Altima features new look, engines in sixth generation

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- The 2019 model year marked a year of change for the Altima, Nissan's venerable midsize sedan.

My tester was the 2019 Altima 2.5 SL AWD, and I used to be disappointed when I saw the "2.5" version.  That meant that I was not getting the strong 3-liter V-6.  But again, things have changed in this sixth-generation model.

The 2.5.-liter, four-cylinder engine now puts out an enthusiastic 188 horses, and for the first time ever on an Altima, it is matched with the automaker's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system.  It makes for an impressive performance package.

My Altima was loud and strong off the line and buzzed through heavy freeway traffic with admirable agility.  The car sawed off hard, high-speed corners with ease, and I found myself routinely blazing by vehicles on sharp turns with nary a wiggle from the chassis.

An edgy, sporty exterior look was added for 2019, and while some have called it wild, I liked it ... especially wearing a sparkling "Scarlet Ember Tintcoat" paint job.

To compete in this brutally crowded segment, a midsize model needs to be loaded, and Nissan did not drop the ball with this freshened Altima.  The long list of standard safety, security, comfort and convenience features is likely to please most shoppers.

My ride included rear cross traffic alert, a vehicle immobilizer system, intelligent headlights, a traffic sign-recognition system and multiple driving-enhancement technologies.

Even with all that and the kitchen sink, the bottom line on the sticker came in at a fairly reasonable $32,930, a good number to ponder when the competition includes heavyweights like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

It should be noted that performance-minded folks can bump up the rubber-burning curve by getting the Altima with the new-for-2019 2-liter turbo-4 power plant.  That one is rated at 248 horsepower with a max torque rating of 273 foot-pounds.

That's pretty serious muscle in this segment, but I'm guessing plenty of buyers will be happy with the 2.5-liter base engine.

Overall, this updated Altima has a lot to like.  Little wonder that the model is closing in on 6 million unit sales over its extended lifetime.

Jeep Compass SUV rides high on hills or flatlands

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Jeep made its mark in the world by being able to travel just about anywhere on the earth's surface.

So, when a vehicle wearing the name 2019 Jeep Compass High Altitude 4X4 shows up at your door, you assume it can tackle anything.  Rest assured, it can.  But also know that it's a very comfortable daily driver, entirely at home in an urban setting.

That, in a nutshell, is the appeal of the Compass sport-utility vehicle, nicely situated size-wise and off-road-wise, between the automaker's Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.

Technically, my tester was a Jeep Compass Limited with what Jeep calls the "High Altitude Appearance Package."  That gets you perks that include 19-inch "Satin Gloss Granite" wheels and grille treatments, a "Uconnect" 8.4-inch infotainment center with navigation, high-intensity discharge headlamps, LED lamps front and rear, deep-tint glass and specialized interior finishes and stitching.

It all but screams: "Let's go camping."

Sounds like fun, but for my purposes, most of my time in the Compass was spent in the urban/suburban jungle, and in that world, the Compass functioned quite well.

The 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 180 horsepower is a bit noisy at full song, but it moved the Compass around nicely.  The SUV's road manners were solid, whether on city streets or dicey freeways.

My extremely well-equipped Compass -- which equated to a somewhat heft $37,360 on the sticker's bottom line -- included heated front seats, heated steering wheel, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a power eight-way driver's seat.  This being a Jeep product, it has state-of-the-art electronic vehicle stability and off-road driving-enhancement features.

You can load up this Compass for serious away-from-home time; nearly 60 cubic feet of cargo space is created by folding the rear seats.  Gas mileage is pretty fair at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

All in all, this is a sound, versatile commuter and outdoors pleasure vehicle, and it competes nicely against strong competitors that include the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Crosstrek.

My guess is that loyal Jeep buyers will find no reason to change brands as this Compass points the way to many hours of pleasurable driving.

Nissan crossover SUV more than just for Kicks

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines kicks as "a stimulating or pleasurable effect or experience."

That's a perfect fit for describing the Nissan Kicks, the Japanese automaker's compact crossover sport-utility vehicle, introduced to the U.S. market in 2016 as replacement for the Nissan Juke.

The thing about the Kicks is that you can get hung up on its cuteness and completely overlook the basic charms of the vehicle.  I pretty much did that in a review of the 2018 Kicks posted on this blog in early January this year.

