Mercedes’ fabled G-Class sport ute, perhaps the most distinctively styled SUV in the world, has been redesigned for 2019. Don’t fret, traditionalists. Though of larger dimensions, the G retains its decades-old posture, squared-off in big, rugged fashion.

The body-on-frame truck shows few changes on the outside; the interior, though, is updated, suspension is remarkedly improved and Dynamic Select offers choice of driving modes, adjusting responses of the engine, transmission, suspension, steering and assistance systems.

Though the big SUV originated in Germany in 1979 as the Gelaendewagen, a functional offroad vehicle for European military personnel, police departments and mining companies, it didn’t go on sale in the U.S. until the 2001 model year. The first one to come my way was in January 2002 just in time to be tested in a snowstorm. 

The ’19 version is 6 inches longer, 7 inches wider and 5 inches taller than the one I drove in 2002. The new one offers noticeably more interior legroom and more shoulder width with the larger dimensions.

An old-fashioned swing gate somewhat dates the G550 from the rear, especially with the spare tire and cover mounted high enough on the gate to block a fourth of the vision out the rear window.

The G rides on Pirelli Scorpion 275/55R19 tires.

Jan and I one day drove the Mercedes to Colorado Springs in search of a replacement door for a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The G-Class would have easily carried the large door, had we found one, for its swing gate opens wide to 38 cubic feet of cargo space and the rear seats can be folded forward to double the space.

With a 4.0-liter biturbo V-8 engine of 416 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft.  of torque, 9-speed automatic transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive, front/rear and center locking differentials and curb weight of 5,700 pounds, the G-Class makes no claim toward improved fuel mileage. Lots of in-town maneuvering and the drive to Colorado Springs and back averaged 16.1 miles per gallon; its EPA rating is 13/17.

Besides a couple U.S. luxuries – the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade – the big German G-Wagen competes with the BMW X7, Range Rover, Lexus LX and Infiniti QX80.

Kim Parker thought the G-Class looked right at home parked near Centennial Village at Island Grove during the Weld County Fair.

This special mountain-climbing Mercedes SUV, built in Graz, Austria, has climbed in sticker price from $73,145 in 2002 to $134,315 for this year’s G. Lane-keeping, brake assist and blind-spot warning are standard, along with Burmester surround-sound system, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The new one, on a wheelbase of 113.8 inches, is 189.7 inches in overall length, 76 wide and 77.2 in height. It will tow 7,000 pounds. Turning circle is a wide 44.6 feet. Its ride comfort matches any full-size luxury SUV in the country.

It was a heckuva good week with the 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison before dropping it off in late August at a breakfast gathering at Woolley’s Classic Suites in Aurora, then teaming up with the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press in its annual summertime “driving experience,” this time toward Cheyenne Mountain.

Don’t be misled by the “AEV” moniker on the Colorado’s tailgate. This is no “electric vehicle.” The badge’s AEV initials represent American Expedition Vehicles, an offroad-accessory company which has helped custom-build 4X4s for 20 years.

Topping off the well-equipped Colorado ZR2 Bison turbodiesel pickup with AEV hot-stamped Boron steel front and rear bumpers and skid plates, along with AEV wheels and wheel flares, lends the Chevy offroad competency alongside the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

The Bison lines up as a competitor of another new Jeep offroad star, the Gladiator pickup, which went on sale recently.

American Expedition Vehicles is headquartered in Missoula, Mont., and operates a manufacturing facility at Wixom, Mich. Most of its 4X4 enhancement have been devoted to Wranglers and Ram pickups, before linking up with Chevrolet on the Colorado pickup.

The aggressive-looking Bison, which is 31/2 inches wider and 2 inches taller than a standard Colorado pickup, is powered by a turbocharged 2.8-liter, 4-cylinder, Duramax diesel. The turbodiesel develops 369 lb.-ft. of torque with 186 horsepower and is tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission with manual-mode shifting. It is noisier than the bigger turbdiesels used in the full-sized General Motors, Ford and Ram pickups. An optional engine is a gas-powered 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 308 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque.

One evening, Jan accompanied me in the Bison to the Pepper Pod restaurant in Hudson, where we joined Richard Johnson, Dan and Jamie Johnson, for dinner. Dick and I worked together at The Denver Post many years ago, including several years in the early ‘70s at side-by-side desks as assistant city editors. At 93, Dick is living with his son and daughter-in-law in the Denver metro area.

A couple days later, away from the highway driving in soft dirt, then deep ruts from much use and a steep climb, I briefly tested four-wheel low range, which is controlled by a dial from two-wheel high to automatic four-wheel, four-wheel high and four-low.

Overall fuel-mileage average for the Chevy was 20.9 miles per gallon; the EPA estimate with the diesel is 18/22.

