Of all the different vehicle types on the road today, I most like compact SUVs. The overall size, the interior dimensions, the high seating, and the space for passengers and cargo, all add up to a great form factor for solo drivers, couples, and smaller families. It’s no surprise then that the 2022 BMW X3 was a fun drive experience with a size almost identical to my daughter’s Audi Q3 and so many other compact…Read More

It’s been an interesting fortnight of Toyota vehicles, starting with the 2022 Toyota Tundra, the big brother, followed by the rare 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 4×4 Double Cab. Since they’re at different points in the Toyota design cycle, it’s been very informative to see just how much difference the rumored Tacoma remodel will have on this already ridiculously popular light truck. And that difference is reputedly quite significant. But here’s the thing: The Tacoma…Read More

I’ve been reviewing a lot of pickup trucks lately, which is great because it really lets me see how different manufacturers tackle some pretty basic requirements for a vehicle that ends up possessing both a work and play identity. Pickup trucks have this dual identity more than a typical SUV or sedan, even if “real” commercial trucks are a different category of vehicle (and almost always bare-bones with barely a radio, let alone a fancy…Read More

I had a vehicular epiphany many years ago when I went to school to pick up my three kids and their musical instruments – including a 3/4-size cello – in a Toyota Prius. There was no way to deny the fact that we just didn’t have enough room for everyone and everything we wanted in the vehicle. In response, I upgraded to a much bigger vehicle, a Toyota Highlander. Sedans might be great for when…Read More

Honda sells a lot of Civics, around 300,000 annual in the United States alone. Get into one and it’s immediately obvious why they’re so popular; it’s a solid combination of sleek design, very good fuel efficiency, a zippy drive, and an entirely reasonable price tag, making it a splendid first new vehicle for many young families. What most startled me about the 2022 Civic 1.5T 4D Touring car that Honda Motor Co. loaned me for…Read More

Okay, so I didn’t really cross the Serengeti, though it’s Africa where the fabled Land Rover gained its reputation as being unstoppable, even through the toughest terrain on Earth. Heck, I didn’t even go over a curb or hit a mud puddle in my suburban and mountain road test of the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 SE, but it was still a very interesting drive and a unique, albeit somewhat uncomfortable interior design. Range Rover,…Read More

True story, the 2022 BMW M240i xDrive Coupe is the first vehicle I’ve driven from Bayerische Motoren Werke that I feel really embodies their “driving experience” motto. It’s a really fun drive, fast, nimble, responsive, and luxuriously comfortable. Even its curb appearance is terrific, a tiger just waiting to leap into traffic or fly around the next mountain hairpin curve. As always, I drove this vehicle for a full week, a variety of highway, suburban…Read More

From a 10,000 foot view, I definitely live in 4×4 truck country here in Colorado, but zoom in closer on that map and I’m in the ‘burbs in Boulder, Colorado. A few of my neighbors have big trucks but I’m more in SUV land – with a healthy sprinkling of Subarus – than bigger trucks. That’s why it was fun when RAM Trucks reached out and offered me a week behind the wheel of the…Read More

It used to be that American cars were made in America, and foreign cars were made overseas and imported. In that environment, it wasn’t a surprise that many people sought to “buy American” to support American workers. That simple vision has long since become obsolete, with “foreign” cars manufactured in factories based in the United States while “American” cars are manufactured overseas then shipped in for sale. The Chevrolet I’m reviewing is similar, with less…Read More

Prior to the mid 1980s, Japanese cars were defined by the pedestrian brands of Datsun, Toyota, and Honda. All huge manufacturing keiretsu, all producing construction equipment, heavy machinery, even lawnmowers and motorcycles. When Honda introduced its luxury brand Acura in 1986 to compete directly with the European luxury brands, it proved an inspiration for the other two companies. 1986 had Datsun rebrand its American lineup under the Nissan identity, and in 1989 Nissan introduce Infinit…Read More

