Mark Hayes

2 days ago | cars.usnews.com | Zach Doell |Jasmine Sayles |Mark Hayes

CreditZach Doell | U.S. News & World Report First Impressions: 2025 Ford ExpeditionLOUISVILLE, Ky. — If you're a foodie, the "farm to table" experience is about as good as it gets, with food so fresh that it may have been harvested hours before. While I'm no culinary expert, I did have a similar experience at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.

1 week ago | cars.usnews.com | Zach Doell |Alex Kwanten |Mark Hayes

CreditZach Doell | U.S. News & World ReportFirst Impressions: 2026 Genesis GV70HOUSTON — I remember thinking "I'll believe it when I see it" back in 2015 when Hyundai announced it would spin off its Genesis sedan into a luxury car brand with a full lineup of cars and SUVs. Well, consider me a believer. In the span of a decade, Genesis has blossomed from an offshoot into a major player in the luxury car segment.

2 weeks ago | cars.usnews.com | John M. Vincent |Zach Doell |Mark Hayes

LONG BEACH, Calif.— It’s a common lament: today’s cars are too big, expensive and complex. But there’s a new automaker with until-now clandestine plans to change all that. Michigan-based Slate invited me to Long Beach for the unveiling of its first product, the Slate Truck. Since its founding, the company has excelled in keeping its secrets. It is known that Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is a major investor and that the company is pursuing an existing U.S. auto plant to assemble the truck.

3 weeks ago | cars.usnews.com | Zach Doell |Alex Kwanten |Mark Hayes

CreditZach Doell | U.S. News & World ReportFirst Impressions: 2025 Volkswagen GTI and Golf RSUMMIT POINT, West Virginia — It's amazing what 40 years and eight generations of vehicle development can do. I folded myself into the driver’s seat of a 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI — the boxy hatchback that paved the way for every GTI since – and I was immediately overcome with nostalgia, from the texture of its reddish-brown velour upholstery to its heavy, unassisted steering and buzzy engine.

3 weeks ago | cars.usnews.com | Alex Kwanten |John M. Vincent |Mark Hayes

SHANGHAI – Lexus ES buyers are a famously loyal bunch, and the ES has been a great seller for the Japanese luxury brand for three decades now. Despite the fact that Americans don’t buy sedans like they used to, the ES was still Lexus’ third-best-selling vehicle in 2024 and handily outsold rivals like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Today, Lexus took the wraps off the most radical remake of this car in its long history, debuting the 2026 ES as a global model at the Shanghai Auto Show.