AutoInfluence is excited to report some breaking news: the minivan still exists in 2026. While the family-focused segment has lost a significant share of its customer base to traditional SUVs and crossovers, minivans have actually seen a bit of a bump in recent years. Sales have been buoyed by a new generation of Millennial parents […]
Timing Is Everything: Toyota’s EVs Surge as Others Struggle
Over the last decade, Toyota has been something of an outlier in the EV segment. While other brands have rushed headlong into all-electric vehicles, Toyota has taken a more measured approach. In fact, the automaker unveiled its first EV in 2023 with the debut of its first “Beyond Zero” (bZ) model, the bZ4X compact crossover. […]
Apple CarPlay Goes Super-Ultra: What It Means for the Future of Screen Mirroring
Since its March 2014 debut, Apple CarPlay has redefined the phone-based in-vehicle infotainment experience. By allowing iPhone and iPad owners to “screen mirror” their devices on compatible cars and motorcycles — more than 800 models as of this writing, plus aftermarket units that add CarPlay to those that don’t — drivers can listen to music, […]
The 2027 Chevy Blazer Is Shifting Gears: What Should You Know?
Since the reintroduction of the Chevy Blazer in 2019, this midsize SUV has gained a passionate following for its mix of everyday practicality, pony-car performance, and style inspired by the late, great Camaro. As a more powerful and aggressive alternative to the Equinox, it’s a vehicle made for drawing attention—a philosophy punctuated by the arrival […]
Honda Sets Up Camp With New Base Station
Honda has upped its off-road profile as of late, equipping popular SUVs like the Passport and Pilot with new TrailSport trims, adding rugged, adventure-ready upgrades like all-terrain tires, skid plates, an off-road stability management system, and an off-road-tuned suspension with improved ground clearance. These models allow drivers to spend the day exploring new territory and […]
The Paywall on Wheels: When In-Car Subscriptions Go Too Far
Buying a car used to be a simple transaction. You might do some haggling at the dealership and sign a mountain of paperwork, but at least you left with the certainty that you owned every component of the vehicle you just purchased. However, as time goes on, a car sale is becoming less about owning […]
The Best Car Shopping Experience I Ever Had, and What Made It So Great
A few months ago, I was facing that dreaded day. It was time to get my next car. I have always had anxiety around car shopping because I worry that I’ll be pressured, taken advantage of, and ultimately not know what I’m doing and get a bad deal. I was so worried about buying my […]
Stellantis Pulls the Plug on PHEV Models
Stellantis raised a few eyebrows in early 2026 with the announcement that it was axing its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models. It’s a major reversal on the part of the world’s third-largest automaker, which, as of late 2025, actually led the segment, with the Wrangler 4xe representing the market’s most popular PHEV. Stellantis isn’t alone. Other […]
Same Name, New Face: Toyota Resurrects Scion as an Off-Road Concept
Many readers, especially the millennials who were their target demographic, remember the Scion brand of automobiles once produced by Toyota. Created in the early 2000s to attract younger car buyers, Scion focused on small, sporty cars that were trendy and stylish, had great performance, and didn’t follow the established rules of sales and marketing. The […]
Wireless EV Charging: Is It the Future?
Many new vehicles come with a wireless charging pad that lets people charge their smartphones without a cord. But what if you could do the same thing for an entire car? Drivers worldwide are on the verge of finding out. Automakers, independent companies, and research firms are working diligently to develop wireless EV charging technology, […]
Can Microcars Be Successful in the U.S.?
Recently, U.S. drivers have been hearing a lot about microcars. Defined as a very small car with an engine of 700cc (0.7L) or less, these tiny cars first became popular in the mid-20th century and are now seeing a resurgence in Europe and China as modern EVs. They’ve been trumpeted as a practical, efficient urban […]
The Lexus LS Van Concept Marks a Major Pivot for the Luxury Brand
The LS has been the flagship sedan of the Lexus lineup since its introduction to the North American market in 1989. As the first-ever release from Toyota’s luxury brand, the LS400 quickly earned a reputation for bringing Japanese luxury sedans to a level on par with the great luxury car manufacturers of Europe, with […]
How the Chevy Traverse Came to Dominate the Three-Row Segment
The three-row crossover class is one of the industry’s most competitive segments, but the cream always rises to the top. Just take the Chevy Traverse for sale. The popular SUV has quietly become America’s bestselling three-row, FWD model, logging more than 100,000 sales through the third quarter of 2025. That number sees the Chevy outpace […]
The Cadillac OPTIQ Enters 2026 With New Powertrains
Cadillac’s electric compact SUV was introduced fairly recently, debuting for the 2025 model year. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a Cadillac OPTIQ for sale today is pretty much the same as the original, since models don’t typically get many changes during their second year on the market. But, as is sometimes the case with […]
The 2026 Honda Pilot: A Rugged Refresh
Honda’s three-row midsize Pilot has always been a family-friendly workhorse, but for 2026, it gets a bold new look and technological upgrades. It also leans further into the brand’s mission to “ruggedify” its lineup. As part of that focus, the refreshed Pilot (particularly its TrailSport trim) offers competent off-road capability, enabling it to tackle the […]
25 and Up Club: How Old Does a Car Need to Be to Enter the US, and Why?
For years, I’ve watched car enthusiasts obsess over machines they can’t legally own yet. Not because they’re rare, fragile, or unobtainable, but because they’re too new. In the States, some of the most exciting vehicles to ever hit the market are locked in a bureaucratic time capsule known as the 25-Year Rule. If you’ve ever […]
Worth the Wait: The All-New 2027 Kia Seltos
Don’t look now, but the race for the industry’s best subcompact crossover just got a whole lot tighter. The segment has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years as drivers gravitate toward the smaller end of the SUV spectrum, and Kia has capitalized on this with the Seltos. First introduced in 2021, the Seltos has quickly […]
What’s New About the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and How Does It Compare With Other Crosstreks?
With a legacy spanning more than a decade of balancing comfort and capability, the Subaru Crosstrek has earned a reputation for excellence. Though it’s the smallest entry into Subaru’s off-road capable SUV lineup, the compact crossover offers the same benefits of bigger vehicles, such as a spacious and versatile cabin, and an easy-access cargo area. […]
As the F-150 Lightning Strikes Out, Ford Experiences an EV Reckoning
Ford shocked the automotive world in late 2025 when it announced that its groundbreaking F-150 Lightning would abandon the EV approach in favor of a new, more hybrid-like extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) design. It’s an unexpected move from Ford, but the Lightning’s cancellation is just one part of a massive organizational shift that’s seeing the […]
AI, EVs, and LFP: Tracking Trends In Our 2025 Year In Review
As the late 20th-century poets Smash Mouth once said, “the years start coming, and they don’t stop coming.” It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed by the never-ending march of time, but as 2025 recedes into the rearview mirror, we thought we would take the opportunity to catch our breath and look back on some […]