The near-700-mile driving range of the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel is an enticement to drive – any direction, the possibilities are endless.

We headed east, and after a lengthy drive to a remodeled farmhouse north of Oberlin, Kan., and to the 73-year-old Ford dealership building at Wray, Colo., on the double-back in direction, we had gallons of clean-diesel fuel still in the tank.

The driving range of 688 miles for the Grand Cherokee Overland EcoDiesel 4X4 is based on the SUV’s estimated highway fuel mileage of 28 and its 24.6-gallon fuel tank. We averaged 27.4 miles per gallon in 655 miles.

The fairly remarkable fuel mileage is achieved with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine, same as that used in the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, and mated to a ZF-designed 8-speed automatic transmission from Germany. The engine, built by Italian-based VM Motori, develops strong torque of 420 lb.-ft. and provides maximum tow capacity of 7,400 pounds, equal to the Ram or Grand Cherokee with a bigger Hemi V-8 gasoline engine.

The trip to Oberlin was to visit friends Rich and Linda Gaber, associates during working years at the Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News. The Gabers, Evergreen residents, acquired the remote farmhouse several years ago to add convenience to Rich’s many pheasant-hunting trips to Kansas. We call it their “mountain cabin.”

The Grand Cherokee, finished in an all-dark granite exterior/all-black interior, was a contrast when parked last Friday afternoon outside the former Bank of Oberlin (built in 1886), and its lighter red brick. The structure now houses Jerry Anderson’s Landmark Inn.

“This is like riding in a Cadillac,” said Gaber of the Jeep, as I drove them and Jan back to the farmhouse. Jeep uses a Quadra-Lift air suspension, which can raise the Grand Cherokee 2 inches to a ground clearance of 10.8 inches, or lower it an inch for easy entry and exit.

Saturday morning, at Wray, Jan and I stopped by Bonanza Ford, my first time in the dealership since I was in high school many years ago. My dad, Dale Wells, was Ford dealer at Wray when the building was constructed in 1943.

Bob Bledsoe, owner, and Phil Riggleman, sales manager, were out of town; we got a tour of the Ford building, though, by Casey Blake, sales associate, and enjoyed visiting  with Jessi Lippert, office manager. Riggleman was in Las Vegas at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual convention, where Glenwood Springs Ford dealer Jeff Carlson was installed as national chairman for the coming year.

Parked out front, the Grand Cherokee looked at home with nearby 2016 Ford Explorers in the $50,000 price range. It reminded me of the fierce competition between Explorer and Grand Cherokee in the mid-1990s.

To drive the ecodiesel, consumers will pay a $4,500 premium. That pushed the sticker price of the fully equipped Grand Cherokee to $56,180.

Navigation and a Harman Kardon sound system with 19 speakers and subwoofer, along with voice command and Bluetooth, highlight the many amenities. Also included are leather seats with edge welting, heated and cooled in the front and heated in the back seating; heated steering wheel, active cruise, dual-zone automatic temperature control.

A driver-selectable dial on the center console offers, in addition to automatic setting for normal driving, a choice of Sand, Mud, Snow and Rock, for throttle, brake and suspension response for optimum traction. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel are tied to the transmission’s manual-mode system.

Over the first three months of this year, the Ram 1500 pickup is the runaway best-seller among light-duty diesel vehicles. Behind the Ram’s 11,999 sales through the end of March are the Chevrolet Colorado with 1,089 diesel sales, the Range Rover Sport with 988, the Jeep Grand Cherokee with 941, the full-sized Range Rover with 906, the GMC Canyon 519, the BMW X5 with 457, Mercedes GL-Class 406, BMW X3 with 382 and BMW 3-series 348. Volkswagen and Audi TDI diesel models are conspicuously absent from the leader list; sales of their TDI diesel products were halted last fall over an emissions-testing scandal.

There is no wrangling from me over the opportunity to drive a Wrangler, which I did several weeks ago.

Prominent rock rails along the sides identified it as the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock 4X4.

The Wranglers remind me of the tough, little CJ-5, the first Jeep I reviewed in the late 1970s.

The Hard Rock edition, besides the rock rails, includes steel bumpers front and rear, power dome hood, red tow hooks in front and rear and polished semigloss black wheels. Tires are BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain LT 255/75R17.

The two-door Wrangler’s 95.4-inch wheelbase, short overhangs and tight turn radius lend offroad opportunities in most any type terrain. Removable end wings on the front bumper increase access in rugged territory.

The Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission suit the Wrangler’s capabilities just fine; not to the strength of a Hemi V-8, but more than adequate. Performance was good, on the road and offroad when the shifter was pulled into four-wheel drive. Overall fuel mileage was 17.4.

