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

JOIN US WHEN WE CHECK OUT JEEP'S LUXURIOUS REVIVAL OF THE GRAND WAGONEER... WE'LL GET SOME MUCH-NEEDED RECALIBRATION DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... ROGER MECCA TAKES US FOR A SPIN IN A BRITISH-BORN EXOTIC... THEN, WE'LL DRIVE THE HIGH LIFE IN THE MERCEDES BENZ GLS...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

"I DO."

WE'RE TIRERACK.COM AND WE HAVE ANSWERS.

AND, TOOLS TO HELP.

"LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S, UH, TAKE A LOOK."

"OH!"

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.

John: THE LAST DECADE HAS SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN ALL THINGS SUV WITH SOME BRANDS DROPPING TRADITIONAL CARS ALL TOGETHER.

ALREADY ALL-UTILITY ALL THE TIME, JEEP TOO ADDED MODELS, BUT MOSTLY SMALL AND MID-SIZE DESIGNS.

WELL...NOW, THEY'VE GONE BIG FAMILY IN A BIG WAY WITH THE 3-ROW GRAND CHEROKEE L AND A FULL-SIZE WAGONEER FAMILY.

BUT IT IS THE TRULY OPULENT GRAND WAGONEER THAT AIMS TO CHANGE THE HIGH END 3-ROW SEGMENT.

* THE 2022 GRAND WAGONEER IS NOT JUST A BIGGER JEEP, BUT A MUCH MORE LUXURIOUS ONE AS WELL; A "PREMIUM EXTENSION" OF THE JEEP BRAND DESIGNED TO "REDEFINE AMERICAN PREMIUM," ACCORDING TO STELLANTIS.

IN FACT, THEY SEE THE ENTIRE WAGONEER FAMILY AS A NEW JEEP SUB-BRAND.

REGARDLESS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, GRAND WAGONEER REMAINS A JEEP AT HEART AND A TRUCK DOWN BELOW; WITH THREE DIFFERENT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE AND A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE RAM 1500'S FULL STEEL FRAME AS ITS FOUNDATION.

AND OF COURSE, IT LOOKS ALL SQUARE AND IMPOSING, WITH A CLEAR FAVOR TO THE ORIGINAL WAGONEER SERIES, YET, ASSUREDLY MODERN WITH THE LASER-ETCHED TREATMENT OF JEEP'S ICONIC 7-SLOT GRILLE.

THE SERIES INCLUDES BOTH THE PREMIUM WAGONEER AND OUR OVER-THE-TOP LUXURIOUS GRAND WAGONEER TESTER.

THE FORMER COMPETES WITH THE TAHOE AND EXPEDITION; THE LATTER AIMED AT ESCALADE AND NAVIGATOR.

GRAND WAGONEER'S ALSO DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES WITH A TWO-TONE BLACK ACCENT ROOF, UNIQUE HOOD, SPECIAL LED LIGHTING, FENDER FLARES AND POWER OPERATING RUNNING BOARDS.

WHEELS ARE EITHER 20 OR 22 INCHERS.

FULL-SIZE REQUIRES THREE ROWS OF SEATS WITH UP TO 8-PASSENGER CAPACITY, BUT JEEP NOT ONLY WENT BIG, THEY WENT BIG-BIG; WITH CLASS LEADING PASSENGER VOLUME AND 3RD ROW HEADROOM, AND GENEROUS LEGROOM FOR BOTH 2ND AND 3RD ROW OCCUPANTS.

BEHIND THE 3RD ROW YOU'LL FIND 27.4 CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO SPACE, ANOTHER CLASS BEST, GROWING TO 70.9 WITH IT FOLDED, AND MAXING OUT AT 94.2.

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, LIFE TODAY IS ALL ABOUT SCREEN TIME, AND THERE'S UP TO 45 INCHES OF IT ON DISPLAY IN GRAND WAGONEER'S DASH.

THE CENTER STACK GETS 10 AND 12 INCH ONES; PLUS, THERE'S AN OPTIONAL ONE IN FRONT OF WHOMEVER IS RIDING SHOTGUN, AND A 12 INCH ONE FOR THE VIRTUAL GAUGES.

NEED TO ADJUST THE CLIMATE CONTROL IN BACK?

YEAH, THERE'S A TOUCHSCREEN FOR THAT TOO.

