Roars from my garage on numerous startups during Father’s Day weekend were from the English-built 2020 McLaren 570S Spider. What an absolute treat for this old dad.

This beautifully structured superperformer drew admiring stares and waves almost everywhere, from backing out of my garage to parking in a Starbucks lot to pausing among four women and a guy in a classy, age-restrictive neighborhood and out onto the roadways of northern Colorado.

Finished in elite vega blue, the $233,000 McLaren 570S boasts 562 horsepower/442 lb.-ft. of torque from a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V-8 engine mounted midship and 7-speed dual-clutch seamless-shift automatic transmission in rear-wheel drive. It will run 0 to 60 in barely over 3 seconds, with a top speed of 204 miles per hour. Throttle and suspension can be set from normal to sport to track. Bright yellow calipers draw attention to its huge ceramic brake discs, 15.5 inches in front and 15 at the rear.

With its butterfly (dihedral) doors opened and the top in place, there is no smooth manner in or out of the driver seat; it is much less a chore with the top dropped. The spider stands just under 4 feet in height and its ground clearance is a tight 3.7 inches. With the touch of a button by the driver, the low-slung car will raise by 1 ½ inches and avoid scraping the driveway curbing, then as speed reaches just over 35 miles per hour the car lowers to normal diving height.

Mike Ward, the dealer out south near C-470 who operates McLaren Denver and six other luxury marques, mentioned that the 570S is the entry-level machine for McLaren. It is overshadowed by the 720S, with that much (720) horsepower. Ward said his store had sold 200 McLarens in three years. There are 26 McLaren dealerships in the U.S. The closest to Denver is at Scottsdale, Ariz., owned also by Ward. High-end businessmen and women are buyers of most McLarens, he said.

The McLaren company, launched by Bruce McLaren in 1963, today operates at Surrey, Woking, England, where the McLarens are hand-built. Among options pushing sticker price of the review model to $233,780 are Bowers & Wilkins audio and $4,780 for upgrade to twin-spoke lightweight wheels.

My final drive in the supercar was on a Monday morning, over through Loveland to Masonville and on north through Rist Canyon to Fort Collins. The well-planted McLaren, of carbon-fibre construction and responsive with adaptive dampers, fears no cornering, and it conquered every one of the hundreds of twists of Rist. Among others I’ve tested on Ritz road are Chevy Corvette Grand Sport Coupe, Porsche Carrera, Ford Mustang GT, Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Fiat 124 Abarth roadster. The McLaren’s fuel mileage was 18.9.

Seat controls, out of sight at the front inner corner of the bottom cushion, made seat and seatback adjustments on the 2020 McLaren 570S Spider a guessing game at times. I questioned, too, the small, 2-inch-square brake pedal pad for a super-performing auto such as that.

From an onlooker’s vantage, though, the McLaren drew nothing but “oohs” and “aahs.”

Its fluid style was well-received. “What a beautiful car; I love it and I don’t even know what it is,” said Colleen Callahan of Greeley. After being told it is an English-built McLaren, she said, “My late husband had a Sunbeam Tiger,” a rare sports car also from England in the mid-1960s.

Here are optional items which pushed the price of the McLaren from a base of $208,800 to sticker of $233,780:

• Ignition key,
• MSO Black Pack,
• tyre pressure monitoring system,
• Pirelli P Zero tires,
• ceramic brakes with yellow calipers,
• twin-spoke lightweight wheels,
• nose life,
• parking sensors,
• rear parking camera,
• battery charger,
• branded floor mats,
• carbon fibre interior components,
• carbon black leather steering wheel,
• carbon black alcantra headliner,
• electric steering column,
• electric and heated memory seats,
• luxury pack,
• jet black interior theme,
• nappa sport interior trim,
• soft-close doors,
• stealth exhaust finisher,
• sports exhaust,
• vega blue exterior paint,
• satellite radio,
• Bowers & Wilkins audio,
• transportation.

Laura Tilley,  McLaren public relations manager, reminded me before delivery of the 570S that I am restricted to only 250 miles of use. I’d completed the Rist Canyon drive and was heading home when the odometer’s trip computer registered 250.0, and I . . . . . the quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s head, the quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s head, the quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s head, the quick,

Same old truck (still a model year away from redesign) until the hood is lifted.

