Toyota provided me with a 2015 RAV4 all-wheel-drive crossover for a drive to Sterling and a final editorial meeting with J. Howard Crooks.

Well, it wasn’t actually an editorial session; it was a memorial service at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home for Crooks, a longtime Sterling newspaperman who died Dec. 28.

As I drove the RAV4 compact down I-76, I got to thinking about an editorial meeting we did put together at the Sterling Journal-Advocate 50 years ago.

The bells ringing on the Associated Press teletype machine early in the afternoon of Friday, June 4, 1965, alerted us to “something big” in the news world. Four employes of the Farmers State Bank at Big Springs, Neb., had been shot execution-style in a robbery; only one, Franklin Kjeldgaard, survived.

Bob Petteys, the Sterling paper’s publisher, was out of town. Our editorial team, consisting of Crooks, Bob Sheldon, Don Miles and me, gathered to discuss one issue – The J-A’s area of coverage extended northeast to Julesburg; could we stretch that 10 miles farther, across the state line to Big Springs. For a tragedy of this consequence, of course we could, we decided, and within 15 minutes the four of us squeezed into the company’s Mercury Comet and headed up U.S. 138.

On our arrival, and with the killer still at large, the little town was abuzz with fear and trepidation. Only FBI agents were gaining admittance to the bank; I got in, though, by virtue of my appearance. Like most of the FBI reps, I was wearing dark pants, short-sleeved buttoned-up white dress shirt and narrow black necktie (and close-cropped hair), and walked in where the investigation was ongoing. Crooks and I had bylined stories in the next day’s edition of the J-A.

By Sunday, June 6, Duane Earl Pope had been arrested and charged with the crime. He had graduated from McPherson, Kan., College, on Thursday and driven to the bank the next morning. Testimony indicated he ordered the employes to lie face down on the floor, where he shot them in the back and in the neck. He was convicted and today remains in federal prison in Lincoln.

For Crooks, Sheldon, Miles and me, it is something we have talked of when we’ve seen each other through the years.

As for the new Toyota RAV4, it was third best seller in the country among SUVs and crossovers in the past year, falling behind rivals Honda CR-V and Ford Escape.

A sharply finished exterior is attractive for the RAV4, though turns somewhat awkward-looking at the back with an extended spoiler and bumped-out ridge below. The fact its spare tire has been removed from the tailgate helps appearance and also allows use of a liftgate. The liftgate opens to a huge 38-cubic-feet cargo area and a flat load floor, very handy.

Aided by the easy-driving 200-mile round-trip to Sterling, the RAV4 averaged a commendable 26.2 miles per gallon of regular unleaded fuel.

It’s not a powerful engine, the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 176 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Push of a sport-mode button tightens steering and increases throttle response and shift points, and downshifts will “blip” the throttle for smoothness in the changes of gear.

The ride of the RAV4 Limited model, with its 18-inch wheels, turns harsh occasionally from rough roads. The RAV4’s overall length of 179.9 inches is sandwiched between the Escape’s 178.1 and CRV’s 179.4 and the longer Jeep Cherokee’s 182-inch length.

An easy-to-use Entune touch-screen audio system with navigation boosted sticker price of the RAV4 to $33,808. It included USB port with iPod connectivity, voice recognition, hands-free phone capability, music streaming via Bluetooth, HD radio and Doppler weather. Among a safety technology package are blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic and lane-departure alert and auto high beam. Backup camera was also a feature. Heated front seats are trimmed in leather-like softex material.

Here are the specifications for the 2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited:

• Capacity 5-passenger compact crossover
• Wheelbase 104.7 inches
• Length 179.9 inches
• Width 72.6 inches
• Height 67.1 inches
• Curb Weight 3,585 pounds
• Track 61.4 front and rear
• Ground Clearance 6.3 inches
• Turn Circle 36.8 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine2.5-liter 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 176/172
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering electric power
• Suspension front strut, double-wishbone rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 22/29
• Fuel mileage average 26.2
• Fuel Tank 15.9 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 18-inch
• Tires Toyo Open Country 235/55R18
• Cargo Volume 38.4 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain

Competitors Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Jeep Cherokee, GMC Terrain, Volkswagen Tiguan

Assembly Plant Tahara, Aichi, Japan

Parts Content N.A.

