I saw the Ram 1500 Rebel at its debut during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2015 and kind of wondered to myself why it took Ram so long to offer an off-road package like this from the factory. It’s here, and its beauty is more than skin-deep.
General Motors must think I have a large family or something, as they have sent me one version or another of their extra-large family sport ute (AKA Carryall). I admit I am a fan of the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL vehicles, but five in the test driveway over the past two years – overload, perhaps?
I live in Texas, where huge pickups and SUVs are everywhere. Top of the line for either would have to be the GMC Denali, but you don’t have to be in a full-size Yukon or 4 door pickup to get the Denali package; you can also find it in the much more maneuverable, yet still roomy, 2017 GMC Acadia Denali.
It was just three years ago that we reviewed the then all-new, second-generation Kia Forte sedan. We proclaimed our amazement at how far the Korean automaker had come in a relatively short time in this market, as well as just how good the new Forte was. Fast-forward to model year 2017 and the Kia Forte gets a makeover.
Happy Anniversary, Jeep! Born in 1941, the iconic brand is celebrating 75 years of off-road toughness and its go anywhere, do anything attitude. We recently marked the stellar occasion by spending a week behind the wheel of a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock Edition as we celebrated our anniversary in the Texas Hill Country.
Several months ago I reviewed the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta sedan. I liked the car but it was a sedate, average daily driver. Recently I received the Jetta GLI, and I gotta tell ya, where the Jetta 1.8T left off the GLI begins, and for 2016 the GLI gets some nice upgrades.
As Ram and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles prepare to roll out a redesigned 2017 2500 Power Wagon this fall, they sent us a new 2016 version recently that we used for a weekend road trip visiting some out of the way places west of the sprawling Metroplex in North Texas.
Nissan’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. just got better. For the 2016 model year, the automaker has given its Altima midsize sedan a mid-cycle refresh inside and out. The new look embraces Nissan’s new Energetic Flow design language first seen in Murano and Maxima, and Altima also receives some significant technology upgrades as well.
Mitsubishi has given its crossover utility lineup a makeover. The Outlander and Outlander Sport each feature new styling and new content to make them more competitive in the very crowded utility segment. We recently tested the Outlander Sport GT and found the new little Mitsubishi to be a pleasant surprise.
What do you get when you drop a Toyota RAV4 body on a Prius powertrain? The RAV4 Hybrid. And surprisingly, even though both RAV4 and Prius have been on the market for some time, it was not until this past year Toyota put the two together to form the newest gas/electric hybrid vehicle in its showroom.
This week, along with a number of other auto writers, I attended the national press introduction to the 2017 Kia Cadenza in Middleburg, Virginia. The only things that made the heat and humidity bearable were the beauty of our surroundings and the fun we had while driving Kia’s second-generation four-door sedan.
Luxury and performance are two words not always found together when describing sedans, and when they are it is usually being used as adjectives to describe German automobiles. Lexus wants to prove it can offer serious competition to the luxury sport sedans from Europe, and it arrives in the form of the new GS F.
Half a decade ago Kia Motors America launched a marketing campaign for the all-new Sportage compact utility vehicle that begged the question (through song), ‘How do you like me now?’ We liked it just fine, but fast forward to the fourth-generation 2017 Kia Sportage and the Korean automaker is asking that question all over again.
The first of my 2017 review vehicles arrived recently in the form of the all-new Honda Ridgeline. Ridgeline is the Honda pickup utility vehicle that shares its platform with the Pilot SUV, with Ridgeline getting a few truck-like modifications. This second-generation Ridgeline is a significant transformation over the previous model.
Volkswagen has had some rough times lately but during its troubles with diesel fuel economy, the automaker still manages to build some good vehicles. The midsize 2016 Passat sedan, for example, is on par with its segment competitors and it offers a fun, powerful driving experience while offering very good value.
Sometimes automakers have to be careful with their own success. Take the RX for example, a vehicle that defined a new segment when it launched more than 17 years ago. That was the birth of the luxury utility vehicle and since then many have tried to dethrone the king. Does Lexus still reign supreme with the 2016 RX 350?
Over the past two years, Hyundai has rolled out three variations of its newest-generation Sonata midsize sedan. Last year we tested the Sonata and Sonata Sport versions powered by gasoline and/or turbocharged gasoline engines. Recently we got our turn behind the wheel of the new second-generation Sonata Hybrid sedan.
Last year Acura launched the all-new TLX premium luxury sport sedan. The TL/TSX replacement was well received both by consumers and automotive media alike. We reviewed the base model last year and recently spent time in a TLX with all the bells and whistles along with larger engine and advanced technology.
Do you sometimes just sit in your car and wonder where the heck you are going? Maybe not this trip, but perhaps in life? The new Journey Crossroads Plus from Dodge sounds like the perfect vehicle that is right there with you, waiting for that epiphany when you decide to zig instead of zag.
What do you get when you cross a family hauler with the spirit of design? The 2016 Mazda CX-9 three-row crossover. Mazda’s flagship arrived in its first iteration in 2006 offering seating for up to seven and a break from conventional design. The second-generation vehicle takes family functionality to another level.
The BMW Group is the parent corporation over BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. No, they did not send me a Rolls-Royce to test drive this past week but they did deliver the “Rolls-Royce” of small cars in the form of the 2016 MINI Cooper Clubman. This new second-generation model is the new maxi-MINI.