Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're headed "outie" in one fast Audi, the updated RS3... Then, we'll dip into the finer facts of oil filters... Stephanie Hart hits the bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum... Then, we'll plug into the Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e... So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: The vast majority of new internal combustion vehicles we test these days have four or six pistons under the hood.

So, it's rare indeed to find a new car sporting a 5-cylinder engine.

And while that may sound odd, that's far from all that makes this Audi RS 3 something really special.

So, take five from whatever it is you're doing and come along as we take this five for a spin.

♪ ♪ Cramming a bigger engine into an existing car to get more performance is a longstanding tradition in the gearhead world, and while the 2025 Audi RS 3 is not packing a V8, it does upgrade to a unique inline-5-cylinder engine, replacing the ubiquitous 4-cylinder turbo found in the standard A3, and in just about every small European sporty car these days.

The first Audi RS performance model to make it here to the U.S.

was the 2003 RS6 sedan.

This limited production 4-door performer was indeed packing a V8, ripping to 60 in just 4.8 seconds, and it further impressed us with its agility.

But that 4.2 liter twin-turbo V8's 450 horsepower is only 56 more than what the inline-5 turbo in this pint-sized powerhouse RS 3 delivers; while sending 369 pound-feet of torque to all four-wheels through a 7-speed automatic and standard quattro all-wheel-drive.

It feels like an absolute rocket ship when you're driving it around, and that's before you even tap into RS Performance Modes, where it goes full animal with hyper throttle response, transmission shifts that are sometimes more abrupt than you're expecting and gnarly sounds coming from the RS Sport exhaust system with black oval tips.

We had high expectations rolling up to the start line at Mason Dixon Dragway, and indeed quattro had this thing hooking up and absolutely blasting to 60 in just 3.4 seconds.

You can really feel the power pour on, with quick automatic shifts barely interrupting the flow, as we cleared the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat at 116 miles per hour.

That's all mostly the same as the last RS 3 we tested 3-years ago.

The big change for '25 is the RS tuning of the Torque Splitter.

Functioning as a next level rear differential, each drive shaft has its own clutch pack, and when called upon to do so by the ECU, based on acceleration, steering angle, G-forces, throttle position, gear, and yaw angle, it can send up to 100 percent of rear torque to an individual wheel.

In practice, it's constantly distributing power to where it can be most effective at rotating the car while applying maximum power.

To simplify it even further, it absolutely rails through corners with no oversteer or understeer, while turning in more aggressively than before, providing lots of feedback the whole time.

Solid brake performance, too, with the Dynamic Plus Package's upgraded ceramic setup resulting in no fade, minimal nosedive, good feel and nearly consistent 98-foot stops from 60.

(car whooshing by) RS transformations to the interior include unique LED ambient lighting, dark gray trim, RS Sport seats, premium audio system, and an RS steering wheel with RS Mode buttons and aluminum shifters, all done without upsetting Audi's usual perfect balance of sporty, luxury, and techy.

Front seats remain very comfortable, with rear seat room subcompact tight.

The virtual cockpit gauge panel gets some unique displays, and while there are perhaps a bit too many touch-sensitive controls for our tastes, some actual switchgear does remain, keeping most things easy to operate.

And the 10.1 inch central touchscreen is intuitive to use.

Upgrades to the RS 3's exterior start up front with an updated design for the singleframe grille, Audi rings dressed in Anthracite, larger air intakes, and new LED Matrix headlights that have a special startup sequence along with a unique checkered flag pattern.

The taillights have also been updated, while down low, a new rear diffuser integrates those big oval exhaust tips.

Two different 19 inch wheels are available; these matte finish dark gray alloys are part of the Carbon Package; and adding the Dynamic Plus package will get them wrapped in ultra high-performance summer tires.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 city, 29 highway, and 23 combined.

We averaged 25.9 miles per gallon of premium, earning an average Energy Impact Score with 12.9 Barrels of Yearly Oil Use and 6.4 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

When you get to this level of performance, there are not too many bargains out there, and we'd say the RS 3 is appropriately priced at $64,695.

You could add another 10-grand onto that with options, but you don't really need to.

When it comes to big performance in small packages, that's something the Volkswagen Group has been delivering for years.

But, with this 2025 RS 3, Audi has taken things to a whole new level; and its raucous 5-cylinder engine makes it something truly special.

♪ ♪ The Indianapolis Motor Speedway recently hosted the third annual Battle on the Bricks endurance sports car race.

