With 15 miles of electric charge in the battery pack, Jan and I on a recent cold evening guided the 2018 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid 55 miles “round the block.” The big block was from Greeley west to Loveland, north to Fort Collins, east to Ault and south back to Greeley.

Judicious use of the limited electric charge, mostly on the slower pace on Colo. 14 from Fort
Collins to Ault, helped the Niro post an average of 49.2 miles per gallon for the drive. I opted for gasoline power along the 75-miles-per-hour stretch of I-25 from Loveland to Fort Collins. On the last leg south from Ault, I engaged the Sport mode, which improved on the slow acceleration in the default Eco mode.

Numbers of models of gas/electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric automobiles are approaching 90, boosted by increased promotion and attention; still their total sales in 2017 accounted for only 3.2 percent of the light-duty vehicle sales in the U.S.

Arrival over the past month of the Niro Plug-in Hybrid follows introduction last year of the Niro’s regular gas/electric hybrid, which was fourth-best-selling hybrid for the entire year of 2017, yet was on the full market for only slightly more than six months.

With a battery pack tucked beneath the cargo area, the new plug-in version has a range of 26 miles on electricity before the gas engine kicks in, according to Kia estimates. Its battery pack can be recharged overnight from a 120-volt electrical outlet.

Its powertrain consists of a 60-horsepower electric motor rated at 45 kilowatts, a 103-hp, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gas engine and 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which outperforms most continuously variable transmissions used in some other competitors

Sticker price on the Niro Plug-in Premium was $35,575, about $5,000 higher than the Niro gas/electric hybrid I  tested last May.

The all-time sales leader among gas/electric hybrids, the Toyota Prius Liftback, suffered a 17 percent decline in sales during the past year; causes seem to be continued low fuel prices and greater choice of competitive hybrid models.

The Prius Liftback has led sales of gas/electric hybrids since it was introduced in 2000. Its stablemate, the Toyota Prius Prime led sales of plug-in hybrids and the Tesla Model S was top-selling battery electric model.

Enjoying the hottest sales paces at yearend are the Kia Niro and Ford Fusion among hybrids, the new Honda Clarity among plug-ins and the Chevy Bolt among battery electrics.

Sales of hybrids, plug-ins and electrics for the year were 558,653, compared with 504,207 in 2016.

The top 10 sellers in 2017 for the three categories are:

HYBRIDS

Toyota Prius Liftback 65,631; Ford Fusion 57,474; Toyota RAV4 50,559; Kia Niro 27,237; Honda Accord 22,008; Toyota Camry 20,985; Toyota Highlander 16,864; Toyota Prius C 12,415; Hyundai Ioniq 10,765; Ford C-Max 10,250.

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

Toyota Prius Prime 20,936; Chevrolet Volt 20,349; Ford Fusion Energi 9,632; Ford C-Max Energi 8,140; BMW X5 5,349; BMW 3-series 4,141; BMW 5-series 3,772; Chrysler Pacifica 2,981; Audi A3 2,877; Volvo XC90 2,228.

BATTERY ELECTRICS

Tesla Model S 26,500; Chevrolet Bolt EV 23,297; Tesla Model X 21,700; Nissan Leaf 11,230; BMW i3 6,276; VW e-Golf 3,534; Fiat 500e 3,336; Kia Soul EV 2,157; Ford Focus EV 1,817; Tesla Model 3 1,770.

Of the many persons attracted by the flash of the 2017 Honda Civic Type R Touring, some weren’t sure even of its make, let alone its model identity. That’s understandable, for this is the first year it’s been imported to the U.S. The powerful sport compact was first produced in Japan in 1997 and has since been sold there and in Europe.

The Type R, with a stiffened body, is the most powerful car produced by Honda and competes with the Subaru WRX STI, Volkswagen Golf R and Ford Focus RS. Though produced by the Japanese company Honda, it is assembled in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

Its outstanding performance comes from a 306-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed manual transmission with rev match control and three drive modes – Sport, Comfort and R-plus. The system defaults to the quick Sport mode, which can be reduced to Comfort or increased to R-plus which tightens steering considerably. The rev match feature allows smooth downshifts at relatively high rates of speed.

