MotorWeek

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

We're enjoying the feel behind the wheel of the Cadillac VISTIQ... Then, we'll press rewind for an 80s-style V8 sport coupe showdown... We'll go "Over the Edge" to a massive car show you ought to know about... And then, it's back to home base in the smart-casual Audi A3... So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

ANNOUNCER: MotorWeek : 45 years, steering you in the right direction!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over a million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

JOHN: While, Cadillac may have backed off their plans to be fully-electric by 2030, they're still steadily releasing an onslaught of pure EVs, totally revamping their lineup.

Well, the latest battery-powered Caddy to arrive goes by the name VISTIQ.

So, let's see how Cadillac's vision plays out.

As the fourth member of Cadillac's all-electric sport-utility team, the 2026 VISTIQ is batting clean-up, looking to knock it out of the park in the all-important midsize luxury 3-row family SUV segment that still has relatively few EV choices.

VISTIQ slots in between the LYRIQ, their original EV, and the Escalade IQ, their biggest.

You can think of it as a 3-row version the LYRIQ, as it rides on the same wheelbase, but has more of a traditional SUV shape rather than LYRIQ's wagon vibes.

GM's EV journey didn't begin with that LYRIQ, of course, or even the GMC Hummer EV that supplied its Ultium platform.

It was the infamous EV1.

We were among the first people to put this function-over-form battery-electric to the test back in 1996 and found it quick, quiet, and economy car-like; though, with a driving experience that was probably a bit too foreign for drivers to embrace quickly.

The VISTIQ certainly feels like a modern Cadillac when you're behind the wheel; it's big and powerful yet also very smooth and quiet.

It's a great place to spend some time getting from point A to point B, even if you're not in a hurry.

But, if you are in a hurry, the VISTIQ has got you covered there, too, sprinting to 60 in a scant 3.6 seconds at our Mason Dixon test track.

Plenty of torque off the line, but the amount of smoothness to the power delivery and sheer size of the vehicle mask the speed somewhat.

It never feels like you're going that fast.

Smooth, steady, and drama free throughout the quarter-mile with no power drop off and the typical turbine-like EV noises for 12.2 seconds, finishing at 113 miles per hour.

While, electric utilities of this size are extremely heavy vehicles, they do have the advantage of carrying the bulk of that weight down low, and also benefit from relatively low expectations when it comes to handling.

All of that works in the VISTIQ's favor by feeling much like most other big SUVs in our handling course.

Far from athletic, but smooth, solid and confidence inspiring.

There was a fair amount of body roll, but steering was very responsive by today's standards, despite a lack of feel for the driver.

The VISTIQ's brakes were also up to the task, as stops from 60 averaged a good 112 feet with some significant nosedive but good pedal feel.

All of this made possible by the VISTIQ's standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, which delivers 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.

It is rated for 305 miles of range from the 102 kilowatt hour battery pack, which charges at a rate of about 80 miles per 10 minutes with DC Fast charging.

We found that estimate to be nicely low as we were on pace for 356 miles in our driving loop.

Standard content is quite high, as all VISTIQs feature Super Cruise, heated and ventilated front seats, a 23-speaker AKG Studio sound system, panoramic dual pane sunroof, 33 inch driver info and infotainment LED display screen, and a great looking eco-inspired interior that stops just short of being over the top.

Lesser trims are outfitted for seven passengers with a 2nd-row bench seat, but most will be setup for six passengers with 2nd-row captain's chairs; 50/50 bench in the 3rd row with both.

There's a good blend of traditional Cadillac with modern EV outside.

The wheelbase is long, but the proportions and aggressive roofline strike a good balance by portraying classic style, with strong performance notes and a clear focus on aerodynamics.

Plenty of signature lighting of course, along with the biggest grille yet in the Cadillac portfolio.

Sport trim moves the needle in a masculine direction with lots of black trim, body color door handles, and 21 inch diamond cut Carbon Flash Metallic wheels.

Using 39 kilowatt hour of electricity per 100 miles, the VISTIQ earns a good efficiency rating.

Just $500 separates this Sport from base Luxury trim, which starts at $79,090; Premium Luxury and Platinum raise the stakes significantly, approaching six figures.

With a full portfolio of fully-electric SUVs, Cadillac has quickly turned themselves into the number one luxury EV brand in the U.S.

The 2026 VISTIQ strikes a great balance of delivering 3-row luxury and versatility, with a bonus of notable street performance, without being bulky.

It's easily our favorite Cadillac EV effort yet.

