Mazda CX-5: An old friend with a practical price

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 driven a lot of Mazda CX-5s over the years.  And slipping behind the wheel of the 2024 CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature edition of the compact crossover sport-ute was like renewing a conversation with an old friend.

Pleasant all the way around.

Obviously, I'm not the only one who feels this way.  Mazda touts the CX-5 as "the brand’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S."

No mystery there.  A quick glance at the standard features gets the pulse pumping.

On my ride, that included heated/power exterior mirrors with turn signals, a power moonroof, Nappa leather surfaces, heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, lane-departure warning system, LED lighting all around and much more.

Not for $60,000. Not for $50,000.  The bottom line on my tester was $42,705.

Oh, and the latest CX-5 earned multiple, maximum five-star safety ratings in federal government crash tests (including the overall score).

Fuel mileage is pretty good too: 22 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

It's a sleek looker as well, backing up the aerodynamic package with a saucy 2.5-liter turbo engine rated at 227 horsepower.  The tester functioned aggressively in all driving situations, including surprising muscle in hill climbs in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

I'm routinely asked by family and friends: Which compact SUV would you recommend for us to buy?  And while that segment is very crowded and super competitive, it's hard not to put the CX-5 on the short list, particularly if the prospective buyers are looking to keep the vehicle for 10 years or more.

Feature-loaded, good-looking, reliable and reasonably priced. The CX-5 has all these things going for it.

Triumph and heartbreak in a long day at Indianapolis

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

The Indianapolis 500 was run for the 108th time on May 26, and Mark Glover has attended more than half of those classics. Here's his take on Sunday's race:

Sure, the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 went like I thought it would ... with a perfectly prepared Penske car in Victory Lane.

Josef Newgarden did a masterful driving job to claim his second straight victory in a highly competitive race that ended in the early evening.

But save a kind thought for Pato O'Ward, the 25-year-old Mexican driver who once again came within a couple of dance steps of winning the big prize. He was emotionally devastated at the finish, coming up just .3417 of a second short of victory.

"It’s just so painful when you put so much into it, and then two corners short,” he said as Sunday dusk fell over him, a late-day finish due to a four-hour weather delay.

As the late-race drama unfolded, I was mentally urging O'Ward to wait until the last lap to make his move on Newgarden.  The current generation of Indy cars cruise swiftly in the draft, making it difficult to hold the lead against quality cars for more than one lap.  Better to wait until the end, and give the passed car no time to retaliate.

But O'Ward can't be faulted for going for it just a bit earlier.  You go for racing immortality when it's presented to you, right?  As it turned out, Newgarden brilliantly used the draft to blaze past O'Ward in the closing yards of the final lap.  All in all, a great drive.

In the end, the finish read like a Who's Who of Indy pros, with 2008 winner Scott Dixon, Northern California's Alexander Rossi and two-time series champion Alex Palou filling positions third through fifth, respectively.

Rookie Kyle Larson of Elk Grove looked very much like a rookie for portions of the race, but he consistently ran up front for much of it.  I'd like to see him try the Indy 500/NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 double again next year, sans the rain showers that certainly helped mess up his busy day.

And perhaps O'Ward can be cheered by the fact that Newgarden was once the hard-luck, almost-won-it Indy driver.  Now, Newgarden has two Indy crowns and will go for an unprecedented third straight Indy victory in 2025.

I'm already looking forward to it.

Indianapolis 500 shaping up as a Team Penske party

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

The Indianapolis 500 will be run for the 108th time on May 26, and Mark Glover has attended more than half of those classics. Here's his take on the race to come:

Ordinarily, some 20 drivers annually have a chance to win the Indianapolis 500, and it could sort out that way this year.

The race doesn't always go to the fastest qualifiers.  And then there are untimely caution periods, crashes, pit stop mishaps and a hundred other things that can go wrong over 500 high-speed miles.

But I will be surprised if this year's winner is not one of the three Team Penske pilots starting on the front row -- Scott McLaughlin, Will Power or defending champ Josef Newgarden. Their cars are that good, byproducts of exhaustive testing, engineering and development.

I'm not sure I've seen three more perfectly balanced cars on the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in all the time I've been going to the race ... and that dates back to 1961. The Chevrolet engines in the three Penske machines are a cut above the Honda power plants and the other Chevys in the field.

And it shows.  McLaughlin, Power and Newgarden posted four-lap average speeds well in excess of 233 miles per hour (234 mph, in McLaughlin's case), and the Penske team appears to have the engines wound for maximum performance ... but not to the breaking point. Look for them to share the lead at the drop of the green flag.

Certainly one of those three will win it.  McLaughlin, a three-time Australian Supercars champion, is not known to the general sporting public, but his skills are top-drawer.  He could become a household name worldwide by Sunday night.  Power has as much experience as anybody out there, and Newgarden's competitive flame burns white hot.

Dark horses?  Two of them, right on the heels of the Penske three on the speed charts.

Yes, NASCAR's Kyle Larson can win it.  Of all the people to attempt the Memorial Day weekend double (the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day) the Elk Grove native is, in my view, the most capable.  He can win seemingly in any kind of car on any kind of surface.

Northern California's own Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner as a rookie, has a very good car and a chip on his shoulder.  He has to have several things go right to catch the Penske cars, and he's very close to them in terms of horsepower.  He could pull it off.