The removable hardtop, leather interior and impressive audio, along with the Hard Rock package, boosted sticker price to $43,325.

Jan and I, aboard a 2016 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD, ventured out into that terrible blizzard that shut things down the morning of Wednesday, March 23.

Heading for Denver, we didn’t even reach Platteville from our home in Greeley before turning around and slowly and carefully making our way back.

The Durango’s all-wheel-drive system provided good grip, but visibility was nothing in the heavy, blowing snow, half a foot deep.

The Durango offers two AWD systems. The V-6-powered review model we were driving is equipped with a single-speed transfer case for full-time AWD with 50/50 torque split. The Hemi V-8 version has a low-range transfer case, with variable torque split.

Towing capabilities are 6,200 pounds for the Pentastar V-6 and 7,400 pounds for the Hemi.

Enhancing performance of both AWD setups is an 8-speed automatic transmission, controlled from a rotary dial shifter on the center console, with paddle-shift capability from the steering wheel. The Durango V-6 AWD is rated at 18/25 miles per gallon; including the deep-snow drive, it averaged 18.8 for my travels. It develops 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque.

The Durango crossover SUV is a three-row alternative to the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee, which offers only two rows of seating. Though built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, the Durango is a foot longer in overall length. It is recognized by its crosshair grille and high-riding hood.

Optional items added to the ’16 Durango Citadel raised price from a base of $43,895 to $50,670. These included a Beats premium audio system with dual-screen video and rear DVD entertainment, adaptive cruise, collision warning, blind-spot and cross-path detection, and second-row fold/tumble captain’s chairs. The Durango was set on 20-inch wheels.

The Citadel, introduced in 2011, is the Durango’s upper-end model. Other levels are the basic SXT, the SXT Plus, Limited and performance R/T.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD:

• Capacity 7-passenger SUV
• Wheelbase 119.8 inches
• Length 201.2 inches
• Width 75.8 inches
• Height 70.9 inches
• Curb Weight 5,097 pounds
• Track 63.9 inches front, 64.1 rear
• Ground Clearance 8.1 inches
• Turn Circle 37.1 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 3.6-liter V-6
• Horsepower/Torque 290/260
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Steering power rack and pinion
• Suspension independent sport-tuned front, multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 18/25
• Fuel mileage average 18.8
• Fuel Tank 24.6 gallons, regular
• Wheels 20-inch
• Tires Goodyear Fortera 265/50R20
• Cargo Volume 17.2 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Ford Explorer, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Toyota 4Runner, Honda Pilot, Volkswagen Touareg

Assembly Plant Brampton, Detroit, Mich.

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 66%, Mexico 18%

Base Price of Lowest Model $39,595; Base Price of Review Model $43,895; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $50,670.

It’s the biggest Mini Cooper I’ve ever seen. Still small, though.

The 2016 Mini Cooper Clubman has been stretched 10 inches over the previous generation and measures 168.3 inches, same as a Fiat 500X. It has four doors at the sides and old-fashioned split doors at the rear.

Before climbing in to the Clubman, walk around to those rear doors, often referred to as barn doors, and, with the key in your pocket, stop for a couple of seconds, then swing your foot beneath the rear bumper. The half-door on the right side flies open.

That little trick is appreciated if you’re standing there with an armload of groceries or firewood or a stack of newspapers.

Walk to the left around the car, open the driver’s door just long enough to pull the hood release. Another surprise is in store beneath the hood – a 3-cylinder engine. Don’t be dismayed; it’s a 1.5-liter, twin-power turbocharged 3 and performs quite respectably. It is the same small engine used in the BMW 218i. BMW, you know, owns the Mini, which is still built in England.

Very noticeable  on crawling into the driver’s seat are the nice chesterfield leather seats finished in indigo blue. They’re sport-styled short seats, comfortable enough for normal-length drives, and they’re heated for cool mornings.

Mated to the engine is a 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. A switch at the base of the shifter offers three driving modes: Mid for normal, Green for economy and Sport for increased performance. Within a second or two of pulling the lever toward the driver for Sport, a slight surge is felt, steering pressure is tightened and shifts are delayed. The turboed 3-cylinder is rated at 134 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. The Mini’s track has been widened by a couple inches and dynamic damper control lends added cornering capability from a stiffer suspension.

With travel on some interesting country roads and lots of stop-and-go in town, the Clubman’s 3-cylinder averaged 28.6 miles per gallon of regular unleaded fuel. It carries an EPA estimate of 25/34.

The Clubman’s sticker price of $35,450 reflects the ingenuity of BMW’s ownership. It includes the diamond-pattern stitching of the chesterfield seats, panoramic moonroof, harman/kardon premium sound system, rearview camera, rear park-distance control, enhanced navigation/USB /Bluetooth.

