Kia continues to improve its brand up and down its lineup. There’s not a bad vehicle in the bunch. The 2017 Kia Forte is just one of the examples. Redesigned two years ago, the compact class Forte gets noticed right away. There is a lot to like since the redesign – it’s longer, lower and […]
Weidel on Wheels
Gotta love the 2017 Mazda Miata convertible
The primary consideration for people who want to buy a convertible: Fun. No doubt, it can be considered a rather selfish approach to buying an automobile. Yet it remains a guideline for folks who like the top down, wind blowing slightly in their face, and taking drives for pure enjoyment. One of the standard bearers […]
2017 Volvo XC60: changes arrive next year
Volvo’s top-selling model – the XC60 – needs revamping if it wants to remain relevant in a crowded field of upscale compact sport utility vehicles. The 2017 Volvo XC60 is showing its age. Recognizing the existing model kept losing ground to strong competitors like the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Lexus NX 200t, and […]
2017 Kia Niro: impressive new Hybrid
There’s no disguising the goal: provide a vehicle that challenges the Toyota Prius, the current undisputed king of the gas-saving cars. The folks at Kia believe they may have developed a worthy rival in the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid. Kia labels the Niro a compact hybrid crossover sport utility vehicle. Not everyone agrees with Kia’s […]
2017 Acura MDX: versatile and classy
There are two sides to the Acura MDX. It can serve as the cool three-row sport utility vehicle that laboriously can take a carload of kids to various destinations, or be the comfortable, classy mode of travel for a small family. Now in its eighth year of production by Honda’s luxury division, the 2017 Acura […]
Redesigned 2017 Hyundai Elantra keeps improving
Just because a vehicle goes through a redesign, don’t assume that means new is better. In some instances, that’s not true. However, that’s not the case with the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. Give it up for the Hyundai engineers, who equipped the redesigned Elantra with three new engines, a freshened exterior styling, added a seven-speed dual-clutch […]
Ford Fusion revamped for 2017
It didn’t take long for the Ford Fusion to gain popularity. The midsize sedan debuted in 2006 and 11 years later the vehicle is still competing with the heavyweights in its class. The problem for the Fusion is competition – it’s fierce. The segment includes Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda 6, Toyota Camry; Volkswagen Passat, […]
Minivan with style: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
Once the rage and deemed the vehicle of choice for “soccer moms” everywhere, minivan sales peaked in the early 2000s and has slowly subsided ever since. This year Chrysler bid farewell to the Town & Country minivan, an automobile it had produced for more than two decades with some degree of success. Realizing the peak […]
2017 Subaru Impreza an impressive hatchback
Although definitely more of a sport utility vehicle kind of guy, I can also see the attraction car buyers have for hatchbacks. It doesn’t seem that long ago when hatchbacks were shunned. In some circles, they became known as “notchbacks” and “liftbacks,” two terms that weren’t flattering for a vehicle that many people considered a […]
2017 Kia Cadenza: Attractive, affordable sedan
We’ve become a fan of Kia automobiles over the years, won over by an array of vehicles that are almost universally attractive, affordable and provide solid gas mileage and performance. It’s been mentioned here a few times in the past that Kia has become a “player” among its automobile manufacturing competitors. The jokes regarding cheap […]