Thankful I am this Thanksgiving weekend; I’ve just finished driving and testing the toughest, most powerful half-ton pickup ever – the 2021 Ram TRX. It’s amazing.

A thankful mood, too, for last week’s delivery of the new, midengine Chevy Corvette Stingray Convertible; sitting in my garage for the coming week is the 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid.

They are brief bright spots for me in our endurance of the heartbreaking pandemic, which has hit close to home for more and more of us.

There are no restrictions on reading a newspaper (or online version).  I’ll keep writing, if you’ll keep reading.

Fiat Chrysler built this special model, the Ram 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4X4 to pull away the offroad-capability honors previously bestowed upon the Ford Raptor.

Based on the Ram Rebel, the TRX is 8 inches wider, taller and weighs almost 1,000 pounds more than the Rebel. It outweighs the Raptor by 800 pounds.

A supercharged version of the 6.2-liter, Hemi Hellcat V-8 engine generates 702 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddleshifters. The dial-gear selector used  by much of the Ram pickup fleet, is replaced in the TRX with a console shifter. Sport mode tightens steering and stiffens shocks.  Brakes are 15-inch discs.  

From automatic 4-wheel drive, electronic buttons offer switch of drive mode into 4-wheel-high or low range. A launch button provides a flying takeoff from a mashed-throttle start.

I made three offroad runs with the TRX which left the truck’s overall fuel mileage for six days at 9.9 (its EPA estimate is 10/14). I recently drove the 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD with its new 6.6-liter V-8 gas engine; it averaged 12.6, lowest of the year for my tests until TRX showed up.

With all its offroad improvements – reinforced frame, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires, Bilstein adaptive dampers with 13 to 14 inches of wheel travel, ground clearance of  11.8 inches – the ride is  smooth and controlled, a credit to Ram’s all-around coil-springs setup.

The ride quality, infotainment/instrument  panel controls and roominess were praised  by friends Ted and Shirley King, who took a ride with Jan and me..

Simply walking up beside T-Rex seems to embolden impressions of the observer. On my first glance, I looked along the door bottoms and thought, “Are those retractable step rails?” “Hell, no, they’re not step rails, you dumb nut,” came a new thought wave from my tougher side, “they’re rock rails like the Jeeps use.” “Well, I can see now, it’s a protective rock rail with a very narrow step rail atop,” was my reasonable tone.

From a base price of $71,690,  the final tally for the truck  came to $87,370 with addition of 19-speaker Harman Kardon  premium sound, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, pedestrian/cyclist emergency braking, front and rear park assist, deployable bed-step  and power tailgate release.

Moments after exiting the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray, parked beneath a light for a nighttime stop at a restaurant, a young man in a Silverado pulled up beside it, hopped out hurriedly and exclaimed, “Ah, the new Vette, it reminds me of a Ferrari, except it’s better-looking than Ferrari.”

That is high praise, indeed, and along the lines of dozens of comments tossed my way, elicited by the restyled Corvette convertible. To focus on the extreme angular lines, though, is to overlook the major transformation which permitted the radical redesign – a midengine layout after 67 years of front-engine build.

The midengine placement allowed designers to lower the hood, as well as instrument panel and steering wheel. Inspiration came from Formula One racing, hence the reference to Ferrari.

Production stoppages have hampered rollout of the 2020 model, including a worker strike, Covid-19 delays, recalls and a stop-sale order over an issue related to the electronic brake booster.

The new, 495-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine sits beneath a glass panel in the rear hatch, moving the driver and front passenger forward into some of the space previously occupied by the then-under-hood engine. The engine is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, another first-ever for the rear-drive Vette.

The C8 Stingray’s low center of gravity and a Z51 performance upgrade provided excellent stability, emphasized by a drive we made to the west on U.S. 34.

I turned northwest from Drake onto County Road 43 to Glen Haven.

On the descent, with use of paddleshifters at the squared-off steering wheel, I locked the shifter in 3rd with revs high and the Vette low and secure into and out of the curves. Some handling capabilities were lessened a bit by removal of summer performance tires in favor of winter-weather shods. The snowflake imprint on the sidewall tells you that of the Michelin Pilot Alpin 245/35R19 tires.

Explaining the new midengine layout for the eighth-generation Corvette, General Motors president Mark Reuss said, “The traditional front-engine vehicle had reached its limits of performance.” Equipped with the Z51 performance package, the Vette will run 0-to-60 in less than 3 seconds.

Among many other benefits are better weight distribution, improved driver position closer to the front axle with race-carlike view of the road, dual trunks (front and rear) for 12.6 cubic feet of space, enough for two sets of golf clubs and luggage.

