The annual National Drive Electric Week kicked off in late September, and there I was reviewing the 2020 Chevy Bolt Electric – excellent timing.

The special week “heightens awareness of today’s widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and highlights the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars and trucks,” said Charline Delkhah of WeberShandwick in Los Angeles.

Providing me with the electric Bolt the week before the national celebration was not part of any plan, as far as I know. I did, though, decline the offer of several eco-friendly road-trip routes.

I’ve enjoyed driving a variety of plug-in hybrids and electrics in recent years. One which I can’t shake from my mind was in early March a couple years ago (I forget the brand). Delivered to me on a sunny day, the car’s battery pack “will easily get you to Sterling and back for the funeral of your friend,” an auto executive said. “It will make a good column either way,” I replied jokingly. Overnight, the weather turned cold and snowy, and, with no charging station at Sterling, we found one on our return drive in Fort Morgan with 18 miles of charge remaining in the battery pack. 

The Bolt is a sharp-looking, all-electric hatchback with a range of 259 miles. Its electric powertrain produces 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. It is only 164 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 102.4 inches, with curb weight of 3,563 pounds.

Jan and I on a Monday morning drove the Bolt EV west out of Greeley on U.S. 34 to Loveland, then south on U.S. 287; our destination was Hygiene, the quaint and quiet village northwest of Longmont. The weather was warm, the drive was wonderful.

With the Bolt’s easy turnaround and parking capabilities, we were back and forth and here and there in the little town before driving on west on narrow Hygiene Road to U.S. 36 Foothills Roadway to the south as far as the Greenbriar Inn at Lefthand Canyon, then turned around for the return trip.

Back home, the Bolt’s information center indicated we had driven 98 miles, using only 83 miles of the battery pack’s range. Regenerative braking was a major contributor to the eco success. By pulling a paddle at the steering wheel, the vehicle is slowed gradually without using the brake, converting energy into more electricity to transfer back to the battery. Shift into “Low” mode, lift your foot from the accelerator and the slowdown is much more immediate. The battery pack, very flat, spans the entire length of the vehicle’s floor.

The Bolt rides on Michelin Energy 215/50R17 tires, containing silica-based compound that helps keep the rolling resistance low.

The Bolt competes with the Nissan Leaf Plus, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Soul EV and Niro EV and Tesla Model 3.

The Premier trim level of the Bolt carries a sticker price of $43,735.

Rolling along on a Sunday afternoon on a straight stretch of roadway devoid of traffic, I quickly moved this powerful-popping performance coupe into triple-digit speed. Its weighty plumpness and near-foot-wide Pirelli 305/35s at the corners lent it a very safe feel at 110.

It’s the 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody with 797-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi high-output V-8 engine and TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission.

It would be so easy to put this Hellcat three or four 10-mph notches higher to supercede my personal highs for road speed (other than on a track), first aboard a Jaguar XJL sedan in 2010, then a year later in a Cadillac CTS-V Wagon.

Yet, those runs were then, this is now. I’m older and, importantly, Jan is beside me; I’ve always been alone previously with any high-speed testing. Conscience prevailed, I backed off the throttle and we enjoyed the ride home.

The Challenger maintains a keen competitiveness with the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, dating back 50 years. The 4,500-pound curb weight for the rear-drive Dodge is an indicator that it may be better-planted down the track than its two rivals, which weigh in about 600 pounds lighter. All three are extremely quick.

To drive the high-output Hellcat Redeye is exhilarating. The fun of the run, though, can be an expensive proposition. While the Challenger SRT Hellcat comes in at a base price of $58,995, the addition of Redeye Widebody fender flares, performance tires, competition suspension and a couple-dozen other enhancements pushed sticker price to a whopping $92,445. Included in the options are ventilated laguna leather seats, suede headliner, Harman Kardon audio with 18 speakers, GPS navigation and SRT performance spoiler.

Dodge offers a wide body of Challengers, ranging from the basic SXT around $30,000 to the $90-plus review model I drove. There is the popular GT V-6 with all-wheel drive, and the R/T, R/T Scat Pack, R/T Scat Pack Widebody, SRT Hellcat, SRT Hellcat Widebody, SRT Hellcat Redeye and the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody featured here today.

