2023 Toyota Sequoia First Look: Mean, Green Giant

A terrifying-sounding weather phenomenon called "super fog" caused a fatal multi-car pileup on Interstate 95 in Florida this morning. A combination of dense foggy weather and lingering smoke from controlled burning in the area created a severe visibility problem for drivers. The Miami Herald says 17 cars were involved in the crash, which resulted in dozens of injuries and three deaths.Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Kim Montes announced at a briefing that one crash involved 11 cars in the Northbound lanes of traffic passing through Volusia County, and another involved two passenger vehicles and four semi trucks in the Southbound lanes near Edgewater. The super fog was reported as the contributing cause of both incidents. Weather.com and AP reported smoke in the air was caused by a prescribed burn in an area near the highway.Screenshot from traffic camera. The National Weather Service for Melbourne, Florida lifted its weather advisory for the super fog issue around 9:00 a.m. this morning. In a statement, the Service says today's fog and smoke mix conditions limited driver visibility to fewer than 10 feet, which means you could only see pretty much just a single car length ahead of you. Here's how the Service describes super fog on its website:"Super fog forms when a mixture of smoke and moisture released from damp smoldering organic material such as brush, leaves and trees, mixes with cooler, nearly saturated air. Visibility is lowered to less than 10 feet. Under light wind conditions, super fog meanders through low terrain areas such as creek beds or drainage ditches. Super fog can be very dangerous when present over highways, and has been the cause of several large, multi-vehicle pileups."At highway speeds, this would mean there is zero time to react to anything in the road ahead. Hence why it caused a similar pileup crash to those you might see during a dense snow storm, during which pileup crashes are fairly common.Melbourne's Weather Service said today's crash was not the first of its kind caused by super fog. Similar incidents with the weather phenomenon caused large pileups on I-4 near Davenport, Florida in 2008, and again on I-75 near Gainesville in 2012. As ever, if you encounter foggy conditions—super or otherwise—it is wise to activate your hazards, slow down (or, if you pull over entirely, make sure you are off the roadway), and use extreme caution.

hyundai ioniq-5 Full OverviewThe 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the most consequential new Hyundai since the original Genesis sedan. The Genesis changed people's perception of Hyundai as a brand, for the first time putting the Korean automaker in the luxury conversation alongside names such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. The new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is destined to change the perception of Hyundai again—only this time the conversations will be around Tesla.What Is It?The Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai EV built on Hyundai Motor Group's Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The Ioniq 5 is available worldwide with either a 58-kWh or 77.4-kWh battery pack and a single motor driving the rear wheels or (with the 77.4-kWh battery) motors front and rear providing all-wheel drive. In North America, the 77.4-kWh battery pack is the sole option.Even by the standards of today's topsy-turvy automotive taxonomy, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is something of a segment buster. In photos, its crisp styling and taut proportions suggests a Veloster-sized hatchback with a sort of Hyundai-does-VW-Golf vibe. Look again and consider: It's rolling on 20-inch wheels and 255/45 Michelin Primacy Tour tires. In the metal, the Ioniq 5 is almost as big as a BMW X3, with a 118.1-inch wheelbase—that's an inch longer than a BMW X5's.Car Style, SUV SubstanceOur test vehicle is the range-topping 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited HTRAC, which comes equipped with the big battery and all-wheel drive courtesy of two motors that produce a total of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. It also boasts a swag of premium goodies ranging from a power driver's seat with memory to a high-end Bose audio system to a head-up display and adaptive cruise control. You get all of this for $55,725.That's considerably less money than you'll spend for a dual-motor Tesla Model Y Long Range, which is listed at $60,900. What's more, the Hyundai looks and feels like a much more premium product. Where the Model Y's cabin is stark and austere, the Hyundai Ioniq 5's interior is thoughtfully detailed and well-finished, and it has buttons and knobs and targeted touch panels that mean you don't have to waste time looking away from the road to peck furiously at a giant screen to access mundane functions as you do in the Tesla. And while from the outside the Model Y looks as if it's been thrown together in a tent, with inconsistencies in the panel fits you can see from, er, Mars, the Hyundai's fit and finish is first rate.Testing, TestingThe new Ioniq 5 initially feels like a softer car to drive than many of its EV contemporaries, with its suspension seemingly tuned more for comfort than corners. But that's not to say it's slow. At the test track, the 0-60-mph