As part of the festivities, spectators explored the newly renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum, which now includes a permanent Penske Gallery filled with historic race cars and artifacts, while also paying tribute to Roger Penske, whose name has been in the Indy 500 winners circle more times than any other.

Well, our Stephanie Hart met up with Team Penske to get the inside track.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: I'm here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Battle on the Bricks is underway and Porsche Penske Motorsport is right in the middle of all of the action.

Just beyond the racetrack here is the Motor Speedway Museum.

It features a really special gallery chronicling Team Penske's rich and impressive history over six decades.

JONATHAN DIUGUID: Roger Penske is not only a successful race team owner, but he's a successful business man.

And he's integrated his racing teams into the ethos of his business too as well.

So, the product that we put on the track-- execution, presentation, and perfection-- is really important.

Because it shows not just on the racetrack, but also in his business world, so that's the foundation of the Penske team brand and image.

STEPHANIE: Jonathan Diuguid is now President of Team Penske, overseeing the full program.

Twenty years ago, Penske Racing hired him to work on the Porsche RS Spyder program.

Not long after, in 2008, this race car, the Number 7 Porsche RS Spyder won the 12 Hours of Sebring.

JONATHAN: It's special because it won that race as an LMP2 prototype and raced against the higher horsepower LMP1 cars, but was still triumphant on that day.

STEPHANIE: Today, it's prominently displayed in the Penske gallery next to a replica of the Number 7 Porsche 963 which is racing in the Battle on the Bricks.

As you may recall, it produced the second consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona overall victory for Porsche Penske Motorsport in January of 2025.

I had the chance to take a closer look at it with one of its drivers, Nick Tandy.

NICK TANDY: You're not just driving for yourself.

It is a real team sport, the endurance stuff.

We share the car between drivers, up to four drivers sometimes at Daytona.

Here at Indy, we will have two.

You've got to work together with everybody in the team, from the people that designed the car in its infancy back in Germany, to the...to the tire engineers at Michelin that help us and develop with us, to everybody in the pit crew and on the engineering support stands.

It's a team sport and we all win together, but we also lose together, so it's good fun.

I enjoy it.

STEPHANIE: I also explored this phenomenal gallery with its other driver - Felipe Nasr.

We had a good time discussing how number 7 Porsche 963, compares to the Number 7 Porsche RS Spyder.

FELIPE NASR: Oh, that's pretty awesome that they are facing each other here.

So, you see the older generation with the newer generation.

You see the size of the cars, how they've changed, uh, the closed cockpit and, uh, all the details, aerodynamics, and that's...that's what racing is all about, is the evolution from time to time.

STEPHANIE: There have been so many successful race car drivers that have come through Team Penske since the '60s and many are honored throughout this gallery.

JONATHAN: I would say Mark Donohue is probably the one because he started it with Roger, um, and-- and was the foundation of building Team Penske; and the second is probably Helio Castroneves because he's, um, won the Indy 500 three times with-- our team and four times total.

Um, So he really speaks to, uh, what the goal of the team is, and that's to be successful on the racetrack.

STEPHANIE: The gallery also showcases nine Indy 500 race winning engines, highlighted by the innovative and powerful 1994 pushrod power plant engine nicknamed "the beast."

Enough said.

JONATHAN: The Mercedes engine that won the race in...in 1994 there is special because it exercised what would be considered a loophole in the regulations that allowed them to build a very specific race engine for...for this race and create a lot of horsepower.

That loophole was closed very soon after that, so a lot of effort was put in just to win that one specific race, but, um, it'll go down in history and it is well worth it.

STEPHANIE: As Battle on the Bricks heats up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the team reflects on Roger Penske's game-changing impact on motorsports over the last 60 years, well documented here in the Penske Gallery.

To date, Team Penske is the most successful team in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and likely always will be!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: For this update on our long-term 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, I'd like to open with a quote from our log book: It reads, "I've become almost addicted to wanting to take (this) Outlander for weekend getaways."

That's very telling, and it's not just because of its increasingly improved average fuel economy we've observed over another 2,500 miles, now at 27.2 miles per gallon on Regular fuel.

Not bad, even without it being the plug-in hybrid model.

The same staffer waxed on about the Outlander's exceptional long-haul endurance.

For starters, space, even for a "compact" utility, feels voluminous, giving room to stretch out, joined by a quilted and well-appointed interior that we've raved about plenty.

The ride, though, is what really sets it apart.

Our note-taker praised the Outlander's "hefty" feel, not in a bad way, but in a way that makes it feel more attached to the road, less likely to be bullied by hulking semis and more stable against battering winds.

