2019 Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe review: A standout that stands alone

The Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe is kind of a standalone offering in the luxury space. Sure, other carmakers build compact and full-size premium coupes, but Mercedes is the only one that sells a two-door in the midsize segment.

Thankfully, the AMG E53 is appealing for much more than its just-right size.

Cool competency

The AMG E53 Coupe is powered by a velvety, yet racy-sounding 3.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-six-cylinder engine. Paired with Mercedes’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid system — which adds 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the party — the powerplant’s 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque feels like it’s in a hurry to get to the wheels, forcefully shoving turbo lag out of the way.

Mercedes says the E53 scoots to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds, with the help of 4Matic+ all-wheel drive that expertly doles all that thrust to the pavement. On the way up to high speeds, the nine-speed automatic transmission cracks off shifts in a flash, but is glass-smooth when you’re just cruising.

Once the road starts to bend, the Benz continues to rise to the occasion. The steering is weighted just right, with appropriate heft befitting of a powerful car. That said, there isn’t as much feedback through the wheel as you’d expect in a sports car, but for a big luxury coupe with sporty pretensions, I think the level of steering feel is just right.

Easily one of the industry’s best powertrains.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

The 4,000-plus-pound, 190.6-inch-long E53 is an imposing machine, but AMG gave it a proper regimen of dancing lessons. The coupe’s suspension tuning makes the car eager to attack the twisties, with the AMG air suspension keeping body motions at a minimum when I want to chuck the E53 into a tight corner. At the same time, the Mercedes offers a ride that’s always comfortable.

When bringing this big, German slab to a halt, the competency continues. Meaty 14.6-inch brake rotors up front and 14.2-inch units at the rear help the AMG stop with plenty of confidence matched with appropriate pedal modulation.

Even with all its sporty merits, the AMG E53, brings respectable efficiency to the table. According to EPA estimates, the E53 is good for 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg highway. After 419 miles of testing, I fell on the lower end of those figures, netting just 21.9 mpg. But I blame that thirstier figure on the mellifluous straight-six exhaust note that gets louder in the E53’s sportier drive modes, and at the top end of the engine’s rev range.

It’s not my favorite side, but when viewed low from dead ahead, the E53’s nose is fetching and stately.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

In da Club

Mercedes-Benz front fascias aren’t my favorite — to my eyes, they look like swept-back, blob-like headlights flanking an overtly erect grille pair as well as eating an orange after brushing your teeth. (Other Roadshow staffers agree, though it’s worth noting that some think I’m crazy.) Aside from the nose, though, the E53 Coupe’s overall design is handsome. My favorite bits are the graceful roofline arc, the simply sculpted coupe shape and the the rounded-off rear that proves simple taillight designs can still be striking. Despite this car’s healthy stature, there’s only 10 cubic feet of trunk space, but the rear seats are split-folding if you’re looking to fill the extra-spacious rear row.

Step inside the AMG E53, and you’ll be treated to one of the plushest interiors on the market. Two standard 12.3-inch displays — one ahead of the driver and one atop of the center stack — create a future-forward style, complemented by a leather-lined cabin that matches its sumptuous looks with lavish comfort.

The E53’s seats, no matter which one of the four you choose, are endlessly supportive, looking especially fetching in the black-and-red Nappa leather of this test car. The $1,320 massaging front seats certainly aren’t a necessity, but I relished the extra entertainment they offered my astern section during a traffic-riddled, Saturday afternoon drive back to LA from Santa Barbara.

It’s more of an experience than just an interior.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

My ears were plenty entertained, too, thanks to the E53’s optional, 23-speaker Burmester 3D-Surround Sound premium audio system. It’s an impressive setup, for sure, but I’m not convinced it’s worth an extra $4,550 over the standard, 13-speaker Burmester audio system that I’m willing to bet sounds just fine. Still, the upgraded audio is a nice way to fill the E53’s otherwise-tranquil cabin, while also complementing its technology features.

With a starting price of $73,700 plus $995 for destination, the AMG E53 comes with a fair amount of standard tech such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded navigation, HD radio and an SD card reader. Mercedes even throws in wireless device charging, NFC phone pairing and a free month of in-car Wi-Fi.

Standard driver-assistance tech includes car-to-X communication, pedestrian-detecting collision-mitigation braking, blind-spot monitoring, a driver attention monitor and rain-sensing wipers. The E53 also features optional forward cross-traffic collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assist, blind-spot collision prevention, automated lane-changing, a 360-degree camera and automated parallel parking.

