Latest MX-5 a worthy successor to 'Mazda Miata Mania'

This review first appeared in the October 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 --I well remember "Mazda Miata Mania" back in 1989, when otherwise intelligent, thoughtful adults lusted for the newly introduced sports car like youngsters craving a Cabbage Patch Kid on Christmas morning.

Some totally hooked motorists offered to pay twice the sticker price for the little beauty. Others shamelessly begged and slobbered for a mere test drive.

Times have charged -- well, sort of -- but the appeal remains the same.  The little MX-5 is perhaps the ultimate guilty pleasure motoring toy.  Fun to be seen in. Fun to drive.

My week in the tested 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring produced a flood of memories -- all of them good.  Just scooting the thing around the neighborhood had me laughing out loud. What a pleasure!

It's not a Corvette-type of thing either. The 2-liter, four-cylinder engine packs a max 181 horsepower, but in this small package, you feel like you're blazing through the Bus Stop chicane on the Watkins Glen road course in New York.

And with the MX-5's super-low stance, you have the feeling that you're stuck to the pavement, just gliding on top of it at heart-racing speed.  A rush? Absolutely.

And all these years later, the MX-5 still turns heads.

Curious folks approached me in parking lots and in my front yard, asking for details.  I was only too happy to talk up the sporty car's charms.

While you feel every road imperfection driving the MX-5, the tester was extremely well balanced.  It was rock-solid on corners taken a high speed. Steering response was excellent.

It looks racy just standing still. It has a few cosmetic tweaks: Exterior changes for 2024 include new LED lighting elements.

But the MX-5 is not stuck in the 1990s.  The current version has been upgraded with numerous contemporary technology features, including blind-spot monitoring (a must riding this low to the pavement on freeways) and rear cross traffic alert.

Fuel mileage is an impressive 26 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.

The bottom line on the tester's sticker was $39,895.

Modern amenities aside, the appeal remains the same as it was all those years ago.  You can have fun in the sun, a blast on the open road and a take self-satisfying journey just cruising this roadster through your neighborhood.

The MX-5 Miata remains what it was from the beginning: a good-time car that always delivers a good-time drive.

This Toyota sport-ute wears Corolla name with pride

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 -- OK, if you're going to put "Corolla" -- a name that equates to millions of motor vehicle sales over a long period of time -- on the vehicle, you better be doing something right.

Fortunately, Toyota does a lot of things right with this compact sport-ute.  My recent week in the 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross HV Nightshade radiated quality inside and out ... all for a very reasonable price of $34,498.

Toyota really jumped in with both feet on this Nightshade concept, a motif dripping with black.  Black components include badging, roof racks, mirrors, alloy wheels ... You get the idea.  Even the Toyota promotion photos emphasize the theme, with the Corolla Cross emerging from a creepy-looking fog in the night.

SUV as a secret agent?  Yeah, I'm on board.

Beyond the Nightshade optics, there are plentiful perks in the SUV.  Fit and finish are excellent. Interior roominess is surprisingly good in this segment. Standard features are state of the art and generous. Loved the color: "Barcelona Red Metallic."

Toyota touts the Corolla Cross as having the functionality of a larger crossover, and I have to agree.  I put it through a series of suburban loading/transport chores and found the vehicle capable of matching all that I could throw at it.

Looking for good numbers at the gas pump?  The tester weighed in at 45 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.  Given everything, including hybrid technology, I thought the sticker price was a bargain.  Auto-reviewing colleagues of mine have said the same.

Oh, almost forgot: it drives like a dream.

The 2-liter, four-cylinder hybrid engine is quiet, efficient and fairly peppy when my right foot asked for more. The power package feels a touch stronger than the advertised 150 horses.

Overall, this Corolla Cross in a black dress is a must-test-drive among those looking for a versatile SUV not costing $50,000 and up.

Hyundai's Tucson SUV is refreshed to please in 2025

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 numerous Hyundai Tucsons over the years.  I've even recommended the compact crossover sport-utility vehicle to friends who were seeking my advice on a just-right vehicle for their needs.

But I'd have to say that the recently tested 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited AWD is the best version of the brand that I've ever driven.

Hyundai happily touts its "thoroughly refreshed" Tucson for 2025.  I would agree, but more to the point, the fresh parts add to an already excellent package, with a starting price of just a few bucks less than $41,000 on the tested model.

Yes, I like the sporty look, with some stylish side sculpting and the smooth muscled front end. Eye-catching alloy wheels add to the look.

Inside, there's a surprising amount of space for adults who might otherwise wonder about taking a long trip in a compact crossover.

Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbo-4 rated at 178 horsepower.  The hybrid components produce a healthy 35 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving.  Accelerations were robust. Agility was impressive, especially in dicey freeway driving.

I was somewhat blown away at the number of comfort/convenience/safety features packed into this small SUV.  I particularly liked the easy-to-read 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

For 2025, Hyundai added its Forward Attention Warning system, which employs an infrared camera mounted on the steering column to help track the driver's gaze and assess alertness.  If the driver is found completely unresponsive, the system can bring the vehicle to a stop, activating hazard lights and the electronic parking brake.

Overall, the vehicle has all the appeal of one priced at $60,000.  And this is where Hyundai has made its mark in a little more than a generation: Solid engineering, numerous standard features, for an entirely reasonable price.

This 2025 Tucson Hybrid Limited checks all of those boxes.

Powerful Dodge Hornet crossover brings the sting

This review first appeared in the September 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 -- Dodge set out to build a hybrid Hornet with some sting, and the mission was completed with a high level of success in my judgment.

How else to explain the smile on my face during my week in the (deep breath now) 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus Track Pack and Blacktop EAWD?

That's a way-too-long way to describe the crossover with a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder, turbo, PHEV engine rated at 288 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque.

Oh, by the way, the combined fuel city/highway mileage equivalent comes to 77 miles per gallon when gas teams up with electricity.  Gas only gets you a still-healthy 29 mpg in city/highway motoring.

But let's talk about horsepower.

Yes, this is a performance crossover, but the power is not dished up in a slap-in-the-face manner.  I found accelerations to be robust, yet smooth ... and I was not driven to deafness by the sounds coming from the engine.

On the R/T, there's an on-demand "PowerShot" feature that adds a burst of 30 horses. That enables you to make the 0-to-60 mph trip in 5.6 seconds.

In other words, this SUV is a fun blast to drive, and you can't help but put it through its maximum-performance paces when you're behind the wheel.

The tester was stuffed with features that pushed the sticker's bottom line to $54,325.  I was happy to sample the menu since I was not writing a check for the vehicle.

Standard equipment included a primo Harman Kardon audio system, adaptive speed control, pedestrian/cyclist emergency braking, a power sunroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated front seats and much more.

A "Track Pack" and "Blacktop Bundle" of options included sporty styling touches (loved the hornet badge on my ride) and other enhancements, including dual-mode suspension.

The suspension was expertly tuned.  The agile tester felt completely under my control even during hard accelerations from a standing start.

All in all, this Hornet is a perfect match for a motorist who likes a generous helping of thrill-ride performance with their utility and functionality needs.

Colorful Bronco reviewed in the latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling 4X4 sport-utility vehicle can be seen in the latest, November 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.