MotorWeek

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're putting a new name from Lexus to the test, the all-electric RZ... Then, we'll get our hands dirty with some essential DIY car care advice... We'll clean up for a cruise in a classic Alfa Romeo coupe... Then, we'll beeline back for a buzz by in the new Dodge Hornet...

So, come drive with us, next!

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Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: Up to this point, when we've talked about an electrified Lexus, it's always been about one of the many pioneering hybrids they've had on the road since 2005.

Well, now Toyota's luxury marque has finally gone fully-electric with this RZ 450e utility.

So, let's see if this posh Lexus contender is ready to shakeup today's EV-world.

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is the brand's first global fully battery electric vehicle, and it's more of a "toe in the water" than a "plunge in" approach.

We say that as there's nothing radical here, no major breakthroughs in EV technology, just another competent, great looking 5-passenger Lexus utility vehicle that happens to run on batteries instead of petrol.

It doesn't look much different from other small Lexus crossovers either, just with more aero treatments like the pointy roof spoilers, smooth black fender flares over the 20 inch alloy wheels, and subtle body side sculpting.

Lexus even maintained their spindle grille shape here, even though there's now very little actual grillwork.

Like most Lexus vehicles, you can easily trace its roots back to a Toyota, in this case the bZ4X, but both the driving experience and its Ultrasuede covered interior are decidedly Lexus.

That makes the RZ 450 e very familiar to the faithful.

But, the layout inside is much different, with a thin dash and simplistic console that give a minimalist and much more luxurious presence to the environment.

The housing for the multimedia screen appears to come directly off the well-hooded driver display area which features full digital instrumentation.

There are physical control dials for temperature and volume control, but adjusting anything else requires the 14 inch touchscreen.

Front seats are comfortable, finely stitched, and both heated and ventilated.

Rear seats, not quite as comfortable, but the area is still very spacious.

Cargo capacity is a good 23.7 cubic-feet, with a max of 55.6 with seats folded.

The steer-by-wire yoke system that was the subject of both many a press release and Internet fodder is not quite available yet; but just as cool and way more practical, is this Dynamic Sky Panorama Glass Roof that frosts over at the touch of a button.

Direct4 all-wheel-drive is standard with a 150 kilowatt motor up front and a smaller 80 kilowatt unit for the rear axle, delivering a combined 308 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, much more than the bZ4X's max of 214 horsepower.

Just one battery size available, 71.4 kilowatt hour, which delivers a max of 220 miles of range, though Luxury trim is rated for just 196 miles.

When fully charged, the display on our Luxury tester read 217 miles being available; but as soon as we unplugged, drove away from the charger and flipped on the A/C on an 88 degree day, range immediately dropped to 160 miles, though we then proceeded to drive 20 miles using just 8.0 miles of indicated range.

All told, our driving loop took it down to 10 miles remaining, and by then we had driven 191 miles, so we'd say just over 200 miles is a reasonable expectation.

Charging capability maxes out at 150 kilowatt which will get you to 80 percent in about 30 minutes.

With about 100 more horsepower than the bZ4X, we were looking forward to getting to our Mason Dixon Dragway testing grounds.

And the RZ did not disappoint, gripping hard off the line, planting us firmly in the seat, and bolting to 60 in just 4.8 seconds, more than a second quicker than the Toyota.

Smooth and stable down the track, but power seemed to plateau and then taper off quite a bit before we reached the end of the quarter-mile.

Still, we logged 13.7 seconds at 98 miles per hour.

Through our handling course, the RZ did exhibit noticeable body roll and some understeer; but steering weight was quite good, with the car responding immediately to even the smallest of inputs.

Pricing starts with Premium trim at $59,650, top Luxury starts at $65,150.

It's easy to be disappointed by Lexus' more of a baby step into the EV world, rather than leaping forward; but it's certainly not a misstep as we really do love driving it, even more than it's Toyota kin, plus, it's one of the best-looking EVs yet.

Most importantly, the 2023 RZ 450e gets Lexus into the battery-electric game, and it'll only get better and more enticing from here.

In the 137 year history of the automobile, there have been many that both captured our attention, and progressed to legendary status.

But then there are others that, while coveted when new, are less well known to collectors of today.

Now, one such car recently caught the eye of our own Roger Mecca, who decided this particular Italian coupe deserved a return to the spotlight.

