In its 70^th year, the Chevy Corvette defies the combination of aging, on the one hand, and the rush to electrics, at the other.

The opportunity to drive the 2023 Corvette Stingray Coupe 2LT reminded me of the excellent job of refinement Chevrolet has accomplished with the iconic sports car.

Sporting a Z51 performance package, the new Vette is beautifully sculpted with finely finished interior, is very quick, its roof panel can be removed, and, it is, perhaps, the most comfortable of this class of swift cars.

Roaring performance comes from a 495-horsepower/470-torque, 6.2-liter mid-engine V-8, mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Power direction runs from the driver rearward to the engine, conveniently situated at the rear-drive axle.

Z51 firms up suspension, with Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 20s at the rear, 19s in front. No need to angle into the driveway to avoid scraping bottom of air dam; push a button and the Vette’s front is lifted several inches for clearance.

Today’s super performance is a contrast with the very slow launch the Corvette experienced 70 years ago. I remember, for I was a high schooler when it was introduced in ’53. Production didn’t begin until June; that was kind of late for a ’53 model, and only 300 were built.

The following year, after production was moved from Flint, Mich., to St. Louis, only 3,600 ‘54s were built, and many sat unsold on dealer lots by year’s end. For all its racy looks, the Vette had little under the hood – a 150-horsepower, 6-cylinder engine and 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

Ford in 1955, with its new two-seater sports car, the Thunderbird, with sales of 16,000 nearly blew away the Corvette. But Ford was concerned with other models, such as the Edsel and a retractable hardtop, and let the T-Bird two-seater grow into a four-passenger auto, and, you know the rest of that story. There is no T-Bird today.

In the meantime, Chevy stayed the course, installing a V-8 in the Vette in ’55, adding a Stingray style a few years later, and was on its way to creating “the American sports car.”

I was one of 1,200 persons who filed in out of the rain at the old Russell Industrial Center in Detroit on the night of Jan. 13, 2013, for the unveiling of the new 2014 Corvette, and revival of the use of the Stingray name. It was the eve of the North American International Auto Show. Such a crowd, shoulder to shoulder much of the evening.

The 2023 Corvette drew attention in Johnstown parked at the home of Dale and Sandy Wells following a golf tourney earlier in the day. Among attendees, Steve Chmelka asked at the right time and enjoyed a ride, proclaiming it “a brilliant sports car and priced somewhat below most others.”

Absorbing $6,345 for the Z51 performance package and $2,260 for the front-lift adjustable height raised sticker price to $83,965 from a base of $69,200.

Among sidelights: Minda Carmann, a friend and former workmate of mine, and her parents-in-law Ken and Kathy Carmann liked the looks of the new Vette in a short session with Jan and me in Brighton; EPA estimate is 16/24, my overall average was 17.3; the Stingray won’t shift into gear until driver seat belt is engaged; the rear trunk area is large enough for a set of golf clubs, up-front in the frunk is room for a couple of travel bags.

The 2022 Mercedes EQB350 all-electric SUV awaited me at 7:20 a.m. on an October Friday; I slipped into the pilot seat heading to Denver for breakfast with some old driver friends.

The EQB is a compact, smaller and much lesser-equipped than the full-sized EQS electric I reviewed in March.

Settled into the very firmly bolstered seatback, the EQB provided me the quiet ride expected in a luxury electric SUV. It is quick of steering and very responsive in performance. I left my house toward Colo. 60 and Platteville, then turned south on U.S. 85.

Almost instantly on feeding the address into the navigation system, it provided a mapped route and suggested I would be to my destination a couple minutes past 9.

That destination is the Original Pancake House – Cherry Hills out south on University Boulevard, Greenwood Village, where awaiting me were seven retired men who spent some years driving for the agencies which provide new cars and trucks for my automotive reviews in The Denver Post. They are Richard Husted, Lorren Ballard, Jim Boonstra, Pat Leonard, Ken Ruter, Roger VanStedum and Keith Warner. Also there as invitees were Melissa Schulte and Brooke Mutzbauer of Elk Grove Custom Homes.

