2020 Honda CR-V Touring

New CR-V worth the wait ... Seven years had passed since my last test of Honda’s hot-selling CR-V, its small sport-ute, but the wait was worth it. I felt the 2013 model had fallen a bit behind the curve in the small ute market, but be assured Honda is back atop its game with the... Continue Reading →

May 8, 2020 2

2020 Ford Explorer ST AWD

Explorer ST puts the sport into sport-utility (at a price) ... Ford’s Explorer is the ubiquitous family SUV. It’s likely today’s 20- and 30-somethings think of Explorer as what mom and dad, their uncles, cousins and maybe a brother or sister drove, or still drive. There are a lot of Explorers on the road and... Continue Reading →

December 20, 2019 0

2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD A-Spec

Acura creates racy crossover with RDX … Whatever you think of crossovers, I’m here to tell you that some are sporty, some are fun to drive, and a few combine that with luxury befitting a fine sedan. Acura’s RDX AWD A-Spec, newly restyled for 2019, is one of the above. It’s a rip-roaring good time... Continue Reading →

October 8, 2018 0

2019 Volvo XC40 AWD R-Design

Volvo XC40 a fun, sporty crossover … Volvo, the Chinese-owned luxury car maker that builds its cars in Sweden and Belgium, has been on a roll now for a couple years. Its lineup of crossovers, like its wagons of the past, are well designed, utilitarian, but with enough luxury to easily take on its luxury... Continue Reading →

October 1, 2018 0

2018 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4×4

Toyota's big ol' Sequoia overdue for a restyling … Toyota’s big Sequoia sport-ute is overdue for a restyling and needs a few interior upgrades to compete for class leader in this market dominated by the likes of Chevy and GMC’s Suburban, plus Ford’s Expedition and Nissan’s Armada. All are big boys in a big boy... Continue Reading →

May 24, 2018 0

2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE

Range Rover Velar a sport-ute rolling in luxury ... Don’t ask me what Velar means; something to do with your soft palette, but that doesn’t make me think of cars much. So to me it sounds like another made-up car name. I suspect though that Land Rover feels Velar sounds sexy and luxurious, which is... Continue Reading →

March 1, 2018 1

2018 Nissan Rogue SL AWD

New Rogue comfortable, roomy ... Rogue is Nissan’s top-selling vehicle, has been around awhile and proved itself reliable, and if you’re a Star Wars geek, its name appeals like none other on the market. What it has going for it in the small sport-utility/crossover market is that it’s not too small. It has good interior... Continue Reading →

February 11, 2018 0

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate AWD

New Santa Fe a luxury sleigh ride ... Leading up to Christmas I spent a week luxuriating in Santa’s sleigh. Say what? It was Hyundai’s Santa Fe? Well then, never mind! Yet then again Hyundai’s mid-size SUV is certainly big enough to haul a lot of goodies to good girls and boys all over southeast... Continue Reading →

December 27, 2017 0

2017 BMW X3 xDrive 35i

BMW X3 has the street cred, but what about style? ... This week’s drive begs the question of style and performance vs. reputation and performance. How so? The tested BMW X3 compact SUV is a direct competitor of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio I tested a week prior. Darn near the same dimensions, the Alfa is... Continue Reading →

November 22, 2017 0

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 →