Electric vehicle advances carry us into the new year

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 -- As we head down the road into another new year, change is in the air.  And that air is electric-charged.

The electric future of the automotive industry is everywhere, especially here in California. And there's plenty more to come.

What I'm experiencing now on my test drives is vastly different than what I experienced less than a decade ago.

New hybrid and electric vehicles are showing up on dealer lots -- and in my driveway -- in unprecedented numbers.  And the infrastructure to charge up those EVs is growing at a rapid rate.

I'll confess that this once-nervous electric vehicle driver has, over time, become entirely comfortable with the technology and the related infrastructure.  If I can adjust, well, I'm betting that most others will be fine as well.

The electric rush has worked its way into every crevice of automotive thought.  The Motor Trend magazine SUV of the Year -- the 2023 Inoiq 5 -- is an electric.  Remember when seeing an electric vehicle on the road was a rarity that prompted your heart to race?  No longer does that happen.

And how many parking lots did you pull into in 2022 and find numerous EVs lined up and taking on juice at charging stations? A fair number, I'd bet.

Rest assured, the electric wave will continue in 2023, big-time. The domestic and foreign pipeline is stuffed with new contenders, and some mind-blowing technology to boot.  Is it a good time to be alive and experience the incredible advancements in motor vehicle manufacturing?

You bet it is.  Hang on for a thrilling ride in 2023.

On the auto racing front, here are some things to watch for in three major series:

+ IndyCar: Helio Castroneves will seek a record-setting fifth Indy 500 win in May. He's one of four who have won the famous race four times, and the only one who remains active.

+ NASCAR: An army of young newcomers has come into the top tier of the stock car series, replacing the Jeff Gordons, Jimmie Johnnsons and others.  Expect a young gun to win the Cup Series next year, but whoever that is will have to take down former young gun Joey Logano, now a seasoned veteran with two NASCAR Cup Series championships under his belt.

+ Formula One: Here's hoping other teams -- backed by their many millions of dollars -- can somehow find a way to keep two-time F1 series champ Max Verstappen from winning virtually all the races. I crave more competition in this tech-laden series.

Given all this, I look forward to a year of exciting changes and competitive races. And my wish for you in 2023 is never changing: be safe, be happy, motor easy.

Mazda's CX-9 SUV feels right at home in luxo setting

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 took the latest version of the Mazda CX-9 midsize sport-utility vehicle to a special event ... the kind of event where those in attendance are driving motor vehicles priced at $100,000 and up.

So, as you might imagine, I was feeling a bit insecure parking my 2023 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD among so many Cadillacs, Porsches and even a Lotus or Ferrari or two.

I was surprised right off the bat when an event attendee paused and asked: "Say, what is that you're driving?"

Here it comes, I thought.

Instead, he walked over the asked take a look inside my "sharp-looking" sport-ute.

His head emerged moments later with nothing but praise for the "very nice" interior.  And I'm not even sure he spotted the heated/ventilated front seats, the heated steering wheel and automatic LED headlights.

And well, he was right.  My tester had Nappa leather surfaces, passenger seating for six, paddle shifters and a full boat of high-tech safety features.

Sometimes, you don't know what you have until somebody else points it out. And then, after the event was over, it happened again. Another well-dressed gentleman was giving my tester a close look through the driver's window.  And he likewise wanted to take a look inside.

I asked him if he ran into another similarly interested gentleman during the event, and he looked at me like I was a dullard.  So, apparently, this guy's interest was totally independent of the other guy.

Go figure.

Throw in the peppy 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, smooth cruising characteristics, a max five-star safety rating in federal government crash tests and the CX-9's long list of standard features and buyers of this latest CX-9 might be feeling pretty good about things.

But what they really should feel good about is the price.  The bottom line on my loaded CX-9 was $50,330. For the math-challenged, that would be well short of 100-grand.

You can take that to the bank ... and park the CX-9 amid the high rollers with nary a worry.