Among standard items are cruise control, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing wipers.

The Clubman returned to the Mini lineup in 2007. In its present form, it is the biggest car Mini has ever produced.

For those seeking more performance than that provided by the 3-cylinder, a Clubman S model is equipped with a 189-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.

Range Rover, sharing Denver Auto Show space with British stablemate Jaguar toward the back of the Colorado Convention Center, displayed its first-ever diesel engine for the North American market.

For a week, I’ve enjoyed performance of the 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel in the 2016 Range Rover Sport Td6; the  same engine is available in the full-size Range Rover. It produces 254 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque.

The outstanding SUV offroaders this year are an answer to a long-asked question, “When will the Land Rover company (which builds the Range Rovers) add a diesel to its power sources?”

In promoting their new diesel-powered products, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport join competitors BMW X5 and X3, Mercedes GL, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Q5 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, models which have offered diesel engines for some time.

Electric-powered cars, gas/electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids were plentiful at the show.

Majority of the cars, trucks and SUV crossovers, of course, were those with refined internal-combustion engines.

The Denver Auto Show is the greatest collection of all-new and concept automobiles ever seen in this city. It opened Wednesday evening, March 16, at the Colorado Convention Center and continued through Sunday, March 20.

More than 500 new models representing 36 makes were displayed on the 500,000-square-foot convention floor. The event also featured allied and aftermarket accessory exhibitors.

The show was organized by the Paragon Group and presented by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA). Donnie Chrismer of Sterling represented the CADA as auto show chairman. Assisting as honorary chairpersons for the show were John and Paige Elway.

Among stars of the show were the Lincoln Continental concept, which will arrive in the showrooms later this spring; the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, which will replace the longtime minivan standardbearer Chrysler Town & Country; and Cadillac’s new crossover, the XT5.

Hyundai showed off  its 2017 version of the little Elantra in contrast to the unveiling of the high-end ’17 Audi R8 Coupe.

Exotic models were on display from Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Maserati.

Camp Jeep, a popular show attraction the past several years, has undergone a 20 to 25 percent expansion in floor space, according to Tim Jackson, head of the CADA. The four-wheel-drive Jeeps, in the past, have climbed simulated hills and rocky terrains. “This year, they hauled in dirt and boulders and logs to create real-life mountain-climbing scene,” said Jackson.

Much as another V-6 turbodiesel has done for the Ram 1500 pickup the past two years, the Range Rover’s Td6 diesel has pushed the English-built SUV far ahead of its field of gasoline-powered competitors.

The Range Rover Sport Td6 carries an EPA estimate of 22/29 miles per gallon; my travels produced an overall average of 26 mpg. Cruising range is 650 miles.

The Range Rover’s diesel is an excellent performer, though it occasionally, after stopping at an intersection light, shudders for a second or two before engaging its normally strong power. Otherwise, it performs quietly and smoothly.

The turbodiesel engine adds $1,500 to the cost of the Range Rover Sport; a dozen or more other SUV-enhancing amenities push its sticker out of the $70,000s into the $80s.

Not the least ($1,850) is the 825-watt, 19-speaker Meridian surround-sound audio delivering a “live concert” inside the cabin’s luxurious setting. There are climate seats in front, heated seats in the back row, a heated steering wheel, adaptive headlights which automatically dim to oncoming traffic, and blind-spot monitor.

With lane-departure warning, all-terrain control, sliding panoramic roof, adaptive cruise, 20-inch style wheels, a front cooler console compartment and shadow zebrano wood trim, it all adds up to an $84,260 SUV package from the Land Rover builders.

The Range Rover Sport’s air suspension system features an automatic height access which lowers the vehicle when the transmission is place in Park for improved entry and exit. The vehicle returns to optimal ride height at a speed of 9 miles per hour.

Cargo space in the Range Rover Sport is almost 28 cubic feet. It rides on Goodyear Eagle 255/55R20 tires.

Gasoline engines available are 3.0-liter V-6 supercharged and 5.0-liter V-8 supercharged.

I’ve liked the five-door hatchback as an optional style for the Ford Focus since it showed up four years ago. Other than a bit of tightness in rear-seat legroom and headroom, it has been a boon for the car’s handling, parking, economy and cargo-carrying capability.

The hatchback, measuring 171.7 inches, is a full 7 inches shorter in overall length than the Focus 4-door sedan. In some relatively short parking garages, the hatchback fits with precious room to spare over the four-door.

There is no difference in the curb weight; both scale around 3,000 pounds.

Both versions of the Focus are competitive in the crowded compact sales field, which also includes the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3, Kia Forte, Volkswagen Golf, Hyundai Elantra and others.

