Articles

  • 2020 Mazda3 – Reviewed

    2020 Mazda3 – Reviewed

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    Mazda sold 50,741 Mazda3’s in calendar 2019.  How many were manuals, I can not say as Mazda doesn’t break that out.  There were less than 250,000 manual transmission vehicles sold in the U.S. in calendar 2019.  So, let’s just say that this one was delivered in “enthusiast spec”. Exterior The 2020 Mazda3 is flat out…

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  • Lexus IS 350 AWD The Ninety Percent Solution

    Lexus IS 350 AWD The Ninety Percent Solution

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    My last go-around with the Lexus IS series wasn’t great.  More about the circumstances than the car itself.  I had an IS200t RWD on Summer performance tires show up in early December of 2016 when it snowed. The car was undrivable.  That is not hyperbole.  The traction control was so overwhelmed that it was stuck…

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  • New Dog Hauler? 2020 Subaru Outback XT Onyx Review

    New Dog Hauler? 2020 Subaru Outback XT Onyx Review

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    The brief for this review, would the Outback make a good replacement for my wife’s Ford Edge for hauling our Irish Wolfhound. You see, while he pops up to put his front paws in the hatch area, he has to have his rear end lifted to get the rest of the way in. Drogon weighs…

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  • 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum: Doesn’t Make The Podium

    2020 Ford Explorer Platinum: Doesn’t Make The Podium

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    When Ford as a company declared that they were getting out of the car business and would concentrate on crossovers, SUVs, trucks, and vans, with the exception of the Mustang, the rollout of an iconic nameplate for its next-generation should be ultra important. The Setup The Explorer is one of two or three vehicles that…

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  • Trackside at Road America: World Challenge

    Trackside at Road America: World Challenge

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    At the end of September, Road America hosted its annual World Challenge weekend, formerly the Pirelli World Challenge. Dozens of high-powered cars from various series sorted into their own unique classes attacked the track just as Wisconsin’s best fall foliage began to show their colors. I snagged a press pass and spent (a rainy) Saturday…

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  • The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette: America’s sports car; evolved

    The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette: America’s sports car; evolved

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    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” hover_type=”none” border_size=”0″…

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  • 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature: Almost Famous

    2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature: Almost Famous

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    Last year when I drove and reviewed this latest generation of CX-5 I gave it a favorable review as one of the best in its segment. That is, as long as you could deal with the engine, which was grossly underpowered. Of course, up sprung the apologists who claimed that the normally aspirated motor provided…

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  • I Replaced My Recalled Takata Airbag, You Should Too

    I Replaced My Recalled Takata Airbag, You Should Too

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    Any letter in the mail with “Saab” written as the return address will surely raise an eyebrow. Three will make you alert. This was the third “URGENT TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL” notice bearing. Stubbornly rolling my eyes, I plugged in my 9-2x’s VIN on the NHTSA’s website to double-check. My car was in fact, stricken by…

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  • Pikes Peak 2019: The photographer’s perspective

    Pikes Peak 2019: The photographer’s perspective

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    The second oldest race in America doesn’t need an introduction but, the intense week leading to race day does. This is my 16th consecutive year at Pikes Peak, and each year I’m blown away at what the competitors deal with to get to the line on race day. “Peak Week” starts with tech inspection on…

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  • 2019 BMW X5 xDrive50i: But Is It $92,405 Good

    2019 BMW X5 xDrive50i: But Is It $92,405 Good

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    It has been a few years since I’ve driven a BMW. It’s been closer to twenty years since I last drove a BMW X5. Over those last twenty years, BMW has moved something close to three-quarters of a million X5’s in the U.S. and 2.75 million worldwide. While it may not have created the midsize…

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