Base Price of Lowest Model $24,500; Base Price of Review Model $29,850; Destination Charge $885; Sticker Price $33,808.

My son Dale and I about 9 p.m. on a recent cold night had parked and were out pushing a neighbor woman in her front-wheel-drive Hyundai from deep snow along the side of the street.

About the same time, my iPhone, left at home, was informing Jan and daughter-in-law Sandy where we were. The iPhone pinpointed on a map the address of where our car was parked, actually only half a block from home (we were driving toward home when we came across the car in distress).

The next morning, adding to the iPhone’s involvement in this automotive review, I parked the car in my driveway after a drive-through at a Starbucks, walked into our house and my phone beeped, then messaged me that “Your Volvo is unlocked.”

Not only was I able to lock and unlock the car from my phone, I could also remote-start the vehicle.

It is the 2015.5 Volvo V60 T6 R-Design Sportswagon featuring the Volvo on Call Smartphone App.

At the suggestion of Dan Lantowski, representing Volvo for Waggener Edstrom Communications, I downloaded the Volvo on Call app onto my iPhone shortly after the V60 was delivered to me. It (the app) allowed me to access a status overview of the vehicle and recent drives, determine its current position, and enjoy the aforementioned connections.

The arrival of the new V60 wagon in the past year is inspiring to the future of Volvo, which had been in somewhat of a slowdown mode since the Swedish firm was sold to China’s Zhejiang Geely four years ago.

I drove the V60’s initial offering last spring, a sleek, low-slung, front-wheel-drive T5 wagon powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission.

Showing up last week, though, with all-wheel drive and enhanced performance was the T6 R-Design with twin-scroll turboed inline-6-cylinder which “out-horses” the T5 by 325-hp to 240. Mated to the inline-6 is a 6-speed automatic transmission. With 354 lb.-ft. of torque, outstanding power is delivered, particularly with the steering-force level set on high and paddleshifters at hand in Sport shift mode. Handling is improved with a low-riding sport chassis, and acceleration and cornering are excellent.

All that power and yet the T6 carries a decent EPA fuel-mileage estimate of 19/28; my overall average was 22.8.

The R-Design package includes soft, stitched luxury leather seats. The center stack is angled toward the driver, controls within easy reach and storage behind and below the stack. Sensus Connect navigation/audio is highlighted with a 7-inch color monitor, with MP3, USB, Bluetooth and Sirius radio.

The rear cargo area provides 28 cubic feet of storage space. The review model had no spare tire; one is offered as an option, though it must rest in the cargo space.

Sticker price on the V60 T6 was $49,275; the lesser-equipped 4-cylinder model I drove last spring carried a price of $42,225.

Adding $1,550 to the R-Design’s price were heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel and windshield and heated windshield-washer nozzles. Blind-spot detection, cross-traffic alert, lane-change aid and front and rear park assist were added as options, though the vehicle had no rearview camera.

Volvo was founded in Sweden in 1924 by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson; their first car, the 1,944-cc Jakob, was in production three years later.

Sales in the U.S. began in 1955, when the Volvo PV444 cars arrived in Los Angeles. In 1956, Volvo sold 5,047 cars here.

In 1958, Volvo invented the three-point safety belt, considered one of the most important safety features of all time.

Some of its better-known cars, after coming to America, were the P1800 coupe of 1961 and the 240 series, beginning in 1974. Some of those 240s, now 20 to 40 years old, are still seen about the streets of Denver.

Volvo, bought by Ford Motor Co. in 1999, was re-sold to Geely in 2010.

Here are the specifications for the 2015.5 Volvo V60 T6 R-Design:

• Capacity 5-passenger wagon
• Wheelbase 109.3 inches
• Length 182.5 inches
• Width 73.4 inches
• Height 58.4 inches
• Curb Weight 3,790 pounds
• Track 62.1 inches front, 62 rear
• Ground Clearance 5.4 inches
• Turn Circle 39 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6
• Horsepower/Torque 325/354
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering rack and pinion
• Suspension McPherson strut front and multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 19/28
• Fuel mileage average 22.8
• Fuel Tank 17.8 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 19-inch
• Tires Michelin 235/40R19
• Cargo Volume 28 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, powertrain

Competitors Audi allroad, BMW 3 series, Subaru Outback 3.6R

Assembly Plant Gothenburg, Sweden

Parts Content Sweden 31%, Great Britain 18%, Japan 10%, U.S./Canadian 1%

Base Price of Lowest Model $35,300; Base Price of Review Model $45,150; Destination Charge $925; Sticker Price $49,275.

