Driving sensations, not just specifications
We live in an age of TikTok clips and AI summaries, so I’ll spare you the prose and get to the point. The $29k 2026 Hyundai Sonata SEL Sport is a good commuter and a fine family car with enticing tech, but the SEL Sport trim name is just marketing—this sedan won’t ravish a road. … Continue reading 2026 Hyundai Sonata SEL Sport: Marketing Hyperbole
Another day, another Dollar…though in this case we are picking up a ride from Hertz. The keys to our ride are in the poorly named President’s Circle, the parking lot row from which we can select a car. I see runty Toyota Corollas and geeky Kia Souls, but nothing I'd consider “presidential.” Then, a freshly… Continue reading 2026 Kia K4 LXS: Small Car, Big Value
I have just one memory of my Great Grandma Martha. I am three years old, riding in the back of her red 1986 Mercedes 300E with my mom, and passing paper notes to Martha up front. As Martha is nearly deaf, the notes are our only way to communicate with her while we are on… Continue reading 2026 Mercedes GLC 300 Review: Heirloom Quality?
I've got a surprise treat today: a well-equipped 2026 Mercedes AMG GLC 43 4MATIC. As a petrolhead and driving enthusiast, AMGs are right up my alley, and as a dad of two, the compact SUVs like the GLC just make sense. Put them together, and the AMG GLC 43 could be a home run! So… Continue reading 2026 Mercedes AMG GLC 43: The Neiman Marcus Hot Hatch
When I reviewed the Kia Sportage LX in 2022, I called it a segment laggard and hoped that Kia would make it competitive. And Kia acted, refreshing the Sportage with a new modern, adventurous design (their adjectives, not mine). In addition to stylish new sheetmetal, the updated Sportage got an astonishingly long list of standard… Continue reading 2026 Kia Sportage LX AWD: Your Ticket to the Cheap Seats
This weekend, it's over the mountain and through the woods to the grandparents’ house we go. Our “horse and sleigh” is a brand-new 2026 GLE 350 4MATIC, loaded with Christmas presents for a holiday reunion. While the mid-size Mercedes SUV is easily up to the task of carrying my loved ones and luggage to grandma… Continue reading 2026 Mercedes GLE 350 4MATIC: Honey, You can do Better
Have you heard of Lucid? If you’re a car enthusiast, probably yes, as the motoring outlets have extolled the virtues of the Lucid Air sedan. But have you actually seen a Lucid? Maybe not. Even in wealthy EV-friendly San Francisco, they’re uncommon. Now, have you ever driven a Lucid? The odds say no. The company… Continue reading 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring: Don’t Call it a Minivan
Mike's Steering Column 