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 →
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 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury AWD
No big fins, but Caddy recaptures luxury in an SUV ... Luxury, and the perception of luxury, dictate price in the auto world, always have. But today the statistical differences between vehicles within a segment often are miniscule, a half inch here, five horsepower there. Exterior or interior styling, and the vehicle’s brand perception are... Continue Reading →
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT AWD
Mid-level XRT a stylish and primo family mover ... Reviewing the top-tier models, the crème de la crème that each manufacturer rolls into their press fleets is the norm for automotive reviewers. There’s no sympathy for this I know, but somebody must suffer to inform the masses. That’s why this week’s mid-level Hyundai Santa Fe... Continue Reading →
2021 VW ID.4 AWD Pro S
Electric VW well thought out, well-executed crossover ... Electric car haters might as well tune out right now as this review of Volkswagen’s new ID.4 all-electric crossover/SUV might melt your battery pack and explode your motherboard. That’s because the ID.4 is an extremely well-thought-out and executed EV that most families would enjoy. Like other crossovers... Continue Reading →
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx edition
Biggest Subaru offers three rows, more comfort ... Subaru has this love-all thing going with the environment, and who can blame it. National Parks and dogs are universally loved and tying your sales to either seems a no-brainer. I mean baseball and apple pie had already been tried. Subie’s latest love is the Ascent, its... Continue Reading →
2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid EX
Hybrid Sorento a family hauler with a smaller carbon footprint ... Families looking for economy, but needing people-hauling ability, and whose social consciousness nags them about cutting their carbon footprint, should be dancing a conga line toward Kia dealers for a Sorento Hybrid. This family hauler was redesigned for 2021, along with its cousin, Hyundai’s... Continue Reading →
2022 Infiniti QX55 Sensory AWD
New QX55 a fun mix of fashion and luxury ... Mixing fashion and fun in a luxury SUV/crossover is about as commonplace as legislators agreeing on something. Yet Infiniti has done it with its new QX55 for 2022, and this comes after its launch of the near perfect QX50 for 2021. That SUV/crossover also slots... Continue Reading →
2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige
Kia's renamed minivan a festival on wheels ... Minivans are about as popular these days as global warming. They, like sedans, have fallen victim to the SUV-ing of America. Chrysler, which basically invented the market for primo family movers, has stuck with its Pacifica, while Toyota has the Sienna and Honda the Odyssey. They are... Continue Reading →
2021 Land Rover Defender 90 First Edition
2-door Rover a retro rock star in looks, off-roading ... OK, I say Land Rover and what do you picture? Boxy, utilitarian off-roader running through tall elephant grass or African Savanna grass, a photographer’s head and camera poking from the open roof. Maybe an elephant, giraffe or even a lion wandering in the background? That’s... Continue Reading →