As in years past, rear vision is limited. Precisely stitched soft leather is an interior highlight for the two-seater.

Most noticeable is a cascade of controls from the dashboard to the seat, separating the driver cockpit from the more tightly quartered passenger.

Pushbuttons for Park, Neutral and Low/Manual and pull toggles for Drive and Reverse make up the electric shifter. With a knob at the center console, the driver may select from modes of tour, weather, eco, sport and track.

(Forty-two years ago, in the spring of 1978, I reviewed in The Denver Post the ’78 New Yorker, the last big Chrysler. Excerpts:)

If you get the opportunity, take a drive in the 1978 Chrysler New Yorker. It could be last chance to ride in a really big Chrysler – a company spokesman says next year’s model will be smaller and almost 1,000 pounds lighter.

The New Yorker, one of the oldest and most prestigious model names in the auto industry, offers an outstanding ride on the highway.

The ride and handling in the 4,800-pound four-door hardtop I tested was as good as expected, and I also liked its exceptionally straight and sure braking, comfortable leather seating and an impressive stereo system.

The car had a slight leak from its 26 ½ -gallon gas tank, and occasionally hesitated on acceleration in slow city driving.

Powered by a 440-cubic-inch V-8 with four-barrel carburetor it ran very strong on the highway and averaged 15 miles per gallon on a drive to Colorado Springs and back. Its average in city driving was about 8 mpg, affected some by the leak.

Roger Mauro Chryslerville, 7200 W. Colfax Ave., provided the auto, which had only 22 miles on the odometer.

The New Yorker is less expensive than most large luxury cars in today’s market – the fully equipped model I drove being priced at $10,724. Optional items added to the base price of $7,715 included reclining leather front seats, air conditioning, AM/FM radio with eight-track stereo tape, automatic speed control and white vinyl roof.

The New Yorker is on a wheelbase of 123.9 inches, with overall length of 231 inches. It is 79.5 inches wide and 54.7 inches high. The large trunk is of 22.2 cubic feet capacity. Turning radius for the car is almost 45 feet.

The Venza’s back in the Toyota lineup; it’s been gone five years.

Few missed it; some didn’t know it had gone away.

When I mentioned its return to Jan, she said, “that is Toyota’s small car, right?” “No, you’re thinking of the Yaris, or maybe the Nissan Versa,” I said.

The 2021 Venza returns as a hybrid for the midsize crossover market. It’s of coupelike style; don’t call it a coupe, though, it has four doors and a rear liftgate.

It is one more step in Toyota’s continued dominance of automotive hybrids. Toyota took charge of the hybrid market 20 years ago with the Prius and hasn’t lessened its connection.

Built in a Toyota plant in Aichi, Japan, the Venza comes to the U.S. as a hybrid-only, two-row crossover with all-wheel drive. In size, it falls between the RAV4 and Highlander. Though at 105.9 inches it shares wheelbase with the RAV4 , the Venza is 6 inches longer in overall length and 400 pounds heavier.

The added weight is noticeable; it’s not so nimble and drives like a bigger, heavier vehicle than the popular RAV4.

Power combination for the AWD Venza is a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine and three electric motor-generators – two up front and a third on the rear axle – with a lithium-ion battery pack and continuously variable transmission. Combined horsepower is 219, and off-the-line acceleration is strong.

The battery/gas power boosted the Venza’s EPA fuel estimate to 40 miles per gallon in the city and 37 on the highway. My overall average for the week was 41.3 mpg, and included two drives in to Denver, one to DIA to meet Kim Parker on her return from Atlanta and another for meeting with Ted and Shirley King at Cheddars Scratch Kitchen in Thornton.

The Venza delivers a smooth ride and very quiet interior, embellished with heated and cooled seats, wood trim and a digital rearview mirror. Drive modes are normal, eco and sport, and an EV Mode moves into all-electric power for low speeds for short distances. Regenerative braking, the cause of a spongy feel of the depressed pedal, regains some of lost electric power.

The Venza is equipped with a relatively small, 14.5-gallon fuel tank; yet, multiply that by 40 mpg and it registers a driving range of 580 miles. Its cargo space of 28.8 cubic feet behind the second row of seats falls short of both RAV4 at 33.5 and Highlander at 40.

The Venza Limited’s sticker price of $43,100 includes 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible, heated steering wheel, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, emergency braking, radar cruise control and lane-departure alert.

The Toyota RAV4, best-selling SUV/crossover in the country, has rolled into the world of electrics with a plug-in hybrid.

The new model, 2021 RAV4 Prime, offers up to 42 miles of all-electric drive, lending quite a boost to the Toyota’s overall gas/electric hybrid fuel mileage.

