HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS WE'RE HEATING THINGS UP WITH THE NEW AND IMPROVED PAT GOSS HAS ADVICE ON HOW IN TIP-TOP SHAPE... STEPHANIE HART HEADS OUT LAND ROVER STYLE... AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT SUBCOMPACT UTE, THE KICKS...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY * Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, FROM OUR ORIGINAL LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCAS OIL, TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR John: MORE THAN ANY OTHER BRAND VOLKSWAGEN HAS PROVEN THAT YOU A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE BUT, AFTER EXPERIENCING THEIR WE REALIZED THEY HAD A FAR MORE WELL NOW, IT'S TIME FOR US TO WITH A TRACK TEST OF THE LATEST * IN THIS SUV-CRAZED WORLD VOLKSWAGEN HAS CHOSEN TO VOLKSWAGEN GOLF HATCHBACK BUT, THANKFULLY, WILL BOTH STILL BE AVAILABLE.

2022 MARKS THE 8TH GENERATION AND WE CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER THAN HOT LAPS AROUND SAVANNAH'S IN ITS HIGHEST PERFORMING THE 2022 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R. THE GOLF R IS STILL POWERED BY BUT VW IS GETTING SOME SERIOUS 315 HORSEPOWER AND AND IT MAKES THIS GOLF FOR A LITTLE HATCHBACK.

POWER GAINS TO THIS 4TH COME BY NEARLY DOUBLING AND BY REDUCING INTERNAL IF YOU'RE TORN BETWEEN STICKING OR GOING FOR THE OPTIONAL KNOW THAT THE MANUAL, DOES COME WITH 15 FEWER PLUS, THE DSG ADDS SOME SWEET THAT CAN PICK THIS CAR UP IN JUST 4.1 SECONDS.

DSG SHIFTS HIT HARD, SO FREELY THERE'S BARELY CAPABLE OF QUARTER-MILE AT 111 MILES PER HOUR.

IT WAS QUITE FAST AROUND SNEAKY FAST, IT REALLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE AS QUICKLY AS YOU ARE.

STEERING IS VERY SOLID CORNERING ALMOST PERFECTLY FLAT.

IT SEEMS TO HAVE ABANDONED HOT HATCH GENRE IT HELPED CREATE OF WELL-MANNERED EUROPEAN VEHICLE DYNAMICS SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC AND ADAPTIVE DAMPING, COMES FROM A NEW TORQUE THAT CAN SEND 100 PERCENT OF PRIMARILY THE OUTSIDE WHEEL THAT HAPPENS IN THE NEW DRIFT THE DRIVE MODE YOU WANT TO BE NO ACTUAL DRIFTING REQUIRED, AND ALONG WITH THE REVAMPED GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS IT GETS DOWN ROEBLING'S LONG THAN WE EXPECTED, TOO, MATURE NATURE, IT'S STILL YET, AT THE SAME TIME IT FEELS MOST NOTICEABLY WITH HOW HARD WITHOUT UPSETTING IT.

BRAKES ARE STRONG AND PLENTY WITH GOOD FEEL AND NOT MUCH DURING OUR TRACK DAYS.

SPRING RATES ON THE STRUT-TYPE ARE STIFFENED BY 10 PERCENT, BUMP-STOPS AND BUSHINGS AND IT'S ALL HOUSED IN THAT'S 7.0 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN INSIDE THE SPORTY BUT IS A STANDARD 10 INCH DIGITAL IT LOOKS GREAT, AND HAS MORE R-LOGOED SPORT SEATS ARE AND THERE ARE SOME NICE-LOOKING REAR SEAT SPACE IS BUT CROSSOVER-LIKE UTILITY OF CARGO SPACE IN BACK, WITH REAR SEATBACKS FOLDED.

PLUS, THERE ARE LOTS OF LIKE, ILLUMINATED DOOR PUDDLE PROJECTION LIGHTS... NAPPA LEATHER SEATS...

HEATED REAR SEATS... A "LIGHT AND SIGHT" ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH... AND 30 COLOR AMBIENT LIGHTING A LOT MORE GROWN UP.

OUTSIDE, THE HATCHBACK SHAPE IS FAMILIAR, AND THE WHEELBASE BUT OVERALL LENGTH GROWS AND THERE'S A LITTLE MORE NINETEEN INCH BLACK ALLOY SUMMER PERFORMANCE TIRES, WITH JUST BEHIND.

WHILE IN BACK, THE QUAD EXHAUST TIPS THERE'S AN EXTENDED WING.

