The new Jeep Gladiator, a four-door pickup, is among the toughest of offroad vehicles, and excels in comparison with Rangers, Tacomas and Frontiers, and possibly even the Chevy Colorado Bison.

It’s got coil springs all around, and as trucks and SUVs go, that moves it into the “good ride” category. Boulevard cruiser, though, it is not.

My first look at the Gladiator was in March at the 2019 Denver Auto Show, I drove one in May over the hills surrounding The Fort restaurant near Morrison, attended an unveiling of one at a dealership in July and spent a bit of time in one at the recent drive to Colorado Springs for members of the Rocky  Mountain Automotive Press.

After the Gladiator Rubicon was delivered to my home on Friday of Labor Day weekend, Jan and I early Saturday headed it east toward Nebraska to join Kurt, Tammy and Ryan Wells at their lakehouse near Brady, Neb.

The drive there, a bit noisy from the Jeep’s Falken all-terrain tires, on U.S. 34 through Wray and McCook,  Neb., covered 330 miles. The many homes surrounding Jeffrey lake are in hilly, tree-covered land with winding dirt roads and trails.

Lowering the rear seatback on the passenger side of the Jeep reveals a removable Bluetooth wireless speaker. After we lifted it from the Gladiator and carried it to a table on the deck of their home above the lake, Kurt and Ryan Wells within a couple minutes had made wireless connection between Kurt’s iPhone and the Bluetooth and we enjoyed music the rest of the evening. Upon being returned to its position in the cab, the speaker is recharged as the Gladiator is driven.

From Kurt’s property, I backed the Jeep down to the lake for a photo; easing the climb back up the steep gravel-and-rock-filled trail was the Gladiator’s forward-facing camera, which brought several obstacles into close view.

Our return home was a more direct route on I-80 and I-76 through Julesburg and Sterling, shortening to 270 miles. Fuel mileage averages were 20.1 enroute and 19.1 on the return.

The creation of the pickup was possible after stretching its wheelbase 19.4 inches beyond the four-door Wrangler, which made room for a 5-foot box at the back. The Gladiator frame is 31 inches longer; the truck is on a wheelbase of 137.3 inches, is 218 inches in overall length, 73.8 inches wide and 75 inches tall.

The Gladiator 4X4 receives strong performance from its 285-horsepower/260 lb.-ft. torque, 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with manual-mode shifting. It has lockable front and rear axles and disconnecting front stabilizer bar. Tow capacity is a class-leading 7,650 pounds.

Among special Gladiator features are a fully removable rooftop and doors for convertible style and adjustable tiedowns in the 5-foot bed.

With a dozen optional packages, including forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise with stop, blind-spot and cross-path detection, and 8.4-inch display for premium audio/navigation, the Gladiator’s price jumped from $43,545 to $60,380.

The sturdy-looking Gladiator returns Jeep to the compact/midsize pickup wars after an absence of 27 years.

The 2020 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury AWD arrived in time for October’s first cold and wind and snow; it was built for days like that.

The Cadilllac on a bright Saturday carried Jan and me 70 miles south to Parker for great-granddaughter Tessa’s 5^th birthday; the roominess of the three-row XT6 impressed granddaughter Kara, who for the past four years has driven a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.

It’s a midize, seven-passenger SUVcrossover, sharing General Motors’ C1XX platform designed for the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse. The XT6 fills a gap for Cadillac between the compact XT5 and the large Escalade.

In its all-wheel-drive version, the XT6 lists curb weight of 4,644 pounds on a wheelbase of 112.7 inches and overall length of 198.8 inches. Its relatively wide track is 66.4 inches in front and 66.2 at the rear.

Among competitors in the midsize luxury field are Audi Q7, Volvo XC90, Lincoln Aviator, Lexus RX-L, Acura MDX, BMW X7, Infiniti QX60 and others.

Its exterior color, listed as garnet, changes from a dark gray to a reddish purple, depending on the amount of light shining its way. Inside, well-bolstered seats are finished in jet black leather, and the dash front features bronze carbon fiber. 

