Car

Ok, so we don't all work for some rich guy who let's us borrow his Ferrari convertible whenever we want. However, we can still have that dream.

There is nothing quite like a warm, breezy summer afternoon to make you wish for the wind in your hair as you drive through the city streets or back roads on the way to the beach. Convertibles are made for summertime and they are surprisingly affordable if you know where to look, so there is no better season to invest in a drop-top dream car. This year, you can indulge your fantasies without breaking the bank by buying any of the following seven especially affordable — yet still supremely satisfying — convertibles. (Hint - Magnum's Ferrari 308 isn't on this list!)

Raise your hand if you'll be taking a road trip this year. Probably most of you reading are planning a trip with the family or maybe out with the guys and you've likely thought about the importance of checking your oil before you go but it's also critical to consider the part that actually keeps you on the road and safely between the lines. Yup, that's right - I'm talking about your tires!

Buying a new car can feel like stepping into a minefield for any guy. There's a lot of money at stake and if you don't know exactly what you're doing, you could end up paying more that intended for something you don't absolutely love. Luckily, help is at hand. We've taken some tips from car experts and put together this car buying guide. We're always looking to share advice too, so if you have a favorite tip we'd love for you to leave it as a comment at the end!

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.

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. 

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.

For this Road Trip Review, the folks at Hyundai invited us out to the mountains of Utah to test drive the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. As someone who looked at the Santa Fe years ago and settled on a Chevy Equinox instead, this was a chance for redemption of their brand in my eyes.  

They succeeded fantastically by delivering a car that wasn't just a "great value" but was truly a great car... and one that stands up against any competition in its class.

 Hamsters, what hamsters? The Kia Soul has been one of my favorite cars ever since the amazing commercials came out. In fact, it is also one of the few cars that I would realistically want to AND be able to buy for my own personal use. As such, when Kia asked me to try one for a review I JUMPED at the opportunity.

While it is primarily presented as an "urban" vehicle designed to take you and your friends from club to club, we found that the Soul is actually a great road trip choice also - while still being fun, comfortable, and practical.

What do you think of when you hear the name Kia? Is it small, crappy, econobox? In the past, you may have been correct - but no longer! Kia has asked me to test drive some of their latest creations and they started me out with the fun and sporty 2013 Rio 5-door for a road trip review.

While this car is undoubtedly intended to zip around town vs a 3-4 hour road trip, it felt comfortable on the drive from Chicago to Indianapolis. Possibly more importantly, the car looks great!

What do you take when you start with a great all-around great suburban family car, toss in a bit of style, and then take Nissan's determination to make it the best car in the segment? I call it the new 2013 Altima. With an industry leading 38 mpg, chic modern styling, super comfortable seats, and a peppy engine tied to a silky smooth CVT transmission, this car is perfect for picking up clients, taking your daughter to her piano recital, OR zooming down the road with the buddies on a road trip!

As you may remember from our last road trip review of the Altima, we loved the car - and our only main complaint was that the 4 cylinder engine wasn't peppy enough for us to call it "fun". With this review, Nissan outfitted us with a 3.5 L V6 with 270-hp instead. That immediately eliminated that issue for us and there was much rejoicing!

For over 100 years, the name Cadillac has brought to mind images of over the top luxury and a car packed with gadgets that are useful - and others that you didn't know you ever needed (cup cooler / heater???). In many ways, this makes a perfect brand to consider when thinking about what to take with you on a mancation road trip.

The awesome folks at GM let me borrow an Escalade for a week when we went down to St Louis last fall - here are my thoughts on the adventure!

Nissan recently invited us to a swanky party to celebrate the launch of the 2013 370z at the Chicago Auto Show, so I wanted to share some photos from the event with you guys.

Earlier this summer I took an awesome road trip from Chicago to Charleston, SC. My chariot this time? One of the BEST road trip cars I have ever had! The Ford Flex Platinum Edition is everything you would want from a a road trip car.

Honestly, it would be a pleasure to have this as my every-day alternative to a mini-van or SUV if you need that extra space for kids / soccer gear etc. too.

Every so often a car comes along that really impresses me. The 2011 Ford Explorer is one such example. Sure, we all know the Explorer line and in many ways, it is the iconic SUV. What Ford has done with the new version however, just blows me away by combining two of my favorite SUV's - the Edge and a Land Rover.

Fast cars are nice, family cars are good, but a nice beefy luxury SUV just makes a road trip fantastic! For our trip to Cleveland last month we were lucky to have an opportunity to drive the 2010 Buick Enclave.

If you haven't seen a Buick recently, you should really go check one out. This isn't the same General Motors interior that you know and love(?). Maybe its just me, but my perception of GM cars over the past 10 years has been that they are cheap, moderatly styled, and "nice" but not really where I would drop $60,000 on a new car.

While we are privileged to be able to play with some amazing cars, sometimes it is good to remember that the best car for a mancation is the one sitting in your garage. Yes, the one that is as fun to drive as it is practical and affordable for everyday use. On our recent  trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville we asked around for a car that was 1) fun to drive 2) as fuel efficient as possible and 3) could perform equally well on the plains of Indiana as the mountains of North Carolina.

When imagining the a road trip you probably don't think of the Ford Mustang. Instead, you might have visions of a big SUV with plenty of room for the guys and gear. What if I told you that you can now have a bad-ass Mustang featuring tons of trunk space, the latest in navigation systems, fantastic gas mileage and it is also a blast to drive?

Last week Ford invited me out to LA as one of the first media in the world to test out exactly how awesome this car was. I wasn't expecting more than just a sports car - but I was wrong!