Steer It Up: Circuit Racing, Jamaica Style
The Experience: It Is a Truism that the Worst Ideas Often Make the Best Stories
Why own a vehicle unless it transports you to scenery, wildlife, and a carjacking or two? The experiences we've had over seven decades appear, quite often, to have been risky, at odds with common sense, and deleterious to the car or the driver.
Take our tour of Baja California. It was a comparison test, but the adventure—part Mexican telenovela, part police procedural—is what's remembered, not the finishing order. We nervously occupied an up-armored Humvee on patrols with gunners in Kosovo. One winter, we bounced five minivans up the Haul Road to Deadhorse, Alaska, ruining tires and windshields on nearly all. More recently, contributor Jonathon Ramsey drove a Dacia Jogger to Poland's border with Ukraine to deliver donations for the war-torn country.
Then there was contributor P.J. O'Rourke, who took 11 days to motor from Florida to California in a 1956 Buick, during which protracted spell his alcohol consumption burgeoned. A few years later, he wrote about driving a red Ferrari 308GTS from New Jersey to L.A. for it to feature in something called "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii," the pilot of Magnum P.I.
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
To get to Dover Raceway from Montego Bay, head out of town and take a right at Discovery Bay, then drive up into the hills about 15 minutes until you see a guy selling Red Stripes by the side of the road.
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Car and Driver
Oliver Townsend fields a Civic that battles the Evos and Ian Galbraith's yellow Subaru, the Flairy Canary.
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Car and Driver
Rugie Misir's car has a Don't Panic! button, perhaps because it's powered by a turbocharged Hayabusa engine with a homemade anti-lag system.
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Gary "Rambo" Barrett dresses up his VTEC solenoid with a pair of rum caps.
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Dover's topography makes for easy spectating: Just grab a rock on the bluff. Though we saw one innovative onlooker arrive with a full set of kitchen chairs on the roof of his car.
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Car and Driver
Ingenuity abounds in the Dover pits. Need an exterior battery kill switch? Connect the radio antenna to the dash control.
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Roy Ritchie
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Car and Driver
Ezra Dyer
Senior Editor
Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
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Output is rated at 204 hp combined, enough to propel the Accord Hybrid to 60 mph in an MT-tested 6.6 seconds. MPGs and Range Fuel economy ratings aren't expected to change compared to last year. Gas models should return roughly 29/37 mpg city/highway and be able to go as far as 474 miles on a full tank. The most efficient Hybrid will likely continue to be the EX-L, which gets 51/44 mpg for 2025 and can travel up to 614 miles with a topped-off tank. Hybrid Sport and Touring trims roll on bigger mpg-sapping 19-inch wheels and return a little less: 46/41 mpg and up to 563 miles of driving range. Safety Ratings and Features Last year's Accord earned impressive safety ratings, and the same should be true for the 2026 model. From IIHS, the Honda sedan received a 2025 Top Safety Pick+, the institute's top award. The model also receives NHTSA's top distinction, a five-star overall safety rating. The Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist features is standard with every Accord. 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2026 Nissan Murano Review: Expert Insights, Pricing, and Trims
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The 2026 Murano already rolls on standard 20-inch wheels, but we'd expect a flashier wheel with any new Midnight Edition regardless of size. Safety Ratings and Features The 2026 Nissan Murano is a safe SUV; the model gets a 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, not an easy designation to earn. In NHTSA government testing, the 2025 Murano gets a five-star overall rating. Standard driver assists include: Forward and reverse automatic emergency braking Lane keeping assist A rear cross-traffic alert Blind-spot monitoring with intervention Adaptive cruise control Hill start assist ProPilot Assist 1.1 is standard on the top Murano trims, but this is the earliest version of the self-driving technology and requires hands-on operation (newer versions of ProPilot Assist on other models are hands-free). Cargo Space and Interior Room Compared to rivals from Toyota and Chevy, the Murano delivers more first-row legroom and standard cargo capacity. The Nissan trails in maximum hold volume, though. 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2026 Lincoln Aviator Review: Expert Insights, Pricing, and Trims
Lincoln's lineup is the strongest it's been in decades. The redesigned Nautilus just won our SUV of the Year award while the Navigator and the Aviator are fresh from a major update for 2025. For 2026, the Aviator carries over with updates to its BlueCruise hands-free driving system and other tweaks to its trim structure. A three-row SUV slotting between the two-row Nautilus and full-size Navigator, the Aviator competes against the Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, and Buick Enclave. What's New Discounted Premiere 100A Entry Series option deletes the wireless charger, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, ventilated front seats, panoramic roof, auto air refresh, and spare tire (the features are available on higher trims) BlueCruise 1.5 with automatic lane changes and passing while maintaining speed Automatic power liftgate now opens upon approach The standard four-year Connectivity package now includes a four-year Wi-Fi hotspot subscription What We Think The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is proof that the American luxury automaker's efforts to reinvent itself have been paying off. The three-row SUV'sstandard twin-turbo V-6 engine delivers swift, smooth acceleration and its suspension tuning matches the powertrain's sumptuous character. Although Lincoln doesn't equip the Aviator with the cool 48-inch display found in every Nautilus, its interior is still gorgeous, with a cabin layout and materials that soothe the senses. First and second rows are spacious and plush, but that goodness doesn't extend to the third row, which has lower-grade materials. The back seats are easy to access, but legroom is cramped. The Aviator is superbly well-equipped at any trim level, but we've