Automotive Reviews

2022 AMG EQS: Tesla rival worth its hefty price

Consumers purchase vehicles for nearly as many reasons and varieties of cars and trucks. Budget, fuel economy, brand preference, dependability and an intangible like status are priorities. The 2022 AMG EQS has qualities from several categories, it’s also a vehicle purchased simply because a buyer who doesn’t need justification wants it. Introduced about a year ago, the full-size luxury sedan is the first electric offered by the AMG line, the separate but connected, performance-oriented lineup of vehicles affiliated with Mercedes. It’s not marketed so directly, but it’s the German manufacturer’s response to Tesla. It has many features also available in the Tesla lineup, but it’s offered by a nearly 100-year-old carmaker and without the controversy of the polarizing e-machines introduced

Read more
, , , ,

Velocity Invitational: Mario Andretti, epic races, big crowds

LAGUNA SECA – The Velocity Invitational, a motorsports festival held Oct. 14-16 at WeatherTech Raceway, was a nod to the adage that good things come in threes. First, there was living legend Mario Andretti, 82, behind the wheel of a modern Formula 1 car for the first time. Second was exciting split-second race finishes that thrilled the crowd of more than 15,000. Third was the tens of millions of dollars worth of vintage race and hypercars gracing the track. It made the Velocity Invitational one of the country’s more unique motorsports experiences. While the three-day event featured hundreds of vehicles across 10 different groups and classifications, it wasn’t hard to argue Andretti’s turn on the raceway was the highlight for

Read more

2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness does off-road right

Subaru first capitalized on the usefulness of its symmetrical all-wheel-drive system a few decades ago. In a television commercial, the men’s Olympic ski teams from Italy and France were featured pushing their team cars stuck in the snow. The U.S. team men’s drives through the drifts in a wagon with ease and without stopping. The Subaru then passes the Swedish women’s team, also stuck. In about a second, the Subaru driver stops, backs up the car and the women’s team gets in. A man in a passenger seat wearing a cowboy hat says, “Howdy, ma’am!” Subaru Outback: New Rugged Trim Level However outdated the commercial is today, it worked. And Subaru has kept at it. It caters its wagons and

Read more
,

2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid: Upscale looks, value price

More than a dozen hybrid compact crossover sport utility vehicles vie for the expanding number of consumers seeking improved efficiency without transitioning into fully electric vehicles. Welcome the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Kia, the South Korean manufacturer partially owned by Hyundai, introduced the Sportage in 1993. It was originally classified as a compact SUV, but since 2004 the Sport has been labeled as a crossover. It’s built on a unibody chassis as opposed to the body-on-frame option used by most pickup trucks. The new Kia is part of the manufacturer’s trio of SUVs, and it’s positioned between the Seltos or Niro and the three-row Sorento. Kia and its vehicle relative Hyundai, have made quantum improvements in the past decade. Several

Read more
, ,

Velocity Invitational: history, hypercars, luxury lifestyle

Several decades of pristine automotive engineering will make their way Oct. 14-16 to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey for the Velocity Invitational. A three-day motorsport and “luxury lifestyle” gathering featuring a series of races in a variety of automotive categories, the Velocity Invitational is similar to the Goodwood Festival of Speed or The Silverstone Classic. Formula 1, WRC, and WEC race cars with state-of-the-art hypercars are set to compete in 10-lap qualifying and feature races. The vehicles will participate in practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15 leading up to feature races on Sunday, Oct. 16. Many of the vehicles will also be on display off track for attendees to get an up-close perspective

Read more
,

2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53: Handsome, fast, pricey

Seven years ago, Mercedes-Benz changed the name of its mid-size sport utility vehicles from M-Class to GLE. It aligned the vehicles with the badges of the manufacturer’s most closely related sedans. The SUVs are offered in five trims, including the AMG GLE 53, and they remain among the carmaker’s most versatile luxury wheels. With the AMG GLE 63, the two siblings feature the subsidiary’s suite of high-performance engines and superior interior accouterments that can elevate the offerings to six-figure vehicles. All trim levels come standard with all-wheel drive, which Mercedes-Benz calls (4MATIC) except for the GLE 350. It’s also available in rear-wheel drive. The GLE lineup also has five-passenger seating standard, with three rows for seven passengers optional. The AMG

Read more
,

2022 Range Rover: looks, power, big money

Land Rover decided 2022 was the ideal time to introduce the most expensive vehicle in the multi-national manufacturer’s nearly 75-year history. It’s called the Range Rover SV LWB. The rig is powerful. It features a 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 with 523 horsepower and a top speed of 155 miles per hour. Its vastness and power also result in impressive versatility. The Range Rover has an 8,000-pound towing capacity and it can also accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in five seconds. With its preposterously opulent collection of features, the new Range Rover is the quarter-million dollar car from Jaguar Land Rover. Since 2008, it’s been a subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors and makes cars in Brazil, China, India, Slovakia and the

Read more

2022 Subaru WRX worth its long wait makeover

Thirty years after its automotive mentor, the Impreza, was unveiled for the World Rally Championship, the Subaru WRX debuted in its second generation. It’s been a long time coming. The first stand-alone WRX (World Rally eXperimental) arrived in 2014. Eight years later, the sport compact’s full makeover is welcomed and much-needed. It’s available in base, Premium, Limited and GT trims. The turbocharged WRX is among a stellar list of punchy sedans, a front-engine, all-wheel drive sedan with a desire to capitalize on its aggressive four-cylinder engine. They all make driving enjoyable. In the Subaru, shifting gears, darting around town and negotiating highway and mountain roads with zippy confidence makes it further desirable. It’s the consumer version of the original rally