Accessing the Bison interior requires a high, 25-inch step-in; it had no step rail. Once inside, the midsize truck rides fairly comfortably, even with the beefed-up spring rates and shocks.

Built in Wentzville, Mo., the Colorado 4X4 ZR2 Crew Short Box pickup is base-priced at $43,995. Adding the Bison/AEV packages cost an extra 5,750 and the Duramax turbodiesel added $3,500 for a sticker value of $53,245.

Jan and I responded quickly when, barely into the second series of plays in the Denver Broncos/Chicago Bears NFL game, all power was lost to our home (and 110 others) and Xcel informed us it would be several hours before service was restored.

We climbed into the 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE sedan and headed out for a Sunday afternoon drive, with the voice of Dave Logan describing further Bronco action on KOA’s 850 frequency.

The Corolla for the coming year will ride on Toyota’s New Global Architecture, the modular unibody automobile platforms that underpin various Toyota and Lexus models. Restyling for the Corolla includes a somewhat lower and more prominent grille, kind of Mazda-like, with a higher-riding rear end.

I drove the new Corolla toward Loveland, then south on U.S. 287 almost to Longmont, west to Lyons and on into the hills. The XSE is the higher trim level, equipped with an upgraded engine, the 169-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, mated to an advanced continuously variable transmission.

Still, it is on the light side in performance. It needed no more power through Lyons and a couple more miles down the road, not much climbing – yet. From that point to Allenspark, the elevation gain is 3,400 feet, working the little Toyota fairly strenuously. With paddle shifters and sport mode for the tranny, a gear lock maintains steady power, avoiding the swing up and down of the CVT in normal output.

Handling, aided by a new independent rear suspension, is superb, and the front seats, with lumbar support for the driver, were comfortable. The Corolla’s low-profile Yokohama 225/40R18 tires, though, transmitted lots of road noise.

It was a nice, swift drive on to Estes Park and in the descent of the Big Thompson Canyon road the Corolla’s manual-mode gear lock came into full play, very conveniently in some heavy traffic. By the time we got back, our home’s electrical system was at peak power.

For the 128-mile drive, the Corolla averaged 34.8 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is 31/38.

Sticker price reached $29,168 for the Corolla XSE with a $1,715 addition for premium audio and dynamic navigation with Apple CarPlay, and hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth.

Among the Corolla’s standard safety system is lane-tracing assist, effective when adaptive cruise is engaged, helping keep the sedan in the middle of the lane of travel.

Pricing of the lowest-trim-level Corolla, the LE, begins around $20,500. Base engine is a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder of 139 horsepower and CVT.

The Corolla is a strong competitor for other compacts, including Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Nissan Sentra.

I’d last driven a new car with sticker price below $20 grand about 18 months ago – a Honda Fit, priced at $18,390.

It happened again last week, though, when the 2020 Nissan Versa, in its third-generation finery, was dropped at my door showing a tag of $19,140. The Versa is a subcompact, as is the Fit.

This little Versa SV four-door, which has grown just a bit in size, is equipped with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, Nissan Connect featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus SiriusXM satellite radio – all that and the attractively low  price, too.

For the ’20 model year, the Versa is 2 inches longer in overall length, an inch wider and an inch longer in wheelbase.

It carried us early one morning from Greeley to DIA, where daughter Kim boarded a flight to Atlanta to see two of her grandchildren, and Dustin and Janea. Four days later, it was a return drive to the busy airport for Kim’s return home.

The Versa’s interior, refined somewhat over previous years, is roomy enough, both front and back, and offers an easy-to-load trunk of 15 cubic feet of space. The cloth-seat finish, though, gives the impression of patchwork, with varied-sized pieces of white, black, gray sewn together.

Horsepower in this year’s Versa has been boosted to 122 from 109 for the 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine; still it is slow in acceleration. Standard transmission is a 5-speed manual; the review model is equipped with a continuously variable transmission. It kind of mimics the shift steps of a normal automatic transmission. The Versa is built in Mexico.

The 1.6-liter and CVT combination earns an outstanding EPA estimate of 32 miles per gallon of fuel in the city and 40 on the highway for the sedan, with curb weight of 2,657 pounds. Helped by the two highway drives to DIA and back, the Versa posted an overall average of 37.8 mpg.

The front-wheel-drive Versa is best seller in its class, but total sales of subcompacts is only a third or fewer of sales by the larger compact and midsize autos.

Twice previously I’ve driven Nissan Versa models, and, like the 2020 version, both responded high in economy. A 2015 Versa sedan recorded overall mpg of 36.3, after a year earlier a Versa Note hatchback posted an average of 35.6.

Interestingly, the little 2014 Versa, the smallest Nissan, was delivered while I also had in possession the biggest Infiniti built, the QX80 SUV. Infiniti is the luxury division for Japanese automaker Nissan.

