HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK .

JOIN US AS WE SEE WHICH EV BRINGS THE MOST CHARGE TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT... PAT GOSS WITH OVERLOOKED PARTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT... ZACH MASKELL ON HOW TO GIVE YOUR RIDE A ONE OF A KIND LOOK... AND A COMPACT UTE WITH BIG APPEAL, THE NEW TOYOTA RAV4...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: IF YOU STILL THINK THAT YOUR EV CHOICES ARE LIMITED TO JUST THE AFFORDABLE NISSAN LEAF, OR A HIGH-END TESLA, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION.

THESE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE SEEN EVs ARRIVE FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY CARMAKER, AND THERE ARE PLENTY MORE JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

SO, LET'S GET OUR ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT'S RUNNIN' AND HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY!

* WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING FOR MUCH ADVENTURE HERE, BUT WE ARE CLEARLY AT THE TURNING POINT IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY.

EVs ARE BECOMING MAINSTREAM.

SO, HERE'S A LOOK AT FIVE EVs THAT ARE MAKING THAT HAPPEN IN 2019.

ONE OF THE MOST RECENT ENTRIES INTO THE MARKET, THE HYUNDAI IONIQ ELECTRIC HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2017 AS THE FULL-EV VERSION OF HYUNDAI'S GLOBAL MIDSIZE HATCHBACK, WHICH IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN HYBRID AND PHEV VERSIONS.

THIS EV HAS AN 88 KW MOTOR, WHICH EQUATES TO 118 HORSEPOWER AND 218 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND STORES ENERGY IN A 28 KWH BATTERY PACK.

RANGE ON A FULL CHARGE IS 124 MILES, AND ITS $31,235 BASE PRICE BEFORE INCENTIVES, MAKES IT ONE OF THE LEAST EXPENSIVE EVs OUT THERE.

Ben Davis: I LIKE THE IONIQ'S PADDLE ACTIVATED REGENERATIVE BRAKING CONTROLS.

THEY MAKE IT QUICK AND EASY TO SHUFFLE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AGGRESSION.

I PREFER THE MOST AGGRESSIVE MODE, BECAUSE I LIKE TO RECLAIM AS MUCH ENERGY AS POSSIBLE.

John: BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOME VERSIONS OF THIS VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF HAS BEEN AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.

SINCE 2012.

WITH ALMOST CONSTANT REFINEMENT SINCE, 35.8 KWH OF BATTERY CAPACITY YIELDS A RANGE OF 125 MILES.

AND PRICING STARTS NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN THE IONIQ, AT $32,790.

THE VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF HAS MUCH IN COMMON WITH OTHERS IN THE CURRENT CROP OF ELECTRIC CARS.

IT'S SMOOTH, ITS POWERFUL, AND IT'S FAST.

BUT, IT IS STILL FIRST AND FOREMOST A VOLKSWAGEN.

SO, IT DRIVES LIKE ALL OTHER GOLFS.

THAT IS SOLID, SUREFOOTED, AND SAFE.

THIS CAR REALLY FEELS LIKE IT'S ONE WITH THE ROAD.

SO, THE E-GOLF IS MY PICK AS THE DRIVER'S CAR OF CURRENT ELECTRIC CARS.

AND WHILE, 120-SOMETHING MILES OF RANGE WILL WORK FOR SOME; MOST PEOPLE WOULD FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE IF THAT NUMBER WAS NORTH OF 200, WHICH IS WHERE ALL OF OUR NEXT THREE EVs LIVE.

THE NISSAN LEAF IS THE BEST-SELLING EV IN THE WORLD, AND CREATED THE BASIC TEMPLATE THAT MOST EVs FOLLOW TODAY.

AND WHILE, THE ORIGINAL COULD BARELY EKE OUT 100 MILES OF RANGE, THE LATEST LEAF PLUS IS RATED FOR 226 MILES.

IT STORES ENERGY IN A 62 KWH BATTERY PACK, AND UNLEASHES IT THROUGH A 160 KW MOTOR WITH 214 HORSEPOWER AND 250 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

PLUS, PRICING STARTS AT $37,445.

THE CHEVROLET BOLT EV WAS A TRUE GAME CHANGER WHEN IT ARRIVED FOR 2017.

NOT ONLY WAS IT THE FIRST NON-TESLA EV TO OFFER MORE THAN 200-MILES OF RANGE; BUT WITH TAX INCENTIVES, IT WAS AVAILABLE FOR UNDER $30,000.

