Pacifica minivan nears perfection with quiet plug-in hybrid ... Chrysler has been in the minivan business longer than anyone else and it stands to reason that after 35+ years they’re nearing perfection. It helps that Chrysler never stopped innovating and it still leads the way as the 2021 Pacifica is the only plug-in hybrid minivan... Continue Reading →
2021 Hyundai Elantra SEL
Elantra offers value with distinctive looks, spunky performance ... Surprises tend to hang out at the low end of the automotive market, where expectations may be lower because, well, prices are lower. That continues to be the case with Hyundai’s popular Elantra compact sedan, refined and upgraded for 2021. I had the SEL model, just... Continue Reading →
2021 Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 Inscription
Plug-in hybrid XC60 a looker and performer ... A few years back I tested Volvo’s smallish mid-size crossover, the XC60, and was swept clean out of my cross-trainers. At the time, most crossovers were blah lookers and ho-hum performers, but today’s market is moving, as they always seem to, toward performance, and yet smaller carbon... Continue Reading →
2021 Mazda3 Turbo Premium AWD
Turbo adds kick to Mazda3, AWD gives it traction ... It’s possible that the current new generation of drivers will never know how much fun it is to pilot a car. Sad! Crossovers and trucks are so big, so dominant in the marketplace that it’s almost unbelievable that some automakers are still making cars. Several... Continue Reading →
2021 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid
Hybrid Accord feels familiar, consistently good ... Honda’s Accord hybrid is consistent, consistently good, just like the internal combustion version. I suppose if you refined most products, constantly improved them, for 40+ years you’d end up with a diamond of sorts. Honda deserves a lot of credit though. This week I slipped behind the wheel... Continue Reading →
2021 Lexus NX 300h F Sport Black Line
Luxury NX 300h modest in size, price ... Luxury comes at a price. That’s not new. On its face, the Lexus NX 300h F Sport Black Line, this week’s drive, is modest in size and price on the ever-expanding luxury scale. This edgy small crossover rides on but a 104.7-inch wheelbase, compact like the Acura... Continue Reading →
2021 Kia K5 EX
New Kia K5 a sedan with looks, performance, value ... I’m not sure what else a buyer could want from a stylish family sedan beyond what Kia’s K5 offers, unless they wanted to pay much more. I know, I know, mention value in a car review and the reader yawns and wants to click on... Continue Reading →
2021 Subaru Crosstrek Ltd.
Crosstrek merges hatchback styling, crossover utility ... Mix a love of hatchbacks with a need for AWD and you have the recipe Subaru has nearly perfected in its 2021 Crosstrek. I’ve loved hatches for years and really, if you think on it, isn’t that what all crossovers are? But crossovers aren’t very slick looking as... Continue Reading →
2020 Ford Edge ST AWD
Edge ST's twin-turbo adds a major power bump ... Since crossovers are king at the moment it’s understandable that Ford, or any vehicle maker, would want to grab every niche within that market, hence the Ford Edge ST. While the ST would welcome family buyers, as do the other Edge models, this one takes aim... Continue Reading →
2020 Subaru WRX STI
WRX STI is fast, furious and noisy as ... You know that sound of running a vacuum and it sucking up a load of dirt, gravel and maybe some road salt in winter. Now imagine that sound rattling around in each wheel well of your car. That’s the first impression of Subaru’s new WRX STI,... Continue Reading →