Car Review

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.

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...

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.

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.

While road trips may typically feature big bulky SUVs or at least roomy sedans, sometimes it is fun to take shorter trips in a car that is just plain fun to drive. The 2011 Ford Fiesta is one such car - small and compact but surprisingly zippy and one of the most fun driving experiences I have had in a long time.

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!