My $96,285 tester is pretty much fully loaded. It boasts adaptive cruise control that can pause up to 30 seconds in stopped traffic before canceling, rather than the more common three-second pause. The adaptive cruise control can also adjust its set velocity according to local speed limits and even in anticipation of curves in the road ahead, but my example’s lane-centering tech doesn’t feel as advanced. In fact, I rarely ever keep steering assistance engaged because rather than helping me track clean lines on gently curving highways, the steering assist has a tendency to want to fight me so that it can ping-pong in the lane instead.

The simple rear-end and graceful roofline combine for an alluring rear-three-quarter countenance.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

How I’d spec it

I’d start by upgrading from the standard 19-inch wheels to a set of 20s. For just $750, that’s a reasonable cost of entry into the “rollin’ on dubs” aristocracy. Next, I’d add the $800 exterior lighting package featuring Mercedes’ really cool Multibeam LED headlamps that give you a mesmerizing light show on startup. The headlights also take automatic high-beams to the next level by individually controlling specific LED beams to prevent dazzling drivers ahead.

Adding the $1,050 Warmth & Comfort Package (heated steering wheel, rapid front-seat heating and heated front armrests) necessitates the $1,320 massaging front seats, as well as the $2,990 Nappa upholstery. I’m a sucker for illuminated door sills, so there goes another $350. I’d also spring for Mercedes’ Energizing Comfort Package that can tailor your audio playlist, climate control, ambient lighting and even cabin aroma to suit your mood. The $550 package also includes Air Balance cabin-air purification and ionization. At first, I thought it was a gimmick, but after trying it out for just a few minutes, I fell in love with my sense of smell all over again.

Front seat ventilation adds another $450, while the head-up display will set you back $990. Say “yes” to the $2,250 Driver Assistance Package for the advanced adaptive cruise control and other driver aids. The $1,290 Parking Assistance Package allows the car to automatically parallel park. Last but not least, I’d get the $1,250 AMG Performance Exhaust. That all amounts to $88,735 out the door — $7,550 less than my tester.

No matter which of the six optional 20-inch wheel designs you choose, the upgrade is only $750. That’s refreshingly simple.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

Pampering, not frivolous

The closest competition you might cross-shop against the Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe would be the new BMW M850i or the Lexus LC 500, but those are more competitive with the pricier S-Class Coupe.

The E53 Coupe, meanwhile, can give you much of the satisfaction of the $100,000-plus 8 Series or LC, but for a much lower starting price. Even when well-equipped, you can still save a huge chunk of change with the E53 versus the BMW or Lexus.

Of course, a personal luxury coupe is not the most practical purchase, and to that end, Mercedes makes an E53 sedan, or you can go full-lifestyle-machine and get the E53 Cabriolet. But if you can convince yourself that the E53 allows for serious pampering while saving a bunch of money over a similar luxury rival, that should be enough to quash any feelings of frivolity.

Manuel’s Comparable Picks

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The prospects of American strawberries: Comprehensive review summaries the challenges, needs, and opportunities for strawberry growers

A comprehensive review led by Jayesh Samtani of Virginia Tech and Curt Rom of the University of Arkansas encapsulates an understanding of the challenges, needs, and opportunities of strawberry growers across the United States. Samtani and Rom formed and gathered support from a team of 12 researchers from 10 different states as they embarked on an academic journey designed to generate an effective guideline essential for research, policy, and marketing strategies for the strawberry industry across the country, and to enable the development of general and region-specific educational and production tools.

Their findings are summarized in the article “The Status and Future of the Strawberry Industry in the United States,” an open-access article published in HortTechnology.

The review divides the United States into eight distinct geographic regions, and an indoor controlled or protected environment production system. A common trend across all regions is the increasing use of protected culture strawberry production with both day-neutral and short-day cultivars for season extension to meet consumer demand for year-round availability.

All regions experience challenges with pests and obtaining adequate harvest labor. Increasing consumer demand for berries, climate change-induced weather variability, high pesticide use, labor and immigration policies, and land availability impact regional production.

The United States produces more than 3 billion pounds of strawberries each year, providing almost 20% of the world crop, and is a global leader in production per unit area. The farm gate economic value of strawberries is just shy of $3 billion per year. With that monetary strength, the US production acreage has increased approximately 17% steadily since 1990, with the largest expansion in Florida and California.

US consumption of strawberries has increased significantly during the past 2 decades, from 2 pounds per capita in 1980 to approximately 8 pounds per capita in more recent years. Consumption is expected to continue to increase as a result of increased awareness of the health benefits associated with berry consumption, year-round availability made possible through domestic production and protected berry culture, increased imports, and improved cultivars.

