F-150 Platinum is both a work truck, luxury hauler ... Ford’s F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States because it’s both a muscular work truck and a macho man’s luxury family hauler. That dichotomy is precisely represented by this week’s test vehicle, the upscale F-150 Supercrew Platinum. Anytime you see the word platinum... Continue Reading →
2018 Buick Enclave Premium AWD
Buick Enclave among elite luxury crossovers, really ... There’s no foolin’ around here, the Buick Enclave has been remade for 2018 and it’s among the best luxury crossovers/sport-utes out there. It was good before. It’s better now. First, it’s restyled so it looks more sleek and modern outside. But the wheelbase has been stretched to... Continue Reading →
2018 GMC Terrain AWD Denali
Terrain redesign lightens the load; Denali model adds luxury ... GMC redesigns its Terrain crossover for 2018 to make it lighter and a bit smaller, fighting all industry trends to add weight and length. Mostly, it’s a success. Terrain is virtually the same vehicle as Chevrolet’s Equinox with a bit boxier styling, but much improved... Continue Reading →
Ford F250 Super Duty 4×4 Crew Cab
Ford F250 Super Duty a true work truck, but luxury awaits ... Ford’s F250 Super Duty is a serious work truck. It’s a heavy-duty pickup unlike what most of us mere mortals would ever drive. Make no mistake, it looks like the ubiquitous F150, the best-selling pickup in the land that every urban cowboy and... Continue Reading →
2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
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 →