Brian Makse
You’re here because you’re tired of car content and you want driving content.
This channel is for people who notice the difference between fast and good. I focus on what matters at the wheel: feedback, control, traction behavior, damping, brake confidence, transmission logic, and what all of that means in the real world.
If that’s what you came for, welcome. Subscribe if you want reviews that are earned on the road, not rehearsed from a press release.
Brian Makse
The normal RAV4 goes under pressure. Not the rugged one, not the plug-in, not the sport trim. The $42,000 XLE Premium: 236 hp, e-AWD, 18-inch wheels, new brake hardware, and enough missing features to make the price interesting. The full breakdown is live now ➡️ https://youtu.be/MkXdIQ-brCM
1 day ago | [YT] | 41
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Brian Makse
386 hp, a B58, an M Sport Differential, and a hatchback BMW won't admit is a hatchback. At $76,600 as tested, what's the smarter buy?
▢ M440i xDrive Gran Coupe — fast and practical
▢ BMW M3 — commit to the bit
▢ Skip both, buy the crossover
Episode drops tomorrow.
[Channel members get it today.]
2 days ago | [YT] | 83
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Brian Makse
One thing no review mentions about the manual Z4: it ships with a clutch delay valve, a hydraulic restrictor sitting in the clutch line to soften engagement. The BMW manual crowd pulls it out in about five minutes with two tabs. Do it on your brand new Final Edition though, and BMW can walk away from the driveline warranty if they find it. Whether it's worth the gamble is in the owner intel.
Full breakdown ➡️ https://youtu.be/7jvRn7XFR-Q
5 days ago | [YT] | 101
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Brian Makse
One thing almost nobody mentions about the new RAV4 plug-in: unlike the old Prime, there's no charge-hold or charge mode anymore. The engine won't top the battery back up on the move. So once the EV range is gone on a long trip, the only quick way to get it back is a DC fast charger, which is exactly the feature Toyota left off the SE and the GR Sport. The full breakdown of what that costs you day to day is in the review ➡️ https://youtu.be/p5u_BY3LUAY
1 week ago | [YT] | 71
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Brian Makse
BMW's Z4 M40i Final Edition runs about $78,000, and mechanically it's identical to the manual M40i you could already buy. New paint, red stitching, a sill plate. Worth it for the send off?
1 week ago | [YT] | 19
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Brian Makse
Toyota's quickest RAV4 ever isn't a GR anything. It's the plug in. 324 hp, 5.4 seconds to 60, and it's the one people buy to save fuel. Full review drops now.
[Channel members get it now.]
1 week ago | [YT] | 84
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Brian Makse
I’m looking for an NC MX-5 manual for a couple of hours somewhere near Toronto or Detroit for an upcoming episode. Appreciate any suggestions.
1 week ago | [YT] | 19
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Brian Makse
No owners exist yet on a brand new launch, so this swaps the owner intel finding for the most ownership relevant quirk in the drive: the cluster sightline.
One thing that didn't make the headlines on the 2026 C-HR: seated properly, the top of the steering wheel rim blocks part of the instrument cluster, same as a Prius and a bZ. If you're around 5 foot 10, watch for it.
Full drive here: https://youtu.be/Z2Kve69m3B4
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 63
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Brian Makse
The CX-90’s strangest quality is that the good stuff and the compromises come from the same decision.
The inline six, rear biased AWD, steering weight, brake feel, and body control all make it feel expensive. The long hood, busy ride on 21s, third-row packaging, and low-speed clutch-pack manners are the invoice.
For buyers cross shopping ordinary three row SUVs, that may be baffling. For the person who still notices steering weight on the drive home, Mazda may have built something annoyingly persuasive.
Full breakdown
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 202
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Brian Makse
Some very behind the scenes today and putting my #SAVETHEMANUALS trucker hat to good use.
Get yours 👉 brian-makse-shop.fourthwall.com/
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 65
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