MotorWeek

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

Our first test sees the Subaru Crosstrek add hybrid help... Then, we'll get help from Logan McCombs on ratchets and sockets... Stephanie Hart sits in with a hands-on group making teen driving safer... Followed by a freshened breeze from the Mazda CX-30 Aire Edition... So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: Subaru has really been taking their hybrid game much more seriously of late.

First, by debuting an all-new hybrid system in the Forester last year, and now spreading it to the Crosstrek this year.

A more efficient Crosstrek seems like a no-brainer to us, so grab your gear and join us for a trek through all that's new with the Crosstrek.

We're well-documented fans of the Subaru Crosstrek, going back to the days when it used to have an XV in its name, continuing right up to their latest, this 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.

People tend to forget that there was a hybrid version of that original XV Crosstrek way back in 2014, the first Hybrid from the brand.

And they even followed that up with a PHEV version of the Crosstrek in 2019, also Subaru's first plug-in.

The setup for '26 is a more traditional series-parallel system with the best of both worlds by being both more efficient and more powerful, outperforming the Crosstrek's standard engine by 14 horsepower and 7-combined MPGs.

The Hybrid builds on a reduced output version of the standard naturally aspirated Crosstrek 2.5 liter boxer-4, but with the two added electric motors, combined output is 194 horsepower.

Both motors are packed inside the variable transmission.

The standard all-wheel-drive system remains fully mechanical.

There's a manual shift mode with six defined ratios verses the standard Crosstrek's eight; and in addition to Sport and Intelligent Drive modes, there's now an EV Drive mode allowing for very limited battery-only driving.

If all that sounds familiar, it is mostly the same setup we drove a few months ago in the Forester Hybrid.

And, since this Crosstrek is a few hundred pounds lighter and nimbler, that suggests even more fun.

Now, let's not get carried away here, you're not likely to get yourself into too much trouble, as Subaru safety features always take their job seriously.

But, it definitely feels a little livelier, especially right off the line and when Crosstrek-ing through the urban grid; both situations making best use of the electric boost, all less noticeable at highway speeds.

Wintertime testing did allow us to fully appreciate Subaru's always great all-wheel-drive setup, but a snow-covered track kept us from our usual acceleration runs.

We expect the hybrid Crosstrek will shave a tenth or two off the 8.1 0-60 we got in the Forester, which would be a nice upgrade over the 8.6 seconds we recorded in our last Crosstrek test.

More relevant numbers are the Government Fuel Economy Ratings which are 36 across the board for city, highway, and combined.

We underachieved a little, averaging 34.8 miles per gallon of Regular, but that still compares quite favorably to the 25.7 miles per gallon we saw in our 2024 Crosstrek test.

And, it's an improved Energy Impact Score too, using 8.3 barrels of oil annually while emitting 4.1 tons of CO2.

Buyers sticking with the non-hybrid version of the Crosstrek will also get a boost in power for '26, as the incoming Hybrid has bumped the 152 horsepower 2.0 liter out of the lineup, making the 180 horsepower 2.5 liter the new standard engine.

All the stuff Subaru buyers are accustomed to receiving are still present here in the Crosstrek Hybrid, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, lots of body cladding outside, and durable materials inside.

Unique Hybrid elements include dark finished 18 inch alloy wheels and two exclusive paint color choices including this Sand Dune Pearl.

Hybrids also get an upgraded fully digital gauge display, unique floor mats, and contrast stitching throughout.

Wireless phone charging, power moonroof, and a few more safety features are thrown in to help justify the higher price.

Battery placed under the cargo floor robs a small amount of space, 18.6 cubic-feet down from 19.9; max with seats folded is 50.6 cubic-feet.

The hybrid is available only in Sport and Limited trims with Sport starting at $35,415 about three-grand over a comparable non-hybrid.

That gap closes a bit, if you step up to Limited trim which comes with just a $2,000 premium.

While, Subaru has been investing heavily in EVs lately with partner Toyota, we're glad to see they're not putting all their eggs in the BEV basket.

Hybrids will play a major role in at least the immediate future of the car biz.

So, this 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid will keep Subaru fans trekking happier, and more efficient, for years to come.

JOHN: Clearly, the Blackwood doesn't fit the traditional pickup definition.

Indeed, it's part Lincoln Navigator Sport Ute and part Ford Supercrew with plenty of glitzy Lincoln touches, like the prominent chrome-trimmed grille, integrated turn signals in the side mirrors, Chris Craft style faux wood applique on the exterior bed panels, polished aluminum fuel filler door and giant 18 inch alloy wheels wearing wide 275/55 Michelin tires.

