Car Reviews and Automotive News

Texas Motor Press Association hosts off-road vehicle testing in Bryan The vehicles used are some of the latest produced by several automotive companies.

The TxMPA (Texas Motor Press Association) will be holding their annual TORI (Texas Invitational Off-road Invitational) in Bryan, Texas on Tuesday-Wednesday, May 23-24. If you are a automotive journalist, you should attend. Check out the website: TexasMotorPress.org

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning – media test-drive

by Alan Gell, Automotive Journalist

Texans would have to be blind and deaf to have not heard about or otherwise become aware that Ford has introduced their all-electric pickup truck. The F-series has been the best-selling truck in America for about forty-something years. Now, the F-150 pickup is moving into a period of much more technology and electrification. Ford advertises this 2022 Lighting as the “most innovative F-150 that Ford has ever built.” It is touted as being a 10-kil0watt smart power plant on wheels. Reviews on the TV, internet, and in print are all raving about the horsepower and acceleration. However, 'regular' folks are still expressing their concern about the 'can-it-tow-a-heavy-load-under-extreme-conditions.'

Along with about 20 other media-types, I was invited to spend a day in the Grapevine area driving one of these new Lightning pickups. No, I was not able to hook up a horse trailer or hay wagon, but the time spent did allow for quite a bit of checking out the vehicle. Yes, it has extremely fast acceleration. It can move from a flat stand-still to 60 mph in about 5 or 6 seconds. It almost gives the driver the same 'rush' as when pushing the pedal-to-the-metal in a little sports car on a race track. No, I did not attempt to hook up the power supply to cool or heat an entire house, but every indication that, when property connected, that this Lightning pickup can serve as a household generator for several days. Yes, this truck has a wonderful amount of space for storage or people. There is no compromise for space in the cabin and that allows for a lot of leg room and shoulder room.

The ability to serve as a 10-kilowatt smart power plant on wheels appears to be a key aspect of what appeals to so many buyers, especially in these turbulent weather patterns when homes can lose power in an instant. This feature is does not come as standard on every F150, but is available as “Ford Intelligent Backup Power”, so it can keep the light on during an outage, power home appliances, keep security systems operating, and much more.

The F150 Lightning is easily charged at home by a straightforward connection provided by Sunrun and use of an extended-range battery. This provides an 80-amp connected charge station what provides a full charge on AC power overnight. Solar charging options are also available.

As a throwback to the little VW bug from years gone by, the front area is a massive storage space instead of holding a gasoline engine, transmission, and all the needed extras. This versatile space is being called a Mega Power Frunk. It is secure, lockable, and easily accessible. This new “Frunk” (or front-trunk) offers a drain-able floor, 110 power outlets, and so much more. It is easy to see into the future where this Frunk will become a center for a mobile work site or a family tailgate BBQ. Maybe the Ford PR folks need to look for a better name for that front-end trunk, though.

The F150 Lightning is powered by dual in-board motors and a standard 4x4 so that it can tackle almost any type of rough terrain. It has a high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy body. It is advertised to support up to a 10,000 lb towing capacity. The 4x4 system features four selectable drive modes – Normal, Sport, Off-Road, & Tow-Haul. There are four trim levels: Pro (starting about $40k), XLT (starting about $53k), Lariat (starting about $68k), and Platinum (about $90k and up.) There are two battery options: a “standard” or an extended-range battery.

From observations and other journalists' comments, it appears that this 2022 F150 Lightning can easily town and pull trailers and the performance of the power-train is not impacted. It most likely appears that the Lighting can definitely tow and haul, but mostly for short trips, such as taking cattle back and forth to a sale barn in the area. Taking a heavy load for a long distance would probably require numerous stops for recharging.

The major “plus” that was taken away from the media test-drive in Grapevine is that this new Lightning looks and acts like any other F-150. It has a lot more bells and whistles than my own F150, but it it still feels like it is “Built Ford Tough”, even when it is pushing you into the back of the seat as you accelerate. The current 'minus' is the high initial cost. Overall, this appears to be a definite “winner”.

Walk-around review of an all-new 2022 Genesis GV70 compact luxury SUV ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oQshfh1Og

2022 Genesis GV70 - walkaround review Automotive Journalist Alan Gell test-drove a brand-new 2022 Genesis GV70 compact luxury SUV for a week. This is his walk-around review after the week's test-...

https://youtu.be/7iobPG-bxnU

2022 Ford F150 Lightning (electric) Pickup Automotive journalist Alan Gell visited the North Texas Auto Show in Dallas and visited with Rob Beard from Ford. Here is his short 'walk-around' of the F-15...

