Electric muscle car reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Track Package can be seen in the latest, April 2026, 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.

Toyota's sporty Prius shines on the inside as well

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 transformation of the Toyota Prius from boxy runabout to head-turning sports car wowed me so much that I frankly overlooked the advancements inside the car during an initial test.

So I spent more time concentrating on the interior perks during a recent week in the 2026 Toyota Prius Nightshade Plug-In Hybrid.

I was only partly successful.  I mean those smooth lines and sporty sculpting do so much to turn your attention away ...

Where was I?  Oh yeah, inside the machine.

My tester weighed in at $41,304 on the sticker, an entirely fair price given the plug-in hybrid technology and all the perks.  And the perks were plentiful.

I liked the 7-inch digital gauge cluster, the instantly responsive cross-traffic alert, the front/rear parking assist and the carbon fiber detail on the dashboard.  This being a Nightshade model, black badges, black trim and 19-inch alloy wheels with a black finish contributed an edgy look to the package -- edgy in a good way.

Options included a glass roof feature.

What more could a save-the-planet devotee with a love of sports cars want?

How about a 114 miles per gallon equivalent in combined city/highway driving, a rating based on combined electricity and gasoline usage?  The number is still impressive with gasoline only: 48 miles per gallon.

And yes, you can get your sporty on with combined net horsepower of 220. My tester scooted sharply off the line and was a responsive, agile dancer in dicey freeway traffic.

For a motor vehicle that was a long-ago pioneer in hybrid technology, this current Prius plug-in still ranks as state of the art in the segment. With good looks and plentiful customer-pleasing features thrown in.

Loaded and electric, Kia's EV9 sport-ute stands tall

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 -- Kia's reputation for building quality motor vehicles is enhanced with the 2026 EV9 GT-Line AWD, my tester during a recent week.

In case anyone misses the point, Kia adds words to the sticker: EV9 Long Range AWD GT-Line. Yes, I get it.  Electric power. Long range. Sporty touches.

The electric bonus is substantial for this three-row model: a 92 miles per gallon equivalent in city driving and 72 mpg on the highway.

My tester was loaded with popular comfort, convenience, safety and driving-enhancement features, all of which pushed the bottom line on this top-of-the-line model to $76,670. And yes, that's a fair price for all that's in there.

Bargain hunters be advised that a 2026 EV9 Light SR trim level of the vehicle can be had for a starting price of $54,900.

Either way, you are going to get a smooth-sailing, feature-loaded sport-ute for a fraction of what other automakers might charge for the same, luxury/feature-laden SUV.

While the freeway manners of the EV9 were excellent as usual, I was surprised at the inner-city agility of the vehicle.  Several times, I quickly darted out of harm's way in urban gridlock. Typically, a three-row SUV does not react so quickly in tight quarters.  Pleasantly surprised?  Yes, I was.

As per usual with Kia, the warranties are generous.

Volunteer passengers gushed happily about the comfort and roominess, even in the back-end seats.

Oh, it looks good as well.  A long roofline and a nicely sculpted, understated grille, combined with the GT-Line touches, make for a head-turning package.

All things considered: A Kia triumph in a vehicle segment of sizable, all-electric transportation.

BMW sport-ute upholds 'ultimate driving machine' label

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 -- You can drive and drive. You can study and test.  You study interior and exterior motor vehicle features until your eyes glaze over.  And just when you think you have it all figured out...

They deliver a BMW Alpina XB7 sport-utility vehicle to your drive way.  Sticker price: $159,145.  Three rows of everything you can imagine riding on 23-inch wheels.

Some vehicles have this and some of that and ... you won't need to worry about that if you drop some serious coin on this vehicle.  It has so much that BMW's "ultimate driving machine" slogan seems like a humble statement.

Lap of luxury?  How about soft-close automatic doors? Gotta have those crystal headlights and illuminated kidney grille. Not just cupholders but heated and cooling cupholders.  I could go on about extras, but rest assured that the list is quite long.

And that's on top of seemingly every state-of-the-art driving-enhancement, security and safety device known to the globe. Connectivity technology is particularly impressive in this Alpina XB7.

So, how does it drive?  Here's a clue: the power plant is a 4.4-liter bi-turbo V-8 rated at 631 horsepower.  That's more than some purpose-built professional racing machines.

Off the line, power comes on in a relatively quiet manner, but physical forces mash you deep into your seat.  With revs up, it's a dominant freeway force, capable of blazing through tight spots with startling ease.  Indeed, every other vehicle seems frozen in place when the Alpina is at full song.