The future of strawberry production will be dictated both by grower production needs and consumer demands for the fruit. The number of growers who have reduced the use of fumigants has increased. In those regions that rely on fumigants to control soil-borne pests and weeds, there is increasing interest in alternative treatments such as the use of steam, enhanced soil solarization, or hot water treatments.

Until the economic viability of these alternative treatments is determined, growers facing pest pressures at their production sites are continuing to use fumigation, despite regulations against it. Automation and robotics to assist with the more labor-intensive tasks of planting, maintaining, and harvesting will be further developed and used to expand both the regions and seasons of production, thus increasing consumer accessibility and reducing the use of pesticides and the corresponding environmental impact.

Samtani adds, “What started off as a discussion and a general idea between myself and Curt Rom certainly progressed into a benchmark review. From its foundation as a USDA-SCRI planning grant proposal (Planning to Increase the Productivity and Competitiveness of Sustainable Strawberry Systems), the initiative gained momentum over time through our exchanges of ideas and thoughts. This culminated into a workshop at the 2017 ASHS Annual Conference. Speakers were carefully identified, ensuring those with sufficient knowledge, experience, and expertise were chosen to represent the different strawberry production regions of the US. We believe that we have provided a great overview of the different strawberry-producing regions of the United States — a topic that has not been investigated and documented at a national level.”

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2019 Volvo V90 Cross Country review: A plush adventure wagon

The formula to make station wagons more appealing to SUV-crazed Americans isn’t exactly a secret. Take a regular wagon, add a few inches of ground clearance, staple on a tasteful helping of exterior plastic cladding and, voila, your longroof is instantly more desirable. It’s a blueprint that Volvo has used for its Cross Country models for 20 years, and after spending some time with the 2019 V90 Cross Country, I can say it still works quite well.

Toughen up

The Cross Country’s plastic cladding adds some nice visual toughness to the already stylish V90. From a practicality standpoint, they also provide extra body protection, whether you’re venturing off road or just dodging shopping carts in the urban jungle. Combine that with the simple and strong body lines, a pretty “Thor’s Hammer” headlight treatment and new-for-2019 grille, and the whole package looks smashing.

The pumped-up stance helps, too. A 2.7-inch higher ride height gives the Cross Country more clearance to strike out into the wilderness. While I didn’t travel out to the middle of nowhere to thoroughly test off-pavement capabilities, I did trudge through a winter storm that brought 8 inches of snow to southeast Michigan. Here, the extra height prevents the front lower air dam from doubling as a snow plow.

The Volvo’s standard all-wheel drive system also comes in handy to charge through accumulation and make up for the 19-inch Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires’ not-so-stellar winter-weather performance. Even for an all-season tire, stopping distances are long and grip around turns is disappointing, resulting in lots of tail-wagging action. Thankfully, all-wheel drive does a good job corralling things around corners to keep the Cross Country moving in the desired direction with only a few small steering corrections. If you want, controlled drifts are possible. Not that I’d know anything about that, of course…

On plowed, salted roads, the Cross Country’s comfort-focused chassis tuning is greatly appreciated. With 235/50 series tires, there’s some sidewall to help smooth out most road imperfections, and my tester’s $1,200 rear air suspension makes things a bit cushier, as well. Of course, a more compliant suspension and higher center of gravity does mean that there’s noticeable, but controlled body roll in turns — slightly more than what you’ll get in the regular V90. The steering is lightly weighted and on the vague side, even with the car’s Dynamic mode activated, which is fine and fits the car’s cushier and relaxed vibe.

The Pirelli all-season tires help deliver nice ride comfort, but are lacking in the snow performance department.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

T6 trade-offs

While the base V90 Cross Country comes with the 250-horsepower turbocharged T5 four-cylinder, my tester packs the more potent turbo- and supercharged T6 powerplant. With 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on tap, there’s no shortage of punch. Volvo claims the 4,180-pound Cross Country hits 60 miles per hour in believable 5.8 seconds. However, I do have issues with how said power is delivered. There’s a noticeable lull at throttle tip-in and then spastic power delivery throughout the rev range. An eight-speed automatic transmission bolts to the complex engine that returns smooths shifts most of the time, but occasionally turns in some rough cog exchanges.

Together the drivetrain receives an EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Unfortunately, I didn’t get an accurate real-world mixed fuel reading. All the snow storm driving and extended warm-up periods in frigid temperatures threw things off, but I still averaged 19.3 mpg — not too far off from the EPA’s city figure.

