Land Cruiser 1958 Review: A Less Expensive, Stripped Down Off-Roader
Nov 14, 2024
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Land Cruiser 1958 Review: A Less Expensive, Stripped Down Off-Roader
The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport is gearing up to be a game-changer for guys seeking adventure off the beaten path. With its new enhancements and capabilities, this small SUV is an excellent choice for those looking to explore more rugged terrains during their weekend getaways.
It might be obvious – big knobby tires are better at gripping rugged surfaces than smooth ones. After all, you wouldn't put a pair of racing slicks on your truck and take it out on the trail, would you? The reality though is that for most of us, the right choice of tires is more about balance than absolutes. That's why I really like this set of Grabber A/T X that General Tire sent me to check out.
One of the challenges - and frankly the thrills - of having a 4x4 truck is seeing how capable it really is. The challenge with that though is that sometimes the line between awesome fun and danger is blurred and you never really learn except by making mistakes. That's why I absolutely love the fact that the state of California along with some local off road clubs created this amazing park located just east of San Diego with marked challenges and obstacles ranging from the absolutely insane to beginner. This also gave us the perfect place to test out and compare the TRD Pro trucks that Toyota had given us to play with.
The 2020 Lexus LC 500 first attracted my attention at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show for it's absolutely stunning "Flare Yellow" color and it's beautiful lines. I didn't know much more about the vehicle other than that, but I knew I wanted to experience it in person as soon as possible. Thankfully, the folks at Lexus had one available. This isn't exactly a road trip kind of car, though I was quite impressed by the size of the trunk and the level of comfort in the cockpit... even for a big guy like me. So, our plan was to do a day trip exploring San Diego beach towns.
Michelin and General Motors presented a new generation of airless wheel technology, the MICHELIN Uptis Prototype at the Movin’On Summit for sustainable mobility today. GM intends to develop this airless wheel assembly with Michelin and aims to introduce it on passenger vehicles as early as 2024.
Getting a driver's license is one of the first rights of passage for American teenagers and frankly those from around the world as well. It's a sign that you have proven to be mature enough to control a giant machine. It is also a child's first opportunity to have real freedom. For parents though, it can be nerve-racking. Let's take a look at some tips to help make the process of learning to drive a bit easier for kids.
Baja California, Mexico is a legendary peninsula that has some of the most beautiful coastline, mountains, valleys, and vistas of anyplace on Earth. It is also a playground for some of the most wealthy and adventurous people in the world who love to test their physical endurance and technical ability as a driver during the Baja 1000 and other races held here. We recently had a chance to spend four days here, driving a Baja challenge car that had actually completed the Baja 1000 course and it's an amazing experience. What you might not know is that there's no credentialing authority, so all you need to do to compete is show up with a car and pay your entry fee!
Let's just get this out of the way - over the past year I've driven a dozen or so EVs ranging from compact cars to 10,000+ trucks. I remain as optimistic as ever in terms of the fact that electric vehicles have the potential to be a superior alternative to the classic internal combustion petrol and diesel-powered options that dominate the market today. As part of this though, I also refuse to sit back and simply select facts to promote the benefits. Quite frankly, while EVs are a fabulous option for homeowners with moderate commutes - long road trips are not the best measure of an EV's value. With that being said though, I like to push the limits. I want to see what it looks like doing something that will be normal in five years. That's why Heather and I decided to drive a 2023 F-150 Lightning from San Diego to Vegas. Here's what we learned from the experience.
As Americans, we have a reputation for being loud and boisterous. We rock boats and break the law, we're rebels. Driving a car from Dodge - or in this case, Jeep reminds me of everything great about this country because it's about pushing the limits of power and design. Sure, most of the Jeeps sold today are road vehicles designed for soccer moms and that's ok. But the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is something special. While you have some fine SUVs Chinese, Indians, Germans, and Italians - no other country has the balls to take luxury SUV and drop a 707 hp motor in it and still keep the price affordable. That's what's great about this country and why I love driving the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk every chance I get!
