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 … […]
Ride Me
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 […]
Prepare to be Overwhelmed by the 2018 Chevy Bolt Premier (Part 2)
WRITER’S NOTE: This is part two of the Ride Me vehicle-review column featuring the 2018 Chevy Bolt EV Premier. Click here to read part one, “To Live and Die in the Arizona Desert in a 2018 Chevy Bolt EV Premier.” Having just tested a performance brand’s electric car that costs $10,000 more, I was expecting […]
To Live and Die in the Arizona Desert in a 2018 Chevy Bolt EV Premier
WRITER’S NOTE: This Ride Me vehicle-review column is the first of two parts featuring the 2018 Chevy Bolt EV Premier. So much happened over the week I test drove the electric car that it did not seem fair to pack into a single story my experiences as well as my opinions about the EV. […]
Driver Digs the Drive and Riders Relish the Ride in 2018 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring
A recent turnaround trip to the Phoenix area was made quickly, comfortably and classily (?) by a “Soul Red Crystal Metallic” Mazda CX-9. The all-wheel-drive ride arrived on my doorstep (or driveway, to be more precise) with a heap of praise. Car and Driver lists it among the 2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs, and U.S. […]
2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco is a Peppy, Gas-Sipping Charmer
To figure this one out, I need a head doctor–head as in noggin, not necessarily leader of a department. Recently, when Ride Me featured Hyundai’s 2018 G80 Sport, yours truly wrote that the driving experience resembled a luxury-car versus sports-car ride. A few weeks later, I climbed behind the wheel of Hyundai’s 2018 Elantra Eco […]
2018 Mitsubishi Mirage GT Hatchback is Affordable and Loaded with “Free” Extras
If you are looking for a small car at a reasonable price that gets great gas mileage and has some of the extras normally found on more expensive rides, then you really can’t go wrong with the 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage GT. The five-door, wine red metallic/black hatchback I tested included as standard items a keyless […]
2018 BMW i3s Electric Car Looks Even Better Thanks to SoCal Edison
When Southern California Edison informed me about a new energy reducing partnership through BMW, which is offering the power company’s employees and residential customers discounts on the purchase of new i3 and i3s electric cars, I asked the next logical question. “Hey, SCE, do you suppose your new BMW buddies would let me test drive […]
2018 Genesis G80 Sport Packs Luxury into a Smaller Package
Having been very impressed last spring by the Genesis G90 AWD 3.3T Premium, I was excited to slide behind the wheel of Hyundai’s Genesis G80 AWD 3.3T Sport, which is the first sports sedan under the brand. The G90 was the perfect ride for a trip to Southern Arizona, where Border Patrol vehicles roll by […]
Mazda6 Grand Touring Combines a Sporty Look, Fuel Economy and a Monster Ride
In our last thrill-packed episode, I gushed about the Sport mode turning the putt-putty 2018 Hyundai Sonata Eco into a beast. Well, that beast is a chihuahua compared when you compare its Sport mode to the 2017.5 (that’s the year on the Monroney sticker, folks) Mazda6 Grand Touring’s version. It was already a peppy little […]
2018 Hyundai Sonata Eco: Affordable, Economical with a Beasty Sport Mode
I concede that when a 2018 Hyundai Sonata Eco was dropped off at my home, I did not think much of it. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by other recent test vehicles. The Eco just seemed kinda … meh. This midsize sedan actually pulled up with a lot of fanfare, as car reviewers have been raving […]