With all that power, the Hellcat Redeye’s EPA estimate is 13/21 miles per gallon. My overall average was 14.2, lessened perhaps by a drivethrough at Starbucks.

Honestly, though, during a couple takeoffs at near full-throttle, the Challenger’s rear tires were spinning and rear end was threatening fishtail until I eased my foot.

Eye-catching beneath the hood of the Redeye, in addition to the hemispherical combustion chamber, is the wide green-colored belt which turns the supercharger.

Dodge offers in place of the normal red keypod, one finished in black, which will reduce horsepower to a mere 500.

Adding enjoyment inside the Challenger are Uconnect navigation with 8.4-inch display and the sound system.

The two-door Challenger models are built in an FCA plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, across the factory floor from the four-door Dodge Chargers.

-Contact Bud Wells at

[email protected] 

The 2021 Lexus LC500 Convertible, anticipated for a couple of years, has arrived – in style. Beautiful. With a top that drops in 15 seconds, the LC’s appearance was timed perfectly for our warm days and cool-down evenings of August.

Lexus, when it introduced its LC500 coupe three years ago, labeled it a “world-class luxury coupe, with enhanced steering, suspension and braking.”

Regarding the new convertible, add the attribute “stylish,” as in world class leader, noted from its spindle grille and long, tapered hood back to the well-defined rear haunches. Smiles of admiration and awe highlighted faces of family members and friends who were escorted into my garage for viewing of the LC.

Top up or top down, it’s the best-looker of new autos; better than the BMW 850i convertible, better than the Mercedes-Benz SL550, better than the Porsche 911 and, yes, better than the Acura NSX. That covers the main competitors for the LC500 convertible.

Those foes, particularly the three German firms, will lay claim to superior performance and comfort, with some merit.

Lexus will counter and wave its price tag – sticker price of $111,325. Compare the SL550 at $120,000, the 911 and 850i at $130,000 and the NSX at 150,000.

To build interest in the convertible, seven months ago prior to production, a bidding event at the Barrett-Jackson Auction at Scottsdale, Ariz., was to own the first LC500 convertible. A prototype was shown at the auction; winning bid was $2 million by Kent Stevinson, longtime Chevrolet/Toyota/Lexus dealer in the Denver area. The entire amount went to two charities, Boys & Girls Club of America and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Stevinson took delivery of the special Lexus, stamped No. 100001. It was finished in structural blue with white leather interior.

The review model I drove showed off very brightly circuit red seats inside against an ultrawhite exterior and black top.

Who wants turbo boost? When power is needed, this rear-wheel-drive Lexus delivers with a naturally aspirated, 471-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 engine and 10-speed sport direct-shift transmission with manual mode and magnesium paddleshifters at the steering wheel. Front brake discs are huge, 15.7 inches, with 14.1 at the rear. Strong acceleration is appreciated; so, too, the active sport exhaust.

The interior is enhanced with surround sound audio from Mark Levinson 13-speaker system. Tiny buttons for cruise control and driver information are frustrating.

Sticker price hit $111,325 with options of

• 21-inch forged wheels at $2,650,
• head-up display $900,
• limited-slip differential $460 and
• a touring package of aniline leather-trimmed seats, heated steering wheel, climate concierge with upper-body heating and Levinson-embossed headrests.
• Aiding the upper-body heat is warm air blowing from the headrests.

Included among safety features are precollision system with pedestrian-detection, radar cruise control, intelligent high beams and lane-keep assist and lane-departure alert with steering assist.

The Lexus LC500 convertible, built in Aichi, Japan, is on a wheelbase of 113 inches, 187.4 inches in overall length and curb weight of 4,540 pounds.

Mercedes-Benz was once known for producing luxury sedans “far superior in comfort” while ceding recognition to BMW and its M division for high-performance success.

By tightening a link to engine-enhancing AMG, results were a rush of adrenaline which Mercedes found to its liking, and, eventually, it purchased full control of the affiliate. AMG-spiked Mercedes products today compete head-on with the Bimmer hotrods.

