Skip to main content

From EVs to forbidden fruit, car lovers have a lot to be thankful for this year

Thanksgiving is about family, food, football, fall colors, and, if you’re brave enough, great deals. For us, it’s also about cars, the people that make them, the folks who drive them, and the tech that makes them more usable, quicker, or both. Before the carving begins, the members of Digital Trends’ car team are taking a minute to sit down and reflect on the cars and the industry trends we’re most thankful for in 2018.

Nick Mokey, managing editor

Aftermarket car tech

Mitsubishi Delica
Nick Mokey/Digital Trends

We’re living in a golden age of car electronics, and you don’t need to buy a Tesla Model 3 to get in on the action, or even spend very much.

Recommended Videos

I drive a 28-year-old van, but I added Bluetooth to my stereo for $45, vastly superior front speakers for $23, and keyless entry for $33. The entire van floods in colored light of my choosing thanks to $15 LED strip lights, and I can leave my doors ajar while I camp without killing the battery because I swapped the dome lights to LEDs for $5. Four blinding LED flood lights on my front bumper turn night to day on forest roads, and they collectively set me back $23. It’s only through restraint that I haven’t added a wireless tire pressure-monitoring system for $35 — my $8 digital gauge that’s accurate to a tenth of a PSI will suffice. It’s still fun to ogle the lane-tracking Pilot Assist in the 2019 Volvo S60, or the dynamic air suspension of Audi’s 2019 Q8, but damn, I love my van. And it’s fun to tack on 21st century tech without spending a fortune.

Now, if only there were a cheap way get more than 90 horsepower out of the engine…

Miles Branman

The glorious return of the U.S. market wagon

2018 mercedes amg e63 s 4matic +
Miles Branman/Digital Trends

After falling out of favor with Americans around the turn of the century, station wagons are making a big comeback. Without room to blossom as utility vehicles (SUVs still rule that domain), automakers are positioning their long-roofed models as all-terrain tools (Subaru’s Outback and Volkswagen’s Golf Alltrack), premium accessories (Volvo’s V90 and Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake), and specialized hot-rods (Porsche’s Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo and Mercedes-AMG’s E63 S Wagon).

Booming EV options

Miles Branman/Digital Trends

The slow trickle of pure electric vehicles is quickly turning into a raging river. Whether you credit Tesla’s market disruption or society’s increasing awareness of global decay, we have some seriously compelling EVs on sale and en route. Chevrolet’s Bolt, Nissan’s Leaf, and Hyundai’s Ioniq Electric will soon be joined by affordable models from Volkswagen, Mini, Ford, and Subaru. In the premium segment, Tesla will face competition from Jaguar, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Audi. Most of these models are due in the next year or two, so if you don’t see something you like already, you won’t have to wait long.

Stephen Edelstein

Formerly forbidden fruits

Best Car of 2017 Honda Civic Type R
Image used with permission by copyright holder

U.S. enthusiasts once cast jealous gazes toward Europe and Japan, where many of the hottest performance cars were sequestered. This so-called forbidden fruit is rare these days. Sure, the U.S. misses out on some cool cars, but we now get the majority of the good stuff. Cars like the Honda Civic Type R (pictured), Ford Focus RS, and Nissan GT-R that were formerly out of reach are now within the grasp of U.S. buyers. Plus, we still get homegrown performance cars like the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.

Electric cars we actually want to drive

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tesla figured it out years ago, but now other automakers are catching on. Electric cars are necessary to combat climate change, but if the cars are boring, that’s a tough pill to swallow.  The Tesla Model S proved that people don’t care what a car is powered by, as long as it’s desirable. The Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron, and the upcoming Porsche Taycan show that other automakers are figuring that out as well. Here’s to a future of sustainable performance and luxury.

