Super Moody Group

Remember when the Toyota Sienna was all-new and had a sporty SE version?  I blame the Ford Flex and Mercedes-Benz R-Class for the SE version of the new Toyota Sienna. For 2011, the Sienna was all-new and is still a fairly remarkable minivan. A spacious interior, swoopy new look, remote keyless entry and standard rear parking camera on all but the base model add up to a pretty compelling van. Stylish Family Wagons But this time around, there was a new Sienna on the block, the cool cat of minivans if such a thing could ever exist. See, Toyota said the Sienna SE is for those who see themselves as cooler than a minivan, but since they're likely parents, they can't deny minivan usefulness. I say competition from family-friendly and super stylish haulers like the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, and Mercedes-Benz R-Class led Toyota to such a radical attempt at cool. Family-friendly layout + still want to drive something stylish + Toyota resale value = Sienna SE. At the time, Toyota said, ...

Three Dodge performance models - Durango SRT Hellcat, Charger Daytona Scat Pack, and Six Pack Charger Could Stellantis be on the road to a turnaround? Stock prices are down and have been losing ground for some time. However, sales are up in recent months, which could be great news for the automaker that owns U.S. brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. Stellantis has a larger European portfolio that includes Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, and Peugeot. Jeep sales are down 6 percent, but other U.S. brands under the Stellantis banner are up. Durango sales are up even though that specific vehicle hasn’t been updated in more than a decade. Maybe new car shoppers prefer familiar over big screens and electrified power. Even the Chrysler Pacifica is selling better than before – up 80 percent in Q2. Ram 1500 sales are up as well, 27 percent in Q2. Dodge Charger sales are up 33 percent. However, the electric version of the Dodge Charger sold only about 500 vehicles for the first half of 2026. Ag...

When researching fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrids often dominate, and for good reason; hybrids do a great job of delivering excellent fuel economy. The recently redesigned Toyota Prius earns an EPA estimate of nearly 60 miles per gallon. Some drivers will exceed even that. At 57 MPG, the Prius is about the best you can do among hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles. A plug-in Prius does even better at 127 MPGe.   MPGe is a way of measuring efficiency for cars that use both electricity and gasoline, and it approximates efficiency if the car was powered by gasoline only.   The Hyundai Elantra hybrid (shown above) is nearly as impressive as the Prius with a combined EPA estimate of 54 MPG.   Hybrids Often Cost More   But hybrids often cost more than non-hybrid vehicles. Sometimes that extra cost reflects the cost of building the hybrid, but other times it’s simply a markup based on demand and popularity. Sticking with the Hyundai Elantra example, a base gasoline-only Elantra i...

2026 Mazda CX-50 in Cypress Green  Mazda often gets overlooked when it comes to quality, reliability, and fun to drive. Most people know about the MX-5 Miata and CX-50, but  vehicles like the CX-50, 70, and 90 often get overlooked,  But this is likely an optics issue, as Mazda likely doesn't have a big marketing or advertising budget compared to brands like Toyota or Chevrolet.  Mazda North American Operations   (MNAO) recently reported total June sales of 37,167 vehicles, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to June 2025. Year-to-date sales totaled 201,834 vehicles sold, a decrease of 4 percent compared to the same time last year.  Yet, Mazda just had the best-ever June on record.  Sales highlights include: Best-ever June total sales   Best-ever June sales for CX-90 MHEV Best-ever June sales for CX-70 MHEV Second-best June in CPO program history One thing that's likely leading to Mazda's success is attention to detail. The interior and exterior d...

Kia has been on a roll in recent years. Maybe it was the Telluride that kicked it off in 2019 (2020 model year), but the Kia Cadenza, Sorrento, and Sedona contributed to the extra attention as well.  Now, there's an all-new Telluride, a new Sportage, and an updated minivan, the Kia Carnival. All this is adding up to record sales for Kia.  Plenty of New Models Kia America has hit a record for June 2026 sales. The company just announced expanded production of the Sportage Hybrid - Sportage Hybrids will now be built in the gigantic Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant in addition to West Point, GA.  But this is about more than just the Sportage; just take a look at these stats: Kia sold 70,507 units in June, up 10% - Kia's highest-ever June sales Hybrid sales rose 187 percent  in June, thanks to Sportage and Sorento. First half of 2026 sales hit 430,727 vehicles, Kia’s best half-year ever -This info is directly from Kia America.  In practical terms, Kia has sold approxima...

Originally, the idea for the Slate truck was that it would be about a $20,000 electric vehicle - at that price, it would be noteworthy because that's a full $10,000 less than the cheapest EVs on the market now, specifically the Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf. Photo Courtesy University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign At the same time, the REO Speedwagon name is being revived. Not the band, the truck from the 1910s – turns out the band that wanted to keep on loving us, borrowed its name from an old work truck, and that company maybe even created the first purpose-built pickup. But the new REO isn’t electric, and because it relies on gasoline and more basic mechanical technology, its price is $21,500, in theory.   Much of this is “in theory” because EV startups have a tendency to disappear faster than a sunny day in winter. Either way, competition and choice almost always benefit consumers and make better, less expensive consumer products.   What’s My Price Again? Meanwhile, the ori...