The breadth and depth of the automotive market is staggering when looked at in its entirety. There are hundreds of different models on sale from dozens of automakers from all corners of the world. All of which is at the fingertips of anyone with an internet connection and surprisingly reasonable amount of money, considering the technology, safety and efficiency have involved.
Each use case is unique. Some drivers with sporting intentions spend time on the road, with a family. Other drivers also spend time off road, but with the family for outdoor excursions like camping, hiking and fishing. And yet another type of driver is either pre- or post-children, and only needs space for a partner and accessories.
Here are three models that are plenty capable for getting across town daily, and across the country occasionally, for almost any type of driver.
2024 Subaru Crosstrek
For the family that likes to go off-road on their adventures, there is the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek that debuted earlier this year at the Chicago Auto Show. The five-passenger hatchback Crosstrek has always come standard with Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system and for the new year it adds new technology but keeps the same low price of $24,995.
The sport utility vehicle has almost 9 inches of ground clearance for adventures off the road and with the new dirt-focused X-Mode the Crosstrek can scale and descend hills like something featuring a serious batch of off-road accessories.
The utility comes with the layout of the small Crosstrek. The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split for 54.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row. It has a 41-inch-wide rear gate and a low load floor to make packing and unloading a cinch.
On a road trip to Normal, Illinois from Detroit, Michigan and back the smaller 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine returned about 35 miles per gallon over 800 miles. It delivers just 152 horsepower (hp) and 145 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque, which feels fine in a small car like this, on or off the expressway. Because it has a continuously variable transmission, the initial acceleration is better than expected. High-speed passing maneuvers take more time.
The SI-Drive function has I mode and the sportier S mode, which is what should be used for most driving. It accelerates a little faster and adapts the all-wheel drive software. The Crosstrek is meant to be cushy on broken roads and dirt, and it is, while the standard steel brakes were reliable and sturdy.
Subaru's EyeSight safety system is standard with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, though it is not a hands-free system. It gets annoying around turns as it wobbles in the lane a bit, but on a straight piece of highway it seems to keep the car centered. The distance it holds between cars still seems a little long as it allows traffic to pile in, slowing the Crosstrek further from its selected speed.
The 2024 Crosstrek carves out a special place for itself in the automotive market. Size-wise the Honda HR-V ($23,800) and Hyundai Kona ($22,140) are close, but neither have any real off-road skills. The Mazda CX-30 ($22,950) is about the same size, feels more luxurious and is fun to drive, but again its off-road chops are lacking.
The closest competitors are the smaller and more expensive Jeep Renegade ($27,850) and the larger Jeep Compass ($28,400), both of which are available in Trail Rated guise, meaning they have successfully completed some of the hardest trails in the country. The Subaru Crosstrek is really the bridge between on-road and off-road SUVs.
The 2024 Crosstrek's combination of off-road ability, utility, efficiency and price make it hard to beat in its category, if light off-roading is on the menu at all. And adding the more powerful 2.5-liter to the Crosstrek would also make it more fun to drive. If the menu is full of off-roading, the Jeeps are probably the best choice and if there's no off-roading, the Honda HR-V is probably the best of them all, especially with its new look.
2023 Toyota GR Corolla
For the driver who has a family and doesn't travel off road, there is the wild, turbocharged, GR Corolla. GR stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota's racing arm that lends its expertise to the company's sportiest vehicles. Two of those two-seaters, the Supra and the 86, the third is the four-door, five-passenger hatchback Corolla.
The sportiest Corolla ever created sends 300 horsepower to all four wheels. The driver can dial in how much they want to the front and back. The GR Corolla only comes with a six-speed manual transmission and it is expectedly more expensive than a normal Corolla at $35,900. The most expensive Morizo trim, with no back seat and a carbon fiber roof stickers for $49,900.
There are several adjustments on the Corolla for throttle sensitivity, sound and steering but the suspension is fixed, and extremely sporty in the Morizo trim. The least-expensive Core version has more comfort for everyday driving.
