What Real Men Like: Cars

Men sure love to drive. In fact, we do most of it. Scan the vacationers pulling into rest stops—it's almost universally dads at the wheel. Same with couples out on dates. It's the guys driving. A recent University of Minnesota study uncovered two reasons why men crave their wheel time: the appeal of asserting masculinity through technology, and the appeal of being in control of our own "destiny." Whether our cars put us in control of our destiny is arguable, of course, but they certainly put us in control of our destinations.
The 2015 model year brings with it a diverse crop of new cars, trucks and SUVs. Some of the cars here are already on sale, and most will be on dealer lots by the unofficial start of the next model year on October 1.
A review of the new model year lineups shows that this will be a big year for new truck launches and significant sedans leavened with some nifty niche players in the sporty segments. Perhaps the biggest launch of all, coming later this year, is the all-new Ford F-150, as the Blue Oval looks to use an aluminum-intensive design to cut weight and save fuel on its perennial best seller. It's quite a gamble in the usually staid pickup market. Also, looking to stake out new territory in trucks, General Motors is launching its mid-size duo, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in a bid to attract a younger demographic. And Chevy is looking to counter Ford's light duty Transit Connect with its new Express minivan work truck sourced off the Nissan NV200.
The most significant 4-door launches of 2015 come from Chrysler with its new 200 line of midsize sedans, while Hyundai remakes its Genesis rear-drive model and offers all-wheel drive for the first time in a car. Subaru is also upping its game with an all-new Legacy, while entry-level econobox intenders can choose between a new Honda Fit and Nissan Versa Note SR for fun-to-drive practicality.
Performance enthusiasts will also have much to choose from as BMW introduces its new M3/M4 sedan/coupe duo, Lexus gets racy with the RC F Coupe, VW brings back the Golf R, Jaguar introduces a new F-Type coupe, Mini reinterprets the Cooper and Subaru launches its WRX/WRX STI.
Check out the changes, note that the introductions will be rolling out throughout the balance of the calendar year and get ready for more as the 2015 model year gets underway in earnest. We will be driving and reviewing each of these new vehicles as they debut.
And for dessert, feast your eyes on the growing number of all-new and redesigned 2016 models, including new subcompact SUVs from Honda and Mazda, and the return of the high-performance Acura NSX.