"Woodland" Toyota RAV4 is a capable green machine

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 driven plenty of Toyota RAV4s.  In fact, I've had one parked in my driveway for the past dozen years.

But the tested 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition is a different creature from the other compact crossover sport-utility vehicles wearing RAV4 badging.  "Woodland Edition" is the key here, and I was surprised by how much attention this ride drew from neighbors, family and friends.

The paint job prompted comments like bees to honey.  I called it Park Ranger Green when I first saw it.  Others said it looked like a U.S. Army vehicle, and behold, the official color was "Army Green."  I might have gone with a more outdoorsy name, but what do I know?

Some people liked the color.  Others not.  I was fine with it. Sticking with the ranger theme, I felt like I was exploring the region's country roads in search of wildlife.  I guess a Woodland Edition vehicle can make you fantasize in such ways.

Other "woodland" touches on the outdoor-themed sport-ute included a mounted cargo/bike carrier, high-profile roof fails and standard cross bars. You also get a 120-volt inverter to power up various items common to the camping experience.

Does it all work?  Yeah, I think so.  I can understand a buyer aiming for just such a vehicle, a buyer who would rather take on a grizzly bear than spend a night in a motel.

Happily, the tester had other charms, including a hybrid powertrain anchored by a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine.  The combined combustion/hybrid system generates a healthy 219 combined net horsepower.  And yes, that will get you over more than a few log-littered trails and through multiple off-road creeks.

Fuel mileage is excellent at 38 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.

Best part: You can take it anywhere.  It's an agile daily commuter when it wants to be. And with all-weather floor and cargo mats in place, this RAV4 is right at home on the forest floor.

Odyssey minivan pleases a wide range of motorists

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 said it before: Minivans get no respect.

Haters derisively call them Mommy Vans and other names dripping with ridicule.

Too bad, I say ... especially after a week in the 2024 Honda Odyssey Elite, a perfect example of the minivan evolution from boxy transporter to rolling hotel room.

My ride was priced at $51,765 and was loaded with goodies I'd expect to see on an $80,000 sport-utility vehicle. In other words, 51-grand is a steal in the current market. Plus the bonus of maximum five-star safety ratings in federal government crash tests.

That last point is worth mentioning as market research has shown that families shopping for minivans tend to emphasize safety in the search process.

Beyond safety, luxury was plentiful on my tester.

Features on the tested minivan included a premium audio system with 11 speakers, heated/ventilated front seats, heated power door mirrors, remote engine start, rain-sensing windshield wipers and the CabinWatch feature that enables you to monitor rear-seated passengers in an unobtrusive way.

Those perks and many more were all included in the standard price, by the way.

Oh, it looked good too, something you don't hear from even minivan fans.  The tested Odyssey was sleek and smooth and downright alluring in a Crystal Black Pearl paint job.

Another bonus: It didn't drive like a minivan.  It handled with midsize SUV ease, and the turning radius was surprisingly compact.

The 3.5-liter V-6 engine was robust at 280 horsepower, and I easily beat stragglers off the line when I wanted to. Even at full song, engine noise was minimal.

I've always considered a minivan to be the ultimate family vacation vehicle, and I've felt a bit disappointed that the modern in-cabin bells and whistles were not offered when my family was young.

Happily, 21st century travelers will find more options -- and driving enjoyment -- in the contemporary Honda Odyssey.

Feisty three-row Mazda SUV is functional and fast

This review first appeared in the March 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 --Words you typically don't hear from passengers riding in a full-size, three-row sport-utility vehicle: "Hey, slow down a little bit!"

OK, sorrryyyyy about that.

It's just that this 3.3-liter turbo-6 engine with nearly 300 horses and 332 foot-pounds of torque is such a delight.  And yeah, a rarity on a big sport-ute.

But that's what I had with the tested 2024 Mazda CX-90, a big, white-colored whale with plenty of fire in its belly.

A hard press on the accelerator found me zipping through suburban traffic and darting out of harm's way on Sacramento-area freeways.  Plenty of fun to be had here, not the least of which was seeing stunned looks on the faces of fellow motorists I was blazing past.

For my money, if I'm going to have three seating rows to work with, I want to have some oomph under the hood.

The 2024 CX-90 delivers that, big time. Naturally, there are other charms.

Like room for seven, of course. Room for plentiful cargo, too. And 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.

There are paddle shifters for even more high-speed fun.  Power panoramic moonroof, Nappa leather surfaces and, well, I could go on all night as my ride had the Premium Plus package of features.

Fuel mileage was pretty fair at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg in the highway.

What would you pay for all this?  Sixty- or sixty-five grand, right? And yet the bottom line on the tester's sticker came in at $54,920.

I'm sure I drove the neighbors crazy talking up this white-painted SUV ... especially in a world of super-exotic, feature-laden motor vehicles.

But there was a lesson here that struck me hard: If you search the market thoroughly, you can find fairly priced, large vehicles. And despite the coming electric age, demand for strong, internal-combustion engines is going to remain.

For those in need of such a vehicle, you might want to add the 2024 Mazda CX-90 to your test-drive list.

And if you are shopping around, please note that the CX-90 can be had in 11 different trims and three powertrain options.

Alfa Romeo SUV reviewed in the latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce EAWD compact sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, May 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.