When people ask me why I like minivans so much for road trips the answer is easy - they are practical, drive nicely, and park easily. I'm not always looking for the most stylish and technology filled solution when my objective is getting from here to there with a bunch of bags and people. On a recent road trip through the Eastern part of Florida's Everglades with the all-new 2022 Kia Carnival I was extraordinarily impressed since not only did it have everything I expected from a minivan... it also looked great and had plenty of creature comforts too.

Toyota's Land Cruiser is one of the most iconic vehicles that I've ever driven. From a purely objective perspective, the 2021 model year Land Cruiser was expensive, slow, horrendously fuel inefficient but it was also one of my favorite SUVs to drive. Sadly, while the rest of the world is getting an updated model on a completely new platform... here in the United States we only have our memories and dreams of what might have been.

Toyota is still the master of hybrid cars and crossovers and when the current generation of RAV4 launched in 2019, we were immediately drawn to the hybrid version. Not only did it offer a more exciting driving experience but it also offered the obvious boost in mpgs too. Now, with the RAV4 Prime, Toyota takes it to the next level with a combined 302 hp, 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and an EPA-estimated 42 miles of range on battery alone... resulting in an EPA-estimated 94 MPGe!

While most people are eagerly awaiting the launch of availability of the full-sized Bronco, the Bronco Sport is earning a special place in my heart. Initially I joined the chorus calling it the "baby Bronco" because it appeared to be a vehicle simply riding on it's big brother's legendary branding. After putting it through it's paces though and talking with Bronco Sport owners, I'm convinced that this may be the perfect off roader for all but the most die-hard and technically skilled adventurers.

So, you’re looking for a sub-compact crossover. Well, your choices in this class are numerous! Every manufacturer has at least one and more are on the way this fall.

Lincoln is currently in the middle of a transformation. No traditional luxury coupes, and no new luxury sedans going forward. So, if you want a new Lincoln, you must go the SUV route.

Generally speaking, my preference in automobiles leans strongly towards vehicles with big powerful engines (or motors), technology, and off-road chops. The Buick Encore GX offers the technology but neither of the other two... but that's ok. It is possibly one of the best balanced, perfectly designed vehicles for young professionals who live in urban areas.

The 2021 Kia Telluride SX is a mid-sized SUV that offers an edge. It provides all the power of a traditional SUV at an attractive price point with plenty of technology and amenities like heated seats, connectivity, safety features, and even a 5,000 pound towing capacity that makes this a great option for budget conscious shoppers.

The all-new 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line is the brand's latest iteration of their popular mid-sized SUV. With the addition of the X-Line package, Sorento promises off-road adventure options that normally you might not consider with a vehicle like this. Like all Kia SUVs, it is packed with plenty of tech and safety features and plenty of interior space for your passengers in the third row too. Is X-Line purely cosmetic for the aspirational off roader or is this something that you can use to go places you wouldn't normally take other unibody SUVs? Let's take a look!

Last week, the folks from INEOS Automotive brought me to a mountain top on the Appalachian Trail near Fairfax, Virginia to check out the INEOS Grenadier. Now when I first got the invite, like most of you, I had never heard of INEOS or the Grenadier before. But a quick Google search turned up some photos of a pretty rugged looking truck, so I was excited to learn more about the Grenadier and see what it was all about. Since the vehicle we were previewing was an early pre-production prototype, we didn't get a chance to drive it. Hopefully I'll get the chance to take one off-roading in the future.

Volvo used to stand for one thing only - safety. I remember a story from when I was a kid growing up where a truck carrying cinderblocks overturned on a family driving a Volvo and they all survived. This was the car if you didn't care about looks but wanted a well designed safe car for your family. Flash forward a few decades and Volvo got sold to Chinese automaker Geely and I had my doubts on if the brand could survive. Thankfully, it has and the Volvo XC90 T8 that we drove last month still maintains that safety reputation but it is now fun to drive and has a uniquely Scandinavian luxury design, especially in the cabin.