Though, the trickest piece of all is this solid, power-operated, but non- removable, tonneau cover.

It covers a carpeted and stainless steel-lined 56.3 inch long cargo space that's accessed not by a tailgate but by Dutch doors.

No dirt bikes or lawn tractors in here please.

Plus, micro-cellular urethane body mounts to reduce noise and vibration.

It's the kind of smooth luxo-ride that you expect from a Lincoln, you just don't expect it in a truck.

But once you experience, you'll be willing to cross all of America in it.

JOHN: Statistics show that teen drivers are involved in deadly car accidents three times more than adult drivers.

So, a teen advanced car control driving school is one great idea to keep teens and our roads safe.

Our Stephanie Hart traveled to Concord, North Carolina, to show us the lifesaving driving skills that teens are learning to master.

STEPHANIE HART: I'm here at the zMAX Dragway where teens are learning lifesaving driving skills on three courses like this one, completing a total of six exercises.

This course is designed to simulate wet driving conditions during the B.R.A.K.E.S.

advanced car control driving school.

INSTRUCTOR: Get up to 14, and off the gas.

Alright, easy, turn, easy, correct, correct, correct... Whammm.

STEPHANIE: That's what happens when you abruptly turn the wheel during a rear wheel skid.

Through hands-on trial and error, the teens eventually got the hang of it thanks to excellent instructors.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright, off the gas, no brake.

Alright, easy turn, keep turning, keep turning correct, correct, correct, steer to that car.

So, you're getting right here and you're stopping, alright?

Use that hand over steering, keeping steering the wheel to catch back up with the car.

STEPHANIE: As the teens learned, slowly steering into the skid can prevent an accident and keep everyone safe on the road.

AMELIA TELFORD: I didn't know you were supposed to turn into the slide.

I thought just slam on the brakes and that really could be worse.

And it taught me a lot, and it's going to make me more cautious on the road.

STEPHANIE: One hundred eighty teens and parents are participating in the free two-day B.R.A.K.E.S.

advanced car control driving school.

The program is open to most teens who have a learner's permit or driver's license with at least 30 hours of driving experience.

MATT REILY: The B.R.A.K.E.S.

is a non-profit charity that was started back in 2008 right after NHRA star Doug Herbert lost both his boys in a horrible car accident here in North Carolina, and Doug wanted to do something to try to teach other teens how to be safe behind the wheels.

STEPHANIE: B.R.A.K.E.S.

has trained more than 150,000 people in 15 states during the last 17 years.

MATT: Personally, I don't want to see another teen not get that training and not make it home.

At this age, you go into high school with a 50 percent chance that they may get involved in a car crash and with our program we have shown, statistically, our graduates are 64 percent less likely to crash.

So, we're just trying to give the teens more tools in their toolbox to pull from on a Friday or Saturday night and just get them home in one piece.

STEPHANIE: Distracted driving is tackled in this unique exercise, designed to be ridiculously exaggerated so the teens don't forget its important lesson.

INSTRUCTOR: Right there is where I want you to stop, now you're going to do that between 5 and 10 miles an hour, right?

I want you to hold this, and I want you to read it to us out loud as we're doing that.

And I have these balls, and you and I are going to play catch while we are doing all that.

STEPHANIE: The goal?

Don't knock down any cones.

The lesson?

Tell distracting friends to stop it and if they ignore you, pull over.

Another important part of the program is teaching teens to safely share the road with trucks like this one.

I want you to take a look at this.

This scenario could be a potential problem and here's why.

MATT: We never want to hover right over the front end of that truck because he won't be able to stop as fast as your car can stop.

STEPHANIE: The teens also learned if they can't make eye contact with the truck driver in his mirror then they're in the truck's blind spot, a dangerous place to be.

And on this course, the teens find out what they should do, if they drop a wheel off the edge of the road.

GARRETT BURRIS: You come here and you learn, you know, how to drive really well, and it's a great time.

STEPHANIE: Ultimately, teaching teens things they probably didn't learn from a typical driver's ed program or mom and dad.

MATT: I find that some of the teens today aren't as excited about cars, so it gets them excited about driving.

It's a... it's a path to freedom, and when you see that little light bulb go off in their head and they get it, and then later on you read stories and...and get phone calls from the parents that tell us their teen has done something with the training to save them, and they always say, "I remember that instructor's voice in my head and it worked," and that makes us feel good.

That's why we keep coming back.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright, don't hit her.

What're you doing?

Uhh!

