AWD

Road Test: 2015 Ford Escape

What you get with the 2015 Ford Escape is an SUV that is secure, confidence inspiring and pleasing to hustle along a back road. It also has a sexy appearance, a top-notch interior along with more connectivity and high-tech features than any competitor. As an added incentive, the fuel economy is damn good.

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.