Troy — The 2024 Tesla Model 3 is the sedan’s first major update and you have questions.

Did it get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Nope.

Sirius XM? Nope.

AM radio? Nope.

A head-up display? Nah.

More rear legroom? Nada.

A glovebox button? Negative.

Plastic surgery so its Lord Voldemort face doesn’t keep you up at night? Yup.

A quieter cabin? You bet.

The latter two answers will be welcomed by the Teslerati, and were pleasing upgrades for this (two-time) Model 3 owner. How time flies. It’s been six years since the Model 3 hit the market after a chaotic manufacturing process to meet off-the-chart demand. Codenamed Highland, the ‘24 Model 3 is Tesla’s first chance to tidy up some details.

The quieter cabin was immediately apparent as I zipped out of Troy’s Somerset Collection for a test drive. Tesla says noise, vibration and harshness — NVH — have improved by 20%. Credit upgrades like laminated glass on all windows, improved door-sill sealing, suspension tweaks and upgraded Michelin E-Primacy tires.

The streamlined face is pleasing, even as it erases signature features like the heavy-eyebrow LED running lights. Everything but the doors and quarter panels are new (even aero wheel covers), adding up to aerodynamic efficiencies that help increase range to 341 miles — but you might not notice if you were just strolling by. Tesla makes smartphones on wheels, and is more focused on software upgrades than physical appearance (I honestly can’t remember the design differences between my last two Android smartphones).

Since its debut, Model 3 has marched to the beat of its own drummer. This is a car obsessed with simplification. Heck, Tesla even wants to get rid of you on its path to full self-driving.

So instead of answering basic questions (no AM radio? Really?) Model 3 asks new ones. Like: who needs steering wheel stalks?

The original Model 3 consolidated functions onto the wheel and 15.4-inch center screen. Shift gears? Use the right-hand shift stalk. Turn signal? Left stalk. Everything else — mirrors, volume, adaptive cruise control — was on the steering wheel or screen.

Now the stalks are gone — following big brother Model S, which ditched stalks in 2021.

I shifted gears in the left screen margin: swipe UP for DRIVE, down for REVERSE, press P for PARK, N for NEUTRAL. Kinda’ like Lincoln dash buttons, and a distraction from the road. So are the turn signals, now accessed via buttons on the left of the steering wheel. Rather than adopt raised buttons like a Chevy or Kia, turn signal buttons are flat, requiring your eyes leave the road to find them. If the screen blacks out and you can’t shift? Tesla added redundant shifter buttons behind the rear-view mirror.

It’s a step back in the name of simplification. Other functions sacrificed to stalk removal are adaptive cruise and Autopilot, which now are in the right-side steering wheel roller. Voice commands and windshield wipers are now … less convenient buttons on the wheel.

Two steps forward, two steps back. But the EV GOAT remains as compelling as ever.

After Elon Musk debuted the Model 3 in Los Angeles in February 2016, a flood of 250,000 pre-orders followed from buyers who laid down $1,000 — including this curious auto reviewer.

That demand brought production pressures that nearly crushed the young company. Musk called the next two years “production hell.” The company put up a tent in its Fremont, California, factory parking lot to meet demand. Thousands of 3s had to be repaired due to paint shop glitches. Vehicles suffered gaffes like panel gaps the size of the Rio Grande, bumpers that fell off, and screens that went black.

And yet.

The car was futuristic. Unlike anything we’d seen. Blistering acceleration, constant over-the-air updates like Navigate on Autopilot, bespoke charging network, online, no-haggle ordering. Buyers not only coveted the 3, its popularity spawned an even more popular Model Y SUV version. The 3 is the best-selling luxury car in the market, and the 12^th best-selling vehicle in America.

Assuming you could put up with that Voldemort mug. I ordered my cars in black to diminish the nose.

Merging onto Big Beaver, I stomped the throttle and the entry-level 3,891-pound, rear-wheel-drive model darted forward. Ahhh, sweet electric torque.

It was noticeably livelier than the porky 5,200-pound Chevy Blazer EV I recently drove. In addition to the quieter cabin, the suspension upgrades make Model 3 feel tighter next to my 2019 Performance model. The all-wheel-drive Performance version of the Highland will arrive later — when it does, I’ll take it on track to see if the tighter steering translates to better corner-carving.

