Driving sensations, not just specifications
Did you know that the Malibu is the last sedan in Chevrolet’s 2024 portfolio? (Their only other car is the Corvette.) These days, Chevy is a company of SUVs and trucks. Perhaps that's why the Malibu didn't get the polish it deserves... After 300 miles with the 2024 Malibu LT, I can report that the… Continue reading 2024 Chevrolet Malibu LT Review: Skin Deep Appeal
The Honolulu Dollar Car Rental agent eyes our weary family and copious luggage and senses an opportunity to upsell. “The standard-size car you booked holds two medium bags. Would you like to upgrade to full size for $90?” I consider the cost and decline, deciding to squeeze us into the Chevy Cruze we paid for. (Never mind that the Cruze is so… Continue reading Review: 2022 Dodge Charger SXT is a Dated Standard
An earworm of a song called Water by Tyla has been playing endlessly on the radio. I haven't looked up the exact lyrics, but the refrain goes something like this: Make me sweat, make me holla’Make me lose my breath, make me water It's doubtful Tyla was thinking of her favorite sports car when she… Continue reading Review: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core Doesn’t Break a Sweat
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 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4MATIC SUV: The Good Egg
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 2023 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35: The Stay Puft Hot Hatch
(Update: This review covers the seven-seat 2022 Mercedes GLB 250. I've also reviewed the five-seat 2024 Mercedes GLB 250.) 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… Continue reading 2022 Mercedes GLB 250 4Matic: Three-Row 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 2017 BMW 540i xDrive: 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
