4Runner is old school and that's OK ... Technophobes and off-roaders have a rare opportunity to live life large aboard Toyota’s rough trail loving 2018 4Runner. That’s because this off-roader has not yet been updated to include all the electronic gee-whiz gadgets that fill most others in the segment. Some might say the 4Runner is... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Greenlight’s 2017 Indy 500 podium diorama
Greenlight delivers flashy Indy 500 diorama ... OK, I’m an Indy 500 nut and I know that shows in some of the products we cover here. But, to be honest, Indy has been regained much of its luster in the last 5-6 years and there’s a lot more IndyCar die-cast being offered. You know about... Continue Reading →
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 4motion
VW's Tiguan leads the brand with better handling ... Volkswagen has had its rocky moments the past few years. One word – diesel – tells you everything you need to know. But of late the giant German automaker seems to be getting its mojo back, and none too soon. More new models are hitting the... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1958 Scarab Mk. II, Riverside winner
This beautiful Scarab won Riverside in 1958 … First came the 1959 Scarab that Jim Jeffords drove to a win at Meadowdale, but now Replicarz delivers the first Scarab to win a sports car race. This beautiful bright light metallic blue racer is a replica of the one Chuck Daigh drove to victory at the... Continue Reading →
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC
Outlander a star in Mitsubishi's quiet lineup ... Mitsubishi is the quiet company in the U.S. auto market; we hardly hear a peep out of the Japanese vehicle maker. Its lineup is compact and advertising minimal. But the star of its lineup for several years has been the Outlander, a competent crossover with available AWD... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Ixo’s Ferrari 275LM 1965 Le Mans winner
Ferrari's final Le Mans winner, the 275LM … Ferrari established itself as an endurance racing powerhouse in the 1950s and early 1960s. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright eight times between 1954 and 1965, six in a row from 1960 to ‘65. It hasn’t won Le Mans since. For many, that last... Continue Reading →
2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited
Pacifica plug-in hybrid rocks the MPG ... What would you say if I told you there’s a 5,000-lb. minivan that will get 84 miles per gallon, maybe 88.9 mpg? I thought so. You’d laugh. You’d think this Savage dude has gone off his noodle, is a couple bricks shy of a full load, has an... Continue Reading →
2018 Kia Niro PHEV EX Premium
Kia's Niro plug-in hybrid rocks the mpg ratings ... Last year Kia’s Niro hybrid crossover wannabe surprised me big time. It’s attractive, handles well, has decent power and achieved good gas mileage because it was a standard hybrid. Sure the Toyota Prius is queen of this category, but Niro has it all on looks and... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autocult’s Volkswagen T1
Unique VW for the racing-oriented collector ... When I was a kid the only minivans were VW vans. They fit the mini category, maybe even invented it. But these were simple vehicles that like VW’s Beetle captured many of us Boomers’ imaginations. What may have been forgotten, however, is that there were several iterations and... Continue Reading →
2018 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4×4
Toyota's big ol' Sequoia overdue for a restyling … Toyota’s big Sequoia sport-ute is overdue for a restyling and needs a few interior upgrades to compete for class leader in this market dominated by the likes of Chevy and GMC’s Suburban, plus Ford’s Expedition and Nissan’s Armada. All are big boys in a big boy... Continue Reading →