In 350 miles aboard the Prime, during which on three nights I charged the lithium-ion battery pack, the RAV4 posted an average of 51.1 miles per gallon.

In addition to the new battery pack, the Prime uses three motor-generators and a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder Atkinson gas engine similar to that which powers the RAV4’s regular Hybrid model.  The Prime gains quick, smooth acceleration from the combined 302 horsepower.

To opt for the ’21 Prime over the standard Hybrid is a jump in cost. Sticker price on the well-equipped RAV4 Prime XSE with all-wheel drive is $48,461; that’s about $10,000 higher than the regular RAV4 Hybrid.

Toyota has been the car industry’s hybrid leader for 20 years, since unveiling the Prius in 2000.It’s not surprising that Toyota’s entry into the plug-in hybrid category with a rating of 42-miles all-electric would be highest to date. That surpasses the Ford Escape plug-in rating of 37.

With 42 miles, many commuters would be able to drive to work and back home each day, and by using the plug-in charging overnight, would seldom need gasoline.

The battery pack and electric powertrain swells the curb weight of the compact RAV4 to 4,300 pounds, 600 pounds heavier than the 2019 RAV4 Adventure I drove last year. The Prime’s maneuverability remains impressive, with little difference in feel than that of the 2019.

The RAV4 Prime, built in Japan, can be driven in EV or Hybrid mode, with choice of Eco, Normal or Sport response.

The RAV4 is equipped with a very effective lane-guidance system, which easily moves the vehicle back toward the center of the proper lane.

With the battery pack positioned beneath the floor, the Prime retains 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, and, with the rear seats folded, that increases to 63 feet. The RAV4, on a wheelbase of 105.9 inches, is 180.9 inches in overall length.

Regenerative braking, which helps in recharging the batteries, is scarcely noticed, as the car coasts when acceleration demand is lifted. Some electric models apply braking on deceleration.

Among options pushing the RAV4’s price to $48k are 9-inch touchscreen for premium audio and navigation, heated and leather-trimmed steering wheel, 10-inch color head-up display and panoramic glass roof. Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth are standard.

Nine to 12 hours is necessary for recharging the Prime from a 120-volt household outlet; it can be done in 4 ½ hours from a 240-volt outlet.

A couple of ’21 Acuras have shown up, back-to-back, at my doorstep, one with a splash of flash and enough improvement to merit a second look; the other is a holdover from established strong qualifications.

The star entry is the redesigned Acura TLX four-door sport sedan, which is lower and wider, and much sleeker from its new upright grille to its carbon fiber spoiler at the rear. The TLX’s wheelbase has been extended by almost 4 inches.

Preceding the TLX for reviewing was the RDX compact crossover, Acura’s best seller.

Acura, based in Japan, is the luxury division for Honda. It has never been big in sales numbers, leaving that to the Honda side of the ledger. Honda sells 10 times more cars and crossovers than does Acura.

The ’21 TLX was equipped with SH-AWD (super-handling all-wheel drive), which makes it particularly suitable for year-round driving in our state.

A turbocharged, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, borrowed from the RDX, develops 272 horsepower and

280 lb.-ft. of torque; it’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Strong control of the throttle and use of sport setting from the Dynamic Mode dial turns the mild-mannered sedan into a crisp responder. With a nod to higher performance for the TLX, Acura plans to soon resurrect the Type S package built around a 355-hp, 3.0-liter V-6.

The automatic transmission is controlled by a somewhat awkward push-button-type shifter – a push, a pull, a tap. EPA fuel estimate for the TLX is 21/29 miles per gallon; my overall average was 25.2.

Acura’s new platform replaces struts with control-arm front suspension, stiffening torsional rigidity and improving handling.

LED lighting and seat cushion inserts are upgrades to a pleasant interior, highlighted also by surround sound audio. Regarding its infotainment advancements, we finally gave up on a request of navigation for Fowler street in a drive to Longmont. It misread all attempts at correct address. Rear seating is tight.

The A-Spec trim, including adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and CarPlay/Android  Auto integration, carried sticker of $47,275.

The 2021 Acura RDX SUV crossover was equipped with same 2.0-liter turbo, 10-speed automatic, SH-AWD system as was the TLX.

The RDX is built in East Liberty, Ohio, and the TLX in Marysville, Ohio, 15 miles apart.

Like the TLX, RDX’s trim level was dressed up with leather-trimmed sport seats with Ultrasuede inserts. Sticker price on the RDX was $47,625.

The RDX is Acura’s top seller; TLX is third-best, behind the MDX crossover.

