While I obviously love my trucks and brutish SUVs, I have a soft spot in my heart for EVs. Not only are they pushing the limits of design, manufacturing, and technology, they are often a good insight into technologies that will soon make their way to other categories as well. We're starting to see this with hybrid powertrains appearing in trucks and soon we're going to see other features that were pioneered by EV designers. I first experienced the Nissan LEAF at the Chicago Auto Show back in 2011 and it's captivated me ever since. Today though, the LEAF sits in a unique position of combining all the elements needed to be a perfect vehicle for urban commuters.

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving announced today the addition of a new drag racing program, breaking new ground as the first of its kind to offer professional drag racing instruction to the public behind the wheel of the most powerful street legal cars in the world on July 27 and August 17, 2019, with additional courses being announced in the coming weeks.  Courses are limited to only 16 students per class and cost is $1,999 per driver.

The Ford Explorer is one of my absolute favorite SUVs since it first debuted in 1991. It has represented a sense of American style and freedom as the ultimate road trip vehicle able to adeptly transverse paved and unpaved roads. Now in it's sixth generation the Ford Explorer has added a new version to the line - the Ford Explorer ST. A performance version that we had the opportunity to spend a few hours with last week in Park City, Utah. 

When it comes to taking care of your family family, things like good looks and raw speed tend to fall aside and safety features become a primary concern. This is your family care after all and while how fast you can take that corner might be important with your weekend car, there are other more important things when it comes to taking care of your kids and making sure that they can get back and forth to school, errands, and of course the all important summer family road trip.

Since its debut nearly two years ago, the Kia Stinger has quickly become a crowd favorite, and at the New York International Auto Show, Kia Motors America gave driving purists yet another compelling reason to check out Kia’s highest performing sport sedan. Limited to just 800 units, the special edition Stinger GTS punches up its on-road prowess with a newly developed dynamic all-wheel drive system (D-AWD) that inspires more spirited driving. With sport-inspired styling elements including genuine carbon fiber parts and a splashy new color that demands even more attention, the limited edition GTS is the one automotive enthusiasts will be lining up to drive.

When it comes to modern SUVs, few are good at both on and off-road. They are focused on tuned to compromise and lean towards fuel efficiency on-road - or all out off-road ability. While I can talk for days about the need for more true, body-on-frame SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser is the epitome of what an awesome SUV should be. It offers a solid, perfectly refined driving experience with no compromises and brings you back to an era when sitting in the driver's seat of an SUV made you feel special. We took the 2019 Land Cruiser on a road trip to Scottsdale, AZ for Spring Training and it was one of my favorite driving experiences in a long time.

I had an interesting experience recently when Toyota invited me to drive the all-new Toyota Corolla during their launch event in Savannah, GA. For some reason they were excited to make sure we experienced it while driving stick. While other manufacturers are promoting how they have 9 and 10 speed automatic transmissions and ever faster and more efficient technology, Toyota seemingly wanted to drag me back in time. What's even more shocking is that the model that featured a manual transmission wasn't even the cheapest base model. It was actually pretty well equipped with style and comfort. So why should you care about a manual transmission car in 2019? Let's take a look.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is what would happen if a Dodge Charger Hellcat and a Grand Cherokee had a baby. This is an absolutely ridiculous concept but this is one of my favorite vehicles that I've driven in the past few years. Imagine all of the comfort and style that the Grand Cherokee is known for... but with a 6.4L V8 707hp Hellcat engine up front propelling the vehicle to a blistering 0-60 of 3.5 second. Oh and since it's still the Grand Cherokee is has 7,200 lb towing capacity, super comfortable rear leg room, and plenty of trunk space for all the gear you need for a weekend getaway.

Generally the SUV space is pretty boring today and this is especially true among midsize crossovers. This space has been dominated by generally bland vehicles that are designed to eek out that extra MGP and be as inoffensive to the most potential buyers. Chevrolet already has a fantastic stable of vehicles in this space including the Trax, Equinox, and Traverse. While these each fit their niche well, what was missing is something that buyers can have an emotional reaction to. I want to feel emotionally drawn to a car and be able to have fun driving it - while still satisfying my needs for space and capability. That's exactly what the 2019 Chevy Blazer does and why they invited me to join them as one of the first people to drive it.

The current generation Dodge Challenger “borrows” more than a few bodylines and exterior cues from the classic, and highly collectible, first generation 1971 Dodge Challenger. FCA knows well enough to leave the new/old bodylines alone as Challenger has steadily been increasing sales and has reached a milestone; it has surpassed the once mighty Camaro to become the no. 2 best-selling retro pony. In 2018 Mustang sales were 75,842 (7.4 % drop), Challenger with its 10-year old platform, had a sales increase (3%) to reach 66,716 units.  As for Camaro, the bottom dropped out as sales slid to 50,963 units (25% drop) in 2018.