A BIG TRUCK NEEDS BIG TRUCK POWER.

FOR JEEP THAT STILL MEANS A V8; THEIR 392 HORSEPOWER 5.7 LITER COMES STANDARD IN THE WAGONEER, WHILE THE GRAND WAGONEER GETS THE 471 HORSEPOWER 6.4 LITER V8 WITH 455 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BOTH WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

TOW RATING COMES IN AT A STOUT 10,000 POUNDS FOR THE WAGONEER; 150 POUNDS LESS FOR THE HEAVIER GRAND WAGONEER.

PLENTY OF OOMPH OFF THE LINE FOR SUCH A BIG HEAVY SUV; JUMPING TO 60 IN JUST 5.7 SECONDS.

SHIFTS INTO 2ND AND 3RD WERE A LITTLE CLUNKY, BUT THEY SMOOTHED OUT AS WE WORKED OUR WAY DOWN THE TRACK.

BEST QUARTER-MILE TIME: 14.1 AT 99 MILES PER HOUR.

EXPECTATIONS WERE LOW HEADING TO THE HANDLING COURSE, BUT THE GW HANDLED ITSELF QUITE WELL; FEELING WAY MORE NIMBLE AND LIGHTER THAN ITS SIZE WOULD INDICATE.

VERY LITTLE BODY ROLL; AND EVEN A DECENT AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL.

BOTH THE WAGONEER AND THE GRAND WAGONEER ARE AVAILABLE IN SERIES I, II, AND III; GRAND WAGONEER ADDING AN EXTRA OBSIDIAN INTO THE MIX.

WAGONEER STARTS AT $59,995, THE GRAND WAGONEER AT $88,995.

WITH SURGING FUEL PRICES AND A VOLATILE ECONOMY, IT'S DEBATABLE WHETHER THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BE LAUNCHING A WHOLE NEW LUXURY-MINDED MEGA UTILITY.

BUT, AS OF NOW, AMERICA'S APPETITE FOR LARGE SUVs IS STILL RAVENOUS.

THE 2022 JEEP GRAND WAGONEER MAY SEEM LIKE A BOLD STEP FROM JEEP, BUT REALLY, THEY'RE JUST DELIVERING WHAT THEIR CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN DEMANDING FOR YEARS: A BIG UTILITY FOR THEIR GROWING FAMILIES TO GROW INTO.

* FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, THE LOTUS ESPRIT WAS A STAPLE OF THE MID-ENGINE SPORTS CAR WORLD.

IT WAS AT THE START, AND REMAINS, A BARGAIN COMPARED TO CLASSIC EXOTICS FROM FERRARI AND LAMBORGHINI.

WITH THIS IN MIND, OUR ROGER MECCA WANTED TO DISCOVER FOR HIMSELF, IF THIS BRITISH BUILT ESPRIT REALLY IS WORTHY OF THE SAME ATTENTION AS ITS CLASSMATES FROM ITALY.

* Roger Mecca: FROM THE MOMENT IT DEBUTED AT THE 1975 PARIS AUTO SHOW, THE LOTUS ESPRIT HAS BEEN TURNING HEADS AND MAKING HEARTS RACE.

THE STUNNING GIUGIARO-STYLED BODY WAS AN INSTANT HIT, AND FOR THE NEXT THREE DECADES, THE ESPRIT DEVELOPED A LOYAL FOLLOWING.

AND FOR GOOD REASON.

DESPITE HAVING LESS POWER AND FEWER CYLINDERS AS MANY OF ITS CONTEMPORARIES, FOR AS LONG AS THE ESPRIT WAS IN PRODUCTION, IT WAS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST HANDLING, AND MOST EXCITING SUPERCARS EVER MADE.

Jeff Wong: JUST GETTING INTO IT, JUST PUTS ME IN, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PLACE, I COULD POSSIBLY BE IN.

EVERY SECOND, I'M DRIVING, IT IS JUST PURE JOY AND I NEVER GET TIRED OF DRIVING IT.

THE SORT OF IMMEDIATE THROTTLE RESPONSE, THE IMMEDIATE STEERING RESPONSE, THE IMMEDIATE BRAKING RESPONSE, ALL OF THAT JUST MAKES IT SUCH A PLEASURE TO DRIVE.

Roger: FOR 22 YEARS, JEFF WONG HAS BEEN THE OWNER OF THIS 1987 LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO HCI.