The turbo- and supercharged T6 engine is potent with 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

A comfy, tech-filled cabin

Like the outside, the inside of the Cross Country is simple and stylish. Surroundings are built from quality materials and the design offers just the right amount of flair. A contrasting black and beige two-tone color scheme, open-pore dark walnut wood trim and silver accents provide a truly premium feel. And without question, Volvo seats are the best in the business, possessing good support some initial squish will let you sink into.

A standard panoramic sunroof makes the cabin light and airy, and space in both rows of seats is generous. Being a wagon, cargo capacity is also a strong suit, with 25.5 cubic feet of real estate in the trunk area, which grows to 53.9 cubic feet with the second row folded. I put it to good use during a supply run for the Wong family restaurant, piling in 1,080 eggs, six boxes of t-shirt bags, paper towels, a case of commercial-grade Tide cleaning detergent and a bunch of other eatery odds and ends.

On the tech front, Volvo’s 9-inch, vertically-oriented Sensus touchscreen system takes care of infotainment features. Screen graphics are crisp and the main home screen easily gets you to common menus, with tiles for navigation, audio, phone and one for apps like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Spotify or Pandora.

The V90 Cross Country’s cabin is beautifully trimmed and massively comfortable.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

Things like climate, heated seats and engine stop/start are also controlled through the center screen, which can be distracting as you move through its myriad menus and displays. Disappointingly, Sensus continues to be slow to boot, even with its faster processor, causing me to wait impatiently to turn on the bun warmers, dial up the thermostat and change vent settings during this winter storm. Call me old-fashioned, but a few more buttons and knobs on the center stack to at least control climate would be just fine.

Since it’s a Volvo, the V90 Cross Country’s level of safety tech is robust, with standard adaptive cruise control with lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert and rear parking sensors. A $2,500 Advanced Package beefs matters up further with a 360-degree camera, adaptive headlights, head-up display and automatic parallel and perpendicular park assist.

How I’d spec it

I like power just as much as the next guy, but the T6’s wonky delivery is a turn-off. Because of that I’ll take the aforementioned turbo-only T5 in my V90 Cross Country. With $54,940 base price, including $995 for destination, I’d spring for a $645 Magic Blue Metallic paint job and $750 heated rear seat and heated steering wheel package because Midwest winters can be brutal. That takes my ideal car’s price tag to $56,345, substantially undercutting the $62,190 test car you see pictured here.

I’ll take my V90 Cross Country with the base T5 engine.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

A different choice

There’s a lot to like about the Volvo V90 Cross Country. Slightly more all-weather and all-terrain performance with standard all-wheel drive and higher ride height give it capabilities that will rival many crossovers. The taller stance and visual updo help, too. The V90 also boasts plenty of space, luxury and comfort for an always-relaxing ride, no matter the scenario.

That the V90 Cross Country will set you apart from the sea of crossovers and SUVs is another huge selling point. Cars like the Audi A4 Allroad, Buick Regal TourX and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack do this at a lower price, and Volvo will soon sell a Cross Country version of its V60 wagon, too. But if you fancy a big wagon with SUV utility and oodles of luxury, the V90 Cross Country is really the only game in town.

Jon’s Comparable Picks

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Lenovo Legion Y7000P review: Great gaming for a grand

Last year’s redesigned Lenovo Legion Y530 and Y730 laptops were a couple of my favorites for mainstream gaming. The Legion Y7000P is an offshoot of those two with a bit more gaming flare to the design and, oddly enough, better components than what you can currently get in the higher-end Y730.

Currently only available in the US through Lenovo’s retail partners, the Y7000P sells for around $1,000 depending on the configuration. The version reviewed here available from Costco combines a midrange Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and a hexa-core Intel Core i7 processor for $1,100 and includes Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 until the end of April. That converts to approximately £855 or AU$1,550 for reference.

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For the same price you can get the Y7000P from B&H with less storage than the Costco configuration, but with a 144Hz full-HD display. But you can also find it for less than $900 from NewEgg, but with a GTX 1050. In the long run, though, you’re better off to save up and get the GTX 1060.

Basically, the Legion Y7000P is a solid value with the CPU/GPU combo I tested when you add in its other specs, display, keyboard and overall build quality. If you want something that’s a step above entry-level gaming, it’s worth tracking down.

Lenovo Legion Y7000P-1060

Price as reviewed	$1,099
Display size/resolution	15.6-inch 1,920×1,080 display
CPU	2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H
Memory	16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,666MHz
Graphics	6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Storage	1TB 7,200rpm HDD + 256GB PCIe SSD
Networking	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.2
Operating system	Windows 10 Home (64-bit)

Black and red out, black and gray in

Entry-level gaming laptops seemed to be stuck with the same designs over the past couple years: Black with red accents and a red blacklight for the keyboard along with the WASD keys outlined in red. That started to change late last year, which is when Lenovo originally announced its new Legions.