NO MAJOR CHANGES SINCE, IT STILL OFFERS 238 MILES OF RANGE FROM ITS 60 KWH BATTERY, HAS A 150 KW MOTOR THAT PUTS OUT 200 HORSEPOWER AND 266 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, WITH A BASE STICKER OF $37,495.

PLUS, IT APPROACHES THE E-GOLF AT BEING FUN TO DRIVE.

Garick Zikan: THE BOLT GIVES YOU A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER.

ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE KILOWATTS YOU'RE USING.

IT FLUCTUATES BASED ON HOW AGGRESSIVELY YOU'RE ACCELERATING.

RIGHT BELOW THAT YOU CAN SEE WHEN THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING KICKS IN.

I PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE LEFT SIDE, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE RANGE.

THE BOLT TELLS YOU THE MINIMUM, MAXIMUM, AND AVERAGE RANGE YOU HAVE AT ANY GIVEN POINT.

IF YOU LIKE THAT INSTANT TORQUE YOU GET FROM EVs AS MUCH AS I DO, YOU'LL GET LESS RANGE.

A LIGHTER RIGHT FOOT, YOU'LL GET MORE RANGE.

A LIGHT RIGHT FOOT PLUS REGENERATIVE BRAKING, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY ADD MILES TO YOUR RANGE.

ALL THIS INFORMATION IS UPDATED IN REAL TIME, SO YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR DRIVING HABITS TO GET THE MOST MILES OUT OF EVERY CHARGE.

John: THAT BRINGS US TO ONE OF THE NEWEST EVs ON THE MARKET, AND ALSO OUR MILEAGE CHAMP HERE.

IT'S THE KIA NIRO EV.

GRANTED, ITS GOVERNMENT-RATED 239 MILES IS ONLY ONE MORE THAN THE BOLT EV, BUT IT ALSO DOES THE BOLT EV ONE MORE, BY TAKING ITS CROSSOVER APPEARANCE AND ACTUALLY DELIVERING REAL CROSSOVER UTILITY TO GO WITH IT.

MUCH LIKE THE IONIQ, THE NIRO IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN HYBRID AND PHEV FORMS, AND THE FULL-EV IS BARELY DIFFERENT IN ITS EXECUTION...201 HORSEPOWER AND 291 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE ARE PRODUCED BY A 150 KW MOTOR THAT DRAWS POWER FROM A 64 KWH BATTERY PACK.

BASE PRICING IS $39,495, AND THIS NIRO IS PERHAPS THE BEST EXAMPLE YET, OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED.

Dennis Smith: SO, THE TECHNOLOGY IS BETTER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BEFORE ON THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

NOT ONLY IS THE RANGE LONGER BUT THEY GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION AS FAR AS HOW MUCH JUICE YOU'VE GOT LEFT, AND HOW MUCH REGEN YOU'RE PUTTING BACK INTO THE BATTERY EVERY TIME YOU START, AND STOP IT.

SO, YOU CAN REALLY STRETCH YOUR RANGE FURTHER THAN YOU'VE EVER REALLY THOUGHT BEFORE.

John: SO WHILE, THIS WAS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE EVs BY ANY MEANS, THESE FIVE FULLY-ELECTRIC CARS, NOT ONLY PROVE THAT YOUR HIGHLY AFFORDABLE PLUG-IN CHOICES ARE GREATER THAN EVER, BUT THAT EVs ARE NO LONGER THE FUTURE, THEY ARE THE "HERE AND NOW."

* OUR OVER THE EDGE GUY HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DRIVE UP AND DOWN THE COAST IN A SINGLE WEEKEND, WHETHER IT'S FOR KICKS OR TO PICK UP THE NEWEST ADDITION TO HIS MOTORIZED STABLE.

NOW IN THE PAST, ZACH MASKELL HAS USED PAINTERS TAPE TO PROTECT THE FINISH OF HIS MORE TREASURED VEHICLES WHILE ON THE ROAD.

BUT RECENTLY, HE VENTURED INTO ONE SHOP THAT INSTALLS AN INVISIBLE FORCE FIELD.

* Zach: IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT WE CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF.

IT IS PROTECTION FOR OUR CARS.

TODAY, WE'RE IN FOREST HILL, MARYLAND AT A-PLUS AUTO STYLING.

AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN GET A PROTECTIVE BARRIER FOR OUR PAINT.

A-PLUS IS A FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN PRESERVATION OF YOUR RIDE.

FROM WINDOW TINT, TO FULL COLOR VINYL WRAPS, AND THE EVER SO POPULAR, PAINT PROTECTION FILM, ALSO KNOWN AS PPF.

THIS IS A THERMOPLASTIC URETHANE FILM WHICH IS APPLIED OVER PAINT.

PPF CAN PROTECT AGAINST ROCK CHIPS AND SCRATCHES.

NOW, IF YOU WANT TO COVER THE ENTIRE CAR, IT'S ABOUT $6,000.

TO DO THE FRONT IMPACT ZONE, IT'S ABOUT TWO GRAND.

AND XPEL GUARANTEES THIS FOR 10 YEARS.

Zac Ritter: WE HAD A CUSTOMER WITH AN F TYPE HAVE A DRIVER SCUFF THE BUMPER OF HIS CAR LEAVING A PARKING LOT ONE DAY.

AND WHEN HE PULLED THE WRAP OFF THERE WAS REALLY NO DAMAGE TO THE PAINT ITSELF.

IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS, IT WAS PRETTY BAD WHEN THE FILM WAS STILL ON THERE BUT WE PULLED IT OFF AND TO BOTH OUR SURPRISES ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS ESSENTIALLY REPLACE THE FILM.

Zach: THIS BLOTTER MACHINE CAN PRECISELY CUT THE PPF FOR MANY CARS, SO IT'S NOT USUALLY HAND CUT.

Nick Kraft: THESE PRECUT KITS.

THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT MIRROR DESIGNS.

I CUT THE ONE WITH THE SMALLER MIRROR HOLE OUT.

KNOWING THAT I'M GOING TO TUCK IT AS CLOSE TO THE MIRROR STALK AS POSSIBLE AND NOT HAVE ANY GAP THERE, SO WHAT I'M DOING NOW IS JUST TRYING TO POSITION IT EXACTLY WHERE I WANT IT.

Zach: WHILE, COLOR VINYL IS INSTALLED COMPLETELY DRY, PPF IS A POLAR OPPOSITE.

Nick: THE IDEA IS TO NOT HAVE ANY DRY SPOTS.

ANY DRY SPOTS CAN CREATE SILVERING OR YOU KNOW, SOME DEFECTS IN THE ACTUAL GLUE.

SO, GOT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S NICE AND WET.

Zach: THE GUYS ARE MAKING SURE THERE'S NO BUBBLES AND NO CONTAMINANT, AS THIS IS LIKE HOLDING A GIANT PIECE OF FLY PAPER.

THEN THE WATER IS SQUEEGEED OUT AND THE EDGES SIT TO DRY.

Zac R: IT'S NOT THE THICKEST THING.

IF IT WERE TOO THICK YOU WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO KEEP IT FROM BEING VISIBLE.

SO, I THINK THEY FOUND A PERFECT NICHE WITH IT ABOUT YOU KNOW, ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND ITS AESTHETIC QUALITIES.

Nick: ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PROPERTIES OF THE PAINT PROTECTION FILM IS THE SELF-HEALING TOP COAT.

THAT HELPS WITH LIGHT SCRATCHES, AND ANY SWIRLS THAT YOU MAY GET, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITH A DIRTY MICROFIBER.

Zach: THE SUNS HEAT ALONE WILL PULL THESE SCRATCHES OUT.

BUT, YOU CAN USE A HEAT GUN TO EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS.

Nick: WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO TOO HEAVY WITH IT BUT WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY MAKE AN AREA THAT'S GOT SOME SCRATCHES ON IT.

Zach: VOILA!

MAGIC.

THAT'S HOW THIS AUDI R8 OWNER FEELS, SAYING YOU CAN'T SEE EVEN THE EDGES OF THE FILM, WHICH HAS KEPT HIS PAINT SPICK AND SPAN.

Mike Wysong: PEOPLE COMPLIMENT ME ALL THE TIME ABOUT HOW NEW THE CAR LOOKS EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS A COUPLE OF MODEL YEARS OLD.

SO, ASIDE FROM THAT, THAT THE CAR'S ALSO EASY TO TAKE CARE OF AND MAINTAIN.

