Variety, quality are staples of the Mazda CX lineup

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 -- Mazda has this sport-utility vehicle thing covered.

Besides its other SUV models, the CX compact crossover SUV lineup includes EIGHT trim levels, offering variety for the bargain hunter all the way up to the luxury enthusiast.

My recent tester was the 2025 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Premium with all-wheel drive, priced at a nice mid-level $40,755.

For that price, one gets a lot.

My ride included standard 19-inch black alloy wheels (very handsome), all-season tires, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated power mirrors with embedded turn lamps, a power moonroof, heated/ventilated front seats, lane-keep assist and much more.

So much more that 50-grand would have been a fair sticker price.

Bonus: A suite of max five-star federal government crash test safety ratings, including five stars on the overall score.

On the fly, the 2.6-liter turbo engine (227 horsepower) is a responsive, enthusiastic performer. I was surprised how easily it took on steep hill climbs.

Cruising characteristics were smooth and quiet. Fuel mileage came in at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Mazda seems to have upped the SUV competition ante to levels that boosted the fortunes of Kia and Hyundai ... that is, put a lot of perks in the vehicles for a price that undercuts the competition.

Hard to argue with that formula, especially when it translates to an advantage for the consumer.

Overall, this CX-5 fits the formula, with a suite of customer-pleasing features that won't break the bank.

Given the blizzard of crossover SUVs on the market, that gives the CX-5 a step ahead in this ultra-competitive vehicle segment.

Long-time favorite vehicle still pleases, turns heads

This review first appeared in the September 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 -- All these years, it has followed me around.

At the 1964 Indianapolis 500.

At the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

My mother's first car, a notable fact given that she grew up in poverty and did not get her first driver's license until she was 40 years old.

The car in which I learned to drive.

It's a Ford Mustang, of course ... and yeah, the name still has a romantic ring to it, right?

My recent week in a Mustang Premium coupe certainly proved the point.  In traffic, fellow motorists gave me a thumbs-up.  Parked in various lots around town, my beauty wearing "Carbonized Gray Metallic" paint drew admiring crowds.

I'm not sure that the creators of the Mustang envisioned all that would come when the model was introduced in the early days of Lyndon Johnson's presidency.

Naturally, a lot has happened since then to bring the Mustang into the modern age.

Most pleasant for me was the 2.3-liter turbocharged power plant rated at 315 horsepower.  There's a satisfying rumble when starting the car, and my tester felt strong and smooth when opened up on the highway. It felt more comfortable at 70 miles per hour than it did at 35 mph.

The tested Mustang -- stickered at $51,935 -- included a fair number of high-end components.  That list included Brembo brakes, a 13.2-inch center stack screen, specialized ambient lighting and a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel.

For all of its muscle, fuel mileage was pretty fair at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Back in the day, it was common for owners of specific sports cars to wave at each other on the highway.  You get a little bit of that feeling in the Mustang ... Call it the price (or reward) for being an icon.

There are so many sports cars on the market now -- and so much horsepower -- that it's easy to get lost in the blizzard of nicely shaped machines.

But the Mustang takes things a step further, with a strong sense of history behind the wheel, back to a time when American automakers were competing furiously ... and not quite hearing or seeing the wave of high-mileage, foreign-made cars on the horizon.

Philosophy and nostalgia aside, the current Mustang remains a pleasure to drive.

The fact that it's part of automotive history -- and still a head-turner among all ages -- is just a bonus.

BMW sport-ute reviewed in the latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2026 BMW iX xDrive45 sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, October 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.

Venerable Lexus RX sport-ute rolls onward in style

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 -- Lexus touts the RX as the world's first luxury crossover sport-utility vehicle, rolled out in America ion 1998  ... So, what do you get today for your $60,000?

Based on my week in the 2025 Lexus RX 350h AWD, the answer is: a whole bunch.

Where to start?  Well, yes, that lowercase "h" tells you that this is a hybrid machine. Given the cost of hybrid technology, $60,230 on the tester's bottom line (along with everything else on the vehicle) was pretty reasonable.

The power plant itself is a responsive one rated at 246 horsepower.  My ride actually felt stronger than that number, and a serenely quiet cabin even at full song spoke of typically excellent Lexus engineering.

