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.

I’d heard that Toyota, in Japan, had added all-wheel-drive technology to its Prius being sold there, so, at a meeting in Denver three years ago I asked Toyota executive David Lee if the company might do the same in Colorado.

“Probably not,” he said, adding that “the Prius has aimed its volume sales at sunshine states and to expect it, with an all-wheel-drive addition, to move into cold and snowy country would be a contradiction to the basis of the hybrid electricity success.”

But thinking changes, sometimes along the lines of a sales decline, of which the Prius has encountered in recent months.

“Yes, the time has come,” said Lee at the 2019 Denver Auto Show. And delivered to me was the 2019 Toyota Prius XLE AWD-e Hybrid. It isn’t a fully capable all-wheel-drive hatchback, but it has the basis for some assist from all four wheels.

For the front-wheel-drive Prius, Toyota has added a lightweight, 7-horsepower, magnetless electric motor to the rear wheels. From 0 to 6 miles an hour, the e-motor is automatically engaged, helping with startup speed and lending grip in icy conditions. From 6 to 43 mph, the AWD system is engaged only as needed, and, beyond 43, there is no AWD available. Thus, the Prius remains lacking for serious cold, snowy weather areas.

The Prius was one of the first gas/electric hybrids to come on the scene in the U.S., in 2000, and thoroughly dominated sales until three or four years ago, when large numbers of new hybrids took away sales. I’ve always considered the Prius one of the best of the hybrids for fair-weather driving.

The e-AWD model, with the boost to 6 miles per hour, was strong in takeoffs. The system offers driving modes of eco, power and electric.  My overall fuel-mileage average was 51.8 mpg.

Sticker price for the Prius AWD-e reached $32,146, including Entune audio, color head-up display, heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, dynamic radar cruise, brake assist, lane-departure alert and blind-spot monitor.   

The Prius is built in Aichi, Japan.

The littler luxuries (subcompacts) are latecomers to the years’-long takeover of the U.S. car market by SUVs and crossovers.

The newest of the newer premium luxury subcompacts are the Cadillac XT4 and Lexus UX, showing up in November and December.

They do sales battles with Audi Q3, BMW X1 and X2, Infiniti QX30, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes GLA-Class, Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40. They’re not big sellers yet, collectively capturing about 2 percent of the booming SUV/crossover market.

The XT4 retains the crisp, sharp, distinctive exterior lines of Cadillacs of recent years, likened somewhat to current Acura styling.

The XT4’s structure is one of the largest among luxury subcompacts; in fact, the new Cadillac is occasionally referred to as a compact. It rides on a wheelbase of 109.4 inches, is 181.1 inches in overall length, is 83.5 wide and 64.1 in height. Curb weight is 3,876 pounds. The Lexus UX is 6 inches shorter and 250 pounds lighter.

The 2019 XT4 All-Wheel-Drive Premium Luxury review model came my way last week. It joins the XT5 midsize crossover and the Escalade full-size SUV for Cadillac. Soon to arrive will be the three-row XT6, which will fill a gap between the XT5 and Escalade.

Of the changing lineup for the brand’s SUVs/crossovers, Cadillac president Steve Carlisle said, “The first-ever Cadillac XT6 delivers a compelling blend of spaciousness, safety and convenience features. It joins the all-new XT4, which has soared to the top spot in its segment, our global best-selling XT5 and the iconic Escalade.”

A newly designed 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine of 237 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque teams with a 9-speed automatic transmission and twin-clutch AWD system with torque vectoring and a front disconnect to boost fuel mileage while in two-wheel drive.

Pushing the drive mode button in the XT4, I was given choice of Touring two-wheel-drive control, all-wheel drive or Sport AWD. Sport stiffens suspension and steering feel, and with use of paddle shifters I put the Cad through some dry offroad drills. It performed impressively, with good maneuvering grip, though with ground clearance of 6.7 inches probably not a contender for wintertime Jeep trails.

Response is quick and relatively smooth for the Cadillac 4-cylinder, and fuel mileage is decent, estimated at 22-to-29 miles per gallon. My overall average was 24.2.

The review model’s interior is gorgeous, with Sedona leather of shades between gold and caramel, contrasting perfectly with the black elsewhere. A centerstack juts outward for easy control by driver or front-seat passenger, and features Bose surround sound, providing phone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Seating is roomy and comfortable, with an average amount of cargo space, 22.5 cubic feet, behind the rear seat.