A 70.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack when fully charged delivers a driving range of 229 miles for the EQB 4Matic. The drive of 136 miles to the restaurant and back to Greeley resulted in a 159-mile reduction from the battery.

Much of the excess miles drawn from the battery occurred during the return trip, in which the U.S. 85 miles from the early drive were replaced with 10-12 miles-per-hour faster speeds on the return on I-25 as far as the Loveland interchange. Speeds near 80 seem to deplete battery charge at a higher rate than below 70 mph. The battery is covered with a Mercedes warranty of 8 years/100,000-miles.

I boosted range in the Mercedes at a charger in the parking lot at a Village Inn at Greeley, adding about 125 miles in 30 minutes for a cost of $22.90, including a parking charge of $1.50.

The 2-row, 5-passenger EQB, assembled in Kecskemet, Hungary, comes in at $60,100, just half the $122,000 sticker on the high-end EQS I reviewed in March. An optional third row is available on the EQB, but it becomes very tight in space.

An adjustable regenerative braking system is standard on the Mercedes. What is missing are lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, both are optional. Most luxury electrics and even cheaper models I’ve driven have been equipped with those two safety features.

The EQB350 is relatively heavy with curb weight of 4,718 pounds; overall length is 184.4 inches. Its front and rear electric motors combine for 288 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque. Driver can select among Comfort, Sport and Eco modes.

An interior highlight is the 64-color ambient lighting; also standard are panoramic roof, power liftgate and backup camera.

The EQB is rated at 98 city/93 highway in MPGe (miles-per-gallon of gasoline-equivalent, an EPA unit of measurement for the electric car’s energy-consumption level).

Leisure time on a beautiful October Sunday was aboard the swankiest American automotive product I’ve driven – the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-series.

Swanky and pricey; in fact, at $150,580 it is the highest-priced U.S.-based luxury model to come my way.

I’ve driven a dozen or more luxurious, exotic models priced between $150,000 and $400,000, but they’ve been from British, German and Italian car builders.

The most expensive U.S. products, prior to the Escalade V-series, have been a ’21 Cadillac Escalade with Super Cruise at $113,065; an ’18 Lincoln Navigator Black Label edition at $98,145; the ’22 Ford F150 Lightning Platinum Electric pickup at $94,004 and ‘21 Ram TRX pickup at $87,370.

In this transitional year – beginning phaseout of many internal-combustion-engined vehicles and introduction of all-electric smoothies – Ford races ahead with its Mustang Mach-E and F150 Lightning electrics, while Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep offer final-year specials on Hellcat-type and Hemi-power stars.

Cadillac is following the latter’s lead with phenomenal performance from a hand-built, supercharged 6.2-liter, 682-horsepower V-8 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive in the Escalade V. I remember the V-series of 10 or 12 years ago, among my favorites.

This new one is of 653 lb.-ft. of torque. From the side, the Escalade casts a huge presence, not only from its overall length of 212 inches, but also its 6 ½-foot height and curb weight of 6,200 pounds. It rides on 22-inch wheels.

Our son Brent joined Jan and me in the drive to Sterling to visit my ailing sister, Norma, and others of the Wagner family. The big Escalade beast cruised the 210 miles there and back at 17 miles per gallon. Overall for the week, it posted 15.7 mpg; its EPA estimate is “gas-hog-labeled” 11-16. Cadillac claims the “V” will run 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds; the roar it creates from quad exhaust pipes is reminiscent of glory days of V-8s and muscle cars.

The ride is soothingly smooth, a benefit of the air ride adaptive suspension, which can be lowered 2 inches or raised an inch from normal. An interior feature is Cadillac’s Conversation Enhancement system, which utilizes some of strategically placed 36 speakers in regular conversation to amplify voice of person talking and transmit to persons in another row of the SUV. Turn it off for nap time. Some hands-free autonomous driving is permitted with Cadillac’s SuperCruise, which includes lane-keep assist.