Expanding on the Bronco family’s Built Wild™ innovative design and capability pillars, these five adventure-inspired concepts further highlight the brand’s readiness for customization at launch. Beyond the standard options, there are more than 200 available factory-backed accessories for Bronco two- and four-door models, and more than 100 accessories for Bronco Sport models.
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.
Taking an epic road trip is my favorite way to experience what it means to be an American. While flying to a great destination is a quick way to get to a destination, with a road trip the journey is the destination. Along the way you get a chance to meet new people, taste new foods, savor new drinks, and spend time discussing various topics with your traveling companions. Last year I got a chance to do a short road trip in California for the launch of the all-new 2019 Toyota Rav4, a vehicle that quickly became one of our favorites. Now we've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, which aside from one frustrating item is about the perfect mid-sized SUV for a long road trip.
In the automotive industry it seems like there are two different core types of trim level packages. The first is purely cosmetic and the second is actually functional. A few weeks ago, we were driving the K5 GT-Line and it left us shaking our head wonder why that trim was even created. It looked great but when it came to delivering on the performance it's good looks promised, quite simply it fell short. Now that we've had a chance to play with the 2021 Kia K5 GT we are even more shocked that the GT-Line exists at all.
Pickup trucks are useful things to have around. Especially heavy-duty trucks like the Ram 2500. This big, burly, towing machine has a maximum tow rating of 17,980 pounds (about 9 tons). So when Ram Truck asked us if we wanted to test drive their 2018 Ram 2500, we immediately started looking around to find something to tow. Anything larger than a jet ski or a teardrop camper would do. We ended up with a huge pontoon boat and a fun day on the water with the Wyoming Air National Guard!
At this point, most of us realize just how hard it is to sanitize all the surfaces of your house and car. No matter how well you scrub, getting every piece clean is near impossible with spray and wipes. Plus that just takes a ton of time so Ford developed a solution. They have designed a new heated software enhancement to pilot with its Police Interceptor Utility – one that law enforcement agencies across the country can utilize to help reduce the footprint of the COVID-19 virus.
You’ve owned a motorcycle for a while now, love it to bits, and would like to take it with you on holiday. Even better - why not make your entire holiday about your motorcycle? A full-on motorcycle trip isn’t just for bearded guerilla soldiers and you can easily make the trip as pleasant as possible by ensuring a few things before you head off.
For many visitors to Las Vegas, the strip is where it's at... some even venture downtown to explore Fremont street but there is actually much more to explore here on some fun and easy day trips. One route that I've somehow never taken the opportunity to explore is a loop that includes Valley of Fire State Park and Hoover Dam. Here's why you should check this area out too!
By this point in the year I normally would have racked up 10s of thousands of miles in the air and have wrapped up at least a few different road trips. This year, is different. While we've been doing a lot of auto reviews recently, the focus has been distinctly different and focused more on local driving. However, I'm glad that I got a chance to let the Hyundai Palisade stretch it's legs a bit because it was one of the best all-around SUVs that I've driven in a long time.
It's no secret that the auto industry is extremely competitive and that American tastes are shifting away from mid-sized sedans to SUVs like the Mazda MX-5, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4, and Jeep Cherokee. What is interesting to me is how similar each of these cars is on paper and price - yet so different in driving experience. It made me step back a bit and think about how I experience cars since rarely do I get a chance to actually compare vehicles directly. Typically we're provided a top of the line model and asked to share our thoughts on it. Through a bit of luck and planning though, I managed to drive all four of these this year and take the opportunity to compare not just their bullet-ed talking points - but what it actually means to someone shopping for the right SUV for their lifestyle.
Joshua Tree National Park is an absolutely stunning natural reserve with wide open spaces, amazing colors, and terrain ranging from sharp cliffs to sandy plains. It's a fantastic place to explore on foot though it can get extremely hot during the summer, so I find it much more enjoyable to use one of the off road trails and explore it's hidden spaces that way. We did this recently with the 2017 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4x4 and were completely impressed with how capable it was.