Identifying it as something special, particularly to youthful drivers, is a large wing spoiler, which sits 9 inches above the height of the rear deck.

Suspension includes MacPherson strut front and multilink rear, with adaptive dampers and variable-ratio electric power steering. Large Brembo brake calipers are red, showing through the wheel spokes. The car’s turning circle is a wide 39.5 feet. It rides on low-profile Continental 245/30R20 tires.

Red suede sport seats, deeply bolstered, and even brighter red seatbelts are an interior highlight. A 7-inch display illustrates the navigation system and premium audio with 12 speakers and subwoofer.

Jan and I headed west on U.S. 34, testing the Type R on the twists and bends as far as the Dam Store at the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon, where U.S. 34 is blocked for the winter, to reopen near Memorial Day in May 2018. The store and its parking lot serve as a turnaround during the highway closure.

Cargo space in the Type R five-door hatchback is 25.7 cubic feet with the rear seats in place. Riding on a wheelbase of 106.3 inches, the Honda is 179.4 inches long, stands 56.5 inches in height and has curb weight of 3,117 pounds.

With all the power, interior sportiness and other features such as rearview camera, electric parking brake and a triple-outlet sport exhaust, sticker price for the Type R is $34,775.

The Type R’s 306 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. torque overshadows the popular Civic Si tuner model’s 205 horsepower and 192 torque. The Si, however, carries an impressive EPA estimate of 38 miles per gallon on the highway, compared with 28 for the Type R. The drive to the Dam Store and back averaged 26.3 mpg.

Volkswagen over the past year has launched three new products, widening its stable of all-wheel-drive crossovers and wagons.

The new Atlas is a three-row competitor, the largest crossover ever introduced by VW; the ruggedly trimmed Alltrack wagon is aimed at stealing some sales from the Subaru Outback, and the enlarged Tiguan is finding favor with shoppers of compact crossovers.

Still, when Volkswagen is mentioned, many car enthusiasts young and old fondly turn their minds to the little Golf, and, in particular, to the Golf GTI.

The low-slung, hot-hatch GTI came my way recently, timed perfectly for the dry roads in between snowstorms. Horsepower has been boosted to 220 for its turbocharged, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission. It’s a quick-shifting tranny, and in Sport mode with use of paddleshifters, a driver won’t miss the 6-speed manual.

Find a winding road with some short twists, replace normal braking with manual-mode shifting, and the five-door hatchback will steal the show from highly regarded competitors Civic, Mazda3 or Elantra. Midrange torque response is impressive for the short-wheelbase Golf (103.6 inches), which exhibits minimal body roll.

Whatever drive mode is selected (Normal, Eco or Sport), when the car is restarted after a shutdown, it retains the mode set. The 3,000-pound VW rides on Cinturato 225/40R18 tires.

It averaged a respectable 30.2 miles per gallon of premium fuel; its EPA estimate is 24/32.

Inside, the backup camera provides one of the most clear views of any I’ve tested. The black leather interior is nicely stitched in red, a color theme that is emphasized on the exterior, with a red bar across the front of the hood and red brake calipers.

The SE model I drove was priced at $31,165, with the leather as the only option. Among standard equipment are the DSG  transmission, side-seat-mounted and side-curtain airbags, cruise control, automatic emergency braking, premium audio, moonroof and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Brrr, it was cold during the last week of the year, yet we headed into 2018 with bright sunshine and daytime temperatures above the freezing mark.

As a native of this great state, I’ve always enjoyed our winters, even the cold and snowy conditions which are conducive to fair testing grounds for vehicles suited to these areas.

I’ll admit, though, the week was not fit for plug-in electrics, particularly one of very minimal electric range. All week, we experienced single-digit temperatures during the nights and most days did not get out of the teens.

The 2018 Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4, a fun car in maneuvering and one that boasts of all-wheel-drive capability, was less-efficient in the extreme cold than it might have been in 50-degree temp readings. Extreme cold weather drains more than normal energy from battery packs and reduces performance of electric motors.