Zac R: AFTER YOU GET THE CAR PPF'D THERE REALLY ISN'T A WHOLE LOT YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MAINTENANCE WISE.

YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH TREAT IT AS THOUGH YOU WOULD HAVE TREATED THE CAR ORIGINALLY BEFORE YOU HAD THE FILM INSTALLED.

YOU CAN WAX THE CAR, YOU CAN GET THE CAR CERAMIC COATED.

THOSE TWO THINGS, NOT IN COMBINATION BUT EITHER OR WILL HELP JUST PROLONG THE QUALITY OF THE FILM ITSELF.

Zach: DON'T DIRECTLY SPRAY EDGES WITH A PRESSURE WASHER.

AND WHILE YOU CAN TAKE IT THROUGH THE CAR WASH, TOUCHLESS IS PREFERRED.

NOW, IT TAKES ABOUT 40 HOURS TO PROPERLY INSTALL PFF OVER AN ENTIRE CAR.

SO, IT'S NOT A ONE DAY THING.

AND, ASK AROUND TO MAKE SURE THE SHOP YOU CHOOSE HAS A GOOD REPUTATION.

BUT, FOR ANYONE WHO REALLY WANTS TO KEEP THEIR CAR LOOKING LIKE NEW, PFF IS A WORTHY INVESTMENT.

John: TAKING A DEEP BREATH IS GREAT ADVICE IN MANY SITUATIONS, AND THE SAME GOES FOR YOUR CAR.

PAT GOSS HAS MORE DOWN IN GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat Goss: THERE'S A MYTH ABOUT AIR FILTERS THAT SAYS, "A DIRTY AIR FILTER WILL AFFECT GAS MILEAGE."

WELL, BACK IN THE DAY WHEN CARS HAD CARBURETORS, LIKE THIS OLD ONE HERE, WELL...YES, THAT WAS TRUE BUT CARBURETORS HAVE BEEN GONE A LONG TIME NOW AND MODERN CARS, WELL, THEY HAVE FUEL INJECTION AND A DIRTY AIR FILTER WILL NOT AFFECT FUEL ECONOMY.

THE REASON BEING IS THAT WHEN THE AIR WAS RESTRICTED ON THE CARBURETED CAR, THERE WAS NO WAY TO SHUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF FUEL GOING INTO THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE CARBURETOR WAS MECHANICAL.

TODAY, WE HAVE FUEL INJECTION, AND THAT'S ALL ELECTRONIC.

SO, WE HAVE A DEVICE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE AIR FILTER THAT MEASURES THE AMOUNT OF AIR COMING THROUGH THE AIR FILTER.

IT TELLS THE COMPUTER HOW MUCH AIR IS COMING IN, THE COMPUTER MIXES THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL, SO IT ALWAYS MAINTAINS THE PROPER AIR/FUEL RATIO.

NOW, GRANTED IF YOU HAVE A FILTER THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS YOU NEED TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE IT HAS TO PROTECT YOUR ENGINE, AND THAT ISN'T GOING TO DO MUCH OF A JOB AT THAT.

NOW, NEXT THING, HERE WE HAVE A HIGH PERFORMANCE AIR FILTER.

MOST OF THESE ARE OILED.

THEY DO A GREAT JOB; THEY USUALLY LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR.

BUT, WILL THEY GIVE A STOCK ENGINE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORMANCE OR FUEL ECONOMY AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.

THE REASON IS THAT AN ENGINE ONLY TAKES IN THE AMOUNT OF AIR THAT IS NEEDED, NOT THE AMOUNT OF AIR THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO IT.

SO YOU CAN MAKE ALL OF THIS AIR AVAILABLE, IT'S NOT GOING TO USE IT.

NOW, IF YOU MODIFY THE ENGINE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE MAKING IT TAKE IN MORE AIR, THEN YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED A HIGH PERFORMANCE AIR FILTER; ONLY WAY TO GO.

ALRIGHT, ANOTHER FILTER ON THE CAR YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF: MOST CARS THESE DAYS HAVE CABIN AIR FILTERS.

THIS IS AN EXTREME EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE PULL OUT OF CARS PERIODICALLY: REALLY NASTY AND DOESN'T SMELL TOO GOOD EITHER.

NOW, LET'S TAKE A LITTLE COMPARISON HERE.

WE'LL TAKE THIS ONE OUT OF THIS NEW CAR.

