Big Sequoia is improved, but has a couple Big issues ... Big, bold, beautiful? It’s hard to argue beauty for any full-size SUV although the sparkling silver paint job on this motoring monster, the Toyota Sequoia, added some sparkle. But Sequoia, as its name implies, is big and the restyling for 2023 helps it fit... Continue Reading →
2023 Lexus ES300h F Sport
A hybrid luxury sedan priced almost like a family sedan ... Luxury and value go together a bit like peanut butter and caviar, at least in the car world. That’s to say, they don’t. Usually, luxury vehicles push nameplate and a few fancy doodads at a premium price. Folks wanting their image or reputation to... Continue Reading →
2023 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD
Pathfinder a calm, quiet, smooth performer ... The Bath County Courthouse (Va.) provides Pathfinder's backdrop. Somewhere along the Skyline Drive overlooking Shenandoah National Park in Virginia the calm, quiet, and smooth performance of Nissan’s 3-row Pathfinder settled in. We had driven through unplanted flat Midwestern farm fields and mountainous West Virginia only to settle for... Continue Reading →
2023 Range Rover Sport SE
Sport is strong on power and price, weak on practicality .... Driving a Range Rover Sport feels a bit like embarking on a world cruise. Rovers are designed and built in England. Yet Rover is owned by the Indian firm Tata. And the tested Sport SE was bathed in Giola Green. For the uninitiated Giola... Continue Reading →
2023 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro AWD
Kia just keeps improving its luxurious, stylish SUV ... Even perfection can be improved upon, but often it’ll cost you. In Covid-crushing 2020 I selected Kia’s magnificent new mid-size SUV, the Telluride, as my Zoomie Vehicle of the Year. The tested top-level SX AWD version hit roughly $44,000 at the time and was as near... Continue Reading →
2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus
Leaf is a low-cost leader among EVs ... All credit to Nissan for being the first major car maker to launch an all-electric model, the Leaf. Seems like yesterday. But no, Leaf has been around more than a dozen years and remains the most affordable electric, and one that still is eligible for a $7,500... Continue Reading →
2023 BMW X1 xDrive 28i
BMW delivers spunky small crossover starting below $40k ... Small crossovers are a dime a dozen, but spunky luxurious ones are a bit rarer. And spunky ones starting below $40,000 are as precious as that last hidden Easter egg found before the cat discovers it. BMW offers several luxury spunkmobiles, as do a couple of... Continue Reading →
2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE FWD
All-electric crossover features a funky name, and interior ... Electric vehicles are growing in number, range, and pricing options. That’s all well and good, but not all feel like a big step forward. When that feeling comes from a Toyota, it simply feels odd. It’s especially weird since Toyota and Subaru, two long-time winners in... Continue Reading →
2023 Volvo S60 Recharge AWD Ultimate (Black Edition)
High-horse plug-in hybrid rekindles joy of driving a sedan ... Sedans are such a rarity now that it’s a special treat to drive one, especially when it’s a sophisticated looking, high-horse plug-in hybrid from Volvo. You may recall a time when Volvos were boxy and boring, but safe as the vault at Fort Knox, assuming... Continue Reading →
2023 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature AWD
Perfect sized CX-5 Turbo continues to excel, remain a bargain ... Only a year separated me from my last review of Mazda’s top-seller the CX-5, a snazzy looking compact crossover, but only a week separated me from testing its new stablemate, the CX-50. There’s going to be confusion in the marketplace with such similar names,... Continue Reading →