This Countryman is a plug-in electric, with its front wheels powered by a 3-cylinder engine under the hood and its rear wheels by an electric motor housed under the cargo floor at the rear. A lithium-ion battery pack to supply the electric motor, is stored under the rear seat just ahead of the motor.

The plug-in port is on the front fender just ahead of the driver’s door; it is a circular scuttle with a large E on the lid, which opens to the charging connection. The other side of the car is balanced with a large E on the outside of a dummy (non-opening) scuttle.

Even after an overnight charge, the 7.6 kWh battery pack provides just an estimated 12 miles of electric-only range.

Overall fuel mileage for the week was barely over 26 miles per gallon. The Countryman’s EPA estimate is 27/28 mpg, and, with a charge of the battery pack, the average can soar far higher for relatively low miles. Through the past week, in the frigid temps, the only spurt of electric-boosted mileage occurred on an easy, Sunday morning crosstown drive to church and back, following a full recharge on Saturday night.

Low-end acceleration is impressive, coming from twin-power turbo installation with the 134-horsepower, 3-cylinder (162 lb.-ft. of torque) and 87 horsepower and 122 lb.-ft. torque from the electric drive. All this mated to a 6-speed Steptronic transmission. The Mini will kick out from 0 to 60 in around 6 seconds.

Drive modes of Sport, Midperformance and Green may be selected from a rotary dial tied to the shifter, which tightens steering and adds throttle response in Sport, while easing any hint of aggressiveness in Green. The gas/electric range can be altered by a choice of Auto eDrive, Max eDrive and Save Battery.

The Countryman, built on the same platform of the BMW X1, is 169.8 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 105.1, and has only 17 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seat, which is somewhat tight in legroom. Comfort and support is decent in the front seats, though ride quality can be a bit rough at times. It rides on Goodyear Eagle Sport 225/50R18 tires.

The Mini Cooper car company, purchased by BMW of Germany in 2000, is based in England, as it has been since its inception in the late 1950s. The Countryman, the largest and roomiest Mini ever built, is assembled in Born, Netherlands.

The review model carried a sticker price of $39,700, reflecting the electric setup, as well as the all-wheel-drive system. Among its many features are navigation, real-time traffic information, enhanced Bluetooth connectivity and voice-activation capability, rearview camera, heated front seats, head-up display and sport leather steering wheel.

A look back. . . .2002 Mini Cooper

This small Mini Cooper showed up in Denver in the summer of 2002. (Bud Wells photo/2002)A bit more than 15 years ago, in June 2002, I drove and reviewed my first Mini Cooper. Following are excerpts from the column in The Denver Post:

Look at the new Mini Cooper, and you’re apt to smile. It’s so small, yet so bright and perky-looking.

Walk around to the front of it, and the little car smiles right back at you. It has two oversized oval eyes for headlights and a wide grin for a grille.

It’s less than 12 feet long. That’s a foot and a half shorter than the Volkswagen New Beetle and 2 feet shorter than the Chrysler PT Cruiser. It’s even a foot shorter than the Mazda Miata.

It’s wheels, though, have been set out to the extreme corners of the structure, with little overhang left in front or rear. That aids the car’s handling and, particularly, its cornering, which is impressive.

The English product is being imported into the U.S. by German luxury-car builder BMW, which acquired the Rover Group in 1994.

Operating with a 5-speed manual transmission and a small 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine of 115 horsepower, the Mini got a severe test on a hot afternoon recently when four of us, Scott English, Tim Coy, Marywyn Germaine and I, drove it about the city with the air conditioning running. It moved very slowly away from the stoplights. Performance is regained under those circumstances by cutting power to the air. Its ride is on the rough side.

The Mini averaged 32.1 miles per gallon. Sticker price on the 2002 model was $18,460.

With sunnier days and warmer temperatures into the new year, the appearance of the redesigned 2018 Enclave has brightened, too, showrooms of Buick dealerships. The new Enclave is one of the most refined of a strong field of midsize SUVs and crossovers.