My gosh, Nissan has pulled a fast one, moving ahead the production of powertrain for the new-look 2021 Frontier pickup and slipping it into the long-in-the-tooth 2020 version.

And, oh, my, what a difference, as the standard 4cylinder and the optional 4.0 V-6 have been replaced with a 310-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine and the old 5-speed automatic transmission has given way to a smooth, quick-shifting 9-speed automatic.

Among new standard features are push-button start, leather shift knob, manual-tilt steering, power door locks and power windows.

The new direct-injection V-6 delivers 281 lb.-ft. of torque and provides quick response with the shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system.

The old-style 2020 Frontier with the new power will go on sale in July.

Why would Nissan go to the trouble of installing the new engine and transmission in the old body for such a short time before the redesigned 2021 arrives? To sell a few more of the old truck; to act as a teaser for the performance capabilities of the new one; to use it as a test before its major run in ‘21?

I’ll admit it was a pleasure to drive the ’20 Frontier, particularly the 9-speed tranny and its oft, quick shifts. The new engine/transmission combination boosted fuel mileage by a couple miles per gallon; my drives averaged 21.5 miles per gallon.

Brought to me was the Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab pickup, the highest trim level offered. It included 16-inch offroad design machine-finish alloy wheels and Hankook all-terrains, rear differential locker, Bilstein offroad high-pressure shocks, skid plates for oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case; satin chrome ring accent around white-face meter gauges and a Pro-4X tailgate badge. The move into 4WD and 4Lo is with an electronic switch on the dash.

Cheaper trim levels for the Frontier are S and SV models. Those and the Pro-4X are available in the King Cab and the Crew Cab four-door.

Tow capacity with the new powertrain is 6,700 pounds, with payload of 1,400 pounds in the cargo bed. Ground clearance with the Pro-4X is 10.1 inches.

The performance improvements will help the Nissan midsize pickup as it competes with an outstanding group of competitors – the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator, GMC Canyon, Chevy Colorado and Honda Ridgeline.

The Nissan Frontier is built in Canton, Miss.; the new 3.8 engine is assembled at the Nissan Tennessee engine facility, which also produces the Endurance V-8 for the full-size Titan pickup.

The first Frontier I drove was way back in October 2000; “It’s my all-time favorite product from Nissan,” I said at that time. But this is 2020; other than a slight facelift in 2010, the truck is basically unchanged for 15 years.

Almost a quarter-century ago, in the fall of 1996, two of my co-workers, Doug Freed and Karrie Mowen, excitedly took advantage of a blockbuster sale on the last of the big, 2-door Ford Broncos. Each bought one.

The Bronco exodus paved the way for the launch of the 1997 Ford Expedition, a roomy 4-door SUV aimed at stealing some sales from rival General Motors’ long-successful Suburban-size sport utes.

One of the first Expeditions to show up in Denver in that fall long ago was loaned to me for a drive to Durango and Southwest Colorado and back. That one was 3 inches shorter than today’s version  in wheelbase, 6 inches shorter in overall length, was equipped with a 4.6-liter V-8 with tow capacity of 6,100 pounds compared to today’s 9,200 tow capacity with the EcoBoost V-6, which has replaced the V-8. EPA fuel estimate back then was 14-18; today’s is 17-23.

Derived from the F-150, the Expedition was a popular new entry. Sales surged for the first four years from 1997 through 2000, when more than 200,000 Expeditions were sold each year. Sales dipped below 100,000 in 2006 and have remained there since. Sales last year climbed to 86,422 from 54,661 the previous year.

Since 2018, when the fourth-generation model was introduced, the Expedition has been powered by the impressive 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.

Delivered to me recently was a silver-metallic-finished 2020 Ford Expedition Limited 4X4, with a window sticker price of $71,865.

With a business matter awaiting me up north in Wyoming, Jan and I on a Monday afternoon drove the Expedition to Fort Collins, then followed U.S.  287 to the northwest. That road to Laramie, Wyo., is a swift highway and, over the 65 miles, the elevation gain is more than 2,000 feet, from 4,982 to 7,165. There are lots of truck traffic and numerous passing lanes, in which the Ford took advantage with its EcoBoost power. From a 78-degree reading in Fort Collins we got into falling temps and heavy rain by the time we reached the Wyoming state line. Temperature in Laramie was at a cool 41, unusual in June.