KNOWN AS "THE SERIES 3" OR "S-3" THIS ITERATION WAS THE LAST TO RETAIN THE TIMELESS STYLING BY THE LEGENDARY ITALIAN CAR DESIGNER GUIETTO GIUGIARO.

SO WHILE, THE ESPRIT WAS CREATED TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE ITALIANS, IT CERTAINLY LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAD ROLLED OUT OF A FACTORY IN MARANELLO.

BUT THE NEXT YEAR, BRITISH DESIGNER PETER STEVENS, WHO WOULD LATER DESIGN THE LEGENDARY MACLAREN F-1, REDID THE ESPRIT'S EXTERIOR, SOFTENING THE CLASSIC WIPE STYLING.

SO FOR MANY LOTUS FANS, JEFF INCLUDED, THE S-3 MARKS THE HIGH POINT OF THE ESPRIT'S ILLUSTRIOUS LIFE.

Jeff: TO ME, ESPECIALLY THE SERIES 3 ESPRIT'S, ARE THE PINNACLE OF THE DESIGN FOR THE SORT OF PURE SPORTS CAR.

THERE'S NO POWER BRAKES, THERE'S NO POWER STEERING, AND I FEEL TOTALLY IN TOUCH WITH THE ROAD MORE THAN ANY OTHER CAR, I'VE EVER DRIVEN.

Roger: BACK IN THE LATE '80s FERRARIS, LAMBORGHINI'S, AND PORSCHES WERE GETTING ALL OF THE ATTENTION.

BUT IN MANY WAYS, THE ESPRIT WAS ACTUALLY THE BETTER CAR.

IT'S JUST AS FAST AS A FERRARI 328, IT HANDLES BETTER THAN A 911, AND IT'S WAY MORE PRACTICAL AND EASIER TO DRIVE THAN A COUNTACH.

SO, IT'S EVERYTHING YOU WANTED OUT OF A SUPERCAR, ALL IN A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE.

BUT BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, THE S-3 ESPRIT'S NUMBERS DON'T SEEM PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE.

YOU'LL HIT 60 IN ABOUT 5.5 SECONDS, IT WILL TAKE YOU 14 SECONDS TO HIT THE QUARTER MILE, AND ON A LONG ENOUGH ROAD, YOU COULD REACH 150.

BUT THIS IS A CAR WHERE THE NUMBERS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.

DESPITE THIS CAR ONLY HAVING 215 HORSEPOWER FROM IT'S 2.2 LITER ENGINE, IT IS SURPRISINGLY FAST.

OOH, AND THE ACCELERATION IS JUST SO SMOOTH.

I KNOW ITS A TURBO BUT THERE'S ALMOST NO LAG AT ALL.

BUT THE REAL ACE IN THE HOLE FOR THE ESPRIT, ALL COMES DOWN TO WEIGHT.

LOTUS ENGINEERS HAD A MANTRA: PERFORMANCE THROUGH LIGHT WEIGHT.

WHICH IS A SIMPLE IDEA: THE LESS A CAR WEIGHS, THE MORE NIMBLE, RESPONSIVE, AND FASTER IT CAN BE, EVEN WITHOUT A BIG EIGHT OR 12 CYLINDER ENGINE.

COMBINED WITH THE TURBO, IT PROVIDES A WONDERFUL FLOOD OF TORQUE.

A LACK OF WEIGHT IS A MAJOR REASON THE S-3 ESPRIT, STILL CARRIES THE REPUTATION AS BEING ONE OF THE BEST HANDLING SPORTS CARS TO EVER GRACE A CURVY ROAD.

BUT SOME OF THAT POISE WAS LOST IN 1988, WHEN THE PETER STEVENS, DESIGN ADDED MORE THAN 300 POUNDS TO MEET U.S. SAFETY STANDARDS.

AS MOTORWEEK DISCOVERED IN A ROAD TEST OF THAT VERSION, IT WAS STILL IMPRESSIVE BUT MANY FANS SAY, "IT JUST WASN'T QUITE THE SAME."

BUT ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALWAYS TRUE OF THE ESPRIT IS JUST HOW CIVILIZED AND COMFORTABLE IT IS TO LIVE WITH.

UNLIKE, MANY OF ITS RIVALS, YOU CAN CRUISE IN THE S-3 FOR HOURS ON END EATING UP MILE AFTER MILE.

IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW THE LEATHER SEATS ARE PERFECTLY SUPPORTED.

THE RIDE IS SMOOTH AND EVERYTHING IS IN EASY REACH.

AND I KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T LIKE TO BE RUSHED.

THE TRANSMISSION'S SHORT THROWS AND SLICK TRANSITIONS BECOME SECOND NATURE.

THERE'S NO POWER STEERING, A FEATURE OFFERED IN THE SUBSEQUENT MODEL, BUT IT QUICKLY LIGHTENS UP ONCE YOU START DRIVING AND EVEN AT A STAND-STILL, IT IS FAR LIGHTER THAN MANY OF ITS ITALIAN PEERS.

AND WHILE, IT'S ITALIAN COUSINS MAY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE SPOTLIGHT, THE ESPRIT WAS HAPPY TO BE ON A QUIET STRETCH OF TWISTY ROAD, PUTTING SMILES ON THE FACES OF EVERYONE WHO WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.

John: FOR THE MOST PART, THE SAFETY SYSTEMS OF OUR CARS OPERATE BEHIND THE SCENES WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM US, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN, THEY DON'T NEED ROUTINE CARE.

SO, LET'S HEAD OVER TO GOSS' GARAGE TO GET CALIBRATED.

* Pat Goss: WHEN IT COMES TO AUTOMOBILES THESE DAYS, THE WORD OF THE DAY SEEMS TO BE CAMERAS AND COMPUTERS.

CARS ARE LOADED WITH THEM.

WE HAVE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE.

THEY GIVE YOU SURROUND VIEWS OF THE VEHICLE, SO THAT YOU CAN BACK UP ACCURATELY AND SO ON.

THEY HELP WITH STEERING, THEY HELP WITH BRAKING, THEY HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THE CARS DO AUTONOMOUSLY.

WELL, THAT MEANS THAT THESE CAMERAS HAVE TO BE ACCURATE.

AND MOST OF THE CAMERAS ARE MOUNTED IN THE FRONT BUMPER, OR IN THE WINDSHIELD, SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE?

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WINDSHIELD REPLACED, WELL...IN MANY CASES YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT CAMERA RE-CALIBRATED.

IT HAS TO BE MADE SO THAT IT SEES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

NOW, THE REASON FOR THIS IS REAL SIMPLE: YOU SEE THE CAMERA LOOKS AT THE ROAD, AND LOOKS AT THE VEHICLES, AND EVERYTHING AHEAD OF YOU.

THAT CAMERA THEN SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE COMPUTER.

THE COMPUTER ANALYZES THAT SIGNAL, AND IT APPLIES THE BRAKES OR IT MAY HELP STEER THE CAR, OR WHO KNOWS IT DOES ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO, THE REALITY OF THIS IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A MINOR DEVIATION AT THE CAMERA, THAT DEVIATION GETS LARGER THE FARTHER AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE THE OBSTACLE IS.

SO, IF YOU HAVE A CAMERA THAT'S NOT PROPERLY ADJUSTED, YOU COULD WIND UP WITH A SITUATION WHERE YOUR CAR HELPS STEER YOU OFF THE ROAD, OR DOES SOME OTHER CRAZY THING.

SO, THE CAMERAS, TO ADJUST THEM REQUIRES SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT.

THIS EQUIPMENT IS VERY SOPHISTICATED.

IT CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THE CAR IS LEVEL... OH, AND BY THE WAY, IT ALSO CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS PROPER ON THE CAR...OH YEAH, IT'S GOTTA BE ALIGNED.

SO, THAT'S ALL PART OF IT.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN SOME CARS YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE A FULL TANK OF FUEL AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER REQUIREMENTS... TIRE PRESSURE HAS TO BE RIGHT, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

THE EQUIPMENT CHECKS FOR THESE THINGS, THEN IT TELLS THE TECHNICIAN WHAT TO DO AS FAR AS ALIGNING THE CAMERAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TELL YOU THE RIGHT INFORMATION, OR TELL YOUR CAR THE PROPER INFORMATION.

SO, IF YOU DO SOME CHECKING, ASK YOUR DEALER, IF YOUR CAR IS ONE THAT NEEDS RECALIBRATION AFTER A REPAIR AND THEN YOU FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT, YOU'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE JOB IS RIGHT AND YOUR CALL WILL BE SAFE.

