Kia's Cadenza delivers luxury economically ... Back when I was kid in the 1960s and ‘70s a large luxury sedan meant a Buick, Lincoln, or certainly a Cadillac. Today, nearly every car maker has a large luxury model, some on the sporty side, but more favoring the luxury end, emphasizing smoothness and quietness. As us Boomers... Continue Reading →
2017 Toyota Corolla XSE
Toyota Corolla still running strong 50 years on ... Like Energizer’s bunny, Toyota’s Corolla just keeps on running through the generations and has succeeded like no other car model. It’s now 50-year run has resulted in more than 40 million Corollas being sold, most of any model. That’s more than the VW Beetle, the other... Continue Reading →
2017 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription
Volvo's S90 a near perfect blend of sport, luxury ... There are many truly wonderful mid-size, luxury, sport sedans, both heavy on the sport and heavy on the luxury. Few blend the two as well as the new Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription. The S90 may be the best driving car I’ve tested this past year.... Continue Reading →
2017 Nissan Rogue SL AWD HEV
Hybrid Rogue pulls up a bit short ... I’m always thankful to get an early crack at a new vehicle to market, and that’s what I had with an early release 2017 Nissan Rogue SL hybrid. Nissan has revamped the popular Rogue for 2017 with a new gloss black V-Motion grille, wider headlights and restyled taillights... Continue Reading →
2017 Acura MDX SH-AWD w/Advance & Entertainment
MDX loaded with luxury, high-tech goodies ... Acura’s big MDX sport-ute is loaded with luxury and high-tech items and graced with a quiet interior and powerful V6. The top-of-the-line test model was a bright white MDX SH-AW with both the Advance and Entertainment packages. The SH-AWD stands for Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. Not sure I’d tout the... Continue Reading →
2017 Ford Escape Titanium FWD
Ford refines its Escape crossover . . . For 2017 Ford has restyled its popular Escape inside and out, plus developed two new engines for the entry-level sport-utility, er crossover. There’s no mistaking the Escape for something else as its profile remains much the same, but there’s a new hexagonal grille, LED trim headlights and revised... Continue Reading →
2017 Honda Civic Touring Coupe
Civic Coupe is sleek, peppy, responsive, but ... Honda’s new Civic Coupe has a sleek profile, peppy turbocharged engine and responsive handling, but it also has a few issues that reinforce it’s an entry-level car. Through the years the Civic has grown up. It has gotten larger and now rides on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. It’s... Continue Reading →
2017 Audi A4 Premium
Audi's new A4 is the epitome of fun driving ... Here’s a simple truth. It’s fun to drive a car that’s fun to drive. That may seem silly, but let’s break it down. First, cars have taken a back seat to trucks for years now as first SUVs and then crossovers replaced the family sedan... Continue Reading →
2017 Cadillac XT5 Premium AWD
Cadillac XT5 long on style, short on details ... Cadillac has mastered the styling, now it needs to work on the details. The new Cadillac XT5 crossover continues Cadillac’s sharp chiseled styling with tall taillights and noteworthy nose and headlight stylings. Its interior is luxurious and attractive in a way most German makes have yet to... Continue Reading →
2017 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring AWD
Mazda CX-3 flickable fun, but practical too Small hatchbacks have always been fun to drive and practical too. So why shouldn’t a small crossover with a hatch be much the same? Well, more and more tiny crossovers are being made and mostly they are pretty entertaining to drive. This week’s bright metallic blue (dynamic blue mica)... Continue Reading →