With the 2018 model in the showrooms for the final two months of the just-concluded year, the Enclave increased sales from 7,308 units to 11,910, an increase of 63 percent. It is the second-best-selling Buick model, trailing only the Encore, a compact-sized SUV.

The Enclave underwent an attractive exterior remake, is 2 inches longer overall, has a bit more power and added safety. From the waterfall grille and extended wings on the Buick logo up front, to the light on the ground giving “the kicking spot” for the power liftgate at the rear, the Enclave is sleeker and filled with new appeal.

A new 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is mated to the 3.6-liter V-6 engine, for which horsepower has been boosted from 288 to 310, with torque of 266 lb.-ft. The Intelligent All Wheel Drive system monitors and adjusts for improved traction. A somewhat awkward setup for shift sequence on a new electronic shifter requires plenty of practice for shift smoothness.

The Enclave’s wheelbase has also been  lengthened by 2 inches to 120.9 inches. Among big three-row SUVs, the Enclave’s overall  length of 204.3 inches is a bit shorter than the Nissan Armada (208.6) and Toyota Sequoia (205.1), though longer than the Dodge Durango at 202 inches, the Mazda CX-9 at 199.4, the Volkswagen Atlas 198.3, Volvo XC90 194.9 and the Honda Pilot 194.4.

The Enclave carried Jan and me to Denver on a December night to the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association Building, where member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) gathered in the Bud Wells Board Room for their annual Christmas party.

David Muramoto heads the RMAP as president, with David Beardsley serving as vice president, Angelia McGowan as secretary, Mike Cotsworth as treasurer and Craig Conover and Andrew Ganz as board members at large.

Tim Jackson, head of CADA, welcomed more than 40 RMAP members and guests and discussed sales of new cars and trucks thus far this year in Colorado; “They’re up 7 percent here, while sales nationally are down slightly. Light trucks, crossovers, SUVs and minivans continue to fuel the market for new-vehicle registrations in Colorado.”

My test was aboard the Enclave Premium, one of four trim levels. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration is prominent in the roomier interior.

The Enclave doesn’t offer a second-row bench seat; they’re captain’s chairs with walking space between them for assisting access to the third-row seating. Fewer and fewer buyers have requested second-row benches in recent years, Buick said. The second-row seats slide forward and backward and will recline.

The passenger-side seat will also fold forward to create another opening to the third row. The third-row seats are roomy enough and cushioned enough to accommodate adults.

Cargo space behind the third row is 23.6 cubic feet; fold down the third row and the storage grows to 58 feet. A hands-free power liftgate, opened by a swing of the foot, is standard. A remote-opening sensor shines a Buick shield logo light on the ground as a spotlight for where the “kicker” should aim.

The Buick averaged 21.1 miles per gallon in an even split of highway and city road time. The Enclave rides on Continental 255/55R20 tires.

The base Buick, with front-wheel drive, begins around $42,000; it won’t be a factor in all-wheel-drive-obsessed Colorado dealerships. The three which will, each with all-wheel drive, are the Essence, the Premium and the new upscale Avenir.

The Enclave Premium AWD from a base price of $50,315 climbed to sticker total of $57,055 with an otional dual moonroof, 20-inch aluminum wheels, surround vision, navigation and trailering equipment.

The Enclave is built in Lansing, Mich.; its engine and transmission are put together in Mexico.

’78 Buick LeSabre

priced at $7,092.55

(Forty years ago this winter, I reviewed in The Denver Post the 1978 Buick LeSabre four-door sedan, provided by Deane Buick Co., 1080 S. Colorado Blvd. Excerpts follow:)

You can still buy a big car with a big trunk and air conditioning for about $7,000. The car is Buick and the model is the 1978 LeSabre.

Since downsizing a year ago, the LeSabre’s dimensions aren’t what they used to be. Those older LeSabres gave an excellent highway ride. The ’78 models give a good ride and are easy to park, too. The four-door will carry comfortably six adults, and it is easy getting in and out of the rear seat. The roomy trunk has 21 cubic feet of space.

