Gearhead heaven: Sacramento Autorama at Cal Expo

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 -- Sure, Sacramento is where state lawmakers craft California's laws. And it's sometimes called the "farm to fork capital" of the Golden State.

But for dedicated gearheads, Sacramento is a hotbed of car customization ... a veritable car artist heaven.  And for those folks, your weekend is coming up.

The 73rd version of the Sacramento Autorama will be held Friday through Sunday on Sacramento's Cal Expo grounds, 1600 Exposition Blvd.

The event celebrates the area's rich history of car customization. Presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts, this year's Autorama will feature more than 500 hot rods, customs, muscle cars, trucks, and motorcycles from across the country competing to win numerous awards.

Major awards honor world-famous customizers from the Sacramento area, including Joe "Candy Apple Red" Bailon, Dick Bertolucci and Sam Barris.  The top award is the Harold Bagdasarian Memorial World's Most Beautiful Custom trophy.

New this year is the World’s Most Beautiful Lowrider award, recognizing the show’s most outstanding lowrider entry. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize.

Hundreds more vehicles are expected to participate in the 17th Annual Sacramento Autorama Drive-In, featuring more than 400 cars and trucks.

The Butch Gardner Club House will again be part of this year's show, with more than 25 car clubs showing off their prize wheels. The Club House is organized in memory of Butch Gardner, a long-time member of the storied Thunderbolts auto club in Sacramento and a dedicated Autorama volunteer and participant. Thunderbolts club members played a key role in organizing the first Sacramento Autorama in 1950.

General admission tickets for ages 13 and older are $20 each. Tickets for ages 6 to 12 are $10; children ages 5 and younger are admitted free.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://rodshows.com/sacramento-autorama or at the event. Discount tickets are available at local O'Reilly Auto Parts stores. Parking on the Cal Expo grounds is $10.

Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, when major awards will be handed out.

More information can be obtained at www.rodshows.com or by calling 877-763-7469.

The UX 250h is a little Lexus SUV with a lot to like

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 -- You can get lost in the alphanumeric jungle of motor vehicle models, but here's one to remember: the Lexus 2024 UX 250h sport-utility vehicle.

This hybrid-only model is a luxury-laden subcompact SUV, and even the tested Premium model goes for an entirely reasonable $41,645.  So, you don't need to tote 50-grand to the dealership.

The bonus: Exceptional fuel mileage -- there's a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine anchoring the hybrid system -- rated at 43 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.

Second bonus: It's a Lexus, which means you get the usual perfect fit and finish, top-flight engineering and extraordinary reliability.

That translates to customer satisfaction in any language.

Hybrid in this case does not mean anemic.  I was jetting the UX 250h around with something resembling reckless abandon, and seriously, the vehicle seemed pleased with my efforts. 

The hybrid package is rated at 181 horsepower, and yes, there's something about tooling a small sport-ute up and down the roadways that gets my right foot going. I sometimes felt like I was wheeling a purpose-built sprint car from days gone by. Interestingly, test-driving colleagues have described the same thing to me after some time in the UX 250h.

A surprising amount of cargo fits in the back end with seats adjusted accordingly.  The cargo compartment willingly swallowed many bags of groceries in my time with the vehicle.

By the way, a kick sensor to open the back door is available on all models.

I also liked the sporty lines of the tester.

What struck me the most is that the vehicle likely will appeal to a wide audience of motorists -- suburban homeowners, female professionals and daily driver male commuters.

So, while the model's letters and numbers need to be remembered from the beginning, the 2024 Lexus UX 250h promises plenty of good memories for years to come.

Amid crowded small SUV field Tucson deserves a look

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've heard it all before from family, friends and even total strangers: "Hi, I'm looking for a practical-size sport-utility vehicle that gets good gas mileage, is loaded with standard features and won't cost me a fortune."

To which I've typically replied: "Have you looked at the Hyundai Tucson?"

Over the years, several folks have turned my suggestion into a purchase (No thanks necessary, Hyundai. I'm good). And have been very happy with said purchase.

After a recent week in the 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid N Line AWD, I found no reason to change my reasoning.  In fact, the current Tucson is better than ever.

Yes, it's just right in the size department, especially for those of you who aren't inclined to load a double-wide refrigerator into the back of their vehicle.  Compact, yet roomy enough for back-seat comfort.

Good gas mileage?  Well, this being a hybrid package, the tester came in at a healthy 37 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.  Most folks I know would jump at that.

