Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We start off with a fun Ute from the UK, the MINI Countryman ALL4... Then, "Your Drive" visits Giuseppe's garage for cures to shaky steering... Greg Carloss goes "Over the Edge" with a mini e-racer... Then, it's a driver that checks all the boxes, the Hyundai Sonata...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: The automotive industry is full of inconsistencies, like...biggest MINI.

Well, that's what this MINI Countryman has been since it arrived for 2011 as the brand's first SUV.

Well, time flies when you're having fun driving a MINI, so a 3rd generation is already arriving.

Let's find out if that still means big fun for this now not quite so small crossover.

♪ ♪ MINIs may not attract the kind of attention they did when the Cooper returned to the U.S. market for 2002, but that's mostly because they've become mainstream, with an expanded lineup that even includes an SUV, this 2025 Countryman S ALL4.

But what hasn't changed, is that MINIs still look cool and are even more enjoyable to drive.

No surprise, the suspension in this latest Countryman, which shares its chassis with BMW's X1, is very firm; but that's what gives it that precise go-kart feel that we love in all MINIs.

Though, that also makes it more primed for backroads exploring and short trip commuting than for extended highway travel.

Continuing another MINI tradition, things inside remain quirky seemingly just for the sake of being quirky, the latest example being the fabric tether-like spoke on the steering wheel.

For better or worse, MINI still puts all driver and multimedia information in the same central circle.

Perhaps it's the improved touchscreen, or maybe just that technology has caught up to it, but we think it works better now than ever before; delivering a lot of information.

The flip-up Head Up Display helps too, as it keeps you from having to look over to see how fast you're going.

Good use of space inside as always, with plenty of room for adults up front and lots of useful storage places.

And with 40/20/40 folding of the rear seatbacks, there's more flexibility than most other small utilities.

In back, there's underfloor storage space as well as room for 25.0 cubic-feet of cargo, expanding to a max of 56.2 cubic-feet, 18 percent more than last gen. As of right now, there's no "standard" Countryman.

Its only available as a Countryman S ALL4, which means power comes from a turbo engine and all-wheel-drive is included.

BMW's 2.0 liter turbo I4 outputs 241 horsepower here with a stout 295 pound-feet of torque.

But a JCW version is also available, which cranks the 2.0 liter up to 312 horsepower.

All Countryman work with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission; no manual transmission available.

MINI Experience Modes set the stage for your preferred driving style.

It was Go-Kart mode for us, as we headed to our Mason Dixon Dragway test track.

Things were actually pretty calm off the starting line, but once it got crankin', speeds built quickly, and we were off to 60 in 5.9 seconds.

The DCT was very direct and firm with shifts through the first couple of gears, but they smoothed out noticeably in the higher ranges; power delivery stayed strong throughout the 14.3 second quarter-mile finished at 98 miles per hour.

Being the SUV of the MINI lineup, there was more body roll through our handling course than you'd experience in a Cooper, but we could still carry a lot of speed through the cones.

MINI's ALL4 torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system distributes power to whichever wheels can put it to the best use, helping the Countryman feel well planted while turning in eagerly.

Brakes were solid and mostly fade-free with stops averaging just 105 feet from 60.

That stable and steady feel at the track is the result of a platform that's grown slightly larger in both wheelbase and track.

Overall length grows just under 5.0 inches.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 24 City, 32 Highway, and 27 Combined; we averaged a fine 26.6 miles per gallon on Premium.

That's slightly better than average for the Energy Impact Score; 11.0 Barrels of Yearly Oil Consumption with 5.3 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

Pricing starts at $39,895 for Signature Plus trim; Iconic packs in a lot of additional features and starts at $43,095.

The 2025 MINI Countryman S ALL4 is much more than just a nifty machine that's perfect for living the city life; it's a fun-to-drive getaway mobile that can also add a big dose of excitement into your daily duties.

And even more thrills are on the way with an all-electric version of the Countryman, coming soon.

♪ ♪ Kids don't grow up; their toys just get bigger.

That's especially true of car enthusiasts, including our own Greg Carloss who's always making us jealous when he goes "Over the Edge" with some seriously cool big boy toys.

But this week he's the one that's green with envy after hanging out with a tiny toy racer.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Ahhh!

You know, son.

Back in my day, our screens were tiny.

Our Internet was slow and so were our Power Wheels.

And you know what?

