A few weeks ago I drove my first Mazda and was excited about the brand - it's come a long way since I first experienced the brand (when it seemed to mostly be rebadged Fords). What I like about the brand is that they have a distinct style and while this care is CLEARLY a suburban people hauler it was fun to drive. However, the car was not without it's quirks - including one of the strangest "keyless" ignition systems that I've yet to experience.

American muscle power aint dead yet! While we live in an age where EVs and MPGs are what seems to be in demand, it's ironic that Dodge has chosen this moment in time to go full bore into an effort to deliver some of the most exceptionally powerful cars on the market. This trend is completely counter-intuitive with gas prices that while temporarily down, will almost certainly go back up. That's not what this car is about though. It is about RAW POWER - but also surprisingly practical too as we found on our road trip across the desert to Vegas from San Diego.

Let's get the stats out of the way first - this car is FAST! With a 6.4-Liter V8 SRT HEMI providing 485 horses delivering 475 LB-FT torque it has WAY more power than anyone ever needs, knocks you back in the seat, and it delivers that satisfying roar that makes you know you are part of an elite club of owners. Despite that power, the challenger Scat Pack is still able to get 14 city / 23 highway (the SXT with V6 gets 19/30), which honestly is pretty impressive for something this big and powerful.

With a top speed of 182-mph and a 0-60 mph time in the low 4 seconds, this car probably costs close to a $100k right? NO! It unbelievably is affordable starting at just under $40,000...

For the past 30 years, Ford owners have been gathering in Southern California for one of the coolest car shows I've had a chance to attend recently. While there are others with fancier, more expensive, and more variety of makes and models, Fabulous Fords Forever was clearly a show that was special. 

With more than 1,800 entries from 57 classes, this is the largest "All Ford Show" in the western united states and at times it was pretty overwhelming - even for someone like me that LOVES Ford in almost all of its incarnations from Ford Racing to Mustangs and tucks too.

What is better than looking at a lovingly restored 1974 BMW model 2002? I would say enjoying the same car with an impressive clarion sound system at a private track with drift car champion Chris Forsberg!

At this point, unless you are living under a rock you are probably familiar with the Fiat 500 line. Over the past few years, the "500" has grown and morphed into a whole line of vehicles from the super compact 500 to the family hauler 500L as well as the sporty Abarth. Now it's time to introduce the 500x - Fiat's interpretation of a SUV. This car was designed not just for the American market but truly as a global car that will be driven by people in cultures as diverse as Russia, Brazil, United States, and of course - Italy.

To launch the car, Fiat held events all over the world, but I was invited to join them in Beverly Hills at the famous Mr. C Hotel. From this base of operations, we had the a chance to put the Fiat 500x through it's paces as we raced up the hills north of LA and down the canyons as we headed towards the beach. Throughout the experience, the Fiat 500x performed remarkably well and was always fun to drive.

If you haven't been before, this classic motor car extravaganza weekend gathers over 300 of the most elite car collections from around the world atop the bluffs of La Jolla Cove at the Ellen Browning Scripps Park. La Jolla means "The Jewel" in Spanish and we couldn't think of a more fitting place to experience these incredible vehicles than outdoor, overlooking the Pacific Ocean while surrounded by some of the most luxurious real estate in the world. While we know that there will be some amazing classic cars and modern luxury as well as sports cars, it's always a thrill to walk by something you've never seen before. 

You don't always need to travel somewhere far to have the perfect romantic getaway. Sometimes, you will find something great right in your backyard that is an experience you will remember for a lifetime. That's what happened for Heather and I last weekend when I got a last minute invitation to be Kia's guest at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California. While this happened to only be 30 minutes from home it was the perfect getaway and since the Park Hyatt Aviara is pet friendly it made things that much better!

A few months ago we got a chance to test drive the "not a minivan" Kia Sedona and while it was fun to drive around the streets of Dana Point, I couldn't help but feel that where it would really shine would be on a long road trip.  Between the peppy engine, comfortable seats, great complement of electronic gadget, and some bad-ass passenger seats that recline almost like International First Class airline seats this is the car that you would want to drive if you were wanting to see America with your best friends.