I’m a fan of the 3’s iPhone-simple horizontal interior anchored by a jumbotron screen. The ‘24 Highland brings upscale updates like a thinner screen bezel, heated/cooled seats and square-bottom steering wheel so I can more easily slide my long legs into the seat. The interior has been reskinned with trendy cloth inserts (replacing last gen’s wood accents) and a more organized center console that includes two standard wireless charging ports. Most noticeable is ambient lighting that circles the cabin and can be adjusted to the color of your choice.

Other hardware updates include crisper cameras, which help for backing into parking spaces (unless you just let the car park for you), and 17 speakers for better sound quality.

The user interface is the same, and I navigated the screen and its familiar controls.

At a Michigan turn on Big Beaver, I reached for the turn stalk, grabbing at thin air. Oh, yes — where are those turn signal buttons? Actuating adaptive cruise control was easier, as I punched the right scroll wheel with my thumb.

Blind-spot assist comes via a camera image in the screen (putting blind-spot lights in the mirrors would violate the simplification theme), just like the last gen.

Back-seat occupants may not gain legroom — but they do get their own 8-inch screen, which includes temperature controls, heated seat controls, access to Netflix shows and a valet mode so you can move the front passenger seat forward. It’s a small but mighty screen.

All that standard equipment makes the Tesla a deal at $40,380. While the Model 3 still hasn’t hit its promised $35,000 mark from 2017, it’s satisfying to get this wealth of goo-gaws without being nickel-and-dimed like other luxury brands.

Save for Full Self-Driving capability, which will set you back, ahem, $12,000.

Next week: 2024 Lexus GX

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland

Vehicle type: Electric, rear- and-all-wheel-drive, five-passenger luxury sedan

Price: $40,380, including $1,390 destination charge (as tested)

Powerplant: 80.5-kWh lithium-ion battery with electric motor(s) drive

Transmission: Single-speed transmission

Weight: 3,891 pounds (RWD, as tested); 4,030 pounds for long-range battery, AWD model

Power: NA

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.8 seconds, RWD as tested (mfr.); 4.2 seconds (AWD)

Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 272–341 miles

Report card

Highs: More attractive, simplified fascias; quieter cabin

Lows: Distracting screen button shifter; no AM radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Detroit — Electronics have democratized the automobile, leveling the playing field between mainstream and luxury makes. Jump into an Audi RS5, for example, and cockpit controls are as familiar as the Chevy Malibu I just rented at Hertz.

Digital instruments display, tablet console screen, temperature controls, automatic T-shifter. Tap the phone icon and sync your smartphone using Bluetooth. Activate wireless Android Auto? Tap the screen, done. “Hey Google, take me to the Renaissance Center.” Scroll the AM, FM and Sirius XM radio station icons, set your favorites. Scroll between them using the steering wheel buttons.

So what separates a luxury performance sedan?

WAAUUUUUUURRRGGH! I nailed the throttle and let loose the 444 horsepower under the long hood in front of me. WAAUUUUUUURRRGGH! The horses gulped air through the RS5’s huge black maw, twin turbochargers stuffing the air into six cylinders, then exhaling through twin rear tailpipes the size of ship cannons. WAAUUUUUUURRRGGH! The Audi devoured landscape before an interstate cloverleaf rushed into view.

Brakes, please.

Six-piston calipers (painted red so you know they’re serious) sunk their teeth into massive 14.8-inch rotors, slowing the runaway missile. I spun the Alcantara-sheathed steering wheel, throwing the beast into the cloverleaf as the electronic differential threw torque to the outside wheel for more grip, performance Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires screaming to find traction on cold Michigan concrete.

That’s what you get for your $80K Audi RS5. RS for Rocket Ship.

Inject RS steroids into an A5 chassis and you have a serious competitor to class icon BMW M3. I’m an M2 missionary as the best four-seat performance car in the land (the modern equivalent to the classic 2000 M3 E46 I once owned), but the sensational coupe is, admittedly, limited in utility with its two doors and tight backseat room. The 2024 M3 gains four doors and three inches of rear legroom to make it a better family sedan, though the backseat remains tight for six-footers.

My class favorite is the ferocious 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing with its 668-horsepower, supercharged V-8, 33-inch dash screen and additional two inches of rear legroom so you can pack in the whole family for its 3.6-second, 0-60 mph rollercoaster rides.