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

John: TIME NOW TO HIT THE ROAD FOR A NEW ROUND OF QUICKSPINS.

* Brian Robinson: AFTER SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN 911 GT3S LATELY; IT'S TIME TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS TO THE CARRERA SIDE OF THINGS, WITH A FIRST DRIVE OF THE 2022 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA GTS IN NORTH GEORGIA.

FOR YEARS NOW, GTS MODELS HAVE ESSENTIALLY GATHERED TOGETHER A BUNCH OF PERFORMANCE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE CARRERA S, AND COMBINED THEM INTO ONE COHESIVE PACKAGE; GIVING YOU MORE PERFORMANCE AND SAVING YOU A LITTLE MONEY.

WHILE THAT'S LARGELY STILL THE CASE, THEY ARE SLOWLY EVOLVING INTO THEIR OWN DISTINCT MODELS.

AVAILABLE IN REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE OR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE; COUPE, CONVERTIBLE, AND EVEN TARGA, GTS' GET 30-MORE HORSEPOWER FROM THE CARRERA S' TWIN-TURBO 3.0 LITER, FOR A TOTAL OF 473; AND WITH PDK, GET TO 60 IN 3.1 SECONDS.

A 7-SPEED MANUAL IS AVAILABLE AT NO COST.

EACH VERSION GETS ITS OWN UNIQUE SUSPENSION RETUNE, MOST LOWERED BY ABOUT 10-MILLIMETERS; WHILE UPGRADED BRAKES COME OVER STRAIGHT FROM THE 911 TURBO.

SO, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE 911, BUT DON'T WANT TO VENTURE INTO GT TERRITORY, THE GTS IS WHERE IT'S AT.

IT STILL HAS THAT CARRERA STREET-FOCUSED FEEL, BUT MAN WHEN YOU GO LOOKING FOR IT, THE PERFORMANCE IS THERE; GREAT POWER, NO ROLL IN THE CORNERS, VERY RESPONSIVE.

IT'S JUST THAT TYPICAL CARRERA S JOYFUL DRIVING EXPERIENCE TAKEN TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

VISUALLY, THEY'RE SET APART WITH BLACK EXTERIOR TRIM, INCLUDING TINTED LIGHTING, AND RACE-TEX MATERIAL FOR THE INSIDE.

THE 2022 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA GTS, IN ALL ITS FORMS, WILL BEGIN ARRIVING HERE EARLY NEXT YEAR, WITH PRICES STARTING AROUND $137,000.

John: WE RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE THE ALL-NEW 2ND GENERATION LEXUS NX COMPACT LUXURY UTILITY IN AND AROUND SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA.

AND WHEN WE SAY ALL-NEW, WE MEAN IT; FOR 2022 THE NX HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDONE FROM THE GROUND UP.

THIS TIME AROUND THERE ARE FOUR POWERTRAINS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING TWO HYBRID GASOLINE-ELECTRICS.

FIRST, WE HAVE THE NX 450 H PLUS: LEXUS' FIRST PLUG-IN HYBRID.

IT HAS 302 TOTAL SYSTEM HORSEPOWER WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE AND AN EV-ONLY RANGE OF 37 MILES.

SECOND, THERE'S THE ALSO AWD NX 350 H WHICH IS POWERED BY A 2.5 LITER 4-CYLINDER HYBRID POWERTRAIN WITH 239 TOTAL SYSTEM HORSEPOWER.

THE LEXUS NX 350 COMES NEXT; IT HAS A 2.4 LITER TURBO I4 WITH 275 HORSEPOWER.

AND LASTLY, THE NX 250, WITH A 2.5 LITER 4-CYLINDER ENGINE RATED AT 203 HORSEPOWER.

Stephanie Hart: AS FAR AS THE EXTERIOR GOES, I REALLY LIKE THE UPDATED SPINDLE GRILL.

IT LOOKS AMAZING!

AND THE FULL-WIDTH TAIL LAMP REALLY GETS YOUR ATTENTION AND TIES THE WHOLE LOOK TOGETHER.

John: INSIDE, THE SECOND GEN NX DOESN'T DISAPPOINT EITHER.

THE NEW LEXUS MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM COMES WITH A STANDARD 9.8 INCH TOUCHSCREEN OR AN AVAILABLE 14 INCH TOUCHSCREEN.