The turbocharged three-cylinder engine is raucous and fun when on the throttle as pops and bangs shoot out the exhaust pipes. With the right clutch control it can be launched perfectly and aggressively with power to all four wheels. With a zero-to-60 time of 5 seconds the GR Corolla can beat many more expensive vehicles in a stoplight drag race.
The high-performance brakes are excellent no matter how many consecutive times they're used from high speed and the steering is perfectly weighted. The Morizo edition comes with ultra high-performance tires from Michelin.
The GR Corolla feels raw and unrefined. Those traits are normally looked down upon but in this class of vehicle is is welcomed. The Volkswagen Golf GTI and R actually lost some appeal as the powertrain became more isolated from the driver.
The cabin of the GR Corolla comes with a 12.3-inch color Multi-Information Display (MID) that shows four-wheel drive mode, turbo pressure, gear position indicator and tachometer. The Core trim is finished with black and silver. It comes with 6-way adjustable driver's seat with suede and a 4-way adjustable front passenger seat, both with GR logos in the headrests. Single zone automatic climate control and power windows are standard.
It can easily fit a family of four with two child booster seats and a little bit of cargo for a long weekend away. Furthermore, when the driver is judicious with the gas pedal (not easy) the GR Corolla returns 28 miles per gallon on the highway, although on premium fuel.
Mercedes-AMG SL 43
Finally, for the pair who are traveling together, without needing the space for progeny, there is the least expensive AMG SL. The newly minted Mercedes-AMG SL 43 comes with a slightly detuned version of the most powerful four-cylinder on the market delivering 375 hp in this application with 354 pound-feet of torque. That's all sent to the rear wheels via a nine-speed multiclutch transmission that can be operated manually through the paddles.
The soft top opens with a slider, a button would be easier, and takes about 15 seconds to fully retract. It is an impressive transformation with panels raising and rotating to allow the top to be stowed in the truck. Expectedly, that rear cargo area is small, swallowing just 7.5 cubic feet of cargo.
Technically the SL 43 is a 2+2, which means there are seats in the back with child seat latches. However, they're only good for booster seats and even then, there is the danger of the child banging their face on the seat in front during a braking event. A full child seat with a full harness may fit, and would definitely be safer.
But that's not what the SL is about now or has ever been about. It's about long trips down highways and byways with a few mountain passes sprinkled in. Thanks to sporty, bolstered seats the driver and passenger will stay put during those sweeping curves.
The four-cylinder engine doesn't feel underpowered in the medium-sized SL. But it does feel a little less refined than expected in a Mercedes-Benz. There are some vibrations at low speeds and a slightly rough idle. However, all that goes away at speed with the top down and the sun shining in your face.
The turbocharged engine sounds good at high rpms and the paddle shifters attached to the steering wheel are metal and feel solid. The SL 43 runs fine in automatic mode, shifting easily in Comfort mode and more sharply in Sport and Race modes, but it's much more fun to use the paddles to shift like a race car.
The SL 43 feels light through the steering wheel with that four-cylinder under the hood as opposed to the usual V8. The nose of the vehicle is lively and goes wherever pointed. The brakes on this AMG are upgraded too, leading to confident, short stops from any speed, many times in a row.
The central infotainment system has extra options on the AMG model including applications for track driving and race timing. It can also display an array of performance metrics like power used and g-forces. It measures 11.9 inches diagonally and has a button to tilt forward and back to reduce reflections when the roof is open.
The 2023 Mercedes-AMG SL 43 is the most expensive of the trio by a long shot starting at $109,900. With a few options even this four-cylinder model is nearing $120,000. That would buy four Subarus or at least two GR Corollas.
Still, the automotive market has something for everyone, and many ways to drive something interesting and useful at the same time. There are good options under $30,000 and great options at the higher end of the spectrum. But the key is variety. There are plenty of "sensible" vehicles that also have character, so buyers shouldn't settle (nor limit their options) until they've found something that perfectly suits their needs.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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