Muscular performance does impact fuel mileage, which comes in at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.

Needless to say, this Alpina is in a lofty vehicle segment, one occupied by Mercedes-Benz sport-utes and Cadillac Escalades to name just two.  I can only imagine the satisfying high of browsing six-figure machines for purchase.

For those who know that high, this Alpina XB7 deserves a look.

Chevy Blazer EV sport-ute fills the wish list with 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 -- One of the common complaints I hear among folks reluctant to drive or buy an electric vehicle is ... EVs don't have everything I want in a motor vehicle.

For those folks, I offer up the recently tested 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS AWD midsize crossover sport-utility vehicle.

First off, you get the Blazer name, a well-established label that virtually everyone in America knows.  No guessing involved.

So, you want performance?

How about dual motors dishing up 615 horsepower, enough to send you from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds.  It took me some time to adjust to the regenerative braking rhythm of the tester, but once there, I was blasting off the line and dispatching freeway stragglers with remarkable ease.

Volunteer passengers were enthusiastic about the acceleration rush.  I advise handling it carefully.  You can be touching 80 mph before you realize it.

The payoff: A miles per gallon equivalent rating of 92 in the city and 77 mpg on the highway. Chevy touts a driving range of 302, given careful driving.

So, you want good looks?

The Blazer is not your typical SUV block. It profiles low with an extended roofline, cutting through the wind smoothly. My ride was a crowd-pleasing eye-catcher with one of my all-time favorite paint job names: Habanero Orange.

So, you want popular, top-tier features?  My tester had a ton of them.

Extra-special perks on the tester included Brembo brake calipers, a 17.7-inch diagonal color LCD display, a head-up display, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a primo Bose audio system, heated rear seats and a smart power liftgate.

All that added up to $64,485 on the sticker.

That price is just about right in this most competitive vehicle segment, in which this Blazer competes very well.

Lexus LX 700h sport-utility vehicle is big in every way

This review first appeared in the February 2026 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 -- There's something about taking delivery of a motor vehicle wearing a sticker with a bottom line of $141,350.

You want to shoo away kids on bicycles, lest they swerve and put a small dent in the body. Or maybe I should sit up all night in the driveway to warn away any pests that might likewise deface this jewel.  Should I drive it more than 30 miles per hour? I mean it's a dangerous world out there.

OK, all of that is (somewhat) ridiculous, because the tested Lexus LX 700h sport-utility vehicle is a big-shouldered auto that is assembled to be enjoyed.

Would you push away a $500 bottle of wine?  Of course not.  You'd savor it.

I did so with the tested SUV.

The first thing that struck me was the monster-size grille on the front. Could have passed for a locomotive.

If I saw it coming at me in the rearview mirror, I would definitely be inclined to bolt out of the way.  And maybe that's the point.

This LX was a powerful beast with a 3.4-liter V-6 hybrid engine that moved the machine forward with muscular authority.  To put things in perspective, the hybrid power plant fuel mileage rating was 19 miles per gallon in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.

So, everything is big on this SUV, right?

Sure, and in a good way.

The list of state-of-the-art safety, comfort, convenience, luxury and driving-enhancement features was exceptionally lengthy.  So much to enjoy and master. Lexus isn't kidding when it uses "ultra luxury" in the same sentence with this vehicle.

Personally, I was impressed with the triple-beam LED headlamps, the multi-terrain monitor, the 8,000-pound towing capacity, the adaptive variable suspension, intuitive parking assist, 22-inch forged alloy wheels and primo Mark Levinson audio system.

That's a very short list from the blizzard of goodies.  Suffice it to say that you're getting your $141,350 worth, and then some.

While I'm aware of the level of professionalism Lexus engineers put into their vehicles, I was still amazed at the fluid grace of the tester on the roll.

Passengers likewise praised it.  At the wheel, the agility of the sport-ute was startling.  If asked, it cuts with the quickness and controlled smoothness of a champion alpine skier.  Impressive? Very.

If I laid out my own cash for this vehicle, I confess that I would be very reluctant to take it off-road.  Scratch the paint? Horrors!

And yet Lexus has installed multiple, top-tier off-roading features into the LX 700h.

Overall, the tester competes quite well with the ultra-luxury competition out there. It was my fantasy vehicle for a week; for those with the means to make it theirs for years, I salute you.

 

Sportage PHEV SUV reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2026 Kia Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige AWD sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, March 2026, 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.