ROGER MECCA: For many devoted gearheads, there's that one car classic car they yearn for, endlessly scouring websites, auction catalogues and local car shows looking to find that pristine example or restorable project, that Holy Grail to make their car dreams a reality.

For these fanatics, just mentioning that particular make and model can induce regret-filled stories of missed opportunities or a longwinded discussion on why it's the ultimate in driving excellence.

Once such example is the Alfa Romeo GTV, produced between 1965 and 1974.

It was a designed to be the great balance between a family car and something you could rip down any tight Italian road.

And while it's flown under the radar for a lot of car fans, most Alfa enthusiasts will tell you this is what made the brand so iconic.

Richard Garre owns this 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV 1750, a car he's loved for 50 years.

In 1973, a college roommate who owned a GTV tossed Richard the keys and they went for a drive.

Within moments, he had an epiphany.

RICHARD GARRE: I was in the car for about 10 minutes and I go, "I need to own this car!"

It had everything.

It had the looks, it had the sound, it just it, it had just such a great visceral experience.

I go, "This is it.

I gotta own this car!"

The GTV, after driving it and owning it, it really did kind of change my life, especially towards being in the car business.

I realized after working on cars for a while, that uh, I think this is a business that I'm gonna be in.

So, the start of my senior year, I was...looking for... employment either, you know, twisting wrenches or working for a car company or a dealership.

ROGER: Which he did from then on, including once having his own shop that specialized in, you guessed it, Alfa Romeos, and other high-end European brands.

There were four main variations of the GTV, based on the displacement of the 4-cylinder twin cam aluminum engine.

The 1300, the 1600, the 1750, and the 2000.

Now, while each has their own followers, most Alfa fans, including Richard, will tell you the 1750 is the sweet spot.

It gives you the best balance of power and finesse.

Delivering 130 horsepower and 125 pounds of torque, the 1750 redlines at 7000 RPM.

And when you get there, the little 1.8 liter starts to sing.

Downshifting and throttling into a corner, it sounds and feels like you must be going 80, though you're barely doing 30.

In fact, it takes almost 10 seconds to reach 60.

But trust me, when everything feels and sounds this good, you don't care.

The five-speed doesn't like to be rushed, but it's velvety smooth.

The feather-light steering provides intuitive feedback and the cornering grip and stability encourage you to go harder and faster.

The GTV is so much fun to drive, you almost forget just how great it looks, even 45 years later.

It was the first model designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro, created when he was just 22 years old.

Known for such icons as the Lotus Esprit and BMW M1, he never liked the GTV.

Though, it's hard to understand why.

Simultaneously masculine and elegant, one look and there is no mistake what the GTV was designed for: driving fast and having fun, but still being refined and exotic.

Now, if you'd like to own a GTV, you are in luck because they made more than 40,000 of these over the years.

The challenge, however, is finding one that's in really good shape.

These were notorious rust buckets, and a lot of people didn't treat them very well, so finding one that's in excellent condition, that can be a hassle.

Finding one that's in perfect condition?

That can cost you $100,000.

But if you do find one to make your own, please do yourself and every GTV lover like Richard a favor: don't keep it safely tucked away like a museum showpiece.

Drive it as often as you can, just like Alfa Romeo intended.

But I have a feeling that once you get behind the wheel, that won't be a problem.

JOHN: Cars are complicated, but there's still a fair bit of maintenance you can do yourself.

So, here's Audra Fordin with tips on DIY car care that'll leave you feeling like a pro, on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

AUDRA FORDIN: With a little practice and instruction, you can do most minor item services on your car yourself.

Although, you don't have to: Any auto shop can do it for you, but they charge you a lot more money than if you would have bought it online yourself.

With us today is our online parts expert, Tom Taylor.

Welcome back, Tom.

TOM TAYLOR: Thanks for having me.

AUDRA: Of course, we're so glad to have you here and talk to us about some do-it-yourself items.

TOM: Yeah, one is the cabin air filter.

It's, uh, if you can change... the bag in your vacuum cleaner, you can change the cabin air filter.

And there's several choices: filter out just the basic dust and dirt, and then there's if you want to filter out odors, there will be a carbon material or electrostatic material that will get out the odors and...and gasses.

And then you can get one that does all that plus, it has super-fine filtering for getting mold spores and bacteria.

