It has become nearly routine. Sometime in November, the Seattle-based vendor that brings us our test vehicles mounts a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks onto a Mazda MX-5 Miata and sends it over the mountains. This means a) we get to test a lightweight rear-drive sports…
Since poor driving is on nearly everyone’s pet peeve list, who are the perpetrators?
If weeks were refundable, I would have asked for one when I last tested Acura’s RDX crossover. The RDX is a luxury-sport compact CUV that strikes all the right notes. It’s quick, responsive and engaging but never punishing. Its tech-rich cabin is roomy, comfortable and…
The good news is that traffic deaths in the United States have dropped for the second straight year.
The 2020 Honda Insight is a compact hybrid sedan that earns an EPA-estimated 52 mpg in combined city and highway driving. It’s quiet about its efficiency, though; the only clues to its hybrid heart lie in a pair of small badges. This contrasts with the…
When driving at night, we need all the guiding light we can get from our headlamps.
This year, Mazda drops a difference-maker into the compact car segment. The fourth-generation 2019 Mazda3 arrives and with it comes optional all-wheel-drive. Subaru’s Impreza has long dominated the AWD comer of the segment. And, while the all-new AWD 3 isn’t likely to put a big…
Not even half of the states have any laws on the books governing autonomous vehicles…
Hyundai made hay during the Great Recession selling its affordable and economical sedans. But once the economy began its recovery, buyers fell back in love with crossovers. Saddled with a portfolio rich in sedans but thin on CUVs, the Korean maker’s fortunes sagged. But ever…
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
Toyota pioneered the crossover category when it debuted the RAV4 in 1995. Two years later, its Prius kickstarted the hybrid revolution. The inevitable marriage of the two was consummated in 2012, with the advent of the RAV4 Hybrid. Now, buyers could enjoy the utility of…
Attention to the following basics will help you avoid trouble in the midst of winter’s fury.
The automakers’ mandate is a simple one: Change or die. It’s a fast-paced business. Competition is fierce. Yesterday’s news doesn’t mean much to today’s shopper. But today’s tester is the exception that proves the rule. Deeply tied in the public mind to the Jeeps of…
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
For a decade, Nissan's Versa subcompact sedan reigned as America’s least expensive car. That era comes to an end, with the debut of the third-generation 2020 Versa. Pricing now begins at $14,730, a bump of just over $2,000. The result is a car that’s better…
Drive with proper rest and slow down.
Subaru’s Crosstrek hatchback debuted in 2016 and wasted no time muscling itself into the top ranks of the corporate lineup. September saw the compact hatch ($21,895) outselling the mighty Outback, while nipping at the heels of the Forester. This year, Subaru aims to deepen its…
As winter persists, we will face adverse driving conditions for at least 90 days.
Buried deeper in the sales charts than it ought to be, Lexus’s GS is to often overlooked by luxury sport-sedan shoppers. Admittedly, the competition here is ferocious. The GS goes head-to-head with the German brands that invented the segment. It’s available in a variety of…
The quandary of whether to opt for higher-cost premium fuel stirs much debate.
Two years ago, Chevrolet rolled out the second generation of its full-size Traverse crossover. Over the previous decade, the three-row Traverse had built a reputation for its agreeable ride, roomy cabin still and immense cargo capacity. With legitimate seating for eight, the Traverse was —…
Lights allow drivers to see, but they are equally important for being seen.
ts flowing lines, handsome cabin and engaging dynamics lend the 2019 Mazda6 a unique spot among midsize sedans. In the Mazda tradition, the 6 ($23,600) does many things well. It balances comfort and performance, style and functionality, thrift and innovation. Other sedans may be quicker,…
Studded tire use is waning — jump on that bandwagon!
No one buys a minivan hoping to prove themselves hip. No one buys a minivan with dreams of scorching the asphalt at the Friday night drags. They’re not imagining romantic moonlit cruises in glamorous locations. Or even impressing the neighbors. Instead, minivan shoppers are focused…
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