My genuine question is how does fast-charging affect overall battery life? I have a Chromebook tablet which can be charged with its 45 W charger, but it heats up the battery considerably so I usually trickle charge it overnight via a standard 5 W USB. While I’m not sure if that’s the reason, it seems to have lost very…

True, so was this the last great affordable American wagon?

without any EV in their line up

I think he meant the Chevy Spark, sold as the Beat in some markets. It came from South Korea though, not China.

That would make some amount of sense. Still, these ‘developing market’ cars often get 5 stars in Global NCAP so they can’t be getting worse than 3 on the IIHS scale, right? I guess the more niche tests like small overlap and T-bone might be harder for them to get good ratings with. 

I’m not talking about Chinese cars. I’m talking about these:

The XC70 is hilariously space-inefficient. I daily one and it’s basically a coffin-shaped box with a massive hood for engine. In terms of footprint-per-cubic-foot you’d be far better off with an actual cargo van or even a smaller minivan like a Mazda5 or Kia Rondo.

Both the MG 5 and Mahindra Scorpio got zero stars in their ANCAP crash tests — which is why we don’t get ‘em in America

Yikes, I guess maybe the gen1 cars were just simpler even though they weren’t nearly as refined in many regards. 

These are coming with GoogleMaps, spotify, audible, and so on. So what else is there?

Curious what engine his had? My friend’s got a gen1 with the Tau V8 and it’s been rock solid, to the point that I’ve started considering V8 Genesis myself. Wondering if they have any critical issues or if the 3.8L V6 is more problematic.

Ironic that it was your last and newest one that had issues. I don’t think I’d touch a GDi Hyundai with a 10 ft pole. 

It’s mostly BS as Euro NCAP now rates any car without active driver assists quite poorly. Considering the Zoe got a full five-stars in 2013, I don’t think it’s gotten markedly less safe.

And from multiple engine plants across the globe!?!

Even better, there’s one around here in Tucson being used as a landscaping truck to tow a trailer full of lawn mowers and weed eaters. It’s quite the sight and honestly a great use for an H2.

They never like to admit their own foibles either. IIRC just last year the Sentra was a ‘top-pick’ and ‘best of the compacts!’ This year it has below-average reliability and they quietly dropped it from recommendations. I somehow doubt those first-year ‘recommended’ models were any more reliable...

I don’t think that’s changed, somehow they only survey the people with reliable ones lol. I still hear horror stories, they’re still cheap BMWs after all, and nothing’s more expensive than a cheap German car. Guess they make them well enough to last through the first owner now, though. 

Just don’t buy a 2018 Tacoma!

BMW is ninth most reliable behind the Japanese brands and Porsche. Mini is somehow third, sitting right behind Toyota and Lexus. This is why I always take CR’s ‘reliability’ ratings with a grain of salt.

~$70k for a base EX90 with ~300 miles of range isn’t bad at all.