Convenience, Comfort for the Long-Haul
It is the house as vehicle, or the vehicle as house. Put it this way: When you are going on a long, sometimes rough road trip in a fully equipped 2016 Toyota 4Runner Limited sport-utility vehicle, you aren’t leaving home without any of the things that make a home a home. Everything is there, or certainly there with the aid of easily portable electronic equipment. For 2016, that includes fully integrated cellphone navigation, which is...
Motoring Q&A: Is Nitrogen Safe in Gasoline?
Q: The other day I stopped at a Shell station and found their higher-octane gas contained nitrogen. I believe that information posted about the gas said nitrogen was an additive. All of the concerns about ethanol levels and what is safe for which cars caused me to wonder about nitrogen. When I was a kid my friends would add nitrous oxide to their hot rods to get extreme performance out of the engines. Blown engines weren’t uncommon....
Nuts and Bolts: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Bottom line: Anyone looking for a well-made, reliable, well-equipped, fuel-efficient midsize family sedan should seriously consider the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited. Ride, acceleration and handling: It gets good marks in all three, with one caveat: The battery pack and permanent magnet motor add noticeable poundage. You feel that weight in curves. Head-turning quotient: I thought I would miss Hyundai’s departure from fluidic...
Nuts and Bolts: Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4×4
Bottom line: People shopping for a high-quality, neatly styled, compact four-wheel-drive vehicle with genuine off-road capability should consider the Trailhawk, with the V-6 gasoline engine. If fuel economy is a primary concern, take a look at the gasoline-four-cylinder Honda CR-V. Ride, acceleration and handling: This gets good marks in all three. Head-turning quotient: It’s controversial. The Trailhawk’s sleek, forward styling...
Wheels: 2015 Passat Is Safe, Reliable and Fuel Efficient
The Volkswagen Passat sedan, now in its eighth generation of service, is passe. You’ll note that I used the word “service” instead of “life” or “existence” in referring to the car’s age. That is because there is nothing passe about the Passat’s continued reliability, safety, durability and overall performance. That is especially true of the model driven for this week’s column, the 2015 Passat TDI SEL Premium, a diesel-powered,...