criticized the SUV's expensive trim structure. Lincoln attempts to solve this issue by offering an option package that removes content for a discount. We're not sure if we'd want this striking SUV with fewer features, but more consumer choice is never a bad thing for shoppers. No matter how it's equipped, the Aviator comes standard with Lincoln's excellent BlueCruise hands-free driving technology, now updated with automatic lane changing and overtaking functionality. While some automakers try to split the difference between sportiness and luxurious comfort, Lincoln has doubled down on simply making its vehicles feel upscale. The Aviator is proof that Lincoln's strategy is paying off. Top-Ranked Competitors: Buick Enclave Volvo XC90 Audi Q7 Lexus TX MotorTrend Tested The 2026 Lincoln Aviator is exclusively offered with a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine developing 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. All models receive a 10-speed automatic transmission, but customers have the choice of standard RWD or available AWD. In our testing, the 2025 Lincoln Aviator accelerated from 0–60 mph in 5.6 seconds. That nearly matches Audi's claim of 5.5 seconds for the 2025 Q7 and beats the 2025 Lexus TX500h's time of 6.1 seconds. MPGs and Range Based on 2025 EPA figures, we expect RWD Aviator models will continue to return 18/25 mpg city/highway with 424 miles of range. AWD variants should continue to be rated at 17/25 mpg with 404 miles of range. The Audi Q7 55 is good for 18/23 mpg and 450 miles of range while the Acura MDX Type S is rated at 17/21 mpg and 352 miles of range. Safety Ratings and Features IIHS awards the Lincoln Aviator top-level Good scores in every crash test category evaluated, and well as for the Aviator's pedestrian front crash prevention system. NHTSA gives five stars overall for both RWD and AWD variants. Lincoln's BlueCruise 1.5 hands-free driving technology is now included on all Aviator models. As part of its 2026 update, the Aviator gains the ability to make automatic lane changes while maintaining speed to make passes. Every 2026 Aviator also comes with the Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 2.1 suite, a collection that includes the following driver assist and active safety features: Rear automatic emergency braking Rear cross-traffic alert Blind-spot monitoring Evasive steering assist Lane-keeping assist Adaptive cruise control Cargo Space and Interior Room The 2026 Lincoln Aviator offers more cargo volume than the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7. Its second row is notable for its spaciousness. Third-row legroom is scarce, though the rear seats are easy to access. The 2026 Buick Enclave is worth checking out if max space is a priority. Technology Infotainment The Lincoln Digital Experience infotainment user interface carries over for the 2026 model year. Displayed on a 13.2-inch touchscreen, the Aviator's infotainment tech includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also leverages Google Assistant for interpretive voice commands. When the 2026 Lincoln Aviator is parked, you can browse the web and stream videos. While the vehicle is in motion, a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster displays relevant information, supplemented by an available head-up display. A 5.8-inch touchscreen control panel for the second row is included on the Reserve trim and higher. Eight USB ports are distributed over the Aviator's three rows. A wireless charger is standard, though buyers who choose the decontented Premiere 100A Entry Series option lose this handy feature. Phone-as-key functionality is standard as of the 2025 model year. Sound System Entry-level Premiere models are equipped with a 10-speaker sound system. Stepping up to the Reserve trim introduces a 14-speaker setup from Revel. The ultimate 28-speaker arrangement from Revel is optional on the Aviator Reserve and standard on the top-end Black Label model. Lincoln Digital Experience Lincoln's infotainment goes beyond traditional capabilities with the Google Play store, which allows downloading a variety of apps including Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and iHeartRadio. The available Vivaldi Browser app allows you to surf the web, and Google Chrome with Bluetooth keyboard connectivity is coming soon, allowing you to work online while the vehicle is stopped. All these internet-reliant features are accessed through a standard 5G Wi-Fi hotspot. The Aviator can always be online, so it benefits from over-the-air update capability. Value Standard Features The 2026 Lincoln Aviator's base trim goes by Premiere, and it earns its fancy-sounding name with a long list of standard equipment, including 20-inch wheels and full LED exterior lighting. Quad exhaust tips with a chrome finish nod to the twin-turbo V-6 engine's 400-hp output. For 2026, the power liftgate now opens automatically as you approach the Aviator's rear. Inside the cabin, Lincoln keeps the premium theme going with a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel with power tilting and telescoping functionality, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front-row seats with power adjustability, and heated second-row outboard seats. Tech includes a 13.2-inch touchscreen, a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, 10-speaker audio, and eight USB ports. A wide array of driver aids is standard. All models receive a 360 camera, the Lincoln Co-Pilot360 2.1 suite of assistance features, and BlueCruise 1.5 hands-free driving. Recommended Trim Lincoln continues to offer the 2026 Aviator at three trim levels: Premiere, Reserve, and Black Label. For 2025, Premiere-trim models started at around $60,000, and we think the Premiere grade continue to be the sweet spot in the lineup. As we've outlined above, that model comes superbly well-equipped and goes beyond the basics of what we expect from a three-row luxury SUV. Black Label: The Most Upscale Aviator If you're going to spend more on a 2026 Lincoln Aviator, we suggest skipping the midlevel Reserve model and going all out on the Black Label trim. The top-shelf Aviator Black Label comes equipped with standard all-wheel drive, striking 22-inch wheels, and soft-close doors. The cabin gets Lincoln's best seats, which are adjustable to an almost unfathomable degree and are equipped with massaging functionality. Not only is the Black Label trim offered with distinctive interior colors and materials, it also receives an awesome 28-speaker audio system from Revel. The pricing of luxury vehicles is often based more heavily on emotional appeal than material value, but we see the sense in stepping up to the Black Label, with an estimated starting price of about $90,000.
