2020 Subaru Ascent Touring Review – Our Favorite Turbocharged Three-Row Crossover
By Steve & Tamami Laser We’ve tested lots of Subaru models over the years, including the XV Crosstrek, Forester,...
Category: Car Reviews
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD Review – Duramax Turbodiesel Ready to Work and Play
By John Faulkner Clean Fleet Report; with photos and video by Steve Laser CarNichiWa.com Well-Mannered at Work or in the...
2020 Subaru Outback Onyx Edition XT Review – Best Outback Yet is a Turbocharged Delight
By Steve & Tamami Laser We just wrapped up a week behind the wheel of the all-new, sixth-generation 2020...
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line Turbo Review – The Best Soul Ever Delivers A Sporty Vibe
By Steve & Tamami Laser For more than a decade, Kia has been offering the boxy Soul as a...
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited X 4X4 – Family Friendly SUV with True Jeep DNA
By John Faulkner Clean Fleet Report Off-Road Confidence + Refined Highway Ride The Jeep® Grand Cherokee is both iconic and...
2018 Honda CR-V Long-Term Review – Our Top 5 “Likes” After 1 Year of Driving
By Steve & Tamami Laser Time flies when we’re having fun. And we’ve been having lots of fun during...
2019 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 Review – Iconic American Sports Car is a Future Collectible
By John Faulkner Clean Fleet Report [Note from the Editor: A new mid-engine Corvette is on the way. That...
2019 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible Review – Turbocharged Top-Down Fun Machine
By John Faulkner Clean Fleet Report A Modern Retro-Styled Pony Car Does every Mustang have to be a 460+...
2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS Review – Mission Possible – It Makes You Feel Young Again
By John Faulkner Clean Fleet Report This Iconic Pony Car Gives Joy With the push of a button the...
2019 Subaru Forester Touring Long-Term Review Part 1 – Our 3-Year Lease Begins
By Steve and Tamami Laser Before our three-year lease ended on our Subaru Outback we went shopping for another...
2016 Subaru Outback Long-Term Review Part 5 – Saying Goodbye After 3 Years of Driving
By Steve & Tamami Laser It’s amazing how fast time flies. In early 2016 we decided to lease a...
2019 Lexus UX 200 Review – Our 7-Day Test Drive of this Amazing New Compact Crossover
By Steve & Tamami Laser Thirty years ago this fall, Toyota embarked on a new journey by launching the...
2018 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD Long-Term Review Part 2 – The First Six Months
By Steve & Tamami Laser Our “fleet” of long-term test vehicles includes our latest acquisition, a 2018 Honda CR-V...
2018 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD – Our Long-Term Review Starts with a 3-Year Lease
By Steve & Tamami Laser We’ve been fans of the Honda CR-V since the first generation was born in...
2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Review – Sports Sedan Surprise! The Best Camry Ever
By Steve & Tamami Laser We just spent a week with a brilliant newborn who has an incredible zest...
2016 Subaru Outback Long-Term Review Part 4 – 10 Things We Love After Two Years
By Steve & Tamami Laser It’s hard to believe that two years have gone by since we started a...
2018 Kia Stinger GT Review – Twin-Turbo V6 Sportback is a Blast to Drive
By Steve & Tamami Laser Kia makes some great cars like the Optima Plug-in Hybrid and the K900 premium...
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Review – Sporty Hatch Delivers Euro Style, Tech and Value
By Steve & Tamami Laser The Elantra has been a major success story for Hyundai. More than five million...
2018 Toyota C-HR Review – Bold New Compact Crossover is Surprisingly Affordable
By Steve & Tamami Laser We first met the new Toyota C-HR as a concept vehicle at the 2015 Tokyo...
2018 Lexus LC 500 Review – Amazing New Performance Coupe is Incredibly Fun to Drive
By Steve & Tamami Laser We’ve had the good fortune to test drive and report on many Lexus models...
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Review – Electric Personality with Carefree Driving Range
By Steve & Tamami Laser What’s the first thing you think of when someone says, “Kia”? Are you getting...
