The precaution built into the Cadillac Escalade’s Super Cruise “hands-off” system was reassuring to me as I tested the large, luxurious SUV.

A highlight of the Super Cruise at this stage of its development is the opportunity for hands-free lane changes on Interstate highways.

Driving on I-25 north of Denver, the push of a button engaged the system, I pulled a lever down for a left turn and self-driving took over. My intention was to move from center lane to left lane and pass a slower-moving sedan. With its cameras and radar in effect, Super Cruise gradually started to move us to the left but detected at the same moment I caught sight in the side mirror a fast-moving vehicle approaching from behind in the left lane. The Cadillac returned to the center lane; after the speedster passed us and the gap returned, the system guided us into the left lane, I speeded up, then signaled right turn and, gaining clearance, the system guided us back into the center lane ahead of the slower-moving motorist. A task well-done, very safely.

A federal safety agency has told automakers it will begin investigating safety issues that could emerge in automated systems, such as Tesla’s Autopilot, General Motors’ Super Cruise and others.

The Cadillac seemed smooth and precise in its Super Cruise lane-changing. Though I prefer the traditional “hands-on” style of driving, as an auto reviewer I take seriously my role in testing the technological advancements so plentiful these days.

The lane-change feature, at this time, is usable in Colorado only on I-25, I-70 and I-76.

The Escalade, with Super Cruise, air-ride adaptive suspension, 6.2 V-8 power and 22-inch wheels, has softly though powerfully moved capably into the full-size luxury circle of SUVs, alongside the Mercedes GLS, BMW X7, Audi and Lincoln. It has followed the others also into six-figure pricing at $113,065.

The quilted-leather seats in the Cadillac are well-bolstered and well-cushioned, somewhat softer than a full-size GSL from Mercedes, which normally opts for a more-firm ride.

To that softness add strong performance from the Cadillac’s 420-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 with 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. It handled the climbs and twists of County Road 64E from Livermore to Red Feather Lakes with ease.

At Red Feather Lakes, Jan and I got out in a nice, light summer rainfall, and walked into the Hill Top General Store and Antiques, where we enjoyed visiting with Linda Duque, who began work there this summer.

The redesigned Escalade offers three rows of comfortable seating and pleasant ride, an elegant interior and large cargo area. Approach the rear of the SUV at night with key in pocket, and the Cadillac emblem shines beneath the bumper; swing a foot at it and the liftgate will open.

Most of the miles of driving the Escalade were via highway, which resulted in an average of 19.1 miles per gallon overall. Its EPA estimate is 14/19.

When I reviewed the spirited Cadillac CTS-V at $68,445 in 2010, I wondered whether the prices could continue their  rapid rise; five years later the 2015 Escalade showed a sticker of $90,985. In the recent drive, the Cadillac and its Super Cruise burst through the $100,000 barrier.

The 1984 Nissan pickup, owned by Rick Kussman of Fort Lupton, rests beside the new Frontier.

Fans of the Nissan Frontier, you’ve waited patiently, some of you for years for a new-look truck.

It’s almost here – the all-new 2022 Frontier will arrive at Nissan dealerships in September.

It will be the first major overall redesign of the compact pickup since 2005. Its length has increased by 4 inches and height by 3 inches; it will greet you from a more rugged looking grille and front end.

There will be no lack of acceleration from the 310-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine and 9-speed automatic transmission with “shift-on-the-fly” 4-wheel-drive capability.

It’s been a treat for me to drive one of the first 2022 Frontier Pro-4X models.

As I enjoyed a drive west on Colo. 52 in the 2022 Nissan Frontier from coffee at the Pepper Pod in Hudson with Bob Smith, I was nearing Fort Lupton when this older-looking little pickup pulled onto the road out front of me. I recognized it as an old Nissan (or Datsun), got closer and, sure enough, it read NISSAN across the tailgate. I followed it into a shopping center on the east side of Fort Lupton, parked beside it and asked of the two men exiting the vehicle, “What year is the Nissan?” It is a 1984, said Rick Kussman, who was riding with his son, J.D. Lest I assume it was junk, Kussman added, “The 4-wheel-drive is still in working order.”

I’m not going to compare the new one with the ’84, when all the compact pickups were much smaller and noisier, underpowered and rough riding.

For the first time in several years, the new-generation Frontier will be a legitimate competitor of the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator and Honda Ridgeline among compact pickups in the U.S.

Nissan’s 310-hp, 3.8 V-6 is noticeably smoother and stronger than the old 4.0-liter V-6 of 261-hp, and the 9-speed tranny with its oft, quick shifts blows away the outdated 5-speed. Crawling about at the low speeds, though, the steering felt very heavy, seemingly lacking much power assist. The truck is equipped with Bilstein shocks.

A twist of a dial transfers the Frontier operation between 2-wheel-drive, 4-high and 4-low, and buttons for selecting hill-descent control and electronic locking rear differential. Low range exhibited sure, deliberate footing in a hill climb in offroad setting. Tow capacity for the Pro-4X is 6,290 pounds.

Back on the main road, the Frontier is very comfortable and especially quiet for a pickup with all-terrain tires. An interior highlight is its 9-inch color touchscreen with Intelligent Around-View Monitor. Its 5-foot bed is deeper by 1.4 inches for a bit more cargo area.

