San Diego — We Americans love our hamburgers and our mid-size SUVs.

Burgers are the meat (pun intended) of popular food. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Shake Shack, Five Guys, Sonic, White Castle, Whataburger, Culver’s, Hardee’s and so on meeting consumers’ insatiable appetite for the patty. So, too, are mid-size SUVs the meat of the auto market. Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Ford Bronco Sport, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, Chevy Equinox, Equinox EV and so on meeting consumers’ unslaked thirst for the SUV.

But just as the Big Three of McDonalds’, Wendy’s and Burger King dominate the burger market, so too did RAV-4, Model Y and CR-V rule the segment in 2024 with each topping a staggering 400K in sales (over 400,000 served!) — numbers exceeded only by the Detroit Three pickups of F-150, Silverado and Ram.

McHonda CR-V wants more.

The Made in America CR-V vaulted to 402,791 units sold last year by offering a recipe that appeals to a broad swath of Yanks. The sixth-generation model, introduced in 2023, split the lineup with two powertrains: an entry-level 1.5-liter turbo-4, and a gas-electric hybrid. Call it the Big Mac-V: two all-beef engines, special sauce, served on an all-wheel-drive bun (oh, I’m just getting started with the burger metaphors).

The terrific 190-horsepower/179 torque turbo-4 — shared with the Civic Si pocket rocket and luxury Acura ADX — has ponies aplenty. But the hybrid is no tree-hugging gerbil wheel. It’s a 202-horse/247-torque beastie that can stomp the Acura out of a stoplight while also sipping 40 mpg.

Offered in the upper-trim Sport models (Sport, Sport-L, Sport Touring), the hybrid made up 50% of CR-V sales last year despite carrying a $1,500 premium. Smart shoppers no doubt figured out gas savings would pay for the premium in about four years (not to mention the time saved with its healthy 500 miles of range).

No surprise that CR-V has changed little for its 2026, mid-product cycle update other than the addition of another hybrid model — my $39K TrailSport.

The CR-V TrailSport follows its larger stablemates (Passport ‘n’ Pilot) in appealing to Americans’ recent taste for off-road models. Dressed in Ash Green Metallic, with black accents and standard all-wheel drive, TrailSport is a looker (note to my sis who thought the fifth-gen model a dog) — if not as capable as its peers (more on that later).

TrailSport’s special sauce — like all CR-Vs — is its attention to passenger detail and reliability. Let’s begin in back.

Open CR-V’s second-row passenger door — and it keeps on opening. All the way to 90 degrees, a rare feature in automobiles, which makes ingress/egress a cinch whether you’re a 6’5” freak like me or a wee mom struggling to load in one of those modern Brobdingnagian child car seats.

Once inside, row two keeps on giving with a palatial, best-in-class 41 inches of legroom (just two inches shy of a Ford F-150, for goodness sake). More convenience for my long limbs and that mega-car seat. Need more room?

The second-row seats fold flat to expand the best-in-class cargo space. Climb behind the wheel and CR-V sports excellent ergonomics combined with standard, state-of-the-art tech — all wrapped in signature orange TrailSport trim. After setting my navigation course with wireless Apple CarPlay, I merged onto San Diego’s crowded I-5 and engaged (standard) adaptive cruise control.

I thumbed the steering wheel’s raised toggle switch to increase/decrease speed without taking my eyes off the road. Climate controls are fat knobs under a nine-inch screen located high on the dash for good road visibility while navigating.

The entry-level, alphanumeric turbo-4 CR-V models (LX, EX, EX-L) are all you need beginning at $32K, but TrailSport’s pricier hybrid system offers cool toys.

Chief among them is the B mode selection (short for regenerative braking) below D (Drive) which doesn’t actually select gears at all. Honda’s two-motor hybrid system replaces a transmission with an electric motor, and B mode allows the e-motor to slow the car without brakes.

So-called one-pedal driving is a unique feature of electrified vehicles, and Honda makes good use of it. The hybrid also has a SPORT mode which enables maximum engine torque for interstate merges and two-lane road passes. The engine gets shouty — WAUUUURGH! — under load, but the extra grunt is appreciated.