I’ve driven quite a few Kia vehicles over the last few years and generally have been quite impressed with them all. Like fellow South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai, Kia keeps improving their cars each year, now delivering some of the best budget vehicles on the road. But the journey to being an A List car maker isn’t without its bumps, and after spending a week driving the 2020 Kia Sportage SX, I have to say…Read More

BMW has been generous with its vehicle loans and I actually wrote extensively about the 2021 BMW 430i just a month or two ago. You can check out my review and road test commentary here: A Week With the 2021 BMW 430i xDrive Coupe. In summary, I observed that it was sleek, comfortable, fun to drive, but marred by the “beaver teeth” front grill and some acceleration problems from a full stop. The acceleration problem…Read More

I just got back a few days ago from my summer road trip: Boulder to Kansas City and thence the Lake of the Ozarks, where I relaxed for a week with my kids and enjoyed both the summer heat and the cool indoor air conditioning. I wrote about the Lake trip elsewhere – see Summer Vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks – but what I didn’t talk much about was the transit. Honda kindly…Read More

Note: This is part 2. Please start here, as needed: The 2021 Rocky Mountain Driving Experience (part 1) I’d enjoyed driving the 2022 Nissan Frontier with Derek, the Nissan product specialist, but generally speaking, I prefer to drive these vehicles solo so I can screw with settings, crank the stereo, stop if I see something interesting (or a good photo backdrop), etc. Next up in the driving queue was a solo drive of the… 2021…Read More

It’s been a few years since the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press team pulled together a Rocky Mountain Driving Experience event for us auto writers and media types. You can guess why, but suffice to say it was great to get back with the group just a few days ago and take over the roads above Morrison, Colorado. Most famously, that’s where Red Rocks Amphitheater is, but our base was just a few miles away at…Read More

I’ve been driving a number of different Kia vehicles recently, finding each a solid option in its class with lots of nice design touches and external design. Most recently, the sporty Kia K5 GT sedan, but I also liked the Kia Sorento X-Line too, which is, yes, a compact SUV. When I had the chance to drive the entry-level 2020 Kia Sportage SX AWD, I expected something quite similar to the Sorento. But I was…Read More

I’ve been driving a number of different Kia vehicles this year, and each is an impressive entrant in its category. There’s no question, Kia Motors has quickly evolved to be a somewhat underrated A-list player. I suspect that most car buyers still think of the brand as being a step down in performance and luxury when compared to the premium manufacturers, but that’s no longer accurate. Get behind the wheel of a Kia and your…Read More

My usual measure of a vehicle is how it balances comfort, power, tech, and fuel efficiency, but you really can’t use all four of these criteria to measure the behemoth 2021 Cadillac Escalade. It’s ridiculously comfortable, plenty powerful and built upon more tech than you can shake a stick at. But fuel efficiency? Let’s just defer that discussion until a bit later. Suffice to say if you want a green, eco vehicle, this is not…Read More

It all started way back in 1966, when Ford Motor Company introduced a “sport utility” vehicle called the Bronco. It had three models, the Roadster, the Wagon, and the Sport Utility. It did really well and over the years, Ford has gone through five major redesigns of the vehicle, ending its production run in 1996 as it was replaced by the Ford Explorer and then the Expedition. Until this year, when Ford announced it was…Read More

Go to the Kia Motors Web site, check out the Sorento lineup and you’ll find that there are a lot of trim levels, ranging from LX, to S, EX, SX and SX Prestige, but the one trim level that isn’t listed is the “X-Line”. It’s the top of the line for every component on the vehicle, from bumpers to mirrors, pedals to roof rails. It’s also semi-mythical at this point because of how incredibly popular this…Read More

If you’re buying a premium luxury vehicle, you’re likely looking for more than just a good drive experience, you also seek a vehicle with a strong brand identity. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Alfa-Romeo, even Tesla have established a certain reputation. Drivers who seek a car with that particular personality head to the car-maker’s lots to check out the offerings. Lexus, the premium upmarket Toyota brand, is also in this category and for the most part, the…Read More