HAVING ALSO SPENT SOME TIME RIDE IS NOTICEABLY FIRMER HERE; AND QUICKER.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS 30-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

THAT'S AN AVERAGE ENERGY 12.7 BARRELS OF OIL ANNUALLY, GOLF R COMES READY TO ROCK JUST $800 MORE, BUT, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FUN TO DRIVE BARGAIN, ITS SOMEWHAT LESS TRACK-FOCUSED TRUE, THE 2022 VOLKSWAGEN NOW CLEARLY LIVES MORE OF SERIOUS PERFORMANCE CARS BUT, IT'S STILL ONE THAT HAPPENS PRACTICALITY, AND PERSONALITY OF * LAND ROVER IS WELL-KNOWN TO THE TEST IN THE WORLD'S MOST BUT, IN A FIRST OF ITS KIND LAND ROVER PUT OWNERS, ALONG AND YES, TO THE TEST RIGHT ALONGSIDE TROPHY EDITION.

THE CHALLENGE?

TO COMPETE IN EXTREME OFFROADING OF TECHNICAL, PHYSICAL, AMONG THE COMPETITORS: SO, FROM THE BLUE RIDGE HERE'S HOW IT ALL TURNED OUT.

* Stephanie Hart: I'M HERE AT FOURTEEN TEAMS OF TWO ARE GOING HERE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT BUT ORGANIZERS HANDED ME IT HAS A GPS IN IT, A GARMIN, I HAVE BUG SPRAY HERE SO NO PRESSURE; NOT REALLY SURE BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT PLEASE, WISH ME LUCK!

FIRST TASK: FIND A LAND ROVER NOT AS EASY AS YOU WOULD AND TRUTH BE TOLD, ANY DEFENDER-CLASSIC AND NEVER PARTICIPATED IN PLUS, THERE WAS NO TIME TO TRAIN.

THE DEEP MUD AND WET LEAVES IT WAS CHILLY, BUT HUMID.

REFRESHING, YET EXHAUSTING... AND THE BUGS WERE OUT!

THE NIGHT BEFORE, MY PARTNER, FREELANCE JOURNALIST MADE THIS FLAG.

WE DECIDED TO CALL OUR TEAM, AFTERALL, ONE OF OUR WORST FEARS AND DID SOMEONE SAY, BEAR... AFTER GETTING A LITTLE WE FOUND OUR WAY AND OUR GETTING INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT FELT LIKE HEAVEN.

TURNS OUT, I'LL BE SPENDING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS COMPETING AND ENDURANCE COMPETITION.

AKA GETTING WAY OUT OF WE'RE AWARDED POINTS FOR SPECIAL TASKS-ACCURATELY AND THE HIGHEST SCORE WINS.

AS I FOUND OUT, THERE WERE WHICH I REALLY LIKED!

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE TASKS, ALRIGHT, I JUST PULLED UP AT OUR IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY AT ALL.

IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE AND A LOT OF STRATEGIC THINKING, WE CAN DO IT.

GOT TO THINK GOOD THOUGHTS.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, WE HAVE TO CHANNEL OUR INNER TO GET US THROUGH THIS ONE.

I'VE NEVER USED A HI-JACK NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE.

THANKFULLY, AN INSTRUCTOR WAS WE USED MUSCLES, AND MY PARTNER WAS A HUGE HELP.

IN THE END, AND DIDN'T LOSE A LIMB.

SOME TASKS WERE DEFINITELY MORE AND WE WERE COMPETING AGAINST TED LIGETY AND FORMER PRO NO PRESSURE!

I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE... MY PARTNER IS GUIDING ME.

I'M STEERING, I'M IN NEUTRAL...

IT'S GENTLY PULLING US Ted Ligety: IT'S REALLY COOL TO IN A WAY YOU WOULD LIKE NEVER GETTING UP ON TWO WHEELS AT REALLY BUMPY, GNARLY STUFF.

STUFF YOU WOULD NEVER REALLY SO THAT WAS REALLY FUN AND Stephanie: WE GOT OURSELVES DRIVING SITUATIONS, MY CONFIDENCE GREW.

OWNERS TOLD ME, Avi Gurowitz: IT WAS JUST VERY TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY AND SEE EVERYTHING BEING INSTEAD OF JUST SOMETHING Stephanie: ONCE THE CLOCK IT FELT FANTASTIC TO UNLACE ALREADY SENSING MY MUSCLES HOW WAS I AS A PARTNER?

Andrew Ganz: YOU...NO... AS A PARTNER, YOU HAD A REALLY POSITIVE YOU WERE EAGER TO DO EVERYTHING, YOU WERE OUT THERE PUSHING YOUR COMFORT LEVEL, IS KIND OF DESIGNED TO DO.

Stephanie: AT THE END OF MY PARTNER AND I DIDN'T DO WE WON SECOND PLACE IN THE BUT WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, OR LOSES, AND ALL THE GREAT THAT WILL LAST ME FOREVER.

