Honda's Ridgeline pickup stands tall among the rest

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 -- Looking back, it's remarkable to consider how Honda has carved itself a major portion of the automobile market pie in California.

Its passenger cars and sport-utility vehicles have filled Golden State roadways over just a couple of generations.  The names are familiar to all: Civic, Corolla, Pilot CR-V.

And yet, often overlooked in the Honda story is its capable pickup -- the midsize Ridgeline. For 2024, Honda added a rugged trim level, which I recently tested: the 2024 Honda Ridgeline AWD TrailSport.

Rest assured that it upholds Honda's standards for fit, finish and engineering ... and is a muscular off-road-leaning warrior to boot. The base price is $44,980, just about right (and actually, a bit of a bargain) in today's competitive pickup segment.

Power comes from s 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 280 horsepower. On trail and highway, performance is solid for all conditions.  And the truck can be set to manage surfaces as well, including dirt, sand, mud, rocks and snow.

The TrailSport edition is aimed at the motorist who doesn't mind getting his/her pickup dirty, and maybe even dinged. The pickup is equipped with an off-road tuned suspension and underbody protection designed to shield its oil pan from sharp rocks and other off-road hazards. All-terrain tires are also part of the package.

While Honda touts the pickup's appeal to "youthful weekend adventurers," I found the Ridgeline to be a comfortable, enjoyable vehicle for the extended road trip.  The rugged exterior package is set off by an extensive list of in-cabin comfort and convenience features, plus state-of-the-art safety technology.

Bonus: Max five-star federal government safety ratings, including the overall score.  Fuel mileage is fair at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

Overall: The Ridgeline might get lost in the shouting for Ford, Chevy and Ram pickups, but this TrailSport deserves its day in the sun -- on road and off.

This rip-roaring Ranger Raptor rules the roadways

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 -- Want a pickup that can blow off most everything on the highway these days?

Ford has you covered with the introduction of the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor.  I recently had a week in the SuperCrew 4X4 version of the midsize truck.  Can't remember a time when I had more fun driving a pickup.

Naturally, the rumble from the 3-liter, twin-turbo V-6 was a big part of that.  With 405 horses under the hood and 430 foot-pounds of torque to work with, the Ranger is the Big Boss in its class.

The acceleration power in the Ranger Raptor is actually somewhat intimidating.  While being pressed deep into the driver's seat, I was wondering: How did they pack this much punch into this package.  After a short time, I stopped pondering such things and simply savored the experience of putting the hot rod pickup anywhere I wanted at any given time.

The Ranger Raptor's suspension is tuned in such a way that it feels nothing like a typical pickup.  In fact, eventually, I stopped thinking of it as a pickup.  It's just a performance machine, with universal appeal.

I was enjoying the Raptor as a paved road warrior, but Ford relentlessly touts its off-road appeal.  Ford writers were staying up late, coming up with lines saying that the pickup was ready to "dominate the dirt" and ready "to take off-road capability to the next level among midsize trucks."

Yeah, pretty much mission accomplished on those fronts.

Yet inside, the beast has comforting charms. My ride was dressed up with a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, a digital instrument cluster, a 12-inch center touchscreen (easy to master) and dual-zone climate control.

Styling is not hot rod, but very much truck-like ... classically rugged fits perfectly.

All the perks brought the bottom line on the tested truck to a somewhat hefty $59,045. But I'm guessing that performance/truck fans will happily pay up, and enjoy every minute of their purchase.

BMW's sleek "SAC" combines best of two segments

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 -- Nothing more embarrassing for the automotive journalist than taking delivery of a motor vehicle ... and not knowing exactly what it is.

Take the recently tested 2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i, for example. To my eye, it looked a lot like a sedan. No, wait, it's a sport-utility vehicle, right?

BMW weighs in by calling the X2 a Sports Activity Coupe (SAC), which blows the minds of folks who like precise vehicle definitions.

Fortunately, I'm not quite that obsessed. For 2024, BMW built this compact crossover sport-ute with diverse customer needs in mind.  And it all works, for $52,745 on the tested vehicle.

I liked the looks of the X2 xDrive28i from the beginning.  Sleek and, yes, sedan-like.  The double-panel BMW grille is not overstated, and the back end has enough sculpted chop to make it a sporty number. The long hood and roof lines make the vehicle appear bigger than reality.