Alright, back her up.

JOHN: The right tool for the right job.

A good set of sockets and ratchets can be just that.

Well, Logan McCombs knows the basics on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

(car engine starts up) LOGAN MCCOMBS: One of the most handy tools to have when working on your car is a good set of sockets.

These allow you to grip onto fasteners once, then tighten or loosen them just by moving the handle back and forth, and not re-applying it to over and over again, like with regular wrenches.

But not all sockets or ratchets are created equal, and here's what you need to know.

Regular sockets are typically made of a chrome vanadium steel.

This is a strong form of steel, but it can also be brittle.

Just like with wrenches, you'll see sockets with six or twelve points of contact.

Six points offer a more secure grip on fasteners and are best for higher-torque applications, while a 12-point sockets gives you more versatility, but it may be more likely to round off the corners of a nut due to its shallow grip.

Impact sockets have a thicker sidewall for durability, and you'll typically notice that they're black, and that's how you know it's an impact socket.

They're made of a molybdenum steel, which is actually a "softer" metal that will twist and deform slightly to absorb the impact, rather than break like regular sockets might.

When it comes to ratchets, one big consideration is the number of "teeth" they have.

If you look here, I have the sprocket from inside a ratchet, and that click that you hear is the paws passing by each tooth.

So, the greater the number of teeth, the more precise the movement can be, so you can work in tighter areas and it makes it a bit easier on your hands.

This ratchet here has 90 teeth, so it just needs four degrees of swing to engage the next tooth.

For comparison, a ratchet with 32 teeth needs 11 degrees of motion.

That's a pretty big difference.

Now, having a good variety of sockets and ratchet handles will make any job around the house or garage a lot easier.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Before our next Road Test, lets take it around the block for a new QuickSpin.

GREG CARLOSS: Something has been missing from the Jeep portfolio.

Well, actually, it's two things: One, the Cherokee compact utility, and two, a traditional hybrid.

2026 sees the end of both streaks with the new Jeep Cherokee, their first standard hybrid, which we sampled in California.

When we say this is Jeep's first hybrid, we're talking about a typical gasoline-electric hybrid, not a plug-in hybrid like the 4xe.

The hybrid system is making use of a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder turbo and an eCVT so it's not a traditional CVT with the bands.

And the way I can kind of describe it driving it is there's more of an immediate response when you press the throttle.

It doesn't feel like the bands are tightening.

And it's a quick response.

There's enough torque.

Now, we can argue about more power all day long.

This might be controversial amongst some of my peers out here, but I actually think that the 210 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque is adequate.

I think there's enough power here to get going.

That power is delivered to a standard part-time all-wheel-drive system.

A small 1.0 kilowatt hour battery provides enough start-off juice to tick fuel economy up to 39 city, 35 highway and 37 combined.

As for style, it's boxier than the last Cherokee, and longer by about 5.0 inches.

That adds a little more cargo space, but 2nd row legroom actually drops nearly 2.0 inches.

The interior is clean and straightforward.

You've got a 12.3 inch infotainment screen, and an easy view of the 10-and-a-quarter-inch gauge display thanks to a large steering wheel.

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee is out now, starting around $37,000, working up to $45,000 for a top-trim Overland.

JESSICA RAY: They say bigger isn't always better; but if consumer trends are any indication, that is the case for the Toyota Grand Highlander, which outsold the regular Highlander by more than double in 2025.

Entering its third year on the market, this 2026 Grand Highlander is looking to maintain its lead.

This new Hybrid Nightshade mixes the bright idea of electrified propulsion with popular moody tones, apparent by its stealthy 20 inch alloys and assortment of black garnishing across its midsize 3-row form.

And that's certainly part of the Grand Highlander's success: An adult-friendly 3rd row, 33.5 inches of legroom, up from the Highlander's 28.

Up front, the pair of 12.3 inch screens and 11 speaker JBL sound system only bolster its position.

Even further forward, this Hybrid nets 245 horsepower from its 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine and eCVT, and comes standard with electronic on-demand all-wheel-drive.

There are three powertrain options for the Grand Highlander.

When we first tested one back in 2024, we drove the performance-oriented Hybrid Max.

Now, we're driving the fuel-efficiency oriented traditional hybrid.

It is the least powerful of all of the powertrains, but there's more than enough get up and go for all daily driving.

Plus, Toyota's smooth and seamless hybrid system means that this Grand Highlander can see up to 37 miles per gallon in the city.

That's the best in its class, especially since this also has an adult sized 3rd row.