Navigation direction is one of simplest and quickest to set; it is part of the Cadillac User Experience (CUE), which includes an 8-inch color display screen for phone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bose Performance sound with 14 speakers is pleasant.

The Cadillac is loaded up with safety advances, including standard forward precollision alert, lane-keeping assist and rear cross-traffic alert. Heading almost $6,000 of optional safety advances are adaptive cruise control with full-speed automatic emergency braking, night vision, rear camera mirror and automatic parking assist that can steer and brake while guiding itself into a space.

The 3.6-liter V-6 develops 310 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque, with a 9-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Off the line, its low-end torque is impressive. In a variety of driving situations, including in the cold and snow, the Cadillac averaged 22.1 miles per gallon (EPA estimate is 17-24).

A drive mode button will shift the Caddy from Tour (two-wheel drive) to All-Wheel Drive to Sport to Offroad. Tow capacity for the Cadillac is 4,000 pounds, when properly equipped. The new Lincoln Aviator will tow 7,000 pounds. 

The XT6 delivers a smooth, fairly soft ride, with an upgraded performance suspension of MacPherson struts in front, five-link independent rear and coils all around. Body roll is felt on sharp turns.

Front seats are well-bolstered; the middle-row seats will slide far forward to accommodate access to the third row.  Only 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space is available behind the third row; fold the rear seats, though, and that grows to 43 feet.

Base price of $54,695 for the XT6 Premium Luxury AWD swells to $71,585 with a load of options, including automatic emergency braking, reverse automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, night vision, cooled leather seats in front row, microfiber suede headliner, head-up display and an air ionizer for delivering fresher air and eliminating odors.

A sunroof, wireless device charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with safety items forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors and lane-keep assist.

Sleek styling and new grille are evident in a larger, second-generation 2019 Audi Q3 S line quattro.

As it stands today, the Q3 will be hard-pressed to gain the strong following of the Q5, Audi’s compact-sized SUV, which is considered one of the finest crossovers in the country.

The Q3’s exterior style is pleasing at a glance, and the chronos gray metallic finish is like so many hues today which are altered in color, depending on what amount of light is cast their way. Inside, contrasting the light gray exterior, are strips of alcantra in bright orange. The center stack features a large touchscreen for multimedia, which sits atop the climate controls, with old-fashioned knobs.

Seats are of good structure and leather finish, and even those in the back slide fore and aft and recline. Much of the black dashtop and sun visors are somewhat cheap in appearance.

The second-generation Q3 rides on a wheelbase of 105.5 inches, an increase of 3 inches, and weighs just short of 4,000 pounds. Its cargo area measures 23.7 cubic feet behind the rear seat; fold it down and that expands to 48 feet.

Among luxury subcompact SUV competitors of the Audi are the Volvo XC40, BMW X1, Lexus UX and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Other than a definite turbo lag, the Q3 performance is decent. A 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbo generates 228 horsepower, tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. Fuel mileage seems a bit low, with EPA estimate of 19-27 and my average of 22.6. The 2019 Volvo XC40, 200 pounds lighter than the Audi, carries a 23-31 mpg estimate and I averaged 28.6 with it.

The new Q3 seems reasonably priced, from a base of $36,000 to $44,990 sticker. Among $8,000 of added options are Bang & Olufsen sound, MMI navigation, lane-departure warning, side-assist and rear cross-traffic assist, phone box with wireless charging, 20-inch wheels and S line sport seats with contrast stitching.

Among standard items are panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and power tailgate.

The Q3 is built in Gyor, Hungary.

A showpiece for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, came to town and drew attention, first, for its structural beauty, then, for its awesome performance capabilities.

The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo’s entry in the luxury compact SUV category. Most Stelvio models can be bought in the $45,000 to $55,000 range; pairing up with a Stelvio Quadrifoglio will add a $30,000 or more premium to the final tab.