John: NOW, WHEN YOU PRESS OR AT LEAST, THAT'S THE WAY THIS WEEK PAT HAS INFO ON BUT VERY IMPORTANT PART OF * Pat Goss: HERE'S A PART THAT, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE FOR THE MOST PART, THIS IS A THROTTLE BODY, OF YOUR VEHICLE.

YOU SEE, IF YOU DEPRESS EITHER A MOTOR OR A CABLE IS AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO IS OPEN THESE THROTTLE THOSE THROTTLE PLATES ALLOW WELL THE COMPUTER SENSES THAT MIXES THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF ALRIGHT, WELL ALSO IN THROTTLE THERE IS WHAT IS CALLED THE VENTURI EFFECT IS WHERE A LARGER CHAMBER INTO SOMETHING AND THEN LETS IT EXPAND AGAIN.

THAT ACCELERATES THE SPEED OF VERY COLD.

SO, WHEN WE HAVE WE CAN HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY.

ALRIGHT...NOW, WELL, ON SOME VEHICLES, IS BY PUTTING COOLANT THROUGH HERE, WE HAVE A THROTTLE BODY THIS WOULD BE A COOLANT PASSAGE POORLY MAINTAINED COOLANT, RIGHT THROUGH THE THROTTLE BODY.

WE CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE.

NOW, WHAT THAT DID IS...IT INTO THE ENGINE.

THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO AS HAVING A BAD ENGINE.

WE DIAGNOSED IT.

WE FOUND THIS LEAK IN AND WE WERE ABLE TO SALVAGE ALRIGHT...NOW, IF YOU HAVE OR YOU HAVE AN ENGINE THAT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF YOUR CAR HAS A COOLANT-HEATED AND LOOK FOR PERFORATIONS IN THAT THROTTLE BODY.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

John: TIME TO CROSS MORE FIRST WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF * Ben Davis: THIS IS THE ALL NEW NOW USING SUBARU'S GLOBAL AND NOT SHARING ANY SIMILAR NONE OF IT, NOT EVEN THE ROOF.

INSANE!

THE DESIGN STILL REMAINS RECOGNIZABLE WITH AERODYNAMIC FENDER WELL AIR VENTS AND INTERIOR DESIGN IS CLEAN AND IS A WELCOMED ADDITION.

UNDER THE HOOD, DELIVERS A 271 HORSEPOWER PUNCH 258 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE POWER IS EVERYWHERE, THE HILLS OF SONOMA, IN THE TACH THE FULL TORQUE WE'RE TALKING 2,000 RPM.

THANKFULLY, IT'S STILL WITH THIS WELL-WEIGHTED IT HAS THE RIGHT SIZED AND A VERY INFORMATIVE CLUTCH, MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ARE LARGE ANALOG GAUGES AND TACTILE FOR AUDIO AND PHONE KEEP SO ITS TRULY A DRIVER'S CAR.

SADLY, THE AUTOMATICS WEREN'T ON PAPER THEY SOUND LEGIT TO EXPERIENCE ONE.

ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION, AND RECAROS ARE AVAILABLE BUT ONLY WHEN EQUIPPED WITH FOR NOW, ANYWAY.

I'M SURE, SUBARU MIGHT HEAR US!

FUEL ECONOMY WITH THE MANUAL 26-HIGHWAY AND 22-COMBINED.

WRX SHOULD BE FOR SALE AND WE'LL GET YOU PRICING INFO SOON IN A FULL ROAD TEST.

John: LEXUS IS A BIG PLAYER IN SO WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED A NEW WAS ON THE WAY, WE JUST HAD BUT, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR WE WENT TO IT.

Stephanie Hart: I'M IN SANTA FE, DRIVING THE ALL NEW LEXUS LX600.

IT'S THE MOST LUXURIOUS AND THIS TIME AROUND FOR 2022, FROM THE GROUND UP.

FIVE TRIM LEVELS ARE AVAILABLE; I'M GOING TO BE DRIVING TWO I'M ALSO GOING TO BE TAKING IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY.

I'M REALLY EXCITED.

John: THOSE FIVE TRIMS ARE BASE, LUXURY AND ULTRA LUXURY.

EVEN IN ITS BASE FORM, THE LX600 HEATED FRONT SEATS, AND WIRELESS APPLE CARPLAY 5-SEAT CABIN.

MOST UP-LEVEL TRIMS ADD AN UP FOLD FLAT, THIRD ROW, FOR INSTANCE, THE FIRST TIME HAS A SPORTIER EXTERIOR AND BUT IF YOU DESIRE A MORE ULTRA LUXURY TRIM SEATS, REAR CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS.

