Offroading along a sandhill trail following three or four rainfalls topped off 10 days for me in the driver’s seat of the 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel Crew Cab 4X4. Earlier, the rugged Rebel showed its mettle in an afternoon drive through Rist Canyon in Larimer County, then glitzed up a bit for carrying us to Denver for a bit of nighttime entertainment.

The Ram, a key player in the highly competitive half-ton pickup market, with the early release of its 2019 model gets a jump on the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan.

The new Ram is 4 inches longer than the ’18 model and 225 pounds lighter through use of high-strength steel in the frame, aluminum hood, tailgate and engine mounts.

Packed beneath the hood of the Rebel is its long-used 395-horsepower, 5.7-liter, Hemi V-8 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission; its shifter is a twister dial on the dash. The Ram is built to tow up to 12,700 pounds with a payload of 2,300 pounds. The growl on startup says it’s a Hemi; standard engine is a 305-hp, 3.6-liter V-6.

The 5,700-pound Ram provides outstanding ride comfort and exceptional cornering capability with its coil springs, new Bilstein monotube shocks/dampers and air suspension. The confidence in cornering and ability to control descents with the 8-speed tranny’s manual-mode gear locks added enjoyment during the drive through lightly traveled Rist Canyon and its adjacent areas north of Masonville and west of Fort Collins.

Our Saturday night drive was to the Goldspot Brewing Co., near Regis University, where son Kurt Wells was singing and playing guitar. Between musical selections, two young women, Cara Ferrier of New Jersey and Valerie Warner of New York, enthralled us with stories of their responsibilities in guiding expeditions for the U.S. Antarctic programs. Imagine tent-sleeping in weather as cold as 50-below.

Even with that smooth highway drive in to Denver and back, the Rebel produced no-better fuel mileage average than 16.3 miles per gallon, one of the few sub-par results in the tests. The Rebel 4X4 is rated at 15/21 mpg.

A locking rear differential is standard on the Rebel 4X4, with only a button-push for 4-high and 4-low positioned with the shift dial.

A restyled, aggressive-looking grille lends newness to the ’19 Rebel; the extended length of its body may offer the roomiest rear-seating area of any of the half-ton, crew cab pickups.

Even though the Ram’s pricing list showed it with step rails, there was none, and with the lower set from air suspension, it still required a 26-inch step-in height.

A dual-pane panoramic sunroof, power-folding heated mirrors with signals, 8.4-inch touchscreen navigation/audio, heated front leatherette seats, remote start system and blind-spot/rear cross-path detection boosted price of the Ram to $59,150.

Available soon for the Ram, with either the Hemi V-8 or Pentastar V6 power, will be an eTorque, 48-volt mild hybrid technology which can boost takeoff, restart engine on stop/start and help keep the battery charged, as well as reclaim charge from regenerative braking.

Two automobile power sources beyond the norm, one from Nissan and the other from Nissan’s  luxury division Infiniti, have rolled my way.

Particularly smooth is the Nissan Leaf’s fully electric system, which for the second-generation 2018 model has achieved an extended range – to 152 miles. The Leaf was introduced seven years ago, and, according to Nissan, has sold more full electrics than any other make.

Adding interest was the arrival of a preproduction model of the 2019 Infiniti QX50 with its VC-T power; it is the first production vehicle whose internal-combustion engine will actively vary its compression ratio, from 8.0:1 to 14.0:1.

The VC-T stands for “variable compression turbocharged,” which develops 268 horsepower and 288 lb.-ft. of torque from the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine. It is equipped with a continuously variable transmission.

Though it was scheduled for a week’s stay with me, the loaners of the Infiniti came by after only a day to retrieve the QX50 and its special engine. It apparently is needed for an Asian auto expedition; I thought I heard someone say, “to Mongolia.”

I drove it barely over 50 miles – to Fort Collins with Jan for dinner at an Olive Garden restaurant, before relinquishing the keys the next day. In so few miles, it was difficult to identify characteristics of the new engine, which varies fuel/air mixture in the cylinders depending on driving situations (highway or in-city) and throttle demands by the driver. Acceleration was strong when called upon, the steering was heavily assisted and the ride was exceptionally good.