sprint took just 4.4 seconds en route to a standing quarter-mile time of 13.2 seconds at 102.7mph. And unlike some EVs—the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition is a notable example—the Hyundai's rate of acceleration didn't fall off dramatically as speeds increased. Instead, it was able to sustain its forward push right through the quarter mile.Yes, the Tesla Model Y Long Range is quicker overall, whooshing down the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds at 114.8 mph, but the difference between the two is mostly at high speed, which has little relevance in real-world driving. The Hyundai's superior torque—its twin motors produce an additional 70 lb-ft compared to the Tesla—effortlessly punches the Ioniq 5 away from a standstill, and it's only 0.3 second slower to 60 mph than the 7 percent lighter and 20 percent more powerful Model Y.Despite its soft suspension, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is surprisingly adept in the twisty bits. We recorded a figure-eight lap time of 25.7 seconds, just 0.2 second slower than the BMW X3 M40i we happened to test on the same day. This caused us to exclaim, "Holy smokes!" Frankly, we didn't expect this car to be as fun and capable as it is; it's quick and has way more grip than we anticipatedThe biggest surprise was how playful the Ioniq 5 can be on corner exits with all the nannies switched off: It actually drifts. Just for fun, we tried for a full sideways lap of the skidpad, and the Hyundai made it two-thirds of the way around before letting go.The asymmetric front-to-rear power and torque split of the dual-motor Ioniq 5—the front motor makes 99 hp and 188 lb-ft, while the rear pumps out 225 hp and 258 lb-ft—combined with near neutral front/rear weight distribution doesn't just make the Hyundai a giggle when you want to play at the track. It also makes it feel more poised on normal roads at normal speeds, despite steering that, though precise and direct, doesn't provide a lot of feedback.Brake feel is the car's biggest dynamic niggle. The blending between regenerative and mechanical braking is smooth, and the system hauled the 4,684-pound Hyundai to a stop from 60 mph in 123 feet, 5 feet more than the Tesla Model Y required. But we disliked the lack of feedback through the pedal: There's very little travel or pedal pressure under heavy braking before the ABS kicks in.More DetailsYou can actuate one of three drive modes—Eco, Normal, and Sport—via a large button beneath the steering wheel's left spoke. In simple terms, the modes change the weighting of the accelerator pedal, effectively encouraging the driver to make smoother and gentler inputs. Six regenerative braking levels are offered, ranging from zero (which allows the Ioniq 5 to coast freely) to a mode that enables one-pedal driving, with the car slowing to a gentle halt the moment you lift off. There is also an auto mode. Drivers can switch between these modes via steering wheel paddles.After a bit of experimentation, we preferred to set the drive mode to Sport, which allowed us to make the most of the powertrain's instant-on response, and the lift-off regenerative braking to Level 1, which enabled the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 to flow down the road much like a regular combustion-engine car with an automatic transmission when lifting off the accelerator.Range FinderHyundai says the 77.4-kWh battery gives the dual-motor Ioniq 5 a range of 256 miles. Our stints on the road, which included highway cruising at 70 to 80 mph and some brisk bursts along quiet back roads, as well as endless fiddling with drive modes and regen settings, saw the Ioniq 5 consume 2.7-kWh per mile, according to the onboard computer, which translated to a range of just about 200 miles. Driven normally, you should expect a usable range of 220 to 230 miles, more if you are content to noodle along in Eco mode.No, the Ioniq 5 Limited won't travel as far between charges as the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which has a claimed range of just more than 300 miles. But you'll spend about 30 percent less time at the charging station with the Hyundai. Find a 350-kW DC fast charger, and the Ioniq 5's battery can be juiced from 10 percent charge to 80 percent in just 18 minutes and topped up fully in less than an hour. No other mainstream EV, apart from the identical-under-the-skin Kia EV6, can recharge so quickly.Do You Want One?In terms of overall practicality, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a mixed bag. The long wheelbase and flat floor mean the rear seat easily accommodates 6-foot-tall adults, and there's plenty of storage space around the cabin. But unlike most two-box SUVs, it is truly a hatchback, not a wagon. The raked C-pillars and angled backlight chew into the shallow load space at the rear, and there's only a small storage tray in the frunk.If driving range and load lugging are your absolute priorities, the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which will travel 28 percent farther between charges and has about 60 percent more luggage capacity with the rear seats up, would seem the obvious choice. But those two advantages come at a price.The Ioniq 5 Limited not only costs about $5,000 less than the Model Y, but it's also quieter and more comfortable to drive, is a visibly higher-quality vehicle inside and out, and can recharge much quicker. That it's also brisk and fun to drive if you want it to be are bonuses.Indeed, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited HTRAC is a compelling all-arounder for the buyer who wants a premium EV, without paying top dollar.Looks good! More details?2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 HTRAC (Limited Long Range) SPECIFICATIONS BASE PRICE $55,725 PRICE AS TESTED $55,920 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 320 hp TORQUE (SAE NET) 446 lb-ft TRANSMISSION 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,684 lb (51/49%) WHEELBASE 118.