Less inspiring is the hybrid’s long-term reliability given its complexity compared to old-school internal-combustion engines.

Honda’s reliability secret sauce is an asset in the motor mall. An iSeeCars longevity study, for example, gave CR-V the best chance of any mid-size SUV lasting over 250,000 miles.

“I bought a Honda because they are sporty and reliable,” said friend Mike. “Detroit automakers keep getting recalled, and Hondas keep on ticking. I have a family and don’t have time to keep taking my car to the shop.”

CR-V’s dependability, however, has slipped in recent generations as powertrain complexity has increased. As hybrid sales grow, consumers will have their eye on reliability as well as the gas gauge.

As for McTrailSport’s off-road chops, CR-V is not as ambitious as other brands. Want a mouth-watering beef burger? Ditch Mickey D’s and go to Five Guy’s. Want a dirt-kicking off-roader? Check out a Ford Bronco Sport with lifted chassis, underbelly bash plates and twin-clutch packs out back for gnarly mud-slinging at Holly Oaks ORV Park.

Use the CR-V TrailSport to haul your Honda motorbikes there.

TrailSport will tow up to 1,000 pounds (the turbo-4 1,500 pounds) and comes equipped with all-terrain tires to navigate dirt trails. I grunted around dusty Barona Parks Motocross Park near San Diego, where its off-road tools (all-terrain tires, no-slip all-wheel-drive system, low-speed hill descent control) worked nicely.

These tools translate to real-world Michigan roads — whether covered by snow or potholes. More aggressive off-roaders be warned — the underbody is not protected by skid plates (like the Bronco Sport — and Passport and Pilot TrailSports), and CR-V hybrids don’t come with a spare tire to make room for the battery beneath the cargo floor.

After a day of driving the CR-V, I devoured a food truck burger at Barona Parks. I recommend both.

Next week: Topless in the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata

2026 Honda CR-V

Vehicle type: Front- and all-wheel-drive, five-door, five-passenger SUV

Price: $32,315, including $1,395 destination charge ($40,195 TrailSport as tested)

Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder; hybrid 2.0-liter, inline 4-cylinder driving two electric motors paired with 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery

Power: 190 horsepower, 179 pound-feet of torque (Turbo-4); 202 horsepower, 247 pound-feet of torque (Hybrid)

Transmission: Continuously-variable automatic; direct drive

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.9 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 1,000-1,500 pounds

Weight: 3,900 pounds (TrailSport as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA 28 mpg city/33 highway/30 combined (Turbo-4 FWD); 40 mpg city/34 highway/37 combined (Sport Hybrid AWD); 38 mpg city/33 highway/35 combined (TrailSport Hybrid); 30 mpg observed

Report card

Highs: Rugged styling; awesome ergonomics/cabin detail

Lows: TrailSport limited off-road bandwidth; Google Built-in only available on top Sport Touring trim

Overall: 4 stars

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

Paris — Merging onto Paris’s suburban ring roads, my mid-size Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle felt supersized surrounded by subcompacts, motorbikes, and small panel vans. Unlike Detroit’s I-96 and I-75 speedways, we moved like a school of fish, toeing the speed limit in an orderly procession out of France’s biggest city.

Welcome to Planet Europe.

With gas prices at $8-a-gallon (1.80 Euros per liter), mandated in-car speed warnings, speed cameras everywhere, narrow city streets, and the European Commission banning internal combustion engines over the next ten years, the automotive landscape in statist France is a very different place than open-road, low-cost energy USA.

No wonder Cadillac’s European product lineup is dramatically different than in its U.S. backyard. There are no V8-powered Escalades or fire-breathing CT5-V Blackwing hellions here. Or Ford Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and Chevrolet Corvettes for that matter. Full-size pickup trucks, the best-selling vehicles in the Unites States? Nowhere to be found.

But General Motors’ luxury brand sees paydirt here as it re-invents itself as the electric Standard of the World. European autos, analysts say, are increasingly luxury goods as entry-level vehicles become unaffordable — opening windows for premium, American EVs and heavily subsidized Chinese makes.