The Y530/Y730 looked like a clean black Thinkpad workstation with subtle Legion branding. The Y7000P is a little more aggressive with flared cooling vents and an angular, iron-gray metal lid with a big glowing Y symbol. It’s not over the top, but it’s also not your average thin-and-light laptop, especially not at 5 pounds (2.3 kg).

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Like its linemates, most of the Y7000P’s ports and power input are on back between those two vents. It’s a good setup for controlling cable clutter, particularly if it’s going to regularly be at a desk connected to an external display, mouse and keyboard. However, it can also be a pain until you remember which port is which.

There are single USB-A ports on each side and a headphone jack on the left in addition to what’s in the rear, but no SD card slot. That’s a shame given the extra graphics horsepower under its hood.

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Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 review: RTX 2080 performance, at a price

With last year’s Aero 15X, Gigabyte managed an impressive feat: putting powerful gaming performance and long battery life into a 4.4-pound body. This year, the Taiwanese company is trying to top itself with the Aero 15 Y9, its new flagship laptop. Weighing just a bit more at 4.5 pounds, it’s now equipped with top-of-the-line components: an Intel i9-8950HK 6-core CPU and NVIDIA’s RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU.

The latter component has become rather controversial. NVIDIA revealed that the portable Max-Q version, while packing the same Turing Tu104 chip, is underclocked by up to half that of the desktop RTX 2080 GPU. It comes in an 80-Watt version with a 735-1,095MHz core clock and a faster, more power-hungry 90-Watt variant that runs at 990-1,230MHz. The desktop RTX 2080, meanwhile, runs at 1,515-1,710MHz — over double that of the lower-powered Max-Q version.

So performance and battery life depend on which chip the manufacturer uses and how much it’s overclocked, which brings us back to the Aero 15 Y9. It’s the first RTX 2080 Max-Q laptop we’ve tested, so I was interested to see how Gigabyte handled it. The good news is that performance is definitely better. But it’s not that great a leap and, unfortunately, it’s much costlier. Some of the other defining qualities of the last Aero have been lost, too.

Gallery: Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 gaming laptop | 38 Photos

Engadget Score

Poor

Uninspiring

Good

Excellent

Key

Gigabyte

Aero 15

Pros

Very light and slim
Top-notch gaming and graphics performance
Keyboard and touchpad feel great
4K display is bright and colorful
Plenty of ports

Cons

Microsoft Azure AI features not that useful yet
Low refresh rates for gaming
Expensive

Summary

Gigabyte continues to lead the way with powerful yet small gaming laptops. At 4.5 pounds, the Aero 15 Y9 is one of the lightest 15.6-inch models you can buy, but packs a one-two CPU and GPU punch that can knock down any game or graphics creation task. The 4K display is bright and colorful, but limits the battery life and gaming performance compared to 1080p models. Unfortunately, the AI software doesn’t help gaming performance much yet. It’s also expensive, but pricing should be comparable to rival models once they’re released.

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Last year, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang held up the original Aero 15X as an example of what manufacturers could do with its Max-Q graphics, kickstarting a boom in lightweight, thin-but-powerful gaming laptops. This year, he wielded the Aero 15Y. It’s still just 19 mm thick, but slightly heavier at 4.5 pounds. That’s still pretty impressive considering the new internal parts.

The only RTX 2080 Max-Q model that’s lighter is MSI’s 4.2 pound GS65 Stealth. However, that laptop has a smaller battery, and as you’ll soon find out, that makes a big difference. HP’s Omen 15 packs an RTX 2070 Max-Q and weighs 5.2 pounds, Alienware’s m15 weighs 4.8 pounds, while ASUS’s ROG Zephyrus S, with RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics, weighs just a touch more at 4.6 pounds. None of those weights include the often heavy power brick, of course.

Otherwise, the Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 has exactly the same low-profile design as the last model, with just a triangular textured area as a nod to its gaming genes. It has tiny bezels, making the laptop smaller than its 15.6-inch screen would suggest, and easily fits into the rear pouch of my Peak Design messenger bag.

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 gaming laptop with NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics

The company was wise not to change; the Aero 15X’s design looks smart and won’t be out of place at any office or production house, either. I liked the last model enough to purchase one myself.