The luxury compact Infiniti SUV is of front-wheel-drive configuration, with available all-wheel drive (formerly rear-drive and AWD).  Premium fuel is recommended for the variable compression engine.

Key competitors, with their traditional engines, are Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Cadillac XT5, Jaguar F-Pace, Lexus RX, Mercedes GLC, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60.

As for the new Nissan Leaf, it gained extended range through use of an improved 40-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack (up from 30 kWh) and 147-horsepower/236 lb.-ft. torque electric motor. It is surprisingly quick off the line.

The Leaf also introduces an E-Pedal feature allowing the driver to accelerate and brake with one pedal. If e-pedal is engaged, when throttle acceleration lessens or stops, regenerative braking takes over and slows the car at a rate dependent on the easement of the pedal. This is helpful driving in city traffic; the actual brake pedal is still in place, waiting to be mashed by driver when needed.

ProPilot Assist, which I’ve tested in other Nissan and Infiniti products, maintains lane guidance, cruise-distance control and forward-collision warning and emergency braking. The lane guidance kept the Leaf on course, much less aggressively than it did for a Nissan Rogue in December. Though it should reduce driver stress, the ProPilot system reminds drivers that it is “hands-on” in usage.

Nissan says recharging the Leaf’s battery pack takes 35 hours at 110 volts or 7.5 hours at 220 volts. With a third of its range still available, I recharged it to full range at 110 volts in my garage in 20 hours.

The front-drive Leaf is offered in three trim levels, beginning with the S at $29,900, upgraded to the SV at $32,490 and topped off with the SL, which I drove, at $36,200. The addition of the ProPilot Assist boosted sticker price on the review model to $38,510.

The 2019 Volvo XC40, enroute to the Denver Auto Show, took a side road to the north and wound up in my garage for a few days.

Backed out of its stall, it carried Jan and me 60 miles to South Holly Street in Englewood, then back home. This probably is the best luxury subcompact SUV in the country.

Its production is a trifecta of crossover success for Volvo, following in the tracks of the big XC90 and compact XC60.All three were on display for Volvo at the auto show in April.

The all-wheel-drive XC40 is one of the smoothest-operating small crossovers I’ve driven. While Volvo’s bigger XC90 and XC60 get strong performance from a combination of supercharging and turbocharging, the smaller XC40 relies only on turbo boost. It performs satisfactorily, though not with the thrust of the bigger XCs.

Its turboed 2.0-liter, 4cylinder engine develops 248 horsepower and 268 lb.-ft. of torque. It is tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with drive modes of eco, comfort, dynamic and offroad. Paddleshifters are at hand.

The XC40 was recently given an EPA rating of 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 31 on the highway. The 120-mile highway drive I made with the review model, plus some in-town maneuvering, resulted in overall average of 28.6 mpg.

A muscular stance, upward sweeping C pillar and a “floating roof” look are exterior highlights. Adding a foreign touch is a tiny Swedish flag hanging out from the corner of the hood on the driver’s side. A floating roof design on the Nissan Maxima three years ago was an absolute hit; this one isn’t quite so attractive.

Inside, the comfortable seats, lightly bolstered, are of Nappa leather with inserts of soft Nubuck suede finish. There is storage space all over the place. A trash bin with lid can be removed for emptying and cleaning. Cargo space behind the second row of seats is 20.7 cubic feet.
At a post office drive-up lane, two mail pieces missed the opening to the drop box and dropped to the ground. I backed up and over to the center in order to have room to step out and retrieve them, tossed ‘em back in the box, got back in the driver’s seat and pushed the lever to release the park brake; it wouldn’t release. As cars lined up behind me, a message read “Please fasten seatbelt,” and as I did, the brake released, the car lurched forward and on out of the drive-through.

Lane correction and emergency forward braking are among a long list of safety items for the Volvo and pushed its sticker price to $45,835 from a base of $36,200. Its sticker price is within range of the $46,395 tag on the BMW X1 I tested two years ago.