“With the electric mandates, small cars are going away. Cars are something for the rich,” said President Emeritus of the World Car of the Year awards and veteran writer Jen Meiners, who splits his time between Europe and the United States. “People are being pushed into public transportation. Even Smart cars and VWs have become unaffordable with the regulations.”

The once-popular, three-cylinder, gas-powered Smart Fortwo microcar cost about $15,000 in 2015 (adjusted for inflation) before the brand switched to electric power in 2018, increasing the price to $25,000 by 2024 when it was discontinued. Smart has moved on to larger, pricier EVs starting at $42k for the Smart #1 subcompact crossover.

The VW Golf GTI, the only Golf hatchback sold in the United States (starting at $34k), sold for $33,000 here 10 years ago. Today it stickers for about $45k, a 30% increase.

The EV market in Europe, as in the United States, has taken hold among affluent, urban buyers. Cadillac has planted its flagship showroom in the heart of Paris, and there is not a gas-powered car in sight (save the Cadillac V-Series.R Le Mans race car on display).

My rear-wheel-drive Lyriq Sport EV starts at $95,500 in France, compared to $65,000 in the US.

“We have a great opportunity here in Europe to grow our presence, especially in the current environment around EVs and the growth and the attraction that they’re bringing for the brand,” said Vice President for Global Cadillac John Roth in an interview here.

Two Lyriqs are on the showroom floor, and visitors can sign up for test drives around Place de l’Opéra square — nickname, “The Hub of the Universe” — where the showroom is located. My Lyriq journey would be a little longer: three hours west over 133 miles to the city of Le Mans where I would be covering the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s premier endurance race.

Henry Payne

I awoke to a fully-charged Lyriq with 326 miles of range waiting for me outside my hotel. With France’s rush towards EV-only sales, Paris has embraced battery power. Regulators have drawn up plans to eliminate ICEs in the city with expanding “low-emission zones” that allow/fine cars according to their carbon emissions. My Lyriq, of course, wore an approved green badge.

“Cities want to give special rights to EVs and they push all ICEs out by 2035,” said Meiners. Paris regulations have been delayed due to consumer pushback.

Cadillac said inner city parking garages are littered with 220-volt chargers for overnight charging. European metropolises are famous for residents throwing cords out of second-story windows to charge their steeds curbside, and Paris has carved out EV-only parking places with chargers. The nuclear power-fed electric grid here has kept utility costs around 20 cents per-kWh — or about the same as Michigan.

That’s affordable compared to $8 a gallon prices I passed in Paris that have kept vehicles small (along with engine emissions taxes). Heading west on Paris’s Left Bank south of the Seine River, the Lyriq EV’s instant torque was well equipped for stop-and-go city traffic as I repeatedly shot through gaps — ZOT!

I pulled over in front of the Eiffel Tower tourist magnet for photos on a crisp, 60-degree morning. The Lyriq was a tourist attraction itself, provoking long stares. Its bold, vertical, that’s-gotta-be-a-Caddy lines stood out in the sea of homogenous econoboxes.

“There’s a lack of consumer choice here compared to 25 years ago,” said Meiners, who is also founder of the German Car of the Year awards. “Cars are expensive, and they are not as much fun anymore.”

Gasoline in France costs about $8 a gallon which encourages small gas cars and EVs like Tesla (right).

Henry Payne

A fun-killer is the EU’s mandated vehicle speed warnings — aka, Intelligent Speed Assist. Exceed the limit and the cabin will emit a BONG! BONG! BONG! alert. No wonder everyone was minding the speed limit. Exceed the limit in France and Big Brother may record your license plate number — with the fine mailed to your home.

So hated was ISA when it was introduced in 2019 that working class “yellow vest” protestors — rebelling against government taxation and regulations — vandalized 60% of the country’s speed cameras. As an American in Paris, I tucked into the (slow) flow of traffic out of town. Mercifully, my Lyriq tester’s ISA was turned off (a process that needed to be repeated each time I got into the car).

