Range Rover Velar a sport-ute rolling in luxury ... Don’t ask me what Velar means; something to do with your soft palette, but that doesn’t make me think of cars much. So to me it sounds like another made-up car name. I suspect though that Land Rover feels Velar sounds sexy and luxurious, which is... Continue Reading →
2018 Nissan Rogue SL AWD
New Rogue comfortable, roomy ... Rogue is Nissan’s top-selling vehicle, has been around awhile and proved itself reliable, and if you’re a Star Wars geek, its name appeals like none other on the market. What it has going for it in the small sport-utility/crossover market is that it’s not too small. It has good interior... Continue Reading →
2018 Audi Q5 2.0T quattro w/Prestige
New Audi Q5 remains smooth, luxurious … Evidently once a smooth operator, always a smooth operator. Audi’s new Q5 compact luxury crossover/sport-ute carries on its tradition of smooth, sporty performance with luxury ladled on for good measure. It’s a bit larger than its predecessor and slightly more fuel efficient too. This is an all-around winner.... Continue Reading →
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate AWD
New Santa Fe a luxury sleigh ride ... Leading up to Christmas I spent a week luxuriating in Santa’s sleigh. Say what? It was Hyundai’s Santa Fe? Well then, never mind! Yet then again Hyundai’s mid-size SUV is certainly big enough to haul a lot of goodies to good girls and boys all over southeast... Continue Reading →
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Jeep Trackhawk boasts 707 hp, too ... There is now a 707 horsepower Jeep. You read that right, and the first question most folks ask is, Why would Jeep do this? The answer: Because they can. There’s no reasonable or logical reason, except that Fiat/Chrysler, which is the overindulgent parent of Jeep and Dodge, has... Continue Reading →
2017 BMW X3 xDrive 35i
BMW X3 has the street cred, but what about style? ... This week’s drive begs the question of style and performance vs. reputation and performance. How so? The tested BMW X3 compact SUV is a direct competitor of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio I tested a week prior. Darn near the same dimensions, the Alfa is... Continue Reading →
2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio AWD
Beautiful Stelvio puts in the crossover fast lane ... Even if Italian beauty were only skin deep, maybe that would be enough when it comes to cars and crossovers. The new Stelvio, Alfa Romeo’s first crossover or SUV, whichever you wish to label it, is a beauty. Its face is unique in today’s bland auto... Continue Reading →
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL w/4Motion
VW goes big into the SUV market with Atlas ... There are no awards for being late to the party, but VW is hoping sales are its consolation prize for finally creating a large SUV, the Atlas. It won’t win any styling awards (can you say big and boxy?), but it’s certainly stout and a... Continue Reading →
2018 Chevrolet Equinox FWD LT 2.0T
New Chevy Equinox shrinks, but that's a good thing ... Chevrolet updated the Equinox for 2018 by doing something carmakers rarely do these days, shrinking it. Equinox is nearly 5 inches shorter than its predecessor, but it feels lighter and livelier to drive, another rare accomplishment. Usually carmakers add inches and weight to increase their... Continue Reading →
2017 Dodge Durango GT Blacktop AWD
Outlier Durango delivers function and style ... Dodge’s Durango is an outlier of sorts. It features function and style while many of the better selling large SUVs maintain a staid look, favoring square exteriors and overly manly interiors with oversized gauges, knobs and air vents. Durango though likes to spiff itself up, like it’s saying... Continue Reading →