Tested: Ford's Escape Plug-In Hybrid FWD Is Money in the Bank

hyundai sonata Full OverviewWhen we first took stock of our 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited, we were impressed by its slick screens, comfortable leather seats, and stylish exterior. A year later, does the Sonata continue to charm, or has it lost its luster?The midsize sedan rolled into our garage wearing a striking sapphire blue paint color and all the trimmings of the top-tier Limited model. At $34,630, our test car looks almost like a luxury sedan. Its plush caramel leather seats held up well over a year of passengers shuffling into seats, loading and unloading tons of baby gear, car seats installations, and baby spit-ups. The leather didn't pucker over time like it did on one of my previous long-term vehicles, which happened to be a luxury vehicle.The Sonata's interior earned high praise for its uncluttered, elegant design. I enjoyed the easy-to-use 10.3-inch touchscreen, though I didn't fully appreciate how crisp it was until I downgraded to a duller 8.0-inch screen in my latest test car. The Sonata's infotainment screen complements the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a sharp Bose sound system sweetens the deal.Passengers enjoyed the panoramic sunroof, but my favorite feature is Highway Driving Assist. A semi-autonomous system that combines adaptive cruise control and lane centering tech, this feature makes highway commuting less stressful. Although it has a tendency to steer the Sonata to the left side of the lane within the lane markings, it works better than some other systems we've tested. The 360-degree camera system is another winner, providing a clear view on all sides of the car and making it easy to park this long sedan. The only real tech hiccup we encountered was with the keyless entry system. It often wouldn't register when I touched the door and had the key in my pocket, forcing me to dig out the key and press the unlock button.I had no illusions about the Sonata's performance going into the year. Our car features the Sonata's upgraded engine option: a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. As I quickly found out, it has just enough power for merging and passing other cars on the highway. Given how well it handles, I didn't mind its lack of power. What became more and more bothersome over time was how the power is delivered. There's a noticeable lag off the line when you jam the accelerator, so making quick maneuvers in traffic can get a little tricky.No maintenance problems plagued our Sonata through the year, but the car visited the dealership twice for routine servicing. Our first service trip was free, but Hyundai charged $92.01 for our second visit. These costs will look quite different for typical retail customers of newer Sonatas, however. For retail vehicles sold on or after February 1, 2020, Hyundai offers complimentary maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.Subaru also offers free maintenance, which is why our long-term 2017 Subaru Legacy cost $0 over three service visits and 20,460 miles. Free maintenance hasn't been the norm among the Sonata's competitors we've tested for a year, though. We spent $178.96 for two service visits on our long-term 2014 Mazda 6, which logged 24,316 miles, and $204.92 on two services for our 2013 Nissan Altima, which finished its run at 21,774 miles. Surprisingly, our long-term 2013 Honda Accord cost more than all of these sedans, racking up a bill of $209.42 for two service visits over a course of 22,856 miles.Driving the Sonata for a year revealed more about the sedan's quality and maintenance costs, but what will the ownership experience look like over the course of five years? Our colleagues at IntelliChoice have some insights. Although we enjoy all the fancy features that come with the top Limited trim, it might not be the choice if you're looking to maximize value. The lower SE trim gets a Good value rating, but the other trims earn Mediocre or Average scores. The 2020 Sonata Limited has been deemed an Average value when taking into account depreciation, insurance, fuel costs, state fees, financing, maintenance, and repairs.The Honda Accord remains our top pick for a midsize sedan because of its superior driving dynamics and its spacious, well-packaged interior. That said, our yearlong test confirms the Sonata is a solid pick. Among its rather conservative, plain-looking competitors, the Sonata stands out with its sharp design. More important, its tech-forward cabin continues to delight over time, speaking to its strong feature-per-dollar value. Its playful handling never gets old on a twisty road. For the practical-minded, free maintenance and a generous warranty make a strong case for the Sonata.Looks good! More details?POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited 1.6T DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD ENGINE TYPE Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 97.5 cu in/1,598 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 180 hp @ 5,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm REDLINE 6,500 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 18.