Regulations have deterred Cadillac from bringing its V-6 and V8-powered CT4 and CT5 sedans to Europe because they can’t meet (along with similar U.S. performance cars) Euro 6 emission rules that will soon escalate to tighter Euro 7.

The regulations concern England-headquartered Ineos CEO Lynn Calder, whose gas-powered, inline-6 cylinder, luxury Grenadier SUVs are built in the Hambach, France, plant where the Smart Fortwo was once made. Ineos is targeting the U.S. auto market for a majority of its sales.

“If (EU regulators)) aren’t careful, they will kill the industry,” she said in an interview. “Europe is a massive problem. EVs are more expensive, residual values are worse, and total cost of ownership is worse, so it’s double whammy after double whammy. It’s a rich person’s thing, and therefore the answer is there are going to be (gas cars) on the road for much longer than 2035.”

Looming electric mandates have, however, attracted new brands in addition to Cadillac — most notably America’s Tesla and Chinese brands.

Planet Europe also differs from the United States in that the majority (about 60%) of vehicles are purchased not by consumers but by companies that then distribute them to employees as perks of the job. Cadillac’s biggest customers, for example, are insurance and infrastructure companies, said Cadillac France Communications Director Isabelle Weitz.

Model S/E/X/Ys from Tesla — the OG of EV revolution — were everywhere, the electrics of choice among Parisians. Since corporate fleet sales tend to be more compliant with EV mandates, they are also a big opening for Chinese companies.

“We are starting to see the Chinese brands coming into the fleets with little fanfare,” said Meiners. “BYD, XPeng, Great Wall — even MG, which is now an EV brand owned by the Chinese. They are not great quality, but the MGs are fun to drive.”

On a two-lane country lane, the slavish following of speed limits fell away. A white Tesla Model 3 blew past me at a high rate of knots and I gave chase.

As in Paris, EV torque was an advantage. ZOT! We quickly vaulted slow-moving camionette (small utility trucks) in broken-line passing zones. When we approached small towns, the Tesla would slow abruptly, apparently knowledgeable of the speed cameras — located inside big, road-side, graffiti-covered boxes.

Traffic thinned in the countryside as did EV sightings. As back home, rural charging infrastructure is scarce.

Also scarce is government approval for hands-free drive assist — a common feature in U.S. vehicles, including Cadillacs, Chevys, Teslas, Fords and Lincolns. I relied on adaptive cruise control as the EU approves neither Cadillac’s SuperCruise nor Tesla’s Autopilot systems.

I pulled into Le Mans after my journey with 50% charge left. But for my brief, pedal-to-the-metal playtime with the Tesla, I had traveled below 70 mph — the sweet spot of batteries — so my range had degraded only 10% below expected mileage.

I spent the weekend watching V8-powered Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercars, Corvette Z06 GT3 and Mustang GT3 race cars pound around the 8.5-mile circuit against V8s from Porsche, Ferrari, and Mercedes. On Planet Europe, the racetrack is one of the last refuges for the mighty V-8.

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

Charleston, West Virginia — Acura has finally completed its SUV menu with the entry-level ADX appetizer. It’s a tasty little morsel.

On a road trip to see family in West Virginia, I switched drive modes from NORMAL to SPORT and headed up Charleston’s famed Loudon Heights Road, a twisted two-lane carved into the rocky hill that overlooks the capital river city. The firm, rooted steering rack gave me immediate confidence as I dove into blind bends, narrow sweepers, tight hairpins.

I’ve been driving this road since I was 16 years old in Volkswagen Golf GTIs, Porsches and BMW M3s, and the Acura SUV showed impressive poise for a high-riding SUV. Credit Honda engineering, which has taken the solid Honda HR-V chassis and dialed it up to Acura standards.

Acura has thrown out the HR-V’s 158-horsepower gerbil wheel for the turbocharged, 1.5-liter 4-banger shared with Acura’s entry-level Integra sedan (and the Honda Civic Si hot hatch). Charging into a left-hander at the top of Louden Heights, the all-wheel driver gripped nicely before I flattened the throttle on exit and let loose the turbo-4 and its 190 ponies with a satisfying howl.

