AutoGuide Now for the Week of April 7
Published: April 7th, 2014
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Our editors are trading in the luxurious and sporty cars from last week for practical, family-friendly minivans. See what else we’re testing this week on AutoGuide Now.
2014 Dodge Grand Caravan – Mike Schlee, Road Test Editor: “”When people think minivan, the Dodge Grand Caravan is usually the first image that comes to mind. The originator and best seller in the segment, this week I will be driving a 2014 model as part of a three-way minivan comparison video. But my Grand Caravan isn’t just any Grand Caravan, it is the loaded up, sporty Blacktop model.”
2014 Hyundai Tucson: “Continuing the Second Opinion series, this week sees my wife Amanda in the 2014 Hyundai Tucson. Similar to the model Managing Editor, Luke Vandezande drove late last year, what will our general consumer think of Hyundai’s ultra-compact crossover?” Mike will be tweeting his thoughts about the Dodge Caravan and Hyundai Tucson, so be sure to follow along on Twitter.
2014 Toyota Sienna SE V6 – Colum Wood, Editor-in-Chief: “Last week’s Porsche 911 Turbo has nothing on the spectacular example of beauty and engineering that I have the privilege to drive this week: the Toyota Sienna. If you just imagined hearing a sad trombone, I don’t blame you. Still, for families, the Sienna is one of the best buys in the minivan segment. But it’s not the only one. That’s why this week the AutoGuide team will be out shooting a full-scale compare of all the top minivan contenders.” Is the Sienna the best minivan around? Tweet your thoughts to Colum, and follow the comparison test in real time on Twitter.
2014 Honda Odyssey – Luke Vandezande, Managing Editor: “Minivans are the antithesis of cool, but oh how useful they can be. How else can you haul a brood of kids and toys, or buddies and bad-for-you beverages all at once? And as these things go, I’ve probably got the coolest one of the lot. Honda’s Odyssey can be equipped with high-end features like… a vacuum cleaner. Regrettably, I won’t be able to use it to tidy my third-story apartment. But I am expecting it to clean up in this week’s shootout against the Dodge Grand Caravan and Toyota Sienna.” Follow Luke on Twitter to ask him questions about the van.
2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk – Craig Cole, Associate Editor: “This week I’m sampling the all-new Jeep Cherokee, a small SUV with serious off-road capability. The Trailhawk model offers an elevated ride height, low-range gearing, a locking rear differential and many more mudslinging features. I can’t wait to find out what she’s capable of, both on road and off.” A real off-roading Jeep is here and Craig’s just the guy to test it out. Follow his updates on Twitter, and be sure to ask him about the Cherokee’s capability.
2014 Ford Fusion – Sami Haj-Assaad, Features Editor: “I’m spending the week with the sexy Fusion, which is outfitted with a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine. While the engine manages to put out similar horsepower and torque as the 1.6-liter unit it replaces, Ford also promises better refinement out of this years model – something that was seriously lacking from that old motor.” Don’t forget to spill the beans about this turbocharged sedans fuel economy! Follow along with Sami on Twitter.
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
More by Sami Haj-Assaad
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Oh no. After a week of exotics, this lineup looks pretty lame ass guys.