Among interior highlights are zebra wood accents, semi-aniline leather on seats, power massage on front seats and heated steering wheel. Others are OnStar services,16.9-inch diagonal infotainment/navigation screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, trizone automatic climate control and night vision.

The Escalade, built at Arlington, Texas, has been around since just before the turn of the century. When Ford Motor Co. introduced the Lincoln Navigator in 1998 it wasn’t but a year before Cadillac showed off its new Escalade. The Range Rover and Lexus LX were also full-size SUV competitors at that time.

With 20 models competing full-throttle for attention in the subcompact SUV market, “it was essential that we upgrade now,” said an official of the Honda car company.

It is a statement supporting the launch of the 2023 HR-V All-Wheel-Drive EX-L model for Honda.

The HR-V, along with the CR-V, Accord and Civic, are top four sellers among 10 models in the Honda lineup.

The new HR-V is 9.4 inches longer and 2.6 wider than the ’22 model; that comes up only 2 inches short of the company’s compact-sized CR-V in length. From its new grille to the clearly defined rear window with spoiler, the HR-V is aesthetically pleasing.

Its outward visibility is good and added as standard safety items are automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control; it seems to be priced right at just over $30,000.

Any hopes for a swift move to the top of the subcompact SUV listings, though, will be slowed by the 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission. It is smooth enough for around-town and cruising the highway, but when a need arises for a surge of power, it is matter of patience. It lacks in acceleration.

Kim Parker, Jan and I, enjoying a drive to Saguache in late July, headed east in early August to join Kurt, Tammy, Ryan and Erik Wells at their weekend retreat at Jeffrey Lake near Brady, Neb., after a brief stopover at Sterling with Dave and Norma Wagner.

I-76 east of Julesburg leads to I-80 near Ogallala, Neb., and from there to Brady and onward the highway is filled with large freight-carrying trucks maintaining speed limit of 75 miles per hour and passing right along with all the travelers in cars and pickups. To safely mix in with the heavy traffic, it is important to have at hand strong passing power in order to move in and out of the passing lane; this is where the HR-V lags. For the 500-mile trip, the HR-V averaged 28.2 miles per gallon (EPA estimate 25-30).

The HR-V, which shares its enlarged platform with the Honda Civic, is equipped up front with nice leather seats, very comfortable, with decent legroom in the rear seat and good rear cargo space which held all our luggage.

The Honda had plenty of road noise, riding on Hankook Kinergy GT 215/60R17 tires. Its drive modes are normal, eco and snow. Handy are a wireless phone charger in the center console and tiny overhead capacitive light for each side of rear seating area ala airliner travel.

A $30,590 sticker price included a user-friendly 9-inch touchscreen with multiview rear camera, remote-start and dual-zone automatic climate control.  

Among the many competitors in the subcompact SUV category are Mazda CX30, Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul and Seltos, Buick Encore, Jeep Renegade and others.

The all-electric automobiles, such rarity just a couple years ago, continue to roll in for review in much greater number.

The most recent to me in August, the 2022 Audi e-tron GT quattro, is the 10^th fully electric I’ve driven thus far this year. Previously were the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 Wind, Volvo XC40 Recharge, BMW i4 M50 Gran Coupe, Mercedes EQS450, Ford Mustang Mach-e GT, Hyundai Kona EV and a short run in the Tesla Model Y.

Lack of a working air conditioner in the Audi e-tron, combined with daytime temperatures in the mid-90s,  limited full testing procedures. “The air conditioning system is not available due to malfunction,” was the message delivered from within the Audi.

In order to avoid need for AC in the e-tron, Jan and I early on a Sunday morning headed over Fort Collins way for an outdoor breakfast at The Back Porch, north on Lemay Avenue. For our return drive, temps had risen into the high-80s, though with side windows partially open and by engaging the ventilated front seatbacks we felt fairly comfortable.

We pulled back into the garage at 11:30 a.m., having driven 58 miles and used up 61 miles of range from the Audi battery pack. With 94 miles of range remaining, I plugged the e-tron’s charger into a 120 outlet in the garage.