My comprehension of Mercedes’ move to the performance side of automotive achievement was reinforced through drivetime with three M-B products – 2021 AMG GLE53 Coupe, ’20 AMG GLC43 SUV and ’20 A220 4Matic Sedan with AMG trim.

The new, powerful AMG-enhanced engine in the GLE marks a return to inline-6 design for M-B and it produces 429 horsepower tied to a 9-gear Speedshift automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive. The straight-six is equipped with two turbochargers and gets even more boost from a mild hybrid setup.

The GLE, like its rival BMW Gran Coupe, is of four-door structure though because of its sharp slope to the rear is referred to by the German carbuilders as a coupe.

It’s definitely a quality interior, even considering the orange armrests and seat inserts. There are leather handles atop each side of the console, sport-bolstered front seats, Burmester surround sound and wide driver-information center and infotainment screen stretch more than halfway across the dashfront.

The new inline-6 power setup, AMG classic red/black nappa leather and a load of optional finery pushed the GLE into S-class territory – $93,195. Though the engine and transmission are German-built, the final assembly of the “coupe” is at Vance, Ala.

Performance of the ’20 AMG GLC43 SUV, which uses a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6, is near equal to the GLE’s inline-6. The GLC V-6’s 0 to 60 time of 4.7 seconds is actually a bit quicker than the GLE. The two are rated even in tow capacity, 3,500 pounds.

The GLC’s V-6 horsepower is 385 and it uses the same 9-speed automatic transmission as the GLE, with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Turn circle for either is just under 40 feet. The GLC is built in Bremen, Germany.

The A220 4Matic, Mercedes’ smallest offering in the U.S., gets by with a turboed 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder of 188 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission.

The little Benz, assembled in Aguascalientes, Mexico, earned an EPA estimate of 24/34 miles per gallon. It is a good handler, riding on Pirelli 225/40R19 tires, with occasional bumpy ride.

It is a direct competitor to the BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe (with four doors), which I reviewed several weeks ago. While the Mercedes A220 at 179.1 inches in overall length is a half-inch longer than the Bimmer, its curb weight of 3,425 is 100 pounds lighter than the BMW. Other competitors are the Audi A3 and Acura ILX.

The $48,295 sticker price for the A220 includes heated front seats and heated steering wheel, 19-inch AMG multispoke wheels, driver assistance package (emergency stop, brake assist, steering assist, lane-keeping), high-beam control, navigation and traffic-sign assist and digital instrument cluster.

General Motors, in seeking a bigger slice of a small pie, appears to be tossing tradition to the winds.

I’m talking of two new U.S. subcompact SUVs, Buick Encore GX and Chevy Trailblazer, sharing a platform out of GM’s Bupyeong plant in South Korea.

Two weeks after review of the Encore GX, slightly larger than the standard Encore, I added the impressions from the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer. While the new Trailblazer is a small subcompact, its name is reborn from a Chev midsize SUV of 15 years or so ago (2002-2009).

My first thought of the ’21 Chevy is that its ride quality is a bit bumpier than the Buick. Any oldtimer will agree that a Buick rides softer than a Chevrolet.

Then a look at specifications told me the Chevy, on the same platform as the Buick GX, is an inch and a half longer in wheelbase and 2 inches longer in overall length than the Buick. Don’t ask an oldtimer to explain that (aren’t Buicks always larger).

Regardless how the Trailblazer stacks up against its GM sibling, its an impressive small SUV crossover, with its zeus bronze metallic finish, capped with white top and side mirrors trimmed in white with puddle lamps.

It’s a pleasure to drive with its turbocharged, 1.3-liter, 3-cylinder Ecotec engine and 9-speed automatic transmission. Other than a definite low-end turbo lag, performance is responsive at midrange. For all-wheel-drive capability in the front-drive-based Trailblazer, simply push a button to the driver’s right. It remains in AWD mode on restart.

The 1.3-liter engine with AWD earned EPA estimate of 26/30 miles per gallon, and my overall average for 340 miles was 28.8. It rides on Hankook 225/60R17 tires. In my review last month of the Buick Encore GX front-wheel-drive model, I averaged 29.3.