When Ford, in 2017, formally announced that they were bringing Bronco back, the off road enthusiast world lost their shit. This was one of the biggest brands in off road history and now it was coming back in exactly the right time where we have the most advanced suspension technology in history and a wide variety of engines that are designed to be robust enough to handle virtually anything we can throw at it on the trail. Then... a year later a new "Bronco" emerged and that quickly got derided as simply the "Baby Bronco", a vehicle simply riding on the big brother's coat tails. In many ways, that is accurate since I'm not sure the Bronco Sport would survive on it's own if it were called something else - for instance if it were simply called the Escape Sport.

Volkswagen's offerings in the United States have changed significantly over the past several years. While the brand was once defined by the classic VW Bug and similarly small sedans, today the company has two of the best SUVs on the market and we can hope that one day the Amarok mid-sized pickup will make it here as well. Sadly though, that's much more of a challenge due to tariffs and an increasingly competitive mid-sized truck space. In my previous experience with VW the cars were "nice" but skewed feminine and honestly something that just didn't appeal to my tastes. Then at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show I had a chance to check out the Atlas, but it took me a year to actually secure one for a road trip review.

There's absolutely no rational reason why the Durango SRT exists other than because some engineers at Dodge said they wanted to be the fastest dads (and moms!) in the PTA pickup line. With 475 hp and a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds, this three-row SUV is the most fun I've ever had with a family car. 

Our time spent with the Nissan Armada was an interesting one. I say this not only because the brand is in the middle of a transition as it updates some of it's older products, but also in that compared to vehicles like Chevy's Tahoe it provides some nice design elements that make it more practical for a suburban family. This is immediately noticed when you first step into the driver's seat but continues throughout the ride.

Genesis is one of the newest luxury automotive brands and frankly I wasn't terribly excited about it from what I had seen at the Chicago Auto Show Last year. While the cars were pretty, elements of the car simply didn't feel "luxury" even if they looked phenominal. Despite this, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to test out the GV80 last month and put it through it's paces for a week. After a day or two of driving, my opinion changed completely and my view now is that Genesis is one of the most exciting car brands on the market.

The BMW X7 has built a reputation of luxury, power, and quality that makes it a symbolic high-end vehicle for individuals such as diplomats, politicians, executives, and VIPs. The vehicle’s OEM specifications make this model the perfect base for armoring, turning this luxurious SUV – the symbol of status – into a symbol of safety and protection. INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing is proud to release the world’s first armored BMW X7, offering exceptional protection and ultimate comfort.

Toyota has done wonders for the look and feel of it's vehicles over the past several years while refreshing almost its entire line. The brand is undeniably conservative and that's ultimately why you buy a Toyota - dependability. However, at a certain point a car needs to offer the chance to make an emotional connection with the buyer and that's never been more true for the 2021 Highlander XSE. 

Santa is in the final stages of preparing for his legendary around the trip coming up at the end of the month and the folks at Chevrolet wanted to put their latest hauler up against his beloved but aging sleigh and magical reindeer. While they've worked well for thousands of years... sometimes the allure of comfy seats, a great sound system, and plenty of space for toys during delivery times and enough seats to take the best elves on vacation merit switching things up. Plus, while Santa isn't normally concerned with gas mileage, being able to travel like normal folks and avoid frequent fill-ups is pretty cool so he's excited about the new 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel too!

While a big truck or SUV has got comfort and power going for it, not everyone lives in the suburbs or rural America. Others of us simply can't afford the price tag on those big beautiful machines. At first glance, the all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer looks like it is "just another small SUV" that is trying to fill another nice further dividing the ever more competitive SUV market. While that's true, Chevy's designers and engineers did a great job making this a vehicle that sufficiently differentiated itself from competitors and was a vehicle I truly enjoyed driving for a week.