Response of the 5,600-pound Expedition with the EcoBoost V-6 was strong. The drive, which began and ended in Greeley, covered 202 miles; from Laramie we headed east to Cheyenne, then south to Greeley via U.S. 85. Fuel-mileage average for the drive was 20.9 and, when including some in-town trips, overall mpg was 19.5 (EPA estimate is 17-22).

The body-on-frame Expedition is equipped for offroad duty, with 9.8-inch ground clearance, terrain-management system, continuously controlled damping suspension, hill-descent control and push-button activation of four-wheel high and low. It’s a tough competitor for the GMC Yukon, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia. It rides on Michelin 275/65R18 tires.

The three-row Expedition is an eight-passenger vehicle; behind its back row are 20 cubic feet of cargo space which can be expanded to around 60 by folding the third row. The fold can be accomplished by pushing a button inside the opened rear liftgate.

Among  its options are the Ford Co-Pilot360 package of advanced driver-assistances, voice-activated and touchscreen navigation, panoramic roof, 360-degree camera and running boards.

Besides the Limited, cheaper trim levels are XL and XLT and upper levels King Ranch and Platinum. In addition to the standard Expedition, an extended-length Max version is offered; it is 12 inches longer

Heading south on a Monday morning on U.S. 287 aboard the new 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid Touring crossover, Jan and I turned toward Lafayette and into the Indian Peaks subdivision. The sharply restyled Honda looked right at home amid the well-manicured yards and overall landscaping beauty.

After going in circles through much of the neighborhood, we stopped long enough to photograph the CR-V, which is the most recent model to join the gas/electric hybrid market.

When it comes to the gas/electrics, the CR-V is late to the game among compact crossovers; Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Chevy and others have been there for months, some for years.

Late it may be, but the CR-V Hybrid is the first gas/electric Honda SUV crossover in the U.S.

The CR-V hybrid uses the same powertrain as the Honda Accord Hybrid midsize sedan. It combines an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with two motor-generators and a 1.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is positioned beneath the rear seats. The gas engine and electric motors generate 212 horsepower and 232 lb.-ft. of torque. Transmission is single-speed, and often, on acceleration, emits some whining, like other CVT-equipped autos.

Gear control is from a rather awkwardly designed push-button shifter on the center console. Driver may select from three drive modes – Eco, sport and EV (full electric power). Honda has added its Acoustic Vehicle Alert System as a noisemaker to gain attention of pedestrians when the vehicle is driving in normally all-quiet EV.

The standard Honda CR-V gasoline version has led sales of compact SUVs/crossovers in six of the past 10 years and was either second or third in the other four years. The new CR-V hybrid comes in at a $1,200 price premium over the traditionally powered models; a difference that in many instances might take approximately four years to overcome, based on the hybrid’s fuel savings.

In a week’s worth of driving with the new hybrid, the CR-V averaged 39.6 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is 40 in the city, 35 on the highway; heavy usage of the electric motors in lower speeds is responsible for the higher rating for city maneuvering. Two months ago, I reviewed the gasoline-only version of the CR-V Touring; it averaged 26.6 mpg in lots of snow and icy conditions.

The CR-V Hybrid is a great handler and is easy to park with responsive steering and 104.7-inch wheelbase. Its all-wheel-drive system sends torque to its rear wheels in low-grip situations. It rides on Continental CrossContact 235/55R19 tires. Suspension is MacPherson struts in front and multilink at the rear.

Sticker price on the well-equipped CR-V Touring Hybrid is $35,590, including Honda Sensing safety features – adaptive cruise, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist and road-departure mitigation. The CR-V is built in Greensburg, Ind.

Pacing along at about 50 miles per hour against the slickness of 5 to 6 inches of snow one morning in April, the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 4X4 Double Cab carried us into the Fort Collins area.

It was an excellent vehicle for challenging the wet, cold spring snowstorm, and its performance was capped in a transfer of grip from 4-Hi to 4-Lo on a steep climb along a country dirt trail on our return drive home.

