Mazda CX-30 'Aire Edition' wins points for style, perks

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've had a lot of seat time in Mazda's subcompact crossover sport-utility vehicle, the CX-30.  And yet, I only recently experienced the latest version.

The "Aire Edition" joins the lineup for 2026.  Simply said, it has all the usual pleasing amenities, some special perks and an easy-on-the eyes sticker price.

Let's start with amenities ... Wow, a long list.  Plenty to keep one's nose buried in the owner's manual for days.  Happily, virtually everything in the package is easily mastered.

Helpful features include heated front seats, a lane-departure warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, four-wheel disc brakes and LED lights all around.  Driver-assistance technology is exceptional for this vehicle segment.

Special touches are part of the Aire Edition label.  Think black.

The tester included gloss black badges, 18-inch black metallic aluminum alloy wheels, black roof rails and black side mirrors.  Stylish and distinctive.  I liked it.

Now, about that price.  A 2026 CX-30 starts at $25,975.  There's a number you don't see on a lot of SUVs.  Seems like you need 50K just to walk in the door these days.

My exceptionally loaded tester -- full name 2026 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo Aire Edition -- came in at $37,240 ... still a nice number in today's market.

So, how does it drive?  Quite nicely. A fun, agile vehicle with a responsive power plant.

The 2.5-liter turbo engine is rated at 227 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque ... ample oomph for all driving situations.  And having loaded plenty in the back of my tester, I'm guessing most will be surprised at the vehicle's cargo-carrying capacity.

Seating surfaces are comfortable.  Large adults in the back seats might feel a bit cramped.  After all, it's a subcompact.

Bonus: A full boat of max five-star ratings in federal government crash tests, including five on the overall vehicle score.

In sum, Mazda's Aire Edition is yet another solid model in the automaker's CX lineup.

Signia sport-ute is another jewel in Toyota's Crown

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 -- Yes, that's me with a "Finish Line Red"-painted version of the Toyota Crown Signia Limited hybrid sport-utility vehicle in my driveway.

But wait, wasn't I just in a passenger car-like Toyota Crown Nightshade? What gives?

It's all in the name.

With the Signia, the look is absolutely SUV-like.  So is the storage area ... 10 more cubic feet than the standard Crown. And there are special perks to be had, including a panoramic fixed-glass roof.

So, it all boils down to what you like, and need.

In the tested Signia, there was plenty to like.

I particularly enjoyed the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder hybrid power system (240 horsepower) that performed strongly, paired with a finely tuned suspension that saw me doing slalom moves on the open road.

Like a skier gone mad in a mountain paradise.

The payoff, of course, is fuel mileage: 39 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

Toyota's current-generation 12.3-inch multimedia screen -- easy to figure out and use -- is part of the package as well. Standard features are at the Lexus level.

You pay more for the hybrid SUV compared with the standard Crown offering ... but not much.  The loaded tester came in at $52,565 on the sticker's bottom line.  Just about right given all the features, in my view.

Is this Crown Signia Limited worth test driving in a world populated by numerous practical-size sport-utes with instantly recognizable names?  A definite YES on that.

Forester Wilderness SUV is instantly outdoor-ready

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

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 Sacramento, California -- Back at the turn of the millennium, it seemed like I was getting a Subaru Forester to test every week.

Not that I was complaining.

Great engineering.  Peppy boxer-style engine. World-class all-wheel drive.

And Subaru was aggressively touting the off-road capabilities of the compact, five-seat SUV, which came onto the U.S. market for the 1998 model year.

And yeah, I could appreciate that.  But frankly, I spent the majority of my time enjoying the on-pavement charms of those Foresters.

Recently, I spent a week in a new-for-2026 Forester called the Wilderness edition.

Simply put, it delivered on the off-roading promise of all those other Foresters put together.

For starters, the 2026 Subaru Forest Wilderness just LOOKS like a backwoods tamer.  Just the right ride height. Armor in just the right places. Sophisticated differential. All-time-high towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Who's ready to go camping? With this Forester Wilderness, just about everybody is my guess.

And the state-of-the-art features add a feeling of confidence and security.  That included deep snow/mud modes designed to drive one out of tight spots, should that happen.

Attention to detail is a treat.

Water-resistant seating surfaces include copper stitching with the Wilderness logo embossed on the front headrests and other surfaces. A rugged cargo area is built to handle heavy loads. Tie-down hooks, of course.

Beyond its off-road charms, the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine is nicely capable at 180 horsepower.  And even at full song on the pavement, the power plant is smooth and not noisy.

As with past Foresters, freeway runs were silky, and the vehicle felt lighter in my hands than the advertised curb weight of 3,675 pounds.

My tester was stickered at $42,430 -- reasonable for the numerous features in the package.

Overall, this Wilderness version was the most enjoyable Forester in my experience -- a pleasing combination of the rugged, the technical and the luxurious.