New to the market, the XC40 will compete with the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Infiniti QX30, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLA Class and Range Rover Evoque.

Among the XC40’s specifications are 106.4-inch wheelbase, 174.2-inch overall length, 75.2-inch width, 65.3-inch height, 3,756-pound curb weight.

Noticeably firmer in suspension with less body roll, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata has added an 8-speed automatic transmission to its turbocharged engine in an effort to move upward in the always crowded midsize sedan market.

Hyundai in 1998 drew attention by unwrapping a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and over the years since has built a satisfied customer base with high fuel-mileage readings and somewhat low-side sticker prices.

The Sonata, though, like every other midsize sedan except for the Toyota Camry, has suffered a sales decline in recent months. Two-month sales totals for 2018 are Toyota Camry 55,503; Nissan Altima 39,888; Honda Accord 37,430; Ford Fusion 27,073; Chevrolet Malibu 19,443; Hyundai Sonata 12,727; Kia Optima 11,600; Subaru Legacy 6,607; VW Passat 5,470; Mazda6 3,798; Buick Regal 2,896.

In an age of affordable gasoline prices, large numbers of SUVs and crossovers have become the choice of onetime midsize car consumers.

The Sonata nine years ago (2009) was a standout when it unveiled a sleek, “fluidic sculpture” exterior. Other makes reacted and soon most of the midsize bunch was busy in a shuffle of restyles and refreshes.

For 2018, in an effort to regain lost market share, Hyundai has enlarged the Sonata grille, added sporty lines to a sloped hood, redesigned the infotainment center stack and went to the 8-speed automatic transmission for its turbocharged engine. A cheaper non-turbo base engine is tied to a 6-speed automatic.

The Limited model I drove performs with a turbocharged, 245-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and the 8-speed, which is with paddleshifters and can be enhanced with Sport mode for quicker shifts and better throttle response. Even with a bit of low-end lag and the fact it’s not as quick as some competitive small turbos, it performs much more satisfactorily than with the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated base power.

In an even split of city/highway maneuvers, the Sonata averaged 26.4 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is 23/32 mpg.

The interior is roomy and offers good visibility. Front seats are very supportive and there is plenty of legroom in the rear-seating area. A good-sized trunk provides 16.3 cubic feet of space.

Sized very closely to the Volkswagen Passat, the Sonata rides on a wheelbase of 110.4 inches, is 191.1 inches in overall length and its curb weight is just over 3,500 pounds. Tires are Michelin 235/45R 18; sport-tuned suspensions are front struts and rear multilink. The Korean-based sedan is assembled in Montgomery, Ala.

Prices begin around $23,000 for the least-equipped Sonata. Also among the Sonata’s  lineup are an Eco version with 1.6-liter turbo and 7-speed twin-clutch automatic, and a hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

The Limited model, finished in a sparkly quartz white pearl, carried a sticker price of $33,460, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

Among other amenities are automatic high-beam assist, rearview camera, smart cruise, stop/start capability, sunroof and rear side window sunshades, leather seats heated and cooled in front, heated steering wheel, 8-inch touchscreen navigation, Infinity audio, Apple CarPlay and Android auto integration.

For those asking whether the Sonata might sometime offer all-wheel drive, Hyundai says “probably not.”

Out east of Greeley one evening, I brought the Jeep to a stop, pushed the “launch” button, held the brake momentarily as I mashed the accelerator and we flew down the paved road for a few seconds before I shut it down. Wow.

It’s the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, equipped with the awesome 707-horsepower Hellcat engine; and built into its launch mode is an automatic timer for 0-to-60 clockings. I don’t do the rush-to-60 much anymore, but since the timer was part of the package, why not. The readout indicated my time was 4.5 seconds.

“That’s really fast,” said Jan, who probably hundreds of times in the past held a stopwatch for timing of similar runs I made (never this fast, though).

Regarding the 4.5 reading for the Trackhawk, though, I knew I hadn’t fully depressed the pedal at launch, and, such a quiet evening with absolutely no traffic around, I said, “Let’s try it one more time.”