A primary reason for the huge price bump is a 505-horsepower, 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Standard block for a Stelvio is a 280-hp, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder.

Few in this country know much about Alfa Romeo, though most appear impressed and interested when the Italian marque is mentioned in car discussions.

The aspiration of planners of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is to someday compete head-on with the Audi Q5, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. The fact is, though, that with 6,844 U.S. sales through the first nine months of this year, the Stelvio is at the bottom of the luxury compact SUV field, behind Jaguar F-Pace with 10,361, the Infiniti QX50 with 13,610 and the Porsche Macan with 16,191. The Mercedes, Audi and BMW models are at 50, 49 and 37k sales, respectively.

A year ago, I guided an ’18 Stelvio over a narrow-road climb to 9,450-foot Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, comparing it to Italy’s 9,045-foot Stelvio Pass, for which the Alfa Romeo SUV is named.

This fall, it was opposite direction in the Quadrifoglio, northeastward to Sterling for a noon luncheon meet of the board of the Sterling High School Alumni Foundation and an evening of combined class reunions for SHS at the Riverview Golf Club Bar & Grill. Some in-town maneuvers combined with the 200-mile highway drive resulted in an overall fuel mileage average of 22.6.

Big, strong Brembo brakes provide major stopping power for the Quadrifoglio; they measure 15.4 inches in front, 13.8 in the rear, with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears. They’re visible through the 20-inch, dark, five-hole aluminum wheels. The brakes are an important upgrade for the Stelvio Quad, which runs 0 to 60 in under-4 seconds and can attain top speed in the 170s.  For perspective, the brakes on the Stelvio base AWD model are 13-inch front and 12.5-rear.

The Quadrifoglio (the word is Italian for four-leaf clover) has tremendous power, and will scoot from 65 to 105 in the blink of an eye. It handles excellently; the ride can be a bit harsh at times.

I prefer short paddleshifters which turn with the steering wheel and with the driver’s hands, but I understand the big paddles as on the Stelvio, since they’re stationary to the steering post and are more accessible in the longer length.

Base price on the crisp-styled Stelvio Quadrifoglio is $80,245 and jumped to $88,390 with addition of adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, lane-departure warning, leather and alcantra seating with green-and-white stitching, dual-pane sunroof and dynamic dual-mode exhaust.

The Stelvio is built at Cassino, Italy.

 “Here it is mid-July,” I said to Jan on a Monday morning, “and we haven’t been to Glen Haven and the general store (yet this season).”

The fact that sitting in my driveway was the limited-production 2019 Honda Civic Type R surely was the thought-provoker, for 30 minutes later we were aboard the hatchback heading west out of Greeley on U.S. 34.

What a drive, with its twists and turns and climbs up the Big Thompson Canyon to Drake, then 8 more miles to Glen Haven. Few other roadways are more-suited to the spirited Type R; well, other than a race track, of course.

The powerful sport compact has been sold in Japan and Europe for more than 20 years; only since 2017 has it been imported to the U.S. Though produced by Honda, the Type R is assembled in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It competes over here with the Subaru WRX STI, Ford Focus RS and Volkswagen Golf R.

The ’19 Type R Touring hatchback gets its kicks from a 308-hosrepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and a very smooth, precise, 6-speed manual transmission. For a fairly quick, steady pace, with little braking, I opted for 2^nd and 3^rd gears much of the way to Glen Haven, and, later, the same for the descent.

The front-wheel-drive Type R, with stiffened body, is an impressive handler in Sport mode. A rev match feature allows smooth downshifts at relatively high rates of speed. It surpasses anything I’ve seen from Honda, and delivered 27 miles per gallon of fuel. It will burn either regular or premium.

After departing U.S. 34 onto the Devil’s Gulch Road, we soon arrived at the little village, parked at the general store, where we bought and split a cinnamon roll to go with Jan’s iced tea and my dark roast coffee. Outside, the Honda drew much attention, mostly from older tourists either enroute to Estes Park or departing the area.