We pulled the little Versa up beside the QX80 and it fell short by 3 ½ feet in length. The big Infiniti outweighed the Versa, 5,850 pounds to 2,500.

While Audi followers await arrival of the small, second-generation Q3, filling the spotlight from Ingolstadt headquarters is the Q8 midsize luxury offering.

Though numerically atop the SUV crossover line with the Q3/5/7 models, the Q8 is offered only with two rows of seating. The Q7, with three rows, remains the prime people hauler.

While the Q8 is 2 or 3 inches shorter than the Q7, it is wider and sits lower. The fact there is no concern for third-row headroom gives the two-row Q8 a nicely styled rear end, slope and all. It’s better-looking than the Q7; pricier, too, and like all Audis, is filled with technological innovation.

Jan and I drove in to Denver on U.S. 85 from our home up north, crossed to the west via I76, then followed Wadsworth Boulevard south to Hampden Avenue enroute to dinner at The Fort at Morrison along U.S. 285.
Wadsworth, with numerous stoplights, was chosen to best test Audi’s Traffic Light Information system.

At the first red light, on a display in front of me the car counted down the seconds remaining before the green light. This allows time for thought or discussion, anything besides staring at the red light. As our drive continued, the system indicated I should follow a speed of 45 miles per hour in order to clear the next stop light on green, and sure enough that worked. The traffic light information system taps into a city’s traffic control setup and knows when the lights are going to change. Denver is one of 12 cities involved in a network with the Audi program.

The traffic light system is interesting, and fun to discuss with other motorists. When I told daughter Kathy and her husband Bill Allen of the experience, Kathy said, “My Q5 (2018) has the same feature.”

On a level of importance, avoiding a red light probably doesn’t measure up to lane-guidance, automatic emergency braking and reading and responding to traffic speed signs, which I first tested on a Q7 three years ago.

Built in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Q8 quattro performs from a 335-horsepower, 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 with 369 lb.-ft. torque rating and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Curb weight is a heavy 5,000 pounds on an overall length of 196.6 inches. The Q8 towing capacity is 7,700 pounds. It is somewhat sluggish in low-end torque; once the turbo kicks in the performance is impressive. Convenient and of quick, easy grip is the stubby-short shifter on the center console. Fuel mileage was a relatively low 19.6 miles per gallon (EPA estimate 17-22).

Its adaptive air suspension, slight all-wheel-steering, 22-inch wheels, seamless shifts, smooth acceleration and fairly soft lane control create great handling and ride. Valcona leather seats are well-contoured and are designed with very generous amount of movement, from lower to taller setting.

The infotainment system includes two touch screens, one atop the other. With all its high tech, including Audi MMI navigation and Bang & Olufsen premium sound, nothing is particularly easy about the system’s selections and touch controls. Up-front air/heat vents are near-hidden across the dash’s width beneath the stitched-leather-covered dashtop. An oddity is that, with the car stopped and windows rolled down, when either front door is opened the window glass raises 2 to 3 inches out of its recessed position. “This is a normal feature/function of the Q8,” said an Audi representative. “Raising the window up a few inches automatically when opening and closing the door prevents the window from rattling.” Numerous high-end options pushed the Q8 price from a base of $67,400 to an $88,690 sticker. Among the add-ons are illuminated door sills, four-zone climate controls, heated and cooled front seats and heated steering wheel, power-fold exterior mirrors, head-up display, sunshades, alcantra headliner, towing package.                                

Mazda has tied a “down-to-earth” approach to its high-flying “soul of motion” design in an effort to save its compact sedan and hatchback, mired  like all others of that ilk in an industrywide sales descent.

Aimed particularly at Colorado and other regions of less-than-favorable winter weather, the smooth, little Mazda3 has been equipped with an optional all-wheel-drive configuration.

The future of compact and midsize sedans is in question, as consumers are abandoning the traditional four-door cars in favor of SUVs and four-door pickups. Several once-popular model names are already gone or are scheduled for discontinuance.

The Mazda3, with its sleek styling, is consistently rated among the top three compacts in the country, yet its sales never match up against its Japanese competitors. By the end of July this year, sales of the Mazda3 totaled 32,174 far below Honda Civic’s 198,339, Toyota Corolla’s 183,503, Nissan Altima’s 120,013  and Subaru’s 35,913.

Colorado, with its mountainous terrain and winter snowfall, is prime country for four-wheel-drive and all-wheel vehicles.

Kaitlyn Dykstra, of Hill & Knowlton representing Mazda, presented a more positive position on the redesigned compact sedan: “While we aren’t able to provide a specific number around the projection of sales, Mazda is continuing to move up towards the path to premium, introducing more premium features that help connect us with our fans.”

