Another CX-50 ... just as pleasant as previous Mazdas

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Me and the Mazda CX-50 have a thing going on.  We keep running into each other.

And while the compact crossover sport-utility vehicle can be had many ways -- and I've tested almost all of them -- I was fortunate enough this time around to sample the 2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus version.

Call it the CX-50 with just about everything.

Up front, I admit that the CX-50 is one of my favorite SUVs for comfort, affordability and getting a lot for a fair price.  I've driven CX-50s all around the state of California and always found them checking a lot of positive boxes.

With the Premium Plus, everything from past experience was sort of amplified.  Not that I was complaining.

The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine rated at 227 horsepower is a definite highlight. It propels the compact SUV with press-to-the-seat authority.  I particularly enjoyed jetting it down a freeway on-ramp, easily slotting it into place and actually backing off from 70 miles power.

Premium Plus?  Maybe Power Plus is more accurate.

Inside, compact does not equate to cramped. And the vehicle can carry a surprising amount of cargo, as I've discovered in previous trips to the California Wine Country.

It looks good on 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels and automatic power-folding side view mirrors.

It's not stripped.  Inside, ventilated power front seats are a comfort. A full boat of safety technology is likewise a comfort. 

All this for a bottom line of $44,720.

Will we be running into each other up the road in the near future?  Hope so.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD: hot rod SUV of your dreams

This review first appeared in the August 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

Sacramento, California -- So, you have been reluctant to get an electric vehicle for multiple reasons ... including the painful prospect of missing out on the fun of blowing off various, classic sports cars.

Fear not, the tested 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD exists to scratch your itch.

Consider dual electric motors rated at a road-ripping 601 horsepower. Wow, this thing scoots along with alarming intensity.

But wait, there's more.

That little red button placed at 3 o'clock on the steering wheel is called the N Grin Boost feature.  Think of it as what the IndyCar Series drivers call the "push to pass" button.

Push it and you get an additional 40 more horses for 10 seconds.  I should point out that the owner's manual informs one that great care should be exercised when pushing the button.

Wise advice, that. Because pushing the button delivers a press-you-into-the-seat wallop.  I'd advise using it on a wide open stretch of road, with both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

It's that serious a rush.  I felt like I was riding a streak of lightning. Yes, I was hooked.  It's one of the highest highs I've experienced behind the wheel in some time.

And it's essentially guilt-free, given the electric vehicle equivalent ratings of 84 miles per gallon in the city and 72 mpg on the highway.

While all of this is terrific, be advised that the Ioniq 5 is a full-on luxury liner.  My tester was priced at $67,685 and loaded up with plenty of perks to justify that number.

While I was blazing around Mustangs, Corvettes and other iconic sports cars, I also was enjoying heated/ventilated seats, highway driving assist, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a premium Bose audio system, metal pedals and ambient lighting.

The hands-free power liftgate and wireless phone charger also came in handy.

My tester looked particularly aggressive with an all-black interior and an exterior paint job of "Abyss Black."

But for me, it all comes back to performance.

Not only have Hyundai engineers filled up the horsepower tank, they have incorporated useful sports/performance car technologies to maximize driving enjoyment and precision.

Tech features include drift control, torque distribution, launch control and sway control.

Simply put, I can't remember when I've had so much fun driving a sport-utility vehicle.  And an electric one to boot.

Mustang reviewed in latest edition of Cruisin' News

My review of the Ford Mustang Premium coupe can be seen in the latest, September 2025, edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news and marketplace."

The "Hot Laps" reviews, along with my "Oil Drips" observations on anything with wheels, appear monthly in the publication.

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

Dr. Boost or how I learned to love turbochargers

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- I'm in between test vehicles right now, which likely prompted a debate (argument) I had with several car-loving friends last week.

Well, it's not like we had anything else to do.

Anyway, my confession is: I love turbochargers.  There, I said it.

It has been a long-running love affair, dating back to some of the snake-like turbos of the 1980s

So sue me....I love that blast you get when the turbo kicks in, when I'm pressed into the driver's seat by invisible hands.  The rush of blazing past common stragglers.  The whine coming from under the hood.

Crazy?  My car-loving acquaintances think so.

They point to turbos causing a flood of problems: heat issues, the dreaded turbo lag and even driver laziness that can lead to losing control of the car.

Please, spare me.  Keep your hands on the steering wheel boys.

Of course, similar debates have blown up in the auto racing world.

I remember Mario Andretti struggling with turbo heat issues in his 1969 Indianapolis 500-winning Brawner Hawk racer.  The team tried putting a suitcase-sized cooler on the back of the car before the race, but Indy officials shot down that plan.

Andretti somehow nursed the car through 500 miles but wondered whether the famous Borg-Warner trophy would stick to the red-hot back of the car during the Victory Lane celebration.

Formula One dabbled in turbos during the "Turbo Era" running from 1977 to 1988. During that time, horsepower in its sleek racers soared from about 500 to more than 1,000.  Horses reportedly hovered near 1,500 in qualifying trim.  Alas, F1 legislated the super turbos out of existence by the end of the 1980s.

Ah, the memories.  Well, time to get back to reviewing cars.

