I recorded an amazing 40.1 miles per gallon on a run to Fort Morgan and back from the newest car on the market – the 2017 Jaguar XE sport sedan.

This one is a smaller Jag, with rear-drive chassis and power from a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine and 8-speed automatic transmission.

With its drive control in dynamic mode, the XE proves a good handler and shows quickness and smoothness in acceleration.

The XE also comes with a V-6 gasoline engine and all-wheel drive, which surely would have been better-suited to a Colorado test as we head into the winter and its weather perils.

The sales of light-duty diesels in the U.S. have fallen sharply among the car category.

Blame German car builder Volkswagen for that. It’s been just a year since VW admitted to the EPA regulators that it installed illegal defeat devices in nearly 500,000 2.0-liter diesel engines to fool U.S. emissions tests. VW/Audi dominated sales of light-duty diesels at that time, holding approximately 35 percent of the market.

The uproar over the cheating scandal forced VW to halt sales of its high-fuel-mileage turbodiesels. VW has not resumed sales of diesels in the U.S. and has announced no timetable for doing so.

Barely more than 90,000 light-duty diesels have been sold thus far this year, compared with 150,000 by this time a year ago just before VW’s engines took the hit. Of the 90,000 sold through the end of August this year, seventy-five percent are credited to two truck-market models, the Ford Transit vans and the Ram 1500 pickup.

The Ram led sales of diesel-powered light vehicles in August, and for the first eight months of this year is locked in a very tight race with the Ford Transit diesel.

Ford Transit has sold 35,633 diesel units thus far, barely ahead of the Ram with 35,192.

Others of the top 10 diesel sellers lag far behind – Chevrolet Colorado 4,713; Jeep Grand Cherokee 2,716; Range Rover Sport 2,173; GMC Canyon 2,106; Range Rover 1,789; BMW X5 1,578; BMW 3-series 1,140, and Mercedes-Benz GLE-class 878.

By falling into a price-leader role for Jaguar, the new XE has jumped ahead of the firm’s other cars, the XF, XJ and XK and the F-Type. Introduced with the XE several months ago is Jaguar’s first-ever SUV, the F-Pace, and it is outselling everything made by the British company.

Most of the XE’s sold are those equipped with the gas engines and, in Colorado, most also are AWD versions.

The XE is built on a 111.6-inch wheelbase, with overall length of 183.9 inches, only an inch longer than a Honda Civic. Jaguar hasn’t introduced a model this small since 2001, when the X-Type front-wheel-drive sedan showed up. It was discontinued in 2009.

Interior finish in the new one is not on a par with Jaguar standards, but its sticker price of $43,895 may be the forgiving factor. Heated and cooled perforated seats are comfortable, and headroom and legroom are okay in the rear seating area, though shoulder space is tight. Accompanying Jan and me on the drive into Morgan County were Ruth Davis and Kim Parker.

A long trunk opens up 15.9 cubic feet of space. Beneath the trunk floor rests a temporary spare tire, painted bright orange, i.e. it will be used only for the briefest necessities.

An oddity: When the backup camera is in use while the car is in reverse, the volume for the audio system can’t be turned down or up.

EPA estimate for the Jag’s diesel setup is 32/42 mpg.

It’s a fun, sporty car to drive, even in normal or eco style, away from the dynamic mode. It has the rotary dial shifter, which Jaguar and Land Rover have relied upon for more than 10 years. The 4-cylinder turbodiesel generates 180 horsepower/318 torque and shift paddles lend control over the 8-speed tranny. The XE has automatic-bright headlamps, which shine high or lower, depending on oncoming traffic. It rides on Continental Pro Contact 225/45R18 tires.

Its $43k price tag covers navigation with a 10.2-inch touchscreen, Meridian surround sound, head-up display, electric rear sunblind, blind-spot monitor, front and rear parking aids, headlight powerwash, moonroof, heated steering wheel, and stop-start technology.

Here are the specifications for the 2017 Jaguar XE luxury sport sedan:

• Capacity 5-passenger four-door
• Wheelbase 111.6 inches
• Length 183.9 inches
• Width 77.4 inches
• Height 55.7 inches
• Curb Weight 3,320 pounds
• Track 62.8 inches front, 62.4 rear
• Ground Clearance 7.2 inches
• Turn Circle 38.4 feet
• Drivetrain Rear-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.0-liter turbodiesel 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 180/318
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Top Speed 120 mph
• Suspension Coil springs, stabilizer bars
• Fuel mileage estimate 32/42
• Fuel mileage average 38.1
• Fuel Tank 14.8 gallons, diesel
• Wheels 18-inch
• Tires Continental Pro Contact 225/45R18
• Cargo Volume 15.9 cubic feet
• Warranty 5 years/60,000 miles basic, 5/6,000 powertrain

Competitors BMW 3 series, Volvo S60 Cross Country, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Lexus E350

Assembly Plant Solihull, England

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 0%, Germany 50%, United Kingdom 43%

Base Price of Lowest Model $36,200; Base Price of Review Model $42,900; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $43,895.

Only a year deep into its presence among the subcompact crossover market, the 2017 Mazda CX-3 is carving out a more sizable chunk of business in the growing category.

Sales for subcompact crossovers are hot, increasing nearly 40 percent thus far this year over last.

Some call the CX-3 the brightest of the bunch in the glowing market; others insist Mazda must, in order to gain that rating, add a turbocharger beneath its hood.

The CX-3 isn’t as tough-looking as the Jeep Renegade and perhaps not as good-looking as the Honda HR-V.

