Aviator takes luxurious Lincoln SUV to new heights

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 had not test driven a Lincoln motor vehicle in a long time ... dating back to the 2018 model year for crying out loud!

After a week in the Lincoln Aviator Black Label Grand Touring AWD sport-utility vehicle, I was really kicking myself for missing out.  The experience was that pleasant.

There are certain things I expect from a vehicle wearing a sticker with a bottom line of $89,925.  The tester met them all.

And beyond that, passengers who went motoring with me in the vehicle were absolutely over the top with their praises.  They liked the comfortable seats, the roominess, the smooth ride. They all but gushed about this three-row, luxury, midsize SUV.

A little research showed me that the Aviator also has drawn positive reviews from some typically hard-to-please auto reviewers.

What I liked most was the tester's surprising level of performance, courtesy of a plug-in hybrid system that generates 494 combined horsepower and 630 combined foot-pounds of torque.

At speed, these numbers translate to a rush.  Remarkable acceleration from a standing start.  I found myself darting the Aviator around, even on short trips.  It just felt  good.  Wisely, the Lincoln folks seem to have figured out that even luxury lovers need a horsepower fix from time to time.

Mashing the accelerator comes with little guilt, as the combined gas/electric fuel economy on the tester came in at a combined 56 miles per gallon in city/highway driving.

I should note that very little noise reaches the interior cabin, even when the smooth-riding Aviator is being propelled at near maximum thrust.  The serene atmosphere allows one time to enjoy the extensive luxo features for which Lincoln is known.

Interior leather stitching is excellent. I loved the ambient lighting, and the quad-zone climate control came in handy.  This being a Black Label edition, my Aviator was dressed up with numerous extra eye-catching touches.

This elegance transfers to the exterior skin as well.  From the outside, the Aviator exudes class, with just enough sporty lines to give one advance warning of the acceleration rushes to come.

Lincoln has been a regular at the luxury party for a long time.  For the record, it hasn't lost any of its class.

Venerable Toyota Corolla rolls on as an inspiring hybrid

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 -- What sells?  Toyota knows.

Give the motoring public a car that is affordable, attractive, reliable and possessing a pleasing touch of performance and handling ... and the world will beat a path to your dealership door.

It has worked for years with the venerable Toyota Corolla.

The tradition goes on with the recently tested 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD sedan.

Looking for a safe and sane vehicle for your recently-turned-adult kid?  Need a second car to handle the chores essential to maintaining the household?  Is your budget tight, but you desperately need a new car to keep over a decade or more?

This Corolla deserves your attention.

OK, this is hybrid model, so you're going to pay for some technology.  And my ride was dressed up with a $1,220 SE Premium Package that included a blind spot monitor, power exterior mirrors with turn signals and a power tilt/slide moonroof with a sliding sunshade.

Even with all that, the bottom line on the sticker was a most reasonable $30,388.

The hybrid payoff on the other side of the coin is evident: 47 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.

The hybrid powertrain includes a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine.  The gas-electric combination generates a max 138 horsepower, enough muscle to handle all the driving chores.  Handling is excellent, particularly in dicey city traffic.

I was particularly impressed with the safety technology stuffed into the latest Corolla, including pre-collision and pedestrian-detection systems.  Simply put, the Corolla is not basic, bare-bones transportation; it has features one expects to pay for to obtain a near-luxo midsize model.  Advantage: consumer.

Some have knocked Corolla's "vanilla" styling in past years.  That argument won't hold water for 2023.  Toyota added sporty, aggressive styling with new front fascia and 18-inch Gloss Graphite-colored alloy wheels. There's a color-keyed spoiler on the back end as well.

The Corolla earned a fistful of max five-star ratings in federal government crash tests, including five stars on the overall score.

In sum, the Corolla remains the Everycar, appealing to seemingly every taste.  I'm betting that this 12th generation Corolla will sell just as well -- if not better -- than those early-generation models that captured our attention.

