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…

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.

The Honda Accord has been America’s best selling car for over 50 years. If that doesn’t make you feel old, this will – the Accord Hybrid has been on sale for almost 20 years. Now, we have this 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid here for a long-term road test. So, let’s dive into the details!

This Accord Hybrid comes to us in top-of-the-line Touring Trim, outside we have 19-inch alloy wheels and this Radiant Red Metallic paint job costs an extra $455. All Touring trimmed Accords are Hybrids using the 4th generation two-motor system. The engine is a 2-liter four-cylinder. The transmission, an eCVT. And total system output is 204 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft of torque. With an EPA rating of 46 miles per gallon City, 41 highway and 44 combined, total range for the Accord Hybrid is up to 563 miles..

For the interior, the Touring comes with gray perforated leather upholstery, a heated leather steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats for the front while rear passengers get seat heat as well. For infotainment, there’s a 12.3-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Included only with the Touring model is a Premium Bose surround sound system and a head-up display for the driver. As for safety, we have blind spot monitoring, collision braking and road departure systems, lane keep assist, multi-view rearview camera, and adaptive cruise control.

All told, this Honda Accord Hybrid stickers for just over 40-thousand dollars.

We’re excited to have another sedan on our long term test lot so we’ll put on enough miles on it for a full update soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments about our Honda Accord Touring Hybrid, reach out to us on your favorite social site at MotorWeek!

Time to get to know the newest member of our long-term fleet, this 2024 Honda Accord.

The Accord was redesigned last year, kicking off its 11th generation here in the U.S., and we’ve had quite a few of those generations for extended tests over the years here at MotorWeek. No surprise as it is America’s best-selling car over the last 50 years.

Our Accord is sporting Touring Hybrid trim, which is the top trim available, and as you can gather comes with a hybrid powertrain, the fourth generation of Honda’s two-motor system which adds a pair of electric motors to an updated naturally aspirated 2.0-liter I4 for a combined output of 204 horsepower. It’s an upgrade over the standard Accord’s 192-horsepower 1.5-liter turbo and should deliver us a Combined 44 mpg.

This Radiant Red stunner has already made quite an impression on our drivers.

We’re at the point where we take hybrid powertrains for granted, forgetting they’re complicated, synchronized systems. But you would never know that driving this Accord Hybrid where the two electric motors work seamlessly with the gas engine. We also like being able to dial in more or less regenerative braking with these steering wheel paddles.

Inside, the new Accord is somewhat simplistic in design, but we’ve found it to be highly functional too, and the materials both look and feel great.

We’ve driven this 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid for exactly one month so far, and have been impressed with the solid, composed, and smooth ride it’s provided over the first 1,000 miles that we’ve added to its odometer.

It’s a good thing there’s an “EV” indicator in the gauge display to let you know when you’re driving on battery power, because unless you’re full-throttling it, you really have no idea if the 2.0-liter I4 engine is actually running or not. Fuel economy from the 204-horsepower setup is off to a good start at 45.1 mpg.

“If you are a skeptic like me, you’re probably thinking there has to be some major trade-off with this Accord Hybrid’s fuel efficiency. But so far, we haven’t found ourselves making any notable sacrifices for it. There’s plenty of power. It’s delivered smoothly. And the extra weight does seemingly nothing to hurt the ride and handling in daily driving scenarios.”

These light-colored leather seats may be a challenge to keep clean, but they’re plenty comfortable. Some people love the truss-style dash trim that integrates the vents, finding it’s architectural-inspired design both modern and appealing; others think it doesn’t quite fit in with the overall upscale feel of the space.

But perhaps this new Accord has impressed us most just by sitting still, as its low profile and dynamic lines easily make it the best-looking Accord sedan ever.

The Honda Accord is one mid-size sedan that needs very little introduction. Just about everyone has had some type of interaction with one over its 50 years on American roads. So far, our interactions with this 2024 Accord Hybrid have been highly positive.

If this is your first experience with the 11th-gen Accord, the biggest change you’ll likely notice is the wide 12-inch touchscreen display with Google built in. It looks impressive, works very well, and is a focal point of an interior that feels far roomier than its mid-size status.

Nothing exotic to the suspension, but tuning is a spot-on blend of comfort and agility, and after driving 4,500 miles in our first two months, our fuel economy average is a great 44.5 mpg; down a bit from last report, but still well above the 41.3 average in our original Accord Hybrid Road Test.

This 204-horsepower 2.0-liter I4-based hybrid is willing and able, with a surprising amount of time spent driving strictly on battery power, and an almost EV-like driving experience even when the gas engine kicks in.

Just about everything in this Accord Hybrid is silky smooth. The powertrain, the suspension, and even the infotainment. There’s really only one not-so-smooth operation: braking in stop-and-go traffic. We’re still trying to develop a feel for the handoff from regen to mechanical braking. But that’s really just a small nitpick in an otherwise excellent drive experience.