Ford Bronco Sport: A Perfect Choice for Guys Weekend Road Trips
Aug 26, 2024
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Ford Bronco Sport: A Perfect Choice for Guys Weekend Road Trips
I'm a huge fan of electric vehicles. The promise of emissions free car travel that is both quick and quiet is something of a dream for simply cruising down the road and enjoying a beautiful landscape. Unfortunately, until recently EVs were expensive, had limited range, and in many cases were "Electric Vehicles" as opposed to cars powered by electric motors. That last point is a subtle distinction but an important one. While I enjoyed the promise of cars like the Kia Soul EV and the Mitsubishi iMIEV they were really products designed for a limited audience. With the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Chevy is offering a car that doesn't sacrifice anything.
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.
Hinting at upcoming Bronco production model, Ford’s Bronco R race prototype debuts in the desert to celebrate 50th anniversary of Rod Hall’s historic Baja 1000 win, an overall victory in a 4x4 that’s never been duplicated in 50 years.
It's no secret that the auto industry is extremely competitive and that American tastes are shifting away from mid-sized sedans to SUVs like the Mazda MX-5, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4, and Jeep Cherokee. What is interesting to me is how similar each of these cars is on paper and price - yet so different in driving experience. It made me step back a bit and think about how I experience cars since rarely do I get a chance to actually compare vehicles directly. Typically we're provided a top of the line model and asked to share our thoughts on it. Through a bit of luck and planning though, I managed to drive all four of these this year and take the opportunity to compare not just their bullet-ed talking points - but what it actually means to someone shopping for the right SUV for their lifestyle.
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!
When Ford, in 2017, formally announced that they were bringing Bronco back, the off road enthusiast world lost their shit. This was one of the biggest brands in off road history and now it was coming back in exactly the right time where we have the most advanced suspension technology in history and a wide variety of engines that are designed to be robust enough to handle virtually anything we can throw at it on the trail. Then... a year later a new "Bronco" emerged and that quickly got derided as simply the "Baby Bronco", a vehicle simply riding on the big brother's coat tails. In many ways, that is accurate since I'm not sure the Bronco Sport would survive on it's own if it were called something else - for instance if it were simply called the Escape Sport.
This is a different sort of Raptor review. The Ford Raptor is hands down the most fun truck or SUV that I've had the chance to test - ever. While most reviews focus on it's extreme off road abilities as a Baja racing truck that you can buy from a dealer vs building your own. The truth is that the truck goes way beyond that and after spending a few days testing it out with my wife and another couple during a getaway to Borrego Springs, California, I'm even more impressed. This is far more than just "dad's toy"!
Let's face it, the EV space hasn't been all that exciting outside of nerds and tech geeks as well as environmentally minded folks who supported the movement as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. For decades, the notion of "Electric Vehicles" meant compromise after compromise... lighter, cheaper feeling cabins with less sound deadening and a rougher ride, anemic acceleration, and then to top things off... the dreaded "range anxiety". With the launch of the Blazer EV those old ways to think about electric vehicles are almost in the rear view mirror.
We are all clearly waiting eagerly for the as of yet unannounced "Ranger Raptor" to arrive but those of us in the United States will just have to keep waiting. In the meantime though, Ford continues to offer factory-built off-road options that bring us closer to that ultimate eventuality. With their latest update for the 2021 Ranger they are introducing the Tremor Off-Road Package complete with off-road tuned FOX shocks, Grabber all-terrain tires, a wider stance, and connections designed to make adding off-road accessories even easier. Only yeah and plenty of decals and cosmetic updates to make sure everyone knows that you are driving a Ranger Tremor!
Winter is here, the snow has started to fall, and you've decided you're going to make a couple of extra bucks plowing driveways. Now what? It goes without saying that you'll need a truck, and to get the job done right you'll need the right truck!