Chevy's Bolt delivers an electric jolt to the heart

This review first appeared in the November 2022 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 -- It's electric, egg-shaped and energetic.

But most of all, the tested 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT hatchback is -- dare I say it -- an influencer.

It is so finely engineered, so fun to drive and so pleasingly peppy that it should convince most electric vehicle doubters that "this one is actually pretty cool."

Yes, cool.  That's the word.

At first glance, the subcompact hatchback Bolt's lines are definitely egg-shaped, but in an aerodynamic way.  The exterior badging and space-age look tell you that this is something different from the norm.

In this era of super-expensive gas, the biggest difference is the electric/gas mileage equivalent, using a formula that is beyond my brain power.  But the bottom-line numbers tell the tale: 131 mpg equivalent in the city and 109 mpg on the highway.

For the record, charging it up is as easy as grabbing a chocolate chip cookie out of the jar.

Range is good ... nearly 300 miles on a single charge if you're babying it along.

My ride was generously equipped with all the features you would expect in a vehicle powered with something other than electricity.  That included heated seats, LED lights all around and driver-assistance features.

But the best part is the driving.

The tester was exceedingly smooth, perhaps enhanced by the silence accompanying movement.  It takes some getting used to, but it doesn't take long.

Steering is top-tier.  The Bolt doesn't drive into spaces as much as quickly scoot into them.  And that is a heart-racing blast.

Response off the line is incredible.  Repeatedly, without smashing the accelerator to the floor, I zipped away from intersections and glanced at the rearview mirror to realize that I was 20 car lengths ahead of the vehicle that was beside me only seconds ago.

This "instant-go" feeling is habit-forming, and I found myself beating sports cars down the road with very little effort.

This is a universal smile-producer, no matter if you're driving an electric vehicle or a gas guzzler.

The bottom line on the tester was $36,165, hefty for a subcompact but totally justified by the technology under the skin.  One assumes Bolt buyers are in for the long haul.

And for those on the fence about electric vehicles, one test drive in this Bolt might put your feet firmly on the ground.

Sporty Toyota coupe reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2022 Toyota GR86 Premium coupe can be seen in the latest, December 2022, 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.

Lexus packs a lot into its compact hybrid NX sport-ute

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 -- Lexus went all-out with its 2022 makeover of the NX, a compact luxury sport-utility vehicle that slugs it out in a very competitive segment.

For the most part, the changes hit the target. Critics have been brutally critical in some cases.  Too brutal, in my view.

My tester was the 2022 Lexus NX 350h Luxury model, priced $56,405. Let's start by saying: if I was the owner of this vehicle, I would be decidedly content.

How so?

Let's start with looks.  It's sleek and sporty and has the nearly mandatory swallow-me-whole grille. It looks luxury-laden parked at the country club or outside the liquor store in the strip mall parking lot.

Power is provided by a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine paired with a battery and electric motors. That combo (239 horsepower) will take you from zero to 60 miles per hour in seven seconds flat.  In this segment, that's pretty peppy.

Handling is responsive. Steering is easy and precise. Freeway cruising is a walk in the park, and the tester was small enough to handle tight downtown parking lots with ease.

The payoff of the hybrid powertrain can be found on the sticker: 41 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

The Lexus NX has an impressive list of state-of-the-art safety features.  And of all the comfort/convenience features stuffed into this sport-ute, the 14-inch touchscreen draws the most attention.

Some critics don't like it, saying it's too big.  Can there really be such a thing as too big?  Maybe my aging eyes affected my opinion, but I found the big screen easy to read and entirely functional.

Lexus touts the "longer, wider and taller" tweaks to the 2022 NX, and rightly so.  I found the interior space to be more than adequate in this compact class, a definite plus for a daily driver that commutes on weekdays and totes stuff on weekends.

Overall, the NX lives up to the Lexus name and reputation.  The automaker made a good vehicle better this time around.