Plug-in power cuts emissions, boosts gas mileage for family SUV ... Nearly all automakers are now hybridizing their lineups, either with regular hybrid systems to extend gas mileage and mildly cut emissions, or with plug-ins that do more of both. No surprise then that Hyundai has dropped a plug-in hybrid system into its popular Santa... Continue Reading →
Review: 2023 Honda CR-V AWD Sport Touring
Top-selling CR-V adds length and hybrid power ... Adding a bit of length along with hybrid power to a top-selling compact crossover will likely boost its already strong sales, or so Honda suspects. They’re probably right. The Honda CR-V is already the segment’s sales leader and the latest refresh does nothing to hurt the sound... Continue Reading →
2023 Lexus LS 500h AWD
LS = Luxury Sedan (near perfect) with hybrid system ... No car is perfect, but the luxurious full-size Lexus LS 500h sedan wants to be, and edges closer to it with each iteration. The 2023 LS (Luxury Sedan one supposes) exhibits the usual stunning styling with its big grille that is a love it or... Continue Reading →
2023 Toyota Crown Platinum
Sedan melds luxury, looks with AWD and hybrid efficiency ... Those who remember the 1980 AMC Eagle (primarily Boomers), will recall it was a fine-looking wagon, but stood out because it rode higher than a standard wagon due to its AWD underpinnings. AMC’s trendsetting ways were rewarded briefly, but the look has persisted. Now all... Continue Reading →
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Premium Review
What you need to know about the new Crosstrek's updates ... Already the top-selling Subaru, the compact crossover Crosstrek just keeps getting better. Not surprisingly when Subaru revamped Crosstrek for 2024 it didn’t mess with success, just tweaked the interior and exterior enough to freshen it and keep it near the top of the market... Continue Reading →
2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line
3-row Atlas remains a smooth, comfy ride, but with a few quirks ... Sometimes it’s good when a car maker doesn’t futz too much with its designs, if the original was well executed. Such is the case with Volkswagen’s Atlas a mid-size crossover it makes at its Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, along with the Atlas Cross... Continue Reading →
2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium review
What you need to know about the new manual shifting Supra ... Oh what a feeling! That’s what Toyota used to crow about its cars, but let’s be honest, the feel great cars are usually just that, cars with a sporty nature. I mean a pickup or SUV is a conveyance, a sport car is... Continue Reading →
Review: 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 4Matic
Gizmos galore in pricy Benz GLE luxury SUV ... If you’re into gizmotronics and SUVs overbrimming with fiddly bits while still cuddling you with leather luxurious enough to make even a virgin cow blush, well Mercedes-Benz has something special for you. Its name, or call letters, is GLE. GLE is a midsize... Continue Reading →
2023 BMW Z4 sDrive30i Convertible
Power top, leather interior and plenty of twin-turbo power ... Time flies especially fast in a Z4, BMW’s mid-level luxury roadster. But it had really flown as it had been 14 years since I last shoe-horned into a Z4. This sDrive30i version came just as autumn was creeping into Wisconsin, the leaves starting to turn... Continue Reading →
Review: 2024 Subaru Impreza RS Review
AWD Impreza hatchback upgrades power, interior, fun factor ... Whoa Nelly! Subaru has gone and upped its entry-level game with its new 2024 Impreza RS hatchback. Honda, Hyundai, and Mazda best be taking notes. While the auto world has been backing away from cars for a decade or more, Subaru has instead refined its Impreza... Continue Reading →