And, you can see this, this, uh, one was pulled out of this Honda here and it...it started, it started out white, it's starting to get the... the black film that shows it doesn't need to be replaced yet, but it's getting there.

AUDRA: Sure And inside of all those fins, you can see where it's trapping all of that dirt in there.

Changing your cabin air filter is such a great thing to do for the environment inside your cabin.

It feels better, it smells better, and it's easier to breathe, especially if you have allergies.

A number one reason for sneezing in your car is from the cabin air filter.

You know, if you can read about in your owner's manual, most likely you can do it yourself.

And, cabin air filter is one of those items, it's hiding in the cabin, behind the cabin air filter.

Once you...behind the glove box, once you pull down the glove box, there's a little clip in there to remove the door to access the filter.

And the most important thing I think you need to know is that on the filter, it actually says which direction the airflow is, so that it can trap all of that dirt and debris.

TOM: Right, yep.

Another surprisingly easy-to-do repair is to fix your windshield washer pump.

You may be like...concerned, "Oh, I have a rear windshield washer.

I have an SUV with a windshield wiper and washer in the back and a windshield washer in the front, none of its working, oh my gosh, it must be a complex problem."

But it could just be the windshield washer pump, that runs both the front and back.

The pump just has dual nipples that, with hoses running front and back, you snap this one part into your reservoir and suddenly everything works again.

The reservoirs are often located down under the... behind the front bumper cover, where you go underneath and it's easily accessible.

AUDRA: Sure, the hardest part about it, which isn't so difficult, is just prying it off, changing the connector, reclamping or re-putting on the hoses, and back together.

TOM: Yup...yeah.

It's a simple job, and...an amazing result.

It's like, "Hey the system went from not working to working and I did it myself."

AUDRA: And the best way I find to diagnose that is it's audible, by listening.

When you spray your windshield washer fluid, if you don't hear that pump going, it's typically the pump that's going bad.

TOM: Sure.

AUDRA: And if you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Now, let's head over to Stephanie Hart for all the latest MotorNews!

STEPHANIE HART: It's been an incredible summer for reveals, from SUVs to sports cars.

Chevrolet debuted the 2024 Traverse.

This 3rd generation model is powered by a new turbocharged 2.5 liter inline-4 making an estimated 315 horsepower.

A new off-road-focused Z71 trim packs all-terrain tires, extra ground clearance, skid plates and more.

Hyundai also took to the web to showcase the 5th generation Santa Fe.

This midsize SUV features a radical redesign both inside and out, with modern, EV-like cues throughout.

No exact details on powertrain or pricing just yet.

Subaru made an exciting BRZ reveal at Subiefest in California...

The BRZ will soon receive a tS trim, featuring track-oriented upgrades.

This means STI-tuned dampers, gold-painted Brembo brakes, and Michelin Pilot Sport four tires on 18 inch wheels.

The tS comes with a 6-speed manual only.

Nissan is spicing up their own coupe with the Z NISMO.

Underneath the trim-specific bodywork, Nissan fitted better brakes, suspension components and Dunlop performance tires.

The twin-turbo V6 sees a power increase, now 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet.

The Z's 9-speed automatic is standard.

Finally, in electric vehicle news, the US Department of Energy has selected JD Power to monitor the nation's EV progress...

The DOE has enlisted JD Power's EV Index to set benchmarks and monitor rising infrastructure development.

The EV Index is an analytic tool used to track the nation's growing electric vehicle market.

The Index tracks millions of data points across six categories, updated monthly.

According to JD Power, a lack of public charging infrastructure has consistently been a top consumer barrier to EV adoption.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews.

JOHN: If you're like us, you'll never turn down a chance to go for another QuickSpin!

GREG CARLOSS: Some would say the latest Honda Civic Type R, while plenty rowdy, is more mature than its previous iteration.

So, with Acura being the more refined of these two sibling brands, this 2024 Integra Type S should come across a bit more sophisticated than its Type R cousin.

Yet, despite that, the Type S is actually tuned to produce a bit more horsepower, five to be precise, bringing the total to 320 horsepower.

Not surprisingly, it uses the same VTEC 2.0 liter turbo-4 found in the Civic, paired exclusively to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Like, the Type R, this Type S delivers up to 310 pound-feet of torque.

And also, just like Honda, Acura did a great job of taming all that front-wheel torque; something felt and appreciated on the roads of Ojai, California.