There’s quite an array of ports. You get two USB 3.1 ports (5 Gbps), one higher-speed USB 3.1 Gen2 port (10 Gbps), ethernet, one Thunderbolt over USB Type-C, a UHS-II SD card reader, an HDMI 2.0 port and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack.

However, the new Aero 15 Y9 also packs DisplayPort 1.4 over USB Type-C, rather than a standalone mini DisplayPort like the Aero 15X. Data speeds are the same, but I had to buy a new cable (USB Type-C to DisplayPort 1.4) to get the best performance out of my HDR display. It’s worth mentioning that all these ports run at their rated speeds (I checked), which is not always the case with laptops.

In Use

Because of the low-key design and high-end components, the Aero 15 Y9 is equally well-suited to gaming and content creation. To be sure, the model I tested had top-drawer specs. It packs a six-core Intel Core i9-8950H CPU, 2TB Intel 760p NVMe SSD, 32GB of RAM (upgradeable to 64GB), NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics, a 94 Wh battery and a 4K 60Hz display. Gigabyte will eventually release a similar model with a 1080p 144Hz screen that will no doubt be more suitable for gaming and have a (much) longer battery life.

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 gaming laptop with NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics

While gaming in 4K, I consistently saw speeds of 29 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider with graphics settings on “highest.” I achieved similar results with Hitman 2, and subjectively, both games played fairly smoothly with little stuttering or tearing. At 1080p with the same settings, both games hit 60 fps, maxing out the sync rate on the laptop’s display. That’s not bad, but is about 33 percent less than the 45 fps you can get at 4K with the desktop RTX 2080 card. The GTX 1080 Max-Q can run the same benchmark at around 22 fps, so the RTX 2080 Max-Q is about 30 percent faster.

The most notable new feature other than the hardware is AI Gaming+ & Professional+. When you game or run graphics software, it uses cloud-powered AI (either from Gigabyte or Microsoft’s Azure) to adjust the performance and computer-fan speeds to optimize gaming frame rates. In practice, running the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, I found it increased 4K frame rates by a single frame or two per second in either mode.

There’s no way to control it, only run it in “edge” (Gigabyte), “cloud” (Microsoft) or disabled mode. Given the minor performance gains, it wasn’t particularly useful. However, it’s supposed to learn and get smarter over time, so perhaps it’ll improve down the road.

As for the vaunted ray-tracing (RT), I was only able to use it on one game: Battlefield V. You nee a very specific PC setup that includes the latest version of Windows 10 (build 1806) and recent NVIDIA drivers. I’m all about the pretty graphics, and ray-tracing does deliver — at times — with reflections, realistic lighting and more atmospheric gameplay. A recent NVIDIA patch delivers improved RT performance on Battlefield V, and I found I could game smoothly at 1080p and below. At 4K, there was quite a bit of stuttering and lag with the feature enabled, unfortunately.

Gigabyte, like many laptop makers, uses NVIDIA’s Optimus system, which switches between the Intel Iris 630 and discrete graphics to balance performance and battery life. If you use your laptop with an external monitor via the HDMI or DisplayPort, it will be powered exclusively by the NVIDIA graphics. That means you can hook up an external monitor with a higher refresh rate and benefit from better speeds and features like HDR and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC.

	PCMark 7	PCMark 8 (Creative Accelerated)	3DMark 11	3DMark (Sky Diver)	ATTO (top reads/writes)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 (2019) (2.9 – 4.8Ghz Intel i9-8950HK, NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q)	7,305	7,989	E25,007 / P20,589 / X9,138	37,665	2.6GB/s / 1.46GB/s
Alienware m15 (2018) (2.2GHz – 4.1Ghz Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q)	6,276	5,293	E22,298 / P17,118 / X7,100	35,991	2.56GB/s / 432MB/s
Alienware 15 (2017) (2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GTX 1070)	6,847	7,100	E17,041 / P16,365	20,812	2.9GB/s / 0.9GB/s
Razer Blade (2018) (2.2GHz – 4.1GHz Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q)	6,699	5,434	E17,833 / P15,371 / X 6,760	29,932	2.1GB/s / 1.3GB/s
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin (2.2GHz – 4.1GHz Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q)	6,438	5,696	E20,969 / P15,794 / X6,394	32,288	542MB/s / 482MB/s
Gigabyte Aero 15X 2018 (2.2GHz – 4.1GHz Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GTX 1070 Max-Q)	6,420	6,558	E18,920 / P15,130 / X6,503	30,270	2.4GB/s / 1.5GB/s
ASUS ROG Zephyrus (2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GTX 1080)	6,030	7,137	E20,000 / P17,017 / X7,793	31,624	3.4GB/s / 1.64GB/s

The 4K AUO screen is pretty nice. It covers 100 percent of the Adobe RGB gamut and is factory calibrated using Pantone settings. I found it worked well for watching movies, gaming and content creation with accurate colors. However, unlike upcoming OLED screen models from Dell and HP, it can’t handle HDR. At 283 nits, the display is moderately, but not incredibly, bright. Still, if you love 4K resolution, like me, Netflix films and games looked incredibly sharp, and color-wise, everything was nice and punchy.