But the RS5’s ace-in-the-hole is hatchback utility — a rare attribute in the luxury performance space. It’s what made the Acura Integra Type S hot hatch one of my favorite new additions to the auto stable last year. Hatchback utility, another two inches of legroom over the Audi, whip-like handling from its toned 3,200-pound chassis — 800 pounds lighter than the RS5.

However, the Type S doesn’t have a V-6 and all-wheel drive. On a quiet night in downtown Detroit, I engaged launch control at the Jefferson and Griswold stoplight. The Corsas scrabbled for grip on the cold road, but grip they did — though Audi’s claimed 3.8 second 0-60 mph dash wouldn’t be achieved this night.

The twin-turbo V-6’s acceleration is ballistic, and viscerally satisfying. Through the tunnel under Huntington Place onto The Lodge Freeway, the Audi cleared its throat with a satisfying BLAAAT! with each upshift of the eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s addictive.

I bumped the T-shifter to the right into manual mode so I could manually shift more BLAAATs. BLAAAT BLAAT BLAAT! And again when you downshift. BLAAAT BLAAAT! Hot hatches bring out the kid in me. Only the CT5-V Blackwing’s V-8 offers more audio thrills.

When playtime was over, I settled into the Audi’s comfortable cabin.

Some automakers offer exotic, carbon fiber performance thrones, but I have found them uncomfortable in daily driving. The Audi’s leather and Alcantara seats are a better middle ground. The RS5’s ergonomics are also better sorted than other Audis I’ve been in of late.

Audi automatic T-shifters have been located too close to the driver’s leg, with the result that my knee would accidentally bump it into NEUTRAL with a sudden spike in revs — OOOWARRGGH! I had no such issues with RS5.

Speaking of ergonomics, Audi honked off some customers a few years back when it abandoned its remote-operated infotainment system for a touchscreen. Remotes have their advantages — especially in keeping your eyes on the road — and a few automakers have maintained them like Alfa Romeo, Mazda and Genesis.

But Audi’s surrender to a touchscreen world (a new generation of millennial, smartphone buyers rises) has been expertly done with quick screens that audibly CLICK to the touch so you know an icon has been engaged. The brand was a pioneer in digital instrument displays that are configurable and paired with smart steering wheel controls.

The 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback has cleaned up the console with good shifter placement and intuitive touchscreen. Nice materials are standard. Audi, Audi

My biggest recommendation? That Audi adopt BMW’s head-up display that shows a digital tachometer when in TRACK mode (DYNAMIC mode in the RS5). Bimmer’s display complements the paddle shifters in MANUAL shift mode, so you can keep your eyes on the runway as the tachometer nears redline.

In the Rocket Ship, redline comes fast.

The RS increases horsepower by a significant 100 over the S5 — the other performance hatchback in the A5 model lineup. The “S” siblings are distinguished by the 3.0-liter turbo-6 over the entry-level A5’s turbo 4-banger.

I’m partial to the A5 and its hatchback utility over the A4 and its conventional sedan boot. Of course, Audi also offers Q5/Q6 Sportback/SQ5 utes that come standard with hatchback utility.

We crazy auto journalists will take performance SUVs to the track, and I’ve tested my share, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Dodge Durango Hellcat, BMW X5 M and Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio. “After taking (the 349-horse SQ5) to the track,” write our friends at Motor Trend, “we can confirm it also handles like a champ on our figure-eight course.” But given the choice, I bet they would prefer an RS5.

Few customers will take their SUV on track, and for good reason: 4,500-pound utes have lousy handling dynamics. Put a 400-plus horsepower twin-turbo V-6 in it (Audi has resisted such a move) and it requires considerable skill.

Better to put that skill to good use in a proper, low-center-of-gravity RS5 sports sedan, which will give you the same hatchback utility — and more capable handling dynamics. And, yes, you might just take it to a track day.

In a democratic auto world, cars may seem alike in their digital tech. But they are definitely not alike in the suspension and engine departments. For the best of both worlds, put RS5 at the top of your Audi shopping list. WAUUUUURRGH!