Now, something you worry about in a high horsepower front-wheel-drive car is torque steer.

That's when you're accelerating and the front wheels start pulling in either direction, so you're actually steering the car in a way.

And Acura says, "With this dual-axis front suspension, they're able to cut down on that torque steer" and right there...even with a little bit of turn in the wheel here, it's not pulling me hard at all actually.

It's...I notice a hint of it.

You're going to get some torque steer with 320 horsepower going to the front wheels, but actually a really nice job of mitigating that.

Another part of that is the mechanical limited slip front differential...

The limited-Slip diff, combined with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires and adaptive dampers, means staying fixed to your favorite backroad is only as much of a chore as you make it.

The center-exit exhaust adds little more flow to this soundtrack, featuring extra "snap, crackle, and pop" as the Type S chews up asphalt for breakfast.

(engine revs) The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is making its way to dealers now with a starting price near $52,000.

We'll have a more in-depth look at this performance liftback and plenty more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: Dodge prides itself in being America's performance-first brand.

But as we all know, performance is going through a lot of changes these days.

For Dodge, that means entering the small crossover segment and doing it the way only Dodge can!

If you don't remember the Dodge Caliber, that's okay; Dodge would probably rather that you didn't.

So, let's just say this 2023 Dodge Hornet is the brand's first serious entry into the ever-growing small crossover field.

Dodge claims it's the quickest, fastest, and most powerful compact utility vehicle you can buy for less than 30-grand; and indeed, you'd have to look European and spend a lot more money to match the Hornet's numbers.

It starts with this base Hornet GT which outpowers anything else in the segment with a 2.0 liter turbo-4 outputting 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

It comes with standard all-wheel-drive.

Arriving not long after, will be the Hornet R/T with a smaller 1.3 liter turbo-4 engine, but gets a unique all-wheel-drive setup with a 90 kilowatt electric motor powering the rear wheels for a combined 383 pound-feet of torque.

And it's a plug-in hybrid with a 15.5 kilowatt hour battery providing more than 30 miles of strictly EV driving.

To create the Hornet, Dodge did indeed begin in Europe, borrowing the Alfa Romeo Tonale's chassis.

But Hornet is mostly wrapped in its own bodywork, including an aggressive face with lots of air flow, a wide stance, functional hood vents, and a full width tail lamp with an illuminated logo.

The interior is driver-focused, with tasteful amounts of chrome trim; and well outfitted with a 12 inch digital cockpit, and 10 inch touchscreen for Uconnect 5 both standard.

"Plus" trim adds navigation, sunroof, and leather; while an optional Track Pack spices things up with red accents, Alcantara sport seats, aluminum trim, and a unique steering wheel.

Those front sport seats are plenty comfortable, rear seats feel adequately spacious for a small crossover, and cargo space at 27.0 cubic-feet in back and a seats folded max of 54.7 cubic-feet is certainly on par for the segment.

Our GT didn't feel overly strong off the line, but once this Hornet got moving, it really flies.

We hit sixty in just 5.8 seconds.

Expect the R/T to be a second quicker.

The 1-2 shift was strong, but then they seemed to lag a little more as we revved higher.

The engine sounds very aggressive the whole time, and it was a speedy 14.5-second quarter-mile, finished at 95 miles-per-hour.

But Dodge didn't design Hornet to be a straight-line, one hit wonder.

So, Alfa's athletic chassis was a great starting point.

From there, they made Koni shocks standard.

Plus, the available Track Pack adds upgraded brakes and 20-inch wheels.

Now, it does take some effort to find the right tech settings, as initially, the stability systems were really holding us back.

But once dialed in, the Hornet easily handles among class leaders.

Factor in destination charges and you're slightly over that $30,000 mark, with the base GT coming in at $31,590, Plus trim takes it to $36,590, and the R/T starts at $41,590.

Why a compact SUV?

Well, that's where the sales are these days, and if you're Dodge and want to expand your lineup that had only three models, that's where you need to be.

Fortunately, Dodge did it in a way that's totally jives with their performance first attitude.

It may not have a HEMI, but this pint-sized performer truly delivers the muscle car vibe to the small crossover segment, and anyone in this HEMI-sphere can appreciate that.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time... We'll start up a utility from an electric start-up, the Rivian R1S.

Then, its pedal down and throttle up in the Aston Martin DBX.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek ... Television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) You're watching PBS.