4WD

2018 Nissan Armada Platinum 4WD – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

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Seems like every manufacturer has their “Luxury Flagship SUV” these days, and Nissan is no exception. While most of these are more luxo-barge than flagship, there are a few that remain true to the real SUV credo of ruggedness, capability and anywhere anytime composure. We’d include the Range Rover and Toyota Land Cruiser in this select group. And now we’d also add the new Nissan Armada. It’s a whole ‘nother kind of Armada. One look and you know this is different. Where the old model was an SUV version of the previous-gen Titan, Nissan does us a solid and gives …

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2017 Ford Escape Titanium – Road Test Review

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How time flies! Ford launched this platform for the Escape around 2012 and it was a revelation for the compact crossover segment.  Handling and engine shared with the Range Rover Evoque, but with pricing $20k less?  Sign us up. Five years later and this newly-refreshed 2017 model is not nearly as appealing.  Is this lightest-of-light refreshes for 2017 enough to keep Escape competitive with its arch-rivals RAV4 and CR-V?  How about the dozens of other new CUVs with the same $25-$40k pricerange? We spent a week with the new Escape Titanium EcoBoost 4WD – the tippy top drivetrain and trim …

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2017 GMC Canyon Denali 4x4 SWB Crew 9

In Pictures: 2017 GMC Canyon Denali 4×4 SWB Crew

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Hard to hide the disappointment we had with the 2017 Canyon Denali.  This was a delayed-release flagship for GMC’s midsize trucks.  Denali models usually have everything standard and are a big, big upgrade in luxury style and amenities. This Canyon Denali does have a huge standard equipment list and a new grille to its credit.  But overall, the amount of Denali badges is the biggest change you will notice. Underwhelming on the off-road course with these low, low running boards.  Not thrilled that the GMC Canyon’s LED light accents are not actually DRLs.  And bummed to find regular halogen reflectors …

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2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD 9

2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD – Road Test Review + New Photos!

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  The new Pathfinder is quite the looker in this flashy Sandstone paintwork! It is quite unusual for a family crossover to attract as much attention as this beauty received in our care for a week.  The facelift definitely works at reinvigorating the Pathfinder’s style, then. But the 2017 refresh for the Pathfinder is actually more than skin-deep. An all-new 3.5-liter V6 is the big news under the redesigned hood – upping the tow rating to 6000-pounds and juicing the 0-60 times as well. Is the refresh enough to make the Pathfinder top of the class with the Toyota Highlander, …

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Drive Review – 2016 GMC CANYON DuraMax SLT 4WD – By Ben Lewis

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    We recently tested the all-new 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. What does this have to do with the GMC Canyon Diesel? Nothing, except it does point to a trend. Fresh powertrain choices in well-established vehicles. In the case of the Canyon – ok, just this once – the 2016 GMC Canyon 4WD SLT Short Box with 2.8L DURAMAX turbo diesel 4-cylinder – it means that the mid-size pickup buyer now has the opportunity to  enjoy the diesel goodness they’ve long been denied. Diesel has always been the go-to for the big rigs, and for the heavy-duty, 250-series size pickups as …

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HD Road Test Review – 2016 GMC Yukon DENALI 4WD

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GMC unknowingly timed their full Yukon redesign perfectly:  as the new full-size trucks arrived in 2015, gas prices dropped to historic lows.  Rave reviews on the new trucks’ style, tech and performance propelled massive sales gains: nearly double the sales of the overall vehicle, and almost tripling the previous year’s Yukon XL sales. These are still down from their heady highs in the 70k-units-plus annual tallies that evaporated after 2008’s gas-price spike.   There is much more to the success of the Yukon Denali than external factors like gas prices., however.  This lux truck is a perfect sweet-spot between yummy …

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2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Z71 4WD Custom Sport Edition 9

Road Test Review – 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Z71 4WD Custom Sport Edition

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Imagine a grinning face with a smile so big it put dimples on my cheeks. It was an August Wednesday — my change day for press drive vehicles — and I learned it would be a double week. And not just two polar-opposites; this week would be a head-to-head battle between a bright blue 2015 F-150 and a Diamond White Silverado. You might think you know what to expect of a different trim level of a car you’ve driven before. A Camry is a Camry is a Camry, right? But these trucks are different. Exponentially large configuration choices in the …

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2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 4WD White Diamond Tricoat 73

2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 1/2 Ton 4WD Review

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    American brand icons do not come much more glorious than Chevy. In the automotive realm, Chevrolet has been a constant throughout the last 100 years. A powerhouse in the General Motors stable, Chevrolet has seen off dozens of business lines and market segments. Divested in favor of keeping Chevy healthy, GM left the heavy trucks business altogether and dropped half its brand portfolio in the last ten years. Thus, the recent history of the firm has been shaken up more this century than the ten preceding decades. But the results speak for themselves. Never in my lifetime has …

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Concept Flashback - 1989 Mitsubishi HSR II Innovates With Six Active Aero Wings

Concept Flashback – 1989 Mitsubishi HSR II Innovates With Six Active Aero Wings

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We’ve been pouring through the Mitsubishi back catalog today for a few Concept Flashback articles. The real all-star of the Mitsu lineup of show cars in the last three decades? It is this – the 1989 HSR II. HSR stands for Highly Sophisticated-transport Research and was a follow-up to a 1987 concept of the same name. The HSR II is far more beautiful, however, and also more innovative. Sure, as a 1989 Japanese exotic, the HSR II is packing a twin-turbo V6 along with 4-wheel-steering and 4-wheel-drive. This goes well with its ABS brakes, independent suspension and electronically-adjustable dampers all …

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duster oroch gif

2014 Renault-Dacia DUSTER OROCH Shows 4WD Pickup-Truck Potential For Value Brand

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  Dacia’s line-up of cheap but sturdy models is expanding rapidly. Sure, you know the Logan sedan and the Duster SUV — but there lineup is much deeper than just two cars. The variations on these models mean Dacia now offers its unique brand of low-cost and hardy mechanicals in no less than ten passenger-car models and three light commercial vehicles. Dacia (pronounced “Da-Cha”) models are sold in select markets as Renaults — hence the badges on this car for Sao Paolo. Dacia Logan Pickup The Duster Oroch is a logical extension of the Duster platform — with a short-box …

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