Hope the next one has a turbo.

Ford's Maverick stands out from the pickup crowd

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- The dictionary defines maverick as an independent sort, differing from the norm. Separate from the crowd.

And those words are entirely appropriate for the tested 2025 Ford Maverick XLT AWD, a compact pickup that is easy to handle, just-the-right-size for many motorists and priced well below the $50,000 or $60,000 you expect to pay for a full-size pickup these days.

This Maverick can handle chores without taking up all the space in your driveway. That's likely the primary reason that Ford calls it "the truck (Americans) never knew they needed."

But wait, there's more.  The tester was equipped with a 2.5-liter hybrid engine getting 40 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.

It's the pickup for the rest of us ... including an ever-growing group of budget-conscious buyers.  The bottom line on my ride was a reasonable $36,860. The starting price on a basic Maverick is less than 30-grand.

Discount, however, does not equate to bare bones.

The long list of standard amenities on my ride included under-seat storage, pre-collision assist and LED lighting all around. The tester's options included rear parking sensors and a 4,000-pound towing package.

The hybrid power plant was efficient and quiet, and passengers commented on the smooth ride in the back seats.

Side note: The gleaming "Velocity Blue" paint job on the tested pickup drew admiring crowds in parking lots and my driveway.

How many times have you wanted a vehicle to occasionally do pickup duty, but handle like a midsize passenger car?

You're talking Maverick's language.

This BMW might be the ultimate sport-utility vehicle

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- If you have been out there looking for the ultimate sport-utility vehicle, I think I might have found it.

The recently tested 2025 BMW X5 M Competition midsize crossover SUV has just about everything.

There is a cost. But we'll get to that in a minute.

Like horsepower? How about 617 horses from a 4.4-liter turbocharged V-8?  Yeah, I thought so.

The tested X5 didn't just drive from place to place.  It bolted in the desired direction. Amid a quiet cabin, I felt myself pushed deep into the driver's seat time after time.  On freeway runs, the X5 dispatched lowly speeders with a mere tap on the accelerator.

I quickly learned that I was master of just about everything on the road.  A cool feeling of power?  I confess: yes.

It looks pretty saucy too, with those quad tailpipes, exquisitely sculpted grille and high-riding spoked wheels.

Fuel mileage is a mere 13 miles per gallon in the city and 18 mpg on the highway, but I'm guessing most X5 buyers won't be concerned about that.  There are enough perks stuffed into the vehicle to keep one happy for many a mile.

Where to start?  Besides the full suite of state-of-the-art safety technology features and driving enhancements, the tester was loaded up with crowd pleasers such as a panoramic "Sky Lounge" LED roof, heated/ventilated/massaging seats, carbon fiber trim, wireless device charging and so much more.

There are fancy extras, like BMW Gesture Control, a component that enables operation of the infotainment, navigation and other systems using hand gestures, as opposed to voice/touch prompts.

I think I mentioned earlier that there's a cost for all this.  On my ride, it was $140,175.

Yes, that's a bunch. But it's a fair price to pay for the ultimate SUV manufactured by the maker of ultimate driving machines.

In 'Mustard' skin, Toyota's Prius is one hot number

This review first appeared in the July 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

Sacramento, California -- Remember the first-generation Toyota Prius of the 1990s?

Yeah, me too.  Boxy appearance, albeit a car with a then-state-of-the-art hybrid system.

Owners tended to drive the Prius like they stole it.  But even among leadfoot motorists, respect for the brand was in short supply.

Then a couple of years ago, Toyota introduced a fifth-generation model that all but screamed hot sports car.  Motor Trend magazine called it "drop-dead gorgeous."

I was in complete agreement.

Then, a few weeks back, a 2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade rolled into my driveway.

Not only did it have the dark, sporty touches of the Nightshade motif, the all-black interior was set off by a super-bright yellow "Mustard" paint job.

That did it for me.  That completed the Prius transition from gawky green machine to super-hot-looking sportster. Kudos to Toyota designers for adding just the right styling touches, without trying to make the car look like a faux Corvette.

And not only did the tested Prius look like a sporty sprinter, it drove like one as well.

With a hybrid system anchored by a 2-liter, four-cylinder, 16-valve engine, net horsepower is just a whisper short of 200. From the driver's seat, that translates to smooth, impressive acceleration from standing starts ... and muscular in and out moves in dicey freeway traffic.

It's easy to forget that you're driving a hybrid.

As for passersby and fellow motorists, my yellow beauty drew crowds wherever it was parked.  Almost no one guessed that it was a Prius that drew their attention.

On top of the look and the ride quality, the interior of the Prius has been improved to look more like a performance sedan, as opposed to an energy-monitoring computer screen. A long list of standard controls are within easy reach and easy to use.

My Prius had a couple of worthy options: a 12.3-inch  auto/multimedia screen and a fixed glass roof.

Additional bonus: Max five-star ratings in federal government crash tests, including five on the overall score.

Among other good-news numbers: a combined city/highway rating of 52 miles per gallon.

All this brought the tested model's bottom line to a still-reasonable $36,308, a fair price considering what consumers are paying for hybrid technology these days.

Is it the best Prius ever?  In my view, by a mile.