Hyundai's original sport-ute improves with age

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 -- Hyundai freshened its original sport-utility vehicle for 2024, and the changes have produced a better Santa Fe from bumper to bumper.

That's particularly true for folks who buy a midsize crossover sport-utility vehicle with cargo carrying capacity at the top of their priority lists.

The South Korean automaker's "Open for More" concept features a wider liftgate (powered, of course) opening and more interior room. The roomier interior is aided by a longer wheelbase, making for comfortable third-row seating.

Like some pop in your SUV?  That was there in the tested 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 2.5T AWD, equipped with a 2.5-liter turbo-4 engine rated at 277 horsepower.  Off-the-line accelerations were brisk, and revs-up maneuverability was excellent.

I tend to prefer a center console gear shifter, but I quickly became comfortable with the shifter mounted on the steering column.

The look is classic SUV, but I liked the unique H-shaped headlamps and taillamps.

Fuel mileage is pretty good at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. As with all Hyundais, the warranty package is generous.

Another Hyundai staple: a ton of customer-pleasing features as standard.

On the tester, the dual-pane sunroof, multiple collision-avoidance systems, 21-inch Calligraphy alloy wheels, Nappa leather surfaces, surround-view monitor, head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, interior ambient lighting, rear window sunshades and a primo Bose audio system were all standard.

A similarly equipped vehicle might go for 60-grand.  The bottom line on the tested Calligraphy was $49,905.

Hyundai calls its reworked Santa Fe ready "for next-level adventures."  OK, I'll buy that ... and it's also a value-priced daily driver at the top of the crossover food chain.

Electric Lexus sport-ute is loaded up with 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 -- Luxurious, Lexus and electric.  The recently tested 2024 Lexus RZ 300e Luxury sport-utility vehicle pretty much checks all the boxes as a vehicle of the 21st century.

I certainly enjoyed driving it.  I even enjoyed hours in the owner's manual learning about all that went into it.  Bottom line: a very impressive piece of technology and transportation.

First impression: super-quiet vehicle on the highway.  Silky smooth.  Easy to get it up to 70 miles per hour before you realize it.  That's saying something, given that the total electric motor output is a comparatively modest 201 horsepower.  Not to fear.  That's plenty of juice for this particular sport-ute.

Daily commuters should also be pleased at a single-charge mileage rating of 266 miles.  That translates to worry-free daily driving in this day and age when charging stations are sometimes packed ... or not in working order.

For the record, the MPG mileage equivalent is 114 miles per gallon in the city and 96 mpg on the highway.

Naturally, one expects a high level of luxury in a Lexus. And you get it.

With plenty of room for five in the FWD vehicle, standard offerings on the tester included LED lighting, power rear door with kick sensor, steering assist, intelligent high beams, intuitive parking assist, panoramic view monitor and much, much more.  Options that ranged from puddle lamps to 20-inch dark premium metallic alloy wheels brought the bottom line on the tester's sticker to $63,390 -- a relatively reasonable bottom line for a loaded, electric Lexus SUV.

By the way, it looks sleek and sporty with its long roofline.

Given everything, Lexus fans should be more than pleased with this exceptional offering that satisfies the expectations of the 21st century motorist.

Genesis has another winner in its G70 sport sedan

This review first appeared in the June 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 --At the risk of sounding like a broken record, South Korean automaker Genesis is making some terrific motor vehicles.

And everyday motorists are starting to notice.

When I mentioned Genesis in past years, the typical response was: "What is Genesis?"

Now, it's more like: "Oh yeah, love their cars."

And rightly so, given the top-flight engineering, generous standard features, luxury and performance stuffed into each model.

The latest vehicle to prove the point was the tested 2024 Genesis G70 RWD 2.5T Sport Prestige, a compact sport sedan priced at less than $50,000 ($46,950).

You don't see too many sub-50k stickers in the luxury segment these days, even among compacts, so that made the tested G70 stand out. So did standard 19-inch alloy wheels, highway driving assist, a Brembo braking system and heated exterior mirrors with LED turn signal indicators.

The G70 looks sporty and feels it with a 2.5-liter turbo-4 under the hood.  The power plant is rated at 300 horsepower, and with the compact configuration, the car sprints around vigorously, an absolute blast to drive.

I found the tester to be rock-solid in hard, high-speed corners, and its hill climbing efforts seemed positively effortless.

It's also quite agile in tight spaces and crowded parking lots.  I wasn't constantly worried about colliding with oh-so-close bumpers.

The Brembo brakes were stop-now excellent, as one would expect from the world-famous brand.

Given the turbo engine, fuel mileage was pretty good at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

For my money, the tested G70 came off as the perfect daily driver/commuter vehicle.

However, I'm not sure I'd take it on a long family trip, given the tight quarters in the back seating area.

Overall, it's the little vehicle with a lot going for it ... adding another star in the already star-studded Genesis lineup.

And priced just right.

Electric Kia SUV reviewed in the latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, August 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.

New Toyota Land Cruiser takes us back to the '50s

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 2024, Toyota has brought the big-shouldered Land Cruiser sport-utility vehicle back to the U.S. market.  It's still a big brute, but with many notable improvements.

Mine was the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 -- a shout out to its introduction into the U.S. market in 1958 -- and it looked decidedly rugged with a classic grille and big-boy sculpting. Toyota is all but begging buyers to take it off-road.

And yet, its highway manners were decidedly pleasant. Smooth riding and a just-right touch through the steering column.

Power comes from a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that produces 326 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque -- enough to dust off freeway pokes or power up a steep rock-and-mud hillside.

The hybrid system allows for better fuel mileage than you might expect -- 22 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

A strong air-conditioning system slapped aside a Northern California string of 105-degree-plus days with impressive speed.

To be honest, I had a blast driving the vehicle. Call it a guilty pleasure as some folks consider it a sin to be wheeling such a big beast in this era of careful fuel management and electric vehicle technology.

I suppose some of it was nostalgia.  After all, this is Toyota's longest-running nameplate, a North American oldie but goodie with the 1958 name to boot.

Toyota notes that it wanted a "more accessible" starting price in the mid $50,000 range.  With some extras, my tester showed $60,969 on the bottom line.

I suppose the Land Cruiser ultimately will become a happy memory for many drivers in the years ahead. So if you want to store up those good vibes now, this new edition of the Land Cruiser is waiting for you.