It’s an attention-getter, from its low-hanging air dam up front, past the red calipers and big Brembo brake discs at the front wheels, to the high-riding wing, which sits 9 inches above the deck at the rear. Suspension includes MacPherson strut front and multilink rear, with adaptive dampers and variable-ratio electric power steering. It rides on low-profile Continental 245/30ZR20 tires.

Deeply bolstered red suede sport seats and even brighter red seatbelts are interior highlights. It is also equipped with premium audio, navigation, Bluetooth and AppleCarplay/Android Auto integration. Sticker price is $36,620.

On our return, as we pulled into Runza parking lot in Loveland for a lunch stop, there sat an original-looking 1949 Hudson Commodore four-door. After slowly circling the big, old sedan three or four times and visiting with others who stopped to look it over, I walked into the restaurant.

In a corner, a fellow was waving at me with one hand and pointing with the other to the older guy at his table. The “older guy” was Tom Holden, a Loveland resident who owns the Hudson and does “mechanical and electrical repair, maintenance and restoration” of 1972-and-older vintage cars.

Of the Hudson, Holden said, “It will still run 100 miles per hour.” It was one of only a few models in 1949 that could attain a top speed of 100 or more. In addition to driving about town in the Hudson, he also drives occasionally in a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado.

Subaru, with its new-model Outback wagon each fall, gets no greater reception in any state in the country than in Colorado. The 2020 Outback has shown up, a bit longer with a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine and the latest EyeSight safety assist system.

It is the Onyx edition, with a dominant black and gray finish accented only by an oblong ring of chrome around the windows. It features dark grille and wheels and blackout trim, “targeted to a younger and more active buyer,” according to Subaru.

A 2.4-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer engine of 260 horsepower/277 torque, linked to a continuously variable transmission, is underhood of the big Sube.

The 2020 model is 191.3 inches in overall length, an increase of 1 ½ inches over the 2019 version. And the Onyx edition XT’s tow capacity is lifted to 3,500 pounds with the newer engine. Other Outback trim levels continue to use the 2.5-liter boxer engine.

A power switch on the review model can raise and lower the passenger-side front seat; the lack of such has long been a complaint with previous Outbacks.

An unexpected glitch occurred while driving the Outback, disengaging EyeSight and its active cruise control and lane-centering assists.

With Starlink 11.6-inch navigation, moonroof, auto stop/start and symmetrical all-wheel drive, the Outback displayed a sticker price of $37,750.

This recent e-mail, “I’m a 34-year print subscriber to the Denver Post, I like to read your column in the Saturday paper, and I drive a 1996 Subaru Outback with more than 400,000 miles on its odometer,” sent me across U.S. 34 to Loveland to meet David Selzler and take a look at his old Outback.

Selzler is 71; as a teenager and young man he first drove a ’57 Chevy Bel Air hardtop, then a ’62 Impala Super Sport, a ’63 Impala four-door, a ’64 Impala Super Sport ragtop and ’66 Chevy Impala Super Sport. He was a “Chevy guy.”

The automobile, though, that he’s driven day after day for years and years is no Chevy, it’s the old Subie Outback. The Outback’s odometer registered 401,835 miles as of my visit. Imagine that, more than 400,000 miles. “I’m looking forward to the 500,000 mark,” he said, and with the busy pace he follows, he may achieve that goal.

Retired the past 10 years from a career in technical writing and other responsibilities for software companies, Selzler today oversees four rental properties, two in Loveland, one in Fort Collins and the other in Greeley. And he travels frequently, driving the Subaru, of course.

Near the end of July, he made a 1,701-mile round-trip between Loveland and Minot, N.D., of which he is a native. He meticulously records on a note pad all expenses toward the car and every mile at gas fillups. Fuel mileages for his trip north ranged from a high of 30.51 miles per gallon from Lusk, Wyo., to Belle Fourche, S.D., to a low of 24.89 from Belfield to Minot in North Dakota.