It’s a dramatic change from the HR-V with its droning 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, which struggles off corners with just 138 pound-feet of torque.

At rest in a parking lot, my $45,950 A-Spec Advanced tester looked sharp. Signature “chicane” LED running lights, black trim, Urban Gray wardrobe, scalloped shoulders, sharp-edged Diamond Pentagon grille. The wardrobe matches Acura’s performance mission and is as different from the soft, cute lines of the HR-V as a Doberman is from a beagle.

The 2025 Acura ADX is the brand’s entry-level vehicle. FWD standard and AWD optional in addition to a blacked-out A-Spec package (shown).

Acura

Together with Integra — a gateway drug to hotties like the Integra Type-S hatchback and TLX Type S sedan (not to mention the Acura team that races in the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar series), ADX is a proper introduction to the brand’s performance-oriented SUVs: RDX A-Spec and MDX Type S.

Performance, meet utility. ADX is no sports sedan, but neither is it your average family hauler, offering surprisingly fun-to-drive dynamics in a ute. For 10 grand extra, it’s a significant step up from HR-V — a signal you’ve entered a premium store in the car mall. Good thing, because there’s little to choose between premium and mainstream in digital features these days. Like Honda, ADX offers a generous suite of standard features such as wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control and a rear hot tub (kidding about that last one).

ADX’s sport ‘n’ style upgrades offer more separation from HR-V compared to, say, an Integra and Honda Civic Si — the latter a hot hatch as compelling as its luxury relative.

Mission accomplished, ADX. Welcome to Acura.

Ultimately, however, Acura must also justify itself relative to competitors. And subcompact luxe is a boiling shark tank. Ask $40K-plus for an SUV and you are playing in the same league as two of my favorite performers: the BMW X1 and Mazda CX-5.

Like ADX, these sport utes welcome you with distinctive styling, confident handling and a basket-full of standard features. And they expose ADX’s weaknesses.

Chief among them is the drivetrain. A comparable $47,725 Bimmer and $40,015 Mazda offer significantly more performance. The X1 and CX-5 pack a whopping 25-35% more giddyap — 241 and 256 horsepower, respectively — from their turbo-4s. The Mazda also brings, ahem, 320 pound-feet of torque.

Stomp CX-5 out of a corner and it translates that grunt to all four paws with one of the smoothest six-speed auto transmissions in the business. While ADX’s throaty four is a step up from HR-V’s power, it does not ditch the Honda’s CVT transmission, making for less invigorating acceleration. The result is a 5.5-second 0-60 mph sprint for the BMW (seven-speed dual-clutch tranny), 6.2 seconds in the Mazda — and (yawn) 8.7 seconds for the Acura.

The ADX’s Integra sibling is also equipped with a CVT transmission — but it options a six-speed manual that enthusiasts can row to their hearts’ content. ADX? You’re stuck with the CVT, though Acura adds shift-like “steps” to the experience to simulate gear changes.

The Acura’s cabin also isn’t as dramatic a wardrobe change from its Honda sibling as its exterior suggests.

My A-Spec tester’s interior offered lovely material touches like a two-toned stitched dash and blue suede door inserts, but the twin digital screens are right out of a Honda. No knock on Honda (which has elevated its game with a fine mainstream interior), but Acura has to compete against the BMW’s luxurious, hoodless two-screen layout that sprawls across the dash with graphics galore.

The Mazda can’t match the Bimmer either, but then it is the value play here (a role Acura usually plays). The CX-5 interior exudes class with its organic lines and horizontal layout.

For hours of interstate driving on our 800-mile round trip to Charleston, ADX was a serene companion. Mrs. Payne took over the wheel for a stint and I laid the driver’s seat (almost) flat and was snoozing comfortably in minutes.

Acura’s excellent ergonomics made for easy driving over a variety of roads. I engaged adaptive cruise control down I-75, across U.S. 35 in Ohio, and into Charleston on I-64. Speed and radio controls on the steering wheel are raised so I didn’t have to take my eyes off the road to find them with my fingers.