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 185.2 x 74.4 x 63.0 in 0-60 MPH 4.4 sec QUARTER MILE 13.2 sec @ 102.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 123 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.88 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 110/87/98 mpg-e EPA RANGE, COMB 256 mi ON SALE Early 2022 Show All

mercedes-benz sl-class Full OverviewThe AMG gang in Affalterbach desperately wants you to know a few things about the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class. One, they designed it. From scratch and with little help from the Benz mothership. Two, it barely shares a screw or rivet with the AMG GT Roadster they also designed. Three, despite the new SL having grown a pair of vestigial back seats and adding a few inches in length, it promises to be the sportiest SL roadster since the racing-derived 300SL from 1957. And four, thanks to miracles of modern science, this new R232 SL also promises to deliver comfort on par with—if not exceeding—that of its Mercedes-developed R231 predecessor.Three months of engineering roundtable Zoom calls and even a low-speed ridealong event have sufficiently satisfied us on the first two points; it's the last two that we've been itching to verify. At long last we had the opportunity to flog both the SL55 and SL63 variants on a variety of highways and twisting roads. So, has AMG managed to channel the speed-record-setting, Mille Miglia-winning verve of the original W196 while making the car even more cosseting and comfy than the outgoing roadsters?Mercedes-AMG SL Performance in a Straight LineThe 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL63 will undoubtedly go down in our record books as the quickest SL we've tested. Mercedes claims this 577-hp, 590-lb-ft beast will dash from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, thanks in large part to newly standard all-wheel-drive traction that guarantees none of those ponies or pound-feet gets squandered generating tire smoke or brake heat from traction-control intervention. Converting those estimates to account for MotorTrend launch-control test conditions and a 1-foot rollout will probably boil that number down to something much closer to 3.0 seconds flat. (The last two SL models we tested each beat Mercedes' conservative estimates by exactly half a second.) The SL55, running the exact same engine but with smaller turbos and slightly less aggressive tuning produces "just" 469 horsepower and 517 lb-ft. The AMG team reckons it'll give up three-tenths to the SL63.For some perspective, that performance should rank the SL models somewhere about even with the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and GTS cabriolets, which is to say, ahead of the BMW M850i xDrive cab (3.9 seconds to 60 mph) and way out in front Lexus LC500 (4.7 seconds) in the bucks-up 2+2 cabrio set.Trust us, if you never drive an SL63, that SL55 will seem like it has more than enough power. However, we might counsel those prepared to settle for the SL55 to consider opting for its AMG Dynamic Plus package, which brings with it a Race mode. We don't typically prefer Race modes because they usually disable all the stability controls, increasing amateurs' risk considerably. This one does not.What it mostly does, in addition to heightening all the car's responses, is switch to a perfectly linear throttle response map. There's more gain earlier in the pedal travel in the Sport and Sport+ modes, which may make the car seem more eager and powerful, but at some cost to the predictability serious drivers prefer. The computer programming in Sport+ and Race modes devotes a bit of extra fuel to generating delightful pops and snorts on overrun. That feature is fun, but this mode also tends to deliver some harsher downshifts when slowing, which can feel like grabbing brakes (this never happened in Comfort mode).We only got the SL63 up to triple-digit speeds briefly, but with the optional AMG Aerodynamics package, an air dam in front of the engine lowers 1.6 inches at speeds above 50 mph to help induce a venturi effect that helps suck the car down to the ground and reduce front-axle lift.SL-Class Handling BehaviorThese are heavy cars, pushing two-and-a-quarter tons. But AMG Active Ride Control, which connects opposite corners of the car hydraulically to limit body roll (as on various McLaren cars and now Rivian trucks), truly makes them feel as agile as cars weighing a half-ton less. This is another feature that's standard on the SL63, and available to help make your SL55 cost almost as much as a 63.Clicking the steering-wheel-mounted drive mode selector clockwise relaxes the stability nannies somewhat, making the cars progressively more neutral in