JOHN: But, while we like the Sport, the Catera that we want to buy is the Catera Steinmetz.

A one-off show car concept that debuted at last year's Chicago Auto Show, the Steinmetz is the product of Opal's favorite tuning house of the same name.

Clad in a full set of aerodynamic addons and outrageous pearl orange paint, this Catera is a real stunner.

Unfortunately, its one-off status meant that we couldn't drive it as hard as we would like; but, when gently pushed, the Steinmetz took to Roebling Road's curves like, well, a duck to water.

JOHN: Pebble Beach, Woodward, Goodwood.

Now, if you're a car enthusiast, you probably associate these landmarks with bucket-list automotive events.

Well, here's one you might not have heard of: Frankenmuth.

If it doesn't ring a bell, it should.

Not to worry, our "Over the Edge" guy Greg Carloss just made a trip there for you, for a taste of one big Michigan car show.

GREG CARLOSS: Here's a fun fact about me: I love cars almost as much as I love pretzels.

Luckily, Frankenmuth Auto Fest has plenty of both.

I've already got the pretzels, let's go check out some cars.

Admittedly, when I heard about the Frankenmuth Auto Fest, I had to Google Frankenmuth.

To save you some time, Frankenmuth is a town less than two hours north of Detroit formed by Bavarian immigrants in 1845...hence the pretzels.

Now, it's a tourist town, and every September it hosts a three-day Auto Fest.

TONY D'ANNA: Frankenmuth Auto Fest is a large group of people we get together.

Everybody's a volunteer, uh, and we're all for charity and have been for 42 years.

Frankenmuth's got the pizzazz, you know, it's a great city to be in.

We get 2,400-2,600 cars here, and then in town you'll find another 500, you know, roaming around.

GREG: The Auto Fest officially starts on Friday with a block party, and I mean party.

Main Street shuts down as hundreds of cars sit bumper to bumper on every side street, anxiously waiting to park on display.

But before they're released, there's a parade that's both visually and sonically captivating.

Before our ears stop ringing, the street is packed and standing still is not an option, so we just start walking until we see something truly worth stopping for.

TIM JANSEN: So, I got a 1931 Plymouth.

Um...it's a rat rod.

I custom built pretty much the whole thing; some personal things on there like my...my grandpa's old wrenches and-- so there's a little family history to it.

Just to enjoy it at a show like this is just really, really amazing.

So, we get here 6:30, 7 o'clock in the morning, sit all day and, uh...just, just in hope of a chance to get a spot on the road.

There's a lot of big money cars that come to the show.

It's kind of the end of the season, so you get to see a lot of cars that maybe you would see at Woodward or down in Florida, like cars that you wouldn't see at a lot of local shows.

BOB NORTON: This is a great collection of just gorgeous cars, and they come a long ways to get here.

I came two and a half hours to get here, and it's worth the trip.

There's one of everything here.

So, if you stay long enough you're going to see any car you want.

GREG: Friday's block party comes to a close with a brand-new drone show that even our high-end cameras can't do justice.

Saturday morning, on the other side of the river, more than 2,000 cars enter the park via land and water.

TONY: Look at the facility here, this is a great park.

We're right along the Cass River.

We're going to have a water ski show today; so, we use everything in the area.

I love it.

I just love all the attitude of everybody.

I like all of us getting together here and doing this stuff.

What we've done for the hospitals in the area, for children, that's our big deal.

GREG: A big deal, indeed.

Frankenmuth Auto Fest has raised almost $2 million for charity in the last 12 years, and with about 100,000 people in attendance this year, that figure will grow.

As you'd expect with a show this close to Detroit, the vast majority of cars are American classics; however, there are a few imports if you look hard enough.

Despite all the chrome and the massive blowers, it's this open-wheel Buick that catches my eye.

And it's getting a little custom work done by one of the show's many vendors.

ALEX RAMSIER: I brought my 1925 Buick Speedster.

Did some mechanical work to the car, nothing cosmetic?

And just trying to make it, personalize it a little bit more.

GREG: Whether, it's Alex's Buick or any of the thousands of other cars here this weekend, no two are exactly alike.

But there is something that all the owners share.

ALEX: Cars are my life.

It's eat, sleep, drink cars.

You just smell the gas, the oil, exhaust.

It's just...fun.

It makes you smile.

BOB: When I sit behind that steering wheel and look over that turquoise hood, life is really, really good.

GREG: Frankenmuth Auto Fest is one of the biggest, coolest and maybe the friendliest car shows I've ever been to.

So, if you're ever in the area, check it out.