Ronan Glon

Cars that balance tech, power, and efficiency

Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Automakers are realizing electric cars don’t need to be boring, hybrids don’t need to be bloated, and state-of-the-art technology doesn’t need to neuter a car’s performance genes. The Jaguar I-Pace (a model which, unsurprisingly, made almost everyone’s list this year) is an excellent driver’s car in spite of its not-insignificant weight. Many recent additions to the hybrid car segment (like the Audi A6) offer the benefits of a gasoline-electric powertrain without looking or feeling like Toyota’s dowdy Prius. And, while the Porsche Panamera boasts an impressive array of tech features, you can drive it like you’re about to miss your flight (to use a polite expression) and have a blast behind the wheel without feeling you’re piloting a spaceship. It’s purely driver-focused, it doesn’t force its tech on you, but the features are there when you need them.

The proliferation of good sound systems

Volvo V90 sound system
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

As a child of the 1990s, I remember when my family’s driving class used to spend a considerable amount of time and money to customize the sound system in their cars. The standard ones sucked, to put it plainly. Even the stereo in relatively high-end models left a lot to be desired in terms of sound quality. But, in 2018, it’s difficult to find one that’s truly, utterly awful. Hell, even an econobox on the far end of the Hertz lot now boast a setup that’s halfway decent. The best part is that this is how they come straight from the factory; there is no assembly required. Premium companies like Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz take sound to the next level with intricate systems that, through state-of-the-art technology, turn a car’s interior into the mosh pit at an Offspring concert with more leather and, hopefully, less sweat.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Topics
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more
Electric Muscle Misfire? Dodge Pulls Charger Daytona R/T from 2026 Lineup
electric muscle misfire dodge pulls charger daytona r t from 2026 lineup all new

The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, once hailed as the vanguard of Dodge’s electric muscle car future, is being dropped for the 2026 model year.
According to a report from MoparInsiders, the Scat Pack variant will now lead the Daytona lineup, marking a significant pivot in Stellantis’ EV strategy.
Originally introduced with bold ambitions, the Charger Daytona R/T was designed to offer an accessible gateway into electric performance. With its 456-horsepower dual-motor setup and optional 509-horsepower Direct Connection stage kit, it seemed poised to excite both muscle car fans and EV newcomers. However, market realities have painted a different picture.
Industry and media reports highlight the core issue: buyers just weren’t biting. Despite its impressive specs and nostalgic design cues, the R/T struggled to justify its price tag, starting near $60,000. At that level, buyers expected either more performance or more premium features. Without strong sales traction, Dodge made the tough call to shelve the R/T variant for 2026, opting instead to focus on trims that resonate better with customers.
As we reported in December, the Charger EV was launched with an off-beat marketing message to “save the planet from self-driving sleep pods.” The goal was to retain Dodge’s brand identity—muscle, aggression, and driver engagement—even in the electric era. The Charger Daytona R/T was supposed to be the perfect balance of price and performance, but it seems the target audience wasn’t ready to make that leap at that price.
Importantly, this doesn’t spell the end of the Charger Daytona altogether. Higher-performance models like the Scat Pack and Banshee are still in the pipeline and, interestingly, are being adjusted for price competitiveness. Several trims are reportedly seeing price cuts, suggesting Stellantis is serious about making these vehicles more appealing and accessible.
For enthusiasts, the takeaway is clear: the electric muscle car isn’t going anywhere, but automakers are still figuring out how to sell it. The demise of the R/T is less a failure and more a recalibration—proof that even the boldest plans need to stay flexible in the face of consumer demand.

Read more
The all-electric Cadillac Vistiq makes the Escalade redundant
2026 Cadillac Vistiq front-quarter view.

Cadillac wants a full lineup of electric vehicles, and it’s nearly there. It has a standard crossover SUV (the Lyriq), an entry-level model (the Optiq), an electric version of its flagship Escalade (the Escalade IQ), and even a baroque showpiece (the Celestiq). But something’s missing.

For a modern luxury brand, a midsize three-row crossover is key. Customers for whom a Toyota Highlander is too déclassé need something to take their kids to lacrosse practice, but may not want something as big as an Escalade. This isn’t the most exciting design brief, and that’s reflected in the gasoline Cadillac XT6, which has always felt like nothing more than a placeholder. Its new electric counterpart, the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq, is anything but.

Read more