This time, the Trackhawk was ready, I was ready, and the result was very satisfactory – 3.9 seconds.

Not often, in recent years, have I checked cars and trucks for 0-to-60 times. Years back, Jan was my official timer with the stop watch; we would test them 0-to-50. I’d yell “Go” as I kicked down the accelerator and Jan started the watch, then as the needle moved past 50, “Okay” was the signal for Jan to shut the watch off.

Not as precise as the automatic timer in the Trackhawk, but the method served as a rough indicator of one vehicle’s quickness compared with another. The ’98 Dodge Viper, ’99 Porsche 911 Carrera and ’09 Nissan GT-R were close to 4 seconds (remember, that was to 50, not 60). Others with quickness were an ’81 Maserati Merak SS, ’93 Toyota Supra, ’02 BMW M3 Coupe, ’02 Vette ZO6, ‘03 Audi RS6, ’03 Ford Mustang Mach 1, ’09 Bentley Continental GT, and others I’ve forgotten.

The slowest ever was a ’91 Geo Metro convertible with a 1-liter, 3-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, 19.06 seconds.

The Jeep Trackhawk has beneath its hood the same 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 best-known for performances in
Dodge Challengers and Chargers. It is the first Chrysler factory-produced Hemi engine powered by a supercharger, rather than a turbocharger. I had no occasion to test it for a top speed; Jeep officials say it will reach 180 miles per hour. Its speedometer registers to 200.

Jan and I in the Trackhawk on a Sunday morning headed south in to Denver and, in heavy traffic, drove slowly past Coors Field, where hundreds of baseball fans were already lined up, ostensibly in pursuit of Colorado Rockies star Charlie Blackmon bobbleheads. That was the giveaway for the Colorado Rockies game against the Atlanta Braves.

On down 22^nd Street, we pulled into the parking lot beside Soneff’s automotive building. A few years back, I occasionally saw the late John Soneff out there collecting 5-dollar-bills for parking. Now, it’s a digital machine, which requests first, a license plate number, then partially swallows a credit card which is $20 lighter when it spits it back out. After a short walk, we, too, had a Blackmon bobble in our hands.

Adding impressive performance parameters to the Trackhawk is German-built ZF 8-speed automatic transmission tied to the powerful 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 with 645 lb.-ft. of torque, beefed-up QuadraTrac four-wheel-drive system, Bilstein competition suspension and huge 15.75-inch brake rotors with Brembo 6-piston calipers. Those calipers, by the way, are bright yellow. “My preference is still the comfortable Grand Cherokee Limited at much less cost,” said Jan.

Jan and I took a couple hours out of a wet and cold afternoon and, in a 2018 Nissan Titan 4X4, headed west on U.S. 34.

Just this side of the Dam Store at the opening of the Big Thompson Canyon, which is closed for road and stream work, I guided the Titan on a short right, down the hill into the Sylvan Dale Ranch.

We did some twists and turns on narrow dirt roads before pulling up into a parking area outside the ranch’s main office building, where we took time to photograph the cayenne red pickup.

The Titan is equipped with the offroad-oriented Pro-4X endurance and enhancement packages, including shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system, Bilstein performance shocks, skid plates, utilitrack bed with four tiedown cleats, electronic tailgate lock and extendable tow mirrors with puddle lamps.

I remember riding up there as a kid from Wray many years ago with my mother, who was delivering my sister, Norma Jane, and two or three of her friends there for a week of First Christian Church summer camp. Sylvan Dale today is a guest ranch.

The half-ton Titan stands tall and its step-in height is just short of 2 feet. A handy grab handle at each of the four doors assists in access and egress. Best, of course, would be a step rail, but this review model had none.

The Titan, built in Canton, Ohio, for Japanese-based Nissan, was named Truck of the Year at the recent Denver Auto Show at the Colorado Convention Center. Selection was by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press.