 “On a trip like that, I engage cruise control as much as I can,” he said. “I’m still on the original clutch. When I’m at a stop light, I stick it in neutral and take my foot off the clutch.”

The original engine and manual transmission are still in use beneath the hood. “Years ago, I replaced the radiator,” he said. “Regular routine maintenance of the Sube by local shops is responsible for the enduring miles. After all these miles, the engine uses a little oil, but it runs great.”

The Outback suits very well his lifestyle, as he can carry in the wagon 8-foot 2-by-4s, as well as his skis.

The all-wheel-drive Outback was introduced in 1995 as a more rugged trim level of the Legacy L wagon, with a 2.2-liter, boxer-4-cylinder engine. The Outback got a suspension lift the following year, along with an optional 2.5-liter, boxer-4. Selzler’s 1996 model is equipped with the smaller 2.2-liter engine and 5-speed manual transmission.

Horsepower was 135 for the 2.2 engine and 155 for the 2.5. Prices ranged from $20,000 to $25,000 for the ’96 models, which were 185.8 inches in overall length, with wheelbase of 103.5.

The Outback’s new turbocharged boxer engine was introduced a year ago on the larger-sized Subaru Ascent. I was given keys to a 2020 Ascent for a late-night, 140-mile drive home to Greeley from the Cheyenne Mountain Resort at Colorado Springs after a meeting of members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press.

The model I drove home is finished in cinnamon brown pearl, a new color introduced with the Ascent last year. Inside, it is light colored, with perforated leather seats, power panoramic moonroof, Harman Kardon surround sound with 14 speakers.

The Ascent comes standard with EyeSight Driver Assist including automatic precollision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and sway warning, precollision throttle management, rear cross-traffic alert and a head-up display of EyeSight system warnings on the windshield.

And, yes, there really are 19 cupholders in the roomy Ascent – eight in the front row, six for the middle row’s two bucket seats and five in the back.

Sticker price for the ’20 Ascent Limited is $43,305. Built in Lafayette, Ind., it carries an EPA estimate of 20/26 miles per gallon. In addition to the Limited trim level, it is also offered in lesser-priced Base and Premium levels and upper-priced Touring.

Mercedes’ fabled G-Class sport ute, perhaps the most distinctively styled SUV in the world, has been redesigned for 2019. Don’t fret, traditionalists. Though of larger dimensions, the G retains its decades-old posture, squared-off in big, rugged fashion.

The body-on-frame truck shows few changes on the outside; the interior, though, is updated, suspension is remarkedly improved and Dynamic Select offers choice of driving modes, adjusting responses of the engine, transmission, suspension, steering and assistance systems.

Though the big SUV originated in Germany in 1979 as the Gelaendewagen, a functional offroad vehicle for European military personnel, police departments and mining companies, it didn’t go on sale in the U.S. until the 2001 model year. The first one to come my way was in January 2002 just in time to be tested in a snowstorm. 

The ’19 version is 6 inches longer, 7 inches wider and 5 inches taller than the one I drove in 2002. The new one offers noticeably more interior legroom and more shoulder width with the larger dimensions.

An old-fashioned swing gate somewhat dates the G550 from the rear, especially with the spare tire and cover mounted high enough on the gate to block a fourth of the vision out the rear window.

The G rides on Pirelli Scorpion 275/55R19 tires.

Jan and I one day drove the Mercedes to Colorado Springs in search of a replacement door for a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The G-Class would have easily carried the large door, had we found one, for its swing gate opens wide to 38 cubic feet of cargo space and the rear seats can be folded forward to double the space.

With a 4.0-liter biturbo V-8 engine of 416 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft.  of torque, 9-speed automatic transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive, front/rear and center locking differentials and curb weight of 5,700 pounds, the G-Class makes no claim toward improved fuel mileage. Lots of in-town maneuvering and the drive to Colorado Springs and back averaged 16.1 miles per gallon; its EPA rating is 13/17.