A NEW VOICE ASSISTANT FEATURE ALSO MAKES ITS DEBUT.

NEW ADVANCED SAFETY INCLUDES A COLLISION AVOIDANCE FEATURE THAT APPLIES GENTLE BRAKING AND STEERING, WHILE SEMI-AUTONOMOUS CURVE SPEED MANAGEMENT KICKS IN WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON.

THE LEXUS NX STARTS AT JUST UNDER $38,000 AND IS AVAILABLE NOW.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

Greg Carloss: WE TESTED THE REDESIGNED 2022 NISSAN PATHFINDER BACK IN SEPTEMBER, AND NOW WE'RE WELCOMING IT TO OUR LONG-TERM FLEET.

DURING OUR ROAD TEST, WE FOUND THAT IT STILL MAINTAINS SOME OF THE RUGGED DNA THE ORIGINAL PATHFINDER IS KNOWN FOR, WITH POWER TO BACK IT UP.

THAT COMES FROM A NATURALLY ASPIRATED 3.5 LITER V6, PUTTING DOWN 284 HORSEPOWER AND 259 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE REAL STAR IS THE NEW 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WHICH REPLACES THE CVT.

BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS NEW PATHFINDER, I FEEL LIKE, I'M DRIVING A SIZABLE SUV AND I DIDN'T GET THAT IN THE PREVIOUS GENERATION, WHICH WAS HEAVY ON THE CROSSOVER VIBES.

HERE, THERE'S A COMMANDING VIEW OF THE ROAD, JUST FEELS ROCK SOLID, AND THE SWITCH FROM A CVT TO A 9-SPEED GEAR TRANSMISSION MAKES ACCELERATION MUCH MORE PLEASING TO THE EAR.

THE 13-SPEAKER BOSE SOUND SYSTEM IS ALSO AN EAR PLEASER.

IT'S PART OF THE PLATINUM MODEL, THE HIGHEST TRIM FOR THE PATHFINDER, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES 20-INCH WHEELS, A PANORAMIC MOONROOF AND TOW HITCH RECEIVER; THOUGH, WE'RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE; NAMELY SECOND-ROW FOLD-DOWN CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS AND WIRELESS CHARGING FOR OUR DEVICES.

ON OUR LOT FOR JUST A WEEK NOW, WE HAVEN'T DRIVEN ENOUGH MILES TO GET A FUEL-ECONOMY AVERAGE JUST YET, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THE NEW TRANSMISSION HELPS THE PATHFINDER "FIND" ITS WAY TO THE SUGGESTED 23-COMBINED MPG.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL CHECK IN OUR TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG TERM UPDATE!

John: LUXURY VEHICLES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES THESE DAYS, BUT MORE AND MORE THEY COME IN THE FORM A SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE.

MERCEDES-BENZ ALONE HAS NINE TO CHOOSE FROM.

AND WHILE THE GLS ISN'T THE MOST EXPENSIVE, IT IS THE BIGGEST; SO LET'S SEE WHAT THE LATEST GLS HAS TO OFFER.

* MERCEDES-BENZ CONSIDERS THEIR S-CLASS SEDAN TO BE THE FINEST AUTOMOBILE IN THE WORLD.

SO, IT'S TO BE EXPECTED THE SUV THAT'S BASED ON IT WOULD BE PRETTY SPECIAL AS WELL.

AND INDEED, THE THEME OF THE 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS IS MORE; MORE SPACE, MORE COMFORT, MORE LUXURY, AND MORE REFINEMENT THAN EVER BEFORE.

AS TO SPACE, THIS RUGGED-LOOKING 3RD-GENERATION GLS, DOESN'T OCCUPY A WHOLE LOT MORE OF IT THAN BEFORE, BUT THERE ARE 2.4 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL WHEELBASE, PROVIDING MORE INTERIOR ROOM TO ROAM AT ALL SEATS.

COMFORT UP FRONT HAS BEEN REFINED TO THE EXTREME; ALL-3 ROWS OF SEATS REALLY; WITH ADULT SPACE EVEN IN THE 3RD ROW.

THOUGH, JUST TWO-SEATS IN BACK MEANS IT'S SET UP FOR SEVEN-PASSENGERS; SIX...IF YOU OPT FOR 2ND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS.