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.37:1/2.14:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 13.3:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.6 BRAKES, F; R 12.8-in vented disc; 11.8-in disc, ABS WHEELS 7.5 x 18-in cast aluminum TIRES 235/45R18 94V Michelin Primacy Tour A/S (M+S) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 111.8 in TRACK, F/R 63.1/63.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 192.9 x 73.2 x 56.9 in TURNING CIRCLE 35.9 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,316 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 60/40% SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 38.4/37.4 in LEGROOM, F/R 46.1/34.8 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 57.9/56.1 in CARGO VOLUME 16.0 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 2.7 sec 0-40 3.8 0-50 5.5 0-60 7.4 0-70 9.5 0-80 12.3 0-90 15.6 0-100 — PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.8 QUARTER MILE 15.7 sec @ 90.1 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 115 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.89 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.6 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,800 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $34,475 PRICE AS TESTED $34,630 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 9: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, driver knee BASIC WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 10 yrs/100,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/Unlimited miles FUEL CAPACITY 15.9 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 27/37/30 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded regular Our Car SERVICE LIFE 12 mo / 11,734 mi BASE PRICE $34,475 OPTIONS Carpeted floor mats ($155) PRICE AS TESTED $34,630 AVG ECON 24.4 mpg PROBLEM AREAS None MAINTENANCE COST $0 (oil change, inspection) NORMAL-WEAR COST $0 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $27,700 (80%) RECALLS None *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of 3-years Show All

The first pure electric Jeep is coming in the first half of 2023, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares revealed in Amsterdam where he delivered an overview of the direction of the automaker through 2030.No, the first electric Jeep is not a Jeep Wrangler. It is instead a small lifestyle Jeep, shorthand for a crossover. It is an all-new vehicle, a new addition to the lineup, and does not yet have a name. The SUV is small, somewhat rounded, kinda cute, almost Renegade-like—and obviously tailored to the urban customer. Being small, it will hold broader global appeal.The Jeep EV has been developed on the STLA Small platform, one of four dedicated electrified architectures that will underpin all nameplates for the 14 brands under the Stellantis umbrella. Stellantis is the automaker created more than a year ago with the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, lumping Jeep, Chrysler, Ram, Dodge, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati together with the French auto conglomerate's offerings.Stellantis is moving towards a future where 100 percent of all vehicles sold in Europe and 50 percent of the lineup in North America will be electric vehicles by 2030.Jeep has embraced electrification faster than most Stellantis brands, at least according to Tavares, who said as much to reporters gathered in Amsterdam to learn more of the Dare Forward 2030 long-term strategic plan that has more than 100 new vehicle launches planned—75 of them electric—including an electric Ram 1500 full-size electric pickup truck in 2024.Jeep's 4xe plug-in hybrid technology is gaining recognition and sales, making it the second of the 14 Stellantis brands in terms of electrification, Tavares said.The strategic vision is to invest in all the American brands and the U.S. will have 25 EVs on sale by 2030.

