We just took our first long trip in our Tesla Model 3, nearly 500 miles and 10 hours to Palm Springs. We were nervous about hauling the whole family across California in our EV, and here’s how it went. The packing went smoothly enough. We are a family of four, with an infant and a… Continue reading Long Term: 2018 Tesla Model 3 is Middling on Range
I'm attending the BMW Performance Driving School at Thermal for a private driving lesson. This isn't my first visit; I took lessons here in 2019 as a contestant for BMW's Ultimate Driver Competition. The experience was a blast, so I'm back for more! During the competition, my weak spot was finding speed out of the… Continue reading The BMW Performance Driving School Deserves More than a Quick Visit
When I splurged and paid an extra $1 per day for the Enterprise "Manager's Special" instead of the cheapest sub-compact rental, I hoped I'd get a Toyota Corolla or a Chevy Malibu for the price of a Chevy Spark. Nope! A 2020 Chevy Spark LT was exactly what the manager pulled out for my rental.… Continue reading Review: 2020 Chevrolet Spark LT is the Essence of Automobile
What do you expect out of a Mercedes? Cutting-edge technology wrapped in big badge bling-bling? A rip-snorting V8 pushing a luxury-boat chassis? How about incredible practicality in an unassuming package? Because the latter is what I was surprised—and intrigued—to find in the 2020 Mercedes GLB 250 4Matic. The reason for my surprise is that GLB… Continue reading Review: 2020 Mercedes GLB 250 4Matic is Practically Luxurious
I think I'm twice the fool. I keep finding questionable and head-scratching items about my new-to-me 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S that don't sit well with me. I hate to admit it, but I was pennywise and pound foolish when I purchased this car from Vroom.com. Yes, dear reader, that's buyer's remorse. The would've, should've, could'ves… Continue reading Long Term: 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S Elicits Buyer’s Remorse
The 2021 XT4 FWD Premium Luxury is not your grandfather's old Cadillac. But since he's retiring his full-sized luxury sedans and adopting CUVs, it could be his new Cadillac. Cadillac has made strides in its build quality, and it shows the 2021 XT4: This SUV feels solid. Its doors close with a Mercedes-like thunk. The cabin… Continue reading Review: The 2021 Cadillac XT4 is Gramps’ New Caddy
In the mid-2010s, a new wave of Mercedes-AMGs was swelling on the horizon. Mercedes had realized that its AMG brand had mass-market appeal and was ready to spread its high-dollar muscle-magic far and wide. Knowing it had tapped-out the market for its V8 skid machines, Mercedes introduced twin-turbo V6 engines and AWD for a more… Continue reading Test Drive: 2016 Mercedes C450 AMG is Luxury-First Fun
After Vroom.com clawed back my red 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S, I said, "The next one will be for keeps." Little did I know that "the next one" would also be from (still questionable) Vroom.com. It was a black-on-black 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S with 36k miles. At $67k, it was the cheapest in the country, and… Continue reading Long Term: 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S
I have friends who say that free beer and pizza tastes worse than suds and pie you buy for yourself. I'm skeptical: free food is delicious! Regardless of who's right, it's true that I lost my taste for BMW ownership once my extended warranty expired and my free lunch at the BMW service center ended.… Continue reading Long Term: 2011 BMW M3
Gloaming. The night’s inky sky starts to wash clear as I summit Hayward’s Pass and Livermore Valley spreads before me. I’ve entered the hour of silhouettes. The gradually lightening sky gives contrast to the world around me. The receding hills draw gentle curves in front of the building indigo. Human-scale is given to the Rorschach… Continue reading Review: 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S
Mike's Steering Column 