Upon taking delivery of the recently tested 2019 Nissan Kicks SR with a continuously variable transmission, I endeavored to look beyond the cute.

What I discovered was: Yeah, it's still cute.  It's super-functional for folks not looking to haul 80-pound bags of concrete mix.  It has superior gas mileage (31 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway).  It's highly affordable, starting at less than $21,000.  For the record, my generously loaded version came in at $23,330 on the bottom line.

As compact crossover SUVs go, this vehicle has everything it needs to compete in that brutally competitive market.  And owners can still get their kicks ... fun, for short.

My 2019 Kicks was smooth and sporty, with just the right number of subtle angle cuts on the body from bumper to bumper.  The tester looked good on 17-inch alloy wheels.

The 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine produces a max 122 horsepower, but the Kicks' light weight makes it feel much more peppy than those numbers would indicate.  I found the Kicks to have good acceleration, and it was nicely agile on city streets and in dicey freeway traffic.  Yes, the four-cylinder engine does make some serious noise at full song.

The biggest knock on the front-driving Kicks has been the lack of an all-wheel-drive version.  Frankly, this barely registered on my complaint radar.  One small complaint I had was the lack of an armrest for the front seat passenger.  The driver gets a fold-down armrest, but nothing for the wing man/woman.  Strange.

Yes, this Kicks is a tidy package, but with the rear seats folded, you can work with 32.3 cubic feet of cargo space.  That should be plenty for the target audience the designers of the Kicks were aiming for.

The long list of in-cabin features -- including a 7-inch color touchscreen, numerous state-of-the-art communication/entertainment goodies and an Intelligent Around View Monitor -- was bolstered by a SR Premium Package of options that included heated front seats and an outstanding Bose audio system with eight speakers.

Cute this ute is.  It's also highly functional and a bargain.  And worth a look.

Genesis G70 practically perfect in every way

This review first appeared in the August 2019 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California – I'm often asked to name my "favorite" motor vehicle, and of course that's an impossible task.  I have been spoiled getting into so many autos over so many years.

In a nutshell, I guess I want too much out of my "perfect" car.

But the recently tested 2019 Genesis G70 comes as close as anything to being a dream car, in my view.

Why?  Because while other cars have the things I like here and there, the G70 covers all the bases. It pleases on so many levels: beautiful styling, perfect fit and finish, high performance, superb handling, luxurious interior, excellent safety technology, plentiful comfort/convenience features and, yes, affordability.

My ride was the rear-driving, twin-turbo Dynamic Edition, with a 3.3-liter V-6 engine rated 365 horsepower.  That's the same top-end engine you'll find in the wonderfully responsive Kia Stinger.

But that doesn't really tell the tale.  The first time I nailed the accelerator hard in the G70, I was transported from the roadway to the drag strip.

The acceleration was a gut punch, downright shocking to the senses.  Motorists around me reacted the same way.  One second I was there, the next I was long gone.

If it was just that, I'd be impressed.  But the G70 is so much more.

The bottom line on the sticker was $51,245, and frankly, I thought that was a steal, given the package, a package that included top-tier Brembo brakes, surround-view monitor, driver attention warning, LED lights, a sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, a head-up display and much, much more.  A sticker of $65,000 would be more like it, in my opinion.

Does it look good?  It looks fabulous with sporty-elegant panel sculpting and accents on the exterior lights.  Throw in the generous Genesis warranties, and you have the makings of the practically perfect compact luxury sport sedan.

OK, if it was just me saying this, you might have plenty of ammunition to disagree.  But the editors of Motor Trend magazine named the G70 the 2019 Car of the Year, citing many of the same things you're hearing from yours truly.

The Motor Trend testers, who tend to be much harder to impress than I, were blown away by this all-new, South Korean-made sedan that not only challenges the long-standing superiority of the BMW 3 Series in this segment, but does so in a way that heavyweights Toyota, Honda, Nissan and General Motors have not.  Yup, that's high praise.

The only drawback some might find is the fuel mileage, which came in at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway for the tested G70.  But given the power of the 3.3-liter two-turbo V-6, I submit that those numbers are pretty good.

So, everything considered, this G70 makes a strong run at perfection in so many ways.  Needless to say, I enjoyed the ride.