With the update to the 2018 Volkswagen Golf family comes a new transmission. For now, only one car in all of North America can be purchased with VW’s seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission and it is, of course, the Golf R. But can it hold a candle to the manual transmission?

Several years ago, right around this time of year, small kiosks popped up in malls all over North America selling Magic Eye posters. These stereogram images, if stared at for several minutes with eyes slightly crossed, could produce a 3D effect image hidden within.  Of course, for many, the only thing that would emerge was a migraine and considerable eye strain.  

The clerk at the liquor store didn’t ask for my ID the last time I went and it sent me spiraling because I began to realize a few things about my age.

I still laugh with glee at Looney Tunes vignettes, especially those with the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. How do you stifle a snort when the mangy Coyote paints a stunningly accurate painting of a tunnel into a rock wall, which the Road Runner can run through, but the hungry mammal can’t? Or when his infatuation with catching the bird results in the most nonsensical, obscure gadgets from the ACME corporation?

Pop quiz: What’s the most powerful Acura offered today?

The Hyundai Accent has been totally redone for the 2018 model year and this is interesting because the subcompact segment isn’t doing too hot right now — everyone is making the move to crossovers.

Many things in our world are short-lived.

Mazda delivers unique cars in each segment of the marketplace it competes in. The small automaker doesn’t seem to mind that it’s not like the Hondas and Toyotas out there because Mazda does its own thing, and that thing is very, very good.

It’s a symptom of the universe that the slow death of small cars in the United States is heralded by perhaps the best crop of safe, efficient, and affordable compact and subcompact vehicles to have ever been available to budget-conscious buyers.

When you fire up the new Jaguar F-Type SVR, it’s an epic event.

When the Mercedes-Benz SL550 showed up in 2011 as an all-new car, Angry Birds was on your iPod touch, Occupy Wall Street was a pressing political issue, and planking was still a thing.

Toyota has been selling hybrid vehicles for two decades now.

My logical mind is constantly in conflict with the devil on my shoulder, who is a bit of a rogue and a lot more entertaining, but sometimes tells me to do dumb things.

Improving on a good thing to make it a great thing requires an intense dedication that most people and automakers don’t have the discipline for.

History has its fair share of epic rivalries. Coke versus Pepsi, Tupac versus Biggie, Batman versus Superman. In the automotive sphere, Honda Accord versus Toyota Camry is one of the most hotly contested rivalries there is.

Over the years I’ve had the chance to sample numerous exotics hailing from Italy, Germany, the U.K., and even America, but Ferrari had managed to elude my grasp. This fall I was presented with the opportunity to drive not just my first Ferrari, but the most unusual model the automaker has ever built: the 2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso.

Driving a Lamborghini on public roads is an experience that’s akin to tight-rope walking. People point and exclaim, happy they’re seeing something so rare in action. The brand is built on spectacle and wow-factor.

We recently got our hands on the new BMW 530e iPerformance, a plug-in hybrid version of the executive sedan.

Testing for the 2018 North American Car/Utility/Truck of the Year (NACTOY) has been completed.

Even though the Hyundai Elantra Sport is kind of new on the scene, it’s already become a natural rival for the well-established Honda Civic Si.

Perhaps I’m too trusting, but it only took me about three minutes to go from hands hovering over the steering wheel to leaning back in the driver’s seat with my arms crossed. Cadillac’s Super Cruise system is so good that it builds driver confidence almost immediately.

Earlier this year, I tested the Buick Envision crossover.

When the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar gets into the hands of customers, 99 percent of them likely won’t be tackling trails through the desert badlands, but that doesn’t mean they can’t.

The new 2019  Audi A8 is not just a luxurious land yacht capable of covering large distances in astounding comfort — it can also soothe the anxiousness of the typically hectic urban trip as well.

The crowd of sedans is slowly diminishing as crossovers replace the once-popular body style.

At least 25 years ago, the name “McLaren” entered the vernacular of even casual car fans thanks in part to an iconic car called the F1.

My thoughts on this 2017 Volkswagen Jetta are summed up in a pretty innocent question from my sister: “Is that an old car or a new car?” she asked.

Kia was that somewhat quiet and dorky kid in everyone’s high school. At the 10-year class reunion, they surprised everyone because all of a sudden they were hot and really rich. In contrast to those awkward high-school years, today they are the most compelling and confident person in the room and everyone wants to be their friend.