WHILE, EVEN MORE LUXURIOUS, LIGHTER AND LOWER, THANKS SHARED WITH THE NEW TOYOTA WHICH IS SADLY NO LONGER ON THE LEXUS LX600, LESS WEIGHT AND BETTER FUEL ECONOMY Stephanie: THE LX600 A 3.5 LITER TWIN-TURBOCHARGED GIVING OUT 409 HORSEPOWER John: THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH AND PLENTY FOR THE TRAILS, TOO.

AS USUAL, THE LX600 INCLUDES LIKE A CRAWL CONTROL AND ESSENTIALLY, TURNING A KNOB ALLOWS YOU AND THE SYSTEM SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THROTTLE RESPONSE.

BEST PART IS?

IT'S STANDARD.

THE 2022 LEXUS LX600 IS AND ENJOYABLE HIGHWAY CRUISER, ENGAGING EXPERIENCE OFF STARTING AT AROUND $87,000, A MASTER OF THE LUXURY SUV WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, THE NISSAN KICKS ARRIVED AS A MORE MAINSTREAM REPLACEMENT IT MAY HAVE HAD A LOT LESS BUT IT DELIVERED BIG TIME AS AND GOOD-LOOKING ENTRY-LEVEL SO LET'S FIND OUT WHERE AN * THE NISSAN KICKS IS PART OF THE UTILITY VEHICLES; CAR-BASED YES, EVEN AVAILABLE.

INSTEAD, IT PRIORITIZES STYLISH, AND ECONOMICAL TO BUY A MID-CYCLE REFRESH FOR 2021 NEW STYLE AND NEW FEATURES.

WITH SO MANY VEHICLES IN THIS ALREADY, BEING A LITTLE QUIRKY IS GENERALLY A GOOD THING; LOOKS PRETTY COOL.

UP FRONT, THE BUMPER, GRILLE, THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT AVAILABLE; THE TOP SR MODEL REAR SPOILER, BLACK ROOF RAILS, ONE OF NEW WHEEL DESIGNS AN OPTIONAL EXTERIOR PACKAGE AND CROSSBARS FOR THINGS DEFINITELY APPEAR BUILT BUT IT'S FAR FROM THE MOST AND UPGRADES MAKE SURE AND CONNECTIVITY FEATURES ARE IN FACT, APPLE CARPLAY AND UPGRADED INFOTAINMENT FEATURES ON ALL BUT THE BASE MODEL, THERE'S COOL AMBIENT LIGHTING, NICER SEAT MATERIALS, AND A NEW REAR SEAT LEGROOM IS AS IS TYPICAL IN THE SEGMENT.

BUT, SEATS-UP CARGO SPACE OF AND NICELY FINISHED.

IT EXPANDS TO 53.1 WITH WITH NOT A LOT OF HORSEPOWER MANY OF US WOULD LOVE TO HAVE BUT NO SUCH LUCK.

THE KICKS SOLDIERS ON WITH 1.6 LITER I4; 3.0 HORSEPOWER FROM 18 TO 122, OF TORQUE.

SOME MIGHT CALL IT UNDERPOWERED, THING TO WORRY ABOUT WHEN ONE OF AND REALLY, OF THE STANDARD CVT TRANSMISSION FOR THE OVERALL SLUGGISH FEEL.

THERE WAS DEFINITELY NO LEAVING THE LINE AT OUR THE LAUNCH IS A LITTLE MORE BUT MOSTLY CONSISTENT WITH A AND THEN A SLOW BUILD OF POWER.

IT TOOK US A FULL 10.0 SECONDS A FEW TENTHS LONGER THAN SLOW, BUT AGAIN NOT TERRIBLE BEST QUARTER-MILE TIME WAS OVER IN OUR CONE COURSE, THE KICKS FEELS LIGHT ON ITS THE SUSPENSION IS VERY SOFT IT TENDS TO ROLL AND PLOW UNTIL BUT, BACK OFF JUST A LITTLE AND LANE-CHANGE WILLING WITH GOOD NUMBERS WHEN IT COMES TO $20,775 TO START, FOR SV AND SR TRIMS.

SO, THE NISSAN KICKS MAY NOT BE BUT IT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST OF SMALL URBAN CROSSOVERS.

PROOF THAT NISSAN HAS DONE THEIR AND IS DELIVERING WHAT MATTERS FOR A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE.

AND FOR 2021, SHOULD FIND EVEN MORE TRACTION.

John: WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , PODCASTS, CRUISE ON OVER TO AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US FOR A SUPERCHARGED FLIGHT IN AND SIGN OFF ON INFINITI'S UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, FROM OUR ORIGINAL LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCAS OIL, TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR * Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *