Motor Trend - USA (2020-02)

VOLKSWAGEN

ATLAS

VOLVO

XC 60

UPDATE

SUBARU

ASCENT

NISSAN

KICKS

UPDATE

RAM

1500 LARAMIE

JEEP

WRANGLER

VOLVO S 60

FORD

F-150

CHRYSLER

PACIFICA

HONDA

INSIGHT

UPDATE

BMW X 2 BMW^ X^3

HONDA CIVIC

TYPE R

HYUNDAI

KONA

FEBRUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 87

“Comfortable seats make road

tripping a breeze. If only the steering

wheel telescoped more.” Stefan Ogbac

Service life:

6 mo/10,134 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 31.3 mpg

Avg CO2 0.62 lb/mi Energy cons 109 kW-hr/100 mi

Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0

Normal-wear cost $0 Base price $21,635 As-tested $23,000

EPA City/Hw y/Comb Fuel Econ 31/36/33 mpg

Real MPG 28.7/39.8/32.8 mpg

22.5 mpg combined. If you’re

really looking to maximize fuel

economy, there's also plug-in

hybrid version of the XC60.

To be a good commuter car,

a vehicle must have features

that make the driver’s life

easier. The head-up display

and 12.3-inch configurable

instrument cluster help achieve

this goal. You can control many

functions via buttons on the

steering wheel, making the

finicky infotainment system a

little more palatable. One thing

works against its effectiveness

as a commuter car: When

switching lanes at low speeds,

there’s a slight delay in accel-

eration when you need it.

There are arguments to

make for the XC60 as a road

trip vehicle. It has a spacious

back seat, though a high floor

hump makes it tricky for the

middle occupant to rest his or

her legs. The cargo area will fit

luggage for the whole family,

and we generally like the cruise

control system.

W

e’re nearing the
end of our time in
the XC60, and it’s
been smooth sailing all year.
At about 24,000 miles, the
compact crossover has visited
the dealership twice for regular
maintenance. I’m impressed
by the airy, eco-chic feel of
my local Volvo dealership,
but I’m even happier that the
first three services are free.
This means free maintenance
at the 10,000-, 20,000-, and
30,000-mile intervals.
For some buyers, the XC60 is
the family car, and for others,
it’s the road trip car or the
second vehicle. For me, it is
primarily a commuter. So how
well does it perform in this role?
In our Real MPG tests, our
Volvo managed 20.3/32.5/24.4
mpg city/highway/combined.
This is considerably better than
the EPA’s rating of 20/27/23
mpg. Not bad for a compact
SUV. Over nearly a year of
driving, we've recorded an
average fuel economy of

“The XC60 performs better

than our long-term Acura RDX

in Real MPG tests.” Kelly Lin

Service life:

10 mo/17,228 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 22.5 mpg

Avg CO2 0.86 lb/mi Energy cons 147 kW-hr/100 mi
Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0
(oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost $0
Base price $42,495 As-tested $52,740 EPA City/Hw y/Comb
Fuel Econ 20/27/23 mpg Real MPG 22.5 mpg combined

2019 Nissan Kicks

out of the 1.6-liter I-4’s 125 hp

and 115 lb-ft of torque. You

still need to plan your passes,

and going uphill requires

stepping on the accelerator

like you mean it. On most

surfaces, the Kicks’ suspen-

sion rides smoothly; however,

it can get uncomfortable on

uneven pavement, especially

over big bumps, which cause

the rear to bounce around.

San Diego isn’t too far from

Los Angeles; at just over 240

miles round trip, I returned

home without needing to top

up despite the Kicks’ 10.8-

gallon fuel tank.

And what about my mission

to buy some hard-to-find

Roman cured meat? It was a

success. I got what I needed

and then some. This is just the

first of many food adventures

the Kicks will go on; there’s still

more places to explore. Now,

if you’ll excuse me, there’s a

delicious plate of spaghetti

carbonara on my table

waiting to get devoured.

S

ometimes you have to

go out of your way to

get good things—in this

case, delicious food. See, I

have a cooking habit, and I will

stop at nothing to get good

(and authentic) ingredients,

even if that means driving long

distances to get something not

sold at your average American

supermarket. With that mission

briefing, I set off to San Diego’s

Little Italy in the Nissan Kicks.

This is the first time the Kicks

has been on a drive longer

than 100 miles, and I was

eager to see how it performs

on a trip that takes about two

hours each way. Immediately,

I noticed how comfortable

the seats were; they provided

plenty of support and had just

the right amount of softness.

Quibbles? The steering wheel

doesn’t telescope enough, and

the seating position can put

tall adults’ legs at an awkward

angle, not good for long stints.

The Kicks’ CVT does all the

heavy lifting, eking the most

2019 Volvo XC 60

UPDATE

GENESIS G70

TOYOTA

RAV 4

ARRIVAL