Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.

  1. I was genuinely surprised that my personal list of "bests" came so close to Sofyan's. We're stuck in very different demographics with different priorities and living in different parts of the US with different driving environments. Nevertheless, I think his choices are largely right on (imo). Best Compact Car. This is a huge and varied category. Among the hybrids, I think Sofyan is on target. It took me years to get used to the looks of the Prius, just in time for them to redesign it and make it look even more like a Buck Rogers spaceship from a 1930's serial. The Honda Insight is attractive and is in the same fuel efficiency neighborhood as the Prius. Good choice (imo). In the pure petrol category and keeping in mind bang for the buck, I think I'd select the new Kia Forte. Good looking, affordable, and loaded with features for under $25K (with typical discounts that bring the price down), it's very appealing as a daily driver, especially for 20 somethings drowning in student debt. The most interesting trend in the compact category is among the pure EV offerings, especially from Kia and Hyundai. By stretching the range of EV's to 250 miles and beyond those vehicles are transformed from daily drivers that have to be recharged nightly (for those with longish commutes) to reasonable "do most things" vehicles. And for a few consumers living in California the hydrogen fuel cell is already a viable option. Honda offers the fuel cell Clarity for less than $400 a month on a three year lease with 80,000 miles of free fuel and a 300+ range with refueling that takes 5 minutes. Need to travel on an extended trip? Honda throws in free car rental for up to 3 weeks. If you're living in the Bay Area or Southern California, it's a deal. Best Compact SUV. I'm not a big Toyota fan but the revised Rav4 looks like a big winner for them. At least for the moment it outshines the CRV. The Mazda CX5 is stylish but cramped. But for those who hate CVT's it's one of the few choices. The Forester is a hit with Subar-ites and offers oodles of room but for many of the rest of us it's still ugly. Pay your money and take your choice. Personally, I'd take the Acura RDX but I'd have to pay for that choice compared to the Toyota. And if I were looking for a "Goldilocks" sized two row SUV, I'd take a serious look at the Hyundai Santa Fe. Best Midsize. The Stinger was an especially surprising choice. Not because it isn't a great car but because I expected to see the Accord, the Mazda6, or the (much improved) Camry. Keeping the price under $50K is a challenge for a fully loaded Stinger but for those looking for something close to a true GT with the near versatility of a hatchback it's amazing. The only caveat, if you're trying to save money, stick to the four banger; the turbo V6 will make it difficult to stick to the turbo 4. Best Family SUV. I think naturally aspirated V6's are a better choice in this category and I don't like CVT's. But I have to admit that Subaru has done a fine job with the design and pricing of the Ascent. All in all, Subaru fans love it and are apparently more than willing to pay MSRP or above. It shows the advantage of being late to the party so you can see what everyone else is wearing. Best Sports Car. A tiny category. Kudos to Mazda for keeping to the classic design of a British sports car. The most striking competitor is not the Fiat 124 or the Suba-yota BRZ/86 but the Mustang 2.3L turbo. Still, the MX-5 tops the list. May it live forever. Best Cheap Fun. The Veloster N is pretty much a no-brainer. Though how "cheap" it will be will depend on the second "market adjustment" sticker dealers put on it. Personally, I'm disappointed that Hyundai decided not to offer the i30N in the US but I'm old and stodgy. And I like to be able to see out of my car. Best Overall. The Genesis G70 is another no-brainer but when most of us will even have a chance to see it, much less buy it, remains a question. Introducing a sports sedan with no availability on the West Coast suggests a level of corporate stupidity that is truly breathtaking. And I suspect that keeping the price under $50K will depend on the greed of Genesis dealers. All in all, a great list, Sofyan. Happy new year.
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