Toyota C-HR takes cute, useful and fun to drive to a new level ... Mini has had cute pretty well sewed up among small cars with four doors, but now Toyota has stepped up to the plate with its latest C-HR crossover. The tested C-HR (cute hot rod?) was the top-level XLE Premium model decked... Continue Reading →
2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Mazda CX-5 remains a sporty crossover ... As the world turns toward an all crossover and SUV automotive market it’s encouraging that the likes of Mazda continues to try and design sharp-looking vehicles that drive more like sports cars than trucks. This week’s fun four-wheeler is the midsize CX-5 crossover in top-level Grand Touring 4x4... Continue Reading →
2018 BMW M550i xDrive
BMW's M550i a hot, but sophisticated, rocket! ... BMW 5 Series sedans still rock. I know I about drooled myself silly praising the BMW 530e xDrive I tested about six weeks ago. I lauded it as epitomizing BMW’s motto of The Ultimate Driving Machine, and I still believe that. But … Along comes its sister... Continue Reading →
2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Muddy Fun
Muddy fun for a Jeep geek Full disclosure: I've been a Jeep guy for a very long time having first driven the SJ Cherokee back in the late 70's. I was forwarded on and email from my blogging partner, Mark Savage, who received an invitation from the Jeep people but couldn't make it to an... Continue Reading →
2018 Audi A5 Sportback quattro
Sporty Audi A5 Sportback looks slick, fast ... Fastbacks look, well, fast. Audi has decided its sportbacks will look slick too and that’s what Audi calls its new A5 hatchback. This is a sedan with a hatch that in profile is reminiscent of Audi’s spectacular A7, a good thing indeed. In addition to styling panache,... Continue Reading →
2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance
BMW 530e hybrid defines 'ultimate driving machine' ... The 530e sedan defines why BMW can justifiably lay claim to building the “ultimate driving machine.” This plug-in hybrid exudes everything one would want from a luxury car, with the added benefit of a hybrid system. Styling is elegant and tasteful with enough crispness to keep this... Continue Reading →
2018 Volkswagen Beetle 2.0T Dune
VW Beetle Dune a cute bug that will scoot ... Volkswagen’s latest Beetle, the Dune edition, is colorful and simply cute as a … OK, cute as a Bug! There, I’ve said it. But honestly I got a lot of looks in this metallic dark yellow mustard colored Beetle with its blacked out wheel wells... Continue Reading →
2018 Subaru Crosstrek Limited
Crosstrek sporty, practical, moderately priced ... Subaru takes a serious step forward with its new Crosstrek, a small crossover that mates sporty styling with practicality and moderate cost, a winning combo. While the former Crosstrek was sporty, it rode worse than most trucks with a choppy ride that spoiled its otherwise useful and economical underpinnings.... Continue Reading →
2017.5 Mazda6 Grand Touring
Mazda6 GT stylish and loaded with goodies ... While theaters are bulging with “Star Wars,” auto dealer showrooms are embroiled in car wars as top-selling mid-size sedans butt heads with their latest models. Top of the sales heap are the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, both of which have been revamped for 2018. But one... Continue Reading →
2018 Honda Accord Touring 2.0T
Honda Accord styling catches up with its competence ... Finally Honda has come out of its conservative styling funk to make its always solid Accord sedan look like more than a very reliable box. The 2018 Accord is wider and lower than its predecessor and looks more muscular and exciting with a larger grille, snazzy... Continue Reading →