The soft suspension, while a tad floaty for curvy backroads, excels on highways, and the powertrain allows for comfortable passing.

This Outlander is a comforting long haul companion with its smooth chassis and wealth of creature comforts.

Granted, we still think the plug-in hybrid offers the best Outlander experience when it comes to driving, but this strictly-gas powertrain has been working just fine for us.

It's also around 10-grand cheaper than the PHEV, and that's important.

Despite being based on the Nissan Rogue, the Mitsubishi Outlander feels like an original effort.

One that hasn't gone unnoticed by us.

And despite a short run, neither has the Acura ZDX, which we'll tackle on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update.

JOHN: We all know an oil change isn't complete without a new oil filter too, but there's more to changing it than "just because."

So, we brought in the experts, including our own Dan Maffett, to separate fact from snake oil on this week's "Your Drive."

(car engine starts up) DAN MAFFETT: Hi, guys.

I'm here with Kent Levine of Highline Warren and we're going to talk about filtration.

Thanks for coming out, I appreciate you.

So, I see you brought a lot with us today.

Let's talk about oil filters.

Um, Is there anything about oil filters that makes them better or worse than others?

Maybe components?

KENT LEVINE: Absolutely.

Well...today, you have an extended oil change recommended by the OE.

So, the filters have to keep up with that technology.

You have oil doing its job, but then the filter has to keep the dirt out of your engine, has to keep it flowing.

And there's media inside the filter that captures that dirt, and that media will keep the engine flowing and return clean oil into your engine.

DAN: That's great.

Now, are there different types of media inside there?

Maybe...I see you brought a couple different versions here.

Are they synthetic, non-synthetic, things like this?

KENT: Absolutely.

What we like to do is a "good, better, best," and we like to call it a premium.

There's a mid-grade, and there's a synthetic.

So, what happens is each filter, like we have a parts master filter here, adheres to a certain standard.

And this will match OE; and then you can go above that standard to a synthetic media which is, this happens to be a synthetic blend, which captures more dirt in the end and lasts longer.

DAN: Oh, that's fantastic.

So, if someone is looking to do one of these installs themselves, do their oil change in the garage, are there any install tips or application tips for the installation?

KENT: Absolutely.

The first thing you have to be aware of is, when you take your oil filter off, you want to then clean the housing.

We do a good job of cleaning that-- the metal debris, all the dirt that's on that housing-- because what could happen is when you screw the new filter back on, if there's dirt there, that could leave pits mark-- pit marks in here, and that can cause a leak.

Next thing we like to do is just tell the DIY-er or the technician to lube the gasket.

The next thing we like to tell people is, you know, a lot of folks will have their way of spinning it on and spinning on too tight.

That can actually flatten out the gasket.

There's also spinning it on too loose.

As a rule of thumb, you go to gasket contact and then go three-quarters that one turn, and that does the job.

DAN: Yeah, so you just snug it up.

Don't go too tight.

KENT: Absolutely.

DAN: So, if someone is doing it at home, are they worried about brand specific, uh, filters or should they be able to trust the aftermarket?

KENT: Absolutely.

If you go into your aftermarket shop locally or your local lube-- lube shop, where you live, they have a filter that adheres to what is called USCR standards.

And these standards have a minimum rating of 95 percent efficiency of 30 microns.

What the aftermarket likes to do, and this is done through tests at the factories, is go above that standard.

So, you can absolutely trust that the aftermarket filter is at or above the OE standard.

DAN: That's really great to hear.

Well, I appreciate you coming out.

I learned a lot.

KENT: Thank you.

Thank you.

DAN: Guys, I hope you learned just as much as I did.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Had enough?

Well, neither have we, so let's turn key into another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: The 5th generation Toyota Prius kind of shocked us when it debuted just over two years ago.

While, it continued to set the benchmark for high efficiency and compact motoring, it looked and drove far better than expected.

And Toyota is gussying it up further with this 2025 Prius Nightshade Edition.

Nightshade adds a number of black accents: 19 inch alloys, door handles, badging and more.

This rather loud Karashi paint is more "Lampshade" than "Nightshade," but wonderfully applied to the bodywork.

Based on XLE trim, SofTex-trimmed seats and wireless device charger are standard.

A notable upgrade is the included 12.3 inch infotainment screen, plus, 20.3 cubic-feet of seat-up cargo storage is right on par for hatchback versatility.

Under the Nightshade's hood is one of Toyota's brightest powertrains; we're still finding this 2.0 liter inline-4 and eCVT combo to be quite impressive.

