2-door Rover a retro rock star in looks, off-roading ... OK, I say Land Rover and what do you picture? Boxy, utilitarian off-roader running through tall elephant grass or African Savanna grass, a photographer’s head and camera poking from the open roof. Maybe an elephant, giraffe or even a lion wandering in the background? That’s... Continue Reading →
2021 Buick Envision Essence
Front-drive Envision the essence of entry-level luxury ... Buick has been evolving the last five years or so. It’s still a solid entry-level luxury vehicle maker, but it has been transitioning away from cars to crossovers and SUVS. Currently there are three models, the Encore and Envision that I’d classify as crossovers and the Enclave,... Continue Reading →
2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat AWD
Crazy fast Hellcat SUV a demonic delight ... Some things simply make no sense, seem coo-coo crazy, yet are so much fun that a person ignores their lunacy. For instance, Dodge’s Durango SRT Hellcat with its 710-horse supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8. Any engine oozing that many adjectives is sure to be a demon. This wild... Continue Reading →
2021 Kia Sorento X-Line AWD
New Sorento X-Line ups the SUV ante ... Choices are rife in the mid-size crossover/SUV market and Kia is not making it any easier. The fourth generation Sorento is another fine offering from the South Korean car maker, this one offering a third row seat to tempt buyers away from its kissin’ cousin, the Hyundai... Continue Reading →
2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Caligraphy
Fourth gen Santa Fe grows into a sharp looker ... Time flies. Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV proves it. Santa Fe debuted 20 years ago as the South Korean automaker’s mid-size SUV. It was nothing special, just economical and reliable. Hmmm, reminds me of how Toyota, Honda and Nissan started out in this country, except with... Continue Reading →
2022 Acura MDX SH-AWD Advance
Acura doctors up its MDX , prescribing excellence ... Rare that an automaker skips making one of its best-sellers for a year, but Acura did that - sort of - with its popular MDX luxury sport-ute to ensure its 2022 MDX was a winner. It is. To be accurate, Acura didn’t skip a whole... Continue Reading →
2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S Coupe
Mercedes' racy GLE Coupe is really an SUV ... This new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is a whale of a vehicle and I mean that in mostly the nicest way, beyond its obvious looks. The GLE Coupe is essentially a large SUV with a whale-like rounded rear end. If you don’t care for the look, Mercedes... Continue Reading →
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands 4×4
New Bronco Sport a just-right size, mild-cost off-roader ... Ford’s new Bronco Sport is going to be a winner for the blue oval folks, but it has a major challenge ahead of it: how to avoid grow too big or too luxurious. In theory that’s what the new bigger Bronco will bring, whenever it finally... Continue Reading →
2021 Ford F-150 4×4 Supercrew Lariat (hybrid)
Hybrid F-150 generates apocalypse-conquering power ... After 43 years as the best-selling vehicle in the United States I suppose nothing should surprise me about the latest Ford F-150. Ford hasn’t stayed atop this highly competitive money-making bonanza of a market for U.S. carmakers because it coasts. Nope, it keeps re-inventing the envelope. For 2021 Ford... Continue Reading →
VW Atlas Cross Sport SEL R-Line Premium
Shorter Cross Sport aims at slightly different buyer ... Rarely are two vehicles as similar as the Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. Rarer yet is my getting to test such a duo within weeks of each other. A little more than a month ago I enjoyed the Atlas, which is about 5 inches longer... Continue Reading →