A pair of aces: smooth, tech-loaded Acuras

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- In a tale of two Acura sport-utility vehicles, you really can't go wrong.

The 2019 Acura MDX AWD A-Spec was first up on my test list, and it proved to be a sound luxury liner worthy of the Acura badge.

Aerodynamic in design with superb fit and finish, the tester was packed with perks that justified the bottom line of more than $56,000.  Particularly impressive was a long list of high-tech safety features, which I am quite sure contributed to a max five-star overall safety rating in federal government tests.

On the roll, the MDX was a dream.  Smooth, strong and agile.

Power was provided by a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 290 horsepower.  Power was dished up smoothly and quietly.  Never did I feel insecure at the wheel of the MDX.  It handled everything.

Fuel mileage is tepid at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Interior comfort was top grade, as was comfort in the driver's seat, which provided a good 360-degree view of my surroundings.  Yes, this MDX can carry the ball quite well in the luxo SUV segment.

I took delivery of a 2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD A-Spec sport-ute (pictured) a short time later, and though it was priced about $10,000 less than the MDX, it provided more of a challenge.  The tester was equipped with a cutting-edge "True Touchpad Interface."

The system is so sophisticated that it required instruction from the test car delivery team and special reading materials to boot.

Simply put, numerous functions are controlled by a center console touchpad that is directly linked to positioning on the monitor display mounted at the center-top of the dash.  No cursor is involved, and it takes some time to master the muscle memory of the touchpad with the display.  Once mastered, however, it's an amazing piece of technology to use, and enjoy.

Happily, the RDX has the same smooth, enthusiastic performance characteristics of its MDX sibling, and fuel mileage is slightly better at 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the open road.

Overall, two top-notch SUV offerings from Acura.  Like I said, you can't go wrong either way.

Third-generation Sorento rolls on in style

  A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- The Kia Sorento isn't likely to roll off the tongue of auto enthusiasts asked to name a luxury, three-row sport-utility vehicle.

But after my week in the 2019 Kia Sorento SXL AWD, I'm thinking it should be on everyone's luxo list of seven-passenger cruisers.

The Sorento gets the ever-popular "refreshing" for the 2019 model year, with updated, more-elegant front and rear fascias. The tester looked impressive riding on 19-inch chrome wheels.

There are multiple levels of Sorentos to be had for a wide range of prices, but mine was definitely in the luxury segment with a ton of perks and a bottom line of $48,765.  Some extras might not be important to those drivers looking to save some dough.  Optional puddle lights, for example.

Just saying.

Power for this third-generation Sorento is provided by a 3.3-liter V-6 capable of nearly 300 horsepower.  The power plant is a relatively quiet, capable chunk of hardware that propels the SUV smoothly along freeways and up hills.  You need to work the steering wheel to some degree in dicey downtown traffic, but the Sorento does surprisingly well turning around in tight spots.

The highly touted eight-speed automatic transmission functioned flawlessly.

My ride had a full suite of state-of-the-art safety features, and the whole package translates to a max five-star safety rating in federal government tests.

Interior comfort for seven individuals, including the driver, was outstanding.  Plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the leather surfaces and the Harman Kardon premium audio system.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that folks purchasing this loaded SXL version of the Sorento are not overly concerned about gas prices.  For the record, fuel mileage comes in at a not-so-great 19 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

Bottom line: I thoroughly enjoyed my week in the updated Sorento ... This from a driver who tends to prefer more moderately-sized sport-utes.

Spoiled, and lovin' it, in a Ford F-150 pickup

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- Little wonder why the Ford F-150 has been ringing up monster-size sales forever ... A very good truck just keeps getting better.

For the 2018 model year, Ford boosted the F-150 package from nose to tail, offering more to what was already a major league menu of amenities to please truck driving Americans.

My recent tester was the 2018 Ford F-150 4X4 SuperCrew.

First thing I noticed: Plenty of interior room, front and back, for full-size adults.

Next thing: The tester was absolutely loaded with safety, comfort and convenience features ... scores of them.

Memory driver's seat, check ... Remote start, check ... 360-degree vehicle view, check ... electronic 10-speed automatic transmission with variable driving modes, ditto ... And I could go on for an hour as my ride was a finely dressed-up Platinum Series model.

What happened to the workhorse truck with basics?  It has been replaced by the 21st century truck with state-of-the-art technology.

Today's truck could probably run a worksite or a ranch with its own computerized brains.

And on top of all this, the big F-150 was smooth and quiet on city streets and dicey interstates.  It was a terrific freeway cruiser, with just-perfect steering and response.  Interior cabin noise was pretty much old-school-library quiet.

Quiet did not mean timid.  The V-6 turbodiesel engine was a stout performer on every roadway I traveled, including uphill runs in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  The F-150 is not the type of vehicle you can whip around in tight city traffic, but its handling characteristics are remarkable for a vehicle of this size.

Interior comfort was outstanding, but it might take some time for a contemporary pickup truck newbie to master all of the interior controls.  Once mastered, the world is your oyster.

