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Today saw the Lexus UX 200 F-Sport being swapped for this 2020 Volvo S60 T5 Momentum. This base model comes very well equipped with a LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, 10-way power seats12.3-inch display for the instrument cluster, and a 9-inch infotainment system. But this particular vehicle is loaded with over $9,000 in options including metallic paint, 19-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, Harman/Kardon audio system, and power trunk lid. This brings the price to $46,240 with destination - base being $36,050. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 250 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. I'll be updating this piece later in the day with some first drive impressions and I only briefly drove it around my work's parking lot to grab some pictures. In the meantime, start dropping off your questions. UPDATE: As promised (albeit slightly late), some more first impressions of the S60. The T5 engine is a surprisingly punchy engine, providing rapid power when driving on the freeway or exiting a turn. But the downside is noticeable turbo lag when leaving a stop - something I noted in my XC40 review. Volvo Sensus and my iPhone 7 Plus aren't seeming getting along at the moment. When I first plugged my phone in, the system recognized it and brought up the button to launch Apple CarPlay. But I couldn't bring up the CarPlay interface as the button did nothing. I had to unplug and plug the phone back in before it worked. One more issue concerning CarPlay. Some apps only bring up a blank screen when first opened. I would close them and relaunch to bring them to back to regular status. I can't explain whether this is due to me still running an older version of the OS or something with the car. To answer @regfootball comment on the space, this feels slightly larger than the outgoing S60. In the back, I have slightly more legroom than the previous models I have driven. Headroom is still tight, partly due to the optional panoramic sunroof. Volvo still hasn't solved getting in and out of the back as it still feels like a tight squeeze, even though the rear doors do have a wider opening. View full article

This week marks my first review vehicle for 2020 - the Lexus UX 200 F-Sport. This one comes equipped with such items as F-Sport exterior package, 18-inch wheels, Lexus Enform with Apple CarPlay compatibility; Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 10-way power driver's seat. Options on this vehicle include blind spot monitoring, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, heads-up display, navigation, and a windhield de-icer - the last one being quite important as we had an ice storm roll through last night. Power comes from a 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder with 169 horsepower. This is likely the same engine I had in my 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback I reviewed last month. This is paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive. Disappointingly, Lexus isn't offering all-wheel drive on the UX 200. To get that, you need to climb up the UX 250h. For the day and a half I had the UX, I found to be quite nippy around town. Though on the freeway, the engine becomes quite buzzy and you do need to step on it to get some forward momentum. It is also surprising how maneuverable the vehicle is. I was able to snatch a narrow parking space at a popular restaurant with no issue. The price-tag on this tester is $42,285 with destination. This surprised me considering how much stuff this vehicle is equipped with. So while I put some more miles on and grab some photos, drop off any questions you have for Lexus' smallest crossover. View full article

Another week is upon us and a new review vehicle has arrived. In this case it happens to be the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71. This is one of the vehicles that I have been waiting for quite awhile to get my hands on for review and its finally here. My particular tester is a Z71 crew cab with Short bed. With a couple of options ticked off, it rings in at $36,710. First impressions are quite good. The Colorado is quite the sharp looker with silver paint and 17-inch wheels. Moving inside and the controls are within easy reach and the seats are wrapped in a leather/cloth combination. Chevrolet MyLink so far hasn't crashed or showed any sign of slowdown. Also, this is one of the first GM vehicles with OnStar 4G LTE and wi-fi connectivity. I'll have more on this later in the week. There are a couple of downsides that I have found/experienced at the moment. One is there appears not to be enough adjustments in the seat and steering wheel to make myself comfortable at the moment. Currently, my knees are touching the steering wheel column. The other is a somewhat slow transmission. When I was driving on the freeway and trying to make a pass, the transmission took a few seconds to upshift. I'll have some more thoughts and impressions as the week goes on. In the meantime, if you have questions you would like to answer, drop them below. View full article

It has been close to eight months since I last drove a vehicle equipped with manual transmission - a Volkswagen Jetta TDI. So it seems fitting that another Volkswagen is equipped with a manual. In this case it happens to be the CC, Volkswagen's top of the line sedan in the U.S. This CC is the base Sport model - which coincidentally is the only trim that you can get with a six-speed manual. But despite it being the base trim, the Sport comes with a impressive feature list. Standard equipment includes leatherette, heated front seats, 5-inch touchscreen with navigation and backup camera; and 17-inch wheels. Total cost? $33,550 with a $865.00 destination charge. Power comes from Volkswagen's highly-regarded turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet. This engine feels more powerful than the power figures suggest as power is right there and will get you moving in a quite a hurry. The six-speed manual is easy to shift and throws are somewhere in the middle - not too short, not too long. Complaints? The only one I have at the moment is with the 5-inch touchscreen being too small to glance at closely and having a somewhat dated interface. I'll have more thoughts and a update in the coming days. If you have questions about the CC, post them below. View full article

Before the full madness of the New York Auto Show comes upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about this week's test car and spill some thoughts on it. The vehicle in question happens to be the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler, which is a special edition model for the 2015 model year. Based on the Sport model, the Willys Wheeler gets such features as rock rails from the Rubicon model, 17-inch wheels, a new rear differential, and a number of decals on the outside. I like the exterior treatment with the grey paint, blacked out wheels and grille; and decals that harken back to the original Jeep from the 40's The interior is somewhat cramped due to the short wheelbase and body shell. Also don't expect to have adult passengers in the back as there no legroom. I currently have the hardtop on the Wrangler and will testing how easy it is to remove and put back together. The Pentastar V6 and five-speed automatic give the Wrangler some much needed oomph. Like the 500L Easy, I'll be updating this as the week goes on. In the meantime, if you have questions, put them below and I'll do my best to answer them. View full article

It has been quite awhile since we did an interactive review (two years). But I thought it was time to bring it back. You might have questions for a particular vehicle and I can do my best to answer them. It also gives you guys a preview of what will be coming round the car review docket. So let us begin with this week's test vehicle - the 2015 Fiat 500L Easy. This is the biggest model in the Fiat lineup (until the Fiat 500X hits dealers), which really isn't saying a lot. I haven't spent a lot time driving the 500L since it came yesterday because I was feeling a bit sick. But I did spend some time poking around 500L and can give some thoughts. Not quite sure about the 500L's looks. I think some of this is due to the red paint and the standard wheels on the Easy model. I would go for the Trekking model as it swaps wheels and adds some body cladding to make it slightly better to look at. The interior feels very spacious thanks to the large amount of glass used on the 500L. Feels very airy. Chrysler's UConnect system is present and quite easy to use. Unlike other Chrysler models, the 500L uses a 6-inch screen. I find it quite easy to use and look at a glance. I do want to smack the designer who decided to put the HVAC controls way down in the center stack - they're hard to reach and glance at. The back seat mostly earns positive marks. Fiat raised the seats to allow passengers a better view, and legroom is quite excellent. The downside is headroom. My 5'8" frame was touching the roof liner, so taller passengers will have to crick their head if they want to feel comfortable. This is due to my tester being equipped with a panoramic sunroof. Base price of the 500L Easy is $20,545. My tester rings in $26,895 thanks to two options. A six-speed automatic for $1,350 and the Easy Collection 4 package which includes UConnect, sunroof, Beats audio system, dual-zone climate control, and other features for $4,100. I'll be updating this throughout the week with more impressions and answers to your questions. View full article