Photos from the media preview on Weds Jan 26th.

2022, Media Preview Weds morning. So good to see old friends & journalists. We missed two years of auto shows, so even though it was small, it was good to be back.

The Texas Motor Press Assoc - - just completed the 2021 - Texas Off-Road Invitational - at the General Sam's Off-Road Park in Huntsville. Fifteen journalists & twelve off-road vehicles, combined with great weather, proved to work well. Major award went to the 1500 pickup, named as "Texas Truck of the Year."
won Off-Road Truck of the Year, won Mid-Size Truck of Year, Ram 1500 TRX won High Performance Truck of the Year, won Compact SUV of the Year, Nissan won Mid-Size SUV of the Year, Jeep won Full-Size SUV of the Year, won Luxury SUV of the Year, Jeep 392 won High Performance SUV of the Year, won Compact CUV of the Year, and the Hyundai won the SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) of the Year.

Photo is of Nissan representatives accepting their awards for the Nissan & Pathfinder, presented by TxMPA President Bryan Grant and Board Member Alan Gell.

2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road
The compact SUV that keeps getting better and better

by ALAN GELL, Automotive Journalist

Wow! What a fun car to drive. “It” was a brand-new 2021 Toyota RAV4 painted in a eye-pleasing color called Lunar Rock. The RAV4 model was an Off-Road edition of the TRD Pro and that Lunar Rock blended in almost everywhere we took the RAV4 off the beaten paths of Interstate Highways and By-Ways. No, we did not simulate the real lunar surface, but the challenges were there and this new RAV4 rose to the occasion. It was easy to wish for a much longer test-drive period than just a single week.

The RAV4 is an all-wheel-drive SUV that has been in the Toyota stable of vehicles for about 25 years, being introduced in the 1994 model year. It is generally described as being small but rugged, both in appearance and performance. It is a compact SUV that has proved to be reliable, easy to operate, and very practical for almost any driving situation. The week-long test-drive edition was graciously furnished by Toyota and was outfitted with almost every extra option available. (Not really, but almost!) About a month earlier, the 2021 RAV4 TRD was named as the Texas SUV of the Year by TAWA, the Texas Auto Writers Association.

The RAV4 TRD Off-Road was powered by a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It included the TRD Off-Road weather package and the technology package. These provided all those extra items that have become so popular with today's drivers, such as overhead 360-degree view, wireless phone charging, rain-sensing wipers, heated & cooled front seats, rear parking assist, and so much more. The RAV4 TRD has very good looks, appearing almost like a fluffed-up small truck.

There are a variety of RAV4 models that are more economical, but the Off-Road offers is probably the most 'likable', appealing to everyone's taste in small SUV's to take on road trips, drive everyday usage, or tackling the out-of-doors and going off the beaten path. A special appeal useful during the test-drive was the dynamic Torque Vectoring. This feature automatically adjust the power and wheel torque when and where it's needed. There is also a easy-to-use dial in the center divider that allows extra driving modes for special situations, such as mud, snow, sand, downhill control, and more.

There was not much change for the 2021 model RAV4 TRD Off-Road over the 2020 model. They both has 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, red coil springs on the suspension kit, more. The interior is splashed with TRD logos throughout, including seat-backs, doors, dash, and such. A special feature found useful was the open 'tray' on the dashboard directly over the glove box. The layout of the front and back seats for the driver and passengers was very intuitive and useful.

The RAV4 Off-Road was quiet inside, allowing for easy conversation between front and back seat passengers. However, there was still a significant amount of road noise – more than was expected. When the pedal is pushed for needed acceleration, there is a noticeable 'groan', but it does do the job required.

The test-drive 2021 Toyota RAV4 Off-Road had a base price of $35,780. With the special Off-Road packages, a premium audio system, and a few other add-on's, the bottom sticker price jumped up to $42,338 quickly. The vehicle was EPA rated for 28 mpg average and 32 mpg on the highway. My week-long test-drive averaged 31.4 mpg which was a mixture of highway and off-road driving conditions. The RAV4 was rated at 5-stars overall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA.)

