Fiat's 500e is just about perfect for city citizens

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 -- So, let's say you live in a big West Coast city ... maybe one with a bunch of famous bridges and a zig-zag street that they always show on televised sports events.

Wouldn't you want a small electric car that you can zip into barely there parking spaces, whip around gridlock and recharge fully on a nightly basis?

You have all of that in the recently tested 2024 Fiat 500e, which the automaker touts as the perfect vehicle for the dedicated city dweller.

And yes, I agree with all of that.

If you're not doing a crazy Sacramento-to-San Francisco commute every day and you're happy in your $3,500-a-month studio apartment in the big town, the Fiat 500e fits you with hand-in-glove perfection.

And it's a head turner, a shapely subcompact riding on 17-inch cast-aluminum, glossy black wheels.  Mine was the RED Edition, with a sparkling crimson paint job.

The electric power plant equates to a horsepower equivalent of 117, which is plenty to scoot the little car around with authority.  The tight wheelbase makes U-turns and turning radius challenges a snap.

Interior comfort from the cockpit is fine, and given the interior features and spot-on technology, the tester's price of $34,095 was just about right, by my reckoning.

For all its urban charms, I found the tested 500e to be a smooth operator on the freeways.  With the right planning, taking this electric out on a short road trip would certainly be a pleasure.

But make no mistake, this 500e is a child of the city, and I'm certain the targeted audience also will be pleased with its Euro charms.

Venerable Ford Explorer competes with the big boys

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 -- Let's say you have $50,000 and change to spend on a new sport-utility vehicle, and you're pondering the wide field of possibilities.

What to do, especially with all those luxury-laden, tempting sport-utes to be had?  There's Lexus and Mercedes-Benz and Genesis and, yes, Kia knows how to make a quality SUV.

But perhaps you should consider America's all-time best-selling SUV.

That would be the Ford Explorer. A week in the 2025 Ford Explorer Platinum RWD offered up numerous reasons as to why it is a contender ... three rows of luxury wrapped in an attractive package and possessing a good amount of performance pep.

The updated lineup of Explorer models is arguably the best yet offered by the Blue Oval boys.

The tester was easy on the eyes, with classic robust SUV lines and a big-shouldered, nicely sculpted grille.  The Explorer looks ready for the long road, and particularly ready for off-road adventures.

Being off-road never felt so refined with interior ambient lighting, leather surfaces and a 13.2-inch digital touchscreen.  Off-the-pavement challenges are met with a host of features, including hill-start assist, side-wind stabilization and a terrain-management system.

My tester was equipped with the 3-liter, turbo V-6 rated at 400 horsepower, a delightful and enthusiastic power plant that made the Explorer handle like a purpose-built road warrior.

Given this combination of features, luxury, comfort and performance, this Explorer shapes up as a force to reckon with in its segment ... and a fair value for anyone's 50-grand and change.

Lexus RX 450h Luxury: Tops in class and classy to boot

This review first appeared in the December 2024 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 -- Having driven the Lexus RX sport-utility vehicle in its various forms over the years, I had a pretty good idea what to expect with the 2024 offering.

Turns out I underestimated the enjoyment factor.

The 2024 Lexus RX 450h Luxury is a technology-laden, rolling five-star hotel room, with a hybrid bonus.

Dressed in gleaming dark blue "Nightfall Mica" paint, the sleek tester radiated class.  Interior comfort was excellent.

It's the type of vehicle you don't want to get out of once your given driving chores are completed.

And yet, given what it has in the luxury segment, the tester was priced at a relatively reasonable $75,755.

If this is your purchase power point, I envy you.

My week in the sport-ute was completely enjoyable, a luxurious pleasure experience. It cruised down the freeway with butter smoothness, but it was remarkably agile when quick maneuvers were required.  The turning radius was surprisingly tight.

Power comes from a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder plug-in hybrid/electric engine. The system, linked to a continuously variable transmission, is rated at 304 horsepower.

That's a fair amount of oomph, and a welcome power boost that rescued me a couple of times during tight entrance ramp maneuvers along Interstate 80.

In the vehicle rollout, Lexus touted the PHEV addition to the midsize crossover SUV, and in this case, the hype was entirely appropriate.  The power package is seamless, smooth and strong.

In practical terms, the PHEV system is good for 35 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving; that number swells to 83 mpg in gas-electric mode.

This being a Lexus, top technology features were plentiful ... ditto comfort/convenience perks.

I particularly enjoyed the panoramic glass moonroof, automatic road sign recognition/assist system, top-notch wood/leather trim, intuitive parking assist and wireless phone charger.

Something beyond the norm?  How about a curve speed management system?

