I can’t recall driving a compact sedan that felt as militantly tight and study as the 2019 Kia Forte EX. Honestly, the first word that sprang to mind while motoring in my Silky Silver test car was “tank.” That was not meant as a compliment at the time–did someone on the line tighten the bolts […]
Ride Me
2019 Mazda Miata MX-5 RF is Made for My Garage
The size, depth and lack of cargo space in Mazda’s Miata MX-5 RF makes it the most impractical 2019 vehicle I have driven so far. Dear God, would I love to have one in my garage. For one thing, not only does the sports car fit with the garage door closed, it is so small […]
Curt Pringle is Going Down-Under on ya to Build a Toll Road
Next on our list of toll road lobbyists who’re wasting your money is an OC favorite: the former Mayor of Anaheim, the Dark Lord of Anaheim Politics himself, Curt Pringle! For those who don’t know, the city of San Clemente is embroiled in a lawsuit against the Transportation Corridor Agencies (aka the TCA, aka the […]
Age is All in Your Mind with the 2018 Kia Cadenza Limited
I have to be honest. When I first got behind the wheel of a 2018 Kia Cadenza Limited, my first reaction was “grandma car.” The Snow White Pearl paint job was applied to a sleek body design, the 19-inch dark satin wheels did offer a look of sophistication, and pushing the ignition button was followed […]
Behold the Winchester Mystery Car: 2019 Hyundai Veloster R-Spec 1.6L Turbo
The 2019 Hyundai Veloster R-Spec 1.6L Turbo is the Winchester Mystery House of automobiles. Look at the photo above. Note that there is no door behind the driver door. But there is bench seating in the back. Farther down on this page, you will be looking at those back seats through the open back door […]
Comfort and Performance in a 2019 Kia Optima SX Turbo? You’re Sitting in It
For a representation of the 2019 Kia Optima SX Turbo’s balance of comfort and performance, you need to look at your seat. No, silly, not your seat as in your buttocks but your seat as in the mid-size sedan’s sitting surfaces, or more specifically the front bucket version your humble reporter’s bum filled recently. The […]
2018 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Limited Packs a Punch for Less Than 30 Grand
For those who think they might want to go electric but suffer enough range anxiety that they’d want a gasoline-powered engine as a backup lest they get ulcers or panic attacks, the 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid is a solid alternative at a competitive price. If you drive the Limited model that I tested, you’ll get […]
2018 Kia Stinger with Twin Turbo V6 Harks Back to Those Muscle Car Days
I wanted to know how to describe the 2018 Kia Stinger GT2 V6 AWD for you, so I turned to Mr. Google. Perplexed over what to type in the search engine (Sedan? Sports car? Mid-life crisis?), I thought about my driving experience and all I could come up with was “muscle car.” So that’s what […]
Stick Your Kids in Front of Cartoons While You Enjoy Driving the 2018 Mazda CX-9
Mazda has cars that look as impressive as they drive, including their MX-5/Miatas, flagship Mazda 6 and Vision “Concept Car of the Year.” Besides cross-pollinating design elements brand-wide, Mazda incorporates engine, transmission and other performance features to various models, which is why, when asked to name my favorite test drive vehicle, Mazdas always enter the […]
Taking in Some Idaho and Lots of Wyoming in a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4WD LTZ
Chevrolet, the teevee informs us, is in the middle of “Truck Month,” which means you can supposedly get great deals on 2018 Silverados. Those trucks, of course, are being cleared out to make room for the 2019 models, such as the Silverado 4WD LTZ Crew I recently drove through parts of Idaho and Wyoming … […]
Danny Thompson and Challenger 2 Blow Past Own Records at Bonneville Salt Flats
The last time I saw Danny Thompson’s Challenger 2, it was in pieces and still being together in a Huntington Beach industrial park space. That was in 2013, when Thompson told me of his plans to rebuild Challenger II, his late father (and racing legend) Mickey Thompson’s dual-engine streamliner, to break the national land speed record […]
2018 Hyundai Kona Ultimate AWD Packs a Hawaiian Punch
After years of bigger supposedly being better, sport utility vehicles seem to have found themselves in a race to get smaller in recent years, with the “crossover” being a reflection of that philosophy. New this year from Hyundai, the Kona not only fits the trend but establishes a new one by becoming an alternative to […]
Kia Squeezes More Juice Out of Battery on its 2018 Soul EV+
“What does it say? What does it say?” With my 2018 Kia Soul EV+ loaner car fully charged–from having plugged the accompanying trickle charger into a household outlet in my garage overnight–my wife was curious about the top range displayed on the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. 111 miles, I answered, to which […]
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate Reporting for Workhorse Duty, Sir!
The base model 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which is smaller than the regular three-row seating Santa Fe, boasts good safety scores, nice interior features, sporty (!) exterior touches like a rear spoiler, a 2.4-liter I-4 engine–and all of it for just shy of $25,000, making it a relatively affordable SUV. If you don’t mind adding […]
2018 Kia Niro PHEV EX Premium Plug-In is a Double-Entendre Crossover
The 2018 Kia Niro is a solid crossover–not only because it represents that cross over from larger sports utility vehicles to smaller sedans. That’s because crossover is a double entendre when it comes the plug-in hybrid, which crosses over from running solely on electric power around town to gasoline on longer trips, at high speeds or […]
You Needn’t be a Snowflake to Appreciate 2018 Mazda6 Signature in Snowflake White
I can’t recall another Ride Me test car that impressed me as much from the get-go as the 2018 Mazda6 did. Walking over to the driver-side door, I stopped in my tracks at that side’s front tire, which was wrapped around what had to be the sportiest looking 19-inch alloy wheel I have ever seen. […]
It’s Time to Play Find the Crestline Castle with a 2018 Chevy Cruze LT Diesel
Driving a Chevy with a manual transmission takes me back to my high school days in the 909 (back when it was still part of the 714), while driving a Chevy powered by diesel fuel takes me back to … well … never. So it would be the stick shift that would win the day […]
2018 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Inscription Lives Up to Lofty Expectations
Considering my family sports utility vehicle is 18 years old, I can find something to appreciate about all the brand-new SUVs and crossovers put through test drives for this space. However, the Volvos always pulls ahead of the pack, which may be no surprise given their buyers generally shell out more for that brand. (How […]
Vroooomiest Ride Me EVER, Starring the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe
Writer’s note: And now from Ride Me, the occasional series of consumer vehicle reviews, is something completely different. The mirror, self-respect and pants button projecticles bouncing off walls did not convince me to work in sit-ups. The 2018 Covette Grand Sport Couple did. That is because halfway into climbing into the driver’s seat the first time, […]
2018 Kia Sportage EX is a Compact SUV for the Value-Minded
When the deliveryman dropped off the 2018 Kia Sportage EX, I did a double-take. The compact SUV looked like my previous Ride Me test subject, which the same driver was taking back to his workplace, only smaller. Each even had similar shades of red paint jobs. Kia calls its “Hyper Red,” which I believe […]
2018 Buick Encore Premium is a Smooth Operator
The first thing I liked about the 2018 Buick Encore Premium was the interior height. After opening the driver-side door, I did not have to jump up onto or drop down into the seat. Just sway to the right and the seat is perfectly positioned for my ass with minimum effort on my part. I […]