My lifestyle does not lend itself to having a pickup as a daily driver, but I think I have a word to describe dedicated truck drivers who have vehicles like the current Ford F-150 to choose from.  That word is SPOILED.

Yeah, I'm sure they know that. And are loving it.  Can't blame them.

Here's another Lexus to get the heart racing

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo reviews of the latest motor vehicle models also can be seen on The Sacramento Bee’s website at www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

This review first appeared in the October 2018 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California – Another month, another Lexus ... but this tested blue bomber was something extra-special.

With a dazzling "Ultrasonic Blue Mica" paint job, a red interior and super-sporty sculpting for a sedan, the tested 2018 Lexus GS F was an aggressive sight to see.

Oh, it also came with a 5-liter V-8 rated at 467 horsepower. Performance plus?  Without a doubt.

The tester drew plenty of attention when parked.  It also drew stares from fellow motorists on the move ... but they typically had only a couple seconds to see the Lexus up close as I blazed by with plenty of acceleration in reserve.

The GS F tops 4,000 pounds, but you would never know it from the powerful moves it makes from a standing start.  And when asked to deliver in tight quarters on high-speed, uphill curves in the Sierra Nevada foothills, it responded with racy authority.

Truly, a pleasure to drive.

And well-equipped ... It ought to be with a bottom line of $89,120 on the sticker.

That included standard Brembo ventilated, high-friction disc brakes for maximum stopping power and a full boat of top-flight performance, driving-enhancement and safety features.  Extras included a head-up display (in color), a primo Mark Levinson audio system and 19-inch wheels.

A recently tested Lexus LS delivered strong performance with a major helping of luxury.  For perspective, the GS F plays heavy with the performance part, but the Lexus-level of luxury is still there.

Not surprisingly, fuel mileage is pretty tepid at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, but I'm guessing the target audience for this GS F makes major coin to pay the fuel bills.

If you're fortunate enough to have the dough for this ride, you're likely going to spend first month of ownership mastering all of the technology built into the machine.  My first clue on this: a 600-page owner's manual.

The list of safety features alone will have you studying the manual for a couple of days.  Rest assured that you would almost have to TRY to lose control of the GS F; that's how sound the safety technology is.

A rich person's toy?  A sedan with sports car aspirations?  A head-turner in the driveway of a luxury hotel/casino?

Yeah, this GS F is all that.

My tastes, however, are simple.  I just enjoyed putting the blue bomber through its paces over a week's time.

Mustang EcoBoost reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

Check out my review of the 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Coupe Premium in the latest, November 2018, edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News, published out of Folsom, California, by John Sweeney and Evonne Sotelo.

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 e-mail request to cruisinnews@mac.com. Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin’ News, P.O. Box 1096, Folsom, CA 95763-1096.

Nissan's Rogue proves its worth in the wild

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- I liked the Nissan Rogue when it made a series of saucy debuts for the 2008 model year.  I didn't appreciate how much I truly liked it until a recent jaunt into the Sierra Nevada high country.

A recent week in the 2018.5 Rogue Sport SV AWD was pleasant enough.  The compact crossover sport-utility vehicle was easy to maneuver in all situations, and while the 141-horsepower, four-cylinder engine was not a rubber-burning monster, the tested Rogue responded well on dicey freeways and amid urban gridlock.

Shortly after that, a 2018 Nissan Rogue SL AWD arrived at my door, just hours before taking it up to 7,400 feet, high above the south shore of Lake Tahoe.

OK, getting the Rogue from sea level to 7,400 feet was interesting.  I was impressed with the Rogue's ability to hug the sharp, high-speed curves of eastbound Highway 50.  Indeed, it dug in like a champ and cruised easily through the fall scenery.

Up at Tahoe, with a nearly straight-up drive to a Sierra summit, the engine did growl and grumble, but again, it handled the situation admirably.

It was at night that the tested Rogue imprinted itself in my memory for life.  In short, I did a lap around Lake Tahoe in the darkness, on those winding, dipping and diving roadways that highway engineers somehow carved along the lake's shoreline.  If you want a true definition of darkness, try driving the Tahoe loop late at night.

And yet, the Rogue made me feel secure.  The automatic on-off triggering of the bright headlights saved my bacon, functioning quickly and flawlessly with the approach of oncoming vehicles.  Had I been responsible for triggering the brights on and off during my lap of the lake, I would have had to make more than a hundred moves.  The Rogue's sensors did it for me, with perfect, split-second timing.  Other systems I've used have either been slow on the draw, or sometimes failed to function at all.

The driving loop near Lake Tahoe's southwestern shore sometimes resembles a mule trail in the Grand Canyon, with super-slow switchbacks.  The Rogue easily negotiated these dangerous gyrations in the darkness and brought me down safely and securely.

In short, the vehicle performed way beyond my expectations in a driving situation that intimidated me from the start.  Throw in the Rogue's good looks, SUV-style versatility and a state-of-the-art ProPilot Assist system that helps the driver stay alert and focused, and well, what more can I say?

Of the dozens of small crossover SUVs I've driven in 2018, I've found my favorite.  Hands down.