Forester or CX-5? Front- or rear-drive? Test Drive wades in

Q: Subaru Forester or Mazda CX-5?

James R. Healey: CX-5; new engine has plenty of power, regular automatic transmission is more pleasant to drive than Forester's CVT.

Q: Front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive?

James R. Healey: RWD if you like a sporty feel, FWD if you don't care, and value its traction advantages in foul weather.

Q: Is the Honda Fit EV worth the wait?

James R. Healey : No EV is. Plenty of very good plug-in hybrids that'll let you go awhile on just the battery. And because they're gas-electric hybrids, no worries about finding a place to recharge.

The full questions and answers, plus many others, are in the Test Drive chat transcript, reached via the gray-box link, below. Fascinating reading, you bet.

There's a live Test Drive chat with columnist James R. Healey most Fridays.

Since joining Paste BN in 1988, he's driven uncounted cars, trucks, vans and a few race cars. That's built up what the high-falutin' kind would call a "strong experiential database."

Meaning he has enough wheel time to tell good vehicles from bad ones. He's happy to share that with readers. Or just chew the fat, electronically.