Finished in army green, the Tacoma seemed to seize the opportunity in showing its prowess over the adverse conditions with TRD-tuned offroad suspension and Fox shocks, Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain 265/70R16 tires, electronically controlled transfer case and automatic limited-slip differential.

The holdover 3.5-liter V-6 engine, producing 278 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque, is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission (a 6-speed manual is an option). Tow capacity for the 3.5 V-6, 4WD double cab is 6,400 pounds.

Running up the A pillar on the passenger side of the truck is the Desert Air Intake, which draws fresh air into the engine from a post high above the level of dirt and dust.

Accessing the interior requires a high, 24-inch step-in. Seating is firm and the ride is somewhat stiff. The Tacoma is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible, with an 8-inch touchscreen. At the rear is a 5-foot pickup box.

On the safety side is a precollision system with pedestrian detection and automatic braking support, part of Toyota Safety Sense which also includes lane-departure alert and steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control and automatic high beams.

The Tacoma’s overall fuel mileage of 17.9 was at the low end of its EPA rating (18-22).

The desert-air snorkel added $725 to the total tally, bringing it to $49,599. Heated front leather seats, JBL speakers, subwoofer and amplifier are standard items.

The Tacoma, built in San Antonio, competes against the Jeep Gladiator, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado and Nissan Frontier.

Only a few automotive models had defied the lengthy slump in sedan sales across the country before the coronavirus slowed down the entire industry. One which increased its presence was the Dodge Charger, with or without a Hemi under its hood.

It had been five years since I’d reviewed a Charger when the 2020 GT V-6 all-wheel-drive model was brought my way in late April. In the meantime, though, I had driven five Dodge Challengers and four Chrysler 300s, which share a platform with the Charger.

While sedans generally have been on a sales slide in the U.S. in recent years, Charger has remained strong for Dodge. In the first quarter of 2020, the Charger outsold its well-regarded stablemate, the Chrysler 300, by more than a 3-to-1 margin. And in all of last year, almost 100,000 Chargers were sold.

With all-wheel drive available since 2007, Charger and 300 have claimed an edge in winter driving capability in Colorado against such big-car rivals Impala, Maxima, Avalon, Camry and Accord, which haven’t had the option.

The Charger is a good-sized car on a wheelbase of 120 inches, 198.4 inches in overall length and curb weight of 4,235 pounds.

The GT is equipped with a 300-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive featuring a front-axle disconnect. Those and a hood scoop, spoilers front and rear, sport seats – aesthetics to a gearhead. Optional engines are 5.7, 6.2 and 6.4-liter Hemi V-8s, available only with rear-wheel-drive Chargers.

The Charger GT, with its smooth and quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, averaged 22.9 miles per gallon in a drive into northern Colorado. Heading south from Glen Haven toward Estes Park, there are two steep, extremely tight switchbacks adding diversion to the drive. Without slowing to an absolute crawl, the concern was keeping the big sedan on its side of the road. With the T-grip shifter handle moved to sport mode, I paddleshifted the transmission into 1^st gear, pressured the throttle and maintained tight grip to quickly turn steering wheel to the cruiser’s starboard side. It responded very well, very safely, not as quickly or as loudly as a Hemi, but impressively for a V-6 in a car with 120-inch wheelbase.

The Charger GT AWD carries a relatively modest base price of $34,995; the addition, though, of nearly 50 optional items, ranging from a $30 cargo net to a $1,000 premium Alpine Audio Group, pushed sticker price to $46,385. Among other additions are nappa/alcantra seats heated and cooled in front and heated at the rear, heated steering wheel, memory for radio/driver seat/exterior mirrors, navigation, power sunroof,  adaptive cruise/forward-collision warning/lane-departure warning/automatic high-beam headlamp control.

Those Chargers I drove five years ago were the V-6 AWD in a snowstorm and the 707-hp Charger Hellcat (what a memorable drive that was).

The original Charger showed up in 1965 and by ’68 was competing with Pontiac GTO, Chevy Chevelle and Camaro, Ford Mustang, the Plymouth Cuda and a couple others for muscle-car supremacy. My son Brent in the summer of 1983 guided his ’68 Charger to “king of the hill” trophy for the season at the Julesburg drag strip.