BOTTOM LINE: I like the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Off-Road vehicle. It is easy to drive. It is roomy inside for passengers. It offers quite a bit of storage area for traveling. It looks pleasant to the eye, inside and out. This is a proven compact SUV that just keeps getting better and better.
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2020 Lexus UX 200 F-Sport
Fun-to-Drive, Upscale Luxury

by ALAN GELL, Automotive Journalist

What is a UX? It sounds 'funny' to a lot of old-timers that prefer names such as Impala, Marquis, Continental, …. Actually, the US is the 'name' of Lexus' newest entry into the Compact Sport Utility Vehicle category of cars. It's a crossover, introduced in 2019, that is purposefully small, it's cute, it's low priced, and it can zip along the roadway with the big guys.

The Lexus UX 200 has a starting base price of just $34,300 and that is not the 'no-frills' model. This is a Lexus that has all the bells and whistles compacted into a smaller space, but is still a Lexus in every sense of the name. The standard motor is a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder that provides 169 horsepower. Mileage ranges from 29 mpg city to 37 mpg highway. There is so much more to say about this fantastic little car.

There is a number of vehicles that Lexus has designated as being in the UX range. Generally, there are three 'tiers' or types of UX cars with the 200 model being the entry-level, 250 Hybrid two-wheel drive, and a 250 Hybrid All-Wheel-Drive. Then, the 200 UX comes in three specifications grades of trim-levels. These are known as Luxury, Sports Luxury, and F-Sport. Obviously, Lexus is aiming this smaller, lower cost, luxury vehicle at a younger generation than those larger, dripping-with-luxury, has-everything-on-it vehicles that slightly-older consumers purchase.

In the efforts to attract younger buyers, the Lexus UX 200 F-Sport features a design that is more urban, but also bold in appearance. More advanced technology that appeals to younger buyers is abundant, such as offering a Remote Start using a Smart-Watch. In general, it can all be referred to as offering modern craftsmanship with an upscale interior and imaginative looks. This model was the test-drive vehicle furnished for a week-long experience and I was not disappointed.

Inside the test-drive model Lexus UX 200 F-Sport, there were familiar controls and dashboard features, yet they were unique and different as well. There was that Remote Touch Interface located in the center console next to the gearshift controls. It is very difficult to operate this RTI for simple things like locating a radio station. That small touch control pad should be easy to use, but it becomes frustrating to many drivers for the over-reactive touch that causes the screen button to rapidly move up or down. Fortunately, there is a conventional, familiar rotary dial that allows volume control that is located on the edge of the armrest pad. The Lexus engineers put everything in place inside the car – it just takes some time to locate where all those controls, rocker switches, and dials are located. As the week's drive progressed, I became more easily adjusted to all the operative workings to operate the various items. My overall thoughts are that those Lexus engineers really put some serious thought into designing a high quality cabin that offered all the bells and whistles expected in a luxury Lexus.

The F-Sport package added about $3000 to the cost, but added so much to the enjoyment and pleasure of driving the Lexus UX 200. There was a blind-spot monitor, rain-sensing wipers, heated & ventilated front seats, powered rear hatch-back with a kick sensor, auto-folding & auto-dimming outside rear-view mirrors, and a moon-roof. The F-Sport steering wheel was heated and had convenient paddle shifters for those drivers who prefer that personal shift control. The UX 200 test-drive model included triple-beam LED headlights, which I though was a great addition. A unique feature, although it did not assist in driving, was the gauge cluster in the dashboard. When the engine was turned off, the center gauge slid over on the display screen to a central-appearing gauge rather than a cluster seen during normal driving.

The 2020 Lexus UX 200 F-Sport test-drive model had a base MSRP of just $34,300. With the F-Sport Package, Navigation System, delivery destination charges, and a few other add-on's, the bottom sticker price hit $41,705. The UX was EPA rated at 37 mpg highway and 29 mpg overall average. It received a five-star safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BOTTOM LINE: The new 2020 Lexus UX 200 F-Sport is a wonderful new entry into the Luxury Compact Sport Utility Vehicle category of cars. If provides value, high quality, good mileage, safety, and so much more. It is an attractive, stylish car that is fun-to-drive, and provides upscale luxury for the driver and passengers.

