The family road trip isn’t dead; it’s just on life support. In the digital age of instant communication and cheap airfares, loading everyone into the family hauler and hitting the road is becoming a lost tradition. Still, some people do embark on this nostalgic bit of Americana and,...
Pop quiz: What’s the best selling Lexus of all time? It’s not the ES, the IS or even the original LS. It’s the brand’s mid-size luxury crossover, the RX. Selling like hot cakes before the world went crossover crazy, the RX has now surpassed 2.1 million sales worldwide. That’s a lot of...
Showing up to Detroit’s annual Woodward Dream Cruise with anything less than a V8 is nearly sacrilegious. Every year, thousands of cars and their owners gather on Michigan’s famous stretch of asphalt to worship at the altar of the automobile, and this year, I offered up a 2015 Jeep...
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 63 S AMG is the epitome of a sleeper car. In automotive circles, the term “sleeper” is used to describe a car that looks unsuspecting on the outside, but packs serious performance under its sheet metal. It may be hard to believe that anything from...
Daimler’s smart car is a tiny runabout that was designed to offer generous fuel efficiency, youthful quirk and easier maneuverability than a shopping cart. In theory, it should have been a great success with motorists residing in big cities around the globe, places where tailpipe emissions and...
Win a reality television game show, make a sex tape or create a viral YouTube video. In this wondrous modern age, there are several ways to become instantly famous. But all of that sounds like too much work, effort and embarrassment. There has to be an easier way to become famous, right? Well,...
I had the chance to drive the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V sedan and coupe while I was covering Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week 2015. Coastal California and its winding roads and picturesque scenery are the perfect proving ground for this rear-wheel-drive luxury sports car. Here are 9 things I learned...
I have a lot of respect for those old Subarus that are still on the road. Sure, some of them may grumble around with their boxer engines and many look very dated, but then I see that splatter of mud or that small ding or scratch and understand: that’s proof of an adventure. When you’ve been...
The Toyota Tacoma has been sold in its current form for nearly a full decade, getting only minor updates in that time. By today’s fast moving auto market standards, which see some companies replacing models every five years, that is ancient. And while the Tacoma is still the best selling...
Chrysler has a history of making vehicles focused on fun. Just take a look at the “Adult Toys” lineup from the 70’s and you’ll see that the brand is familiar with putting together packages that appeal to the kid in all of us. Big Boy Toys And the kid inside of me is infatuated...
The Honda Accord has long been one of the benchmarks for family sedans. Typically a “boring” segment occupied by such stalwarts as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, and Hyundai Sonata, Honda knows it’s not going to get away with being lazy. This is a high-volume,...
The Audi RS5 Cabriolet is one of the most calming cars I’ve ever driven. No matter how pissed off you may be, or how stressful your work day was, this car has the magical ability to just level you out. You know that feeling of relief you get when you finally lie down in bed after a really...
Enthusiasts may lament cars like the Nissan Altima or Honda Accord, but there’s a reason why these models are so popular. Family sedans of this ilk are about as servile as automobiles come, unflinchingly loyal and always up for a menial trip or routine errand. With spacious interiors, efficient...
The Dodge Challenger has been on my “must drive” list ever since it came out in 2008, but for some reason, it never happened until just recently. Being a lover of all things retro, I was immediately a huge fan of its looks, a throwback to the original Challengers from the muscle car...
A firm, progressive squeeze of the brake pedal eradicates surplus velocity as I smoothly crank the wheel starboard … My high-powered steed responds with enthusiasm, diving into turn 14, Road America’s final corner before the front straight. A steady foot on the accelerator maintains...