their handling demeanor, but there's no "drift mode," no option to bar torque from reaching the front axle. (That's right—unlike the AMG GT family, the SLs are all-wheel drive.) And hence, even an aggressive drive up Mount Palomar on a cool morning with slightly dewy road surface, we never once sensed Race mode allowing the tail to run wide. More than a little credit here is due the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires—265/40 front, 295/35 rear on the standard 20-inch rims, or 275/35 front and 305/30 on the optional 21s we mostly ran.The carbon-composite brakes deserve honorable mention for being equally adept at shedding heroic speeds upon approach to a tightening-radius corner—corner after corner—as they are at executing a limousine stop in town. Both models share this standard six-piston front, single-piston rear brake system.Steering feel changes as you switch modes, and we generally found the comfort mode to be a bit too light. The other modes don't heighten the driver's feel for the road, per se, but the firmer helm feels better. We were blissfully unaware of the four-wheel steering (standard on both models) doing its thing, except when executing exceptionally tight U-turns.The California roads between Newport Beach and Palm Springs are relatively smooth, but we aimed for the bumpiest patches we could find and were impressed by the suspension compliance afforded in Comfort mode. The Sport and Race modes firm things up noticeably enough that we took the time to program the Individual mode with everything set to its raciest option and the suspension set to Comfort. This was our Goldilocks "just right" setting, but we also appreciated that individual characteristics (steering, ride, exhaust noise, etc.) can be easily adjusted on the fly using the round selector and twin toggle switches at the lower left side of the wheel, just opposite the main mode-selector switch. The super-rigid multi-material structure never seemed to twist or jiggle in response to bumps.What's the Mercedes-AMG SL-Class Like to Live With?Mostly wonderful. The cabin seems as quiet with the soft top up as the previous model did with its folding hard top raised. The Z-fold fabric roof lowers in 15 seconds at the touch of a button, and a switch allows all four windows to be lowered simultaneously. Happily, the sun visors swivel out, unlike on some convertibles. Raise the windows and pull up the mesh-screen wind blocker that covers the rear "seat" to keep the cabin remarkably calm and quiet even at highway speeds. In cooler weather, switch on the Airscarf neck-warmer to extend the top-down season (the cockpit isn't long enough to need the E-Class convertible's Air Cap windshield header air-management screen).The center info screen adjusts between 12 and 32 degrees to prevent sun from reflecting directly into the driver's eyes, though the buttons for adjusting this (and for raising and lowering the top) can be hard to see when that glare prompts you to fix the screen. We're also not completely sold on a lot of the capacitive switchgear in use here. The mirror switch, for example, didn't seem to respond as expected. We have yet to experience capacitive switches we love.As with all new Mercedes products, the all-digital instrument cluster can be set to display any of several different themes and tons of information, the most pertinent of which is redundantly shown on the head-up display (standard on 63, optional on 55). Track Pace screens will help folks monitor and improve their performance on their car country club track, and the additional stowage space behind the front seats and in the trunk should make the new SL much more useful as a daily driver.We reckon the new car is comfortable enough to retain the SL faithful and sporty enough to pull some customers out of 911s, the BMW 8 Series, and Lexus LCs. Of those, the BMW's nearly 5 inches of added wheelbase gives it a slightly more usable rear seat (the SL's is only rated for passengers shorter than 5 feet tall). A lighter Porsche will always feel nimbler, and the Lexus design may turn more heads, but this Mercedes-AMG enjoys nearly seven decades of heritage, and this R232 pays legitimate homage to its very best SL progenitors.When and How Much?The 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class will go on sale in the second quarter of 2022. Mercedes isn't talking pricing just yet, but it seems a safe bet to assume that since the new 2+2-seat SL is effectively replacing both the four-seat S-Class cabriolet and two-seat R231 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, pricing should represent an average of these models. Let's figure $132K for the SL55 and $175K for the SL63. That prices the new SL right in the thick of the 2+2-passenger convertible crowd.Looks good! More details?2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class Specifications BASE PRICE $132,000-$175,000 (est) LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 2+2-pass, 2-door convertible ENGINE 4.0L/469-577-hp/516-590-lb-ft twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve V-8 TRANSMISSION 9-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 4,300-4,400 lb (est) WHEELBASE 106.3 in L x W x H 185.2 x 75.4 x 53.5 in 0-60 MPH 3.5-3.8 sec (mfr est) EPA FUEL ECON 16/21/18 mpg (est) EPA RANGE (COMB) 350 miles (est) ON SALE 2nd Quarter 2022 Show All