Car Reviews

2020 Ford Escape SE Sport AWD Hybrid

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: Autoart’s Aston Martin Vulcan

Car Reviews

2020 Subaru Legacy Limited

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: Ixo’s Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC #19

StickyApril 9, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Ixo creates a racy 2019 WRC Hyundai rally car …

Throughout the rest of the world rally racing is a big deal and car manufacturers put serious money into winning the World Rally Championship, which started in 1973. So, it has been around a while.

Not so much Hyundai, which first entered WRC racing at the Monte Carlo Rally in 2014. But the Hyundai team was a quick learner and after tweaking its European subcompact, the i20, it started racking up podiums and points. For the record, the i20 is similar to the Hyundai Kona and Kia Rio models sold in the US market. Continue reading Die-cast: Ixo’s Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC #19 →

SUV/Truck Reviews

2020 Infiniti QX50 Essential AWD

StickyApril 9, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

AWD makes stylish QX50 a near perfect blend …

Technology dominates much of our lives and increasingly our automotive lives so that finding a nice blend of tech along with fun and practicality is a stretch.

Well, Infiniti’s QX50 makes that stretch without even glancing over its shoulder. Two things, no, make that three, stand out on this small- to medium-sized SUV. One you’ll barely notice, the other two become obvious fairly quickly. Continue reading 2020 Infiniti QX50 Essential AWD →

Car Reviews

2020 Ford Escape SE Sport AWD Hybrid

StickyApril 3, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

New Escape looks sportier, hybrid gets great mileage …

Let’s be clear, a lot of people have purchased Ford Escapes over the years. It is one of the most popular compact SUVs on the market and for 2020 it’s majorly restyled, making it slightly lower and wider.

Its new nose looks a lot like a Porsche Macan, which one would think should help sales and at least mentally plant the seed that this is a sportier SUV than in the past. And maybe it is in some ways because it offers four engine choices, has adjustable ride control and a revised suspension system with vibration absorbing rear subframe mounts. Continue reading 2020 Ford Escape SE Sport AWD Hybrid →

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: Autoart’s Aston Martin Vulcan

StickyApril 1, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

James Bond would covet this sexy Aston …

Britain’s Aston Martin brand stirs images of James Bond deploying a bulletproof screen behind his DB5, spraying bullets from the machine guns in its running lights, squirting oil on the road to wreck the evildoers following him or ejecting said henchmen through the passenger’s side roof.

It also stirs thoughts of high speed and equally high prices. Well, Autoart’s new Aston Martin Vulcan lives up to those later images, as would any original Aston. This one is 1/18 scale though and oozing with detail that helps justify its $220 price tag. But that’s nothing compared with the 1/1 scale’s $2.3 million suggested retail sticker. Continue reading Die-cast: Autoart’s Aston Martin Vulcan →

Car Reviews

2020 Subaru Legacy Limited

StickyMarch 27, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Subaru Legacy styling still lags behind …

I’m a fan of Subaru’s Outback wagon/crossover, but the Legacy sedan has always been a bit too fuddy-duddy looking for me. Seems Subaru forgets about styling when it comes to Legacy.

That’s odd as Subaru’s sedan competes against heavy hitters like Toyota’s Camry and Honda’s Accord, both of which have been restyled, mostly for the better, in the past few years. Legacy has the advantage of standard all-wheel-drive, yet even in its newest 2020 duds, the Legacy’s styling is, well, more dud than dude. Continue reading 2020 Subaru Legacy Limited →

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye

StickyMarch 24, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

High-value 1/43 Citroen reflects early rally racers …

Ah, the dear old Citroen 2CV is an icon, at least on the other side of the pond, being what the average French car buyer drove during the middle years of last century. But as it aged, even staid Citroen had to start developing cars to meet the expanding needs of mid-1960s buyers. Remember, there was a baby boom going on overseas as well.