Among options pushing the XT4’s sticker price to $54,785 from a base of $41,795 are lane-keep assist, automatic braking, adaptive cruise, front pedestrian braking, automatic parking assist, hands-free liftgate, ventilated front seats, sunroof, head-up display, navigation with real-time traffic, wireless charging and cabin air ionizer.

The XT4 is built in a Cadillac assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan.

Curiosity abounds all around, with regards to Alfa Romeo.

Few of the Italian marque are seen in these parts, yet several times as I parked and exited the 2019 Giulia sport sedan, someone would ask, “Is that an Alfa Romeo?”

The Alfa brand, absent from the U.S. for 20 years until the 4C Spider in 2015, seems to exude a level of respect whenever mentioned.

And its odd, colorful badge (you know, the cross and the snake swallowing a man) draws immediate attention. The red is the cross of the municipality of Milan, Italy, where Alfa Romeo was founded, and the green snake is open to various interpretations – take your pick.

The key to liking the four-door Giulia is to drive it. I said that about the 2017 model two years ago after maneuvering it into the Poudre Canyon, over Cameron Pass, down to Walden and on up to Laramie.

The new model I drove, the Giulia Ti Sport all-wheel drive, is the same – a great-handling, rear-drive-based sedan. Move the drive mode from normal to dynamic, and the crisper steering ties right into the brilliant handling and super grip.

Performance comes from a 280-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine turbocharged with direct-injection and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s quick, with 306 lb.-ft. of torque, and is a delight in the Rockies with manual-mode shifting. Here’s where the flaw shows up – the 6 ½-inch-long aluminum paddles locked to the steering column, they’re so large they have the look of a shift-training setup for high school sophomores. Paddle shifters ought to be small, out of the way except to the touch of a finger for upshift or downshift.

The Giulia retained secure manners with its all-wheel-drive system in a late-season winter test in the rain and snow.

The Giulia is EPA-rated at 31 miles per gallon for highway driving; my overall fuel average was a decent 27.8. Alfa boldly compares the sport sedan to the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C Class, along with Volvo S60, Cadillac ATS and Audi A4.

Highlighting its exterior are the V-grille and low-level front sport fascia.

Most inviting in the Giulia’s interior, somewhat tight in the rear, are the red-finished sport leather seats (heated in both rows). Trunk space is only 12 cubic feet.

Two optional packages – added safety with forward-collision warning plus, adaptive cruise with stop and lane-departure warning, and Ti Sport AWD special of dark aluminum wheels and all-season performance tires, low-riding front sport fascia, red brake calipers and sport leather seats – played important role in pushing the Giulia’s $41,995 base price to a final sticker of $51,885.

Among other options were Harman Kardon audio, Bluetooth, navigation, leather dash and vesuvio gray metallic exterior paint.

Alfa Romeo, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, produces the Giulia, 4C Spider and Stelvio SUV for the U.S. market.

It’s an odd-color green on the 2019 Lexus UX 250h all-wheel-drive review model I piloted in February. Nori green pearl, Lexus calls it, somewhat like the olive green on a Jeep.

This is no Jeep. It is Lexus’ new luxury subcompact SUV, a hybrid which gains AWD capability through use of an electric motor-generator which drives the rear wheels. It is based on the platform of the fun-but-quirky-looking Toyota C-HR, which showed up a year ago.

The Japanese-built UX will battle for sales in the luxury subcompact category against such strong entries as the Audi Q3, BMW X2, Cadillac XT4, Infiniti QX30, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40.

The UX 250h all-wheel-drive model is powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine, an electric motor up front and another at the back, where also is a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The motor at the rear is the source of power to the rear wheels, as there is no driveshaft. The electric motor-generator drives the rear wheels up to 45 miles per hour, and beyond that the UX performs in front-drive. The gas/electric power sources are  tied to a continuously variable transmission.

The hybrid addition lifts the UXh’s estimated fuel mileage to 41 in town and 38 on the highway. My overall average was 33.2, reduced some by two mornings of driving in 8-below-zero temperatures.

The new subcompact is also offered in nonhybrid form as the Lexus UX200, a front-wheel-drive vehicle with a 169-horsepower, 4-cylinder gas engine. The UX250h, with its gas/electric combination, is rated at 181 horsepower. Its electric boost off the line makes it quicker than the nonhybrid model.