We liked it!

TREVOR TETER: Nice story, grandpa.

(power wheel takes off) GREG: Kids these days...

This young whippersnapper is Trevor Teter, a 6-year-old from Oxford, Pennsylvania, with a toy car collection most can only dream of.

Though, it's not just the cars themselves, but what they do when Trevor mashes that little plastic pedal.

ALEX TETER: So, this all started because I was...

...I drag raced and we would all be at the track...you know, with...my son would be with us and he loved seeing all the cars there racing.

And he would always ask us, you know, "dad when...when can I get involved?

When can I race?"

So, we built him a mini Power Wheel that kind of mimicked my car and that's kind of what started it all.

GREG: Rippin' donuts in the driveway is fun, but racing with friends is better.

So, Trevor and his dad started Oxford Power Wheels Racing.

ALEX: So, Oxford Power Wheels Racing is a group, um, aimed for kids drag racing.

So, we do 60 foot drag racing on a full timing system.

So, we have some cars, you know, as slow as 3.0 miles per hour, we have some cars as fast as almost 30 miles per hour in just 60 feet.

GREG: If you've ever driven one of these things as a kid, you know they don't go this fast out of the box.

But an auto mechanic by trade, Alex is able to soup them up for his little speed demon.

ALEX: First thing we do is switch everything over to a thicker gauge wiring.

So, we switch it over to 10-gauge.

We get the 30 amp breaker out of there and put a 100 amp breaker in there.

GREG: Once, the car's wiring is upgraded, it can run more powerful motors with bigger batteries.

TREVOR: He even puts some drill batteries, two drill batteries or even LiPo.

GREG: What does it sound like?

TREVOR: Loud!

GREG: Loud?

Does it sound like a drill or does it sound like a race car?

TREVOR: Race car!

GREG: This may look like play, but Trevor treats it more like a test and tune ahead of the group's weekend races.

TREVOR: Down's a 3.31 and up's a 3.30.

ALEX: We do a lot of events at Cecil County Dragway, we've done some events at Maple Grove.

So, we'll usually do a little open testing before the event... and start with first round of the stock class, then we do first round of the modified class and then move on to our outlaw class.

There's a few certain, um, safety requirements like a 100 amp breaker.

We recommend having long sleeves and pants, gloves, and then helmets are required for all of the classes.

GREG: Wanting to grow the Power Wheels racing community, the father-son duo took to the Internet posting videos of Trevor driving their ever- expanding toy car collection, as well as tutorials for fellow speed seekers.

Word of the Trevor's Fast Life YouTube channel took off faster than even Trevor himself, gaining almost 30,000 subscribers in one year.

He even collaborated with YouTube star Steven Sharer on a video that's tallied more than 2-million views.

STEPHEN SHARER: Check it out, Sharers.

Today, I'm here with Trevor and we're going to be racing my Lamborghini versus the world's fastest mini-Lamborghini.

GREG: Despite the glitz and the glamour of Internet fame, Trevor is still just a boy who likes to go fast and hang out with his dad.

ALEX: It's a priceless feeling when we go to the track.

It's definitely brought us closer together and I believe it's brought- it's brought a lot of the kids closer.

TREVOR: He's the coolest dad ever.

GREG: Why?

What makes him the coolest dad ever?

TREVOR: Because he builds all my Power Wheels.

JOHN: Next time you go for a drive, really pay attention to the feedback in the steering wheel.

If it's shaky, you just might have a problem, and our Giuseppe Iatarola just might have the fix on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ GIUSEPPE IATAROLA: Have you been driving down the road and your steering wheel starts to shake?

Most people assume this is because of the high-speed balance.

However, it could be several other causes.

Today, I'm going to walk you through them.

The main cause of a shaky steering wheel is warped brake rotors.

There's two ways of fixing this problem.

First is replacing the brake rotor, which is the easiest but most expensive, and the second is the old-school way, resurfacing the brake rotor.

What causes a warped rotor, it might be a sticky caliper.

Which means the caliper is applied onto the brake rotor all the time.

The brake rotor overheats and warps.

Before we turn it, safety first...

This lathe has cutting blades on it that shaves the surface of the rotor until it's perfectly even, just like this.

There's a limit to how many times you can turn a rotor.

Most rotors are marked with a minimum allowable thickness.

Once you go past that, it could get weak, is more prone to warping and is no longer safe to use.

