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 →
Savage picks the Top 10 Cars
2023 Zoomies, the best vehicles of the past year ... Zoomie goes all social media trendy this year whittling the 50 or so vehicles I’ve tested in the past year down to a dynamic Top 10. Eat your heart out Letterman*! What’s the Savage criteria for a Zoomie? Art: Stuart Carlson There’s no point system.... Continue Reading →
Zoomie: 29 years of choice cars
Savage's top vehicles since 1990, the hits and misses .... My annual Zoomie Car of the Year awards just debuted on WUWM.com yesterday and will appear here on Wednesday. But if you want to check my track record, here are my past 29 choices. I missed a few years when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stopped... Continue Reading →
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus
New crossover bigger than CX-5, aimed more for off-road use ... What do you do when you’re a smaller auto manufacturer, but you have one big hit in the hot crossover market? Make another slightly larger version of it, right? Welcome to Mazda’s world. The Japanese car maker has constantly been putting stylish and superb... Continue Reading →
2023 Chicago Auto Show report
Toyota, Subaru, VW launch new vehicles, but there's much more … Chicago’s Auto Show is always amazing and also a drain as Paul Daniel and I walk a good 5 miles a day to take photos and video. This year it was worth it as there were four new production models introduced, plus some new... Continue Reading →
2023 Nissan Kicks SR
Low-cost Kicks loaded with a bevy of standard features ... Remember when entry-level cars were bare bones beaters? I’m thinking Ford Mavericks, Chevy Vegas, and AMC Gremlins of my youth, or more recently Honda Civics, Toyota Tercels, and Nissan Sentras. Times change and this week’s cute low-cost two-tone mini crossover is chock full of modern... Continue Reading →
2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4Matic Sedan
Restyled and sporty C class may again spur sedan sales ... The compact C Class sedan has been a hot seller for Mercedes-Benz for years, but its popularity has waned like yesterday’s boy band the last couple years and one has to wonder how much of that is because it hadn’t been redesigned in seven... Continue Reading →
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe
Plug-in hybrid smooths Wrangler power, boosts mpg ... Jeeps come in all sizes these days and with multiple powerplant choices, the latest of which provided the grunt for the tested 4-door Wrangler Rubicon. Here the power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 with plug-in hybrid system using a couple electric motors to help boost gas... Continue Reading →
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX AWD
New hybrid is larger, more efficient, family-priced SUV ... Kia’s Sportage just keeps getting bigger and better, and now with a hybrid power system it’s more efficient and still can boast of family-friendly pricing. That’s a lot! But Kia and its twin cousin Hyundai have always been about value, generous feature content, top-notch warranties, and... Continue Reading →