The Chevy review model, in Activ trim level, was very well equipped and sticker-priced at $30,580. Cheaper trims are LS, beginning at $23,500 with AWD, and LT, while the RS is priced same as Activ.  In front-wheel-drive form, the LS and LT versions are equipped with a 137-hp, 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission.

Among interior highlights for the Trailblazer Activ model are leatherette seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bose seven-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capable, driver information center and air conditioning. Safety advances are adaptive cruise control, forward-collision alert, lane-keeping assist, rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert.

That bit of stretch of overall length of the Trailblazer to the Encore GX created an edge in cargo space behind the back row of seats, 25.3 cubic feet in the Chevy and 23.5 in the Buick.

Chevrolet is already represented by Trax, a leading seller among subcompact SUVs, and the addition of the modern Trailblazer should give the company dominance in that end of the market.

The TRD badge, a synonym for “performance” for years on Toyota trucks and SUVs, has surprisingly been added to Avalon and Camry sedans, and I showed one off in a drive to Sterling in July.

The TRD (Toyota Racing Development) parts and trim were built into a 2020 Avalon four-door, finished in supersonic red with matte black alloy wheels and red brake calipers. It is one of the few remaining large cars sold in the U.S., without including luxury models.

The drive to the northeast was to attend memorial services at Christ United Methodist Church in Sterling for Don Miles, longtime sports editor at the Sterling Journal-Advocate. He served that position, except for three years’ service in the U.S. Army, from 1954 into the 1990s. He was inducted into the Colorado Coaches Hall of Fame in 1973.

When Miles left the Sterling paper for service in the Army in October 1956, it created the opening for me to become a newspaperman at age 19. On Miles’ return in 1959, I moved over to the news side of the J-A and eventually was promoted to editor before moving on to Denver newspapers.

Miles is survived by his wife, Margaret; a son, Jim Miles of Joliet, Ill.; a daughter, Debra Petterson of Peoria, Ariz.; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Regarding this big, front-wheel-drive Avalon (4 inches longer and 400 pounds heavier than a Camry), it averaged 30 miles per gallon for the 200-mile run to Sterling and back to Greeley. Its 3.5-liter V-6 engine develops 301 horsepower, and the powertrain includes paddleshifting capability for the 8-speed automatic transmission.

What makes the Avalon somewhat special and much more competitive with a Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger or Nissan Maxima are the TRD tweaks, such as thicker underbody braces, sport-tuned front and rear suspension that lowers the body 0.6 inch; with the front and side aero skirts, it is noticeably low-slung.

From a safety standpoint, the front brake discs have been increased from 12 inches to 12.9, with two-piston calipers rather than singles. Active Cornering Assist applies braking of inner wheels in cornering to reduce understeer.

Among interior highlights are a shift knob with TRD logo, red-stitched seats and steering wheel and red seat belts. Premium audio is included with 14 speakers and subwoofer, along with navigation, hands-free Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay compatibility. A large trunk offers 16 cubic feet of space.

Precollision system with pedestrian detection is included in the sticker price of $46,147, as well as radar cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist and automatic high beams.

“Yes, it’s a Camry,” I responded the following week to numerous onlookers impressed with the sleek, low-slung, powerful-looking Camry sedan, finished in red. It surely doesn’t fit the image of the long-cherished, four-door family midsizer.

The midsize sedan field, once the largest market in the U.S., has been shrinking for several years.

Other than for the Chevy Malibu, the domestics have either abandoned or are in the process of vacating the midsize and larger  markets. The Chrysler 200 bailed out a couple years ago; since then the withdrawals have included Ford Fusion and Taurus, Buick LaCrosse and Regal, Chevrolet Impala, as well as smaller sedans Dodge Dart, Ford  Focus and Fiesta, Chev Cruze and Sonic and Buick Verano.

Responding to the fact a number of competitors of Toyota are abandoning the midsize field, a Toyota executive said, “We plan to take as much of the remaining share as we possibly can, we’re building for it” (explaining the expansion into TRD trim).

The addition of TRD brings to six the number of trim levels for Toyota Camry; the other five are L, LE, SE, XSE and XLE.

