The friendly Mercedes service advisor takes the keys to my 2016 AMG GT S and hands me the fob to a 2023 EQE 350 4MATIC SUV. It hardly seems like a fair trade to swap—an AMG halo sports car for a jelly bean EV SUV—but it’s what it will take to get me home during… Continue reading Review: 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4MATIC SUV
We are about to do something ridiculous: compare two cars with no reason to go head to head. Though the 1M and CTS-V were contemporaries, they were never competitors. One was a lithe Skunkworks sports car, while the other was a plus-sized ass hauler. It didn’t make any sense to pit the Bimmer against the… Continue reading Comparison: 2011 BMW 1M vs 2014 Cadillac CTS-V is Apples to Oranges
Dear Ruth, How are you? All is well here in California. We hope you, Gerry, Melissa, and Katherine are well, too! I hear through the grapevine that your Dodge Durango lease ends soon, and you are shopping for a new SUV. I just drove the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited and think it may be… Continue reading 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited is Mama’s Upgrade
“Got anything fun?” I ask, not expecting an affirmative. I’ve only spotted base-level sedans and SUVs in my half-dozen visits to the Mercedes dealer. “Actually, I do,” comes the reply across the loaner desk, “would you like a GLA 35?” Hell yes! I’d love to try a baby AMG! Ten years ago, a four-cylinder AWD… Continue reading Review: 2023 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 is a Stay Puft Hot Hatch
It's an open secret that I see my service center's courtesy vehicles as my press fleet. Each repair is a chance for me to check off a chore and have a new driving experience. That is why I was very excited to do a transmission fluid change on my AMG GT S (nevermind the cost). … Continue reading Review: 2022 Mercedes GLB 250 4Matic is My Favorite Squeeze
It takes just a second in my brother’s new car to remind me that I’m a BMW guy. A myriad of clues spark the reminder, including the chunky grip of the M Sport steering wheel, the granite-solid doors, and the stepped twirl of the iDrive controller. Thanks to my six years in the BMW fold,… Continue reading Review: 2017 BMW 540i xDrive is Stealth Wealth
I am bleary-eyed and emotionally edgy after a crack-of-dawn flight to Dulles. Dragging two young kids across the country has a way of doing that to me. As I scan the long aisles of the rental lot, I pray that spot 179—my spot—is filled with something interesting. I booked a full-size sedan, so my bar… Continue reading Review: 2019 Lexus NX 300 is Solid but Sparkless
Well, this is a surprise. My family from the heart of conservative trucks-and-guns Pennsylvania just took delivery of an EV. A 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, to be precise. Now I’m wondering, is this a harbinger of red America going green? Not that selling EVs in the heartland should be hard. EVs pair the torque of… Continue reading Review: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E (vs. Tesla Model 3)
Kia has been on a tear recently. It’s moved well beyond its basic-economy past to producing beautiful, advanced, segment-leading vehicles like the Stinger, Telluride and EV6. My interest is piqued, and so I’m filled with anticipation when the rental counter assigns us a 2021 Kia Sportage LX. When we finally locate the Sportage in the… Continue reading Review: 2021 Kia Sportage LX isn’t Kia’s Bright Future
Parked in front of me is a 2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i. Its key is in my right hand. I look at its squinting eyes and flared nostrils and think, “what a strange bird!” The X1 looks like a safari-ready 3-series, a wagon with a lifted suspension and raised roof. I open the driver’s door, wondering… Continue reading Review: 2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i is the Safari 328i
Mike's Steering Column 