I've always dreamed of having an Italian sports car in my driveway but honestly... as a bigger guy, the likelihood of ever being able to justify spending six figures on a sexy, quirky, Italian sports car is beyond me. Thankfully in recent years we've started to see some cool crossovers and SUV-like products from Italian brands but just like how vehicles like BMW's x5 or x3 still feel like "sporty SUVs"... nothing quite feels like you're actually driving a sports car. Then I tried the Alfa Romeo Stelvio for a week and it was a surprisingly fun experience... one I jokingly started referring to as a fat guy's best choice for an Italian sports car.
At this year’s 110th edition of the Chicago Auto Show, the buzz was all about trucks and SUVs as they continue to rack up record sales. Alternatively, almost every automaker touched on their autonomous vehicle programs, but no one will discuss when day zero will happen, or how autonomous vehicles will affect sales.
Miles Per Gallon is probably one of the biggest selling points for cars today. Even though fuel prices are lower now that they were just a few years ago, we all know it won't stay that way forever. To solve that problem, American manufacturers have focused primarily on EV and hybrid platforms but there's a third option that Chevy presented to me - diesel. When they first challenged me to test out the Cruze Hatch Diesel I nearly declined their offer. After all, my experience with diesel engines was good in terms of hauling loads... but at the sacrifice of peppy performance, especially the ability to accelerate quickly and pass people on the highway. Then they asked if I'd like to do a road trip from San Diego to Scottsdale for some Spring Training Baseball and I simply wasn't able to pass up that invitation.
Nothing lasts forever. There will always come a time when we need to say goodbye to our beloved vehicles, no matter how heavy our hearts feel. Whatever your reasons are for selling, you have a responsibility to both the buyer and your car. However, your car has to be in tip-top shape so that it is in a good position to fetch those dollars you need to part with it.
When people ask me why I like minivans so much for road trips the answer is easy - they are practical, drive nicely, and park easily. I'm not always looking for the most stylish and technology filled solution when my objective is getting from here to there with a bunch of bags and people. On a recent road trip through the Eastern part of Florida's Everglades with the all-new 2022 Kia Carnival I was extraordinarily impressed since not only did it have everything I expected from a minivan... it also looked great and had plenty of creature comforts too.
The desert is an amazing place to explore - on road as well as off. Despite the fact that some people might think it is dead and desolate, this is an environment that is incredibly dynamic. Dangers as well as beauty can pop up at any moment and disappear just as quickly. One of these dangers is sudden dust storms or sandstorms. They are most common in the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula but also in parts of the United States including California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
While American sand storms are often smaller in size than what might be experienced in the Saharan Desert, the danger to motorists can be similar. Here's what to do if you find yourself in a sand storm.
Yes, you read that right! The folks at Papadakis Racing have revealed their latest build, a 1,000 horsepower Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback that will be competing in Formula Drift races this year. Here's a look at what it takes to transform a stock front-wheel-drive 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback into this rear-wheel-drive beast.
From its humble beginnings in the late 20th century, Mercedes AMG has become a symbol of luxury and engineering excellence. It is no wonder that this iconic marque has been featured in so many films throughout the years. While most automakers have a similar "performance division", with AMG, they aren't messing around. These vehicles are truly a transformation of luxury engineering into a machine designed for thrills and performance instead of simply comfortable driving. This article will explore what men need to know about the history of Mercedes AMG Division, from its earliest days to its current status as one of the most desirable badges to be found on any vehicle on Earth.
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.
Buick is a car brand that has almost universal name recognition in the United States (and likely much of the world). Unfortunately it suffers from a perception problem that it is "and old man's car" and they've even embraced that with the "That's a Buick!?" marketing campaign. I'll be fank - when I was invited to Palm Springs earlier this week, there wasn't a single car in their lineup that I was excited to drive. However, I accepted the invite because I really love working with GM and the company has treated me VERY WELL over the past couple years. What I discovered after spending some time listening, feeling, and driving a few different vehicles was that this is a brand that is worth considering if you are looking for what they describe as, "Attainable Luxury."