Besides a couple U.S. luxuries – the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade – the big German G-Wagen competes with the BMW X7, Range Rover, Lexus LX and Infiniti QX80.

Kim Parker thought the G-Class looked right at home parked near Centennial Village at Island Grove during the Weld County Fair.

This special mountain-climbing Mercedes SUV, built in Graz, Austria, has climbed in sticker price from $73,145 in 2002 to $134,315 for this year’s G. Lane-keeping, brake assist and blind-spot warning are standard, along with Burmester surround-sound system, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The new one, on a wheelbase of 113.8 inches, is 189.7 inches in overall length, 76 wide and 77.2 in height. It will tow 7,000 pounds. Turning circle is a wide 44.6 feet. Its ride comfort matches any full-size luxury SUV in the country.

It was a heckuva good week with the 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison before dropping it off in late August at a breakfast gathering at Woolley’s Classic Suites in Aurora, then teaming up with the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press in its annual summertime “driving experience,” this time toward Cheyenne Mountain.

Don’t be misled by the “AEV” moniker on the Colorado’s tailgate. This is no “electric vehicle.” The badge’s AEV initials represent American Expedition Vehicles, an offroad-accessory company which has helped custom-build 4X4s for 20 years.

Topping off the well-equipped Colorado ZR2 Bison turbodiesel pickup with AEV hot-stamped Boron steel front and rear bumpers and skid plates, along with AEV wheels and wheel flares, lends the Chevy offroad competency alongside the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

The Bison lines up as a competitor of another new Jeep offroad star, the Gladiator pickup, which went on sale recently.

American Expedition Vehicles is headquartered in Missoula, Mont., and operates a manufacturing facility at Wixom, Mich. Most of its 4X4 enhancement have been devoted to Wranglers and Ram pickups, before linking up with Chevrolet on the Colorado pickup.

The aggressive-looking Bison, which is 31/2 inches wider and 2 inches taller than a standard Colorado pickup, is powered by a turbocharged 2.8-liter, 4-cylinder, Duramax diesel. The turbodiesel develops 369 lb.-ft. of torque with 186 horsepower and is tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission with manual-mode shifting. It is noisier than the bigger turbdiesels used in the full-sized General Motors, Ford and Ram pickups. An optional engine is a gas-powered 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 308 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque.

One evening, Jan accompanied me in the Bison to the Pepper Pod restaurant in Hudson, where we joined Richard Johnson, Dan and Jamie Johnson, for dinner. Dick and I worked together at The Denver Post many years ago, including several years in the early ‘70s at side-by-side desks as assistant city editors. At 93, Dick is living with his son and daughter-in-law in the Denver metro area.

A couple days later, away from the highway driving in soft dirt, then deep ruts from much use and a steep climb, I briefly tested four-wheel low range, which is controlled by a dial from two-wheel high to automatic four-wheel, four-wheel high and four-low.

Overall fuel-mileage average for the Chevy was 20.9 miles per gallon; the EPA estimate with the diesel is 18/22.

Accessing the Bison interior requires a high, 25-inch step-in; it had no step rail. Once inside, the midsize truck rides fairly comfortably, even with the beefed-up spring rates and shocks.

Built in Wentzville, Mo., the Colorado 4X4 ZR2 Crew Short Box pickup is base-priced at $43,995. Adding the Bison/AEV packages cost an extra 5,750 and the Duramax turbodiesel added $3,500 for a sticker value of $53,245.

Jan and I responded quickly when, barely into the second series of plays in the Denver Broncos/Chicago Bears NFL game, all power was lost to our home (and 110 others) and Xcel informed us it would be several hours before service was restored.

We climbed into the 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE sedan and headed out for a Sunday afternoon drive, with the voice of Dave Logan describing further Bronco action on KOA’s 850 frequency.

The Corolla for the coming year will ride on Toyota’s New Global Architecture, the modular unibody automobile platforms that underpin various Toyota and Lexus models. Restyling for the Corolla includes a somewhat lower and more prominent grille, kind of Mazda-like, with a higher-riding rear end.

