Lexus RX 450h perfect for a comfy, long haul ... Mostly my test drives are a couple hundred miles around Southeast Wisconsin over the course of a week, but this week was a rare exception when I drove the Lexus RX 450h to Omaha and back, more than 1,100 miles. As many a high-end suburban... 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 →
2017 New Jeep Compass Latitude 4×4
New Jeep Compass leapfrogs its predecessor ... Jeep has remade its Compass and moved it from near the bottom of the small crossover sport-utility list to much nearer the top. The former Compass didn’t impress in any way, while the new Compass starts by looking like a miniature Jeep Grand Cherokee with a handsome 7-bar grille... Continue Reading →
2017 MINI Cooper S Countryman All4
MINI's Countryman is bigger, not necessarily better ... The new MINI Cooper Countryman goes too far, but maybe that’s what U.S. buyers want. It’s the biggest MINI yet. I know that sounds contradictory for the small British-born make now made by BMW. But it’s true. This is MINI’s version of a crossover or small sport-ute with a... Continue Reading →
2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack TSI SE
New VW Golf Alltrack brings fun to wagons ... Volkswagen brings a little fun to the small wagon market, which is a niche of a niche these days, but certainly compares well with small crossovers. But instead of a tall boxy AWD vehicle, the Golf Alltrack is a decidedly leaner machine that looks downright sporty compared... 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 Jeep Renegade Altitude 4×4
Jeep’s Renegade a fun drive, high-value 4x4 … Young folks wanting a Jeep for its looks and rugged personality, but who are on an entry-level budget and prefer comfort to mudding ability can find refuge in Jeep’s Renegade. This is a multi-trim model that ranges from $20 grand, including delivery, up to $30 grand for... Continue Reading →
2017 Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country
Volvo 's V60 Cross Country touts pizzazz, not smooth ride ... Volvo’s V60 Cross Country wagon/crossover wisely borrows some styling pizzazz from the likes of Mazda, then goes about saturating the vehicle with its usual core competency, safety. Pretty nice combo, but it ladles on enough luxury to push the V60 to luxury-level pricing, but without... Continue Reading →
2017 Infiniti Q60 Premium AWD
New Q60 emphasizes performance, but ride suffers ... Driving similar cars back to back puts both into perspective, an unfortunate turn for the sporty Infiniti Q60. I’d driven the Mercedes-Benz C300 coupe with 4Matic, its all-wheel-drive system, the week before I slipped behind the wheel of the new Q60, which replaces the fine G37 in Infiniti’s lineup.... Continue Reading →
2017 Acura MDX SH-AWD w/Advance & Entertainment
MDX loaded with luxury, high-tech goodies ... Acura’s big MDX sport-ute is loaded with luxury and high-tech items and graced with a quiet interior and powerful V6. The top-of-the-line test model was a bright white MDX SH-AW with both the Advance and Entertainment packages. The SH-AWD stands for Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. Not sure I’d tout the... Continue Reading →