As for standard features, my ride had an exceptionally long list, including items you don't normally expect to see on a compact sport-ute.  Those included alloy sport pedals, smart cruise control and a Bose premium audio system.

So, we're probably looking at 50-grand for this ride, right?  Try an entirely reasonable $37,950 on the sticker's bottom line ... a virtual steal in today's crossover SUV market.

And there's more, most notably a 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine that anchors a hybrid system and rated at 180 horsepower.  I found the tester to be a muscular off the line, and at no time did I feel that I was driving a too-small vehicle in California's always-dicey freeway traffic.

The N Line designation means you get styling and performance upgrades giving you even more behind-the-wheel confidence.

Overall, it's a small SUV with a lot going for it.  And priced just right.

Extensively reworked Kona hits all the right notes

This review first appeared in the February 2024 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 --Maybe it was because I'd driven a string of large, pricey sport-utility vehicles of late. Maybe I just needed to unwind a little bit.

Whatever the reason, I took to the tested 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD like a duck to a pond.  And delighted in it.

I didn't so much drive it as whip it around the roads of Northern California.

It didn't hurt that Hyundai reworked its subcompact SUV from bumper to bumper for the new model year.  And there's a lot to like on that front.

Topping that list on the tester was an enthusiastic 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine rated at 190 horsepower.  Even better, peak torque kicks in at a mere 1,700 rpm.  Paired with a firm suspension, the power package jets the Kona around with nimble authority.

Yet I never felt on the edge of control, even on aggressive starts off the line.  Fun to drive?  You bet.

And fairly fuel-efficient in the bargain: 24 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

The new exterior look only added to the sporty feel.  The Kona's sleek roofline makes it stand apart from other SUVs that certainly offer convenience but lack the Kona's saucy sportiness.

As for those 19-inch alloy wheels that look like mounted throwing knives ... need I say more?

From the cockpit, the tester was stuffed with features, certainly more than I'd expect from a vehicle wearing a sticker of 34,695.

Besides the lengthy list of state-of-the-art safety technology, the Kona had a 12.3-inch, multi-functional, panoramic display screen; heated side mirrors; a power sunroof; a heated steering wheel; heated/ventilated front seats and a hands-free smart liftgate.

Did I mention that the new Kona is bigger -- inside and out -- than its predecessor.  Well, it is.  And while it's a subcompact, the Kona has 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded down.

One thing that might take some getting used to is the shifting mechanism, sort of an attached switch mounted on the right side of the steering column.  Longtime drivers might equate it to a permanent car key that stays in the vehicle.  Just saying.

All in all, Hyundai is presenting a loaded vehicle for folks looking for a practical-size sport-ute at a fair price.  Given current prices consumers are paying from grocery stores to car dealerships, there's an appeal there.

Hyundai's ability to anticipate what buyers want -- and where automotive trends are heading -- explains its emergence as a major player on the global automotive stage.  No longer a seller of cheap cars, Hyundai is delivering in all segments.  Among subcompact SUVs, the Kona has moved to the head of the class.

Comfort and luxury are plentiful in an old favorite

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've always had a soft spot in my heart for luxury-laden Infiniti sport-utility vehicles.  They were some of the first vehicles I reviewed when I was evaluating autos as a newspaper columnist.

Other folks have more practical reasons for liking Infiniti's SUVs: You get a lot of luxury for less money than you'd pay for another brand.

The recently tested 2024 Infiniti QX60 Autograph AWD was a case in point.  It was wearing a sticker of $69,240, but it was dressed up to the tune of about $80,000 to $85,000 by my reckoning.

The monster-size list of standard features included a power panoramic moonroof, second row heated captain's chairs, a kickin' Bose 17-speaker audio system, intelligent cruise control and much, much more. Options on my ride included a $795 lighting package (with "welcome" tones and an illuminated cargo area).

Rarely have three rows of seating felt so comfortable on the fly. Soft, yet just firm enough and with plenty of legroom, passengers were treated a velvet-smooth ride, even at 70 miles per hour.

The 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 295 horsepower is a willing power plant, but even at near-full song, very little noise reaches the interior cabin.  For a three-row vehicle, the tester was remarkably agile with a tight turning radius.

Fuel mileage is so-so at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Crash test ratings are superior, including a max five-star overall rating in federal government tests.

With classy exterior styling, the tester looked at home in country club parking lots, and it drew admiring stares parked at the local grocery store.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. And the memories.

Powerful BMW SUV reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 BMW X5 M Competition sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, April 2024, 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.