It’s stylish, though, in its own right; from a blunt-nose front, the CX-3’s lines flow smoothly all the way back to sweeping taillights and dual exhausts. “Sinewy” is the word used by Mazda to describe its exterior design. It rivals, at least to a degree, the Honda as “best looking.”

If its style doesn’t grab you, its lustre may. The review model I drove was finished in bright dynamic blue mica.

Others in the subcompact field, besides Mazda, Jeep and Honda, are Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X, Mini Cooper Countryman, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Nissan Juke and Subaru Crosstrek.

Though of somewhat sluggish performance on occasion, the CX-3 Grand Touring edition I drove was impressive in handling, with excellent balance, and high in fuel mileage. Its EPA fuel estimate is 27/32 and it averaged 29.3 mpg for my travels. Fuel-tank capacity is only 11.9 gallons.

The CX-3’s SkyActiv 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine is of 146 horsepower and torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. It is built in Hiroshima, Japan. Power is modest, though the use of Sport mode and paddle shifters provide a bit of a boost and quickness in performance. Low-end performance is more than adequate; midrange is only average.

Suspension consists of front struts and rear multilink. The Mazda rides on Yokohama P215/50R18 tires. Its turning circle is slightly over 34 feet.

Enhancing a busy, colorful interior is a padded white leather strip across the front of the dash, somewhat similar to that of the Toyota RAV4. The seats are well-cushioned; contrasting their perforated white leather are black suede inserts and red stitching. Doors and console finished in black are trimmed with red leather. Rear seats are limited in legroom, though headroom is plenty.

There are two misplaced cupholders, one behind the other beneath the front-seat armrest at the rear of the center console. To access the cupholders, the armrest must be raised to an unusable straight-up position. Door pockets can be used to hold some drinks.

The Mazda falls short of others in cargo space, only 10.1 cubic feet behind the second row of seats. That increases to 42.3 feet with the second row folded.

A sticker price of $28,510 seemed reasonable for the CX-3. Included was an ActivSense package of radar cruise control, smart brake support, variable rain-sensing wipers, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and high-beam control. Also included were navigation and Bose audio, rearview camera, moonroof, heated front seats and automatic climate control.

Sticker prices on other subcompact crossovers I’ve driven have ranged from: $25,230 for a Chevrolet Trax and $25,300 for a Fiat 500X, both front-wheel-drive models, and $26,140 for a Subaru Crosstrek AWD to $30,075 for a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk AWD and $32,230 for a Buick Encore AWD.

So the Mazda CX-3’s $28.5K price falls right in the middle. It is the smallest of all the competitors, weighing in at 2,960 pounds, with wheelbase of 101.2 inches, overall length 168.3, width 69.6 and it stands 60.9 inches tall.

The lengthy Poudre Canyon drive all the way to Gould, then north a bit, was the test track recently for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 4Matic.

Aspen leaves along the way were turning yellow and gold and orange; too early, though, to throw snow at the refreshed all-wheel-drive beauty. GLS is new name for Mercedes, replacing GL from previous years.

Destination was Bill Allen’s elk-hunting camp, where we loaded up Kathy Allen and bags and boxes for the return trip to Greeley. Bill Allen remained on the hunt through the week.

The Mercedes may be the best of the big guys of sport utility vehicles. The short, though impressive, list of full-size luxury SUVs with three rows include, besides the GLS, the Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX80, Lexus LX570, Lincoln Navigator and the combination of Range Rover/Land Rover LR4/Range Rover Sport.

The GLS550’s climbs are effortless with the twin-turboed V-8 and 9-speed automatic. The 4.7-liter biturbo kicks out 449 horsepower (an increase of 20 from last year) and 516 pound-feet of torque – plenty of performance and all-wheel-drive, too. The new 9G-Tronic transmission kept rpm relatively low in most driving situations.

The climb to the top of Cameron Pass was done mostly in the Comfort driving mode, which is the default mode. For the long descent return, I opted for the more spirited Sport mode, including use of paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

That was the most effective use, exemplary I’d say, of the GLS’s electronic stability control/curve control/lane-keeping assist of any I’ve driven through the mountain country. Heading into several sharp curves with the cruise set at 50 to 60 miles per hour, the control system instantaneously braked and slowed the SUV’s speed by 10 mph while assisting the steering effort (guarding against understeer) either right or left, as the curves dictated.

Up to 12.5 inches of ground clearance is possible with the GLS’s retuned Airmatic air suspension.

Diamond-quilted Nappa leather seats are heated and cooled in the front row and heated in the second row. Third-row seating is among the roomiest and most comfortable of any in the full-size category. With all three rows of seats in place, rear cargo space measures 16 cubic feet; power-fold the third row and that expands to 49 feet. Narrow running boards on either side of the long vehicle are positioned so tight to the body underside as to leave little usable foot-step room atop the board.

A $5,400 Bang & Olufsen audio system, including 14 speakers and use of acoustic lens technology at each of the A pillars, enhanced the cabin. While enjoying the surround sound, the driver may chill or warm the cupholder and its drink.

The Mercedes’ overall  length of 201.6 inches is 1 ½ inches longer than the Audi Q7; it stands 6-feet high and weighs in at 5,300 pounds.

Newest feature on the amenity-laden GLS is a Remote Parking Pilot, an app when downloaded onto the owner’s smartphone permits the driver to exit the vehicle, and with use of the smartphone guide it without driver into or out of a tight parking space.

All this dressing pushed sticker price of the Mercedes to $110,565, from a base price of $93,850.