WE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

NOW, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL AND SEE HOW YOU GO ABOUT CHECKING THIS, WHERE IT'S LOCATED, AND SO ON.

AND AT LEAST A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR CHECK IT, OR IF THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS TO REPLACE IT, AT A CERTAIN INTERVAL, REPLACE IT.

YOU'LL BE A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE CAR.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: SO MANY CARS, SO LITTLE TIME.

SO, LET'S GO FOR ANOTHER QUICKSPIN.

* WHEN IT COMES TO AMERICAN-BRED PERFORMANCE CARS, THE 2019 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT350 IS AN EXPERT AT FLEXING ITS MUSCLES.

OUR FIRST DRIVE IN THIS SUPER QUICK COUPE WAS ALONG THE MILE-AND-A-HALF M1 CONCOURSE IN PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

SPORTING A HIGH REVVING FLAT PLANE CRANK 5.2 LITER V8, IT'S THE MOST POWERFUL NATURALLY ASPIRATED FORD PRODUCTION ENGINE EVER.

GENERATING 526 HORSEPOWER AND 429 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND WITH AN 82-50 RPM REDLINE, THIS REAR WHEEL DRIVE HOT ROD DEMANDS THE DRIVER WORK THE PEDALS WITH A SHORT THROW 6-MANUAL SPEED SHIFTER.

WE ESTIMATE A 0-60 OF JUST OVER 4.0 SECONDS, OR ONLY ABOUT A HALF SECOND BACK FROM WHAT THE UPCOMING SUPERCHARGED MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 IS EXPECTED TO DELIVER.

INDEED, ENGINEERS USED WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED FROM THEIR WORK ON THE GT500, AND FROM MUSTANG ROAD RACING PROGRAMS, TO GREATLY IMPROVE AERODYNAMICS ON THE GT350, WITH A REVISED GRILLE CLOSEOUT, A NEW REAR SPOILER, WITH AN OPTIONAL GURNEY FLAP FOR MORE DOWNFORCE.

THEY ALSO RECALIBRATED SPRINGS AND REVISED DAMPING FOR THE MAGNERIDE ACTIVE SUSPENSION.

FORD TEAMED UP WITH MICHELIN, ENGINEERING NEW FORD PERFORMANCE-SPEC PILOT SPORT CUP 2 TIRES WITH ALTERED COMPOUND AND A TREAD PATTERN EXCLUSIVE TO THE GT350; 295/35 RUBBER UP FRONT AND 305/35 IN THE REAR WRAP AROUND 19-INCH WHEELS.

Garick: ALL THE WORK THE ENGINEERS HAVE DONE REALLY PAYS OFF WHEN YOU'RE HERE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.

THE CAR IS VERY AGILE.

IT HANDLES WELL ON THE TRACK AND HAS GREAT GRIP GOING THROUGH THE CORNERS.

John: THE INTERIOR REFLECTS THE TRACK FOCUSED ATTITUDE WITH A STANDARD MACHINED ALUMINUM INSTRUMENT PANEL AND RECARO SEATS THAT HOLD ON TIGHT THROUGH THE TURNS.

SO, THE 2019 MUSTANG SHELBY GT350 ACCELERATES TO A NEW PEAK LEVEL OF ENGINEERING, AIR FLOW AND GRIP FOR THE MUSTANG CORRAL, IF ONLY TEMPORARILY.

ON SALE NOW, THE PRICE STARTS AT JUST A TAD OVER $59,000.

ONCE AGAIN, FORD HAS DONE THE MEMORY OF CARROLL SHELBY PROUD.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS SOON!

* Greg Carloss: AROUND HERE, WE TEND TO PICK THE FUN OVER THE FRUGAL, OR EVEN THE PRACTICAL.

WELL, IF WE'VE LEARNED NOTHING ELSE OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND 4,300 MILES SPENT WITH THIS 2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA R-LINE, IT'S THAT YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD CHOICES.

YES, SEDANS (EVEN SMALL ONES) CAN BE PRACTICAL AND FRUGAL; OUR MILEAGE IS UP TO 36.7 MILES PER GALLON.

PLUS, THIS JETTA IS A GREAT "EVERYDAY SEDAN" TO DRIVE AS WELL.

THE COMPACT SEDAN SEGMENT IN AMERICA IS ONE WHERE BUYERS GENERALLY JUST WANT A CAR TO GET THEM TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO AND REALLY THEY WANT SOMETHING THAT JUST WORKS.

