Jimmy Dinsmore

Usually when I talk hybrids, I'm referencing a combination of gas-powered with battery-power. But this week, I'm going to call my tester a hybrid too, even though it has a combustible engine powerplant. You see my tester this week is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz which is half SUV and half pickup. It belongs in the very small, but highly competitive segment of compact pickup trucks. The diminutive Santa Cruz only faces the Ford Maverick and the Honda Ridgeline as direct segment competitors.

Remember when trucks were trucks? There were big, full-size trucks, then midsize trucks for those who couldn't afford the big boys or needed something just a bit smaller. Then, nearly every midsize truck vanished. My tester this week is a bit of a throwback to those days of past when full-size trucks weren't so big and the midsize trucks weren't so small.

In their most recent commercial, Land Rover touts the Defender as the contender while all the other competitors out there are just pretenders. This sounds a little cutesy, but there's a lot of truth to it as well. The Defender traces roots back to post-war 1940s. So claiming it to be an original is fair. And certainly many “rugged” SUVs on the road today are in fact mimics of the Defender's boxy, sturdy styling.

If there's been a running theme amongst my many reviews of Mazda vehicles through the years it's been my dislike of their outdated infotainment and that confounding knob-based system. I yearned for Mazda to fix it and get with the times. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. Enter my tester this week, the 2026 Mazda CX-5.

The compact SUV space is crowded, and standing out takes more than just good looks.

The phrase A for effort is apropos for this week's vehicle. Mazda, a brand I've had many issues with, continues to make good effort to improve their product and does a good job of listening to criticism and making changes as needed. Mazda is a brand that seems to know its customer base and knows what they want. And then they focus on that.

The luxury SUV segment is packed with heavy hitters, but Infiniti has done something smart with the 2026 QX80 Sport. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Infiniti took its completely redesigned QX80 and added a new Sport trim that brings a more aggressive look and a healthy dose of premium features. If you liked last year's redesign but wanted something with a little more attitude, this is probably the one you'll want to look at.

If you've been around this industry as long as I have, you know the Chevrolet Traverse has always been about practicality first. But for 2026, especially in the RS trim, Chevy adds a bit of attitude without losing the everyday usability that makes this three-row SUV such a strong seller.

I admit that this week’s tester is not necessarily something I would’ve considered ever buying for myself. I’m likely not the key demographic either. And living in Ohio, we have

For decades, the Toyota Camry has been the sensible choice in the family sedan segment. Reliable? Absolutely. Practical? Without question. Exciting? Well, that wasn't always part of the conversation. Enter the 2026 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Nightshade, a sedan that takes Toyota's perennial bestseller and gives it a dose of attitude. It's proof that being responsible doesn't mean you have to be boring.