The ’22 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X review model’s base price of $38,390 climbed to $44,315 with addition of Fender Premium Audio, leather seats (heated in front), lane-departure warning, wireless charger, spray-in bedliner and other amenities.

The 2022 Honda Civic Touring sedan, in its new, 11^th-generation form, was delivered this month (August 2021).

The Civic continues high in popularity, along with its rival Toyota Corolla, while compact, midsize and full-size four-doors are dropping from the sales charts all over the place. The latest is the Toyota Avalon, which will be discontinued after the 2022 model year, and its competitor, the Chrysler 300 is rumored to be near the end of its 17-year run.

It was many years ago when Reuben Jensen, a Nebraska boy who rose to position of executive vice president of General Motors, more than once said to me, “The public will perceive the value every time.”

Of course, in his days General Motors was selling half the new cars in this country, so it was apropos to repeat the statement.

Value placement in the Civic for the first seven months of this year is to the tune of 181,274 sales. And the Corolla? 181,309 sales. Of the combined 362,000 sales, Corolla has outsold Civic by 35.

Honda sees no end to the long-popular Civic, a nameplate dating back almost 50 years.

The Civic Touring review model, with leather-trimmed seats/Bose sound/wireless phone charger, comes in below $30,000 at $29,690. Lesser-priced trims start at $22,695 for the LX, $24,095 for the Sport and $25,695 for the EX.

Performance is satisfactory and fairly smooth with the 180-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission with paddle-shifters. Use of sport mode lends a more normal step-shift feel to the CVT. Base engine for the lower trim levels is a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder of 158 hp and CVT transmission.

The ’22 model is .4-inch longer in wheelbase, almost an inch longer in overall length at 183.3, and has a wider rear track of 61.6 inches (the front track remains at 60.5).

Highlighting a redesigned interior is a honeycomb-mesh design that, while somewhat hiding the HVAC vents, spreads across the full width of the dashboard and into the door panels.

The Civic’s all-around vision is among the best available today, thanks to low-positioned hood and cowl, a flat dash, expanded glass area and “out-of-sight” windshield wipers. The open-greenhouse continues along side windows and pillars and at the rear window, save for a bump at the center bottom for a third brake light. A glance into the rearview mirror can mistake the small blockage as a close-following auto.

Trunk space in the new Civic is 14.4 cubic feet, much roomier than the 13.1 cubic feet in the Toyota Corolla.

Overall fuel-mileage average was 34.2; the Civic’s EPA estimate is 31/38 mpg. The model was built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada.

Honda Sensing safety items included in the $28,695 price are adaptive cruise, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation and traffic-jam assist.

One of the more outstanding compact SUV crossovers in the luxury field is the Audi Q5; a step above that one is the SQ5 by the same builder, which for 2021 has added an all-new variant called the Sportback.

Once known for its supercharged power, the SQ5 the past two years uses a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V-6 of 349 horsepower, mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with all-wheel drive. It is one of the smoothest accelerations of anything I’ve driven this year.

It showed up in my driveway with a new color – district green, a beautiful hue for green, which is making a comeback this year in color popularity (another new color is ultra blue). It also sports a new grille. On the inside, it is dressed up with fine Nappa quilted leather seats and entertains with Bang & Olufsen sound.

The turbocharged Audi carried me and passengers Jan, Kim Parker and Kathy and Bill Allen in a rainstorm on a Saturday evening to McGregor Square, the Monfort Rockies’ recently opened city-block hotel/restaurant/outdoor plaza development across from Coors Field. We enjoyed Carmine’s Italian dining; outside the windows the Rockies were defeating the Padres in San Diego on the big screen. We appreciated, too, an informative visit with a manager, Jessica Imhoff.

I was at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003, when Audi unveiled its 1st SUV concept and called it the “Pikes Peak Quattro.” Coloradans were thrilled with name choice of the famed hill-climb peak, though when it reached production stage two years later as an ’06 model, it carried the designation Q7. Nevertheless, the Q7 and the Q5 three years later have established a strong presence in our state.

With its coupe-like sloping roofline, the ’21 SQ5 Sportback competes with the BMW X4 M40i, Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe, Porsche Macan S and Infiniti QX55.

The Sportback is a superb handler, adjusts to road imperfections on the fly with standard adaptive suspension and offers air-suspension adjustment of the vehicle’s ride height. It rides on 20-inch wheels with red brake calipers. Though the engine and transmission are European-built, the Audi is assembled in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.

On a wheelbase of 111 inches, the SQ5 is 184.8 inches in overall length, 74.5 inches in width, stands 65.5 inches high and is 4,288 pounds in curb weight. Ground clearance is 8.2 inches.

Its 349 horses run 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds, with top speed of 155 miles per hour. Its EPA estimate is 18-24 mpg; my overall average was 20.2.

A long list of high-tech options raised the Sportback’s price from a base of $56,100 to sticker of $66,640.

Active lane assist kept the SUV most often in center lane, even on fairly sharp curves. Among other options were active cruise with traffic-jam assist, power-folding exterior mirrors, phone box, heated steering wheel and top-view camera system. Add to the list an optional sport rear differential to guard against understeer in cornering; a panoramic sunroof and three-zone automatic climate control.