Even with the added grip of all-wheel drive, we sometimes churned and skidded through the deep, soft snow during the New Year’s holidays aboard the 2015 Lexus IS250 AWD sedan.

Jan and I on New Year’s Day drove to Sterling to check in with my sis, Norma, and brother-in-law, Dave Wagner. The streets there were covered with relatively deep snow, the same as the northern Colorado area we’d left earlier in the morning.

The Lexus’ AWD system, in adverse conditions, can allocate engine torque from 30/70 between front and rear axles to 50/50 for improved traction and control.

The sleek and sporty IS250, offering the four-wheel grip option, helped Lexus finish 2014 exceptionally strong, posting a one-year sales record for the luxury division. Only Lexus’ entry-level ES sedan and the popular RX crossover sell more units than does the IS.

Lexus’ sales in ’14 totaled 311,384, third-best in the U.S. among all luxury builders. BMW led with 339,738 sales, followed by Mercedes-Benz 330,591, Lexus, then Audi 182,011, Cadillac 170,750, Acura 167,843, Infiniti 117,330, Lincoln 94,474 and Volvo 55,000.

The IS250 is little changed for 2015. It was restyled a year ago and, with a 3-inch longer wheelbase, created additional rear-seat legroom.

Under hood is a small 2.5-liter V-6, producing only 204 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque, tied to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Its tepid pace can be improved upon just a bit by moving the drive mode dial knob from Normal to Sport, then using paddle shifters at the steering wheel for better response. Pushing a “snow-mode” button will lessen torque on takeoff for minimal spinning of tires.

Still, though, for performance more fitting of a Lexus, buyers can opt for the more expensive IS350, which generates 306 horsepower from a 3.5-liter V-6.

The interior of the IS250 is quiet, and its well-bolstered leather seats are comfortable. Wood trim adds a feel of luxury. There is no storage space in the center console and the cupholders are positioned so far back in the console that they’re awkward to use. A 6-inch shelf in front of the display screen atop the center stack is handy for placement of incidentals; of course, then the lower portions of the screen are blocked from view. A small trunk provides 13.8 cubic feet of space.

Fuel-mileage average of 22.2 was at the low end of the IS’s EPA estimate of 20-27, due in part to the fact it was driven much of the time over ice and snow-covered streets and highways.

A base price of just over $39,000 for the IS250 jumped to sticker value of $46,395 after the addition of a luxury package of navigation, backup camera, heated and ventilated front seats, LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, power tilt/telescope steering wheel and blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Lexus IS250 AWD sedan:

• Capacity 5-passenger
• Wheelbase 110.2 inches
• Length 183.7 inches
• Width 71.3 inches
• Height 56.3 inches
• Curb Weight 3,461 pounds
• Track 60.4 inches front, 61 rear
• Ground Clearance 5.3 inches
• Turn Circle 35.4 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.5-liter V-6
• Horsepower/Torque 204/185
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering electric power
• Suspension double-wishbone front and multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 20/27
• Fuel mileage average 22.6
• Fuel Tank 17.4 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 18-inch
• Tires Bridgestone Turanza 255/35R18
• Cargo Volume 13.8 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, 6/70,000 powertrain

Competitors Acura TLX, Cadillac ATS, BMW 328ix, Audi S4, Volvo S60

Assembly Plant Tahara, Japan

Parts Content N.A.

Base Price of Lowest Model $36,550; Base Price of Review Model $39,085; Destination Charge $925; Sticker Price $46,395.

No matter how I drove the 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid during a week in December – in town or out on the highway – it seemed to average 38 to 40 miles per gallon.

That’s how it should be, I guess, for its EPA estimate is 40 mpg in town driving and 38 on the highway.