Twenty-four hours later, before noon Monday, the plug-in had added 33 miles for a range available of 127 miles, a mild recovery, even for the 120 source. The Chevy Bolt EUV I drove the week previously added range with 120 at almost double that rate.

The sleekly built Audi e-tron GT is finished in tactical green metallic, a color maybe dismissed at first glance, though probably more favorable with familiarity to the electric sedan. Headroom in the rear seat is limited from the extreme slope of the roof. It has a small frunk (front-end trunk under hood).

The e-tron uses the same 93.4 kWh battery pack as does the Porsche Taycan, and dual electric motors (one for each axle) provide excellent all-wheel-drive service. The Audi’s driving range is 238 miles, considerably lower than the Mercedes-Benz EQS450 electric. Regenerative braking is much lighter than many other electrics.

Three drive modes are comfort, dynamic and efficiency, with electronic power steering very quick. After startup, a bit of noise sounds as though an engine is running. It’s not from the motor or any driving part of the e-tron, it is an Audi soundtrack providing simulated engine noise. I liked it, Jan thought it was kind of goofy. The Audi’s MPGe is 81 city, 83 highway.

The interior is luxurious, with well-bolstered Nappa leather seats, Bang & Olufsen sound and user-friendly infotainment setup.

The Audi’s pricey sticker of $118,740 includes $7,200 for a prestige package of adaptive cruise, active lane assist, Bang & Olufsen sound and head-up display; $6,000 for a performance package of rear-wheel steering, e-torque vectoring, 20-inch five-spoke design wheels and high-gloss black grille. Also added are the Nappa seats, remote park assist, Audi connect, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning delivered more than I anticipated during the week it was in my possession.

It is very comfortable, easy to drive. The electric power generated great initial acceleration, and did it very smoothly, more so than a traditional V-8-powered pickup. It claims a 10,000-pound towing capacity.

Its 320-mile range was reassuring, and easily recharged. Four of us – Jan and me, Bill and Kathy Allen – were aboard for a drive into Denver from Greeley. After our return, the Lightning had covered 133.5 miles, and the range available had been depleted by only 122 miles.

The frunk (front-end trunk under the hood where the engine would have been in traditional truck) offers good storage space, easily accessed.

A 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system is excellent, as is the BlueCruise hands-free driving assist.

The all-electric powertrain includes a 131-kWh battery pack and a pair of electric motors, one for driving each axle. The crew cab’s 5.5-foot bed houses a two-way charging system that can power an entire job site.

Due to unusually strong demand, the Lightning’s 2022 model was sold out earlier in 2022; orders for new model year will resume in late summer. And yet, we must mention a couple of drawbacks to all this.

The review model I drove is the high-end Platinum trim level, with the extended-range battery pack and sticker price of $94,004. An F-150 Lightning can be bought in the $45,000 to $60,000 range, but it is the standard version with range of only 230 miles, and its two electric motors combine for 452 horsepower, a lesser amount than the Platinum’s combined 580 horsepower.  

Regarding the extended-range power; sure, it is stout as can be and will haul or pull a load, 7,000 pounds, 8,000, 9,000 and more. A load to the farm or ranch, or nearby camping, not so noticeable. A long haul, though, and that 300-mile range, some say, may drop by half, maybe even more. And the lesser-powered standard-range trim has tow capacity of only 7,700 pounds.

The Lightning’s 48-foot turn circle seemed a bit wider than most traditional half-ton pickups and tended occasionally toward understeer.

Suspension is relatively soft for the Lightning, partly due to its utilization of a semi-trailing arm setup with progressive rate coil-over springs and a stabilizer bar. On their traditional gasoline and diesel-powered pickups, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Toyota and Nissan have used leaf springs for suspension of rear of their solid-axle pickups. Ram on its 1500 pickup suspends the live axle with five links and coil springs.