BMW throws technology fastballs at an intimidating pace, and I did have to consult the owner's manual on some of the featured safety/security/comfort/convenience items.  But once mastered, I found all of the tech perks helpful.

Perhaps most significant among everything in the vehicle: the 2024 X2 is nearly eight inches longer than its predecessor, which translates to more interior comfort for five human beings.

Performance was enjoyable, courtesy of a twin-power turbo-4 engine making 241 horsepower between 4,500 and 6,500 revolutions per minute. The X2 makes the zero-to-60-mph trip in just 6.2 seconds.

Fuel mileage is pretty fair at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

For my money, this BMW appeals to a wide-ranging audience: luxury lovers, performance people, sedan devotees and SUV fans who like just a little cargo-carrying room. I'm guessing all will feel at home in this driving machine.

Kia's EV9 is a sophisticated, and fun, electric vehicle

This review first appeared in the August 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 -- Kia, once a builder of cheap cars, now produces one of the most sophisticated electric vehicles on the market.

It's the three-row EV9.  My tester, the 2024 EV9 GT-Line AWD, gave me plenty of reasons to smile.

Where to start?

It looked good, riding on 21-inch alloy wheels and with sharp, angular cuts in the body and window frames.  My ride was enhanced by an attractive "Ocean Blue" paint job.

Power was certainly plentiful, courtesy of dual electric motors rated at 379 horsepower and a whopping 516 foot-pounds of torque. I felt only a bit guilty zipping the big sport-ute around in traffic, hustling into tight spots on the freeway and dusting off speeders when I came blazing down on-ramps.

Then there was the 99.8 kWh battery with 300 miles of all-electric range.

And there was the full suite of state-of-the-art safety/driver-assistance technology, including a crash-avoidance system.

Fuel savings?  Naturally: an 80 miles per gallon equivalent rating in combined city/highway driving.

Did I mention the full-recliner seats?  No, I'm serious.  Just power up the leg rests and relax.

The EV9 does the basics well, of course. You get 82 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row, and 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.

In sum, I'm not sure I've ever driven a vehicle that offers so much right off the truck, besides the fact that it's all-electric.

Frankly, this EV9 competes well with anything currently being produced in the luxury/SUV/EV class.  And it's appropriately priced for that: $78,430 on the tester's bottom line.

Given all this, the prospective buyer has some things to consider.  We are on the verge of the all-electric car age, but not quite there.

So, yes, you could buy an EV9 and consider trading it in within a few short years, betting that even more EV technology will be developed for a cheaper price.  Or you could buy an EV9 for the long term, knowing that the market is leaning ever-more into the electric realm, and with the knowledge that you have a sophisticated, and fun to drive, head start on the future.

I tend to think that the latter option is the way to go.

Ascent SUV has all of Subaru's standards, and more

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 -- Subaru has a reputation: all-wheel drive masters, boxer engines, styling and safety.

They're wrapped up to the max in a three-row SUV I recently sampled. All the strengths of Subaru were on display in the 2024 Subaru Ascent Onyx Edition Limited, priced at $48,140.

With a surprisingly spacious interior, top-tier federal crash test scores (including a maximum five stars in overall safety) and an enthusiastic power plant, I was immediately impressed with the vehicle's ability to feel right at home off-road or on the highway ... or in the crowded urban jungle.

Power comes from a 2.4-liter turbo boxer engine rated at 260 horsepower and paired with a seamless continuously variable transmission that also features an eight-speed manual mode.

Gears can be selected, if desired, via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Need some help off the beaten path?  The Ascent gives you an able assist with the latest off-road technology, including hill descent control and a traction management system.

Twenty-inch wheels and a nearly 9-inch ground clearance also make one feel secure in off-road operations.

While it can tackle the rustic roads, the tested Ascent featured numerous luxury-level features.  Those included a power panoramic moonroof, a Harman Kardon audio system, leather surfaces, LED headlights with high-beam assist and tri-zone climate control.

If you want to haul plentiful supplies in your travels, the Ascent's towing capacity is rated at 5,000 pounds.

Please note that the Ascent trim levels include versions starting at substantially less than $40,000.

All in all, the Ascent is a remarkably versatile machine with all the best hallmarks of the Subaru brand.

Mazda MX-5 Miata is reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring can be seen in the latest, October 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.