2025 Nissan Armada First Drive: Finally Finding Its Groove
Jan 29, 2025
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2025 Nissan Armada First Drive: Finally Finding Its Groove
The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport is gearing up to be a game-changer for guys seeking adventure off the beaten path. With its new enhancements and capabilities, this small SUV is an excellent choice for those looking to explore more rugged terrains during their weekend getaways.
The 2020 Lexus LC 500 first attracted my attention at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show for it's absolutely stunning "Flare Yellow" color and it's beautiful lines. I didn't know much more about the vehicle other than that, but I knew I wanted to experience it in person as soon as possible. Thankfully, the folks at Lexus had one available. This isn't exactly a road trip kind of car, though I was quite impressed by the size of the trunk and the level of comfort in the cockpit... even for a big guy like me. So, our plan was to do a day trip exploring San Diego beach towns.
It might be obvious – big knobby tires are better at gripping rugged surfaces than smooth ones. After all, you wouldn't put a pair of racing slicks on your truck and take it out on the trail, would you? The reality though is that for most of us, the right choice of tires is more about balance than absolutes. That's why I really like this set of Grabber A/T X that General Tire sent me to check out.
Among all of the Lexus models, I have a special soft spot for the RX, it sits there somewhere between a fat sedan and a full sized SUV. I guess that's pretty much what defines the concept of a crossover but the Lexus RX somehow feels different, special, and more enjoyable to drive than a typical mass-market cookie-cutter crossover. With this new generation of the Lexus RX it clearly pushes more towards being a great looking sport wagon on the outside but a surprisingly large amount of practical cargo space on the inside. To test it out, we took Jim on his first road trip since before the pandemic - no easy feat when you consider he has to travel with an O2 concentrator, breathing machine, stand-up walker, and bariatric wheelchair. Surprisingly - and thankfully - everything fit into the back along with bags and gear for three adults!
Driven by Cadillac’s latest turbocharging technology and building on more than 15 years of performance credentials, the first-ever 2020 CT4-V and CT5-V were unveiled today, expanding choices for the brand’s V-Series performance sub-brand.
As Americans, we have a reputation for being loud and boisterous. We rock boats and break the law, we're rebels. Driving a car from Dodge - or in this case, Jeep reminds me of everything great about this country because it's about pushing the limits of power and design. Sure, most of the Jeeps sold today are road vehicles designed for soccer moms and that's ok. But the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is something special. While you have some fine SUVs Chinese, Indians, Germans, and Italians - no other country has the balls to take luxury SUV and drop a 707 hp motor in it and still keep the price affordable. That's what's great about this country and why I love driving the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk every chance I get!
One of the challenges - and frankly the thrills - of having a 4x4 truck is seeing how capable it really is. The challenge with that though is that sometimes the line between awesome fun and danger is blurred and you never really learn except by making mistakes. That's why I absolutely love the fact that the state of California along with some local off road clubs created this amazing park located just east of San Diego with marked challenges and obstacles ranging from the absolutely insane to beginner. This also gave us the perfect place to test out and compare the TRD Pro trucks that Toyota had given us to play with.
Michelin and General Motors presented a new generation of airless wheel technology, the MICHELIN Uptis Prototype at the Movin’On Summit for sustainable mobility today. GM intends to develop this airless wheel assembly with Michelin and aims to introduce it on passenger vehicles as early as 2024.
Expanding on the Bronco family’s Built Wild™ innovative design and capability pillars, these five adventure-inspired concepts further highlight the brand’s readiness for customization at launch. Beyond the standard options, there are more than 200 available factory-backed accessories for Bronco two- and four-door models, and more than 100 accessories for Bronco Sport models.
Let's just get this out of the way - over the past year I've driven a dozen or so EVs ranging from compact cars to 10,000+ trucks. I remain as optimistic as ever in terms of the fact that electric vehicles have the potential to be a superior alternative to the classic internal combustion petrol and diesel-powered options that dominate the market today. As part of this though, I also refuse to sit back and simply select facts to promote the benefits. Quite frankly, while EVs are a fabulous option for homeowners with moderate commutes - long road trips are not the best measure of an EV's value. With that being said though, I like to push the limits. I want to see what it looks like doing something that will be normal in five years. That's why Heather and I decided to drive a 2023 F-150 Lightning from San Diego to Vegas. Here's what we learned from the experience.
Baja California, Mexico is a legendary peninsula that has some of the most beautiful coastline, mountains, valleys, and vistas of anyplace on Earth. It is also a playground for some of the most wealthy and adventurous people in the world who love to test their physical endurance and technical ability as a driver during the Baja 1000 and other races held here. We recently had a chance to spend four days here, driving a Baja challenge car that had actually completed the Baja 1000 course and it's an amazing experience. What you might not know is that there's no credentialing authority, so all you need to do to compete is show up with a car and pay your entry fee!
Volkswagen's ID.4 was both one of the most exciting EVs that I had a pleasure to drive this year as well as one of the most frustrating and confusing. Ultimately though, many of the things that detracted from what ultimately could be one of the best EV options on the market today are "quirky" design elements that I've found in other VW vehicles... though in those, tech is less core to the experience and are easy to adapt to over time.
Like many other parts of the country, California continues to be under water restrictions and while we've had a lot of rain recently that doesn't mean we can start wasting water again. As a result, my car looks terrible. It has dust, pollen, bird stuff, road grime all over, and ironically even beads of wax left over from my last car wash months and months ago. I've avoided regularly washing my car like I once did because frankly it's appalling how much water is wasted that way. While commercial, automatic car washes are far more efficient with water than washing at home with a hose and bucket, it's still a huge waste of water. That's why I was excited to try the new Armor All Ultra Shine Wash Wipes when they asked me to try them out recently.
There's no better destination for guys looking for a petrol and adrenaline-fueled guys getaway than Dubai. This is probably the single best spot in the world if you want to see exotic cars of all types, colors, and shapes from police cars to million-dollar cars parked at the mall... and then there are the one-of-a-kind offroad beasts too. While most of you are far from that level of wealth, Dubai makes a perfect destination to visit if you are looking to see some amazing sights and even wrap your hands around the steering wheel for a bucket-list adventure!
I don't typically like traveling at night and as I get older and my eyes start to be more sensitive to glare, traveling in the dark just isn't my first choice. Regardless though, there are some big advantages such as reduced traffic. Ultimately, nighttime road trips can be exhilarating, yet they come with safety challenges. Between ensuring your vehicle's preparedness, combating drowsiness, and staying safe during breaks, you need to consider a multitude of factors if you want to travel safely.
A convertible is something special that almost begs to be driven somewhere special. That's what we did recently when Buick dropped off their new Cascada and said "have at it!". The following are some of our favorite road trips in San Diego that are perfect for enjoying with the top down.
By this point in the year I normally would have racked up 10s of thousands of miles in the air and have wrapped up at least a few different road trips. This year, is different. While we've been doing a lot of auto reviews recently, the focus has been distinctly different and focused more on local driving. However, I'm glad that I got a chance to let the Hyundai Palisade stretch it's legs a bit because it was one of the best all-around SUVs that I've driven in a long time.
I've followed Kia's journey in the sedan market since the days of the Optima, watching as they evolved from a value-oriented alternative to a genuine contender in the sports sedan arena. The 2025 K5 GT represents the culmination of that evolution, and after spending time behind the wheel, I can confidently say that it's a legitimate option for men who want power, comfort, and style but want to avoid the expensive cost of more prestigious brands.