CARGO SPACE BEHIND THE 3RD ROW GROWS AS WELL; NOW 17.4 CUBIC-FEET, EXPANDING TO 48.7 BEHIND THE 2ND ROW, AND MAXING OUT AT 84.7 WITH ALL SEATS FOLDED.

SEATS FOLD WITH A PUSH OF A BUTTON, AND YOU CAN EVEN LOWER THE REAR SILL WHEN LOADING BULKY ITEMS.

MERCEDES-BENZ RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE GETTING OUT OF THE V8 ENGINE BUSINESS; AND WHILE NOTHING SOUNDS LIKE A V8, THE TURBO-6 IN THIS GLS 450 SURE DOES FEEL LIKE ONE, AND IS RATED TO TOW 7,700 POUNDS.

IT'S AN INLINE-6 THAT CRANKS OUT 362 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE; PLUS, GETS AN EQ BOOST FROM AN INTEGRATED STARTER/GENERATOR THAT CAN ADD ANOTHER 21 HORSEPOWER AND 184 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE ON TOP OF THAT.

TRANSMISSION IS A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD.

THAT AWD, MIXED WITH A HEARTY HELPING OF LOW-END TORQUE, MADE FOR A SPEEDY TRACK SEND OFF.

THE GLS 450 BITES DOWN HARD AND LEAPS TO 60 IN JUST 5.3 SECONDS.

IF THAT'S NOT QUICK ENOUGH FOR YOU, THERE IS STILL A 4.0 LITER TURBO V8 AVAILABLE IN REGULAR, AMG, AND EVEN MAYBACH SPECIFIC TUNINGS.

AUTOMATIC SHIFTS ARE PLENTY QUICK, WITH A SUBTLE SURGE OF POWER ACCOMPANYING EACH ONE.

THE QUARTER-MILE PASSES BY IN A QUICK 13.9 SECONDS AT 99 MILES PER HOUR, WITH A NICE SMOOTH 6-CYLINDER MELODY YOUR SOUNDTRACK.

IT FEELS PLENTY STABLE AS IT APPROACHES TRIPLE DIGITS, AND WOULD CERTAINLY BE AT HOME DURING EXTENDED HIGH-SPEED AUTOBAHN OR STATE SIDE INTERSTATE TRAVELS.

AND IT FEELS EQUALLY CAPABLE IN TWISTS AND TURNS.

OUR TESTER'S WINTER TIRES DID GIVE THINGS A SQUISHY FEEL THROUGH OUR SLALOM COURSE, BUT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE BODY ROLL AND NO EXCESSIVE UNDERSTEER OR OVERSTEER; MAKING THE GLS DRIVE MUCH SMALLER THAN IT IS.

COMPETENT HANDLING AND SPEEDY ACCELERATION CERTAINLY ENDEAR A VEHICLE TO US, BUT HOW WELL A LUXURY VEHICLE PAMPERS ITS OCCUPANTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO WELL-HEELED BUYERS.

TECH IS AS COMPREHENSIVE AS YOU'D EXPECT IN A TOP-SHELF MERCEDES-BENZ, AND THEY HAVE A WAY OF INCORPORATING EVERYTHING IN A MORE BEAUTIFUL FASHION THAN MOST.

THOUGH, THE SHEER NUMBER OF COMFORT AND LUXURY FEATURES HERE KEEPS IT FROM BEING THE MOST USER FRIENDLY.

MB-TEX UPHOLSTERY IS STANDARD, WITH A HOST OF FINE LEATHERS AND REAL WOOD ACCENTS AVAILABLE.

IT'S HARD TO SEE A $77,050 BASE PRICE AS A BARGAIN, BUT FOR THE SHEER AMOUNT OF LUXURY YOU GET HERE, IT CERTAINLY SEEMS MORE THAN REASONABLE.

SO, THE 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 450 4MATIC DOES INDEED OFFER MORE OF EVERYTHING.

AND DESPITE THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION IT FACES, THE OVERALL BEHIND THE WHEEL EXPERIENCE OF THE GLS REALLY DOES STAND OUT AS SOMETHING SPECIAL AMONG ITS PEERS.

IT'S NOT QUITE AN S-CLASS SEDAN, BUT IT IS THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A UTILITY VEHICLE YOUR NEXT LUXURY RIDE.

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... FOR AN ELECTRIFYING EV SPECIAL EDITION!

UNTIL THEN, 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... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

"I DO."

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

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