The myth of the Cadillac coffin is one that has haunted pop culture for decades, even popularized in the song Willie the Wimp by blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn in the mid-1980s. The idea of being buried in a luxury car might seem like a one-off tribute to the ancient Egyptian pharaohs (who were routinely interred with all of their worldly possessions), but the twist in Willie's tale is that it's based on a true story.Willie "Wimp" Stokes Jr., Chicago gangster and over-the-top gambler, was indeed laid six feet under in a bizarre coffin-sized replica of his pimp-mobile (pictured above), which combined the wheels, grille, and trunk from his personal ride with a windshield, dash, and license plate. Willie's corpse was propped up inside this creation to look as though he was driving himself through the gates of Hades.Dig a little deeper and even more exhumed urban legends acquire an unexpected factuality. It seems like car lovers have been bending the rules to be buried in their favorite rides for decades. One of the earliest recorded instances speaks of heiress Sandra Ilene West, a Texan who departed for the afterlife inside her 1964 Ferrari California. Aurora Schuck, another Cadillac fan (although without Willie's links to organized crime) and her 1976 Eldorado convertible were craned into a 24-by-12-foot plot dug specifically to accommodate the Caddy in 1989, followed by George Swanson taking his '84 Corvette to the afterlife six years later, and Lonnie Holloway in his 1976 Pontiac Catalina in 2009.Whither the extreme automotive enthusiast who desires to make a mausoleum of their favorite hunk of metal in the year 2022? As a Boomer-led tide of death pushes cemeteries to the brink of real estate availability, environmental legislation tightens regarding what you can legally put into ground, and social media lies in wait to pounce on anyone who elects to extend their flamboyance into the afterlife, we wanted to know if it was still possible to be buried in your car?Make Room!The answer to that question, it seems, varies significantly depending on where you plan to rest eternally. There's actually no single overarching framework that governs how cemeteries are managed, or how human remains must be disposed of, which means each jurisdiction is on its own to create (or not) a set of regulations regarding burials.The first daunting step in the quest for a car coffin is to secure a cemetery plot of adequate size. Ms. Schuck had the luxury of scooping up roughly 16 plots to combine into one Caddy-sized pit (taking into account the need to build a full concrete foundation and then surround the vehicle with even more cement). Even Swansons' more modestly-sized Corvette required four plots in total (with a layer of concrete poured on top to prevent settling). It can be a struggle in some urban areas to find standard-size side-by-side plots so that spouses can dream together forever, let alone carve out a car-sized slice of terrain, so it definitely helps if you plan on being eternally linked to a Miata rather than an Escalade.Then there's the question of access. The kind of heavy equipment required to dig a sizable hole in the ground needs a fair amount of space to operate, not to mention a pathway to the plot(s) in question, and that's before you take into account the logistics of fitting a car-capable crane onto ground that may or may not be hard enough to accommodate its weight.Of course, you could always opt for home burial, which alleviates many of the above problems (in all but Indiana, Washington D.C., Washington State, and California, where it's not legal). There are roughly 10 states that require you to get a funeral director to move the body to its intended burial spot, but almost everywhere else it's the Wild West when it comes to its transportation and burial/cremation (as long as you take care of it within the 24-48-hour window that precludes the need for embalming, and don't try to cross state lines).Don't Confuse Your Backyard For A DumpEven if burying someone on your own land is nearly 50-state legal, you still have to consider the environmental implications of stuffing a vehicle filled with toxic fluids and forever-plastics under the ground. It turns out the federal government is a bit touchy about what you can dump a shovel of dirt on, regardless of who owns the land.The flip-side of this is that cemeteries themselves aren't exempt from environmental concerns associated with even a traditional burial. Chemicals like formaldehyde (used in embalming), and arsenic (formerly used in embalming) have been leaking into groundwater from graveyards for decades, not to mention the myriad coffin paints, finishes, and metals that are part of a traditional funeral. Even cremation takes its toll on the environment at large.The bottom line? Each state has its own regulations that either modify or complement federal guidelines about waste management, and you'll have to take those into account when deciding how best to manage your auto-tomb's afterlife emissions, regardless of whether you're twisting the arm of a local cemetery manager or simply burying your loved one's motorcade in the backyard. In Pennsylvania, George Swanson's family had the entire drivetrain drained prior to interment, but in more permissive Indiana, Aurora Schuck's Cadillac was actually driven into the grave just before the burial began.Maybe Don't Do It?A final word of advice, should you choose to pilot your precious muscle machine or low-rider on the ferry across the river Styx: try to keep it on the down-low and avoid turning the burial into a show.What are we saying—there's absolutely no way to avoid word getting out about an automotive-adjacent event like this one. Be prepared for the onslaught of social media stars trying to score points as they alternately laud and lament your choice to go all-in on an automotive afterlife, not to mention the endless parade of purists who will roast your decision to deprive the world of one more example of whatever make and model coffin you select.A vehicular funeral isn't for the attention-averse, and while you might be slumbering peacefully on the rich, Corinthian leather of your casket, your loved ones will have to deal with the digital looky-loos and snide commenters haunting their Insta profiles and email inboxes.