The 2020 Chevy Traverse AWD High Country
All you could ask for !


by Judy Gell, Automotive Journalist

Chevrolet has built a winner with the 2020 Traverse AWD High Country. The list of standard equipment is so complete that the only added option on my week long test drive vehicle was the paint, called Iridescent Pearl Tricoat. It was very pretty; white with a shimmery sparkle. The rain here in East Texas this week churned our red iron soil into mud that painted the lower parts Gritty Terracotta Splash! (Since car colors have such descriptive names now!)

The Chevrolet Traverse is a large SUV with three rows of seats for up to seven adults. Everyone rides in comfort with adequate leg room even in the third row. Front row driver and passenger seats are power adjustable, heated and ventilated and have lumbar controls. The third row seat is a 60/40 split bench with power fold for multiple options in configuring the cargo area.

I was very impressed with the driving experience in the Traverse. Engaging the all-wheel-drive took a simple twist of a k**b, indicated by a lit symbol on the dash. I didn't drive in heavy rain, but there had been significant rain and the roads were wet and puddled in some places. Although I sensed the need for caution, the feeling in the Traverse was of driving on a clear, dry road. It has very confident handling. It has all the expected safety features and more. My favorite was the rear-view camera with the all-around view of the area surrounding the vehicle. I could easily see if one of my dogs was being slow to move out of the way. Once on the road, I enjoyed the quiet of the cabin and the smooth ride. It truly was a pleasure to be behind the wheel of this premium feeling vehicle. If you are interested in the more "utility" aspects of the Chevrolet Traverse, the four-wheel-drive will take you safely onto rougher roads and tow whatever you need for your escape from the day-to-day life.

The price tag on this test-drive model Chevrolet Traverse was $55,390. That is a MSRP of $53,200 plus $995 for the special paint and $1,195 destination charge. The Traverse scored five stars out of five in four of six government safety ratings and four stars on the other two. Fuel economy is estimated at 20 miles per gallon for mixed city and highway driving.

2020 Jaguar SE P300 R-Dynamic S with All-Wheel-Drive --- it was a wonderful week-long test-drive. Listen to my short BlogTalkRadio review -- http://tobtr.com/s/11686516 .

A gift that your Valentine will definitely love –
An all new, compact Nissan Sentra sedan

by Alan Gell, Automotive Journalist

Are you always looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and be remembered? Did you lack somewhat in the Christmas gift for your special someone? An easy solution that will remedy both of these situations is gifting an all-new Nissan Sentra. Get it in white and wrap a big red bow around it or just pick the unique color that will impress and delight.

The Nissan Sentra has been around for several years, actually 37 years, and while many auto manufacturers are abandoning sedans and flooding the market with small-sized SUV’s, Nissan has chosen to improve and enhance their sedan line-up. The compact Sentra for 2020 is a wonderful example and has been introduced with an all-new exterior design, more refined enhancements on the inside, and simply is a small-sized sedan that has s*x appeal. It is not a sports car, but is a sedan that is attractive and makes you feel good when you are driving it.

Nissan held a media event in Florida for a number of journalists which included me. We spent several days and a lot of ‘seat-time’ driving around the Miami area, following the coastline, crossing those short bridges that join the Florida Key islands, and a lot more. This compact Sentra sedan is so quiet that we purposefully tried to whisper back and forth just to see if it was that quiet. It was.

This new 2020 Nissan Sentra is the eighth generation of the sedan. Surprisingly, the Sentra is Nissan’s best-selling nameplate of vehicles in the U.S. Surveys show that the number one reason that consumers buy a sedan is for “personal space” followed closely by style, craftsmanship, and an emotional driving experience. Taking the Sentra on the roads and bridges in South Florida was a simple and fun drive. Emotional? Sure, mostly because the driving was so smooth and easy.

For this 8th generation model, the Sentra engineers improved the overall proportions, dropping it 2 inches closer to the ground for more driving stability, and stretching it 2 inches wider to give more seating space. The seats are noticeably comfortable. Inside, there is a refined sophistication of sorts. The materials and craftsmanship may not be luxury, but are definitely premium in nature. The cabin is spacious. The steering wheel is not fully round but is D-shaped with a flat bottom to provide easier handling. The Sentra comes standard with heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Those certainly help to comfort your Valentine during cold weather.

There are three trim levels available, all with automatic transmission. The middle choice is the SV Premium that offers quilted leather seats, an 8-inch color display, heated exterior mirrors, and even a sliding glass moon-roof. Pricing for a base model Sentra is slightly under $20k. The bottom sticker price on the SV Premium, including delivery charges, only comes to $23,860.

