Debonair V60 Cross Country a sensory surprise ... What vehicles catch folks’ attention these days? If you’re thinking big pickups or SUVs you’d be way off base. That’s what folks buy, not what tickles their eyeballs. Sporty wagons, now that’s a sensory surprise. This week’s 2020 Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country (that’s a lot... Continue Reading →
2020 Nissan Armada Platinum 4WD
Armada a big boat full of performance, luxury ... In some ways you’d think Nissan would own the large SUV market. Its small Rogue is extremely popular as is its mid-size SUV, the Pathfinder. Consider too that Nissan’s large SUV boasts the most power in its class and is one of the lower priced big... Continue Reading →
2020 Dodge Durango SRT 392
Durango SRT rocks the SUV world ... Dodge’s Durango SRT is the truck version of a NASCAR stocker. SRT is all about power, muscle and grunt with an engine grumble that sounds like a stock car ready to bust out of the pits and head up the banking at Daytona. Otherwise, it’s a fine, luxurious... Continue Reading →
2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro
4Runner TRD Pro a muscular drive ... My wife calls Toyota’s 4Runner a manly man’s truck, and it certainly is. Tall, muscular looking, big tires and wheels, a hood scoop, a husky luggage rack on the roof and an engine that growls along with knobby tires that rumble on the road. Yes, manly and a... Continue Reading →
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 →
2020 Range Rover Evoque SE AWD
New Evoque fails $64,000 question ... Range Rover’s new Evoque stirs a $64,000 question: Do you expect your new vehicle’s climate control system and heated/cooled seats to work every time you start the vehicle? Apparently the answer is, No! Despite my “Yulong White” test vehicle’s $64 grand price tag, those systems worked about half the... Continue Reading →
2020 Lexus NX 300 AWD F Sport
Lexus NX 300 a small ute with style . . . Small SUVs and crossovers are nearly as thick these days as political pundits, so it takes some effort to separate one from the mob of little tall wagons. Lexus tries, with some success, with its NX 300, based on the previous generation Toyota RAV4... Continue Reading →
2019 Lexus RX 350L AWD Luxury
Lexus RX 350L, when you're entitled to more luxury ... There’s no doubt we’re an entitled society from top to bottom. But when one slides behind the steering wheel of a Lexus RX 350L it’s hard not to feel a strong urge of entitlement, and contentment. Granted, I’m lucky to get such a chance, but... Continue Reading →
2019 Honda Passport AWD Elite
Dandy new Passport hauls a lot of gear ... A loaded-down road trip to Minnesota was the perfect test for Honda’s latest crossover/SUV, the midsize Passport. You may recall Passport as a midsize SUV offered earlier by Honda until 2002. It was a revamped version of Isuzu’s Rodeo (Remember Isuzu?). This is a whole new... Continue Reading →
2019 Audi Q8 quattro
Audi Q8 quattro a loaded fancy-pants SUV ... Luxury and prestige have their price, and for Audi’s largest SUV, the Q8, that starts at $68,395. Luckily that includes delivery charges, and to be honest, quite a lot else. Think of this as the SUV version of Audi’s fancy pants A8 sedan, which as a top-line... Continue Reading →