The Camry was the third-best-selling hybrid in the country for 2014, behind two other Toyotas. The Prius Liftback was the runaway sales leader, as it has been since it was introduced 15 years ago; it sold 122,776, followed by the Prius C with 40,570 and the Camry hybrid with 39,515 (an 11percent drop).

Sales of gas/electric hybrid cars slumped 8.8 percent in ’14, slipping from 495,771 sales in 2013 to 452.152 in the past year. This, even though the overall car/truck market jumped 6 percent last year.

Toyotas, including luxury division Lexus models, captured 62 percent of the hybrid market in the past year.

Following are the top 15 sellers of gas/electric hybrids in the U.S. for 2014:

• Toyota Prius Liftback            122,776
• Toyota Prius C                         40,570
• Toyota Camry                           39,515
• Ford Fusion                             35,405
• Toyota Prius V                         30,762
• Hyundai Sonata                       21,052
• Ford C-Max                               19,162
• Lexus CT200h                          17,673
• Toyota Avalon                          17,048
• Lexus ES                                    14,837
• Honda Accord                          13,977
• Kia Optima                               13,776
• Lincoln MKZ                           10,033
• Lexus RX450h                           9,351
• Subaru XV Crosstrek               7,926

Introduction of the new BMW i3 and sharp gains by the Nissan Leaf and Ford Fusion Energi boosted total sales of plug-in electric vehicles to a 23 percent rise in the past year. A total of 118,682 plug-ins were sold, compared with 96,516 in 2013.

Following are sales of the top 10 plug-in electrics for ’14:

• Nissan Leaf                    30,200
• Chevrolet Volt                18,805
• Tesla Model S                 16,550
• Toyota Prius Plug-in    13,264
• Ford Fusion Energi      11,550
• Ford C-Max Energi        8,433
• BMW i3                            6,092
• Smart for Two EV          2,594
• Ford Focus EV                1,964
• Fiat 500E                         1,503

The combined total of gas/electric hybrids and plug-in electrics took 3.4 percent of the total U.S. new car market for 2014.

In my December driving, the Camry hybrid posted an overall average of 38.5 mpg; I’d averaged 34.9 with a similar model in 2011 and 37.1 in 2012.

The five-passenger, front-wheel-drive Camry hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and electric motor with a continuously variable transmission. Performance is smooth; only a bit of shudder is felt on shift of electric to gas power in low range. Acceleration is strong through midrange.

For even more efficiency than the normal driving mode, the press of an Eco button will cut down the level of throttle input and reduce fan speed of the air conditioner. This takes away from the Camry hybrid’s normally satisfactory performance.

The hybrid weighs 100 pounds more than the Camry gas version due primarily to the battery pack stored beneath the floor at the rear. That pack also takes away cargo space, which measures 13.1 cubic feet in the hybrid, 15.4 in the gas model.

The Camry is one of the more comfortable and better-handling hybrid four-door sedans.

The review model in my possession was the SE; also available are a less expensive LE and a high-end XLE. The SE was sticker-priced at $32,233, including an easily controlled Entune audio system with navigation and Bluetooth, power moonroof, remote start capability and illuminated door sill enhancement.

The cheapest model of the gasoline-powered Camry is $3,000 less than the lowest-priced hybrid version.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE:

• Capacity 5-passenger
• Wheelbase 109.3 inches
• Length 190.9 inches
• Width 71.7 inches
• Height 57.9 inches
• Curb Weight 3,585 pounds
• Track 62.4 inches front, 62 rear
• Ground Clearance 6.1 inches
• Turn Circle 36.7 feet
• Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with electric motor
• Horsepower/Torque 200/156 combined
• Transmission Continuously variable
• Steering electric power
• Suspension sport-tuned front and rear strut
• Fuel mileage estimate 40/38
• Fuel mileage average 38.5
• Fuel Tank 17 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 17-inch
• Tires Michelin P225/45/R17
• Cargo Volume 13.1 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain

Competitors Hybrid models of Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata

Assembly Plant Georgetown, Ky.

Parts Content N.A.

Base Price of Lowest Model $26,790; Base Price of Review Model $27,995; Destination Charge $825; Sticker Price $32,233.

