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Cartoon: Supremes Stop Trump Tariffs
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 21, 2026
Cartoon: Alien Files Declassified
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 20, 2026
Cartoon: Nobel Prize Trump Machano
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 20, 2026
Payne: Floggin’ the Nissan Versa, last of the $20k cars
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 19, 2026
Naples, Florida — And then there were none.
My subcompact 2025 Nissan Versa sedan tester was the last of its breed: a new car that starts under $20,000. The $18,350 Versa ceased production for sale in the United States at the end of 2025. The subcompact Kia Soul SUV takes over as the most affordable new 2026 vehicle on the market at $21,935.
The affordable end of the U.S. market has been squeezed for some time as strict federal emissions regulations were more difficult for small cars to make, while must-have technology like digital screens added cost, and safety regulations piled on new mandated features like backup cameras, anti-lock brakes, airbag safety systems. That, and cars have become so doggone reliable that high-mileage used cars are a serious alternative. Heck, Ford — which doesn’t sell a new vehicle under $29,990 (once you include destination, title and other fees) — axed its Versa competitor, the Fiesta, waaaay back in 2019.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Cartoon: Olympic Gu China
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 18, 2026
Cartoon: AOC Foreign Policy
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 18, 2026
Cartoon: Winter 2026 Snow Globe
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 16, 2026
Cartoon: Defund Protests Capitol Police
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 13, 2026
Payne: Dodge Charger Sixpack is a hot hatch for all seasons
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 12, 2026
Detroit — In the midst of another Michigan snowstorm, I slid my 2026 550-horsepower Dodge Charger onto Woodard Avenue, toggled WET/SNOW mode and churned toward Huntington Place for the Detroit Auto Show, the adaptive-cruise control system helping maintain distance to traffic ahead.
Payne, have you gone mad? Driving a Charger muscle car in the snow?
Reset everything you know about the Charger. The 2025 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year picked up 2026 North American Car of the Year to open the Detroit Auto Show, and earned its praise as I flogged it all over town during show week.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Cartoon: Cadillac F1 Super Bowl Reveal
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 12, 2026
Cartoon: Valentine’s Day Cupid Truck
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 10, 2026
Cartoon: Super Bowl 2027 Chinese Halftime
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 10, 2026
EV U-turn: 2026 Alfa Tonale leads return to gas lineup
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 6, 2026
Montreal — Three years ago in Italy, the plug-in-hybrid Tonale SUV projected a new era for Stellantis’s storied Alfa Romeo brand. The automaker’s first electrified model, Tonale, would lead a parade of six fully-electric Alfas by 2030 as the Italian maker transitioned with other luxury brands — including Cadillac, Buick, Jaguar, Genesis, Volvo and Mercedes — to battery power. Just three years later, the industry has done a U-turn.
And so has Alfa.
For 2026, the refreshed Tonale SUV will only be offered as a turbo-4 model, leading a brand retreat to reliable gas power. Plans for an all-EV showroom by 2030 have been shelved, and the aging, gas-powered Stelvio SUV and Giulia sedan fill out the U.S. lineup. Like the rest of the industry, EV sales — including of the plug-in Tonale — slid without hefty government subsidies.
The gas-powered, 2.0-liter turbo-4 U.S. Alfa lineup for 2026: Tonale SUV, Giulia sedan, Stelvio SUV.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Cartoon: Walz Fort Sumter Civil War
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 5, 2026
Cartoon: Tesla Robot Brake
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 5, 2026
Payne: Slinky Crown Signia is the cure for the common Toyota SUV
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 5, 2026
Oakland County — The station wagon is back. And from an unlikely source.
My Toyota Crown Signia is long, sleek and roomy. Remove the badge and you might mistake the profile for the Volvo V90 Cross Country or Audi A6 Allroad, European stalwarts in the midsize wagon business. While wagons are common across the Atlantic pond, we Yanks prefer boxy, lifted SUVs — thus the limited offerings from the likes of Volvo and Audi.
Now comes Signia, the midsize cure for the common Toyota SUV.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Cartoon: Groundhog Day Epstein Files
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 5, 2026
Cartoon: Melania Movie Tix
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 5, 2026
Cartoon: Media Hypocrites Protestor Babbitt
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 30, 2026
Cartoon: Global Warming Gore Lying Eyes
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 29, 2026
