Four doors and fast, Acura TLX also touts tech, luxury

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 -- For those who like their sporty with four doors, Acura offers the TLX.

A week in the 2024 Acura TLX Type S convinced me that the offering is generous and worth accepting.  Fun to drive too.

Sculpted to turn heads (including flashy 20-inch alloy wheels and jewel-eye LED headlights), the TLX has a 3-liter turbo-6 under the hood.  It's rated at 355 horsepower, and those numbers propel the TLX impressively -- off the line and once the revs are up as well.

The tester scooted around city streets and freeway traffic with remarkable ease, and volunteer passengers were impressed by its agility ... and surprisingly, its quietness.

The Type S package raised the bar with features that included a premium audio system with 17 speakers, navigation with voice recognition, surround-view camera system, leather-trimmed sport seats (with ventilation in front), rain-sensing windshield wipers and front/rear parking sensors.

A full suite of state-of-the-art safety technology was part of the tester's package, priced at $58,795 on the sticker's bottom line. Bonus: a max five-star overall rating in federal government crash tests.

Fuel mileage came in at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

The tested TLX labored hard to counter a week of 105-degree-plus temperatures, but then again, so did every other car I was in during a brutal summer stretch of 2024.

All in all, this Acura shapes up as a strong competitor in a segment where buyers want luxury, top-tier technology and muscular performance.

Reworked Ranger makes for an enjoyable midsize

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 -- America loves a midsize pickup truck.  And yeah, I'm there.

I'll confess that I feel more comfortable behind the wheel of a midsize truck in most situations, as opposed to a behemoth that fills a lane nearly to the edge of excess.

And Ford has a really good midsize pickup: the recently tested 2024 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4X2 Lariat.  Fully redesigned for the 2024 model year, it shapes up as the best Ranger ever, in my estimation.

Four doors, a just-the-right-size cargo bed, 18-inch all-terrain tires and state-of-the-art safety/security/technology features make the latest Ranger stand out as a shining example of the modern pickup truck.  Take it to the work site or the country club.  It's at home either way.

The look is classic pickup, and yet, one does not feel intimidated by size.  And it drives like a midsize as well: agile, smooth and pretty darn quiet for a truck ... even at full song.

Power comes from 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine rated at 270 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque. This makes for a powerful machine in midsize skin.

I continue to be amazed at the contemporary features built into pickups, and yes, Ford knows how to build a pickup in the most customer-pleasing way.  Features of note include ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel and a 12-inch center touchscreen.  That last item is easy to read and use, and I am ever-grateful for a large touchscreen that I can easily monitor on the roll.

Also helpful: the optional integrated box side step.

The bottom line on my nicely equipped tester was $47,734, a fair price given all the bells and whistles.

The new-generation Ranger is a worthy addition to the long line of quality pickups produced by Ford over the years.

Subaru Forester SUV steps up with new look, features

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 -- For the 2025 model year, Subaru has extensively reworked an old favorite, the Forester.  And yeah, all the new stuff works really well on the old girl.

The exterior look of the compact crossover sport-utility vehicle is more sleek, even sporty if you will.  Inside, modern touches made me feel comfortable behind the wheel.

Subaru said the chassis is 10 percent stiffer than the previous generation, and that was apparent in the seat of my pants as my Limited edition tester held the line on sharp corners taken at high speed.

The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed "boxer" engine is responsive and peppy with a 180-horsepower rating.  I put the tester through all the paces and never found it lacking.  And interior roominess, quiet and comfort were an extra bonus.

While Subaru's legendary handling remains constant, new contemporary perks have been added to the rugged Forester package.  That includes a foot-activated, hands-free power liftgate.  Driver-assist technology is also part of the 2025 model. The on-board safety technology is likewise state of the art.

For an automaker that takes safety seriously, the 2025 Forester has two special mentions.

The company's award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist Technology can identify cyclists and pedestrians at intersections quickly and alert the driver to brake to avoid collisions. And for the first time on a Subaru, Emergency Stop Assist activates if the driver does not respond to warnings while using the automaker's Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control.

Fuel mileage is pretty good at 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

The 2025 Forester can be had just about any way you want it: base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring trim levels.  My Limited tester was priced at a reasonable $38,990.

I'm not much of a camper, but I've always regarded the Forester as a likely top choice for an extended outdoor outing.  Given all that's been added to the Forester for 2025, I think its usefulness also can be expanded to enjoyable daily driver.

A worthy compact sport-utility vehicle, Italian-style

This review first appeared in the May 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 --It had been years since I had been behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo.  Many years.

And yet, here was a 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce eAWD parked in my driveway. I'll admit to being nervous.  What if it was so exotic that I couldn't figure out how to drive the thing?

Needless worry, as it turned out.

Perhaps the best praise I can offer from the get-go is this: this compact crossover sport-utility vehicle from the venerable Italian automaker is as good as anything out there ... anything produced by the Hondas, Toyotas and Fords of this world.

And a pleasure to drive.

The Alfa's builders tout its power and range.  And rightly so.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain is anchored by a 1.3-liter turbo-4 matched with a 90-kilowatt electric motor. The result is a muscular 285 horsepower.

That power plant drove the tester strongly.  I was repeatedly pressed deep into my seat on hard accelerations and quick moves in freeway traffic.  On crowded city streets, the Alfa was quick on the draw and easily handled the nastiest gridlock situations with nimble ease.

And it looked good doing it, with 20-inch tires snapped onto stylish five-hole wheels. My ride was "Fangio Green," a shout out to the Formula One legend -- Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina -- who won the 1951 world championship driving an Alfa.

Alfa's noteworthy luxury was prominent on my tester, priced at $58,990 on the sticker's bottom line.

The steering wheel and front seats were heated, the 10.25-inch touchscreen display was useful and the leather sport steering wheel made me feel like Fangio himself.  My ride was liberally dressed up with options, including a power moonroof and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.

Safety features were plentiful, and state of the art.

How about the plug-in part? Sure, it's part of a hybrid package, and the electric range is an impressive 30 miles.

In sum, an excellent vehicle. But who buys it, given the blizzard of strong compact crossover candidates on the market?

I'm guessing the target American buyer is someone who wants a unique vehicle, with a prominent sense of style.

Italian-style, that is.

Range Rover SUV is reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, July 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.