Stories by Duane_Pemberton

Duane Pemberton is a lifestyle writer and CDNs Auto Editor. Pemberton loves anything that helps bring people together which is why he writes about food, wine, cars, and travel.

Hyundai’s 2021 Elantra offers new, bold looks and a ton of tech

SEATTLE — The entry-level sedan market is as important as ever. With cars like the Honda Civic having had such dominance in this segment, it’s driven Hyundai to keep increasing the quality and value of its Elantra. Hyundai has done an all-new redesign for the 2021 model year and you can see how this new ...

The 2021 Lexus LC 500 convertible – the ultimate GT car?

SEATTLE — Top down, wind in the hair, sunset blazing and the sweet symphony that comes from a naturally aspirated V8 exhaust note. For the 2021 model year, Lexus has finally given us a drop-top grand touring car. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it fast? Quick but not fast. Why does it cost so much ...

Road Tested: 2021 Genesis GV80 AWD Prestige has style in spades

SEATTLE — Every now and then, there’s a vehicle that sparks a keen interest from auto journalists, everywhere. The Genesis GV80 is one of those. The reason? Simple. It’s the first luxury SUV released under the Genesis moniker and is clearly aimed at taking on the competition, especially those from Germany. From a first glance, ...

The 2021 Lexus GX 460: Dated tech with good style and gnarly off-road prowess

Since Toyota announced the end of its infamous Land Cruiser, die-hard off-roaders should be checking out the Lexus GX 460 as a viable solution. It’s really the only SUV left in the Lexus line-up that’s built for off-roading and has some great aftermarket solutions to really kick it up a notch. In fact, over the ...

Road Tested: 2021 Lexus RX 350L

With its 2021 RX 350L – Lexus looks to continue its dominance in the luxury crossover SUV segment. For 2021, the entire RX line-up gets an updated interior color scheme called glazed caramel and there’s a new Black Line Special Edition for the F-Sport models as well. There are new standard safety features for 2021 ...

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-line is the 4-door fun you crave

SEATTLE — What’s a company to do when it has what is already a great mid-sized sedan on its hands? You slap more power into it and make it sportier. That’s exactly what Hyundai has done with this new, Sonata N-Line. Named after Hyundai’s Namyang proving ground in South Korea, the N-Line is Hyundai’s sport’s ...

CDN Road Tested: 2021 VW Atlas SEL Premium

SEATTLE — Thanks to an updated grill and front-end, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL looks better than ever. The look helps the Atlas not only appear more modern but a much more better-looking vehicle overall. It still has the same great storage capacity and for the most part is unchanged inside. Powertrain: Our Atlas SEL ...

KIA’s 2021 Seltos LX and SX Turbo offer tons of bang for the buck

SEATTLE — Over the last ten years, we’ve seen KIA do a complete makeover of its brand, vehicles, and quality. Its current lineup represents some of the best car values anywhere and its latest Seltos looks to continue that. A slight step above the boxy KIA Soul, the Seltos is a sub-compact SUV that’s packed ...

Road Tested: 2021 Corolla Hybrid LE – Low price, high economy

SEATTLE — When a Prius just won’t do, there’s the Corolla Hybrid LE. It’s bigger, better looking than a Prius and still gets a whopping 52 miles per gallon. It has very edgy looks and flair to keep it interesting for a younger generation of buyers with the sensibility of great fuel economy for older ...

We take the 2020 Lexus ES 300h on the open road

SEATTLE — There’s no doubt that the ES 300 has been an extremely successful car for Lexus. It has been a top seller for decades. It’s a luxury midsize sedan that not only offers plenty of creature comforts but does so with a hybrid drivetrain in this ES 300h model. This 2020 model continues to ...

Lexus continues its winning formula with the 2020 NX 300 F-Sport

SEATTLE – When it comes to the premium, Japanese, market – Lexus is the top seller and its 2020 NX 300 F-Sport looks to continue its sales dominance. Fewer sedans are being made than ever before in auto history – the reason is simple. People want more cargo room and the ability to sit-up higher ...

2020 Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD – Road tested and reviewed

SEATTLE — Toyota’s best-selling suv, the Highlander, is also one of the most economical SUVs you can find, thanks to its Hybrid offering. It’s rather astonishing to see how well the Highlander has sold for Toyota and this particular model is better than ever. Let’s dig in. The brand-new design for 2020 is the best-looking ...

Hyundai 2020 Sonata – Limited and Hybrid – road tested

SEATTLE — Hyundai has been firing on all cylinders for years now and with its 2020 Sonata, it looks to keep things cranking. What Hyundai has designed is nothing short of extraordinary. Not only does the car look amazing and yet perhaps polarizing to some people, it establishes a new design language for Hyundai. For ...

Toyota’s 2020 Camry TRD offers sporty looks and solid performance

SEATTLE — For well over a decade, the Camry has been American’s best-selling passenger sedan and with the 2020 model year, Toyota adds a TRD model to the line-up. Toyota’s Racing Development (TRD) team worked overtime on adding track-tuned tweaks to this reliable sedan. Outside of the obvious aesthetic differences over the non-TRD models, Toyota ...

Off-Road tested: 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

SEATTLE — Even though Ford did a rerelease of its Ranger pick-up and the Chevy Colorado have helped create more excitement in the mid-sized truck market, the Toyota Tacoma has been leading that market for years. And for good reason. With its 2020 Tacoma TRD Pro, Toyota maintains its dominance in this market segment with ...

Hyundai’s 2020 Venue is a value leader, we tell you why

SEATTLE — To say that Hyundai is an automotive force to be reckoned with by its competitors would be to completely understand things. In a relatively short amount of time, it has positioned itself to be one of the premier auto brands for value, and for good reason. While we’ve always enjoyed checking out their ...