Buick's little Encore GX competes among 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 -- I'm driving down the road, and that catchy jingle from the 1960s is playing in my head: "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick ... "

What prompted that?

It was my time in the 2025 Buick Encore GX Avenir AWD, a subcompact sport-utility vehicle with enough room for five.

Best part of the experience: A nicely equipped model starting at $31,500. Next best part: Everything was easy to understand and use, from the on-board clock to the helpful safety/security technology.

Given the ultra-competitive world of small SUVs with widely varying prices, my ride seemed like a nice, comfortable break in a calm universe.

Power on the tester came from a nifty 1.3-liter, three-cylinder turbo engine that was more than powerful enough to power the little sport-ute around.  On the freeway, amid the slicing and dicing mob, I felt completely comfortable with the power supplied by the engine.  And the Encore GX was sure-footed in heavy traffic.

Fuel mileage was pretty fair at 26 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

The exterior look on the tester was classic compact sport-ute, but the front end had a little extra dash with nicely placed chrome accents.

The tester also included a generous helping of standard features, given the affordable price.  That included LED lighting, leather surfaces and an 11-inch, easy-to-see-and-use center dash display.

In the blizzard of small SUVs out there, it seems to me that this Buick would draw the interest of motorists who don't want to carry $50,000 to the dealership, plus those who crave utility for modest chores and family road trips of varying lengths.

I'm guessing those folks just might rather have a Buick.

Reworked Tacoma pickup draws attention, praise

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 not a daily pickup driver, and generally speaking, I don't get overly excited about a bumper-to-bumper reworking of a midsize truck.

But it's hard to ignore the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma, star of a Super Bowl ad and winner of assorted "best buy" nods since then.

After a week in the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4X4 Double Cab, I confess that I now understand the hype.  It's not just hype.  It's a genuine triumph.

Let's count the ways on my tester: a muscular 2.4-liter turbo-4 engine, an off-road tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, a decidedly roomy bed for a midsize truck, crawl control, automatic high beams, road sign assist/recognition, a full boat of contemporary off-road equipment/systems and much more.

Sure, a generous package of optional equipment pushed the bottom line on my ride to $54,784, but knowing that most pickup buyers make their purchases for the long haul, it's worth the price.

All of this would be impressive as is, but the reworked Tacoma is offered in more than a half dozen trims.  And you get perks -- a turbocharged engine, most significantly -- across the board. Impressive? I should say so.

Getting down to basics, the Tacoma was a pleasure to drive.  Uncomplicated, feisty when needed and pleasantly quiet on the freeway.  I found the turning radius to be surprisingly compact for this vehicle segment, and the various equipment and conversion processes for off-road jaunts were quite easy to master.

Simply put, this is a "freshening" of your dreams, the way an extensive model reworking should be done.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can offer: the new Tacoma is equally at home at the work site or on the town.

New CX-70 fits nicely in Mazda's sport-ute 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 -- Something new from Mazda reveals a luxurious, feature-loaded, high-performing sport-utility vehicle.

And yet in the tested vehicle -- a 2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus -- all my volunteer passengers wanted to talk about was the exterior paint job.

OK, it was a head-turner.  They wanted to call it Cinnamon.  The automaker calls it "Melting Copper Metallic."  You get the idea.

The CX-70 is positioned nicely amid Mazda's sport-utility vehicle offerings.  Call it a just-right choice for those wanting a five-passenger model with plentiful perks and the ability to get your heart racing during a hard acceleration from a standing start.

My tester performed flawlessly during a recent week in the California Wine Country, where it fit in perfectly among some of the classy, high-priced vehicles making the run over from the Bay Area.

So many things to like, but the performance topped my list.  I wondered how enthusiastic the CX-70 could be with those broad shoulders.  Turns out it was beyond enthusiastic with the 3.3-liter, six-cylinder, PHEV power plant churning out a maximum 323 horsepower and 369 foot-pounds of torque.

If asked, the CX-70 would sprint like a cheetah.  If you wanted to merely dust off pokes, it did so in a relatively quiet, efficient manner.

Since I was in Wine Country, I returned to the Sacramento Valley with more than I took over, but the spacious interior of the CX-70 swallowed all of it with no problem.

Fuel mileage? If you combine electric and gasoline, you can wring a 56 miles-per-gallon equivalent out of the power plant.

Did I mention luxury?  Plenty of that, including a power panoramic moonroof, heated power exterior lamps with built-in turn signals, a sparkling 12.3-inch color center display screen, black Nappa leather and a full boat of state-of-the-art safety/security systems.  My vehicle was priced about right for all that: $59,275.

All in all, another strong SUV choice from Mazda, joining a fleet of superbly engineered models.

Black beauty: Range Rover could be Batman's SUV

This review first appeared in the July 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 --Built like a tank, with a "Santorini Black" paint job and ebony interior, the 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE could be the sport-utility vehicle of Batman's dreams.

And priced at $104,655, it falls into the income bracket of Bruce Wayne.

Alas, it was mine for a week.  And let me tell you, I was the center of attention wherever I went.

Riding on 21-inch alloy wheels and spreading those broad shoulders, the tester was the very picture of intimidating menace. Not that I was minding that, I'll have you know.

When I was closing down on freeway stragglers, they typically darted out my way when they saw me coming.  You don't get that in a Honda Civic.

Given its size and fuel mileage readings of 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, I figured the Range Rover would be a lumbering load on the open road.

I figured wrong.

The 3-liter, six-cylinder turbocharged and supercharged engine (395 horsepower) produced startling leaps off the line.  And I was able to sprint the tester in and out of tight spots like it was a lightweight sports car.

Very impressive engineering, that.  And perfect fit and finish across the board.

Land Rover touts its luxury chops, and the tested Range Rover was loaded up with a sparkling package.

On the safety side, the beyond-the-norm list included emergency braking aids, roll stability control, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, 3D Surround Camera System and a sophisticated emergency collision system.

Human comfort/convenience perks included a power tailgate, rain-sensing windshield wipers, Windsor Leather surfaces and a panoramic sliding roof with power sunblind.

Volunteer passengers raved about roominess and comfort inside the cabin. I darn near had to drag them out of the vehicle.

Little wonder that Land Rover competes strongly with high-recognition luxury automakers.

This latest-generation Land Rover has plenty to boast about in the marketplace.

Red-hot Hornet is reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus Track Pack and Blacktop EAWD crossover can be seen in the latest, September 2024, 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.