Sonata N Line perks up performance, but remains high value ... Performance comes at a price, always has, always will. Sometimes the price is simply a higher cost, sometimes it’s a gas-hog engine, sometimes it’s a brutal ride. Hyundai is known for value so when it introduced its performance N, or now N Line, models... Continue Reading →
2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD
A high-lux sedan even a CEO could love, and afford ... Rarely do the options on a test car add up to even more than a modestly priced car or crossover itself, but that’s what happened with this week’s high-lux Lexus LS 500 AWD. The sumptuous near limo added roughly $30,000 in options (14... Continue Reading →
2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige
Kia's renamed minivan a festival on wheels ... Minivans are about as popular these days as global warming. They, like sedans, have fallen victim to the SUV-ing of America. Chrysler, which basically invented the market for primo family movers, has stuck with its Pacifica, while Toyota has the Sienna and Honda the Odyssey. They are... Continue Reading →
2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic (AWD)
Mercedes delivers a sporty small crossover with its GLA250 ... Life is getting harder for premium brands. For instance the small crossover market is flooded with snazzy options, the Lexus UX, Volvo XC40 being two I’ve tested, while the pressure is coming from the likes of Mazda’s near perfect CX-30 along with Subaru’s Forester. Into... Continue Reading →
2021 BMW M440i Convertible
Gray Bimmer convertible easy on the eyes, not the wallet ... The M440i is sleek, sexy and fast, a primo luxury drop-top. Not much is certain these days, but for cars it is certain that gray is as hot today as a Kardashian bootie video. Dull gray leads the way, appearing on Toyota pickups and... Continue Reading →
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Premium
Jet Gray Mustang Mach 1 ready to break the sound, er, speed barrier ... Speed hooked many of us on cars, that raw power to go faster than our brains can barely imagine, or cope with. It’s the reason for racing and racy cars, for high-horse engines, and it’s why NASCAR’s Darrell Waltrip says things... Continue Reading →
2021 CHevrolet Trailblazer AWD Activ
Trailblazer downsizes to cute, small crossover ... If you’re imagining a mid-sized SUV when you hear the term Chevy Trailblazer, stop right there. The new Trailblazer is not that at all. A new Trailblazer rests outside Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa. This is a cute two-tone mini crossover that proves two things – Chevy... Continue Reading →
2021 Volkswagon Arteon 2.0T SEL R-Line
Arteon sedan delivers looks, refinement, value ... Only two years have passed since Volkswagen renamed and restyled its CC sedan as the Arteon, still a name that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. But VW assures us the term is Latin for Art, emphasizing how important design is for the model. Whatever it’s called, this... Continue Reading →
2021 Genesis G80 2.5T RWD
Entry-level luxury never looked this good .... Genesis continues to impress, even if few car buyers yet know what it is. Hyundai is still on an uphill climb. The South Korean automaker launched the Genesis luxury brand five years ago, much as Toyota launched Lexus, Honda launched Acura, and Nissan launched Infiniti, in the 1990s.... Continue Reading →
2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo, Premium Plus, AWD
Already a winner, new turbo elevates CX-30 to top tier ... Earlier this year I named Mazda’s slick new small crossover, the CX-30, as my Zoomie 2021 Car of the Year. Little did I know then that it was gonna get better. The original was sporty looking, featured responsive handling, a quiet near luxury interior... Continue Reading →