I drove into Denver and back home on two occasions aboard the stylish Mazda3, finished in soul red crystal. On a wheelbase of 107.3 inches and curb weight of 3,255 pounds, it is a good handler offering fairly comfortable ride, responsive 186-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission with sport mode and paddle shifters. It rides on Toyo 215/45R18 tires. Front struts and rear torsion beams are basics for its suspension system.

It’s as elegantly finished inside as outside, with leather seating, moonroof and Bose premium audio/Bluetooth/Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Adults might feel somewhat cramped for space in the rear seat, which is short of legroom. Trunk space is only 13.2 cubic feet.

Mazda’s I-Activ all-wheel drive adds $3,000 to the base price of a front-drive model. Adding lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert and radar cruise control with stop-and-go pushed sticker price on the review model to $30,930.

The AWD adds a couple hundred pounds to the Mazda3, for which the 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder averaged 26.9 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is  25-33, and I’ve averaged more than 30 mpg previously with Mazda3 models. My overall average last week was lowered with lots of in-city (Denver) maneuvering.

The Mazda3 is built in Hofu, Japan. The company’s best-selling model by far is the CX-5 compact crossover.

Though the AWD opportunity will have little effect on Mazda3 sales in warm-climate areas, such as Phoenix and Los Angeles, the boost in Colorado might lift Mazda total sales past BMW and Kia into 12^th place from 14^th in this state.

The 2019 Ford F-150 SuperCrew pickup sat in my driveway and Jan was working in one of her flower beds when neighbors Dennis and Marsha, out for a walk, stopped to chat with her.

Commenting on the pickup, one of them told Jan, “the color is delightful.” Ford calls the exterior finish “velocity blue,” and it is a standout on the big, four-door, half-ton truck.

When Dennis and his wife moved into the neighborhood seven or eight years ago, they were driving a little Smart car. It was blue, too, if I remember correctly. Smart cars will no longer be sold in the U.S. and Canada after the 2019 model year, it was announced last week by parent company Mercedes-Benz. The Smart was never a strong seller over here.

The neighbors now drive a new subcompact SUV crossover – it’s blue, also.

The blue hue, growing in popularity, is sixth most popular new-vehicle color, according to PPG, which lists the top color choices, in order, as white, black, gray, silver and red.

Pickups, regardless of color, sell very well throughout Colorado. The state of Texas claims it’s the hottest sales area for pickup trucks. Trucks are seen all over this state, too.

I’ve had my share this model year, having reviewed the Chev Silverado Trail Boss, the Ford Raptor and new Ranger along with the Lariat 4X4, the GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, the new Jeep Gladiator, the Ram 1500 Longhorn and Rebel along with the HD 2500 Tradesman, and Toyota Tacoma and Tundra.

The midsize Ranger and Gladiator will compete with representative compacts Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier for market share.

The rugged Frontier, which has received little upgrading from Nissan since 2004, is expected to show a new face for 2020, and Ram, which hasn’t had a midsize model since killing the Dakota in 2010, is working on a new one for, perhaps, 2021. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, parent company of Jeep and Ram, has indicated any new midsize model from Ram will not closely copy the offroad-capable Gladiator.

I drove early one morning to Morrison, near where the 2020 Gladiator was being shown at The Fort Restaurant. While I was  preparing to drive the Gladiator, Norm Fryer of Automotive Media Solutions showed up to exchange vehicles with me – delivering to me the 2019 Ford F-150 4X4 Lariat SuperCrew with V-8 power and taking away the new BMW X7 full-size SUV crossover, which I had driven up there from my home.

The 70-mile drive home in the F-150 was a pleasure; the smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission was tied to the 395-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 with 400 lb.-ft. of torque. The noticeable difference in Ford’s V-8 from its line of powerful V-6s is in fuel mileage. With more than 50 percent of my drive time on the highway last week with the F-150, it averaged only 17.8 miles per gallon overall. I’ve normally averaged 20-mpg or higher with the 2.7, 3.3 and 3.5 six-cylinders for the half-ton.

The four-door crew cab, finished in velocity blue exterior, is stylish, as pickups go, and is all black inside, with comfortable leather. A roomy rear seating area is brightened from a full sunroof. Access is eased with deployable running boards.

Tailgate innovation is big news these days. As the Ford tailgate drops into open position, push a button in the top end and a 3-foot-wide step lowers into position along with a steadying rod beside it for safely climbing up into the pickup bed. Along with the Ford drop-down step, Ram is showing off a split tailgate, GMC has one which can be used in three positions from a two-step-up to a football tailgating capability, and Chevy has the convenient step-up at the ends of the rear bumper.

To have the V-8 power at hand, the added cost was $1,000. From the base price of $47,985 for the Lariat 4X4, options pushed sticker price to $64,555.

Its tow-capability is one of the best in the half-ton market, including Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist system and trailer view. The popular option automatically backs a truck and trailer into tight parking space, with the driver participation simply turning a knob, keeping an eye on the rearview camera screen and occasionally braking.