Happily, Acura has ditched the fussy remote True Touchpad Interface screen controller it introduced on the RDX SUV last decade. A nine-inch touchscreen does the job.

BMW, Mazda and Acura complement their controls with voice commands, and my ADX tester stands out with Google Built-in (a system familiar to owners of GM brands).

Hey Google, set driver temperature to 70 degrees.

Done.

Hey Google, navigate to Charleston, West Virginia.

Done.

Hey, Google, what is a good pizza restaurant in Charleston, West Virginia?

“Lola’s and Pies & Pints are often recommended.” Oh, Google you are good.

But Google Built-in is only offered on the top A-Spec model with the Advance Package, an oversight for this technically focused brand. Otherwise, the interior is spacious for a subcompact with 37.7 inches of rear legroom. Competitive with Bimmer, two inches shy of the Mazda value king.

Head-to-head comparisons aside, ADX sets the bar for Acura. And that’s what you want in an entry model (plus Acura reliability).

After having my fun up Loudon Heights Road, Mrs. Payne finally had enough.

“Can we slow down now?” she pleaded.

ADX SUV, take a bow. As we say in West Virginia: Almost heaven.

Next week: 2026 Honda CR-V

2025 Acura ADX

Vehicle type: Front- and all-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV

Price: $31,590, including $1,595 destination charge ($44,925 Badlands Sasquatch as tested)

Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder

Power: 190 horsepower, 179 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Continuously variable automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.7 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 125 mph (est.)

Weight: 3,611 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA 25 mpg city/30 highway/27 combined (26 mpg observed)

Report card

Highs: Sharp styling to match handling; suite of standard features

Lows: Less power than competitors; Google Built-in only available on top trim

Overall: 3 stars

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

Farmington Hills — You don’t so much drive the Nissan Murano as wear it. It’s a fashion statement.

Even coated in salt from a days’ drive across Metro Detroit’s wintry tundra, my Aurora Blue Pearl Metallic Murano looked ready for the Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview. Bezeled silver roofline like a Saarinen arch, muscular hips, slim front light signature over a lit lower grille (a touch of Ferrari Purosangue there?).

The Nissan Murano is lovely. Always has been. Since it strutted down the runaway as the first midsized crossover in 2003, it has put the “sport” in sport utility vehicles. Elegant lines, lush grilles, high-tech interiors, albino seats you want to lick they’re so sweet.

Now in its fourth generation, the 2025 Murano is once again on the cutting edge of fashion, for good and ill.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

For good, it has lost its voluptuous Rubenesque figure from the 2010s and emerged from the gym with a more svelte, athletic torso for the ‘20s. Cars are fashion, and this is the era of sleek iPhones and Teslas. So, too, the interior, which ditches the ol’ vertical lines for lean, horizontal lines accented with high-tech screens and haptic touch controls.

For ill? Murano has conformed to the same common turbo-4 engine found in every other bot these days, from the Nissan Rogue SUV to the Hyundai Tucson to the Chevy Traverse. Sigh. Government emissions regulations force uniformity, and that works against elegant non-conformists like the Murano, which used to belt out healthy V-6 exhaust tunes.

As we danced across Huron River Parkway, I buried the throttle and … oh. like watching Beyonce leaning into a chorus and Rosanne Barr’s voice coming out.

The Ariya, Murano’s fetching electric sister, boasts smooth torque that better complements its similarly exotic wardrobe — right down to the same twin screens and haptic wood dash accents. But that comfort becomes discomfort on a cold Michigan day, where 305-mile range drops 30% and the 270-mile trip to Nub’s Nob suddenly looks challenging.

With 505 miles of gas range, the 27 mpg highway Murano is the safer date.

While I bemoan the absence of the optional 260-horse V-6, the 241-horse turbo-4 pairs with a smooth nine-speed transmission instead of the coarse, continuously-variable V-6 tranny of yore.

Speaking of yore, many Nissan shoppers will be empty nesters looking to downsize after years carting kiddies in a three-row Pathfinder or Armada. Murano is just the ticket. As is the subcompact Kicks, another stylish turbo-4 entry that is new for ’25. Proving style doesn’t sacrifice quality, both led their segments in J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which tracked reliability over three years of ownership.

