V8 makes luxurious Defender crazy fast, but for off-roading? ... If vehicles were to be judged strictly on how well they drive then Land Rover’s two-door Defender 90 V8 would be a champ, both on and off road. You see, Defender is a short-wheelbase British designed Jeep, historically, and the entry step into Land Rover’s... Continue Reading →
2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL 2.5 S-AWC
Nissan partnership helps upgrade Outlander, fuel sales ... Pardon Mitsubishi if it feels like strutting a bit, chest out, chin up, wide grin. You see, the Japanese automaker is on a roll, recording its eighth straight year of upwardly mobile sales in the giant U.S. market and its fourth in a row of 100,000+ sales.... Continue Reading →
2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate
Nimble, powerful XC40 Recharge a bit shy on range ... Electric power is coming, and quickly, to some car makes, Volvo being a prime example. Its compact SUV, the XC40, debuted just a couple years back, but now is available with full electric power from twin electric motors, one front, one rear. This version is... Continue Reading →
2022 Lexus LX 600 F Sport Handling
A Land Cruiser in fancier duds and an in-your-face grille ... Big comes in all sizes. That may sound counterintuitive, but consider the new Lexus LX 600, which replaces the LX 570 that had grown old in styling and tech. Not to worry, the LX 600 looks massive with possibly the industry’s biggest, most intimidating... Continue Reading →
2022 Lincoln Navigator Black Label
Navigator a big luxury liner with massaging seats, power & more .... Lincoln’s long luxurious Navigator feels a lot like cruising a highway in your family room, if your family room is loaded with tech and massaging chairs. If like mine, yours is not so equipped then for a wee bit more than I paid... Continue Reading →
2022 GMC Terrain 4AT AWD
GMC's restyled Terrain a worthy SUV to fit a family budget ... I’d be lying if I said my expectations were high when the bright Cayenne Red GMC Terrain AT4 was deposited in the family driveway. This is a compact entry-level SUV from GM’s truck brand that starts just under $30 grand, a value leader,... Continue Reading →
2022 BMW X3 xDrive 30 i
Putting a little Sport back in Sport-utility vehicle ... Remember what SUV stands for? Sport-utility vehicle. Sport was originally part of the equation for these AWD, off-road intending vehicles that have taken over the auto world along with their cousins, crossovers. Funny, not many SUVs feel sporty, yet this week’s drive was the blissful anomaly.... Continue Reading →
Mazda CX-9 Signature
Attractive styling, 3 rows make CX-9 a standout ... Family vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, but Mazda’s CX-9 mid-size SUV is among the more attractive 3-row options with its distinctive beak-like nose. So many SUVs and crossovers are so darned boxy that it’s nice to see a distinguishing characteristic. Amazingly the CX-9’s design... Continue Reading →
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD
Boxy, gray, two-tone, 3-row Pathfinder a trend setter ... Sometimes when I write my reviews I feel like a broken record (remember those?) repeating the same info over and over. Part of that is because trends develop fast in the car world and once one manufacturer does something for style, color, features, the others soon... Continue Reading →
2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian 4×4
Grand is the key word in Jeep's new full-size luxury SUV ... Jeep’s new Grand Wagoneer, its first GW since 1991 is simply too much, and that applies to price, screens, and luxury features. Of course, that’s exactly the market Jeep is going after with the Grand, over-the-top high-end luxury. So I’ll warn you right... Continue Reading →