AWD

Road Test: 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited AWD

The Highlander Hybrid was completely redesigned for 2014. Toyota did a good job in softening the edges and making the Highlander more contemporary and in line with the fierce competition in the midsize SUV market.

Road Test: 2014 Subaru Outback

The 2014 Subaru Outback earns inclusion in our All-Wheel Drive 30 MPG Club. The mainstream 2.5i model has an EPA estimated 30 mpg highway/24 mpg city and a combined rating of 26 mpg when equipped with a continuous variable transmission (CVT). Choose the manual shifter and fuel economy drops to 29/22 highway/city and 24 combined.

Comparison Road Test: 2014 Mitsubishi AWD Choice: Compact Crossover or Compact Sedan

OK, what’s your favorite compact-vehicle flavor, crossover sport utility or four-door sedan? Mitsubishi offers both with all-wheel drive. We tallied a little more than 700 miles between the two vehicles, and the Outback Sport averaged 31.5 mpg while the Lancer registered 30.3 mpg. In our book, that makes them both eligible for inclusion in our Clean Fleet Report All-Wheel Drive 30 mpg Club.

2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid Sport

My 10 Best Clean Cars in Monterey

Once a year automotive journalists from the San Francisco Bay Area gather to test drive some of the newest models on the market. This is my selection of the Top 10 I experienced at this year’s program.

First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan TDI Euro Spec

Let’s start with what a kick it is that Volkswagen allowed Clean Fleet Report to drive the 2014 Tiguan TDI 4Motion Euro Spec. Was it a bit of a tease? Yes. Did it accomplish what they were seeking to do: get journalist input on this crossover and our opinions on how it would fit as a U.S. model? Definitely!

Road Test: 2014 Subaru Forester

The 2014 Subaru Forester is the first all-new model for this brand since 2009. It is slightly larger than the outgoing edition, looks only a little different but has an unexpected surprise – it’s more fuel efficient.