I suppose one can get jaded driving so many vehicles in the $60,000-plus price range, but with the reputation Lexus has established over the years, I believe it's important to meet expectations in the luxury SUV segment.

This 2024 Lexus RX 450h Luxury sport-ute not only meets that threshold, but surpasses it.

Mini Countryman reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2025 Mini Countryman S ALL4 sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, February 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.

BMW's electric sedan excels on multiple levels

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 -- It's a BMW sedan with 21-inch wheels, a ton of state-of-the-art technology and electronic power rated at an equivalent of 97 miles per gallon in the city and 94 mpg on the highway.

So, naturally, there's an assumption of quality.

Thankfully, in the tested 2024 BMW i5 eDrive40 sedan, you get that in the extreme.  So much so, you should feel totally pleased at the nearly $80,000 you have spent to make it yours.

That's how I feel, at least.

I've always been a bit confused by the way BMW names its cars, but confusion was swept aside five minutes into my test drive.  The sweeping was done by a buttery smooth all-electric motor that was likewise muscular and remarkably quiet.

You can see a million BMWs on the road and never take a second look.  That would be a mistake with this sedan.  It's electronic transportation at the head of the class in the sedan segment.

And sure, one's head can get turned by the standard Sky Lounge Roof, flexible fast charger and super-grabby blue caliper brakes.  But then you realize that you're in a machine equipped at a standard above most of the rest.

Shouldn't this be a $90,000 car?, I wondered.

Well, I've driven $90,000 cars that weren't as sophisticated as this tester.

Yes, this sedan is aimed at a high-end audience of electric car believers, but that does not take away from is bumper-to-bumper overall excellence.  Even internal-combustion devotees can appreciate outstanding engineering, right?

And this BMW is definitely worthy of appreciation.

This Bronco is equipped to run wild in the Badlands

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 have to hand it to the folks at Ford ... They really know how to stretch things out, adding touches to long-running vehicle models that make the old seem like new.

Take the Ford Bronco, which has been around for nearly 60 years.

You can have your Bronco as a Raptor, an Everglades model, a Sport, a Free Wheeling edition.

Or as the recently tested 2024 Ford Bronco Badlands 4-Door 4X4. With that name, you figure it's an off-road warrior.

Yes, it is, and Ford has gone to great lengths to equip the Badlands Bronco with features to warm the heart of the dedicated off-pavement motorist.

Where to begin?  The off-road suspension seems capable of driving up the side of a mountain.  All-terrain tires, of course. A sound-deadening headliner is a nice touch.  Muscular four-wheel disc brakes can stop it on a dime buried in the rocks. There's a front stabilizer bar disconnect. And on and on ...

But it's not all John Wayne macho. The tester had front row heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a wireless charging pad.

You could live comfortably in the woods or the high desert in this vehicle, with the bonus of state-of-the-art safety/driving-enhancement features -- all for a sticker price of $66,740 on the tester.

Fuel mileage is not so hot at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 17 mpg on the highway.  But the bonus on the other side of the coin is the enthusiastic performance of the 2.7-liter V-6 with more than 300 horses.  That makes this off-roader an imposing freeway roller as well.

Did I like it?  Absolutely, even with my urban dweller ways.

Land Rover Defender 90 rolls with two doors and more

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 -- Land Rover buyers tend to be a detail-oriented bunch.

So, listen carefully when they say: I'd like to buy a crossover segment-defying vehicle with two doors and some luxury, but I don't want to pay a hundred-grand for it. I want it to be unique, in a way that you won't see many like it on the road.

Which turns us to the recently tested 2024 Land Rover Defender 90 S, which checks all of the boxes listed above. I must admit, it got my attention before I drove it 10 feet.

First off, plenty of first-row comfort and fun gadgets.  I didn't think it needed multi-zone climate control, but there it was.  Grained leather seats, of course. Must have hill descent control to take this vehicle off-road. Heated washer jets? Absolutely.

Fuel mileage is a buyer factor at only 18 miles per gallon in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The fun-to-drive factor is large with an enthusiastic 2-liter turbo-4 rated at 296 horsepower. This package was sprint-off-the-line worthy, and the tight wheelbase (thus the 90 designation) made the tester an agile figure skater on four wheels.  Lots of pep and enjoyment.

The look is decidedly euro/Land Rover, but it takes some time to adjust to only one door on each side of the vehicle. That doesn't spoil the look; it's just different.

I confess that I didn't spend a lot of time navigating the back of the vehicle, although its cargo-carrying space seemed more than adequate. Packing up for off-road jaunts appears to be a major segment of the target audience.

The bottom line on the tester's sticker was $70,683, so I guess I'd amend that target audience to: off-roaders who like to go first class.

Nothing wrong with that. Consider me envious.