Another cause for a shaky steering wheel is over tightened lug nuts.

That's what happens when you use a good old air gun.

The air gun tightens the lug nuts unevenly.

That's why you always use a torque wrench.

Torque your lug nuts to the specs of your car and you're good to go.

(lug nuts click into place) You can't tell from looking at it, but your wheel might be out of balance.

Make sure there's no mud or ice crusted in your wheel, make sure you don't have any missing wheel weights, and if your tires are worn out, it could throw off your alignment and it can make your car wobble.

One more place to look is your suspension.

Worn out parts, parts that are installed incorrectly, or parts that are rusty may not line up correctly, and make the car wobble.

If you've got shaky steering wheel problems, look these things over before you bring it to your local mechanic.

You might save yourself some time and money.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We've got the master key to everything that's new, so let's go for another "QuickSpin!"

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: One of the most unexpected and highly entertaining rides we've experienced this decade is Toyota's GR Corolla.

Well, it's better than ever for 2025.

The biggest change is an all-new GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission.

This 8-speed auto was designed with track performance in mind and adds a Launch Control feature.

The 6-speed manual remains the standard transmission and gets updated with stiffer clutch operation.

All-wheel-drive remains standard too, as are locking front and rear diffs.

The DAT requires a transmission cooler, so Toyota has opened the front fascia a little bit for better airflow, helping with engine and brake cooling as well.

Same 300 horsepower 1.6 liter I3 engine, but it gets a torque increase from 273 to 295 pound-feet.

We got our QuickSpin First Drive opportunity at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

On both the road course and oval sections, the GR Corolla's short but wide platform remained stiff and stable, with tremendous amounts of grip; and as for that new automatic transmission... BRIAN ROBINSON: While, it's not a true dual-clutch or sequential manual, you'd be hard pressed to know it; uh, shifts are very quick...uh, it lets you have full control while you're out on the track.

Uh...the shifters, they're not the biggest, uh, but they feel good in your hands and work well.

Uh...it all reminds me of the Lexus IS-F 8-speed they had a while back, it's a really great...uh, transmission and uh, it sure beats having a CVT.

JESSICA: 2025 Toyota GR Corollas are available now, with base pricing around $39,000; the DAT, a $2,000 option.

And we'll have more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: Be it on the track or the automotive news beat, we know a thing or two about "late breaking."

Here's Stephanie Hart with this week's MotorNews!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: Our biggest scoop comes from the revived Scout Motors, which unveiled its first two models.

The Volkswagen-backed effort revealed the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck, both body-on-frame EVs.

Battery specs, range, and exact powertrain details are yet to be confirmed, but an optional Harvester gas-powered range extender is projected to reach at least 500 miles.

The interior on both offers numerous storage solutions and physical controls along with the digital interfaces; but the Terra can be equipped with an optional front bench seat, a rather unique and classic touch.

Arriving in 2027, Scouts will be produced in South Carolina, with reservations open now and starting MSRPs between $50,000 and $60,000.

Arriving a bit sooner than that is the all-new Nissan Murano, staying the course as a two-row utility.

The design language might make you think "electrified" thanks to the sharp LED elements and smooth lines, but under the hood is a gasoline-fueled 2.0 liter turbo-4 replacing the V6.

The new interior boasts a pair of 12.3 inch displays with touch-sensitive controls for the climate system.

The 2025 Murano should reach Nissan dealers early next year.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews.

♪ ♪ GREG: Surviving a year in our long-term fleet is no easy task, but this 2023 Kia EV6 GT handled it without a single problem, electrical or otherwise.

Through 12 months and 14,222 miles, this EV avoided the service department as adeptly as it evaded gas stations.

From the pop-out door handles to the acid green accents and aggressive styling, the EV6 GT also looks as great as it performs.

It's been an exciting year with this EV6 GT and as we think back on it, two things stand out.

One, the seasons have a real effect on expected driving range.

The EPA rated 206 miles always seemed within reach during the cold months, but as temps got warmer we were seeing closer to 250 miles.

The second observation is that, despite the performance-tuned suspension and these stiff sport seats, this is a comfortable commuter, and one we will miss.

Now, let's turn our attention to the family sedan in our fleet, this hybrid-powered 2024 Honda Accord.

Simply put, we're loving the spaciousness of its interior.

While, it is technically still a midsize car, it feels more like some of the no longer available full-size sedans that many of us have very fond memories of.

