Remember the Jurassic Park movies where the T-Rex was feared and wreaked havoc throughout each film? Well this week’s tester has a name that is similar to the T-Rex and equally is the apex predator on the block when it comes to big, performance-oriented pickup trucks.

“That thing looks like they cut off the back end of an SUV” or “Hey that is one of the coolest looking trucks I’ve ever seen.” These were just two of the vastly different comments I got about this week’s tester which is eye-grabbing regardless of which opinion you might agree with. Indeed, t…

Two doors. Four doors. Hard top. Soft top. Sounds like I’m talking about the Jeep Wrangler, but no, in fact, I’m talking about the 2022 Ford Bronco, which makes a triumphant return to rival the Wrangler. Many enthusiasts have waited quite a long time for the Bronco to return.

Remember the 1980s and 1990s? I sure do. Things were just a little better then. Some would say the cars were better than too. That’s debatable. But if there’s one style of car that epitomizes that time it’s the station wagon.

For anyone who has dismissed Genesis as just a glorified, overpriced Hyundai, they haven’t been paying attention. Hyundai’s luxury brand is legit. You could argue Genesis is as legitimate as Lexus, Acura and Infiniti, if not more.

No animal symbolizes the open road and the great American wilderness more than the bison. So it seems appropriate that the most rugged or more adapted to the open road than the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison. To make it even more blue blooded through and through, this smaller pickup truck is power…

The average automotive consumer probably dismisses “best of” and general industry type of awards as either bought and paid for or completely pointless. In some cases that may be true. But to win the North American Car of the Year (NACOY) is an honor and is most certainly not bought and paid …

Many people may not realize that Volkswagen is one of the top auto manufacturers in the world with revenues in the hundreds of billions. Sure you don’t see VWs as much here in the United States, although that’s slowly changing. But clearly the Volkswagen group knows what they’re doing about …

Everything about the 2022 BMW 430i Gran Coupe that I drove sounds luxurious. And let’s be honest, driving a BMW means enjoying some of the finer things in life. So when I got to drive the 2022 BMW 430i Gran Coupe around Los Angeles it was nice. And even the color of the car and the interior …

Who knew that doing something so simple, yet so out of the box, could completely change the look and vibe of a vehicle? That is the case on the 2022 Hyundai Tucson after it’s redesign and overhaul.

Most people have fond memories of family vacations. But when you look back at those, do you have some nightmares about long road trips, trapped in a stuff vehicle next to your sibling with suitcases pile high? Maybe it’s just me.

Three-row SUVs are everywhere. Throw a rock and you’ll hit one. But really that’s a metaphor, don’t throw rocks at any vehicles.

With all the ballyhoo and hubbub over the naming of Ford’s all-electric crossover (Mustang Mach-E), one thing that can unite all muscle car enthusiasts and all Ford fans is the loud, visceral sound of finely-tuned American-made V8 engine.

If you were asked to name the best-selling SUVs on the road today, would the Nissan Rogue spring to mind? But look around on America’s roads and you see a lot of these compact SUVs, and for good reason.

Is that vehicle worth that much? That’s what I get asked a lot, almost regardless of the price tag of any vehicle I drive. This week’s tester made a lot of those same people choke when they heard the Monroney sticker had almost six figures on it.

BMW is a luxury brand known for performance and a certain driving style. In other words, it has personality. And that’s what you want from a vehicle and automotive manufacturer. So what happens when you add even more “personality” to your large SUV line?

Remember the scene in Jurassic Park (the original, not one of the 52 remakes that have been made) where the velociraptors take on the T-Rex and end up destroying it? As fearsome as the T-Rex was it was the velociraptors that struck the most fear as they were both fast and tenacious.

Three letters. That’s the theme of this week’s tester. Three little letters can make a difference. For example by adding AWD (all-wheel drive) you can make the handling and performance better of a vehicle.

It seems every automaker lately is trying to rebrand itself by adding some sort of off-road sub-brand or nomenclature. This is very important and incredibly evident amongst pickup truck brands.

If twice is nice, then what is thrice? Before you ding me for bad grammar, thrice is a real world that means three times. So what’s all the obscure references to three all about?

As an automotive writer we are to remain unbiased and open minded. I accomplish that. But that doesn’t mean, I don’t develop a “type” or a preference.

Based upon what part of the country you live in, you will have mixed feelings on camouflage as a clothing accessory. For those non city dwellers, camo might be a regular part of their attire, and certainly is part of their attire during hunting season.

What is the best vehicle available today? I get asked that loaded question a lot. And the truth is, there is no perfect vehicle and certainly best or perfect is totally subjective too.

BMW’s moniker is The Ultimate Driving Machine. That’s a bold statement for any auto manufacturer, but BMW seems to be able to back it up.

The acronym PHEV is showing up more and more in the auto industry. It stands for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. It basically means that it’s more than just a standard hybrid but has an electric motor that can be plugged in to be recharged. This combination means it is both more fuel effici…

A few weeks ago I wrote about a long trip I took in the new minivan from Kia called the Carnival. Kia has one of the segment leaders, the Toyota Sienna, in its sights with their new minivan. And for good reason.