2017 Toyota Prius Prime Review – New Plug-In Hybrid is the Ultimate Prius
By Steve & Tamami Laser Way back in 1995 at the Tokyo Motor Show, we saw a concept car...
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Review – Top-Selling Toyota Offers Hybrid Synergy Drive
By Steve & Tamami Laser We first met the Toyota RAV4 as a concept vehicle during the 1993 Tokyo...
2017 Honda CR-V Touring AWD Review – Best CR-V Ever is a Molten Lava Turbo
By Steve & Tamami Laser With nearly four million sold in the U.S. alone, it’s tough to go anywhere...
2017 Ford Fusion V6 Sport Quick Review – Command Performance With a Twin-Turbo Boost
By Steve & Tamami Laser Midsize performance sedans are available with all sorts of fancy labels and price tags...
2016 Subaru Outback Long-Term Review Part 3 – Top 5 “Likes” After 1 Year of Driving
By Steve & Tamami Laser One year ago we decided to lease a new vehicle and report on the...
Toyota Voxy Hybrid Review in Nagoya, Japan – Popular Van with the Heart of a Prius
By Steve Laser and Nahoko Osuka reporting from Nagoya, Japan How popular are vans in Japan? Toyota, the country’s...
Tesla Model X Review – First Three Months – An Owner’s Point of View
By Steve Laser with Model X Owner Geoff Shawcross Living in Southern California, we see plenty of Teslas on...
2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Quick Review – Driving the Six-Wheel Turbo-Diesel Workhorse
By Steve & Tamami Laser We live in horse country. Our community is home to miles of bridle paths and...
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Quick Review – Hemi-Powered Canyon-Carving Family Hauler
By Steve & Tamami Laser Muscle cars with big V8 engines are built for fun and performance so most...
2016 Subaru Outback Long-Term Review Part 2 – Enjoying The First Six Months
By Steve & Tamami Laser Time really does fly when we’re having fun. It seems like only yesterday when...
2016 Toyota Prius Review – Redesigned Hybrid Sips Fuel and Looks Cool
By Steve & Tamami Laser Sixteen years is an eternity in the automotive business. Yet that’s how long it’s...
2016 Hyundai Tucson Review – Flying First Class for the Price of Coach
By Steve & Tamami Laser With so many outstanding choices available in today’s compact crossover market it can be...
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review – Redesigned Roadster Drives Us Happy
By Steve & Tamami Laser Mazda has sold nearly a million MX-5 Miatas worldwide since it first went on...
2016 Subaru Outback Long-Term Review – The “Ultimate Test Drive” Begins
By Steve & Tamami Laser We’ve been very fortunate to test a wide variety of vehicles over the years....
2016 Honda Pilot Touring Review – Family Friendly Spaceship Reinvented
By Steve & Tamami Laser How popular is the Honda Pilot? Since it was launched more than a dozen...
Toyota Sienta Quick Review in Japan – We Test this New-Age Van in Nagoya City
By Steve Laser, Craig Nicol and Nahoko Osuka reporting from Nagoya, Japan Japan is filled with people carriers of...
2016 Lexus RX 350 Review – We Spend a Week Driving this Bold New Crossover
By Steve & Tamami Laser It’s a weird feeling driving a new vehicle before it goes on sale. We...
Scion xB Review – Check All the Right Boxes and It’s a Future Collectible
By Steve & Tamami Laser We’ve been around long enough to recognize a pattern in the collector car world....
2016 Acura MDX Review – Advancing the Art of the Luxury Crossover
By Steve & Tamami Laser Honda was the first Japanese brand in America to take the bold leap into...
2016 Volvo XC90 Review – Spectacular Swede is a Five-Star Resort on Wheels
By Steve & Tamami Laser Today’s crop of seven-seat luxury crossovers offer plenty of excellent choices from nameplates like...
2016 Honda HR-V Review – Seven-Day Test Drive Garners Big Thumbs Up
By Steve & Tamami Laser Excuse the pun, but Honda is in its element when it comes to small...
2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid Review – We Score 40 MPG in Seven-Day Test Drive
By Steve & Tamami Laser When Americans aren’t buying crossovers or pickups, they’re putting their hard-earned cash on the...
