’ve introduced new products from the fully electric Mitsubishi i to the tiny Mirage and the Outlander Sport over that last few years but none have rocked the market. The latest in this lineup spent the week in the AFS offices. While the Outlander GT doesn’t look out of place among crossovers, Mitsubishi did bring the right tools to the party. Three rows of seating provide room for seven passengers. Folks in the back row need to be the size of children, but the other five seats are roomy and comfortable. Front seats in the leather interior of our tester featured heating, a very desirable option, especially among buyers in the north. Mitsubishi’s 6B31 3.0L SOHC V6 produces 224hp, which may seem low compared to many other V6s on the market, but the Outlander does not feel underpowered. Mated to a six-speed automatic and Super All-Wheel Control, the Outlander GT moves smartly through traffic and handles bad weather with aplomb. During out test, a few inches of snow fell and stopped much of the other traffic from climbing the local hills. With the help of the Outlander’s AWD, we were able to get around the neighborhood without a hint of trouble. At the same time, the car sipped gas at a rate of about 23 mpg. Among the surprising features of this model are the Adaptive Cruise Control and the Forward Collision Mitigation systems. The radar-based cruise control system works smoothly keeping spacing between vehicles at adequate intervals, and is rarely found on cars at this price point. When the Outlander approaches another vehicle too closely and not using cruise control, a warning screams “BRAKE!” on the instrument panel, another unexpected inclusion on this vehicle. On the downside, the Outlander has Mitsubishi’s Lane Departure Warning system. This is quite an effective system to warn the driver that they have moved across the lane lines. The system shuts off when a turn signal is applied, letting the vehicle know that the driver plans to switch lanes. But when driving on narrow roads, the LDW siren sounds far too often, seemingly as the vehicle approaches the middle or roadside lines. Fortunately, there is a LDW off button. The Outlander GT is an excellent choice in the crowded crossover market. Model: 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC Final Assembly: Okazaki, Japan Engine: Mitsubishi 6B31 2,998cc SOHC 24-valve V6 224hp Transmission: JATCO JF613E 6-speed automatic with all-wheel drive Base Price: $27,795 As Tested: $34,720 EPA Fuel Economy: 20 city, 23 combined, 28 highway