Mazda's CX-70 PHEV is The Perfect SUV For Fun Loving Couples With No Kids
Oct 20, 2024
91
Mazda's CX-70 PHEV is The Perfect SUV For Fun Loving Couples With No Kids
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.
Your choice of wheels becomes an extension of your personality all too often. Are you a "Truck Guy" or "That Guy Who Bikes to Work?" Your choice there ends up defining other aspects of your life such as what time you wake up, get yourself dressed, eat some breakfast, commute to work, even what you do with your buddies afterwards. If you are feeling like you need a change in your life, don't worry some new wheels might be just the thing to get everything back in order.
Going on a trip with your girlfriend sounds like plenty of fun. Well, perhaps not as exciting and wild as traveling with the boys but pretty good nevertheless. One thing about travel though is that it either strengthens relationship bonds or creates deep irreparable cracks.
In the world of three-row family haulers there's an almost infinite number of options. It's a category that tends to lean towards practicality over fun and performance but leave it to Mazda to turn that on it's head with a vehicle that was as fun to drive as it was practical for loading donations and supplies during our move from San Diego a few weeks ago. During this gauntlet we quite literally took multiple trips each day where it was loaded to the gills but then needed to take breaks before doing it over again. The 2024 Mazda CX-90 Plugin Hybrid filled the bill so well that Heather and I immediately added it to our short list of vehicles to consider buying.
I had an interesting experience recently when Toyota invited me to drive the all-new Toyota Corolla during their launch event in Savannah, GA. For some reason they were excited to make sure we experienced it while driving stick. While other manufacturers are promoting how they have 9 and 10 speed automatic transmissions and ever faster and more efficient technology, Toyota seemingly wanted to drag me back in time. What's even more shocking is that the model that featured a manual transmission wasn't even the cheapest base model. It was actually pretty well equipped with style and comfort. So why should you care about a manual transmission car in 2019? Let's take a look.
The first time you get on your bike is an exciting moment. You were so proud of your newly acquired machine, and so excited to start riding. If you’re like most riders, chances are that not long after that momentous purchase, someone tried to burst your bubble by telling you how terribly unsafe motorcycles are. Maybe they even offered up anecdotal evidence about a friend of a friend of a cousin’s next-door neighbor’s son who died in a tragic motorcycle accident. Let's take a look at some of those common motorcycle myths.
Maybe you are already a VIP who travels the world evading nefarious gangs and international spies trying to kidnap you and steal industrial secrets - if so, you probably already have your procurement department reaching out to INKAS to inquire about when your new armored SUV will be available. For the rest of us though, we can only dream of riding around in style knowing that we're fully protected in this beautiful Lexus LX 600 that comes complete with ballistic protection designed to withstand simultaneous attack by 7.62mm assault rifle ammo and not just one but up to two grenades at the same time.
Cars are an interesting part of our lives. They are simultaneously one of the most fun, most useful, and most deadly machines that most of us will ever interact with. Everyone has them and we work to match them to our personalities. Below the surface though, when it comes time to buy a new automobile features like color, number of speakers, and even the brand name begin to fade away as we consider safety features.
Don't worry... I still love my big burley trucks, but EVs fascinate me. They are, without a doubt, the future of personal transportation. However, the future is here already. While it can be challenging today while charging infrastructure catches up, even in a less than ideal environment, a weekend getaway in an EV is possible. To illustrate this, Nissan sent me a Leaf S Plus and we drove up to Oceanside, CA.
Ok, so this is a bit silly perhaps but in an era - at least short term - where gas prices have been knocked back down, the argument for why you should invest in an electric vehicle is a bit tougher to make. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Bolt EV. It's a great car and electric vehicles are absolutely the future of personal transportation. However, in a time where eliminating touchpoints and reducing anxiety is more important than cost - here's one more reason I love EV's like the 2020 Chevy Bolt.
When the folks at Polaris invited me to Camp RZR as their guest, I was beyond excited for the opportunity to ride the iconic sand dunes of Glamis (a bucket list item for me) and have some fun. But once I got there, went through the safety briefing, and made my way onto the dunes, I was beginning to wonder if I had gotten in over my head, as riding in sand was very different than the dirt and mud trails I was used to.
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is more than just a luxury SUV. It takes all the best elements inherent to the Jeep brand and wraps them up into an unbelievably posh but high-performance vehicle. Some people might be familiar with past iterations of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. They likely have fond memories of the wood trim and hybrid station wagon-SUV look. While the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer has a much different overall appearance than it’s elders, it embodies the same combination of ruggedness and civility.
Without a doubt, most guys are looking at the all-new Corvette as an aspirational toy that they dream of one day being able to enjoy driving. However, unlike its more expensive cousins, Corvette is a shockingly practical car too. To explore this side, we drove it around San Diego for a week earlier this fall including trips to the beach, grocery shopping, and simply around town on our normal daily chores.
It's no secret that despite the brand's lofty positioning, in the most recent generation of premium trucks, GMC's Denali slipped a bit in comparison to offerings from other manufactures. As a response and to solidify GMC as the well... ultimate... luxury truck producer, they've come back this year with the introduction of the 2022 GMC Sierra Ultimate.
Love driving, long road trips, big engines, and the freedom of virtually never having to go sit in a cubical ever again? The trucking industry booming and while it's not an easy lifestyle, you can make a solid living while seeing new parts of the country. Here are some tips and advice for aspiring long haul truck drivers.
History channel has got another hit on its hands! We just got a preview of their newest show, Truck Night in America and I absolutely love it. They managed to capture everything I love about the off road truck community and combine it with competitive sports-TV shows like American Ninja Warrior. One of the competitors featured in the first season is Teresa Lummus from Idaho and we got a chance to chat more with her about her love of trucks and the experience of being part of Truck Night in America.
This weekend I had a chance to look back at some of the fun trips that I've taken over the years and right up there in the top 20 were I discovered a pattern - I really like the freedom of going fast, getting dirty, and having fun with my friends while exploring new places. While there's an undeniable level of comfort sitting in a fully enclosed truck or SUV, some of my favorite adventures were spent strapped into a Polaris RZR.
Driving a truck is amazing. There are so many great things about owning a truck, from being able to haul heavy loads to having the horsepower needed to go on excursions and adventures off the beaten path. One of the things that may make the experience less than pleasant is if your seats and truck are less than comfortable. It’s important to not only ensure that the shocks and struts are working great but also try these little things to ensure a comfortable ride no matter where your truck takes you.
The Ford Ranger is probably the most anticipated new truck to launch this year. Ford made waves in 2018 by telling us they were shifting away from cars and doubling down on trucks and SUVs so there's a lot riding on the success of this entry to the mid-sized truck segment. We're doing a full driving review of the Ford Ranger in March but here's our initial thoughts based on the chance to spend a couple hours riding around San Diego as a passenger.
While modern off-road trucks have some incredible technology, almost nothing compares to the classic Landrover Defender. So when the folks at E.C.D. Automotive Design sent us this "All-American" take on the classic British icon we just had to share it with you.