Let’s be honest: The future is frightening.

The MINI JCW Convertible is like a flowery print button-up shirt.

The 2018 Honda Accord is bound to be a popular seller, as always, and pricing has just been released for this all-new family sedan. Pricing has gone up by a little bit, but more standard features help justify the extra cost.

The brand-new 2018 Honda Accord will probably be the best midsize sedan around when it goes on sale next month.

Maybe you’re like me and you think that old cars are the best cars.

Volvo’s Polestar brand may not be a household name like BMW’s M or Mercedes’ AMG, but that is likely to change in a hurry if they keep building cars like this.

The road ahead rises and falls, twists and curves like ribbon unwound on the floor, a narrow strip of tarmac bisecting farmers’ fields, winding through ancient villages, slicing the pastoral Spanish countryside like a piece of aged jamón. The simple task of getting to a main thoroughfare was filled with more anticipation than I’ve experienced in a while.

The LS sedan is the car that Lexus was built on.

Funny things happen when you drive a Lamborghini for the first time.

Subaru’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. is certainly an odd one, especially after considering industry trends. Most automakers see trucks, compact crossovers, midsize sedans, or compact cars as the best sellers, but for Subaru, its breadwinner is the Outback, which is unique because it’s an alternative to the usual SUVs and crossovers.

If an automaker wants to play in North America, they need an SUV.

Crossovers and subcompacts are rarely praised for having enjoyable driving dynamics and gorgeous styling, but Mazda bucks that trend thoroughly with the 2018 Mazda CX-3.

The South Korean city of Seoul is a modern metropolis with densely packed apartment towers, great food, and terrible traffic.

What is love?
Baby, don’t hurt me.
Don’t hurt me,
No more.

Besides being a staple of ultra throwback playlists, this lyric from a cheesy one-hit wonder somehow also manages to sum up my train of thought regarding the Mercedes-AMG GT family of cars.

Automakers across the globe are embracing electrification. To the general public, Tesla is leading the charge for electric vehicles, while the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt are top of mind for hybrids and plug-ins.

The BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class have been completely overhauled for this year, and if you didn’t think the regular versions were sporty enough, but don’t want the full-on hardcore M or AMG experience, these two luxury sedans offer a good middle ground.

Of course any new Porsche 911 GT3 is going to be spectacular, but is it as good as earlier generations? We drive the new 2018 and 2004 back to back to see how this racecar for the road has evolved.

The stylish Kia Rio has undergone a number of important changes for 2018, all designed to make it more refined, upscale and high-tech. 

The GMC Terrain is all new for 2018 and it’s well equipped for battle in the cutthroat compact crossover segment.

The city churns out a trail of burned-out brains, dopamine domination, social lives sculpted by pure image, and furious individuals screaming into the blinking blue echo chamber as a defense against their own impotence.

It can be tough being the middle child, constantly vying for attention and approval of others.

“What the f–k is that thing?”

Spend any time in the 2017 Honda Civic Type R and you’ll quickly realize that it’s probably the best sport compact car money can buy.

After wracking my brain for weeks, I still can’t think of a good reason why all minivans aren’t like the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

Mercedes-Benz is on fire right now, as all its new cars have been entirely impressive. With beautifully and luxuriously crafted interiors, excellent driving dynamics, obsessive attention to detail, and all the tech you could ever want, these Benzes wholly deserve that three-pointed star.

Fitting in at Monterey Car Week involves a little bit of irony: To fit in at this fancy event, you have to stand out; and to stand out, you need something truly special. 

A gentle squeeze of the treadle-style accelerator is all it takes to reveal the BMW M240i’s unbridled enthusiasm, which lurks just behind a veil of aristocratic civility. Based on its subdued exterior, you’d never guess the explosive performance that’s just a toe tap away.

There’s something to be said about making do with what you’ve got. 

Ford’s run of truck sales dominance can surely be attributed to many things, but one of the biggest is that Ford is constantly working to improve its truck, with updates and new models with legitimate engineering changes coming often, not just paint and plastic packages to keep the truck looking fresh.

For all the similarities shared by the Toyota 86 and Mazda MX-5 Miata, they aren’t exactly direct rivals.

Toyota was really late to the game with a subcompact crossover and jealous that its arch nemesis Honda has its HR-V, it recently came out with the sharp-looking C-HR, which was supposed to be a Scion.