The engine, a 350-cubic-inch V-8 with four-barrel carburetor, seemed sluggish. However, the car showed only 69 miles when John Ramstetter turned it over to me. Gas-mileage checks were on the low side – 11 miles per gallon in town, though some of the miles were under adverse conditions during a snowstorm. The highway test was 15.4 mpg.

Base price of the four-door is $5,458.55, with a destination charge of $435 for $5,893.55. The 350 engine added $313, air conditioning was $581, steel-belted radial tires $46, AM radio $96. Sticker price was $7,092.55.

The LeSabre is 218 inches long on a wheelbase of 115.9 inches. It is Buick’s second largest automobile, smaller only than the Electra.

With a little improvement in gas mileage, the four-door I drove should appeal to many families.

When I walked out and saw the 2018 Range Rover Velar in my driveway, it seemed much longer than I had imagined it might be. It is the newest luxury midsize sport-utility vehicle on the U.S. market.

For it to exceed my expectations was of no surprise, for Land Rover, builder of Range Rover products, does nothing in a small way.

Sizewise, the Velar is third in line behind the full-size Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The Velar at 113 inches is only 2 inches shorter in wheelbase than the others; its overall length of 189 inches compares with 197 for Range Rover and 192 for the RR Sport.

The Velar, larger than the Range Rover Evoque (a compact), has curb weight of around 4,225 pounds.  That’s 500 pounds heavier than the Evoque, and of at least that much lighter than the heavier Sport and Range Rover.

Among competitors for the new model are Lexus RX350, BMW X5, Volvo XC90, Cadillac XT5, Lincoln MKX and others.

It carried Jan and me, along with Dick and Bernice Muller to Sterling for the 60^th wedding anniversary party for Duane and Millie Muller at the Logan County Heritage Center. Duane and I are cousins, born three weeks apart at Wray many years ago.

The highway drive along U.S. 34 to Wiggins, then I-76 to Sterling, brought out the best of fuel mileage for the diesel-powered Velar – averaging 30 miles per gallon there and back.

The high-mileage reading from the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine will decline in stop-and-go maneuvers, and a power-lag pause occurs at lower speeds before the turbo kicks in. The diesel delivers 317 lb.-ft. of torque and 180 horsepower. Two gas-engine options for the Velar are a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder of 247-hp and a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 of 380-hp. All three are tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The Velar I drove is the R-Dynamic HSE edition, finished in byron blue exterior and light interior. Velar was the identity used on Range Rover prototypes before Land Rover launched it into actual production in 1970. The Velar is built in Solihull, United Kingdom.

In Range Rover tradition, the Velar rides smoothly and quietly. It is equipped with a coil-spring suspension. Its gloss-black-finished 20-inch spoked wheels are a standout, with Pirelli Scorpion 255/50R20 tires.

Land Rover’s lane-keeping assist gently nudges the SUV back into its driving lane when it wanders near the lane-divider stripe on the highway; it is also equipped with emergency brake assist. The lane-keeping system wasn’t as noticeably effective as was that of the Audi Q7 several months ago.

The Velar shows a clamshell hood and straight body sides, broken by popout door handles which retract when the car is locked or shifted into gear.

Highlighting the interior are white Windsor leather seating and the Touch Pro Duo 10-inch screens for infotainment, climate and driving modes of comfort or dynamic, with terrain choices, too. Previously, a dial shifter (like the automatic transmission shifter) was provided for terrain settings; this new one is selected on one of the two touchscreens. The upper screen offers controls for navigation, phone and media, while the lower screen controls climate, seat functions and the terrain response settings.

The Velar offers a large rear cargo space of 34.4 cubic feet, with adjustable tiedown rails on each side. Its tailgate can be automatically opened by swinging a foot beneath the rear of the vehicle.

From a base price of $69,100, the Velar sticker price jumped to $75,415 with addition of heated windshield and steering wheel, four-zone climate control, surround-camera, remote release for rear seat, Meridian surround sound and ebony black headliner.

