Category - Reviews and Road Tests

Use this as a level one category for car reviews and add each car maker as a sub-category

2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR – A Breath of Forced Air in a Sea of Boring SUVs

The automotive enthusiast community has been on fire lately with anti-SUV drivel. There have been countless articles on various automotive big-name blogs asking the community at large to do their part to stop the rise of the SUV simply because they aren’t exciting, and they aren’t enthusiast-oriented.

While this is true in many cases, there are some true performance SUVs on the market. One such vehicle is the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 powered Jaguar F-Pace SVR, which produces a staggering 550 horsepower and 502lb-ft of torque. Having spent a week behind the wheel of one over Christmas, I can tell you there isn’t a lick of boring anywhere in the F-Pace SVR driving experience.

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2019 Ford Ranger FX4 SuperCrew – S:S:L Review

Sometimes, it’s OK to start a story in the middle. Just ask Ford.

The 2019 Ranger is not new, but it’s new to us. The underlying engineering was handled by Ford of Australia, and the truck was first introduced back in 2011. Ford has been selling it all over the world ever since. Well, almost all over the world. The U.S. and Canada were left out of the party. Until now, that is.

There are upsides to this. While the Ranger may be “old” by passenger car standards, its age means Ford has had time to refine and improve it. Thus, the version we finally got for the 2019 model year should be the best Ranger Ford has built.

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Speed Read: Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD

It’s hard to imagine a time when the compact crossover field wasn’t flush with options. And yet it was just a couple of short decades ago that the Toyota RAV4 and its cousin from Sayama, the Honda CR-V, were fresh nameplates on the scene. A scene that, it must be said, these two players largely established. Sure, you could argue there were other compact five doors with off-roading pretensions available before them. The Jeep Cherokee comes to mind. The AMC Eagle if you really want to get creative. 

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2019 Mini Cooper Countryman S E All4 – S:S:L Speed Read

2019 Mini Countryman S E All4

Mini has jumped into the electrification game with their Mini Cooper Countryman S E All4 PHEV. Based on Mini’s largest model, the Mini Cooper Countryman S E All4 is a blast to drive but ends up feeling like a package of compromises.

Hindered by its low electric-only range and the high price of entry, one has to look hard to find the value. Still, the Countryman S E All4 might be worth a look for environmentally responsible buyers wanting to stand out amongst a sea of Priuses. Read More