It's the full Lexus experience in a midsize sport-ute

 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 -- For the complete Lexus experience, it's hard to top the Lexus RX 450hL.

My recent week in the 2020 all-wheel-drive model made the point ... "clearly" as the politicians are prone to say over and over these days.

Simply put, this ride had it all: brilliant Lexus fit and finish, luxury to the max, an eye-popping list of safety features, state-of-the-art communications/entertainment features and, oh yes, a hybrid system that boosts fuel mileage ratings to 29 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. 

All this for a sticker price of $63,645 on the tester. That's a hefty bit of change to be sure, but frankly, it's a fair price given everything built into this hybrid midsize sport-utility vehicle.

The tested model drove well in all conditions.  The 3.5-liter V-6 is rated at 259 horsepower, but when the hybrid/electric systems are added in, the horses increase in number to 308.  Multiple electric motors assist engine starting, front wheels and rear wheels

It all adds up to stout acceleration -- impressive considering the curb weight of nearly 5,000 pounds -- when needed and silky smooth cruising on the freeway.  It's an easy driver, and an enjoyable one.

It looked good too, especially riding on those 20-inch dark silver alloy wheels with a machined finish.

The suite of safety features guards against seemingly everything except maybe sunburn.  A smartly laid out dash has everything within reach, and my ride was loaded with available perks sure to please most folks.  The short list included a heated wood and leather steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, a panoramic view monitor, a color head-up display, triple-beam LED headlamps, a premium Mark Levinson 15-speaker audio system, a power tilt/slide moonroof and a touch-free power rear door with kick sensor.

The vehicle seats six, but you might want to guide smaller folks to the third-row seats, which are a bit snug. 

Lexus touts the vehicle's admittedly extraordinary communications, connectivity and infotainment systems, including the on-board touchscreen master control.  It takes a practiced hand -- or perhaps just a younger one -- to master these, so if you're a methodical technology learner, be prepared to spend time with the owner's manual, and mastering just the right finger touches on the controls.

Once you've got all that down, you'll be ready to enjoy the total Lexus experience.  And yes, it's a positive one.

Santa Fe continues good feelings, with turbo boost

 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 -- Once again, I get a week in the Hyundai Santa Fe, and it's a good feeling. 

Because it has yet to disappoint me.  In fact, I have recommended the Santa Fe several times over the years to friends and family members.  It has all the Hyundai hallmarks: affordable price, generously equipped with standard features, liberal warranties, reliability and good looks.

For basic SUV transportation that doesn't break the bank, it's hard to beat the Santa Fe.

My ride was loaded with state-of-the-art safety/technology features, which included park-assist, forward/rear collision-avoidance, blind spot collision-avoidance, smart cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

Interior roominess is good.  Front leather seats can be heated and ventilated.  The dash and center stack of controls is within easy reach ... and easy to use.  No need to spend hours with the owner's manual to handle the basics.

An expansive, aggressive-looking grille anchors the mostly sleek exterior look, which is bolstered by 19-inch alloy wheels.  The $38,730 sticker price on my ride included everything, no pricey extras.  The long list of part-of-the-package perks included a panoramic sunroof, dual automatic temperature controls, a heated/leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster.

If you're doing the math on all this, perhaps you've figured out that you'd be paying $45,000 to $50,000 for other models that are similarly equipped.  Again, advantage Hyundai Santa Fe.

For most, the standard 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Santa Fe engine with 185 horsepower will do just fine for their needs.  I was favored with the 2-liter turbo-4 engine in the tester, rated at 235 horsepower.

That power plant made my Santa Fe a veritable rocket ship, enabling me to whip around freeway traffic with ease.  The turbocharger was instantly responsive, and I always felt secure and in control with the Santa Fe's just-right-firm steering.

Fuel mileage on the tester checked in at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway -- not bad for a lusty turbo engine.

Hyundai is already touting the 2021 Santa Fe, and Motor Trend magazine has ranked it No. 2 among the tested midsize SUVs, a very competitive segment.  Only the venerable 2021 Subaru Outback outpointed the Santa Fe.

So, there you have it: a sensibly priced SUV workhorse/daily driver packed with most of what the pricier competition has, and then some.  Hyundai likes to talk up "enhanced customer value."  In the case of the Santa Fe, I think the automaker more than makes its point.

A Supra experience in one super machine

This review first appeared in the August 2020 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg
 

Sacramento, California – Sometimes, you drop into the cockpit seat of a car that you know is deserving of special attention.  Even as you are in charge of the controls, you know that others will be watching you.