The hybrid bonus is a healthy 37 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.

Inside, one expects to dwell in the lap of luxury, and that's precisely what you get. I particularly liked the power moonroof (part of the F Sport package), elegant ambient lighting and butter-smooth seating surfaces.

Want more?  You get it with max five-star federal government crash test ratings, including five on the overall score.

Fit and finish?  Pretty much perfect.

The exterior look is classic SUV, with classy sculpting on the grille and back liftgate (powered, with kick sensor on the tested model).

Overall, a solid effort from an old reliable.

Considering that you can drop 75- or 80-grand for luxury sport-utes at various dealerships these days, I'd consider the five-seat RX a bargain offering in the high-end crossover SUV market.

Ioniq XRT EV SUV makes the grade in numerous ways

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 admit it: I was spellbound during my recent week testing the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD sport-utility vehicle.

With dual electric motors and 601 horsepower at my command, how could I not be transfixed?

A week in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD XRT brought me to my senses, a chance to savor the luxury, engineering and -- wait for it -- off-roading capabilities of the vehicle.  There are reasons that auto reviewers consider the Ioniqs the best of the electric SUV lot, and they could be found in abundance in the tested XRT.

Don't get me wrong ... The XRT is not underpowered.  It too has dual electric motors punching out a healthy 320 horsepower and 446 foot-pounds of torque.  Those numbers produce a nearly silent, silky ride that can turn into a heart-racing thrill if one's right foot is so inclined.

My ride, wearing a sticker of $57,085, was dressed up with plenty of luxury (perhaps not fully appreciated by me in my time in the Ioniq 5 N).  Plenty of high-tech driving-assist features as well.

With a premium Bose audio system blasting away, any trip on the freeway is a pleasure in the XRT, and if you are a careful driver, you might wring a 300-mile range out of the vehicle.

I was surprised at Hyundai's aggressive efforts to tout the XRT's off-road prowess ... "ideal for venturing off the beaten path," as they put it.

And it's not just a claim.  The vehicle is well-equipped for off-pavement adventures.  XRT-exclusive equipment includes suspension lift, 18-inch all-terrain tires, black side sills, all-weather floor mats, camouflage cladding and much more.

I'm sure there are some who wonder why anyone would take their $60,000 SUV into the wilderness, where scratches and dents might await.  But motorists owning luxurious EV sport-utes should be free to have fun in the mud too, right?

All in all, this XRT is a versatile electric machine that appeals to a diverse crowd of motorists.

Sticker shock: How much do you want for that car?

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 -- People who know such things tell me that a sure sign of aging is when your conversations are dominated by your current health ... and constant complaining about the ever-rising price of seemingly everything.

I've been fighting these trends with old codger fury, but some things are hard to avoid.

Like the average price of a new car in the United States hovering right around $50,000. And if you're willing to settle for a used car, the average fare is $25,000 and change.

I've dated myself already, but I distinctly remember that you could get a 1965 Mustang (still craved today) wearing a sticker of less than $2,500.

Yeah, sure, I know .... those times are long gone, along with Mister Ed and The Beverly Hillbillies on the tube.

But I must admit, I don't know how today's wage earners (even decent wage earners) can afford to buy a car ... given the high price of everything else in their American lives.  OK, financing over 72 months might get you there, but that's assuming that you're eating chicken noodle soup six days a week.

I guess I am skewing the game by applying my 1960s-1980s memories/values in the modern age, where you can walk into a dealership and find a blizzard of pickups and sport-utility vehicles priced at $60,000, $70,000 and up.

And sure, the averages are dragged up by super cars.

Pulitzer Prize-winning auto reviewer Dan Neil recently evaluated the 2025 Cadillac Celestiq, a mind-blowing piece of style, performance and engineering.  Price as tested: $395,790.  Yeah, that number will swell your batting average.

So, as we swim through a period of ever-more-exotic exotics, tariffs and electronic vehicles, I expect we will see the average price of a new auto balloon somewhere near the cost of a two-bedroom bungalow on the waterfront in Santa Barbara.

The very thought makes my nerves tingle.  Think I'll grab a $20 latte and sit for a bit.

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.