Toyota's Tacoma TRD a big mid-size pickup for off-roading ... There was a day, not all that long ago, when Toyota’s Tacoma, along with the likes of Ford’s Ranger and Chevy’s S-10, was a small, personal-sized pickup. These were young guy “first cars” because they were inexpensive wheels, macho enough to get the... Continue Reading →
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T ULT AWD
Hyundai's Santa Fe Sport still a leader ... Hyundai continues to pace the small to mid-size crossover segment with its Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport. A few years back Hyundai split its Santa Fe crossover lineup with the larger being the Santa Fe and the smaller, sportier model being the Santa Fe Sport. The... Continue Reading →
Mark and Paul’s fun at Road America
A Dream Day for driving As members of the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) Mark and I make the trip to Road America where we get to drive new cars from the manufacturers. This year, we drove the Ford Focus ST, BMW M40i, Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and GT, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Lexus RC F,... Continue Reading →
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Ltd. Platinum
Highlander Hybrid excels at moving people, things ... A road trip to Louisville with a couple buddies, and plenty of cargo, proved Toyota’s Highlander Hybrid to be a perfect transport choice. Ours was a medium metallic brown, what Toyota calls Toasted Walnut Pearl. Probably should have been pecan since we were headed to the South. But,... Continue Reading →
2017 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Inscription
New Volvo XC90 packs in a lot ... Honestly, the new Volvo XC90 is a bit overwhelming. It’s a big luxury crossover or ute, whichever you prefer. It looks buttoned-down collar sharp and has nearly every conceivable electronic doodad, safety device and feature one could expect. But there’s just so much here to enjoy and... Continue Reading →
2017 Toyota 4Runner 4×4 TRD Off-Road Premium
Tough Toyota 4Runner is anything but a TRD ... Let’s face it, you’d better have a pretty strong, competent vehicle if you’re going to give one of its models the TRD moniker. We all know what that sounds like, but in Toyota’s case it means Toyota tough, as in Toyota Racing Development. And that’s why... Continue Reading →
2017 Jaguar F-Pace 20d Prestige
First Jaguar sport-ute off to fast start ... Jaguar has its first sport-utility truck, the F-Pace and it’s already its best-selling vehicle. That tells you a lot. First, it tells you that tradition and heritage take a back seat to the overwhelming popularity of sport-utes and crossovers. Second, it tells you Jaguar buyers were ready... Continue Reading →
2017 Lexus LX 570
Pilot wannabes will like button-happy Lexus LX 570 ... If you’ve always dreamed of being an airline pilot, but never got the training, you should try landing the new Lexus LX 570. Lexus has created a cockpit fit for a pilot wanna-be with buttons galore. About the only thing missing is an altimeter. Here’s a... Continue Reading →
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. 4×4
Jeep's Grand Cherokee touts power, toughness and luxury ... What could be more patriotic than a Jeep? And the brand, now part of Fiat-Chrysler, is celebrating 75 years of Jeepdom, although the test model wasn’t specially adorned. This was a dark metallic gray Grand Cherokee Limited with 4-wheel-drive, starting at a relatively sane $39,895 and... Continue Reading →
2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition
New Honda Ridgeline redefines pickups Honda has reinvented the pickup and it’s a darn sight nicer than whatever you’ve driven before. To be honest, it’s a suburban cowboy’s pickup, but that’s what so many pickups are used as anyway – kid haulers and the occasional run to a home improvement store or big-box garden center.... Continue Reading →