It’s labeled as the Titan Pro-4X 4X4 King Cab. King Cab seems to me a misnomer for this truck, which uses rear-hinged back doors that require opening of the front door to gain access to the latch release for opening the rear. An advantage to a rear-hinged door, though, is that it can be opened to a much wider degree than a traditional four-door.

The 5.6-liter V-8 is a workhorse engine, with 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s a pleasure to drive, though it averaged only 15.2 miles per gallon of fuel usage. It rides on General Grabber 275/70R18 tires.

Since its introduction into the U.S. in 2003, the Titan has been a distant last in sales among the six full-sized pickups. A restyle for 2017, along with expanded underhood offerings, sent sales climbing from 21,000 in ’16 to 50,000 last year. Still last, but a bit more respectable.

The gasoline-powered V-8 is tied to a 7-speed automatic transmission and an electronic switch on the dash moves the transfer case from two-wheel drive to 4-Hi or 4-Lo, if needed.

Interior highlights include leather seats with contrasting stitching, Rockford Fosgate premium audio and Nissan Connect with navigation and 7-inch display screen.

By adding heated and ventilated front seats, remote start, around-view monitor, power-slide rear window and other options, the Titan’s price climbed from a base of $43,490 to $50,720.

Slipped very quietly, and somewhat surprisingly, beneath the hood of the hot new Chevy Cruze hatchback I’ve been driving was a small turbodiesel engine and 9-speed automatic transmission.

Chevrolet, it seems, is bucking consensus that the Volkswagen diesel scandal of two years ago has driven away majority of would-be buyers of those alternatively fueled vehicles.

Speaking of the 2018 Cruze LT Diesel Hatchback delivered to me, Nick Jaynes Morgan, assistant manager of Chevrolet Communications, said the diesel package is of very limited production, about 5 percent of Cruze total output this year.

“We’re aware of the feelings of many over the VW cheating issue,” said Morgan; “yet, if we can get a responsible number of consumers into test drives of the Cruze turbodiesel, we believe our diesel sales numbers will begin to climb.”

He may be right, for the turbo response and high fuel-mileage readings were impressive in the review model, and the front-wheel-drive Cruze has been rated above average in handling since shortly after its inception 10 years ago.

Great handling and strong torque were on display for an earlier Cruze diesel in 2014, when I drove it over the rolling hills on Colo. 105 north of Palmer Lake, on to Sedalia and back to Denver. That turbo was short-lived, giving way to the uproar over VW’s diesel emissions case of 2015. That diesel was the first offered in a Chevy car since the little Chevette in 1986.

The new turbodiesel, produced in Hungary, is a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder generating 137 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque. It was introduced in the Cruze sedan in 2017, and this year expanded into the hot new hatchback.

The compact Cruze’s new hatchback style was deemed favorable by most onlookers while in my possession. The stylish roof slopes to a rakish rear end with spoiler and wraparound taillamps. The review model’s red finish was an attraction.

The liftgate opens up to 22.7 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat; fold that and it expands to 47 cubic feet. The rear-seating area offers good amount of legroom. After placing anything in the rear seat and driving any distance, and with shutoff of the engine the Chevy’s message center reads: “Rear seat reminder; Look in rear seat!”

A run to DIA to greet Kim Parker on her return from Atlanta and return to her home in Greeley, a total of 100 miles, averaged 42.5 miles per gallon, and overall mpg for the Cruze was 37. Its EPA estimate for the diesel is 30/45. The Cruze rides on Goodyear Assurance 205/55R16 tires.

The Cruze has no paddleshifters, though can be dropped into manual mode and shifted up or down with push of plus and minus switches. More aggressive takeoffs can be attained in normal automatic mode when the driver’s foot goes deep into the accelerator.

The turbodiesel engine adds $2,800 to cost of the Cruze, which showed a sticker price of $30,125. Among features were leather seats, power sunroof, heated steering wheel, lane-change alert, Bose audio with Bluetooth streaming/Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability.

Someone seeing me on a mid-February morning in a little Mazda Miata scooting through the 6-inch-deep snow asked, “Why would you be out in that, with four-wheel-drives sitting at your house?”