The Lightning Platinum is on a wheelbase of 145 inches, is 19 feet/3 inches in overall length, with curb weight of 6,350 pounds. Brake rotors are 14-inch in front and 13.8-inch at the rear. The truck’s GVWR is 8,250 pounds.

Beginning prices for the various Lightning trims are Pro $41,769; XLT $54,769; Lariat $69,269; XLT Extended Range $74,169; Lariat Extended Range $79,169; Platinum Extended Range $92,669.

When the Wrangler, toughest Jeep of them all, was tested successfully last fall with the 4xe plug-in hybrid system, it became a must that the much-more-refined Grand Cherokee would soon get its turn.

The occurrence, for me, came with arrival of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe with a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine of 270 horsepower/295 lb.-ft. of torque with 8-speed automatic transmission. It is assisted by a belt-driven 44-hp motor and a 134-hp electric motor for combined horsepower of 375 and 470 torque. Electricity is stored in a 400-volt,17kWh lithium-ion battery pack which provides 25 miles of all-electric power. As long as there is charge in the battery pack, its 375/470 power rate exceeds that of the long-used 5.7-liter, Hemi V-8 internal-combustion engine.

The 25 miles of electric drive will, of course, lift the Jeep’s fuel mileage and can be controlled by switching among three modes – Hybrid, Electric and E-Save, which shuts off the electric use. And, yes, with a bit of forethought, a driver can use the mode-switches to attain relatively high mileage readings.

I saved 20 miles of the battery pack for a return drive in descent from the mountains; for 91 miles we averaged 37.9 miles per gallon. For 318 miles of varied roads and terrain during the week, the overall average was 27.3.

Transitioning from electric to hybrid can result in a rough shift. The Grand Cherokee rides on Goodyear Wrangler 265/60R18 tires.

The small battery pack can be charged overnight from a 120 outlet; with 220, it can be done in 2 hours.

As we drove into the little mountain village of Glen Haven and parked at the General Store, across the street sat two pristine-looking Chevy Corvettes (a 2007 and 2005). Right out front of the store were two couples at a picnic table enjoying the daily-baked cinnamon rolls of the business. Yes, the Vettes belonged to them; Daryl and Lorraine McCown, Tim and Ann Krall of Estes Park. They had read, the day previously, my column in The Post featuring the 2023 Corvette Z51 Coupe.

The Grand Cherokee was redesigned this year, boasts a luxurious interior and continues to offer a compliant ride. The review model’s only exterior indicators are front tow hooks in “electric blue” and blue “4xe” badges.

From a base just over $65,000, Jeep ran the sticker price to$75,303 with these options among others: Uconnect 5 Nav with 10.1-inch touchscreen display, Nappa leather seats, wireless charging pad, back massager for front seats, passenger-seat memory, 2^nd-row window shade, four-zone temperature control, head-up display, surround-view camera, offroad group and rear backup camera washer.

Pleasant audio delivery comes from the 19-speaker McIntosh MX950 Entertainment System, including a 10-inch subwoofer for added bass quality and three small speakers atop the dash.

Clutches and manual transmissions have slipped away rapidly in recent years; surprising it was, then, that with the return of the Acura Integra to the U.S. for the first time since 2001, its buyers are offered a choice of a 6-speed manual tranny or CVT.

The 2023 Integra A-Spec w/Tech brought my way in late July is a replacement for the ILX in the Acura lineup. It is a sleek, four-door hatchback with coupe styling. Revival of the Acura Integra name comes after a 22-year absence; Integra was part of Acura from its introduction in 1986 through the 2001 model year.

A combination of a 200-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine and the manual shifter adds quickness to the Integra, creating a fun drive with good-handling, particularly when dealing with road twists and turns. It has plenty of power to get up the hills of Colorado.

The sporty sedan also fares well in fuel-efficiency, with an EPA estimate of 26 miles per gallon in town, 36 on the highway for a combined 30. Premium fuel is recommended. My overall average was 31.8 mpg.

Pricing of the base model for the new Integra AWD is $31,895; the review model I drove had sticker price of $36,895, a relatively low price for a luxury entry-level.