Among standard items are rearview camera, park assist, Bluetooth connectivity and streaming, push-button start, heated rear window, automatic headlights and headlight leveling.

I’ve driven the 2018 Outlander GT and Outlander Sport, a couple of slow-selling crossovers for Mitsubishi, the Japanese car company hard-pressed in recent years to become the forgotten car company.

The Outlander is a midsize, the Outlander Sport is a compact; their individual sales totals, as well as the overall sales by Mitsubishi, are all near the bottom for the industry in the U.S.

Hope exists, though, as Mitsu officials will unveil what they call a rebound entry at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Shining bright in the company’s small space at the extravaganza will be a compact crossover; not only is it red but it is called the Eclipse Cross, reviving an old name from a coupe/roadster last sold in 2012.

The new Eclipse Cross will fit between the Outlander and Outlander Sport, sizewise. While all three models share a 105.1-inch wheelbase, the Outlander is 184.8 inches in overall length, the Eclipse Cross will be 173.4 inches and the Outlander Sport is 171.5.

The Eclipse was a sporty, strong-selling coupe and convertible 20 years ago, when Mitsubishi sold almost 200,000 vehicles a year, and even 10 years ago with company sales at 130,000 in the U.S. Mitsubishi expects to nudge past 100,000 sales by the end of next month.

Whether the Eclipse name can stir appeal as a crossover similar to what it did as a sports model remains to be seen.

Of Mitsubishi’s 86,000 sales over the first 10 months of this year, 55,000 of them, or 63 percent, are from the Outlander and Outlander Sport SUV crossovers. They have an even split between them.

In driving the two Outlanders, I realized how noticeably short they are of high-tech features. Traveling to Hacienda Colorado, Westminster, for a wedding reception for granddaughter Hannah Zink and Mike Mckenner, I got directions through my iPhone for lack of navigation in the Outlander.

Neither crossover offered an optional turbocharged engine. Acceleration was on the mild side; the ride was decent in the bigger Outlander, a three-row vehicle.

The new Eclipse Cross, when it hits the showrooms, will sport new styling, offer a direct-injection turbocharged engine, head-up display, touchpad controller and rear heated seats.

Performance for the Outlander GT came from a 3.0-liter V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and Super All-Wheel Control. The V-6 delivers 224 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque, and S-AWC can be moved from Normal to Snow to Economical AWC or locked in all-wheel-control.

The Outlander Sport got by with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, continuously variable transmission and all-wheel-control; it averaged 25.2 miles per gallon, with an EPA estimate of 23/28. The bigger Outlander, with an EPA rating of 20/27, averaged 21.9 mpg.

The addition of forward-collision mitigation, lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise pushed the Outlander’s sticker price to $34,150. The same package, plus Rockford Fosgate premium audio and panorama roof, raised price of the Outlander Sport to $29,110.

Both are built in Okazaki, Japan.

The Sport version of the 2017 Edge puts Ford among the top tier of two-row midsize SUV/crossovers.

With a firmed-up suspension tied to 21-inch wheels, EcoBoost under the hood, all-wheel drive and a huge cargo area at the rear, the Edge is attractive as a family hauler.

Among other two-row competitors are Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Murano, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, GMC Acadia All-Terrain, Volkswagen Touareg.

Only the Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi V-8 has more power than the Edge Sport. The Ford’s 2.7-liter V-6 EcoBoost V-6 delivers 315 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, and at midrange would give even the Hemi a run for its money.

In addition to its turbo power, the 2.7 EcoBoost carries an EPA fuel-mileage estimate of 17 to 24. With about three-fourths of my 450 miles of driving on the highway, the Edge averaged 22.5 miles per gallon overall.

The Edge Sport has a relatively wide track of almost 65 inches and rides on Pirelli Scorpion 265/40R21 tires. Its wheelbase is 112.2 inches, overall length 188 inches and curb weight 4,080 pounds.

It perfectly parked itself very rapidly into a parallel spot with its active park assist system. Ford was one of the first to introduce this feature a few years ago and appears to have improved upon it. With my hands off the steering wheel, the system quickly backed the Edge into position along the curb.