Next week: 2024 Tesla Model 3

2024 Audi RS5

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger performance sedan

Price: $79,995 base, including $1,095 destination ($93,745 as tested)

Powerplant: 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6

Power: 444 horsepower, 442 pound-feet torque

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.8 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 180 mph

Weight: 4,056 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway/20 mpg combined

Report card

Highs: All-wheel-drive stability, hatchback utility

Lows: Heavy for track use; gets pricey

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne

Detroit — Roger Penske came to Detroit in the early 1970s when he opened a Chevrolet dealership. He stayed, building the Penske Corp., which today employs 17,000 people at 3,200 locations worldwide, including car dealerships, truck rental outlets and a formidable racing team that has won 19 Indy 500s and other titles.

“I was bitten by the bug,” Penske said, explaining his fondness for the Motor City to NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico on Thursday at the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s annual meeting at the MGM Grand Casino. “I was a car guy, it was in my DNA.”

Fifty years later, the Bloomfield Hills-based business legend is a community fixture. Penske, who turned 87 this past Tuesday, has helped broker the 2006 Super Bowl at Ford Field, the M1 downtown transportation corridor, the imminent 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius — and, of course, the Penske Entertainment-run Detroit Grand Prix, which returned to downtown Detroit’s streets in 2023 after years on Belle Isle.

Detroit News auto critic Henry Payne sat down with “The Captain” — as his troops fondly refer to him — for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from Detroit to IndyCar to electric vehicle mandates to his bid to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the few trophies that has eluded his trophy case.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Question: Roger, you’ve been at the center of Detroit’s downtown renaissance, including Super Bowl XL, the Detroit Grand Prix, and now the NFL Draft in April. What do these events do for downtown Detroit?

Answer: Go back to the 2006 Super Bowl — it was two years before that when Bill Ford picked up the phone and called me. He said would I like to be the Super Bowl chairman? I had two options: I could have said no and hung up — but I said yes.

Along with Susan Scherer (executive director of the Super Bowl XL Host Committee) we were able to put a team together and really build an offense. We had to go to the NFL owners to find out would they approve Detroit with a new stadium. To me that was the linchpin, because we were able to showcase our city for what it was — and the ability to get the business community and people within Detroit and the surrounding region to come together and pull that off. It was amazing.

This past year the (Detroit Grand Prix) downtown with 150,000 people — half of them able to come for free. We had 80 companies around Detroit that supported the race, and $100 million worth of economic benefit for the city, which is just amazing.

Many other things have taken place. Dave Bing (asked): ‘What are we going to do with parks for kids when the summer comes? I need 100 police cars. I need EMS units.’ The Downtown Detroit Partnership was able to pull that together. We built the M1 Corridor, which has created about $10 billion in benefit there. I could state so many different things.

Q: The pandemic was difficult for this city. Do you see the NFL Draft as a reboot for downtown?

A: We were on a charge, then we had the COVID pandemic and things really slowed down. I feel the momentum coming back, and certainly big events are key for the city — the Grand Prix, and the NFL Draft coming in April is a reboot. I think the city now has a great reputation now to be safe and secure.

Q: Let’s shift gears. You are in the auto dealership business, and we’re seeing the biggest government regulation of the auto industry since the 1970s. There’s been some pushback from unions and dealers that the government is forcing EVs a little too fast. What would you like to see be done?

A: What I would like to see maybe can’t happen. Electrification certainly has slowed (but) California and other states have made mandates coming up very quickly. Today, the consumer really is not ready for electrification. The infrastructure, the cost, the range — all of these things seem to be stumbling blocks.

Doing business as a dealer across the United States — 50% of our EVs we sold in California. And 90% of them were lease. So there’s a lot of work that has to be done. I think we have to push that EV mandate out. I think renewable fuels are key for us as we go forward.

Q: In your dealerships, do EVs seem to be more of a luxury play, is it a niche market right now?

A: I would say it’s really based on price. With higher interest rates, it’s really had an impact on the business. We’re seeing leasing coming back. I think that we’re going to be seeing people maybe stepping down from a Q7 to a Q5, until we see the interest rates coming down. But today there is a pent-up demand on new vehicles. We need more used vehicles in the market. That’s been a big thing. It’s impacted our profitability over the last three years.

Q: Go back again to the 1970s and the big impact that government regulation and the oil embargo had on motor racing. The 1974 Daytona 24 Hour race was canceled and NASCAR shortened races to conserve fuel. Fast forward to today — governments want to ban gas engines but racing series are thriving. Why is racing ascendant in the U.S.?

A: The fan base is so strong — you have Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA — all (with) different demographics. To me, it’s never been stronger.