Apart from the higher-resolution display, the GPU is another attractive element for video editors and graphics pros. The RTX 2080 is the first NVIDIA GPU to support full RGB 4K 10-bit H.265 HEVC decoding, which should eventually make YouTube playback and H.265 video editing smoother.

NVIDIA also joined forces with RED to support playback of 8K video files, which will make video editing and effects a lot less of a pain. I tried downloading one myself (courtesy of Phil Holland), along with RED’s Redcine X, and can confirm that I was able to play a full-fat 8K RED video clip, which is slightly insane on a laptop.

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 video editing

It also felt a lot faster than my similarly equipped Aero 15X for video editing. I shot this video in 10-bit 4K and exported the color corrected clips at 1080p faster than in real time. Exports in general seemed a lot faster than on my GTX 1080 Max-Q Aero 15X laptop, and for video pros, that’s a huge time-saver. It also fairly flew for displaying and rendering 3D animations using Autodesk’s 3DS Max software.

The Aero 15 Y9 got slightly less hot than my Aero 15X, aided by the dual fans that duct air down and away. I was able to set it on my lap during gaming sessions, and it never got uncomfortably warm. The new model was also slightly quieter, with fan noise reduced except for the most challenging gaming and graphics rendering tasks.

As for typing and mousing, I liked the keyboard on my Aero 15X, so I’m pleased that it hasn’t changed on the new model. Gigabyte did fix the trackpad, thankfully, and it was less stiff and more accurate than the one before. It’s actually pretty good now, and unfortunately, that’s more than you can say for most Windows laptops.

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 (2019)	3:30
Alienware m15 (2018)	8:30
Razer Blade (2018)	8:50
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin	7:01
Gigabyte Aero 15X (2018)	7:45
ASUS ROG Zephyrus	1:50
Alienware 15 (2017)	4:31

In our battery rundown tests, in which an HD video was looped until power ran out, the Aero 15 Y9 ran for three and a half hours. While that might seem sad next to the previous model, which lasted for nearly eight hours, it’s typical for laptops with 4K displays. Calculating and pushing quadruple the pixels takes a great toll on battery life, and the screens hog a lot of power. As mentioned, Gigabyte will soon release a 1080p version with a much faster 144Hz refresh rate version of the Aero 15 Y9, and it should last a lot longer on a single charge.

Rather than using Dolby Atmos for audio, like before, the latest model features Nahimic 3D audio for gamers. That won’t make a huge difference, as Dolby Atmos on laptops is nothing like it is on a true home-theater system — it’s more about branding than anything else. The two-watt external speakers still pack tin-can quality, with bass just a distant dream.

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 gaming laptop with NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics

As you might expect given the components, the Aero 15 Y9 is expensive. If you wanted the same loadout that I’ve tested, it will cost you $3,999, while the base version of the Aero 15 Y9, with a 144Hz 1080p display, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD is $2,700. Those sums are beyond the means of most gamers, but in reach for many content creators who earn a living with their computers.

Stepping down to the Aero 15 X9 will save you a decent sum. It comes with RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics, an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD and a 1080p 144Hz screen starting at $2,400. For that model, expect a mild drop in performance, but it should be a touch faster than a GTX 1080 Max-Q laptop. By comparison, last year’s Aero 15X started at $2,200.

With prices like that, the Gigabyte Aero 15 series is clearly not for everyone. However, it’s competitive against other RTX models like Razer’s new Blade model, which starts at $2,999 with an RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU and will probably be about the same as the Aero 15 Y9 with similar components. Other models from Dell, Alienware, ASUS and MSI will likely fall in that range, as this has become an ultra-competitive category.

Wrap-up

Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q

As the first RTX 2080 Max-Q notebook we’ve had a chance to review, Gigabyte’s Aero 15 Y9 really showed us the best — and worst — of modern gaming laptops. On one hand, it’s awesome that I can get so much power in a portable device, letting me game, watch movies and work wherever I go. However, the pricing keeps going up and the performance gains are getting smaller and smaller. We’ve now reached a point where we’re quibbling over a feature like ray-tracing, which only works on one single game.