The 2020 Camry TRD V-6 review model, built at Georgetown, Ky., is on a wheelbase of 111.2 inches, measures 194.6 inches in overall length, with curb weight of 3,572 pounds, 300 heavier than lesser-equipped, 4-cylinder-powered models.

With all that power at hand, the Camry averaged an impressive 27.9 miles per gallon overall. Its EPA estimate is 22/31,

Body control is much improved with the new Camry through tuned suspension and stiffer underbody braces.

Its $32,920 sticker price includes cruise control, precollision braking system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert and steering assist, hands-free Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, sport seats with red seat belts.

The huge vehicle showed up at my house on a Thursday morning; a high-roof Sprinter 2500 passenger van, built by Mercedes-Benz.

It stands 9 feet in height, has seating for 12. Behind the driver and front-seat passenger are a second row of three seats, a third row of three and a fourth row of four.

The question I had of “what will I ever do to review all this seating space” was answered when daughter Kathy Allen, mentioning that seven from her neighborhood had planned a drive Saturday evening to Stoneham for dinner at Dewey’s Bar & Grill, and added, “why don’t you and Mom (Jan) drive us there and enjoy the dinner party.

The step-in height of the van is 24 to 25 inches, and those friends we loaded for the drive out east appreciated the fact we had a 9-inch step stool with us to ease access and egress. Those boarding the Sprinter were Karen Goehring, Will and Jody Kulp, Jon and Nancy Weaver and Kathy and Bill Allen.

Excellent performance was provided by a 188-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel and 7-speed automatic transmission for the four-wheel-drive people hauler. The van, more nimble in handling than expected, followed Colo. 392 through Lucerne and on to Briggsdale, then east on Colo. 14 to Stoneham, 70 miles from Greeley.

Dewey’s is known for its steaks, and there was no disappointment, as the group was well-taken-care-of by the establishment’s owner Ron Ladd and staff member Angela Whitman.

The van’s interior is rather austere, it’s designed for work purposes, and there’s little hint of Mercedes luxury anywhere. The backup camera was very small, approximately 2-inch-by-2-inch, confined to one end of the narrow rearview mirror.

The Sprinter held the course very well on the way home in the dark, when the automatic headlamps got a good tryout.  It was somewhat of a rough ride home, particularly in the far-back row of seats.

Price of the Sprinter van climbed to $61,333 from a base of $48,990 with these optional add-ons – jet black paint $1,015; leatherette seats $400; 4X4 low and high range $7,800; driver convenience $1,210; comfort seats and headrests $690.

Mercedes has announced that it will introduce a new engine, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel, this fall (2020) for Sprinter vans. It competes with the Ford Transit, Chevrolet Express, Ram ProMaster and Nissan NV2500.

The Sprinter van’s braking system is superb, and was tested in a near-collision on our return at 10^th Street and 35^th Avenue when another motorist ran through a red light as the Sprinter began crossing on green. Only quick braking avoided a crash. My reflexes are just fine, thank you.

The automotive mix continues.

Toyota has returned a hatchback to the Yaris subcompact lineup for 2020, after a year’s absence; it is a version of the Mazda2 and produced in a Mazda plant in Salamanca, Mexico. Pricing falls below $20,000.

It’s the smallest car sold by Toyota in the U.S. The little Yaris, from a rear corner, somewhat resembles the long-gone Chrysler PT Cruiser.

The Yaris in the subcompact field outsells Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500, but trails the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Mini Cooper.

The new hatchback at 161.6 inches is approximately the same in overall length as the Honda Fit hatchback. It provides 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Legroom is limited for the rear seating area.

The front-drive Yaris is rated at 32/40 miles per gallon from its little 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine generating 105 horsepower with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It edged past the 40-mpg mark on a 55-mile drive out east of Eaton and back, and its overall average for 125 miles was 38.9, that’s impressive. A Sport mode quickens the shifts and tightens the steering feel.

With sticker price of $19,705, the Yaris Hatchback XLE is dressed up with leatherette seats and leather trim for its dash, steering wheel, shift knob and park brake handle. It also adds low-speed precollision braking, rain-sensing wipers, 7-inch color touchscreen display, Bluetooth/AppleCarPlay/Android Auto.