Built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture it shares with the Prius, we chose to stick with standard 4-cylinder power, prioritizing fuel economy over the V6’s grunt. 

The I4 rates 28-City, 39-Highway, and 32-Combined; yet so far we’re averaging just 28.6. But we do expect that to climb, as we’ve only burned through a few tanks of Regular at this point, at just 920-miles. 

So we’ll see over the next year, if its 206-horsepower is enough to satisfy our power-hungry staff. 

206 is actually three more than the base Camry, thanks to our XSE’s dual exhaust system. The XSE is the sportiest Camry yet; with very aggressive bodywork, smoke tinted lenses, and gloss trim. And, it’s quickly becoming a very popular item at Toyota dealerships. Hmmmmm… maybe Camry buyers aren’t just appliance shopping after all. 

Toyota has been trying to change the Camry’s narrative for a while now; infusing more and more luxury and excitement into their family staple with each new generation.

Two months with our long term 2018 Camry and we have to say they’ve made significant progress.

GREG CARLOSS: “Our XSE uses the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and we think most Camry prospects will be pleased with the power. The new 8-speed automatic transmission can be slow to downshift for passing. But, the smooth upshifts, and light steering make it a breeze to drive around town.”

GREG CARLOSS: We’re already closing in on 5,000 mostly highway miles, and our mileage has jumped way up to 35.3 miles-per-gallon. Every one of them has been pleasurable and increasingly entertaining. 

The Toyota Camry is not immune to the well-documented decline in sedan sales in the U.S. Yet, it remains the #1 selling car in America, as it has for about 16-years now. 

And we’re finding out why, having accrued almost 7,500-miles in just 3-months’ with our 2018 XSE. With its 206-horsepower 2.5-liter I4 and 8-speed automatic transmission; we’re enjoying those miles more than we have in any Camry before.

In fact, the fun only stops when we stop for fuel, at which time we’ve been dealing with a sticky fuel door that doesn’t like to open right away. But after a bit of metal massaging, it seems to be working much better. 

Fortunately for us, those stops are few and far between; with a 35.4 miles-per-gallon average so far.

As for another one of our family transporters, the 2018 Toyota Camry may not have the space of a minivan; but long distance comfort for four, and five in a pinch, is in ample supply.

We test so many crossovers these days, it’s easy to forget how useful sedans can be. This Camry has really reminded us why Toyota has sold so many of these over the years. It has space, it has comfort, it has great fuel economy. Now, some on our staff have admitted to missing the more commanding ride height of a crossover, but that’s just a matter of preference.

Yes, despite what you may have heard, there are still plenty of families that make do with a 4-door sedan; at least for one of the cars in their driveway.

We’re just over 9,000-miles, from these last four months of driving this 2.5-liter 4-cylinder XSE; and the 34.7 miles-per-gallon fuel mileage continues to impress, as does the overall driving experience. 

Saying goodbye to one of our long-terms is never easy, but that’s what we must do this week with our 2018 Toyota Camry mid-size family sedan.

“It’s been a relatively short run in this Camry XSE, but a good one for us. We love the styling and the  sporty-er suspension really backs up the look. Quicker transmission shifts would be a nice upgrade, but as far as a daily driver, the Camry is as solid as it gets, and it’s pretty entertaining too.”

Just routine maintenance was all that was required during the Camry’s 7-month stay with us. And, over 12,500-miles, the 206-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder delivered a very good 33.4 miles-per-gallon. 

Best part of all, the improved ride-and-handling came without losing any of the comfort and practicality we’ve come to expect in Camry. We’ll miss it for sure…

Nissan introduced the 8th generation Sentra back in 2020 and for 2024 it received a mid-cycle refresh, which is why we just gave this Sentra SR a full road test. Well now we’ve decided to hang on to it for a little longer and see how it handles our daily driving duties. So, let’s dive a little deeper into what exactly we’ll be living with.

As mentioned in our Road Test, the 2024 Sentra receives an updated front fascia, which continues to feature Nissan’s V-Motion grille design. This SR-grade Sentra receives a rear makeover and these wheels are a new design measuring 18-inches. The Monarch Orange Metallic Paint is considered premium and costs an extra $645. It’s contrasted by a black roof, RED SR badges and dark chrome trim.

This car has the $2,500 Premium SR package, which means inside there are features like a moon-roof, leatherette seats, 8-speaker Bose sound system and a heated steering wheel.

The SR uses the same 2-liter 4-cylinder as other Sentras with 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque going to the front wheels through an updated CVT.

All told, this 2024 Sentra SR stickers for $29,320 after destination.

The Sentra has officially moved over to our Long Term test lot, but we’ll need to put on a few more miles before our first official update. Until then, if you have any questions or comments, reach out to us at MotorWeek!

This 2024 Nissan Sentra may look familiar, as we just tested it at the end of our 43rd season. Well, Nissan said we could keep it for a little longer and we gladly accepted.

We certainly have some plans to roll up the odometer from the just 500 MotorWeek test miles on it so far. And because of that, our fuel economy picture is still being painted. So far, we’ve observed 28.4 mpg. We fully expect that number to climb close to the EPA-estimated 33 Combined rating now that our Road Test crew is done flogging it for performance numbers.

And those numbers were gathered from this 2.0-liter inline-four, sending 149 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels through a now quite refined CVT automatic.

While not the peppiest powertrain, it, combined with the sport-tuned multi-link rear suspension, makes this Sentra a very enjoyable partner on the daily grind.