So, the roomier Citroen Dyane with a rear hatchback debuted in 1967, and met with good success, enough so that the car remained in the French car maker’s lineup until 1983. Continue reading Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye →

Fun Stuff, When they were new

A priceless Corvair

StickyMarch 21, 2020 Paul Daniel Leave a comment

More valuable to this family than any other car

By Paul Daniel

I love going car spotting but sometimes the cars come to me like this 1963 Corvair. One of the fun things I do during the summer is work at Ironwood Golf Course, about five minutes from my house. One day I show up to work at a really big golf outing and what’s parked right out front? This 1962 Corvair Monza Continue reading A priceless Corvair →

Car Reviews

2020 Lincoln Corsair AWD Reserve

StickyMarch 20, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Corsair name indicates power, handling, flight? …

With a name like Corsair the history buffs among us might expect Lincoln’s new compact luxury SUV/crossover to fly, and it does.

Well, it flies as in it rockets away from stoplights. Lincoln has ditched its MKC model in favor of Corsair and put the emphasis on power and handling, but less on luxurious ride. This sharp-looking ute in the tested AWD Reserve trim rocks out with a 2.3-liter turbocharged I4 that pounds out 295 horsepower. Boom! Continue reading 2020 Lincoln Corsair AWD Reserve →

SUV/Truck Reviews

2020 Nissan Pathfinder SV (Rock Creek Edition)

StickyMarch 12, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

2020 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD

Do you prefer old school or retro to an overabundance of digital doodads? Do you prefer driving your vehicle to your vehicle driving you?

Nissan has an answer for you if you’re an SUV lover. Its name is Pathfinder. This is a fine SUV with room for seven passengers, but with a modicum of the gizmos and gadgets that can make today’s vehicles safer, but often frustrating to drive. I enjoyed this drive without a lane-departure system beeping or tugging at the wheel and everything else on the dash being simple enough that having an electronics degree wasn’t necessary. Continue reading 2020 Nissan Pathfinder SV (Rock Creek Edition) →

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: Replicarz 1972 Javelin Trans Am

StickyMarch 10, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

AMC Javelin a winner in Donohue or Follmer trim …

Muscle car lovers appreciate the AMC Javelin because American Motors Corp. was much like The Little Engine That Could, and to beat all the Javelin was handsomely styled too.

Once AMC decided to take it racing in the Trans Am series in 1970, the company gained even more respect from racers as it was instantly competitive with the Mustangs and Camaros of the day. Continue reading Die-cast: Replicarz 1972 Javelin Trans Am →

Car Reviews

2020 Chrysler Pacifica Limited hybrid

StickyMarch 7, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

New Pacifica hybrid a refined people hauler …

Chrysler has been making minivans since the 1984 model year, but its latest, the 2020 Pacifica, is easily the best of the bunch.

Chrysler minivans have nearly always been comfortable and easy to drive. The company’s Stow N Go seats were a brilliant addition, as were its earlier rear seats that could be rolled out for easy removal and storage. But, let’s be honest, there were some mechanical issues, something about transmissions. That’s behind the company, now part of Italian conglomerate, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Continue reading 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Limited hybrid →

Car Reviews

2020 Zoomie Awards

StickyFebruary 25, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Savage names his top 14 vehicles of the year …

After a four year hiatus (I should be well rested), Zoomie is back.

What’s a Zoomie?

It’s my annual (at least for 26 straight years) award of the top vehicle I’ve driven in the past year. I name one top dog and a lot of little pups to highlight the great cars and trucks I’ve driven in the past 12 months.

And I’ll state right here what I’ve been saying since 1990. My intent is to select a vehicle for the masses, but one with styling flair, something that’s fun to drive, yet also delivers value, an everyman’s car of the year. So don’t be expecting a Tesla or Ferrari here! Continue reading 2020 Zoomie Awards →

Car Reviews

2020 Genesis G70 AWD 3.3T Sport

StickyFebruary 1, 2020 Mark Savage 2 Comments

Genesis new small sport sedan a high-value speedster …

Occasionally I get to test drive a new model twice within a year or 18 months because the car makers fill their fleets with their newest models. The hope, of course, is that us auto writers will drive, and write about, said new wheels, and sales will blossom.