I drove the new Corolla toward Loveland, then south on U.S. 287 almost to Longmont, west to Lyons and on into the hills. The XSE is the higher trim level, equipped with an upgraded engine, the 169-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, mated to an advanced continuously variable transmission.

Still, it is on the light side in performance. It needed no more power through Lyons and a couple more miles down the road, not much climbing – yet. From that point to Allenspark, the elevation gain is 3,400 feet, working the little Toyota fairly strenuously. With paddle shifters and sport mode for the tranny, a gear lock maintains steady power, avoiding the swing up and down of the CVT in normal output.

Handling, aided by a new independent rear suspension, is superb, and the front seats, with lumbar support for the driver, were comfortable. The Corolla’s low-profile Yokohama 225/40R18 tires, though, transmitted lots of road noise.

It was a nice, swift drive on to Estes Park and in the descent of the Big Thompson Canyon road the Corolla’s manual-mode gear lock came into full play, very conveniently in some heavy traffic. By the time we got back, our home’s electrical system was at peak power.

For the 128-mile drive, the Corolla averaged 34.8 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is 31/38.

Sticker price reached $29,168 for the Corolla XSE with a $1,715 addition for premium audio and dynamic navigation with Apple CarPlay, and hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth.

Among the Corolla’s standard safety system is lane-tracing assist, effective when adaptive cruise is engaged, helping keep the sedan in the middle of the lane of travel.

Pricing of the lowest-trim-level Corolla, the LE, begins around $20,500. Base engine is a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder of 139 horsepower and CVT.

The Corolla is a strong competitor for other compacts, including Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Nissan Sentra.

I’d last driven a new car with sticker price below $20 grand about 18 months ago – a Honda Fit, priced at $18,390.

It happened again last week, though, when the 2020 Nissan Versa, in its third-generation finery, was dropped at my door showing a tag of $19,140. The Versa is a subcompact, as is the Fit.

This little Versa SV four-door, which has grown just a bit in size, is equipped with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, Nissan Connect featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus SiriusXM satellite radio – all that and the attractively low  price, too.

For the ’20 model year, the Versa is 2 inches longer in overall length, an inch wider and an inch longer in wheelbase.

It carried us early one morning from Greeley to DIA, where daughter Kim boarded a flight to Atlanta to see two of her grandchildren, and Dustin and Janea. Four days later, it was a return drive to the busy airport for Kim’s return home.

The Versa’s interior, refined somewhat over previous years, is roomy enough, both front and back, and offers an easy-to-load trunk of 15 cubic feet of space. The cloth-seat finish, though, gives the impression of patchwork, with varied-sized pieces of white, black, gray sewn together.

Horsepower in this year’s Versa has been boosted to 122 from 109 for the 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine; still it is slow in acceleration. Standard transmission is a 5-speed manual; the review model is equipped with a continuously variable transmission. It kind of mimics the shift steps of a normal automatic transmission. The Versa is built in Mexico.

The 1.6-liter and CVT combination earns an outstanding EPA estimate of 32 miles per gallon of fuel in the city and 40 on the highway for the sedan, with curb weight of 2,657 pounds. Helped by the two highway drives to DIA and back, the Versa posted an overall average of 37.8 mpg.

The front-wheel-drive Versa is best seller in its class, but total sales of subcompacts is only a third or fewer of sales by the larger compact and midsize autos.

Twice previously I’ve driven Nissan Versa models, and, like the 2020 version, both responded high in economy. A 2015 Versa sedan recorded overall mpg of 36.3, after a year earlier a Versa Note hatchback posted an average of 35.6.

Interestingly, the little 2014 Versa, the smallest Nissan, was delivered while I also had in possession the biggest Infiniti built, the QX80 SUV. Infiniti is the luxury division for Japanese automaker Nissan.

We pulled the little Versa up beside the QX80 and it fell short by 3 ½ feet in length. The big Infiniti outweighed the Versa, 5,850 pounds to 2,500.