I CAN SAY, THAT'S BEEN THE CASE WITH THIS JETTA R-LINE.

YOU GET IN, YOU GO AND IT JUST WORKS.

THE SEATS ARE A LITTLE FIRM, BUT ON THE WHOLE, IT'S A REALLY NICE PLACE TO SPEND MORNING AND AFTERNOON COMMUTE.

WARMER WEATHER IS BACK, AND OUR 2018 MAZDA6 IS SEEING EVEN MORE OF THE ROAD.

THE ODOMETER IS EVIDENCE OF HOW POPULAR THIS SLEEK 4-DOOR IS AROUND HERE.

DURING THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE DRIVEN IT SOME 22,000 MILES.

THE 227 HORSEPOWER TURBOCHARGED I4 MATCHED WITH THE SMOOTH SHIFTING 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC CONTINUES TO BE THE RECIPE FOR SPORTY DRIVING EVEN WITH FOUR DOORS.

THE POWERTRAIN HAS CONSISTENTLY GENERATED COMMENTS IN OUR LOG BOOK ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO "LAY OFF THE BOOST."

THE STEERING HAS A GOOD AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK AND THE SUSPENSION DOES A GREAT JOB OF BALANCING A FIRM RIDE WITH COMFORT ON ROAD TRIPS.

AND DURING THOSE LONG HAULS WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT MAZDA PUT INTO REDESIGNING THE SEATS.

THEY'RE A NICE ADDITION TO THE UPSCALE INTERIOR OF OUR TOP TRIM SIGNATURE MODEL WITH ITS DRIVER-ORIENTED LAYOUT.

OUR OVERALL AVERAGE IS NOW 27.9 MILES PER GALLON.

AND WE HAVE MORE DRIVE TIME AHEAD.

UNTIL THEN, IT WILL BE THE HONDA INSIGHT ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: THE ORIGINAL TOYOTA RAV4 WAS INTRODUCED HERE IN 1996, AND WENT ON TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN LAUNCHING THE CROSSOVER CRAZE THAT CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE IN 2019.

WELL NOW, THE 5TH GEN OF TOYOTA'S COMPACT UTE HAS ARRIVED.

AND THE ALL-NEW RAV'S REVIEWS ARE ALREADY RAVES, INCLUDING OUR PICK AS BEST SMALL UTILITY OF THE YEAR.

SO, LET'S DIVE INTO THE DETAILS OF WHY.

* HARD TO BELIEVE THE TOYOTA RAV4 HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS NOW.

DURING THAT TIME, THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN WAY UP, AND OF COURSE...WAY DOWN, AND THAT WAS WELL BEFORE EVERYONE HAD A SMARTPHONE IN THEIR HANDS.

WELL, THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT TOYOTA DIALED UP A SERIOUSLY RUGGED NEW DESIGN FOR THIS GENERATION OF RAV, MORE THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN, INCLUDING PLENTY OF 4RUNNER CUES.

HIKING BOOTS AND CARGO PANTS AREN'T REQUIRED TO DRIVE IT, BUT THEY CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE OUT OF PLACE; EVEN IF YOUR ADVENTURES ARE LIMITED TO CAR POOL LANES AND SUBURBAN CULL-DE-SACS.

THE FRONT END IS BIGGER AND BOLDER, WITH A GRILLE PATTERNED AFTER TOYOTA PICKUPS...

WHILE, THE SIDES SPORT CHUNKY FENDERS AND CLEARLY DEFINED SHOULDERS.

WHEELBASE IS UP ABOUT AN INCH.

THE REAR VIEW IS MANLY AS WELL, FEATURING A BIG BUMPER WITH LOTS OF SIMULATED SKID PLATE CLADDING.

THE MACHO MAKEOVER DOESN'T TRANSFER OVER TO THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER.

WE HEADED TO CALIFORNIA FOR OUR FIRST DRIVE OPPORTUNITY.

AND WHILE THE SEATING POSITION IS HIGH, WITH A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF HOOD TO LOOK OVER, GIVING IT A BIG TRUCK FEEL; STEERING IS VERY LIGHT, AND HANDLING IS AS PREDICTABLE AS A CAMRY.

THERE IS PLENTY OF ENGINE NOISE UNDER SPIRITED ACCELERATION, BUT ONCE UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED, THINGS QUIET DOWN VERY NICELY.