So, this Grand Highlander is ready for every soccer practice and school drop off.

A solid family hauler, our Hybrid Nightshade starts near $55,000, but the Hybrid LE starts around $47,000 and a gas-only Grand Highlander can be had around $43,000.

Obviously, Toyota's looking to differentiate the Highlander by switching it to a full battery-electric model for 2027, but for now, this 2026 Grand Highlander Hybrid is staying the course.

And we'll stay the course with more QuickSpins soon!

JOHN: When the Mazda CX-30 arrived for 2020, we wondered why the brand needed two compact utilities in their lineup.

Well, the CX-30 eventually displaced the CX-3 and continued to evolve ever since, with tweaks added here and turbos added there.

Now, fast forward to this 2026 CX-30.

So, let's see what's in the wind for Mazda's smallest Ute.

We knew this CX-30 would be a real hit for Mazda from the moment we first drove it.

Now, 6 years into its lifecycle, there's most likely a new one right around the corner.

But, before moving on, and with such enduring popularity, we wanted one more turn in the 2026 Mazda CX-30.

And there is visibly "new" news for '26, this Aire Edition.

Building on the CX-30's Preferred Package, the Aire Edition adds unique 18 inch black metallic aluminum wheels, and applies gloss black finishes to the roof rails, side mirrors, and exterior emblems.

In contrast to all the darker hues outside, Aire Edition gets a light and bright interior with unique materials and handsome stitching, adding to what was already a very premium feel cabin environment.

Mazda keeps the multi-function command controller for their 10 inch multimedia setup, and also includes plenty of logically placed manual controls.

Driver info is provided in a sharp-looking LCD gauge display that maintains an analog look to it.

Front seats are a little small, and space up front is cozy; even more so in the rear seat.

Seats come fitted in white leatherette, and if you opt for the turbo engine upgrade, you'll also get gray suede-like panels worked in.

And the seat of our pants does highly recommend you make that upgrade as this 2.5 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder puts out 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, a healthy step up over the standard naturally aspirated 2.5 liter's 186 horsepower, and it even comes with an "engine harmonic enhancer."

All that Turbo's torque seems to arrive right away and has this little Ute feeling quite punchy on the street.

Those ratings are when using Premium fuel, as Mazda continues to give ratings for both Premium and Regular.

With 87 octane, output is reduced to a still good 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet.

Six-speed transmissions are a bit of a rarity these days, but Mazda is still a believer and we appreciate it.

It may not be as quick in the quarter-mile, but in daily driving, not enduring a constant random gear shuffle when you're cruising at slower speeds is a relief.

And in a subcompact utility class where some don't even offer all-wheel-drive, it's included as standard with every CX-30.

In our handling course, it felt exactly as we were expecting, which is to say quick and spot on with great balance.

A new limited slip differential and upgraded dampers are in place for '26 with a mission of providing just a bit more comfort without affecting handling characteristics.

Steering has the kind of tautness that makes you feel really connected to the car, not just initiating a process for computers to then carry out for you.

Mazda's i-ACTIV all-wheel-drive uses G-Vectoring Control Plus to apply muted braking and torque delivery adjustments to help the cause.

In the straight-line environment, it didn't register quite as peppy as it does on the street, but it remains very smooth and surprisingly quiet.

There was still a nice lift of power right off the line with 0-60 in 6.5 seconds.

All-wheel-drive grip very effectively transferred power to the pavement.

Gearchanges were soft and smooth.

quarter-mile trips took 14.8 seconds at 95 miles per hour with seemingly no power drop-off in the process.

Stopping distances were a little inconsistent in our panic braking runs, but a 112 foot average from 60 is certainly acceptable.

(SUV whooshing by) Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the Turbo are 22 city, 30 highway, and 25 combined.

We average a good 27.5 miles per gallon on Regular fuel.

That's an average Energy Impact Score with use of 11.9 Barrels of Oil Annually and 5.8 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

The CX-30 starts at just $27,470.

This 2.5 Turbo Aire Edition is a bigger tally at $35,905.

Still, that's well below top Turbo Premium Plus.

The CX-30 is a much better execution of the small crossover theme than the CX-3, bringing an Audi-like feel and attention to detail to the segment.

So, it makes sense that Mazda hasn't messed with the formula too much these last half-dozen years.

This 2026 2.5 Turbo Aire Edition sticks with that while giving buyers another timely option, one that we think Mazda fans will be, like us, very happy with.

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 when we center up our look at the new Nissan Sentra before being whisked away by the Lucid Air Touring.

Until next time, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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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.

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