Read more
,

Little Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 SUV is big-time

Mercedes-Benz and its uber-luxury sidekicks AMG and Maybach offer 31 vehicles in 2022 models. Coupes, convertibles, electric vehicles, sedans, sport utility vehicles, roadsters and wagons are all in the mix. Add multiple trims in each segment, and whether via abacus or app, keeping track of the German manufacturer’s extended family of vehicles is a task. Mercedes-Benz Offers Lots Of Choices Even connoisseurs of the carmakers’ stoic vehicles might need a chart to differentiate the GLA 250, GLB 250 and GLC SUVs. The former is a luxury subcompact; the latter is a luxury compact. The Mercedes-Benz GLC is among the competitors of the GLB, which seats as many as seven. Now in its third model year, the 2022 GLB 250 continues

Read more

2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge redefines station wagons

American full-sized station wagons were dispatched from the new car lineup in 1996. Once chariots of choice to transport occupants and massive trundle-style suitcases to train stations, the three-row beauties were discarded in favor of a multi-brand brigade of sport utility vehicles. Thankfully, wagons still abound, with cargo space still relevant. It’s now part of the versatile vehicles’ three-part attraction that also includes sportiness and performance. The updated 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge adds a fourth attraction. It’s a plug-in hybrid in both the T6 and T8 Inscription (hybrid twin-engine technology) trims. The last long-tenured American full-size wagons were family rooms on wheels, the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster. Decorated often in plastic and leather, long-haul comfort was the priority. Dodge

Read more
,

Dos and don’ts, compensation after a motorcycle accident

Having a motorcycle accident is nothing to joke about. Hundreds of people are hurt or killed in this way every year. Some people ride motorcycles for a rush of adrenaline, others use their bikes to commute. But it doesn’t matter why you want to ride a motorbike, you need to be safe. If an accident occurs, you should be compensated if you’re not at fault. Here are suggestions if you’re in an accident and are unsure what to do. Hire A Motorcycle Accident Specialist Lawyer As soon as a motorbike accident occurs, start the process of finding and engaging a lawyer. The sooner you get in touch with your motorcycle accident lawyer, the sooner he or she can begin working

Read more

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: Beauty of an Off-Road Beast

It’s not for everyone, but there’s something appealing about conquering muddy, boulder-laden lake beds, climbing awkwardly formed rock clusters or boldly going where only a few have gone before. It’s why the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor exists. It’s for those who viewed the 2021 return of the standard Bronco after a 24-year absence as a pedestrian effort. The debuting Raptor is the real deal. It’s huge, a monster off-roader equipped with a 418-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. It produces 440 pound-feet of torque. It’s propelled with a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system that features selectable G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) mode and 37-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain tires. It will tow 4,500 pounds and the maximum payload is

Read more
,

Top 5 tips for being a responsible driver

Learning to become a driver and getting your own transportation can be one of our biggest freedoms. When you have your own car, you don’t have to rely on public transport. Sure, public transport can be great. It can be low cost and better for the environment. You can focus on work or leisure while on the road rather than focusing on driving. But you are also constrained to specific timetables and subject to strikes, delays and cancellations. You have to get to and from stations. You’re required to carry your own luggage physically. When you drive, everything is simplified. If you have children, the scenario can become easier; you don’t have to worry about your children getting lost or

Read more
, ,

Celebrity cars, big money in Monterey Auto Week

Michael Schumacher, the retired seven-time Formula One world titlist, hasn’t been in public for nearly a decade. He suffered major head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and was placed into a medically induced coma. But Schumacher’s unmatched career legacy remains, in keen focus via his son Mick, a current F1 competitor. Among the cars the elder Schumacher drove is a Ferrari F300, Chassis No. 187. It was driven by the German champion in his four victories during his 1998 World Championship season. Equipped with a 3.0-liter V-10 engine, a maximum engine speed of 17,500 rpm and producing 800 horsepower, the supercar will be among several celebrity vehicles offered for auction in August during Monterey Auto Week. Like real

Read more
,

2022 Ford Lightning bolts quickly into fame

Not quite with the quickness of its name, the 2022 Ford Lightning arrived a year after it was announced. There was much fanfare, an avalanche of deposits and now there’s an estimated three-year backlog for delivery. First teased at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, Ford beat all the others — Tesla to GMC, Chevrolet to Rivian — to the streets to further add to manufacturer’s truck legacy. The industry’s best-seller for decades, hadn’t Ford already offered every conceivable truck necessary to maintain its sales advantage? The Lightning boldly adds to the mix. It’s a luxury-oriented, full-size electric pickup truck with top-level performance and a 300-plus mile range. Available in Pro, XLT, Lariat and Platinum trims, the F-150 Lightning splits its

Read more

2022 Toyota Tundra improved but glory days long gone

The Toyota Tundra debuted in its third generation this year as among the most varied available pickup trucks but with a diminishing legacy. The Japanese manufacturer assembles the truck in San Antonio, Texas, a hub for ranchers and RVers and their utilitarian vehicles. Despite the substantial niche market, the Tundra is struggling. Nearly 197,000 sold in 2007, the full-size truck’s best year. Just under 82,000 were purchased in 2021. Serious competition from an omnipresent truck foursome remains, and the Tundra’s smaller, thriving pickup, the Tacoma, has thwarted the big truck’s sales. The Ford F-Series, Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC are perennially among the country’s top-selling vehicles. The half-ton Toyota Tacoma had sales of more than 252,000 in 2021, about a

Read more
Previous Next