At Indianapolis (which Penske Entertainment owns) our ticket sales are up 11,000 compared to last year. We’ll have 300,000 people in a single day for the Indy 500. It’s going to be one of the greatest races we’ve ever had.

Q: You are teamed with Porsche in IMSA. Cadillac, Chevy and Ford are also there. Chevrolet and Honda anchor IndyCar. What is it about racing that attracts so many manufacturers?

A: I think the racing technology transfers into the passenger car. But even more important is the training of the industry people in Original Equipment Manufacturers (automakers) that get involved in the motor racing product: design, execution, and obviously performance. Those are the things that have kept the OEMs in racing. And guess what? If you win it helps you from a brand perspective . . . with your customer base.

Q: Win on Sunday, sell on Monday in your dealerships?

A: That’s correct.

Q: Huge start for you to the 2024 racing year. You won the Rolex 24 Daytona for the first time since 1969. But the ultimate prize in endurance racing is Le Mans, one of the few races you have not won. Looking forward to June in France?

A: There will be 17 hypercars in the race this year, which is amazing. It’s been a Toyota race for the last couple of years, but to see the interest from Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche and others is amazing.

It’s the one hill we’ve not climbed yet and gotten to the summit. (We’re entering) three cars this year and I think it’s going to be a real opportunity. Reliability is going to be the critical factor.

The effort that Porsche (has) put into this is amazing. We have come together as one organization, Porsche Penske, which is exciting for me. To have our brand associated with Porsche in this event is something I never believed I could do.

Q: Before you go to France in June, you’ll have the Porsche Penske cars right here at the Detroit GP going up against Cadillac. That’s going to be a big weekend.

A: I think having IMSA here along with IndyCar is going to be amazing. People are going to see cars they really haven’t seen before. The hype with GM, BMW, Porsche, the rest of these manufacturers is just going to be terrific.

Q: Thank you, Roger

A: Thank you.

Healdsburg, California — Honda entered the U.S. market in earnest in the 1970s and ‘80s, selling affordable, fun-to-drive Civic compacts and Accord sedans to budget-conscious buyers. I was one of those customers, ultimately buying two Civics and an Accord for my young family.

For Honda 2.0, the Japanese automaker is going electric at a much higher price point.

Starting at $48,795, the mid-size, two-row electric Prologue SUV is the most expensive Honda sold in the U.S. market. The top-trim Elite model I tested here nearly crossed the $60K mark at $59,295. That’s the same price as luxury-class EVs like an all-wheel-drive BMW i4, Cadillac Lyriq and Lexus RZ450e Premium. Yikes. Batteries ain’t cheap, and to achieve the holy grail of 300-mile range, the first Honda EV is entry-level only by the standards of the premium niche EV market.

That’s the reality as Prologue — aka, the beginning — leads Honda’s transition to an all-electric brand like Tesla.

Ah, Tesla.

My Prologue may be cross-shopped against the cheaper-but-just-220-mile-range Toyota bz4x. But in truth, every EV is cross-shopped against the Tesla Model Y, the mid-size SUV that dominates EV sales and was the (wow) fifth best-selling vehicle in the USA last year behind the Detroit Three trucks and Toyota RAV4. Tesla’s trillion-dollar market cap is the envy of the industry and has automakers from Tokyo to Detroit to Munich playing copycat.

Tesla’s Apple-like design was key — but so was its proprietary charging network that trounced unreliable competitors. Until now.

“Hey, Google. Take me to Las Vegas,” I barked at the Prologue’s tablet screen.

Just like my Tesla’s navigation system, Google Built-In charted my course — complete with charging stops. Where to eat while I charged at dinner time? Google listed a Wayback Burger joint, Subway and Taco Bell within 500 feet of the charger. Just like Tesla. What did the surrounding area look like? Google Earth showed a shopping center. Just like a Tesla.

Also, the trip would take 13½ hours — not the 10 hours in say, a similarly-sized gas-powered Honda Passport. Oh.

Passport is the reason EVs like Prologue are niche vehicles. Honda is targeting 40,000 sales for the $49K Prologue — same as the $42K Passport. Really? The conventional wisdom is EVs only need better infrastructure to be competitive with gas vehicles, but the well-trafficked, charging station-stuffed I-5 corridor that connects the Bay Area and Los Angeles to Vegas belies that claim.

