Jab your finger hard into the button emblazoned Start on the 2018 Jaguar F-Type R’s dash, and the car takes a figurative swill of the firewater, kicks down the door, and belches, “let’s get this party started!” What kind of a party does the wild cat throw when it’s guzzling premium? I’d love to find… Continue reading Test Drive: 2018 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
Nearly two decades ago, Cadillac reinvented its image and purpose when it introduced the CTS and proved it could build a sports sedan to rival BMW’s 3-series. Today, Cadillac is re-reinventing itself with the CT6. Cadillac is showing that it can play at the cutting edge of luxury technologies with Tesla and Mercedes. As Cadillac’s… Continue reading Review: 2018 Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise
We have the BMW X1 xDrive28i again for a goodly duration, and I’ve reacquainted myself with the small SUV. (Read my first review here.) The X1 and I have taken on a long highway trip to wine country, flogged canyon roads, and done more than a week’s worth of grocery-getting. I’ve come away charmed with… Continue reading Review: 2018 BMW X1 xDrive28i
As I pace around the sparkling gray 2018 Ford Taurus SHO, I ask myself what is this car and who is it for? SHOs of the past were the “Super High Output” vehicles in the Taurus range, packing extra punch and having an aura of sportiness to them. The current Taurus has grown so large… Continue reading Review: 2018 Ford Taurus SHO
Chevrolet has a knack for naming completely quotidien vehicles after improbably glamorous destinations, and the Malibu is one of its most offending nameplates. The Hollywood-rich living in this coastal enclave undoubtedly have more Mercedes S-classes registered to them than they have Chevrolet Malibus. So the car would be more honestly named the Chevrolet Oshkosh. I… Continue reading Test Drive: 2018 Chevrolet Malibu LT
2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S, 2014 Cadillac CTS-V wagon and 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 wagon. These four cars were my top contenders in my search for a Ford Focus RS replacement. Each car held the promise of being sonorous, tactile, and smooth: rewarding in ways the RS never was in the… Continue reading Review: 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
I've done my 1,000-mile break-in with the CTS-V wagon, though in this case, the break-in was of the owner rather than the car. I now feel like I have a rounded view of the super wagon. The majority of my break-in miles were urban, back and forth to school and the supermarket as I play… Continue reading Long Term: 2014 Cadillac CTS-V
My personal expectations for new BMW sedans are not very high. BMW’s chase of luxury comes with fresh designs and the latest technology, but also with increasing isolation from the driving experience. Each updated Bimmer seems to take a step away from the driving involvement I love. My ideal rides are full of feel, spunky,… Continue reading Test Drive: 2018 BMW X3 M40i
Space as luxury is a long-lived concept. Kings of yor lived in palaces, not cottages, and the kings of now flaunt space with 100,000-square-foot mansions and 100-meter yachts. Automakers like Cadillac are keen on this concept, positioning their largest SUVs as their most luxurious offerings. But has BMW adopted this concept and made their X5… Continue reading Test Drive: BMW X5 xDrive50i and BMW 750i
My $55,000 purchase of a performance station wagon was made on 9/10ths emotion and 1/10th logic. The emotional draw is obvious: A supercharged, Corvette-derived V8 spins—and I do mean spins!—the rear wheels of the most distinctive and attractive vehicle to ever come out of Cadillac. The logic is tenuous: “Honey, there’s seating for the whole… Continue reading Long Term: 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sports Wagon
Mike's Steering Column 