So far, driving this Sentra has been quite pleasant. The steering is light, the ride is comfortable, yet confident, but for me it’s these seats that Nissan does so well. They’re supportive in all the right places and they hold up really well on long trips. It’s a nice touch of class in this segment of sedan.

In all fairness, the Sentra is meant to be an affordable, practical daily driver. Not only does it accomplish that, it goes well beyond thanks to an interior that one of our testers say “punches well above its class.” And the eight-speaker Bose sound system is an audible cherry on top of this compact sedan shortcake.

We look forward to living with this bona fide daily driver.

We’re back with the second update on our 2024 Nissan Sentra. Despite winter closing in fast, this bright orange compact sedan is staving off our seasonal depression.

And that starts with a pleasant, but not totally-unexpected surprise. Remember in our first update when we said we’d aim for that EPA-estimated 33 Combined miles-per-gallon rating? Well, at 33.5 MPG of Regular, we’ve exceeded it. And that’s after nearly 3,000 miles added in about six weeks’ time.

Also exceeding expectations is the drive itself. One log book comment harps on just how fun it is to drive, even commuting, with great reserve power and, while a tad light, a precise steering setup. The comment concludes with, quote, “20 years ago, most sport sedans didn’t behave this well.”

Considering how long some of our staffers have been MotorWeek reviewers… it’s safe to take their word for it. And in the driver’s seat, it’s readily apparent.

“This Sentra is pegged as a commuter car, but we’ve taken a number of long trips with it recently and it’s surprisingly fit for the open road. The increased dimensions compared to previous Sentras keep it from feeling cramped inside and its road manners at highway speeds are improved as well.”

In and out, our 2024 Nissan Sentra has been an excellent compact for whatever we’ve asked it to do, and so far no glaring faults. We’ll keep you in the loop if anything comes to mind.

General Motors has made a massive investment in battery-electric vehicles. And Cadillac went out on the furthest limb when it vowed to ditch internal combustion engines for all new models, starting with this Lyriq, which just rolled onto our long term test lot. So, let’s dive into the details.

This Cadillac Lyriq belongs to one of our associates who has generously allowed us to test it for one year. Painted Argent Silver Metallic, the Lyriq clearly follows the “long, low and wide” design mantra. Overall length is just shorter than the midsize XT6, but wheelbase is actually longer than the full-size Escalade. Wheels are 20-inchers wrapped in 265/50 all-season rubber.

Inside, there’s a 33-inch curved glass screen displaying info from the left side of the steering wheel all the way over to the far end of the center console. It is a touchscreen but the infotainment can also be controlled remotely. Speaking of control, this Lyriq comes equipped with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance. A 19-Speaker AKG sound system can make things loud and even quiet with Cadillac’s Active Noise Canceling system aimed at mitigating road noise.

The second row is split 60/40, and when in their upright position, cargo capacity is a great 28 cubic feet.

The Lyriq is available with two electric motors for all-wheel drive, but this one is rear-wheel drive with just a single motor spinning up 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. A 102-kWh battery pack provides the juice for 312 miles and DC fast charging can replenish as much as 76 miles in just 10 minutes.

After we get a few charges under our belt we’ll have our first official update. Until then, if you have any questions or comments about this Cadillac Lyriq, reach out to us at MotorWeek!

It’s time for the first Long Term update on this full battery-electric 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ, owned by one of our associates. With about 1,000 miles on the odometer, the results so far are music to our ears.

The initial high note is the powertrain itself. The rear-wheel-drive single electric motor quietly hums to the tune of 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque; not as extreme as some other EVs, but extremely pleasant and plenty for daily workouts.

Driving this LYRIQ on a daily basis, the first thing we notice is, ironically, something we barely notice at all: road noise. It’s really quiet in here. In addition to sound deadening materials, Cadillac uses active noise cancellation. So, they fight sound with sound and it does a really nice job of adapting to various frequencies to keep road noise consistently low.

Also low is our range anxiety, reaching the advertised 312 miles of range from the 102-kWh battery. The onboard Super Cruise suite takes even more stress out of commuting, and the bliss of electric propulsion lives up to the ethos of luxury motoring, as do the exceptional materials and 33-inch curved screen, adding to the inviting atmosphere. That screen is home to just about all vehicle functions, and above it is a crystal-clear rear camera mirror. Digitally, this cabin is top rate; and like Baltimore’s own Lyric Opera House, the Cadillac LYRIQ is built like a work of art inside and out.

It’s been a couple months since we last brought you an update on our long-term 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. But that’s not because we’ve been shy behind the wheel.

Quite the contrary actually: Our digital odometer reads 8,500 miles, about 7,500 more since our last plug. We did take it to the dealership about a thousand miles ago for a tire rotation and a software update; but beyond that, we haven’t had to do a thing maintenance-wise.

We’re still finding the 340-mile range to be accurate, but one piece of kit we recently picked up was a charging adapter, converting the LYRIQ’s CCS plug to a Tesla-style NACS port. With the proper software update, this adapter opens up a world of Superchargers for us to enjoy, even further cutting down on any range anxiety.

Not that we feel much behind the wheel…

“The LYRIQ continues to be very pleasant to live with. This is the single motor, rear drive version so we’re not exactly getting thrill-ride-acceleration when we get into that right pedal, but it’s more than enough for this upscale daily driver. Admittedly we still haven’t come around on having to go through the center touch screen for some of the basic functions, but we can’t deny that it does add a certain level of futurism to the cockpit.”

An example of a “basic function” hidden by menu diving is the garage door opener. Things like that may be better left to physical controls, or at least less digital navigation, but that’s about the extent of our complaints so far. Needless to say, we’re rather happy with the LYRIQ.