Notes from email: Bud, I enjoyed reading the Dodge Charger review and the reminiscences about the earlier versions. Back in 1967, my Dad bought my older brother a fire-engine-red Charger – I think through his business, the Beacon lounge, on Main Street in Grand Junction. Well, Nick got a few speeding tickets – gotta wonder how anybody would expect to get away with speeding unnoticed in a bright red muscle car in Junction, which had a population of about 20,000 in the 1960s. So, Dad took away the Charger and gave it to our Mom, who taught Latin at Grand Junction Central High. You guessed it: She got caught speeding, too! Is a lead foot hereditary? – Pete C.

Among the many features set aside by the postponement of the 2020 Denver Auto Show was what would have been an imposing sight in the GMC display – a big, tall four-door truck, the ‘20 GMC heavy-duty Sierra Crew Cab. The 2500HD and 3500HD are all-new this year.

The show dates set for early April were postponed in order that all considerations and regulations be met for dealing with the coronavirus invasion.

Regarding the big, tall trucks, performance on one I drove – the Sierra 3500HD Crew Cab AT4 4WD – was impressive from the 6.6-liter V-8 DuraMax turbodiesel and an Allison 10-speed automatic transmission. That combination delivers 445 horsepower and an astounding 910 lb.-ft. of torque.

Trailering capabilities have jumped with the greater torque, beefed-up chassis, a variable-speed cooling fan and attention to suspension. Trailer weight ratings for the 3500HD with standard bed are maximum 20,000 pounds with conventional hitch and 21,300 with fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch.

The DuraMax/Alison combo in a regular-cab, two-wheel-drive 3500HD with gooseneck hitch is rated at 35,500 pounds.

With GMC’s 6.6-liter naturally aspirated V-8 gas engine on a crew cab, the tow rating drops to 14,500 with conventional hitch and 16,410 with fifth-wheel or gooseneck.

Opting for the turbodiesel and other amenities on the four-door review model raised sticker price to $78,775. The DuraMax turbodiesel added $9,890, the AT4 premium package $4,215, a technology package $2,125, electric sliding sunroof $995, driver-alert package $645, gooseneck/5^th wheel preparation $545.

The Sierra 3500HD was equipped with the fascinating MultiPro tailgate, part of the optional AT4 premium package. A year ago, the tailgate was featured on the Sierra 1500 pickups. The gate offers use as an easy step-up, a workbench, half-open capability, more handy access to the bed or as a seat at a tailgate party.

I received a brief walkaround of the GMC heavy-duty from Milt Brown, new car sales manager at Weld County Garage in Greeley. The tall hoodline on the big, black truck stands 58 inches off ground level; it’s the AT4 trim level – all-terrain four-wheel drive – which rates just above the SLT and below the Denali.

Highlighting the comfortable, roomy interior are leather seating, navigation, wi-fi connectivity, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and wireless charging.

Included in the AT4 build are offroad suspension, Rancho shocks, skid plates and red tow hooks.

Also offered in the GMC heavy-duty line are up to 15 camera views, including the industry-first transparent trailer view and the first-ever heavy-duty in its class with head-up display and rear-camera mirror.

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Most of us, at one time or another, have thought how rewarding it would be to own a BMW 3 series auto.

BMW’s newest model offers the opportunity into a similar ride for lesser price and very little sacrifice.

It’s the 228i xDrive Gran Coupe. A coupe won’t do? Gotta have four doors? Well, this coupe is of four-door structure. I know, coupes were always of two-door build, I’ve always believed that, but that was back in the day. Those German factories today turn out such fine premium cars, their designers can describe them however they wish.

That 228i has the look of a 3 series, though at 178.5 inches in overall length, it is 7 inches shorter than a 3 series model, so a bit more limited in legroom and trunk space.

The neat part of the comparison is that base price for the 228 Gran Coupe is about $5,000 cheaper than the starting price for the comparable 3-series with the same 4-cylinder turbo as the “coupe.”

The 228i xDrive’s sticker climbed from $38,495 to $47,845 with the addition of M Sport steering and spoiler, heated front seats and steering wheel, panoramic moonroof, head-up display, ambient lighting and SiriusXM radio.