Dodge on and off over the years has built a strong performance image for its Charger.

It’s been based on Hemi V-8s and rear-wheel-drive power.

Let me tell you, though, with 8 to 10 inches of snow in the streets and frigid air hovering around minus-2 – you can forget all about that.

Another side of the 2015 Dodge Charger emerged as I drove it through all that snow last week.

We were in the new Charger SXT all-wheel-drive edition.

This SXT is the family sedan side of the Charger, with an excellent AWD system, Pentastar V-6 and 8-speed automatic transmission. It performed very well for the deep snow and subzero cold we maneuvered through in northern Colorado, with Michelin all-season tires.

The 292-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 moves the Charger about with ease and the 8-speed automatic is controlled electronically, with a large T-grip handle like those of linkage connection of the past. There are no paddle shifters, though manual mode is available with a quick move of the shifter handle.

The AWD system gripped and churned well, with minimal slip or slide. It’s an effective active transfer case which, innovatively, disengages the front axle when all-four grip is not needed – an effort at improved fuel mileage. The system automatically engages in cold weather, when slip is detected or when wipers are on in wet weather.

The AWD model carries an EPA estimate of 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway; my overall average slipped to 20.8 due to all the cold, snow and ice.

A new electric power steering system has replaced the old electromechanical power type. It has three driver-selectable steering modes – eco, comfort and sport – contributing to a more nimble response that, on occasion, belies the car’s large size.

This is a car with a 120-inch wheelbase, 198 inches overall and 4,150 pounds. It is 7 inches longer in wheelbase than the Ford Taurus AWD and 9 inches beyond that of the Buick LaCrosse AWD.

The Charger’s exterior has been refreshed for 2015, with crosshair grille, chiseled and scalloped bodysides. A “racetrack” LED taillight spreads across the entire rear width of the body, similar to that which showed up on the Dodge Durango a year ago.

The full-sized four-door boasts a roomy interior, with wide cloth-covered seats (heated in front), lightly bolstered for long-distance comfort. The heated seats are extremely popular; I seldom use them, though, and would have traded them for a heated steering wheel in a minute. Legroom is sufficient in the rear seat and a good-sized trunk measures out to 16 cubic feet.

Adding to the V-6-powered, AWD-equipped Charger SXT’s family appeal is a large 8.4-inch touch-screen infotainment system with navigation maps from Garmin. Bluetooth syncing is part of the package. The screen is easily used, as are the redundant dials beneath the screen.

Base price on the SXT AWD is $32,995; the sticker totals $35,485 with the addition of ivory tricoat pearl paint, the navigation, backup camera and SiriusXM travel link. Automatic headlamps, remote start and dual-zone temperature control are among a long list of standard items.

The Charger serves a younger buyer than does its stablemate, the Chrysler 300. They’re identically sized. Buyers of the Charger, with its performance image, are 10 years younger on average than buyers of the luxurious 300.

The Charger was introduced in the fall of 1965 as a ’66 model and continued production through 1977. Its most popular models were the good-looking, coke-bottle shaped 1968, ’69 and ‘70s. The Charger name was used on a Dodge Omni 024 compact from 1982-87, then discontinued until the 2006 model on the chassis of the Chrysler 300.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Dodge Charger SXT AWD:

• Capacity 5-passenger
• Wheelbase 120.2 inches
• Length 198.4 inches
• Width 75 inches
• Height 58.2 inches
• Curb Weight 4,157 pounds
• Track 63.4 inches front, 63.8 rear
• Ground Clearance 4.9 inches
• Turn Circle 38.7 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 3.6-liter V-6
• Horsepower/Torque 292/260
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Steering rack/pinion, electric power assist
• Suspension front high upper A arm, rear multilink, coils all around
• Fuel mileage estimate 18/27
• Fuel mileage average 20.8
• Fuel Tank 18.5 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 19-inch
• Tires Michelin Pilot P235/55/R19
• Cargo Volume 16.1 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Ford Taurus, Buick LaCrosse, Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Impala, Cadillac ATS, Hyundai Genesis, Kia Cadenza

Assembly Plant Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 67%, Mexico 20%

Base Price of Lowest Model $28,990; Base Price of Review Model $32,995; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $35,485.