Gas-powered cars are simply more affordable to buy and more efficient to operate than their EV peers. Honda boasts Prologue will gain 65 miles of range in 10 minutes at a fast charger. Passport will fill its 424-mile range tank in three minutes. Who wants to spend an extra 3.5 hours on the road charging with kiddies in tow when traveling to see grampa and gramma?

For all Honda’s ambitions to go all-electric by 2040, the brand knows EVs are a luxe niche. So it loads its advertising copy with the green greatest hits to attract the faithful:

Eco-Responsible and Effortless!We’re empowering eco-conscious driving!

The Prologue offers exciting performance with sustainability!

Um, exciting performance might be stretching it. Honda is rightly proud of its performance heritage with some of the best-engineered cars on the planet. The Ontario-assembled 2006 Honda Civic Si in my driveway is still a hoot to drive with apex-hugging suspension and a screaming 8,000 rpm engine that begs to be flogged. Even the Ohio-made Passport can excite with its masculine V-6 and lithe (for a big ute) 4,200-pound curb weight.

Mexican-made Prologue, by contrast, shares GM’s porky Ultium chassis with the Chevy Blazer EV and tips the scales at 5,600 pounds — a whopping 1,400 more than Passport. Oof. I steered Prologue over the spaghetti roads of Sonoma Valley, and the Prologue is no Civic (did Honda ever market Civic in the ritzy Northern California wine region?)

The electric torque is welcome, but Prologue can’t hold a candle to the similarly priced Tesla Model Y Performance, which has twice the power and is 1,200 pounds lighter. Step on Y’s throttle and — ZOT! — you’re in the next county.

Prologue has good, smooth torque for strong highway merges, which is where it’s at its most comfortable. With its pickup-like rear seat room (42 inches, which beats the Y’s already palatial 40 inches), Prologue is comfy and can swallow the family luggage in the large cargo hold. If the kiddies’ shoes get muddy on the trip, just throw them in the nifty sub-cargo storage bin.

That cubby care is also present in the Passport, and Honda is determined that Prologue continue the bloodline into the EV future.

Stem to stern, Prologue is a Honda. The front maintains the horizontal lights and black brow of Pilot and Passport — even as it loses the big grille necessary to feed a gas engine. The greenhouse is narrower than Passport but still square for good headroom. Under my Elite’s panoramic roof, familiar Honda ergonomics included volume knobs, steering wheel controls and plentiful console storage space.

Still, frills are lacking at $50K. For an EV announcing a new age, there’s little New Age on Prologue.

Pop the hood and there’s only a nest of electronics — not a tidy, useful frunk that you’ll find in a Model Y or Mustang Mach-E. That seems an oversight for a brand usually obsessed (think Honda Fit dexterity) on additional room. That pano roof — standard on Tesla — is only available on top trims. Even the dash lacks the honeycomb flair of the Civic and Accord.

Honda also eschews driver-assist systems found in comparably priced Lyriq and Model Y models.

Honda Sense is generous with standard emergency braking, blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise — but competitors offer Super Cruise (GM) and Autopilot (Tesla) for easy highway cruising. Cruising own Highway 101, I activated adaptive cruise which was also . . .  familiar from other Hondas.

Like its clever navi system, Honda lets Google Bulti-In answer voice commands. “Hey, Google,” I barked again. “Tell me a joke.”

Did you hear about the snowman that got upset when the sun came out? It had a total meltdown!

“Hey, Google. Turn on the driver’s heated seats.”

Turned on the driver’s heated seats.

“Hey Google. Nice car, but don’t stop making affordable gas-powered models, OK?”

No answer, but we’ll see what the future brings.

Next week:

2024 Honda Prologue

Vehicle type: Battery-powered, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV

Price: $48,795, including $1,395 destination ($59,295 Elite AWD as tested)

Powerplant: 85 kWh lithium-ion battery mated to one or two electric motors

Power: 212 horsepower, 236 pound-feet of torque (FWD); 288 horsepower, 333 pound-feet of torque (AWD)

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.0 seconds (Motor Trend); towing, 1,500 pounds

Weight: 5,600 pounds (estimated, AWD as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 273-296 miles

Report card

Highs: Roomy cabin; Google Built-In navigation

Lows: Lacks clever Honda interior, storage; long road trip compared to cheaper gas-powered Passport

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.