Well, the deep snow was out there, as was the Miata with a manual transmission and Bridgestone Blizzak tires, so why not?

Spring must be just around the corner, I thought, when the 2018 MX-5 Miata Club convertible was delivered to me. It seemed so, too, on a Sunday, driving the rear-wheel-drive roadster through the countryside in 65-degree warmth.

Two days later, though, I was near-stuck between the street rise and the curbing dropoff from my driveway, but rocking the Miata just a bit between 2^nd and reverse gears got me out into the driving lane and I got around okay in 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th gears.

The Club version of the Mazda offers a sport-stiffened suspension with Bilstein dampers, adding to its great handling capability on a 90.9-inch wheelbase and curb weight of barely more than 2,300 pounds. It performs decently with a 155-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine (148 lb.-ft. torque) and 6-speed manual transmission, and averaged 31.4 miles per gallon overall.

The interior is inviting with dark leather/suede Recaro seats and red piping. Snugged up in those seats, the ride can get rough and noisy. It is nearly impossible to access the cupholders, which sit between the seatbacks far behind the driver.

Brembo brakes, the Recaro package, 7-inch infotainment screen and red convertible top pushed the Club’s price past 30 grand, all the way to $35,240. The Miata has no rearview camera; of course, with the top down it isn’t needed. To drop the top, unhook a latch at the windshield header and push the cloth top down into the area behind the seatbacks, where one more good push latches it into the recessed area behind the small cabin space. Trunk space is only 4.6 cubic feet, whether the top is up or not.

In “fun-to-drive” assessment, the Miata ranks high among sports cars. Among its chief rivals is the Fiat 124 Spider, which, ironically, is built by Mazda on the same assembly line as the Miata, in Hiroshima, Japan.

Not everyone concerned with winter-weather driving in Colorado purchases SUVs or crossovers. It seems that way, yet there are other choices.

A gem of a product falling between the multitude of SUVs and the front-drive or rear-drive sedans is the 2018 Audi A4 allroad turbocharged quattro wagon.

It sits low; in fact, the allroad’s ground clearance of 6.5 inches is much less than the 9-inch clearance of Audi’s popular Q5 SUV. That seems of little deterrence in traversing streets in 4 or 5 inches of snow, as the allroad churns through with little slippage, even across icy intersections.

Two snowfalls gave the German-built allroad opportunity to display its grip and maneuverability.

It handles impressively and performs fairly strong with its 252-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed automatic dual-clutch gearbox. Suspension feel is altered through selection of five drive modes – dynamic, comfort, auto, individual and offroad; steering and throttle, too, are quickened or softened.

An easily gripped short shifter sits in the center console, and small paddles at the steering wheel lend more control to the driver. Advanced safety technology will vibrate the steering wheel if the allroad ventures over to a lane marker and will activate steering guidance back into the driving lane.

The 25.8 miles per gallon I posted with the allroad would have seemed satisfactory if the week previously I hadn’t averaged 29.5 in similar driving with the BMW 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, which is of same weight and horsepower as the Audi, both are with 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinders.

The Audi interior is trimmed in brown leather, front seatbacks are fairly deeply bolstered. The roomy rear seats are heated and the rear side windows have manual-pull sunshades. Cargo space behind the rear seats is 24.2 cubic feet; that’s more than the Q5 offers.

The German-built allroad , based on the Audi A4, is compact-sized, with wheelbase of 110.9 inches and overall length of 187; curb weight is 3,825 pounds. Some years ago, the allroad was larger, then as a derivative of the A6. Today’s allroad rides on Continental 245/45R18 tires.

Pushing the allroad’s price from a base of $44,500 to sticker of $56,650 are a long listing of options including:

Bang & Olufsen sound, Audi MMI navigation, heated power-folding mirrors, LED headlights, high-beam assistant, top-view camera parking aid, head-up display, adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, ventilated front sport seats and heated steering wheel.

I tested Audi A4 allroad quattro wagons in 2013 and 2015 at prices, respectively, of $47,395 and $48,325