Ben Lewis

2021 VW Arteon 2.0T SEL Premium R-Line Review by Ben Lewis

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It’s got to be tough to be a brand like Audi. First of all, you’ve got Mercedes and BMW always gunning for you. And then, brands like Lexus. And the excellent Acura TLX we tested – another upstart. And then, you have to worry about your sibling…in this case the recently refreshed 2021 VW Arteon. Does VW’s handsome luxury flagship have what it takes to lure buyers out of those fancy, shiny dealerships? Let’s see. Simply Gorgeous You don’t see a lot of Arteons – frankly the brand is busy selling lots of SUV’s and churning up interest in their …

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2021 Acura TLX SH-AWD A-Spec Review by Ben Lewis

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Here’s a term: Brand-lag – when a manufacturer is making big strides, but it takes a while for the word to get out. A perfect example, we recently tested the Kia K5, loved it recommended it to friends, and were surprised to hear “Hyundai and Kia? Oh, I wouldn’t get near one of those.” Where you been the last few years? Their new stuff is great. Acura is sort of in the same boat.  In the last few years though, Acura has really stepped up their game – we enjoyed the little ILX sedan, the sporty new RDX, and the …

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2020 Audi Q7 55 TFSI Review by Ben Lewis

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When we used to go to movie theaters (and we can’t wait to go back!) they had a selection of sizes on the popcorn, and we liked the largest one – mostly because they unapologetically put the motto “Big is More” right on the tub. Yes, a tub. And the same is true of SUV’s – big is more. And if you need three rows of Audi SUV goodness, you can stop right here at the beautiful Q7. With some major improvements for the new Q7, it’s more than before. Let’s take a look. Big and Beautiful This is a …

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2021 Lexus UX 200 F SPORT Review by Ben Lewis

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In marketing terms, UX is the shorthand for “User Experience”. So, it seems a natural question, does Lexus’ smallest Crossover/SUV give you the user experience luxury buyers expect? Let’s take a look. Familiar Sporty Style Look at the UX and you can see the family resemblance with the larger NX and RX crossovers. That’s a good thing – Lexus has really crafted its own style now, and these vehicles are modern and sporty with sharp angles and aggressive lines. Like our recent review of the Lexus ES250 AWD, the front end has that massive spindle grille, but like the ES, …

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2021 Lexus ES250 AWD Review by Ben Lewis

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We still remember when Lexus launched in the US in 1990. It was a bold move – the Toyota company creating an upstart to take on the biggest luxury names in the market, including Mercedes and Cadillac. And its success is legendary, where it seems like Honda’s Acura, and Nissan’s Infiniti have never been able to quite get that cache. Why the history lesson? Well, there were two models when Lexus debuted, the LS400 and ES250. And now the ES250 name is back! So, if you’ve been waiting, your wishes have been fulfilled. Even more interesting, the ES250 is unique …

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2020 Kia Cadenza Technology Review by Ben Lewis

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With the huge popularity of SUVs/Crossovers/SAVs, we sometimes forget just how good a traditional luxury sedan can be. And one of the nicest – and smartest values – is the Kia Cadenza. Let’s take a look at the Kia we call “The Big Easy”. (Hey, it’s Mardis Gras…) Fresh Face For 2020, Kia’s handsome full-size gets an update to keep things fresh. While the “Tiger Nose” grille shape is still there, the grille has a new deeper waterfall design, the reshaped hood enjoys power creases, while there are also standard LED headlights, redesigned LED daytime running lights and new integrated …

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