A swing of my foot beneath the rear bumper opened the rear liftgate automatically. Its cargo space is one of the roomiest at 39.2 cubic feet; fold the rear seats and the open area expands to 73 cubic feet.

Among its many safety features are inflatable seatbelts for the rear seats, in which, in a crash, a tubular airbag unzips from the seams of the seatbelts across the occupant’s chest.

The beefed-up Edge Sport becomes somewhat pricey; the model I reviewed carried a sticker price of $47,575. It included voice-activated touchscreen navigation, remote start, heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats, lane-keeping system, rain-sensing wipers and adaptive cruise/collision warning.

The Edge one morning carried Jan and me from out east in Aurora across the metro area as far as U.S. 287, then north to Berthoud, where we joined Don and Nadine Cassata and Ed Hart in looking over a 1928 Dodge Victory Six sedan.

The Dodge belonged to Nadine’s father, the late Maurice Nelson, and the Cassatas have given some thought to selling it. I heard it run; it sounded good and smooth. It is a flathead-6, the engine design long-used by Dodge until 1960, when it introduced the Slant-6.

The rugged Rubicon Recon edition with the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited was perfect for one final run through the Big Thompson Canyon in late September, before the Colorado Department of Transportation shut down the highway for the winter.

It’s not that I did any true offroading in the canyon, but the Jeep Wrangler four-door certainly looked as though it belonged in the tough, tall terrain.

The extended-length Unlimited model has basically the same exterior appearance of other Wranglers. The Rubicon Recon package added a power-dome hood with functioning air vents, side rock rails with tread plates (step pads) for fending off boulders and heavy debris, a winch-capable steel bumper with red tow hooks and a military-inspired, beefed-up Dana front axle for added durability.

The Rubicon Recon is a body-on-frame structure showing off 10-inch ground clearance with half-inch suspension lift, skid plates, and maneuverability with a very tight turning radius.

Tied to the Jeep’s 285-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine is a long-used 5-speed automatic transmission. The Wrangler is the last Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep product using the 5-speed auto, dating back to when the Chrysler brands were part of Mercedes-Benz of Germany from 1998-2007.

We climbed into the Jeep (21-inch step-in height) on a Saturday afternoon and headed west through Loveland, past the Dam Store and into the canyon on U.S. 34, which has closed now for a second winter for road and stream reconstruction from damage in a 2013 flood. The road will be closed until Memorial Day weekend 2018.

Repeating a run Jan and I made in a Subaru Outback wagon before closure a year ago, we drove the Jeep to Drake, then turned onto the Devil’s Gulch Road to Glen Haven, where we shared one of Steve and Becky Childs’ homemade cinnamon rolls. The climb on up to Estes included two intense switchbacks, which the Wrangler, with its short turn radius and locked in 1^st gear, made the ascent and turns in good shape.

We spent little time in crowded Estes, then in descending the canyon on the main U.S. 34 roadway we used 2^nd and 3^rd gears in the Jeep to avoid frequent braking. At the I-25/34 intersection at Johnstown, we stopped and joined in the grand opening of the 240,000-square-foot Scheels sporting goods store.

Shy a gear or three it may be, the Wrangler, though, shifted smoothly; for the 110-mile drive, it averaged 18.3 miles per gallon (EPA estimate is 16/20), and rode like a Jeep noted for offroad prowess. It rides on BF Goodrich Mud Terrain LT 255/75R17 tires.

From inside the vehicle, the top over the front seats can be removed by twisting four latches. Tradition reigns, as the windshield can still be folded flat onto the hood. Red accent stitching highlights the leather-trimmed seats. All-weather slush mats are good protection from mud and snow.

The Wrangler Unlimited, built in Toledo, Ohio, like the earliest of Jeeps back in the ‘40s, carries a base price of $37,445. The total tally climbed to $48,870 with the Rubicon Recon options, including the steel bumpers, rock rails with step pad, automatic inside temperature control, GPS navigation, Alpine premium audio, voice command with Bluetooth, heated front seats, red seat belts, remote start, rear window wiper/washer/defroster.