For 2025, the Prius doesn't see any changes to its powertrain, but that's actually a good thing because when the 5th generation came out in 2022, this was seriously the best driving Prius ever.

It saw increases in horsepower that just made it a much more enjoyable daily driver.

Like, here in our all-wheel-drive tester, we have 196 horsepower, which is plenty of power for any sort of driving you want to do.

No more struggling when you're merging on the highway.

And even I'm a little shocked to say that I'm actually having fun driving a Prius.

And I'm still getting over 50 miles per gallon.

The 2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition starts around $34,000, working up to about $35,000 for all-wheel-drive.

Nightshade returns for 2026 with a small price increase, and it joins the Prius Plug-In lineup at $39,000.

It's handsome, it's practical, and it's fun to drive.

Long live the Prius, and we'll have more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: Mercedes-Benz has introduced some fantastic EVs in recent years and have done it without abandoning things on the internal combustion side of the brand.

But, as we've learned recently, perhaps they are at their best when they combine the two, which brings us to their latest plug-in, this GLC 350e.

♪ ♪ The GLC has been the Mercedes-Benz compact SUV entry since 2016 when it took over for the GLK.

Major changes happened for 2023 when it kicked off its 2nd generation, and for 2025 there's a new addition to the family, this GLC 350e plug-in hybrid.

Though technically, it's more of a homecoming, as there was a 350e plug-in available for a limited time in the 1st gen GLC.

With 4MATIC all-wheel-drive standard, the 350e starts with a de-tuned version of the GLC 300's 2.0 liter turbo-4; but with the help of a 100 kilowatt electric motor, the combined output is 313 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, eclipsing the 300 by 58 horsepower and 111 pound-feet.

A 23.3 kilowatt hour battery delivers an impressive 54 miles of EV range, at speeds up to 87 miles per hour.

That's a huge leap over the original 350e's range which Mercedes-Benz listed as "up to 10."

And when driving the GLC 350e around on battery power, it does feel very much like an EV, not just a hybrid temporarily running on battery power.

You can charge it up overnight with a standard household outlet, but it only takes about 3.0 hours on a Level 2 charger, and this is one PHEV that actually includes the ability to DC fast charge at 60 kilowatt for topping off in just 30 minutes.

As for fast-charging off the line, the 350e felt ready and willing to get moving in a hurry, with a nice initial jolt of power, but just as quickly, things seemed to level off on the way to a 6.1 second 0-60.

That's.

2 slower than the last GLC 300 we tested, and that's when you realize that big battery that gives you all that EV range and the associated hybrid hardware add more than 700 pounds of weight to the GLC.

Transmission is a 9-speed automatic, and we could barely feel the lightning quick gear changes happening as we ran the full quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 97 miles per hour.

The safety systems seemed to be offput by that additional battery weight too, as any time we tried to get aggressive with inputs through our handling course, they pulled power dramatically.

Keeping throttle and steering inputs as smooth as possible helped, but we weren't really able to push hard enough to find any understeer or oversteer.

Mercedes has tweaked the suspension to handle that additional weight, even adding a self-leveling air suspension to the rear.

In panic braking tests, the brake pedal felt very soft with an unnatural feel; it wasn't until the last little bit of travel that it began to firm up and provide some feedback.

Still, stops from 60 averaged a fine 106 feet.

'25 model year GLCs get upgraded MBUX infotainment, with an expended portfolio of app downloads that allow you to stream many popular services directly.

Most inputs throughout the vehicle happen on some sort of touch-sensitive switch, including on the steering wheel.

And while these are not typically our favorite, as with most interior details, Mercedes' seem to be better than most.

Standard content level is very high, and comfort in both front and rear seats is exceptional.

That subtle but special vibe carries over to the exterior, with no obvious proclamations of the GLC's PHEV status; just the same stylish stature that impressed us back in '23.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the 350e are 25 combined for gas only, and 64 combined MPGe.

The GLC 350e is available in three levels of equipment, starting at $61,050, which is about an $8,500 premium over a comparably equipped all-wheel-drive GLC 300.

But, with AMG versions that push it to the 80s, it's far from the most you can spend on a GLC.

So, as with most PHEVs, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e only makes sense if you really plan on plugging in often and maximizing your EV drive time.

When doing so, you'll get all the benefits of driving a true luxury EV for your daily commutes, with a 2.0 liter turbo's worth of solid backup generator for when the battery runs out.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we vanquish our need for speed in a V12-powered Aston Martin, then out for adventure in the Honda Passport.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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