WHILE, THE STANDARD 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO QUICKLY AND EASILY FIND THE RIGHT GEAR MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.

THAT NOISE EMANATES FROM THE CAMRY'S 2.5 LITER I4 ENGINE, AND OUTPUT HERE IS THE SAME 203 HORSEPOWER AND 184 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

RAV4s GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 26-CITY, 35-HIGHWAY, AND 30-COMBINED WITH FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE.

WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, DEPENDING ON THE MODEL, THEY RANGE FROM 25-27 CITY, 33-34 HIGHWAY, AND 28-30 COMBINED.

ALL ON REGULAR GAS.

A HYBRID VERSION WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE LATER IN THE MODEL YEAR.

SAFETY SYSTEMS GET AN UPGRADE, TOYOTA'S SAFETY SENSE FORTUNATELY LOSES THE P; NOW KNOWN AS TSS 2.0, WITH SMART STOP TECHNOLOGY STANDARD.

OBVIOUSLY, SHARING THE CAMRY'S T-N-G-A-K PLATFORM, MEANS THE RAV REMAINS FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE BASED, WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE FOR AN ADDITIONAL $1,400, REGARDLESS OF TRIM.

SAVE FOR THE RETURNING ADVENTURE MODEL, WHICH NOW COMES WITH AWD STANDARD.

THAT SYSTEM IS A NEW DYNAMIC TORQUE VECTORING ONE, WITH REAR DRIVELINE DISCONNECT, AND IT'S SHARED WITH LIMITED TRIM.

ALL OTHER TRIMS GET A MORE BASIC SYSTEM, THOUGH IT DOES INCLUDE MULTI-TERRAIN SELECT.

GROUND CLEARANCE IS AS HIGH AS 8.6 INCHES, HALF AN INCH MORE THAN BEFORE.

THE INTERIOR DESIGN IS CLEAN, BURLY, AND TRUCK-LIKE TOO, WITH A DASH THAT IS MORE HORIZONTAL THAN BEFORE, AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY LOWER TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY.

THE CENTER STACK HOUSES PLENTY OF LARGE CONTROLS, WHILE ABOVE SITS A STANDARD 7.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN.

ENTUNE 3.0 AUDIO PLUS ADDS ANOTHER INCH TO THE SCREEN.

IT MAY NOT BE OUR FAVORITE MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM, BUT IT'S FAIRLY EASY TO LEARN THE BASICS.

REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WILL GET A BETTER EXPERIENCE THAN BEFORE, WITH EASIER ACCESS AND COMFIER SEATS, AS WELL AS MORE SPACE DUE TO THE WHEELBASE STRETCH AND RESHAPED DOOR PANELS.

THE CARGO FLOOR IS LONGER, BUT EITHER IT SITS HIGHER UP OR THE ROOF SLANTS MORE DRAMATICALLY, AS THE SPACE IS ACTUALLY DOWN A LITTLE FROM LAST YEAR FROM 38.4 CUBIC-FEET TO 37.6; THOUGH TOYOTA CLAIMS THE AVAILABLE SPACE IS MORE USABLE THAN BEFORE.

MAX CAPACITY IS DOWN FROM 73.4 TO 69.8 CUBIC-FEET.

BASE PRICING IS UP JUST A TAD OVER LAST YEAR, AT $26,595 FOR LE GRADE; TOP TRIM LIMITED STICKERS FOR $34,595.

A RESHUFFLING OF TRIMS WILL ALSO SEE A SPORTY XSE HV HYBRID ADDED INTO THE MIX AS WELL.

MAKING A COMPACT CROSSOVER CHOICE IS ABOUT THE HARDEST OF ANY SEGMENT, WITH LITERALLY DOZENS OF GREAT OPTIONS.

BUT, FOR OVER 20 YEARS, THE TOYOTA RAV4 HAS REMAINED A LEADER OF THE PACK, WITH THIS 2019 VERSION, WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY A MORE RUGGED DESIGN, BUT MORE CAPABILITY THAN EVER, IT'S A SAFE BET THAT WON'T CHANGE ANY TIME SOON.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN WE DRIVE THE LATEST IN A SPORT SEDAN BENCHMARK, THE NEW BMW 330I.

AND A NEW SUV WEARS A SUPERCAR BADGE, THE LAMBORGHINI URUS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

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