And of course, few brands nail the small details of interior ergonomics as well as Honda.

This 11th gen Accord is packed full of safety features including knee airbags for driver and front passenger, along with side airbags for rear seat passengers.

Plus, a full suite of Honda Sensing active driving features like Lane Keep Assist and Road Departure Mitigation.

Fuel economy from our Accord's 204 horsepower 2.0 liter I4-based hybrid setup has ticked up this segment, bringing our 4-month average to 46.4 miles per gallon over 7,400 miles of driving.

We'll check in on our Cadillac LYRIQ on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: Comfort and room to roam used to be core elements for attracting buyers to midsize family sedans.

But thanks to SUVs, that's not enough these days.

Now, luxury, tech integration, performance, fuel economy, and even all-wheel-drive have become must-have sedan ingredients.

And one more, value.

So, let's see if the latest Hyundai Sonata gives us all a lesson in chemistry.

♪ ♪ The 7th generation Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan has been on the road since 2020, and as usually happens when vehicles approach the end of their lifecycle, this 2024 Sonata gets a makeover to keep the looks fresh and electronics current until an all-new one arrives.

Standard tech includes a crystal-clear 12.3 inch digital gauge display and a 12.3 inch touchscreen for infotainment.

Both are now combined into one wide curved housing similar to what we've seen from BMW and other luxury brands.

This required a complete dash overhaul; a big interior change you can't miss.

Top Limited trim ups the game with navigation, leather seating, 12-speaker Bose premium sound, head-up display, and sunroof.

It's quite roomy inside, though maybe not quite as spacious or as comfy as some rivals with newer designs.

On the other hand, rear seat legroom is very generous with long distance comfort.

There are three powertrain choices.

The base front-wheel-drive SEL works with a 191 horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.5 liter I4.

And for 2024, you can now add all-wheel-drive to it for $1,500.

The sporty N Line puts a turbocharger onto that 2.5 which boosts output to 290 horsepower, but it remains front-wheel-drive only, as does this Hybrid.

The Hybrid is 2.0 liter I4 based with a 39 kilowatt electric motor that combine for an output of 192 horsepower.

The real draw with the Hybrid is fuel economy of course, and the Government Ratings are 44 City, 51 Highway, and 47 Combined.

We manage just 42.7 miles per gallon of Regular in our driving loop, but that's still slightly better than in our recent tests of both the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid.

And it earns a much better than average Energy Impact Score, using 6.3 Barrels of Oil Yearly, with 3.1 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

The price for that great fuel economy was paid at our test track with a slow roll to 60 of 8.0 seconds.

There was no sense of urgency off the line, and while the engine sounded like it was really working hard, numbers on the speedometer were slow to climb.

That meter was reading only 89 miles per hour after 16.0 seconds as we crossed the quarter-mile.

On a much more positive note, the Sonata Hybrid's true 6-speed automatic transmission provides a much more enjoyable experience than competitor's CVTs.

And the experience in our handling course was positive too; minimal body roll and light steering had us whipping in and out of the cones with a surprising amount of speed.

We didn't experience much in the way of oversteer or understeer, and stability systems stayed out of the way.

In our panic braking runs, the pedal was soft, and we could really hear the ABS working overtime, but stops were straight and fade free, averaging a fine 114 feet from 60 miles per hour.

The Sonata has always attempted to set itself apart when it comes to exterior design.

That meant an awkwardly shaped "Digital Pulse Cascading" grille when this gen debuted; we much prefer the more traditional and sportier take of this update.

The rear fascia also gets revised, looking both sportier and more upscale at the same time, with wide H-themed lighting to accentuate the Sonata's width.

Pricing starts with the SEL at $28,650; adding the hybrid powertrain boosts it to $31,950, Limited comes exclusively with the hybrid engine and tops the lineup at $38,350.

Hyundai's long-time formula for success, delivering more for less and tacking on a longer warranty than rivals, has done a great job of getting them where they are today.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata's high value, impressive powertrain options, which now include all-wheel-drive, and better than average driving dynamics, will ensure they stay a major player in the midsize sedan segment for years to come.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we fly through the updates for the Honda Pilot and its new Black Edition, then we'll power up the incredible Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.

We'll also share some fuel-sipping tips, then it's a big anniversary for a parts swapping paradise.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

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We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over one million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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