Interior highlights are an easy-to-use 9-inch touchscreen infotainment center and a roomy 24.3 cubic-feet cargo area at the back.

Among driver-assistance safety features are adaptive cruise control, rearview camera, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, head-up display.

The Integra is 3 or 4 inches longer in both wheelbase and overall length than the ILX, the model which it has replaced. The Integra rides on wheelbase of 107.7 inches, is 185.8 inches in overall length, 72 inches in width, 55.5 in height and its curb weight is 3,075 pounds.

The new Integra is built at Marysville, Ohio; also assembled there are Acura’s other models – the TLX sport sedan, the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles and the NSX Type S electric.

The fifth-generation Range Rover L460, a midyear redesign with an optional third row of seats for the first time in the big unit, carried Jan and me in late June west into Big Thompson Canyon, then northwest on the Devil’s Gulch Road to Glen Haven.

The Range Rover is 17 feet in overall length, with curb weight of 5,600 pounds and rides on 23-inch wheels, another first for the iconic 4X4 sport ute. The narrow, curve-dominated roadway to Glen Haven would be a good test for it.

We’ve driven to the little community at least once a summer for many years, stopping at the Glen Haven General Store for visiting with owner Steve Childs and partaking of the delicious cinnamon rolls baked daily by his wife, Becky.

Big news in town is the Childs’ sale, after 40 years of operating the store, to Tom and Amanda Hoskins, who with children Sarah and Callum and Amanda’s mother, Becky Sorensen, will not only run the store, but provide daily the homemade goodies for which it is widely known.

Glen Haven is a nice, brief stop enroute to Estes Park, 10 miles up the road.

The RRover has an impressively smooth ride, is very quiet, though its size leaves maneuvering marvels to lighter sport models.

When I recall the 2023 Nissan Z car I drove six weeks ago in Boulder, it would have zipped those twists and bends of the roadway near Glen Haven much more quickly than did the big Rover. All the while, though, downshifting the Range Rover with its paddleshifters was virtually seamless; the Z’s downshifts left a rougher edge into the driver’s hands.

I used the paddles more than half the time on the descending curves from Glen Haven to Drake, then on to the Dam Store and leaving the Big Thompson Canyon. Much of descent was in 3^rd gear at 2500 to 3000 revs.

Responsive performance was delivered by the Range Rover’s 395-horsepower, 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6-cylinder with a mild-hybrid assist, 8-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Aiding the Range Rover’s four-wheel-drive prowess are active locking rear differential and terrain response with drive modes of Snow, Mud, Sand, Eco, Rock Crawl and Wade. An electrically operated rear axle turns independently of the front wheels at low speeds, shrinking the turning circle to 36 feet, from 40.5 feet in the previous model.

The inline-6-cylinder with turbo and the 48-volt assist averaged 21.8 miles per gallon on the drive to Glen Haven and 27.6 on the descending return.

A photo op of the new Range Rover with a 35-year-old Land Rover presented itself in Greeley. No sooner had I pulled into Autotailor in Greeley and parked out front than John Mitchell pulled up beside me in a 1987 Land Rover Defender 110, red, fully restored – what a grand sight, these two British motoring machines from Solihull, England, products of same assembly plant, though far-different eras. Mitchell, at his repair shop in Fort Collins, had done some work on the Defender and was test-driving it.

Base price on the three-row, seven-passenger Range Rover is $111,800. An all-electric Range Rover is expected in 2024.

Our destination was the little, historical town of Saguache, sitting between two mountain ranges in southern Colorado, as Jan and I, after stopping for daughter, Kim Parker, headed out in a 2022 Audi Q3 S line quattro on a long drive on a midsummer 2022 morning.

The great-handling Q3, the little brother to the popular Audi Q5, was equipped with active cruise assist and lane-guidance. It carried us in five hours through the twists and turns of U.S. 285 southwest of Denver, past Fairplay to Buena Vista, then some welcomed straightaway on the last leg to Saguache.

