Archive for June, 2019
Review Flashback! 2008 Dodge Magnum
2008 Dodge Magnum R/T
The passage of time can play tricks on your memory. Here’s a question to prove this point: For how many years did sales of the Dodge Magnum overlap with the run of the TV sitcom Big Bang Theory?
Quick Spin: 2019 Volvo V90 R-Design
2018 Volvo V90 R-Design in Bursting Blue Metallic (a $595 option)
2018 Volvo V90 T6 AWD R-Design
Class: Premium Midsize Car
Miles Driven: 606
Fuel Used: 28.0 gallons
First Spin: 2020 Ford Explorer
2020 Ford Explorer ST
Although it looks much like the outgoing version, the redesigned 2020 Ford Explorer hides what is almost a seismic, “full circle” shift: Having switched from its original 1991 truck-based rear-drive architecture to a car-based front-drive one for 2011, it returns to a rear-drive platform for 2020, though this time, sans an underlying truck-type frame. Meanwhile, it also adopts new powertrains – including a hybrid version – and some newly added features, some of them being standard.
1963 Oldsmobile Jetfire
Legendary Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg racked up nine Gold Gloves during his 17-year career as a big-league ball player. That’s a number Ryno can point to with pride, and it’s a number even casual baseball fans can appreciate. Not that the famously modest ex-Cub spends much time defending his career, but if he had to, the stats are there.
2020 Ford Police Interceptor
Ford says that one big reason its redesigned 2020 Explorer was switched from a front-drive platform to a rear-drive-based one was to improve front/rear weight balance and thus handling … and that’s largely to appease departments that use the Police Interceptor version for law enforcement.
And a lot of departments use them for law enforcement.
2019 Ford Expedition MAX Platinum in Blue Metallic
2019 Ford Expedition MAX Platinum 4X4
Class: Large SUV
Miles Driven: 239
Fuel Used: 16.3 gallons
Designed for heavy-duty applications, the General Motors L8T V8 engine will make its debut in 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickup trucks.
When you think about ¾- and 1-ton pickups, you probably think diesel engines. Any why wouldn’t you? Even the most casual industry observer is aware of the Cummins, Duramax, and Power Stroke brands.
Quick Spin: 2019 Nissan Rogue SL
2019 Nissan Rogue SL in Caspian Blue Metallic
2019 Nissan Rogue SL AWD
Class: Compact Crossover
Miles Driven: 276
Fuel Used: 12.9 gallons
Test Drive: 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor
2019 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew in Velocity Blue
2019 Ford F-150 Raptor 4X4 SuperCrew
Class: Large Pickup
Miles Driven: 267
Fuel Used: 18.4 gallons
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon at Badlands Off Road Park
Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana, is something like heaven on earth for off-road aficionados. It’s an incredible facility that spans 800-plus acres and encompasses a broader variety of off-road terrain than you’d ever expect to find in the Midwest. There are sand dunes, forested areas, streams for fording, several types of gravel (part of the park was previously a quarry), loose rocks and solid-rock trails, and lots of good ol’ dirt and mud. There are trails that are easy enough for children, trails that will challenge the most-experienced off-roader, and trails at most every level in between those extremes.