Both SUVs boast big backseats for leggy friends, but the Murano bring more sophistication for its higher price. The interior is a great place to spend time.

Start with “Zero Gravity” seats, which you’ll want to rip out of the car and use in your living room they are so comfy. The leather-wrapped console is easy on the eyes — and my knobby knees that rested against the console for miles.

For ill? Ergonomics are a mixed bag. Steering wheel controls are superb, with raised buttons that you can adjust without your eyes leaving the road. However, Nissan chose a push-button console shift design that requires you to look away from the road to shift gears. Better that they had chosen a stalk shifter solution like Chevrolet if it was the console space-saver they were looking for. And that stylish haptic climate control? It also requires taking your eyes off the road.

For good, Murano is tech-tastic.

My list of safety must-haves — adaptive cruise control, blind spot-assist, rear-backup assist, are all standard. Google Built-in (standard on the SL trim and up) has good voice recognition abilities. So you change the temp by voice rather than haptic touch.

Hey, Google, turn the driver-side temperature to 70 degrees. 

Done. I like a car with a sense of humor, and Murano knows dumb jokes.

Hey, Google, tell me a joke.

What’s a pig’s favorite karate move? A pork chop.

Boom. Murano has a deep bench of convenience settings. My favorite: it locks automatically when you walk away with key in pocket — or unlocks automatically as you approach. Just like a Tesla.

Unlike a Tesla: Nissan brings 360-degree camera innovation. Not only will its eight cameras provide a bird’s-eye 360-degree view, but it offers multiple views, including the ability to see through your hood so you can perfectly place your tires in a parking spot or avoid parking-lot potholes. I’m not making this up.

To discover more tech goodies, Nissan thoughtfully provides video guides in the infotainment screen.

My Murano tester was a top drawer, $51,415 all-wheel-drive Platinum model. But I’d recommend the SL, which allows you to option all the features above. Make mine an SL with standard Google Built-in, wireless charging, panoramic roof, all-wheel drive, 360-degree camera, plus … Auria Blue Metallic paint ($425), spare tire ($180).

Boom. A state-of-the-art Murano for $47,950 that you’ll never get tired of wearing.

Next week: An Amercian in Paris, 2025 Cadillac Lyriq

2025 Nissan Murano

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV

Price: $41,860 base, including $1,390 destination ($51,415 AWD Platinum model as tested)

Power plant: 2.0-liter turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder

Power: 241 horsepower, 260 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.0 seconds (Car and Driver est. AWD); towing, 1,500 pounds

Curb weight: 4,438 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est. 21 city/27 highway/23 combined (FWD and AWD); 505-mile range

Report card

Highs: Sculpted exterior; high-tech features

Lows: Uninspired turbo-4; distracting shifter, climate controls

Overall: 3 stars

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

Farmington Hills — Where Titan failed, the Armada might break through.

Nissan has sent big truck-based warriors with fierce names into battle against Detroit’s formidable armies of full-size pickups and mega-utes. The Titan pickup finally waved the red flag after bashing its brains in against endless waves of Detroit 1500, 2500, 3500 and even bigger dually pickups with more technology than a NASA launch site and enough towing power to tow, well, a Titan ballistic missile.

Doing battle against the Ford Expedition and Expedition XL looks more feasible. Based on the same truck chassis as the expired Titan, the 2025 Armada has been remade into a state-of-the-art mega-ute matching Ford, Chevy Tahoe and Jeep Wagoneer weapon-for-weapon.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Heading onto I-696, I stomped the gas and the new twin-turbo V-6 awoke with a roar. WHAAAUUGGRH! I miss the V-8s Nanny State rules have suffocated, but turbo sixes like Titan, Toyota Sequoia and Wagoneer have character and make the ocean liners fun to drive.

More compelling is the tech.