Because es ist gut!

JOHN: For our little test, Porsche kindly lent us a brand-new 928S, generally regarded as the most refined of European sporty cars.

At $43,000 each and a tested price of $45,000, it should be.

And the contender?

Well, at a mere $13,600, the hottest version of America's best-selling sports coupe, the Chevrolet Camaro Z28.

For the record, the 928 and the Z28 are remarkably similar.

Both are rear-drive cars with a 2+2 configuration and a large glass hatch.

At 3,370 pounds, the smaller Porsche actually weighs 40 pounds more than the Chevy.

All 928s now carry the "S" designation to signify a bored-out, all-aluminum V8.

That means, 4.7 liters of displacement, 234 horsepower and 263 pounds of torque.

The Z28 has the latest version of Chevy's cast-iron 5.0 liter V8.

In this high-output rigging, it pumps out 190 horsepower and 240 pounds of torque with GM's Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor.

The 928 drew the first punch; it accelerated to over 120 past the pit road and down the long straightaway.

The unusual shifting pattern, first gear is down and on the left, was awkward for all the drivers, but it didn't really make any difference since the Porsche's strong power meant that downshifting was necessary only two times per lap.

Down the chute into turn five, and the carousel turn six and seven, the Porsche rolled more than expected; adhesion could be maintained only with a consistent throttle.

Through the paddock bend-- that's turn 10- and across the finish line, the clock was stopped at a time of 1:40 exactly.

But now, it's time for the challenger.

With peak torque and horsepower at lower rpms, the Z28 is definitely fast; plus, the conventional shift pattern makes the power more usable than in the 928.

The biggest surprise to drivers was how well the solid-axle rear suspension held firm with little twitch until you reached the car's limits.

All through turns seven, eight and nine, the powerful V8 again proved formidable, except that, again, speeds had to drop sooner and faster into paddock turn 10 than with the 928.

Still, the Camaro fairly flew across the finish line.

And the time, are you ready?

1:38.30, for an average speed of 73.25 miles per hour.

The 928S is a marvelously refined sports car and will serve its high-class clientele perfectly fine.

But for Z28 owners, while you may have a car with hundreds of thousands of lookalikes, numbers don't have to breed mediocrity.

JOHN: Sometimes, you just need to go for a long drive, and that time is now.

So, here's this week's QuickSpin!

GREG: An all-new Hyundai Palisade has arrived for 2026, and while we've already driven the standard V6 Palisade, this week it's a QuickSpin in a first time Palisade Hybrid.

The brand-new Hybrid setup combines a 2.5 liter turbocharged I4 with a pair of electric motors that are integrated into the transmission.

Ratings are 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque.

That's 15 percent more horsepower and 27 percent more twist than the Palisade's standard V6.

It's also more efficient, up to 34 miles per gallon Combined.

BRIAN ROBINSON: This 2nd gen Palisade is bigger than the 1st gen, and you do feel it when you're driving it around, but it's also a lot quieter and the ride quality, overall, much improved.

As far as the hybrid powertrain, it is much more powerful than the V6, you feel it right away off the line.

And they put a lot of effort into keeping everything very smooth, and that's with a true 6-speed automatic transmission still instead of going the CVT route, which would probably have been more efficient, but as far as the overall driving experience, certainly much better with the 6-speed.

GREG: Not much is unique to the Hybrid; just a different gauge theme for the 12 inch driver display, some new hybrid-specific presentations in the infotainment touchscreen, and a bit less 2nd-row legroom due the 1.65 kilowatt hour battery's location under the front passenger seat.

With both hybrid motors being integrated into the transmission, the Palisade's HTRAC all-wheel-drive system remains fully mechanical, so it's available in front- or all-wheel-drive, and with most trims, the exceptions being the base SE and off-road-focused XRT.

Pricing starts with a front-drive SEL for around $45,000, about a $2,200 premium over the V6.

JESSICA RAY: Now, for those looking for a sport utility with an emphasis on "Sport," this 2025 Audi RS Q8 fits the bill.

Audi decided to ditch the "standard" RS Q8s for 2025, now solely offered as this refreshed Performance grade.

Updates are consistent with changes to other Q8 models with some RS-uniqueness: A new front end with updated air intakes, an adjusted rear end and new wheels.

It's still quite attractive, blending aesthetics with athleticism, the latter defined by a twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8.

A glorified grocery getter you may see, but at 631 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, all delivered to the pavement through an 8-speed auto and quattro all-wheel-drive, the RS Q8 can get the soup home before it gets cold; and with adaptive air suspension and active roll stabilization, you won't risk the bisque leaving any spills.