While rolling down the road in the sleek 2018 all-wheel-drive coupe, the Mercedes AMG C43, reach to the right and push the switch moving the drive mode from Comfort to Sport, adjust the suspension setting to Sport-tuned also, activate the enhanced exhaust and enjoy the run – it can serve as a restorer of youthful urges.

Thanks to the Benz’s stiffened suspension, the strong acceleration from the C43’s twin-turbocharged and intercooled 3.0-liter V-6 engine is complemented by minimal body roll in cornering.

A great drive it is, made possible through the AMG-boosted 362-horsepower, 384-torque engine and a smooth, responsive 9-speed automatic transmission.

Yes, it’s all-wheel drive, yet the October snowfall led M-B officials to delay by a day its delivery to me, a concession to the coupe’s Pirelli 225/40R19 summer performance tires. I recall a cold, snowy day in downtown Greeley several years ago, when I missed by 6 inches wiping out a power pole while slipping and sliding in a BMW 3 series with summer performance tires.

With a sufficient fill of the spirited sport setting, revert to “comfort” levels for the drive, suspension and steering for a pleasant ride home. Suspension remains fairly stiff even in the softer mode. Large 14.2-inch front discs lend reassurance for braking in either mode.

While the C43’s blocks and heads weren’t hand-built, for which AMG is best-known with other Mercedes products, the coupe received enough performance infusion to make it a worthy competitor to the BMW M3.

The AMG designation means “performance-tuned with precision.” In 1967, automotive engineers Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher began fine-tuning engines for Mercedes-Benz race cars in an old mill in Bergstall, Germany, and AMG was born. AMG became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daimler company (Mercedes is a division of Daimler) in 2005.

The 2018 silver Mercedes with red leather seats carried Jan and me on a late afternoon to Loveland, then south on U.S. 287 to Erie, where we joined Keith and Sandy Boggs and Glenn and Ruthie Selch for dinner. The chicken piccata surely is a specialty of Sandy’s.

The Mercedes averaged 21.9 miles per gallon in overall driving; its EPA estimate is 20/27.

Burmester, long a German associate of Mercedes-Benz, lends one of its high-end audio systems to entertain the C43’s interior. A flat-bottomed AMG steering wheel and large sunroof are among highlights in the cabin. Tucked away in a center console cubicle is a working cigarette lighter and small ashtray.

That performance exhaust enhancer, which sings so loud, was among options which boosted the AMG C43’s sticker price to $72,835 from a base of $55,900. Among others were illuminated door sills, head-up display, navigation/traffic/weather, trunk lid spoiler in high-gloss black, park assist, surround view and active lane-keeping assist. The car’s attention-assist system, if it detects drowsiness from the driver, flashes a suggestion to “Take a Break.”

Contrasting the flash and zip of the sporty C43 coupe was a test of the 2017 Metris Pasenger Van 126.

It is so basic, there were few buttons or switches to push on the Metris, with no cruise control, no rearview camera, no power mirrors.

It is a Mercedes-built passenger van, doubling as a cargo hauler, and competes with the Ford Transit Connect, Chevrolet City Express, Ram ProMaster City and Nissan NV200.

A good runner, with plenty of power from a 208-horsepower/258-lb.ft. torque, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed automatic transmission, the van is of rear-wheel-drive configuration. Its EPA estimate is 20/23 miles per gallon.

Built for sturdiness and hauling, as well as passenger loads of seven or eight, the ride can be rough at times. It rides on Hankook 225/55R17 tires.

The reasonably priced Metris, $35,415, had only two options – a power sliding door on the driver side and the same on the passenger side. Seats are of durable cloth finish.

In an unusual placement, the fuel filler tube is behind a flap at the driver’s door. Its opening at the back is of the “barn-door” type, side-by-side doors..

With all three rows of seats in place, the Metris’ cargo area still measures out to 38 cubic feet.

The midsize van is 202.4 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 126 inches and curb weight of 4,850 pounds.