Performance comes from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine developing 228 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive.

Best results come after switching the drive mode from comfort to sport and occasionally using the paddle shifters. As the suspension stiffened in sport mode, the heavier steering put me in much more direct feel of the road.

Brisk shifts occur with the paddles, as the turbocharged 4-cylinder is matched up well with the 8-speed automatic.

We drove on a Sunday to Fort Collins, then followed U.S. 287 to Livermore. Our plan was to reconnect with I-25 via the Owl Canyon Road to the east, but a mile into it convinced us to save that drive for an SUV. The Gran Coupe can be a rough rider.

Back on the highway, the BMW’s lane-guidance system is effective, though it has a bit of ricochet feel to it, not as smooth as Mercedes I’ve driven. Other safety features included automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Along with handling, fuel-mileage is an attribute for most BMWs; this one averaged 31.1 miles per gallon for 200 miles. Its EPA estimate is 23/33.

The 2 series models are built at Leipzig, Germany, home to one of BMW’s most modern assembly plants. The 228i rides on the same platform as the X1 and X2 SUVs.

BMW’s 2 series entry-level luxury model will compete against Mercedes-Benz’ A-class sedan and Audi’s A3.

That land yacht driven up my way was a brightener on a cloudy day.

The timing, perhaps, could have been better, with the pandemic still alive, as well as the “stay-at-home” directive.

But it is the 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, the most ultraluxurious model ever delivered to me.

The last time I drove a Rolls was more than 40 years ago, in 1978, and I’ll not pass the opportunity to assume control of this new one, even for just a few days.

The full-sized Cullinan last year became the first sport utility vehicle ever produced under the Rolls-Royce marque, as well as the first all-wheel-drive vehicle. It is named for the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered.

The $394,275 sticker price on the 2020 Cullinan review model is more than $100,000 higher-priced than the previous top-ticket item I’d driven 10 years ago, the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports at $286,845.

The first Rolls I drove way back in ’78, if I remember correctly, was in the $75,000 to $80,000 range. I was with Bill Stewart, the Rolls-trained mechanic who took over the Rolls-Royce franchise of Kumpf Motor Co. and opened Royal Carriage at My Garage at 4^th and Broadway in Denver. He retired a few years ago from an expanded lineup of exotics out on County Line Road.

So, with the many years behind me, this Rolls-Royce is special.

Henry Royce, an electrical and mechanical entrepreneur, built his first motor car in 1904; in May of that year he met Charles Rolls, who sold cars in London, and they formed the Rolls-Royce automobile company.

Rolls-Royce today is fully owned by BMW of Germany. Bentley, Rolls-Royce’s onetime partner and a rival today, is owned by Volkswagen.

Each Rolls-Royce automobile is built by hand at Goodwood, England.

Rolls-Royce’s famed “flying lady” emblem still, after more than 100 years, rests out front at the edge of the hood. When David Polley, driver of the Cullinan to my home, got out of the SUV I noticed he pushed a button on the key fob and the flying lady disappeared beneath the surface of the Rolls. This new feature is responsible for decreasing the rate of thefts of the prized emblem.

Under the huge, long Cullinan hood is a 571-horsepower, 6.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12 engine (627 lb.-ft. of torque) with 8-speed automatic transmission.

The big Rolls rides on a wheelbase of 130 inches, is 210 inches in overall length, 85 inches wide and 72.3 in height. Curb weight is 5,865 pounds, just under three tons.

This may be the quietest luxury car I’ve driven was my thought after a short while in the Cullinan on Tuesday. And then it snowed on Thursday.

In spite of the Cullinan’s brawny size, it’s an exceptional handler.  It has a much lighter feel out on the roads than you’d expect from an ultraluxury showpiece in the three-ton category.

Much of its agility on the curves and climbs can be attributed to its aluminum-inspired space frame, double-wishbone front and five-link rear and self-leveling independent air suspension. I believe, also, it’s assisted by the four-wheel-steering capability. Those rear wheels will turn direction 3 degrees. The air suspension is designed with technology to read the road ahead and adjust itself accordingly.

