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The 2026 Genesis GV70 is a Tough Competitor Updated Oct 07, 2025

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21 SUVs and Pickups, 1 Grand Prize Winner. Welcome to NWAPA Mudfest 2025! Oct 02, 2025

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Every year, Northwest Automotive Press Association members get together to hold Mudfest, the NW Activity Vehicle of the Year competition. It's a real world look at the kinds of vehicles people are buying today, not just crawling over rocks and trees. 19 automotive Northwest Automotive Press Association writers assembled at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA for two days of on-pavement and off-road evaluation. Check out the category winners and see which machine takes home the grand prize of NW Activity Vehicle of the Year!

Also, you'll want to watch to the very end…

Special thanks to Aaron Hanson, Erin Kemp, the staff of DriveShop and Page One Automotive, Connie Peters, Kristen Brown, J.R. Chocco, John Vincent, Jim Redden, Bengt Halvorson, Nik Miles, The Ridge Motorsports Park and Alderbrook Resort for their part in making Mudfest 2025 a huge success.

I Take Delivery of a CPO Porsche Taycan 4S. Here's What it's Like… Oct 01, 2025

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The Porsche dealership delivery experience is significantly different than picking up a Toyota. What's it like? Tom Voelk flies from Seattle to Ontario, CA to grab the keys to his new-to-him 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S to find out. Flying standby. Airport pickup. Touring the car for the first time. Checking out swag and aftermarket gear. Learning how to spec out and order a new Porsche. Setting up the apps and interface for the drive back to the Pacific Northwest. If you're thinking about pulling the trigger of just want to day dream about it, here's a taste.

Porsche Taycan 4S Road Trip LA to Seattle (Part Two) Oct 01, 2025

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Part two of Tom Voelk's road trip from Ontario, CA to Seattle begins at 10AM in Woodland, CA with the Taycan's range reading just 10 miles. With no overnight charging available, Tom puts his trust in the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager to steer him towards charging stations along the I5 corridor. How easy is it to navigate the infrastructure? Will Electrify America leave Tom stranded? How many Walmart bathrooms can a guy use? It's a $75K cinematic video months in the making.

Porsche Taycan 4S Los Angeles to Seattle Road Trip (Part One) Oct 01, 2025

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Think road tripping in an electric vehicle in 2025 is a gamble and charging takes too much time? Tom Voelk gets into his new (to him) 2021 CPO Porsche Taycan 4S in Ontario, CA and points it towards Seattle. Will full faith in the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager he hits charging stations along the I5 corridor. It's a $75K video months in the making! Will Electrify America deliver over 1,200 miles? Will Plug and Charge work? Will Tom find any decent food? All that, original music from Chadashi and more in Part 1.

2026 Kia Sportage SX Prestige Sneeks Up on the Premium Brands Sep 30, 2025

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Kia might not be known for hybrid powertrains but it has 10 electrified (yes, I hate that descriptor too) vehicles to choose from. For 2026, Sportage, its most popular model, gets a midcycle refresh and a little extra power. It might not be quite as efficient as RAV4 and CR-V but it's quiet, comfortable, stylish and a good value. Tom Voelk and Jeremy Korzeniewski drive an AWD SX Prestige trim outside of Louisville, KY. Bumping up towards near-luxury cars, it might be time to rethink your hybrid.

Full disclosure- Kia brough Tom to Louisville, KY for this sponsored drive event. Opinions remain stubbornly his.

The New 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is More Than Just a Huge Screen Jul 31, 2025

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Lincoln's Nautilus is new for 2024 and the big news is a huge screen. 4 feet wide, it dominates the interior. Does it work or is it just a gimmick? Tom Voelk checks out a loaded AWD Reserve III trim with the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine ($1,500 will buy the more powerful hybrid powertrain). The display is impressive but hardly the only thing to like about this 5-seat SUV.

All-New 2026 Hyundai Palisade Gets Hybrid Efficiency and Off Road Chops Jul 28, 2025

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The second-generation 2026 Hyundai Palisade is larger, roomier and gets an optional hybrid powertrain for the first time. Plus there's a new XRT Pro off-road oriented model with more capability in rugged situations, including a trail camera system, recovery hooks and additional instrumentation. Tom Voelk checks out a Calligraphy Hybrid and XRT Pro V6 to preview the 2026 Palisade before it's arrival in the summer of 2026.

Hyundai provided transportation and lodging for this preview. All opinions remain his own.

Nissan Ariya is Plush, Hushed and Flush With Features Jul 25, 2025

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Nissan pioneered mass market electrification with Leaf but it took a long time to bring it's second EV to the US. Ariya is quite different from Leaf. It's more refined. CHAdeMO is gone. The battery pack is liquid cooled. And AWD is available (dubbed e-4ORCE). The roomy cabin with its Japanese inspired details will seat 5 adults. Tom Voelk drives a loaded Platinum+ trim and finds comfort, style, solid range but pokey DC fast charging.

The New 2025 Toyota Camry Goes All Hybrid, All The Time Jul 21, 2025

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The 2025 Toyota Camry ditches the inline-4 and V6 engines for a fully hybrid lineup. The new nose and cabin space impresses. So does the fuel economy that's as high as 51 miles per gallon. And for the first time, AWD is available with the Camry's hybrid powertrain. Tom Voelk checks out a loaded XSE AWD and finds much that's new… and a lot that's familiar.

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