Parts Palace News
Latest news, reviews, and more from around the The Car Connection
Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:26:00 -0400
Kia Carnival road trip: A father and son grow up on the road
2024 Kia Carnival acts as transporter, living room, and sanctuary on the road Covering 700 miles, averaging 26.2 mpg, the Carnival impresses, even before the 2025 hybrid arrives National Parks, dolphins, and an Army duffel bag bind a father and son before college starts When my automotive friends heard that my son and I would be driving d...
Toyota no longer most reliable brand, says Consumer Reports
Subaru ranks as the most reliable brand for the first time in Consumer Reports's annual ratings Toyota fell due to new powertrains in new vehicles Rivian ranked last in reliability, though 15 other brands weren't rated at all Toyota or its luxury brand Lexus no longer top the most reliable brand rankings, according to an annual report publish...
Top 10 cheapest new hybrids for 2025
Looking for a cheap car that doesn't feel cheap yet has a cheaper cost of ownership than any other cheap car? The cheapest cheap car is a hybrid, and it should be no surprise it's a Toyota. With a Toyota Corolla Hybrid and its 50 mpg combined, the EPA estimates that you can save $3,250 in fuel costs over five years compared to a similarly-equippe...
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: How we’d equip our Best Car To Buy 2025 winner
Santa Fe Hybrid strikes the best value in base SEL trim with AWD for $40,975 It’s only $500 more than a similarly-equipped gas-only model But second-row captain’s chairs only come with the top Calligraphy model One strong reason the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid won our Best Car To Buy 2025 award was because of its value. Sure,...
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: Best Car To Buy 2025
The Santa Fe gains hybrid power, 36 mpg combined It outdoes the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Kia Sorento, and looks like a Land Rover The Hybrid model costs only $500 more than the gas-only Santa Fe A three-row crossover SUV with a hybrid powertrain may be nothing new, but packaged with a blocky La...
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron
While Audi still offers gas-powered utility vehicles in the form of the Q3, Q5, Q7, and Q8, it’s the battery-powered SUVs like the 2025 Q6 E-Tron that will convince many drivers to make their own power move. What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron? What does it compare to? A midsize electric crossover that seats five, the 2025 Aud...
2025 Rivian R1S
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Rivian R1S? What does it compare to? The Rivian R1S is an electric three-row SUV with three battery pack size options. With its gut-dropping acceleration, bona fide off-road prowess, and overall on-road comfort, it can’t be matched by the Kia EV9, Tesla Model X, and any other of the small but growing number...
Best minivans for 2025? Heed the Buzz
New minivans can be had with gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric powertrains The Toyota Sienna can only be had as a hybrid, and with all-wheel drive it gets 35 mpg combined The VW ID.Buzz is an electric van with 231 miles of range with AWD Minivans have never been better. Minivans are nowhere near as popular as they were at t...
Electric pickup trucks: A complete guide
Electric pickup trucks may not have the massive towing capacity of heavy duty diesel trucks, but for virtually every other purpose they are superior to gas- or diesel-powered trucks: they're cleaner, quieter, quicker, more fun to drive, more tech-forward, and in many cases more capable. On the downside, they're usually more expensiv...
First drive: 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid cures altitude sickness
The Sorento Hybrid AWD averaged 32.7 mpg during one Rocky Mountain vacation A center locking differential and Snow mode eased the anxiety of a snowy descent SX Prestige trim handles the altitude better than at least one human If I were to die today, my teenagers might scrawl an epithet that reads, “Drink more water.” It’s my ...
2025 Volkswagen Tiguan costs $30,920, drops third row option
Volkswagen on Wednesday confirmed pricing for the redesigned 2025 Tiguan small crossover, which is lighter and more powerful than the outgoing model but loses its third-row seat option. Pricing starts at $30,920 (including a $1,425 destination charge) for the base Tiguan S grade with front-wheel drive, which is $615 more than the current ...
Nissan Frontier vs. Toyota Tacoma: Compare Pickup Trucks
Midsize pickups can do plenty of work, but they can’t match the capability of their larger, more expensive full-size brothers. When that much capability isn’t needed, midsizers provide a more maneuverable, more affordable alternative. The smaller trucks have plenty of fans, as evidenced by the popularity of the 2025 Toyota Tacoma...
Test drive: 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid delivers compromise
Mazda CX-50 Hybrid cribs the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s powertrain CX-50 Hybrid lives with compromised packaging 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid costs $35,390; undercuts Honda CR-V Hybrid The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid is what happens when you take the soul of an unexciting Toyota and shove it into an already mildly compromised Mazda. Consider us.....
Ford recalls bevy of trucks and SUVs over trailer brake issue, again
Ford is recalling 10,627 pickup trucks and SUVs a second time because a trailer-brake software issue may not have been corrected under a previous recall. The list of recalled models includes: 2021-2022 Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck 2022 Ford F-250 heavy-duty pickup truck 2022 Ford F-350 heavy-duty pickup truck 2022 For...
VW ID.4 and Audi Q4 E-Tron recalled for loss of drive power
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 13,769 VW and Audi electric vehicles because of a battery issue—but not with the high-voltage battery packs that drive these vehicles. The recall of 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 and 2024-2025 Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback models focuses on the charging system for the 12-volt battery. This can pr...