Mega-ute land yachts must endure long hours on the road. Nissan has always prioritized comparable seating with its “zero-gravity seats,” and Armada’s no different with its plush thrones. But Nissan has also stepped up with state-of-the-art, hands-free autopilot like Chevy (Super Cruise) and Ford (Blue Cruse) peers. Nissan calls it Pro Pilot Assist 2.1.

Self-driving tech is freaky at first — especially in such a big ocean liner — and Ford and Tesla, for example, smartly offer subscription packages for their systems so you can try ‘em out. Try it, you’ll like it. Unfortunately, Nissan (like Chevy) requires an expensive, $3,375 leap-of-faith purchase.

I toggled the left steering button (nice, raised tabs like a Chevy) and I was hands-free, cruising I-75 with hands on my knees. Tug the left turn signal and Armada switched automatically into the left passing lane. Tug the right signal, and it moved back. Nissan calls such goo-gaws “super powers,” and it will impress the kiddies sitting waaaay back in the third row.

The roomy third row (I could sit behind myself sitting behind myself) benefits from independent rear suspension technology that allowed for more legroom than the traditional, truck-based solid rear axle that Toyota Sequoia employs and that proved cramped on a trip north a couple of summers back. Nothing makes a trip more tiresome than knees in your chest.

Unfortunately, Nissan doesn’t offer a panoramic roof — or split roof like the Expedition — to give third row travelers more light. Not does it attempt to compete with the Detroit utes with an extended-cab XL model like Ford and Jeep (or Suburban, in Chevy’s case).

Such long cabs make up 40% of Chevy’s business and came in handy when, for example, I towed a sailboat with the Wagoneer L last summer and fit the entire boom through the middle of the cabin so it didn’t rattle around in the boat. Extended cabs are also useful for lots of baggage on, say, ski trips.

What Armada does offer is fold-flat seats so you can store big items (think TV screens or stacks of boxed books) when you aren’t using all three seat rows.

Nissan also keeps up with the Joneses — er, Detroiters — with big, hoodless digital displays that are choked with content and ergonomically sound. While you can outfit Armada with premium trims like the Detroiters, I would recommend starting with the SL model, which offers tech goodies like Pro Pilot and standard Google Built-in.

Google Built-in is General Motors Co.’s new secret sauce — an operating system on par with your phone — and Nissan has embraced it as well.

“Google, tell me a joke,” I barked and Armada chose from a library of dumb one-liners to lighten the trip.

More practical is the SL’s standard surround-view that coordinates eight cameras so you can dock the big ship with precision. I turned into a cramped Walled Lake gas station and put the cameras to good use. Most impressive is the hood view, which allows you to look right through the hood to place the front wheels where you want them.

It helped me miss tall curbs as well as potholes opened up by Michigan’s’ long winter.

7Pro Pilot Assist package with a head-up display offers further ease of use on the highway. Ring it all up and Armada comes in at 73 grand, a healthy $4,000 cheaper than a comparable Tahoe LT. And with 70 more horsepower on tap from Armada’s 425-horse turbo-6, you may not miss the Chevy’s throaty 355-horse V-8. But the Ford’s flexible subscription price for Blue Cruise is much more affordable (especially if you only use it during, say, summer trips) and Ford’s Activ model clocks in at a more affordable $71,900. Oh.

Conservatively styled, the Nissan should age well, though it doesn’t have the swagger of Motown’s hunks — or even the nicely styled Toyota Sequioa. Nissan does offer a tough, armored off-road model called the Pro 4X.

Armada has come with big guns blazing so it can trade blows with the Detroit armada. It’s a better battleship than the Titan and offers a legitimate alternative to the Detroit Three.

2025 Nissan Armada

Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and-four-wheel-drive, six- to-seven passenger mega-ute

Price: $59,530, including $2,010 destination fee ($81,900 Platinum Reserve as tested)

Powerplant: 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6

Power:  425 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.1 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 8,500 pounds

Weight: 5,886 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est., 16 mpg city/20 highway/18 combined (RWD); 16 mpg city/19 highway/17 combined (AWD); 472-mile range

Report card 

Highs: Roomy in all three rows; tech-tastic features

Lows: Meh styling; lacks extended wheelbase model

Overall: 4 stars

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