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R Review – Road Trip Reveals the Joy of Six
By Steve & Tamami Laser Subaru continues to set new records in the showroom with sales passing the 500,000...
2015 Scion tC Review – TRD Upgrades Enhance the Fun-to-Drive Factor
By Steve & Tamami Laser Scion offers sport coupe buyers the choice of the front-drive tC, now in its...
2015 Ford F-150 Quick Review – Rocket Science Builds a Better Truck
By Steve & Tamami Laser Americans have a long-running love affair with full-size pickups. Brand loyalty remains strong for...
2015 Fiat 500L Review – Italian Designer Goods with Bargain-Rack Prices
By Steve & Tamami Laser We were glad to see Fiat return to America four years ago following a nearly...
2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Review – The Perfect Father’s Day Gift
By Steve & Tamami Laser Looking for a Father’s Day gift? Instead of wandering through the mall or losing...
2015 Lexus IS 250 Review – Sporty Luxury for Budget-Minded Professionals
By Steve & Tamami Laser Fifteen years ago, Lexus invited us to Austin, Texas, where it previewed the all-new...
2015 Honda Fit Review – Restyled and Ready for Urban Adventure
By Steve & Tami Laser Honda entered the U.S. market with its first car way back in 1969. The...
2015 Kia K900 Review – Premium Luxury Sedan Dresses Hamsters to the Nines
By Steve & Tami Laser Kia has earned its stripes in the U.S. market by offering a lineup of...
2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Review – Muscle Car Magic Leaves Us Spellbound
By Steve & Tami Laser Do you remember the first Dodge Challenger? It was introduced in fall 1969 as...
2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport Review – Ready to Challenge the Top Players
By Steve & Tami Laser Hyundai has come a long way. Twenty-five years ago, the first Sonata came to...
2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Review – Good Things Come in Small Packages
By Steve & Tami Laser With its polarizing styling and petite dimensions, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV stands out from other...
2015 Ford Mustang GT Quick Review – Driving the New World-class Pony Car
By Steve Laser I find it difficult to believe that the Ford Mustang is 50 years old. Growing up...
2015 Subaru Legacy Review – Restyled Sedan is Loaded with Charisma
By Steve & Tamami Laser When we think of affordable midsize four-door sedans, best sellers like the Toyota Camry,...
2015 Honda CR-V Touring Review – New Flagship Model Adds High-Tech Features
By Steve & Tamami Laser We saw the CR-V for the first time at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show....
2015 Lexus NX 300h Review – Proof That Lexus Has Found Its Groove
By Steve & Tamami Laser Every now and then we get the opportunity to test-drive a vehicle before it...
2014 BMW i3 Review – Brave New World of Electric Luxury Cars
By Steve & Tami Laser We recently spent three days driving a BMW that had no engine, no exhaust...
2014 Chevrolet Camaro SS Review – Improving the Legendary Performance Coupe
By Steve & Tami Laser Like so many fans of Chevrolet performance cars, we were overjoyed when the Camaro...
2014 Volkswagen Touareg Review – Perfecting the Diesel Crossover
By Steve & Tami Laser Volkswagen’s local press fleet office recently asked us if we would like to test...
2014 Nissan Leaf Review – The World’s Best-Selling Electric Car
By Steve & Tami Laser What’s it like to live with an electric car? We’re talking about pure electric,...
2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Review – Popular Midsize Crossover Goes High-Tech
By Steve & Tami Laser Nissan’s first Pathfinder debuted almost 30 years ago as a two-door SUV based on...
2014 Subaru Forester Review – Star Student in a Competitive Class
By Steve & Tami Laser Subaru is on the fast track to success. One of the reasons is the...
2014 Chevrolet Traverse Review – Half a Million Sold and Still Going Strong
By Steve & Tami Laser Chevrolet has a huge group of buyers who are extremely loyal to the brand....
2014 Nissan Rogue Review – Attractive Crossover with Room for Seven
By Steve & Tami Laser Today’s crop of compact crossover SUVs offer plenty of choices including the recently redesigned...