Out front is the traditional Rolls-style upright grille, and at the front edge of the bonnet (hood) is the Spirit of Ecstasy. Beneath the car’s bonnet (hood) is the Rolls’ impressive 12 cylinders. It’s an upgrade from the 6.6-liter V-12 used in the BMW M760i xDrive and Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan. While horsepower is the same 571 in both the 6.75 and 6.6, the Cullinan develops 627 lb.-ft. of torque. The Cullinan’s acceleration is quick and smooth and effortless. It will sprint 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.

The all-wheel drive, which can be enhanced with an offroad button, was grip-sure in last Thursday’s 6-inch snowfall and cold temperatures.

Jan and I in the Rolls one morning cruised west on U.S. 34 to I-25, then south to 144^th Avenue, where we pulled the big beast off and into a drive-thru line at Starbucks. The young woman cashier, “wowed” by the RR, told us the driver in the car ahead had paid for our drinks. I, in turn, paid for the order from the car behind us – it was son Kurt, in wife Tammy’s Lincoln.

The air suspension drops entry level 1 ½ inches, as a welcome to the plush, quiet interior finished in beautiful charles blue with the finest leather on the seats and lambswool at the floor. Hidden inside each of the forward-opening rear doors is an $1,800 umbrella.

The $394,275 hand-built Cullinan competes with the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover. I was on hand in the fall of 2015 at Bentley of Denver out on East County Line Road for the unveiling of the Bentayga. That ushered in the market for ultraluxury SUVs.

There is scarce need to mention fuel mileage for an auto that weighs 5,900 pounds with all-wheel drive and is driven by a huge, twin-turboed, V-12 engine. I’ll tell anyway; overall average for the Cullinan was 14.9 miles per gallon.

Bearing a “can’t miss” tag, the 2020 Nissan Sentra showed up in January with excellent styling and revised engine on a new platform and a price that seems “very reasonable,” comparatively speaking ($25k). It is one of the better-looking compact sedans in the U.S. auto market.

Its brightening of showrooms at introduction in late January and early February faded almost overnight upon impact of the coronavirus infection a month later. Few have had opportunity to view the new product, which with closure of showrooms to the pandemic scare, even fewer have had opportunity to buy. New-car showrooms in Colorado are closed (still, in April), though many dealers are open to online business.

The Sentra was to be 2020’s guide in Nissan’s efforts to avoid a third consecutive year of sliding sales. But the fact the ’20 version missed most of the month of January, then suffered from the virus shutdowns the last two-thirds of March, sales for Sentra amounted to only 23,879 units in the U.S. during the first quarter; a year ago, the Sentra at the same time had totaled 56,793 sales.

I took a liking to the Sentra SR model delivered to me, oh, it lacked some in performance, but it looked great, was well-equipped and maintained outstanding fuel mileage.

It was finished in white with a black roof, and Nissan designers continue to tweak the C-pillar window treatment. The newest look gives the small C-window a fine point, and it goes well with the sleekly sloped rear roofline and deck.

The new Sentra sits 2.2 inches lower with a 2.4-inch-wider track, is slightly longer and is 150 pounds heavier in 3,047 curb weight. Handling is impressive from independent front strut and multilink rear suspension.

For the new platform, the Sentra’s overall length was stretched a half-inch to 182.7 inches. Interestingly, that now measures up the same overall length of the Honda Civic, Kia Forte and Subaru Impreza. Those four at 182.7 are lengthier than the Toyota Corolla at 182.3, the Hyundai Elantra at 181.9, the Mazda3 at 175.6 and the Volkswagen Golf at 167.6.

Sentra’s new engine is a 149-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, linked to a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive, riding on 18-inch Hankooks. It replaces last year’s 124-hp, 1.8-liter engine; a small optional turbocharged engine from 2019 is also no longer available.

Overall fuel mileage in my drives was 32.4 miles per gallon; the Sentra’s EPA estimate is 28/37.

An interior highlight is an 8-inch color touchscreen with Bose audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Rear seating is somewhat snug; trunk space is 15 cubic feet.

The Sentra SR trim level carries base price of $22,355 and climbs to $25,825 sticker price with these optional items:

Power moonroof, heated front leatherette seats, heated steering wheel, thin-type LED headlights, around-view monitor and interior ambient lighting.