Like other makers, Acura sales are depressed after nine months this year, due to the shutdowns for the Covid-19. Though Acura sales are down 15 percent for the year thus far, the RDX and TLX helped it to a slight increase in the just-concluded third quarter.

Tuesday morning’s rain and light snow was a cool calling for me into the driver’s seat of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss just an hour before it was picked up by Automotive Media Solutions representatives. It was a last-minute opportunity to appreciate its 4X4 handling on wet highways and some muddy dirt trails.

The pickup was in my possession the previous six days, all of which were hot and dry.

The Trail Boss 1500, modified from the Silverado Z71, has undergone a 2-inch lift on the suspension with Rancho shocks and a 4-inch longer wheelbase, adding stability to its offroad performances.

This one has been upgraded with Chevy’s 6.2 liter V-8, boasting 420 horsepower/460 lb.-ft. of torque, and mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Response was more immediate and the highway recovery time much stronger than a Trail Boss I reviewed last year with the 5.3 V-8 of 355-hp/383 torque and 8-speed automatic.

The lift for the Trail Boss review model means an extra-high step-in height, for it is not equipped with step rail or running board. The Trail Boss I drove last year had running boards, so entry and exit were no problem.

I gain access by gripping the grab handle on the A pillar with my left hand, stepping very high onto the cab’s floor edge with my left foot and making a pull and leap into the driver seat. Jan, 10 inches shorter in height, can’t do that maneuver, so carried out a 9-inch step-stool for assist whenever she rode along.

 The high step-in drew interesting remarks from Kathy and Bill Allen, passengers on a drive to Strasburg for dinner with Mike and Hannah McKenner, and the following day from Mary Conway and Ken Baldwin, who joined Jan and me on a lunch drive to Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley.

Chevrolet might consider, for these lifted pickups without step assists, a Trail Boss-enscriptioned step stool. That could be a step up in the sales battle with F-series and Ram pickups (I’m kidding, friends).

Though a serious offroad competitor, the Trail Boss has a smooth side, too, in which the 10-speed automatic transmission is a major contributor. Even with the Trail Boss’ Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac M&S LT 275/65R18 tires emitting a bit of howl here and there, the highway run to Strasburg confirmed the softer side of this Silverado. Body control is outstanding.

With the bigger 6.2 V-8, the Trail Boss’ EPA fuel-mileage estimate is 14-18; I averaged 16.8. Last year, with the smaller 5.3 engine and a 15-20 estimate, it averaged 18.1.

Tow capacity for the 6.2-liter Trail Boss is 9,300 pounds; that can go over 13,000 pounds with a maximum trailering package and 20-inch wheels.

The 6.2 V-8 adds $2,500 to pricing of the Trail Boss, for which sticker price on this Double Cab review model is $44,510, including a plain, though functional interior.

Several Silverado models in 2021 are to get use of the GMC Sierra’s 6-way MultiPro tailgate; it will be known as MultiFlex on the Chevrolets.

Sporting new design to its grille and headlamps, the 2021 Honda Odyssey showed up at my place in, also, a new hue – forest mist metallic.

The Odyssey is one of three strong minivans battling it out amidst lessening market share for that category. The rivals are the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna.

I drove the Odyssey on a Wednesday morning to Sterling where Jan and I joined in a memorial service at Riverside Cemetery for Walter “Wally”Dermer, 85, of Aurora. Wally, raised on a farm at Atwood, in the 1950s attended Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College, where he was an outstanding wrestler. After his marriage to Janice Ashby in 1958, they moved to Aurora, where they raised three sons and a daughter, Stephen (deceased), Jeff, Mark and Melanie.  Officiating the memorial service was Craig Fortunato, community life pastor at LifePointe Church in Fort Collins.

The drive across U.S. 34 to Wiggins and along I-76 to Sterling produced good fuel mileage from the Honda’s 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine with variable cylinder management and 10-speed automatic transmission. For more than 330 miles in seven days, the Odyssey averaged 24.4 miles per gallon.

An interior redesign for the ’21 model enables the second row of seats to fold almost flat for easier removal. That middle row features MagicSlide in which two bucket seats will slide sideways individually with the pull of a handle. Up front, a busy audio/navigation display offers ease of selection. Small inboard armrests on the front seats weren’t particularly comfortable and proved difficult to adjust.

The 203.2 inches of overall length for the Honda van is near the same as that of the Chrysler Pacifica; they’re 3 inches longer than the Toyota Sienna. The roomy Odyssey opens up 38.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seats folded.

Standard on all Odysseys in the coming year is HondaSensing safety technology of collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise, lane-keeping, traffic sign recognition and other driver-assist features.

The Odyssey Elite model, built at Lincoln, Ala., carried sticker price of $49,335.

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