Hard for much to blossom in Wisconsin in winter, but the Genesis G70, launched early last year, is a rose among thorns when it comes to pricing and value in the luxury sport sedan market. As I said in my earlier review, Japanese and European luxury sport sedan makers better beware. Continue reading 2020 Genesis G70 AWD 3.3T Sport →

SUV/Truck Reviews

2020 Range Rover Sport HSE

StickyJanuary 25, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Rover Sport packs panache, power …

There’s no denying a certain panache in the Land Rover name and a certain pride a Rover driver feels in its ability to crunch through the Serengeti brush and ford rushing hippo-infested streams as it takes you deep into the rugged, wild outback.

Yet Rover is no rough and tumble Jeep, it’s evolved into a luxury brand fit for the dinner-jacket and ascot crowd and proudly wears a hefty price at which one should expect all the finery a car maker can pack into a leather-slathered interior. Continue reading 2020 Range Rover Sport HSE →

Die-cast Cars

Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Ford GT

StickyJanuary 22, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Ford GT, old or new, beautiful in any form …

Even before the recent Ford vs. Ferrari publicity machine rolled through our collective conscience car guys and gals knew all about the original Ford GT40, and at least a bit about its more modern Ford GT spinoff.

While the first was a butt-kicking racer that ruled Le Mans for four years, the latter is a beautiful street-legal remake that only the wealthy can afford. Now Autoart does something about that with its 1/18 scale rendering of the 2017 Ford GT in various paint schemes. Our review car was a snazzy black number with orange racing stripes and interior trim (my high school colors). Cool! Continue reading Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Ford GT →

Car Reviews

2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium

StickyJanuary 19, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Kia’s electric crossover looks good, drives well …

Our electric car future receives another jolt of energy with the arrival of Kia’s Niro EV.

If you believe electrics are a fad or experiment and that internal combustion is the only way to go, well you’re in for a shock, ultimately. Because all the carmakers are rushing to get full electric cars and crossovers onto the highways as quickly as they can. Short-term the hybrids and plug-in hybrids are the way to go, but with mainstream cars like the Niro being electrified, it’s only a matter of time until one is in your driveway. Continue reading 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium →

Car Reviews

2020 Nissan Versa SR

StickyJanuary 2, 2020 Mark Savage Leave a comment

New Versa SR proves you can get a lot for a little …

Bare bones cars are a rarity today as even the low-cost sedans that serve as entry-level vehicles for most car makes are far from what we would have called “basic transportation” just a decade or two ago when cars still had crank windows.

Take this week’s dandy little Nissan Versa SR for example. With a starting price of just $19,135, including delivery, you’d think this spiffy Electric Blue sedan would be about as bare bones as car makers go to satisfy the needs of the low-budget shopper. But you’d be wrong and the metallic blue paint job is only example one. Continue reading 2020 Nissan Versa SR →

Savage On Wheels

Die-cast: Ixo’s Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC #19

2020 Infiniti QX50 Essential AWD

2020 Ford Escape SE Sport AWD Hybrid

Die-cast: Autoart’s Aston Martin Vulcan

2020 Subaru Legacy Limited

Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye

Die-cast: Ixo’s Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC #19

2020 Infiniti QX50 Essential AWD

2020 Ford Escape SE Sport AWD Hybrid

Die-cast: Autoart’s Aston Martin Vulcan

2020 Subaru Legacy Limited

Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye

A priceless Corvair

More valuable to this family than any other car

2020 Lincoln Corsair AWD Reserve

2020 Nissan Pathfinder SV (Rock Creek Edition)

Die-cast: Replicarz 1972 Javelin Trans Am

2020 Chrysler Pacifica Limited hybrid

2020 Zoomie Awards

2020 Genesis G70 AWD 3.3T Sport

2020 Range Rover Sport HSE

Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Ford GT

2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium

2020 Nissan Versa SR

Honest car reviews both big and small

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Honest car reviews both big and small