Ram 1500, Lexus GX, Honda Civic and More: Here's a Look at Our One-Year Road Test Fleet

• The Edmunds One-Year Road Test fleet contains 15-20 cars at a time that we keep for a year and drive at least 20,000 miles.
• It's our way of getting to know a car better and living with it day-to-day, just like an owner would.
• We have updates on a few of our vehicles, big and small, and one more bonus ride with two wheels.

A rocky start for our Ram 1500

This big, luxurious truck had only been with us for a brief moment (224 miles on the odometer) when it ran into its first issue: flashing lights on the shift knob and a refusal to start. After letting the truck sit for an hour or so, we were able to turn it on, but that's not a good beginning for a nearly $90,000 pickup.

This was also a bummer because the Ram is one of our highest-rated trucks. We've come to really enjoy how comfortable it is thanks to its great air suspension, how strong the turbocharged inline six-cylinder under the hood is, and just how useful the truck has been. (It's already helped more than a few members of our team move.) We even called it our "go-to road trip machine" after a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

However, its driver aids have also been a point of discontent, with constant error messages and shutdowns. In a modern car, safety systems are a crucial part of the whole package, and only getting to use some of them some of the time is a big knock against the Ram. Also, while we appreciate what you can see with the tow mirrors, they are just too big and create constant worry during city driving.

These problems don't approach the issues that we've had with the other Stellantis product that we own, the Dodge Charger Daytona. But to be honest, we were hoping our ownership experience would be as smooth as this truck's ride rather than the up-and-down journey it's been so far. Speaking of getting bounced around …

The Lexus GX gets mixed reviews

After vanquishing the Toyota Land Cruiser in single combat, we added a GX to our garage early in March 2025. Since we've had the rugged Lexus, we've noted a mix of likes and dislikes, starting with ride quality. Our Overtrail model has proven to be a great performer off-road, drawing praise for its strong turbocharged V6 powertrain and its camera systems, which can help keep you out of trouble when the trail gets tight.

But on the other hand, the truck-like nature that makes it so good off-road means that it can be bouncy and doesn't settle in well (especially at highway speeds) when you're on pavement. But that's not the only concern for regular city driving — fuel economy has been remarkably poor. We've averaged only 16 mpg in our time with the GX so far, and it requires premium fuel on top of that. Despite the right-sized 21-gallon tank, you're only getting around 300 miles between fill-ups. In fact, the current GX with the turbo V6 is no more fuel-efficient than the last GX, which has a big V8 under the hood. 

Volvo EX30 is the right size, but it's all wrong

Our staff has enjoyed the form factor of this diminutive Volvo — its city-friendly dimensions make it super easy to park and to maneuver around town. It also hasn't suffered from things breaking or malfunctioning like some of the other vehicles we own. The problem is that, even though the EX30 works as intended, our staff constantly uses the word "frustrating" in comments about this tiny SUV.

Those range from complaints about the screen to the lack of physical controls to the missing instrument cluster, and even the weird buttonless key fob. Yes, software updates have made things better, but there are persistent issues. And it's too bad because the EX30 proved to be the quickest Volvo we've ever tested, with a 0-60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds. It's a hoot to drive quickly, handsome to look at, and has packaging we love, but it came to us in a state so unfinished that most of our staff has soured on the poor Volvo — and there just isn't a software update that can fix that.

We'd change one thing about our Kia Carnival

There has been lots of praise for the minivan, from its stylish looks to its new hybrid powertrain that will help you save about $800 a year potentially on gas (33 mpg vs. 21 mpg combined for the gas-only version). But our staff has some mixed thoughts about the VIP lounge seats we have in the second row.

Those heated and ventilated thrones are excellent for a long road trip with friends, but for families, you lose too much flexibility for them to be worth it. They can't be removed and also hinder third-row access. If you have a family, it's probably better to get the eight-passenger version, which comes with a second row that can also be completely removed to open up a large cargo area.

Bottom line: If you're considering adding one of these to your own road-test fleet, really think about how you'd like to use the interior before you decide which rear seat package to get.

With the Honda Civic Hybrid, no news is good news

The final vehicle in our update is perhaps the most accomplished one, as it is our reigning Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best award winner for 2025. That made it a natural candidate for our road-test fleet and it has been a great addition. I rarely see it since it's pretty much always checked out, and our time with it hasn't dulled those affections. 

We still love how it drives, with surprising athleticism and handling and without sacrificing ride quality. And its high-quality interior also earns some praise. The only negative thing we can say about it so far is that it is missing a few features that you might expect, like power-adjustable lumbar support for the driver's seat. In a car that costs well north of $30,000, we think that's a reasonable ask. 

But other than that, it's been mostly crickets because this car refuses to take a wrong step — that's refreshing.

Even the Honda Motocompacto gets a range test

We bought these scooters for a reason: to get up and down the U-Drags course faster — that thing is over a quarter mile long after all. But our curiosity always seems to get the better of us, so we decided that the Motocompactos should get a range test of their own. The scooter has two speed settings, which means we had to run the test twice to see how the settings affected the results.

So we slapped all of the same equipment we use for the official Edmunds EV Range Test onto the scooter, and off it went. In its Go Far mode, which sets the top speed to 10 mph, the scooter has an estimated 12 miles of range, and in our testing, it beat that by covering 13.8 miles. In its Go Fast mode, the top speed gets bumped up to 15 mph and the as-tested range fell down to just 9.8 miles.

After a long day behind the handlebars, our staffer reported a lot of soreness due to its uncomfortable seat and harsh ride. But to bring you guys these important numbers, we will do whatever it takes — and that goes for anything.