Judging by the many offerings from auto manufacturers, new car-buying Americans apparently love their small sport utility vehicles. Sedans have increasingly fallen out of favor with many U.S. car buyers. Americans now have a preference for compact and subcompact SUVs. These crossover SUVs are smaller than traditional ones; possessing tinier engines, typically lower sticker prices, […]
Travel/Golf/Auto reviews
Acura MDX conquers Tahoe in the snow
The Acura MDX is a stylish sport utility vehicle that can be a reliable workhorse as well. The 2020 Acura MDX demonstrated its versatility on a weather-challenged December ski day to Lake Tahoe and back. The trip to Tahoe was done on dry roads and this driver’s focus was on the comfort this midsize luxury […]
New Hyundai Palisade impressive
After a couple of failed attempts at producing a good midsize sport utility vehicle with three rows, Hyundai finally got it right. Introduced as a mid-year entry this summer, the 2020 Hyundai Palisade is receiving strong reviews. Even though sales aren’t brisk – more than 18,000 were sold over a five-month period, starting in July […]
Honda Civic keeps improving
Although this longtime standout in the compact class earned its reputation for being well made, affordable, reliable and fuel efficient, the modern-day Honda Civic possesses more than just the aforementioned qualities. Having last driven a Civic five years ago, we were taken by surprise at the performance this compact sedan delivered. It was fast, not […]
Makeover needed for Toyota Sequoia
The company brain trust remains unwavering when it comes to the Toyota Sequoia. It seems logical that the large sport utility vehicle is due for a redesign, since the last one took place in 2008. Yet once again, the 2019 Toyota Sequoia remains unchanged from last year. And a peek at the 2020 model reveals […]
Jeep Compass remains off-road leader
The Jeep Compass finds itself in a precarious position, situated among an extremely strong group of competitors in the compact sport utility vehicle class. Two mainstays at the top of the class remain the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The short list also includes some high-quality vehicles like the Ford Escape. Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, […]
Volkswagen GTI still going strong
The anticipation is finally over. The all-new, eighth-generation 2020 Volkswagen Golf was introduced Oct. 24 in Europe. Volkswagen has made a significant departure from its 2019 Golf lineup that has historically included lots of variety. That diversity is not changing. The 2020 Golf has no fewer than 10 powertrains to pick from and includes two […]
Maserati Levante offers major performance
The popularity of sport utility vehicles has definitely made an impact on the upper echelon of auto manufacturers. Try to name one that doesn’t offer an SUV? Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini all sell SUVs. So does Maserati, which added the luxury midsize Levante to its stable of vehicles four years ago. The upscale SUV certainly […]
Vail Resorts in Tahoe begin snowmakiing
The Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe – Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood – are expected to all be making snow this week and preparing for their late November opening. Thanks to the recent cold temperatures and dry air in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly Mountain began making snow Sunday (Oct. 27) in preparation for a planned opening Nov. 22 […]
Land Rover Discovery a classy SUV
Launched in the late 1940s and once considered a British icon, the Land Rover has a proud past. A longstanding four-wheel drive vehicle, the Land Rover developed quite the reputation for its off-road capabilities. Three years after its debut, King George VI granted the Land Rover a Royal Warrant in 1951. Although the typically box-shaped […]