Mike Garrett

Clovis

Contributing Editor at Driving Line

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Articles

Did Chrysler Ever Make A V6 Hemi Engine?

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

The HEMI engine has been in the news a lot, with RAM announcing that, in response to popular demand, it's bringing back the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 to the RAM 1500 pickup. This comes following a short, but highly publicized V8 hiatus that came in the wake of electrification and an attempted shift to smaller displacement turbocharged engines. AdvertisementThis decision marks another shift in Stellantis' on-and-off-again relationship with V8 engines that have hemispherical combustion chambers.
Every Mazda3 Generation, Ranked By Horsepower

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

After the MX-5 Miata, which has been on sale since 1990, the oldest nameplate in Mazda's North American lineup is the Mazda3, which debuted for the 2004 model year. Originally replacing the Protegé in Mazda's lineup to compete against compact cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Mazda3 has now been on the market for over 20 years, and is currently in its fourth generation.
Why Convertibles Are Almost Always Two-Door Cars

2 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Though there aren't nearly as many open-top convertibles on today's market as there have been in the past, cars with retractable roofs still have a lot of loyal fans, particularly in areas with nicer climates. Even among these open-top cars, you'll find everything from small lightweight sports cars like the Mazda MX-5, to the more luxury-oriented offerings like the Mercedes AMG CLE 53.
What's The Smallest Ford Car You Can Buy? (And Is It Sold In The US?)

2 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Ford, like many other automakers, has seen a major shift in its vehicle lineup over the last several years, with the company moving away from sedans and small hatchbacks and toward SUVs and crossovers. AdvertisementThis pivot has not been happening just in America, but in Europe, where Ford has historically offered smaller models that weren't always sold on American shores. The Ford Fiesta was discontinued globally in 2023.
What Does N Stand For On Hyundai Cars?

2 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

It's hard to overstate just how important branding is for enthusiast vehicles. Over the decades, automakers have introduced a number of different performance-oriented sub-brands for both their race teams and production vehicles, with some lasting longer than others. There's been BMW M, Ford's SVT, SRT from Chrysler, and AMG from Mercedes, just to name a few. In recent years, a new player has emerged on the market: Hyundai's N brand.
How Does The Upcoming 2026 Toyota bZ Compare The Tesla Model Y?

2 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Though Toyota has become the world's dominant automaker when it comes to hybrid powertrains, offering hybridization on everything from inexpensive economy cars to full-size pickup trucks, Toyota's efforts with pure-electric vehicles have been slower-moving and less ambitious. In fact, it wasn't until the 2023 model year that Toyota launched its first pure EV for nationwide sales, the bZ4X.
Why Do Some Honda Cars Have HDMI Ports?

2 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

As cars have become more integrated with fast-moving consumer technology, particularly when it comes to infotainment systems and the controls that operate them, there are some fairly modern cars out there with some unusually strange and often obsolete tech in their cabins. At their worst, these clunky or unintuitive infotainment systems can completely sour the experience of driving what's otherwise a great car.
Why Was The Lexus HS Discontinued?

3 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Lexus, for the most part, is not a brand with a history of short-lived vehicles. Typically, Lexus models stick around for quite a while. Both the ES and LS sedans have been in the lineup since the brand's inception in 1989. Even the discontinued models, like the Lexus SC and Lexus GS, were around for multiple generations and many model years before being pulled from the lineup. AdvertisementThat's what makes the Lexus HS 250h hybrid of the early 2010s such an anomaly in Lexus history.
Is Toyota Planning Its Own Cheap Ford Maverick Rival?

3 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Sometimes, there are automotive product ideas that you think would be no-brainers. Toyota doing a small, fuel-efficient, unibody pickup often seems like one of those. For a few years now, car buyers and Toyota dealers themselves have been wondering when and if the company was going to release a smaller, more affordable pickup truck to slot into its lineup below the Tundra and Tacoma.
Acura ZDX Vs. Honda Prologue: What's The Difference Between These SUVs?

3 weeks ago | slashgear.com | Mike Garrett

Compared to their American and European counterparts, Japanese automakers have generally been slower and more conservative when it comes to introducing new electric vehicles and transitioning from internal combustion to battery power. Honda, in particular, has been very slow-moving on the EV front.