The UX250h is small, with a 103.9-inch wheelbase and overall length of 177 inches, yet because of the battery pack and electric motors it carries a hefty 3,605-pound curb weight. It rides on Bridgestone 225/50RF18 tires.

Space is very tight in the rear cargo area; only 17 cubic feet, short of the 19-24 range of its luxury subcompact competitors. I realized how short when our load of supplies from Costco in Timnath had to be divided between the cargo and rear seats. It’s the battery pack and a sloped roofline that steal away space, for the non-hybrid version of the UX has available more cubic feet than the hybrid.

Golden leatherette-finished seats (heated and cooled) and dash pads embellished the interior. Some difficulty arose with use of the remote touch controller for infotainment, though the simple and quick-response voice command eased the situation. A couple of interior “bugs” I’ve complained about in other Lexus models are the “ears” protruding from each side of a cover atop the gauge panel. They’re dials for snow/traction and for shifting between comfort and sport modes and seem out of place. These are key decision choices for a driver while maneuvering; of absolutely no concern to other passengers, and ought to be more unobtrusively placed.

The Lexus UX250h shows a relatively reasonable base price of $34,000. Add to that navigation and premium sound system, triple-beam LED headlamps, cornering lamps, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, moonroof and heated steering wheel, and the sticker total reaches $42,050.

Lexus now has a full line of SUV/crossovers. The lineup and starting prices include, at the top, the large LX at $86,080; the GX at $52,355; the RX Hybrid at $46,095; the RX at $43,670; the NX Hybrid at $38,835; the NX at $36,485; the UX Hybrid at $34,000; the UX at $32,000.

With bigger battery pack for more competitive range, and sporty and appealing new exterior styling, the all-electric 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus rolled quietly into my possession during the Denver Auto Show in late March.

The new Plus version, fully charged, is expected to deliver 226 miles of driving range, a nice increase over the 150 of the standard Leaf, and within a dozen or so miles of range claims by the Chevy Bolt and Kia Niro.

From a V-motion grille to a “floating roof” and all the way back to distinctive taillights, the Leaf Plus has unveiled mainstream beauty to complement its electric power.

When Jan and I left the auto show on a Wednesday night, we had awaiting us Thursday morning an excellent test drive for the electrified Nissan, though a sad mission. It would be a 100-mile drive to the Christ United Methodist Church in Sterling for the funeral of friend Norma Amen Weber.

When I showed up many years ago for my first class at Sterling High School, as an unknown freshman transfer from Wray, we were seated alphabetically; in the back row it was Weber, then Wells. I said “Hi” to the friendly faced, curly haired kid next to me, Justin Weber, and we’ve been friends since. Justin was married to Norma Amen (a classmate and friend of Jan’s) for more than 60 years before her recent death.

As we left Greeley for Sterling, not only was it cold, windy and rainy, we also were running late. So, when I accessed I76 at Wiggins (75-miles-per-hour speed limit) I kicked the Leaf Plus up to 80 mph in order that we reach the service in  time. We did, with 5 minutes to spare and only 67 miles of charge remaining in the Nissan battery pack.

Fortunately, Wendy Payne of Nissan and Paul Shippey of Automobile Media Solutions at the auto show had furnished me information regarding a quick-charge station at Fort Morgan, and, with 20 miles left, we added more than 100 miles of charge in 30 minutes there for the final leg home.

The weather and the higher speeds took a toll on the Leaf’s range; the realities of driving on occasion will not match perfectly to the car’s specifications.

The expanded battery pack pushes the Leaf Plus’s curb weight to 3,850 pounds, about 300 more than the standard Leaf. The Leaf Plus can handle that, though, for its electric motor is rated at 215 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, compared to 147-hp and 236-torque for the standard.

The Plus offered a good ride and comfortable interior; aiding stability is the face the battery pack is flat and positioned beneath the floor in the center of the car. This also preserves 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats. Many electric autos use that space for the battery storage.

Regenerative braking helps recapture some energy for the battery store, and Nissan’s e-Pedal allows driving with one pedal, as braking is in effect whenever pressure is released on the accelerator. The Leaf Plus is equipped with emergency braking, lane-correction, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning and around-view monitor.

Pricing for the base-model S Plus begins around $32,000 ($6,000 higher  than the base Leaf), while the well-equipped Leaf PlusSL Tech review model carried a price tag in the $45,000 range.