It went from sitting pretty to utter doom in just three years Do you remember DeSoto cars? I vaguely remember seeing comedian Groucho Marx pushing them. They are one of the many car brands that was a victim of competition and getting squeezed out of existence in the 60s. Introduced by Walter P. Chrysler in... Continue Reading →
2023 BMW Z4 sDrive30i Convertible
Power top, leather interior and plenty of twin-turbo power ... Time flies especially fast in a Z4, BMW’s mid-level luxury roadster. But it had really flown as it had been 14 years since I last shoe-horned into a Z4. This sDrive30i version came just as autumn was creeping into Wisconsin, the leaves starting to turn... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Buick Grand National
Not your grandpa's Buick Growing up I remember my uncle having a Buick and that's pretty much the image the brand had with an aging demographic preferring a cushy ride more than performance. With not a lot of foot traffic in the dealerships they needed something much like American Motors that I've written about in... Continue Reading →
2024 Subaru Impreza RS Review
AWD Impreza hatchback upgrades power, interior, fun factor ... Whoa Nelly! Subaru has gone and upped its entry-level game with its new 2024 Impreza RS hatchback. Honda, Hyundai, and Mazda best be taking notes. While the auto world has been backing away from cars for a decade or more, Subaru has instead refined its Impreza... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1991 Nissan Figaro
Cuter than a soft, fuzzy puppy. I'm usually a guy who likes the cars that have the big rip-roaring V8 engines but this week's spot, the Nissan Figaro, is just as cool but in a different way. Our daughter Meg spotted this Figaro at a show near Madison, WI. Note Vette right next to it.... Continue Reading →
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning (EV)
Lightning leads the way toward luxury electric pickups ... One of the biggest problems any manufacturer has when their product is No. 1 in the market is coasting, resting on their laurels. Some may say resting on their behinds! Ford could have done that anytime in the past 44 years with its F-150 pickup. It... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Lamborghini Urus
Lambo's big ol' SUV packs a punch ,,, Fast SUVs were a thing for a while and this week's spot, a Lamborghini Urus, is a great example. While Lambo had a run at an SUV with the beastly LM002, this one the Uris, was much more refined and built for speed. Spotted this Uris at... Continue Reading →
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD
Fast as a real Mustang, but Mach-E is an electric pony SUV ... Ford either made a big mistake naming its electric compact SUV the Mustang Mach-E, or that was a brilliant marketing move. Why? Because it causes confusion among average new vehicle buyers. Tell someone you just bought, or are testing, a 2023 Mustang... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Trabant 601 S “Delux”
East Germany's answer to West Germany's "People's Car" .... Growing up in the 1960s and '70s I remember the Cold War, and how the communists used East Berlin as a showcase for the success of socialism. Automobiles were a big part of that but ultimately, they were just terrible cars like this week's car spot,... Continue Reading →
2023 Jeep Compass Latitude Review
Compass adds refinement, but also power ... A lot can change, and should, when seven years pass between test drives. That’s how long it had been since I’d tested Jeep’s compact SUV, the Compass Latitude, which is one level up from its base Compass Sport. Refinement continues, and that’s a good thing unless you were... Continue Reading →