Behind the wheel of Fiat’s tiniest model. City cars are the smallest models you can purchase in North America, typically defined by such A-segment vehicles as the Smart ForTwo, Scion iQ, Chevrolet Spark, and the Fiat 500. Few manufacturers have dared to release such models for American and Canadian consumers, … Read more
Large sedan owners should take notice. Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria owners take note: your replacement vehicle is the Kia Cadenza, a large sedan with all the amenities (and then some) of your current pillow-soft cruiser. In fact, a soft ride is about all these three models have … Read more
Fourth-generation Kia Rio rolls out. Demand for small cars is down, but don’t tell that to Kia Motors. The Korean automaker is well entrenched in the segment, offering both the subcompact Rio and the compact Forte. The Kia Rio rolled out in 2001 and we’ve seen it grow since, although … Read more
Hyundai breathes fresh life into its little sport hatchback. Automakers are responding to a wholesale shift in consumer demand by building more SUVs and fewer car models. This unprecedented shift means some manufacturers are catching up, including Hyundai which will release its small Kona SUV early in 2018, giving it … Read more
Quality time with the all-new Volkswagen Tiguan. Those of us who review new cars are often flown in by the manufacturer for a media event, allowing us to preview and drive a certain model. Such opportunities make for a good chance to meet company representatives, including engineers, designers, executives, and … Read more
After a 20-year hiatus, the Volvo V90 returns. Station wagons dominated the American scene from the 1950s to 1970s, serving as the people hauler of choice for large families. By the 1980s, wagons (as they were by then commonly called) began to disappear. Once the 1990s arrived, even fewer models … Read more
The Mini Countryman offers an interesting twist on the small SUV frame. Think “Mini” and words such as tiny, small, and diminutive come to mind. That’s appropriate as the two-door Mini Cooper Hardtop measures just 151.1 inches long. But Mini is more than just one model, with both the Countryman … Read more
Mazda packs in a little zoom-zoom for some fun-fun. Compact SUVs dominate the market with some models jockeying for best-seller status this year. Consumers love these vehicles, which explains why the 2017 CX-5 remains Mazda’s top model. If you’re looking for something that isn’t a Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet or … Read more
Jeep strengthens the model line with an all-new compact SUV. The fast-growing Jeep product line has had the burden in recent years of carrying a pair of aging and underperforming models, namely the compact Patriot and Compass SUVs. Although sales for both have contributed significantly to the brand, neither model … Read more
A Land Rover Discovery with a supercharged gas engine. The hits keep coming. Or at least the weekly model or two I have had the privilege of driving in 2017. This past week it was the Land Rover Discovery, the second time in two months the keys to this model … Read more