2015 BMW X4 xDrive 35i

BMW X4 blends car, SUV and gets it about half right When is a car not a car, or an SUV an SUV? When it is an X4, BMW’s new blended vehicle. From the front it looks like a BMW sedan, it even has four doors, but a decidedly taller profile that unfortunately looks bloated... Continue Reading →

January 3, 2015 0

2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid AWD

Infiniti QX60 heavy on luxury, comfort, but will haul 7 passengers Like its sister crossover, the Nissan Pathfinder, the upscale Infiniti QX60 is a roomy family hauler that’s easy on the derriere, quiet and comfortable and can, if needed, haul seven passengers due to its third row seat. A couple years ago the Pathfinder switched... Continue Reading →

September 8, 2014 0

2014 Fiat 500L Lounge

Fiat goes long with 500L (get it?) to connect with more buyers Credit Fiat for quickly deducing that its cute, but diminutive, 500 runabout simply won’t do for many U.S. families. The Italian automaker that owns Chrysler needed something that would cast a wider net when trying to land more customers on our shores. Voila! The... Continue Reading →

June 20, 2014 0

2014 Chrysler Town & Country Limited

Town & Country minivan carries family, friends and stuff easily and efficiently Minivans are much maligned by the image conscious, or should we say, self-conscious car buyers. These folks let image stand in their way of buying the most family friendly vehicles on the market. This week’s Chrysler Town & Country Limited is at the... Continue Reading →

June 4, 2014 0

2014 Kia Soul+

Cute, youthful Kia Soul impresses on all fronts We all could use a little more Soul, and Kia is certainly doing all it can to encourage it. Kia’s Soul is one of the cutest crossovers out there and among the most economical too, both on the pricing and fuel economy fronts. I never ceased to be... Continue Reading →

June 3, 2014 0

2014 Toyota Venza XLE V6 AWD

Venza XLE delivers power, good looks and AWD Five years have passed since I last drove Toyota’s Venza, a crossover based on its popular Camry sedan. Not much has changed though, it’s still an attractive, competent crossover. In fact, Venza may be one of the best looking crossovers, simply because it blends the Camry’s sophisticated styling with... Continue Reading →

May 19, 2014 0

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Outlander Sport SE AWC = smooth looks, ride Maybe I’m becoming more tolerant as I age, but I liked the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport better than I had the first time I drove it three years ago. What I liked was its looks, a smooth sophisticated body, and its smooth well controlled ride, something one comes to appreciate... Continue Reading →

April 18, 2014 0

2014 Lexus RX 450h

H = hybrid in luxurious 450h crossover for a smooth quiet cruiser Lexus makes quiet, comfortable and reliable vehicles as well, if not better, than most car makers and its RX crossover has been a hit for years, being an early entry into the crossover, or tall wagon, market. Certainly Lexus does nothing to embarrass itself... Continue Reading →

February 8, 2014 0

2014 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD

Mazda CX-5 better than ever with more powerful engine Give Mazda credit, once it decided to remake its small sport-utility for 2013, it didn’t rest on its laurels, although it could have for a couple years. Nope, for 2014 it rolls out a new efficient, and more powerful 2.5-liter I4 using its Skyactiv technology that aims at... Continue Reading →

August 3, 2013 0

2014 KIA Sorento SX Ltd. AWD

Sorento handling, performance make it more fun than Santa Fe KIA has raised the bar with its revamped 2014 Sorento crossover, making it a much more enjoyable drive than the 2012 model I tested roughly 18 months ago. This is the smaller cousin of last week’s Hyundai Santa Fe, which wins on value and size,... Continue Reading →