Let’s face it, the subcompact SUVs can lack substance in their performance and can sometimes overcompensate with frilly, exuberant design. Kia jumps into this segment with an entry that follows some of those trends. The base engine of the 2021 Kia Seltos is punchless and lacks any amount of …

Buick has bombarded our TVs with commercials proving that GM’s pseudo-luxury brand has changed. The rebranding by Buick is smart. It had a stodgy vibe. It was what grandparents drove. And also, Buick has suffered as being a tweener brand, as in it was nicer than Chevy but not quite as luxuri…

The world of electric vehicles (EV) continues to expand. This is good for the consumer. Volkswagen has an entrant in the emerging compact SUV EV market and it has a short and sweet name – ID.4.

Google my name and Mustang petition. You’ll find something interesting about me. As a Mustang historian, and author of the book Mustang by Design, I was initially upset when Ford announced that they would be putting the hallowed Mustang name and logo on a crossover. Blasphemy!! Heresy!! 

The luxury midsize SUV segment is as competitive as almost any segment in the automotive industry. There are newcomers, disruptors and stalwarts for this segment.

The Volkswagen Group still remains one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, even after trouble with diesel powertrains. Through the challenges of the Covid-19 virus, the VW group has not only survived so far, but they have also upped their commitment to the US market at the …

When the press-fleet driver showed up in my driveway with a brand new 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, dressed up in the unmistakable color of Army Green, I did not know whether to salute or just keep my social distance. Just the look of this raised truck and special 18-inch TRD wheels express fu…

In 1957, there was a Japanese manufacturer that wanted to break into the American automotive market with a small economy car and one Land Cruiser. They had a plan to match and exceed the American expectations on reliability and efficiency. After rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s, Toyota ma…

There are few SUV’s in the world that conjure up as many legends as the Toyota Land Cruiser. The Wiley’s Jeep has its place in history and inspired the Japanese to develop 4×4 vehicles post-WWII. The Land Cruiser has crossed every continent on the globe and taken people on adventures for 60+…

Mitsubishi has sold more PHEV SUV’s than anyone in the world? It is true and might be hard to believe based on Mitsubishi’s reputation in the USA in recent years. Once upon a time, I was hoping to own a Mitsubishi Montero 4×4. Then came the Mitsubishi Evo, considered the bargain supercar wit…

When someone is in a relationship that is not working out the way they anticipated, their response to personal questions is often, “It’s complicated!” This might be the case for loyal Lexus owners and the newest Lexus LS 500h (Hybrid). When Lexus attempts to marry modern luxury amenities wit…

Mazda CX-5 seems to embody the characteristics of the Mazda Corporation. Vehicles can be fun to drive, affordable to own, nice to look at, and functional people-transporters. Not just coincidentally, the CX-5 is Mazda’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. Now, they have spruced up the interior …

There is nothing like the rumble of a well-built V-8 engine! Yes! We live in times when we must all consider our stewardship of the earth and its climate. Yes! We have suffered through a pandemic and gained some valuable knowledge about the air quality improvements due to auto emission reduc…

Advertising is all about getting people’s attention. Friends still talk about the hamsters rocking out in a Kia Soul in the middle of Super Bowl commercials back in 2010. Hundreds of hamsters running on cage wheels while the cool gangster/hamsters cruise by in a new red Kia Soul was a brilli…

There’s nothing like hitting the road in a roadster. Put on your sunglasses, lather up with sunscreen, drop that top, sit back, and relax. Add the optional Passion Red premium paint and a 2019 Nissan 370Z and you have a recipe for fun. The 370Z is the successor to the 350Z that began product…

Just a year ago, I climbed off my motorcycle following several close calls on Southern California freeways in which my life was spared by 12-inches and excellent brakes. An oblivious woman on her cellphone crossed 5 lanes of traffic and headed straight at me traveling 80 miles-per-hour. Catc…

Mazda remains a smaller company with a small percentage of the US market. Yet, Mazda has been impressing US car buyers and the media with high quality and interesting vehicles for many years now. When compared to the big “Japanese Three” mid-size sedans (e.g., Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nis…

What separates a great car, from a good car or a regular car? The details! It seems so simple and yet building a great car takes hundreds of designers, engineers, technicians, and scientists; not to mention marketing and accounting professionals, computer programmers, and assembly workers. M…

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” is attributed to many writers such as Shakespeare, Dickens, and especially Mr. Spock in the Star Trek movie “The Wrath of Khan.” A Biblical proverb predates all these, which emphasizes the importance of community and states, “No man (wom…

What a surprise to schedule the newest Kia Forte and have a 2019 Kia K900 delivered to our location instead. The all-new 2019 Forte is financially more important to Kia but, in the meantime, I had to drive the composed and smooth K900 AWD through some of the heaviest rains California has exp…

The new 2019 Jeep Cherokee is among the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicles, and they are arriving at select dealers early, including Monroe Superstore locally. It boasts a new, authentic and more premium design, along with the addition of an all-new, advanced 2.0-liter direct-injec…

When you think about pickup trucks –one brand that immediately comes to mind is the Ford F-150. Full size pickup buyers today have four choices of American-made pickups – those are the Ford F-150, The Ram pickup, the Chevrolet Silverado and the Toyota Tundra.

The “we are professional grade” GMC division has raised the bar with the new 2019 GMC Terrain AWD Denali – the second year into this second-generation Terrain model. Our week-long test drive left us with a favorable view of the Terrain overall – where it stood out in overall comfort and luxu…