There, inside the front door of the clutter-filled Saguache Crescent, sat Dean Coombs, at the keyboard of a 100-year-old Linotype, creating metal slugs for the next week’s paper. The Crescent is the last newspaper in the country still using a Linotype to set those lines which will be transferred to the printed pages.

As I stood beside him and the machine (there was nowhere to sit), he continued to plink away with his index fingers. He knew I was coming, so I said, “I’m Bud.” He lifted his right hand toward me, with the left still on the keys, and as I shook it, he said, “Dean.”

This is what he does every day, except between 9 and 10:30 a.m., when he enjoys coffee time. It is the same daily grind established by his grandfather, then his father and mother before him; the family has owned the newspaper since 1917.

Saguache claims 550 residents; the Crescent’s circulation is 360 and Coombs prints an extra 40 copies each week. The current edition was four broadsheet pages. His press is an 1898 model which prints two pages at a time.

The newspaper is his life; he doesn’t hunt or fish or ski or travel. “I’ve not spent a night away from Saguache in the past 33 years,” he said. He is not married; has a girlfriend, though, he said.

Did he ever consider giving up the long-outdated “hot metal” style of newspapering and turning to offset printing, as has every other paper in Colorado. “No, this is what we’ve always done, and I’ll continue till I retire or expire and the paper will cease to exist.” He’s 70 years old.

Is the paper profitable? “Yes, it turns a profit every year, due to tax lists and legal notices required from the county, which bring in around $10,000.”

“No,” he said when I asked him if he was a car guy. What does he drive? “An ’89 Chevy Astrovan and the same year Toyota pickup.” During a bit more discussion, he offered this: “I actually have 10 other cars, all of them older and some don’t run.” They range from a ’45 Willys Jeep to a ’72 Saab. To own 12 cars, no matter of what era, I’d say makes him a “car guy.”

Then, before we left, I walked him out front of the old newspaper building in order to give a look at the modern world in the form of the 2022 Audi. The Germans build quality automobiles, I told him. “Yes, I know,” he said.

When we parked the Audi Q3 in our garage late that night, its trip odometer registered exactly 500.0 miles driven to Saguache and back. Not 499.9 or 500.1; 500.0 it was, and that is remarkable to me, somewhat of a numbers guy.

The Q3, a luxury compact SUV crossover, treated us well on the drive, with plenty of rear-seat legroom. For 2022, the Audi model gained several safety features, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and front and rear parking sensors.

It provided good economy and produced excellent passing strength from its 228-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged, 4-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with quattro all-wheel drive. Torque rating is 258 lb.-ft. In 600 miles of driving, 500 of which were the Saguache run, the Q3 averaged 29.2 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is below that – 21/28.

The 3,900-pounder was very composed in cornering and the Bridgestone Potenza 255/40R20 summer performance tires offered good grip. The Audi cruise control system will set speeds at half-mile-per-hour (61.5 mph), as well as the normal full-mile (62 mph).

Though styled somewhat like the larger Audi Q models, the Q3 at 176.6 inches is 8 inches shorter in overall length than the Q5.

The mountain drive, even with its highway irregularities and slowdowns, was a good one. Saguache is home to some of the largest and most beautiful hollyhock plants and flowers in Colorado and celebrated its annual Hollyhock Festival in late July. In our return, we stopped at the busy downtown Buena Vista and had difficulty finding an eating establishment due to a number of closures for lack of workers.

The Audi Q3 models seem fairly moderately priced for entry-level luxury compacts with quattro drive. The base Q3 trim is the Premium, starting at $37,600.

The review model, the Q3 S line Premium, carried base price of $38,700, which reached $48,740 with the addition of top-view camera system, auto-dimming interior and power-folding exterior mirrors, Audi MMI touchscreen and navigation and traffic-sign recognition, sport front seats with S embossing and contrast stitching.

The Q3, assembled in an Audi factory in Gyor, Hungary, competes with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1 and X2, Volvo XC40, Cadillac XT4, Lexus UX, Jaguar E-Pace and others.