That’s not Gigabyte’s fault, though. It took the components it had and made a well-designed, fast and lightweight laptop that can grind through the most challenging games and content-creation chores. The company made it even better with tweaks to the touchpad and elsewhere, and the only shortcoming in this particular model (or any 4K laptop) is the battery life. It’s also costly, but again, the price should hold up to rivals. Overall, the Aero 15 Y9 is an easy laptop to recommend.

All products recommended by Engadget were selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company, Verizon Media. If you buy something through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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2019 Kia Niro review: A frugal and functional hybrid crossover

Even in the crowded compact crossover class, the Kia Niro stands alone. Why? It’s the only one that comes standard with electrification. And in addition to the hybrid model tested here, Kia offers its Niro with plug-in power, or as a fully electric vehicle with an estimated 239 miles of range.

The Niro shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq, which is a more traditional Prius fighter. But thanks to its crossover shape and extra cargo space, the Niro presents itself to be a much more compelling hybrid package.

Slow and steady

The Niro is powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that works in concert with a 1.56-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery to produce 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. In a subcompact crossover that weighs about 3,300 pounds, that’s simply not enough. Driving up steep sections of the Grapevine on Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles, I had to dig deep into the throttle in order to keep pace in traffic.

The silver lining to that sluggishness, however, is fuel economy. The most efficient Niro FE is EPA-rated for 52 miles per gallon in the city and 49 mpg highway. My top-of-the-range Niro Touring tester’s 2-inch-larger wheels and nearly 200-pound-heavier curb weight reduce fuel economy quite a bit, though, to 46/40 city/highway mpg. After 12 days and 1,209 miles, most of which were spent on the highway, I averaged 41 mpg.

The Niro’s hybrid powertrain is anemic on the highway.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

The lack of power isn’t quite as noticeable off the highway, the electric assist offering short bursts of torque for off-the-line acceleration. The six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission is good at fading into the background, but takeoffs can sometimes be jerky, and the shifts lack the characteristic quickness you’ll find in dual-clutch units from other automakers.

The rest of the Niro’s driving qualities are well-sorted, just as they are in the Ioniq I recently tested. On twisty back roads, the direct steering helps the hybrid feel nimble. The suspension expertly keeps body roll in check, while soaking up bumps with aplomb, and the brakes bring everything smoothly back to rest, free from the maligned regenerative lurch sometimes found in other hybrids.

Curiously, the Niro is a front-wheel-drive-only affair, so if you’re looking for something a little more all-weather-capable, you may have to look elsewhere.

Decent-quality materials and supportive seats make for a well-sorted cabin.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

Nice digs

Although the Kia Niro shares a platform with the Hyundai Ioniq hatchback, the Niro has a more interesting-looking interior with higher-quality materials. On a six-hour drive from LA to San Francisco, the Niro’s seats offer plenty of comfort. With a generous (for a subcompact crossover) 106.3-inch wheelbase, there’s plenty of room to stretch out, whether you’re seated up front or in back. There’s also plenty of breathing room for cargo with 19.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, and 54.5 cubic feet with the back seats folded.

The spacious, comfortable and quiet cabin is complemented by plenty of standard tech. The Niro is equipped right out of the gates with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on a 7-inch touchscreen. Satellite radio and a six-speaker stereo also come standard. In fully stocked Touring trim, you get an 8-inch touchscreen with embedded navigation that’s simple to use though Kia’s voice-command system. The Touring also bundles an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, HD radio and wireless phone charging.

When it comes to safety tech, no advanced driver-assistance systems come standard, but with a starting price of $23,490 (plus $995 for destination), I’m not mad about that. My fully loaded ($33,245 including destination) Touring, however, comes with adaptive cruise control that works above 5 mph, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, plus parking sensors front and rear.

Just like its Hyundai Ioniq sibling, fully loaded is the way to go with the Niro.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

How I’d spec it

My Niro tester’s Deep Cerulean paint got several compliments, but I’d opt for the Runway Red instead, which costs an extra $295. That’s the only change I’d make. Otherwise, the Niro Touring has all the equipment I like in a car, such as HID headlights, keyless access, a sunroof, auto-dimming mirror, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, driver’s seat memory and a heated steering wheel. All in, we’re looking at $33,540 out the door.

After a couple of years on the market, the Kia Niro still offers a compelling package. But with all-wheel-drive rivals like the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and the Toyota Prius AWD-e entering the market, the Niro might have to step up its game just a little to keep buyers interested.