Cute Rio hatchback a sporty low-cost option ... I liked the high-value Hyundai Accent sedan a week ago, so it stands to reason I’d like its cousin, the sportier looking Kia Rio hatchback this week. Accent no longer comes in a hatch, so if you prefer this body style, which I do, the Rio is... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Ixo’s 1970 Saviem JM 21/240 Michelin truck
Michelin tire truck a big win for Bib … Who doesn’t recognize, and like, the Michelin Man? He’s probably even more famous than the Pillsbury Dough Boy, although I’ve never heard Bibendum (Bib for short) giggle. Well, IXO loves him too and has come up with an unusual Michelin tire truck, especially for the North... Continue Reading →
2018 Hyundai Accent SE A/T
Accent an impressive low-cost sedan ... Need new wheels at a low price, but don’t want to look like you’re driving an econobox that could tip over in a heavy wind or snag a trophy at the ugliest car on the block contest? Hyundai has an impressive answer for just such a buyer, it’s redesigned... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Ixo’s 1937 Bugatti Type 57G Le Mans winner
Bugatti was racy from the get-go at Le Mans ... In the early years, a lot of competitors, and winners, in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race were from France. Many of those makes are legendary, but many also are gone. One that remains is Bugatti, now known as a super car maker... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1959 Scarab Mk. II racer
Purple Nickey Nouse Scarab a slick winner ... A few years back at Road America, the Midwest’s finest road racing facility, I ran into racer Augie Pabst and his beautiful metallic blue Scarab Mk. II racer. Pabst, an heir to the brewing fortune, had been a succesful sports car racer in the late 1950s and... Continue Reading →
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate AWD
New Santa Fe a luxury sleigh ride ... Leading up to Christmas I spent a week luxuriating in Santa’s sleigh. Say what? It was Hyundai’s Santa Fe? Well then, never mind! Yet then again Hyundai’s mid-size SUV is certainly big enough to haul a lot of goodies to good girls and boys all over southeast... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: CMC’s 1954-55 Lancia D50
CMC’s latest F1 car a stunning Lancia D50 ... Lancia was a late-comer to Formula 1 racing after World War II, but it had the genius of engineer Vitorrio Jano as its secret weapon. He had created the successful Alfa Romeo 8C pre-war. So in late 1954 Lancia’s beautiful and unusual D50 joined the F1... Continue Reading →
2018 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Inscription
Volvo XC60 a sweet ride - fun, luxurious, nimble ... Sometimes the hardest reviews to write are those for vehicles I’ve really enjoyed, the ones that stand out among the 50+ vehicles I test in a year. This week’s tester, the Volvo XC60 with the Inscription package shouldn’t be hard to ladle syrupy praise on.... Continue Reading →
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 SEL AWD
Outlander Sport still under the radar ... Mitsubishi continues to fly under the radar among the Japanese car makers in the U.S., with just a few models and those don’t change often. But the Outlander Sport has been one of its success stories, as it spun off from the larger Outlander SUV a few... Continue Reading →
2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0T
Hyundai's Sonata just keeps getting better ... Hyundai’s Sonata is back on track to being a major challenger to the likes of Toyota’s Camry and others in the crowded mid-size sedan market. Hyundai’s last generation Sonata wasn’t nearly as attractive as its predecessor. This one is a sharp looker with a distinctive nose and improved... Continue Reading →