Turbo treatment adds to appeal of Mazda CX-5 SUV

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 have a confession to make: I've always liked turbochargers.

There, I said it.  So sue me!

Remember a couple of generations back when many considered turbos evil.  "I won't have one in my car," they shouted.

OK, it took engineers some time to deal with turbo heat issues and mad science things like molecular expansion.  But they mastered those demons.  And here we are today.

Seemingly every automaker has embraced the turbocharger.  And I'm glad.  A turbo adds a fistful of spice to a motor vehicle.

Take the recently tested 2023 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature AWD.  The CX-5 is a highly competent compact crossover sport-utility vehicle. With the turbo, it's a feisty runabout.

The CX-5's turbo generates 227 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque (with 93 octane fuel, Mazda says those number jump to 256 and 320, respectively). Simply put, the turbo made the driving experience a lot of fun.

Yes, you can go jetting the compact SUV into tight spots on the highway, surprising motorists with the sudden burst from a Mazda sport-ute. I felt totally secure making these moves.  The CX-5's tires remained firmly planted to the pavement under hard accelerations.

Steering was so precise that I found myself moving in and out of traffic with the same confidence I would have behind the wheel of a finely tuned sports car.

Again, this is a compact SUV.

In city traffic, the turbo burst -- which is instant, by the way -- is a fine tool for darting out of harm's way.

Fuel mileage is fairly respectable at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Besides the turbo rush, there are other charms.

The tester looked spiffy in "Soul Red Crystal Metallic" exterior paint. It was also loaded with a nearly obscene number of standard features.  The comfort/convenience/safety perks and technologies made me feel like I was behind the wheel of a pricey luxury model.

And yet the bottom line on the sticker was an acceptable $41,655.  I've seen competitors with the same equipment priced at 50-grand-plus.

One more thing: The CX-5 earned max five-star federal government crash test ratings galore, including five stars on the overall vehicle score.

Worth a test drive?  Absolutely. For maximum fun, make sure you take yours with T, for turbo.

Hybrid Toyota Sequoia reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2023 Toyota Sequoia Capstone Hybrid 4WD sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, February 2023, 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.

Want to live large? This little Lexus might be your SUV

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, being a clever sort, seems to have this car-selling thing figured out.

Consider the wide range of models produced by Lexus.  If you've moved up from Toyota, there's still a lot to be had in the Lexus lineup ... with prices ranging from hey-that's-doable to here's a barrel of casino winnings.

So, what to offer in the subcompact luxury crossover SUV segment?

How about a 2023 Lexus UX 250h in F Sport trim?  And that UX, it's offered as a hybrid-only model in the U.S. for 2023.

So, you're asking: What is the advantage of that?

Several advantages, fellow motorist.

For those lusting for a living-large Lexus, this UX 250h is within reason.  It starts at $43,605, and even dressed up in F Sport attire, my tester still came in well under 50K -- $47,440 on the bottom line.

And this being a hybrid, you get the fuel-saving technology -- 41 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

So, the powertrain must be a dog, right?  On the contrary, the four-cylinder hybrid power plant -- rated at 181 horsepower -- propelled the tester with gusto.  I was particularly impressed with the UX 250h's feisty manners on freeway entrance ramps ... and jetting out of harm's way on crowded city streets.

And it's generously loaded with standard equipment, including a sterling safety/technology package and numerous multimedia goodies.

It's sleek and sporty-looking as well.  You get the big grille on the front end, wedged between headlights that seem to squint with determination at the road ahead.

Lexus says the vehicle has "urban dweller style."  Well, OK, but I enjoyed opening up the tester in wide-open rural settings and on twisty Sierra Nevada foothill roads.

Granted, the vehicle's small size is likely not going to swallow up the belongings of a large family embarking on a three-week road trip.

But for all other such applications on the road, I'm betting that this UX 250h is up to the task.