From the outside, the RS Q8 is a pretty unassuming looking vehicle.

But under the sheet metal, it packs Lamborghini Urus levels of power and performance.

It's nimble and responsive for a midsize SUV, and the biturbo V8 sounds really good when things are dialed in.

Shifts are incredibly smooth from the 8-speed automatic; but if you want to turn things down a little bit, you can put it into comfort mode and the RS Q8 turns into a really nice daily driver.

We're still fans of Audi's Q8 interior layout; here, the 12.3 inch virtual cockpit shows unique RS Performance modes, and the sport seats look and feel great, even on long hauls.

Starting around $138,000, the 2025 Audi RS Q8 is not a cheap thrill; but, it does package all of our RS expectations in a do it all package.

And we'll have more QuickSpins soon!

JOHN: There are fewer and fewer traditional sedans to choose from these days.

But fortunately, most of the best ones have survived the continuing crossover takeover, and that includes this subcompact Audi A3.

While, not all new, the A3 does get some notable updates for 2025.

So, let's enjoy it while we can!

Audi makes great sport sedans regardless of size, but most everything about this subcompact 2025 Audi A3 just feels right sized.

It helps, of course, that it shares its bones with the always fantastic Volkswagen Golf GTI.

That means, it has the latest 2.0 liter turbo-4, getting a boost in torque for '25, now 236 pound-feet, up from 221, with the same 201 horsepower; all coming with a 7-speed automatic transmission.

Knowing there are S and RS versions outranking this humble A3, our expectations were tempered heading to our Mason Dixon Dragway testing grounds, but 6.3 seconds to 60 is pretty quick.

Launching was tricky, trying to find that sweet spot of feeding in power without bogging things down while waiting for the turbos to kick in full.

We were surprised to see Audi even includes Launch Control to help here in the standard A3, but even it struggled, as we were generally able to do a better job of managing traction off the line.

And speaking of traction, the biggest drivetrain news for '25 is that quattro is now standard, no more front-wheel-drive A3s running around, at least for the time being.

Working down the track, there was very little engine noise in the cabin; and automatic shifts were very smooth, providing a luxury car-like experience for the 14.9 second quarter-mile, finishing at 93 miles per hour.

No major chassis changes for this A3, but none were really needed, as it felt absolutely glued to the track through our handling course.

It was extremely nimble and neutral as we were racing through the cones with no noticeable understeer or oversteer, pushing harder and harder each run.

Body roll was minimal, and even when we did get stability control to step in, it did so smoothly, only pulling minimal power.

Getting through the cones at sport sedan speeds in this standard A3 has us really looking forward to our RS3 Road Test coming later this season.

Despite a very soft-feeling brake pedal, braking performance was quite good with consistent, straight, and smooth stops averaging just 104 feet from 60.

(car whooshing by) The A3's interior has been updated with new materials, lighting, and reshaped air vents, while the electronic shifter changes from a mini toggle switch to more of a slider, and Audi's 10 inch digital instrument cluster is now standard.

Standard infotainment is now a 10 inch touchscreen, and Audi's latest MMI not only works faster, but includes direct downloads of many popular apps, allowing you to stream your content and playlists without smartphone connection.

Inside, it does still feel like a subcompact, so it can be a little tight for bigger drivers and passengers, especially in the rear seat.

But trunk space of just 8.3 cubic-feet is probably the biggest reminder of this small car's status.

When it comes to the exterior, in the Audi tradition, it looks more classy than flashy, with updates for '25 following the usual fascia redoes, new lighting, and fresh designs for the standard 17 inch and optional 18 inch wheels, all giving it a sportier appearance, helping it look a little more like the S3 than before.

With quattro now standard, and the significant number of updates, it's not a surprise to see base pricing come in higher, with Premium trim now starting at $39,495 and Premium Plus at $42,095.

The 2025 Audi A3 is a great reminder of just how rewarding a straightforward sport sedan can be.

Whether, you're looking for an affordable entry into European-style luxury, or an entertaining 4-door to provide some back roads driving thrills, the A3 rewards well above expectations.

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're taming an off-road beast, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, and seek electric big family rapport in Hyundai's IONIQ 9.

We'll have a "Your Drive" demo on a project-saving tool and a special report on how to make safe vehicles even safer.

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... The MotorWeek App which includes our latest reviews and feature stories is now available for mobile devices.

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over a million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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

(engine revving) You're watching PBS.