Luxury car probably isn't what comes to mind when you think about the Kia brand - but I just drove a car that has changed my perception of one of my favorite auto companies. The K900 is their flagship vehicle and while I feel like there were some things I didn't care for, my complaints are sort of like bitching about my ice cream being too creamy or my down pillow being too soft. This is a car that if they are able to continue to evolve it should have everyone from Lexus to Mercedes and BMW concerned. It is a great car that illustrates just how far this "upstart" Korean company has come from one known as creating cheap cars for kids to now a world-class luxury car that fully loaded clocks it at almost $70,000!

In this episode of Men Who Blog, Colby and James check out the all new 2016 Ford Explorer at the Chicago Auto Show and talk with Lead Engineer, Arie Groeneveld while sitting inside the SUV. 

Made in Chicago, it's only fair that they would bring it there to show off. Along with the consumer version of the SUV, we also had the chance to check out the Police Interceptor version .. which btw you probably don't want to get in the back seat of, so mind those speed limits and always obey the law!

The band that spawned such iconic songs as "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Kick Start My Heart", and the arena anthem "Home Sweet Home" and a dozen or more 80's and 90's smashes made a very rare appearance at a small venue last weekend in Dallas.

Simply put, the Hemi Hellcat version of the 2015 Dodge Charger is the most powerful 4-door sedan on Earth and we got a chance to put it through the paces recently during a trip from Washington DC to a track in West Virginia. What's awesome about this car is the extreme range of options that it has from the base model that is a great "around town" car to the 707 hp Hellcat, but after having a chance to drive a few different models, our favorite was the Dodge Charger SRT 392 that still delivered a whopping 485 horsepower but had the perfect balance of power, affordability, and practicality.

Electric cars aren't sexy, they aren't fast enough to have fun with, and they certainly aren't fun to drive - right? WRONG! The folks at Kia should be very proud of the latest iteration of the Kia Soul. While mocked as "that hamster car" the truth is that this is one of the most stylish and fun to drive cars in the world right now. That's not shared by everyone, but it is true for me and at least several million other people who have bought one and helped propel the rapid growth of this once "upstart" auto manufacturer. 

Driving down any highway in America, it's clear that the classic muscle car is no longer just an object to be restored to former glory, but a modern machine to be enjoyed today. For the last several years, car manufacturers have been bringing the best of the old body styles together with the latest in technology and engineering. The most recent, and quite possibly the BEST modern muscle car is the 2015 Dodge Challenger.

Last month the folks at Hyundai invited me out to Montgomery, Alabama to tour their amazing factory as well as put the brand new 2015 Hyundai Sonata through its paces. While honestly the family sedan market is traditionally boring with cars that end up being more similar than they are different as they compete for the heart of the American consumer, Hyundai typically has some special tactics to help make ownership fun. 

While it hardly seems like winter here in San Diego, the rest of you guys are probably bundled up and looking at the snow starting to pile up at your favorite resorts around the country.

The question is, how are you going to get there in your Geo Metro :)  

The folks over at Chevy have an answer - the new 2015 Chevy Silverado - perfect for carrying your skis, plenty of room to pack in a few guys in the crew cab, and heck you could pull your campervan behind too so you don't even need to worry about finding a slope side condo.

Some road trips are short and some are cross country. In those cases you need something special - a car that is smooth to drive for several hours a time, has super comfortable seats, and plenty of room to spread out and relax (or even sleep over night).

When planning for a recent trip from Chicago to New Orleans, I looked around and considered a variety of vehicles but none would do. Full size sedans get uncomfortable after a few hours of driving, most SUV's don't have the ability sack out in the back and the big ones tend to be bulky to drive and hard to fit into urban parking spaces.

From 8,000 feet in the air to sea-level, the Hyundai Santa Fe can take you pretty much wherever you need to go and does so in comfort and near luxury style.

A few months ago we had the opportunity to be among the first to drive the 5 passenger Santa Fe Sport, and now this month we had the chance to review the all new 6/7 passenger Santa Fe.

This is a GREAT year for CUV's and this month I have had the pleasure of testing some of the best out there, including the 2013 Ford Escape.

I am a huge Ford fan - from the cars you can drive to the ones you watch on the track on Sunday, I simply love Ford and how the company has come back over the past few years. Despite this however, While the Escape has always sold well, it has shown its age. That has all changed now with the 2013 version.

In Chicago there is unfortunately a very small window of time that we can enjoy the full value of a convertible, so it had better be a great one to pique my interest and it needs to be as practical as it is fun to drive.

Does the Chrysler 200 match up? Let's find out...