The last Acura RDX I drove was the 2017 model. I drove 300 miles in one direction with my girlfriend and drove back with a fiance. That car’s performance was flawless albeit unremarkable. For 2019, Acura introduced its third-generation RDX. It’s more beautiful and more comfortable. We took this one to San Antonio to watch our friends tie the knot. Thus forever solidifying a link between nuptial processes and Acura’s RDX in my mind.
A few months back, I was backing the Ford out of my driveway. When I went to mash the middle pedal it went to the floor. No Brakes. Thankfully, I hadn’t built up enough steam to continue rolling into my neighbor’s yard. And thankfully I have insurance on the old Ford that provides towing when it breaks down. A quick phone call and a short tow ride later, and the Ford was hauled to the shop on a tow truck.
Introduced in 1999, the Toyota Tundra has become a staple among truck drivers. A roomy and capable pickup coupled with Toyota’s reputation for reliability and excellent resale value makes Tundras a good investment. Since their inception, they’ve been made in the ‘States. Today they’re assembled in San Antonio, Tx, making Tundras the only full-size truck to be built in the lone star state. So, after two decades with only one major update, how does the newest Tundra stack up?
Maybe for the first time since I bought the car, I didn’t see a good reason I couldn’t just drive it. For a 70-year-old car, it starts and runs with shocking reliability. Now that the brakes are all sorted out, it stops too. I wondered if I could manage to use this old car eas my daily driver for a week. How would it fare on roads after seven decades of innovation?
For a split second my stomach was suspended weightless in my abdomen, just like at the top of a roller coaster descent. The four tires of my father’s red Isuzu Space Cab pickup had left the gravel road and were on their downward trajectory toward terra firma. As the truck landed, all three boy scouts and the grown boy at the wheel grinned, laughed and agreed that was the best jump yet.
Now in its seventh iteration, the Lexus ES is better than ever. The first ES came out two decades ago in 1989. Back then they were built on the Camry platform. The newest ES shares a platform with Toyota’s excellent Avalon. With an already lofty bar, has the Lexus treatment improved the Toyota recipe?
The 2019 CX-5 looks great inside and out, it’s a pleasure to drive and ride in and it will haul kids and groceries. It’s affordable, efficient and good looking. What else is there?
Fanboys cringe. Last year, Mitsubishi revived the Eclipse moniker and hung it on a crossover. Perhaps in an effort to capture the market of folks who drove the sporty-looking coupe during their youth, and now need a back seat to haul their progeny. But why would Mitsu introduce yet another mid-sized cross over into a crowded segment when they already offer the Outlander Sport?
First off, I like the new Elantra. It’s comfortable, economical and a good value. Buy each time I got behind the wheel I couldn’t help but slide into reveries about Elantras past. The first car review I ever wrote was for a 2016 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition. I had to go to a used car lot in Dallas to find an example. It wasn’t a press car, and my only experience behind the wheel of it was with a salesman in the passenger seat.
This year the Mazda MX-5 turns 30. After three decades or refinement, the MX-5 is better than ever. New standard features and some more horsepower make this darling little droptop even sweeter.
The way I see it there are three paths for those folks who have hauled home a project only to find they’re in over their head. Bail out, sink or learn to swim.
For 2019, Toyota unveiled the latest generation of their largest sedan. Now in its fifth iteration, the Avalon has grown both in proportion and in refinement. This is the second ’19 Avalon I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. I was smitten with previous car’s excellent 301 horsepower V6. But how does the hybrid version measure up?