The current generation Ford Explorer is one of our all-time-favorite SUVs. It's more than just a car, it is in fact an American icon. Ford continues to position it as something more than just another SUV and frankly it works well. They have an excellent vehicle that may just be our favorite choice for a road trip. We've had the chance to enjoy the the 5th generation Explorer on multiple occasions and we were in Detroit to welcome in the latest iteration. Let's take a look at what's new!

The Ford Ranger is probably the most anticipated new truck to launch this year. Ford made waves in 2018 by telling us they were shifting away from cars and doubling down on trucks and SUVs so there's a lot riding on the success of this entry to the mid-sized truck segment. We're doing a full driving review of the Ford Ranger in March but here's our initial thoughts based on the chance to spend a couple hours riding around San Diego as a passenger.

Toyota is the undisputed leader of the compact crossover SUV space and now they've made it even better. With the launch of the 2019 RAV4, Toyota has made it bigger, more aggressive, more fun, more stylish and generally more everything that buyers would want to see. Ultimately though it's not perfect but Toyota's new design theory seems to be on the right path to create great vehicles that are more than just "reliable". To celebrate the launch of this new vehicle, we tested it out on a road trip along the California coast including the twists and turns of Big Sur and the mountains of Carmel Valley.

Buick is a car brand that has almost universal name recognition in the United States (and likely much of the world). Unfortunately it suffers from a perception problem that it is "and old man's car" and they've even embraced that with the "That's a Buick!?" marketing campaign. I'll be fank - when I was invited to Palm Springs earlier this week, there wasn't a single car in their lineup that I was excited to drive. However, I accepted the invite because I really love working with GM and the company has treated me VERY WELL over the past couple years. What I discovered after spending some time listening, feeling, and driving a few different vehicles was that this is a brand that is worth considering if you are looking for what they describe as, "Attainable Luxury."

The desert is an amazing place to explore - on road as well as off. Despite the fact that some people might think it is dead and desolate, this is an environment that is incredibly dynamic. Dangers as well as beauty can pop up at any moment and disappear just as quickly. One of these dangers is sudden dust storms or sandstorms. They are most common in the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula but also in parts of the United States including California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

While American sand storms are often smaller in size than what might be experienced in the Saharan Desert, the danger to motorists can be similar. Here's what to do if you find yourself in a sand storm.

Ford's Mustang is one of the most iconic vehicles on the market today. Very few vehicles have survived the generations the way this one has and chances are that you father and grandfather lusted after one the way you do now. While there have been good design years and bad years, the current generation 2019 Mustang is clearly a winner. With looks to kill, a super comfortable interior, and a distinct engine / muffler noise that can be modulated from quietly start out of the garage in the morning... to a F&[email protected] YEAH! I'm in a Mustang roar that will wake up the neighborhood.

Nissan has a history of building somewhat rebellious small vehicles, like the Juke and the asymmetrical Cube. While the new 2018 Nissan Kicks sounds like stylish shoes you picked up at the mall, it’s actually a sporty compact crossover with the name that gives a nod to Brazilian kicking sports. This portrays the vehicle perfectly. It’s hip, but only rebellious when it comes to its competition.

Everyone has at least one car they would love to own, or at least find themselves behind the wheel of. I have about 100 cars I would like to own, and the 2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8 is one of those vehicles. The DB11 is not practical, economical and certainly not inexpensive. This car drips chic and distinction. Driving this car turned out to be one of my road-going highlights of the past 12 months. The performance and grand touring road experience make this coupe a very livable exotic piece.

Miles Per Gallon is probably one of the biggest selling points for cars today. Even though fuel prices are lower now that they were just a few years ago, we all know it won't stay that way forever. To solve that problem, American manufacturers have focused primarily on EV and hybrid platforms but there's a third option that Chevy presented to me - diesel. When they first challenged me to test out the Cruze Hatch Diesel I nearly declined their offer. After all, my experience with diesel engines was good in terms of hauling loads... but at the sacrifice of peppy performance, especially the ability to accelerate quickly and pass people on the highway. Then they asked if I'd like to do a road trip from San Diego to Scottsdale for some Spring Training Baseball and I simply wasn't able to pass up that invitation.

At this year’s 110th edition of the Chicago Auto Show, the buzz was all about trucks and SUVs as they continue to rack up record sales. Alternatively, almost every automaker touched on their autonomous vehicle programs, but no one will discuss when day zero will happen, or how autonomous vehicles will affect sales.