BOTTOM LINE: So much more can be said about how easy it is to fall in love with this Sentra sedan. The outside looks great, the inside is comforting, and the ride is smooth, agile, and exciting. The pricing is amazing for all that is offered. So, pick a starry night, open that moon-roof., find a great place to ‘gaze’, and enjoy that your Valentine loves your choice of gifts.

2020 Cadillac XT5 Sport --
A small, luxury, crossover SUV designed for brand-loyal consumers

by ALAN GELL, Automotive Journalist

It was beautiful and certainly caught my attention. “It” was a new 2020 Cadillac XT5 Sport that appeared to be almost black. This vehicle was so attractive, yet it didn’t cause flashbacks in my memory of those lumber-truck limousine-sized Cadillacs from earlier times. This was certainly a luxury vehicle that was deceptive. Was it a sedan or an SUV? Was that black exterior color really black? Two simple answers come first. Yes, it is a small-sized SUV, and no, the exterior is not black, but a dark blue-ish-purple-ish color called Shadow Metallic, and that special color paint adds $625 to the sticker price.

The Cadillac XT5 was first introduced in 2016 as a 2017 model. For 2020, it has been ‘refreshed’ with enough upgrades and improvements to keep it relevant. In fact, the XT5 is the Cadillac company’s most popular model. Small-sized crossover SUV’s are very popular across the automotive industry and Cadillac is in the middle of the pack just like all its competitors. The Sport trim level, which replaced the Platinum, is the top-of-the-line for the XT5. Fortunately, my test-drive model was a new Sport trim that included All-Wheel-Drive and a lot more. Obvious upgrades for the re-fresh were new bumpers, a new front grille design, and a variety of wheel designs. The test-model was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, although a new turbocharged four-cylinder is available.

Inside the 2020 Cadillac XT5’s spacious cabin, there is an abundance of standard features. Even the center console has been re-designed. One feature that worked well was the new rotary controller for the infotainment system. Typically, I am not a fan of computer-styled controllers such as ‘mouse alternatives’ that are located so far back that my arms become dis-jointed. However, the XT5’s dial was easy to use and worked well. The infotainment system is certainly user-friendly.

The interior is very quiet and it is easy to carry on conversations without raising your voices in the Cadillac XT5 Sport. The seats are extremely comfortable for longer road trips. After several hours of ‘seat-time’ on the Interstate highway, getting out and stretching was not a necessity as is often the case when test-driving a vehicle. Although very-light towing is possible, it is not recommended. However, a Towing Package is available that allows up to 3500 lbs, which is enough for a small trailer, boat, or camper. In the back, the lift gate works wonderfully. The rear cargo space is spacious and a special feature is the Cargo Management System that has easily movable divider rails to help keep grocery bags, boxes, or other items from sliding or moving around.

Combined with the distinctive exterior styling is the lengthy laundry list of standard features. Almost everything you want in a small luxury vehicle is available on the Cadillac XT5. This includes wireless charging for cell phones and such, heated seats, intelligent front headlights, leather seats, retractable rear window shade, sunroof with powered sun-shade, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and so much more. As part of an added Technology Package, the XT5 even offered a color Heads-Up display, which is one of my personal favorite items.

Not everything is perfect on the 2020 Cadillac XT5 Sport. The V6 power-train works well and does its job, but it has somewhat of a gruff feel and sound on occasion. The engine is matched to a 9-speed automatic transmission that is okay but not as good as it could be. The overall driving dynamics could certainly be improved, although the vehicle has capable handling most of the time. It is EPA rated for 25 mpg city and 20 mpg overall. For the week’s test-drive, my overall average stayed at the 20.3 mpg mark. The Base standard MSRP for the XT5 Sport was $55,095. With the added Technology Package, special paint color, a compact spare tire, and delivery charges added, the bottom sticker price came to $59,340 ‘as-tested.’

BOTTOM LINE: The 2020 Cadillac XT5 Sport is wonderful, but probably not considered the luxury segment’s best offering. It has good passenger comfort and a lot of cargo space, but needs some improvement overall. The entire small crossover luxury SUV segment is in an awkward stage of re-defining what is being offered to the public. Cadillac is very popular with consumers who are loyal to the brand-name and the XT5 is perfect for that ‘fit.’