You sit up a little straighter.  Grip the steering wheel a bit tighter. And savor the moments you have behind the wheel.

Such is the case with the 2020 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium sports car (pictured, photo by Charles Glover).

I always liked the Supra ... Yes, even the Supras with the over-the-top rainbow wing in the back.  And I was mystified when Toyota walked away from the venerable sports car in 2002, after producing four generations of the model.

I was overjoyed at news of its return in 2019.  I was more than overjoyed after a recent week in the Supra.  I'm talking red-hot sports car love.  You could write a romance novel about it.

For starters, the Supra looks incredible ... a spectacular sculpture of menacing front-end and side-panel angle cuts that shout out the look of a purpose-built racer. On the back, a gently curved trunklid hovers over perfectly placed dual exhausts.

The interior is generously equipped with customer-pleasing luxury/convenience features and state-of-the-art safety technology. Even with a powerhouse engine, fuel mileage is an impressive 24 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.  Frankly, I would expect to pay more than the bottom line on the tester's sticker: $57,259.

Beyond all that, driving it is the most satisfying pleasure.  Taking it down a freeway entrance ramp gives you an impressive jolt of power and an easy-on-the-ears rumble from under the hood and out the exhausts.

At the bottom of the ramp, I ask for more from the turbocharged 3-liter, six-cylinder engine rated at 335 horsepower, and it is delivered with heavyweight gut-punch authority.  Surrounding cars seem to freeze in place as the Supra blazes into the distance.

From there, agility, handling, steering and firmness are top-tier.  It takes corners with monorail firmness.

To date, you don't see many Supras on the road.  If you get one, expect plenty of attention.  Neighbors and fellow motorists were drawn to the tester in record numbers.

True story: I was on the left side of a double left-turn lane when the driver of the vehicle on my right signaled for my attention.  Mobile phone in hand, he wanted to take a photo of the Supra.  Just then, the light turned green.  I motioned for him to follow me, and he did, into a nearby convenience store parking lot, where he snapped away.

I thought: This must be what it's like to be Brad Pitt.

Apparently, mine was not a unique experience.  A Motor Trend magazine writer said of his time in the car: "The Supra drew more gas station attention/queries than pricier cars filling up beside it."

So, ego-boosting attention is part of the deal, free of charge.  I guess that's what makes this Supra so special.

Toyota C-HR has the goods for paved, off-road surfaces

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 -- You can miss a lot reviewing a brand-new motor vehicle model.  My take on the new-for-2018 Toyota C-HR is a good example.

To be sure, I liked what I experienced a couple years back:  Surprisingly spacious interior, good-looking 18-inch alloy wheels and nicely equipped for the price.  For a subcompact crossover sport-utility vehicle, it had a lot going for it.

And that still applies to the recently tested 2020 Toyota C-HR Limited.  This time around, however, I was struck by the vehicle's saucy exterior lines and its obvious off-road capabilities.

So, at second glance, this C-HR in 2020 form is a head-turner with aggressive sculpting from bumper to bumper. Odd as it sounds, it looks like designers took the last of the Volkswagen Beetles and injected it with steroids from the National Hot Rod Association.

The front fascia has been retooled for 2020, and the little sport-ute now looks capable of taking on some rapid street machines ... not saying that sort of thing goes on in California, mind you.

But I digress.

Toyota claims that its designers fused a sport coupe, hatchback and compact crossover to come up with the latest C-HR.  OK, I'll bite.  No matter how you phrase it, my ride looked good.

Power comes from a 2-liter 4 with 144 horsepower -- not a rubber-burning power plant but capable and efficient for this particular model.

And yes, you can take it off-road.  You'd think I would have been more aware of that two years ago, since one of the multiple labels for the "C-HR" is "Coupe-High Rider."  Close inspection shows that the C-HR does have a good right height for going over rocks, branches and dirt road ruts.

Suspension hardware also is up to task, courtesy of an independent MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar on the front and a rear multi-link with coil springs on the back end.

LED lights all around are anchored by high-performance LED fog lights. Front seats are leather-trimmed, heated buckets -- good for cold morning comfort on the paved surfaces or off-road.

Throw in a max five-star federal government overall safety rating and excellent fuel economy -- 27 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway -- and you're getting a lot in a compact package.

And priced at $28,435, the tester shaped up as a bargain as well.

Kia Forte GT is reviewed in the latest Cruisin' News

Check out my review of the 2020 Kia Forte GT in the latest, September 2020, 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.