A review model sent my way recently was the upscale Titanium model of the ’16 Focus hatchback, finished in ruby red. Featured, in addition to its excellent handling qualities, is a new Sync3 infotainment system, which seems easier to use and of quicker response than the old MyFord Touch setup.

An added Focus amenity, which Ford showed off on an Escape several years ago, is its ability to parallel park itself. Pull ahead of a parking space along the curb, press the Active Park Assist button, shift into reverse, take your hands off the wheel and the system steers the vehicle, with the steering wheel spinning this way and that, into the parking space. It tells the driver to brake, then to slowly pull forward and place the gearshift in park. The job is done.

Though an impressive feature, I’d not use it often, since the driver still is responsible for gear selection, accelerating and braking, I’d go ahead and steer it, too.

Charcoal black leather seats were comfortable and supportive and the Sync3 system included voice-activated navigation, Sony audio with 10 speakers, Sirius XM and Bluetooth.

The Focus exhibited good, strong braking. It performs with a 160-horsepower, 2.0-liter GDI (direct-injection) 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed select-shift automatic transmission. Its overall fuel mileage average of 32.1 miles per gallon fell right in the middle of its EPA estimate of 26/38.

Though many Focus models are sold in the low $20,000s, the Titanium version carried a sticker price of $28,045. Several other added options, other than those already mentioned, are blind-spot and lane-keeping alerts, reverse-sensing and rearview camera, remote start, automatic-dimming headlights, heated front seats and heated steering wheel and dual-zone electronic air conditioning.

The Ford Focus showed up in model year 2000, a replacement for the aged Contour, and its best sales numbers were its first two years, 286,166 in 2000 and 264,414 in’01. It has consistently sold more than 200,000 per year.

Ford’s selling strength, of course, is in its lines of pickups and SUV/crossovers. Among its cars, the Focus ranks second-best, behind the midsize Fusion. The Focus is far ahead of the Mustang, Fiesta, Taurus and C-Max.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Ford Focus Hatchback Titanium:

• Capacity 5 passenger
• Wheelbase 104.3 inches
• Length 171.7 inches
• Width 71.8 inches
• Height 57.8 inches
• Curb Weight 3,015 pounds
• Track 61.2 inches front, 60.4 rear
• Ground Clearance 5.3 inches
• Turn Circle 36 feet
• Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 160/146
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering electric power-assist rack-and-pinion
  Fuel mileage estimate 26/38
• Fuel mileage average 32.1
• Fuel Tank 12.4 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 17-inch
• Tires Cooper 215/50R17
• Cargo Volume 23.3 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain

Competitors Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3, Kia Forte, Volkswagen Golf, Hyundai Elantra

Assembly Plant Wayne, Mich.

Parts Content N.A.

Base Price of Lowest Model $18,100; Base Price of Review Model $23,725; Destination Charge $875; Sticker Price $28,045.

BMW’s lavish flagship, the 2016 750i xDrive sedan, came my way recently – the most expensive auto I’ve driven in the past 30 months. In redesigned form, it is the 7 series’ sixth generation.

As the law of averages sometimes dictates, the big, expensive Bimmer’s delivery was followed by a pair of inexpensive Scions, both priced below $20,000.

A similar incidence of such an extreme difference in price and size of review models occurred at Christmastime, when the impressive ’16 Honda Civic was overalapped by the Mercedes-Benz S550 four-door sedan.

Comparing a Mercedes against the BMW is always interesting; they’re fierce, age-old German rivals.

The full-size Mercedes sedan showed up with sticker price of $128,935, and, wouldn’t you expect it, the BMW topped it by $310 at $129,245.

Jan and I last Saturday evening drove the BMW to a northern area of Denver for dinner. With a 4.4-liter, twin-power turbocharged V-8 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission, the 750i, with all-wheel drive, performed every bit as smooth and responsive as did the Mercedes S550 sedan in December.

What a driver’s delight – the 445-horsepower V-8 (480 lb.-ft. of torque) will perform in five driving modes opted by the driver, from Comfort to Eco to Sport to Sport Plus, and an Adaptive mode, which in adapting settings to suit the driving style and situation, the suspension firmness, steering response and shift patterns are adjusted for the big sedan.

At a popular restaurant, we grabbed the last parking spot in a large lot and on my side it was tight against a thick hedge. After squeezing out the driver’s door, I brushed past the hedge’s edges to get to the door of our destination.

Had our review model been equipped with BMW’s newest major feature, self-parking, I could have avoided that. In a tight-park situation, the driver may step out of the BMW, and with a special key fob direct the car to pull into the narrow space and park itself. Then, on returning to the parked BMW, the key will direct the car to back out of the space, the driver steps back into the cabin and heads home.

Highlighting the interior are diamond-quilted white nappa leather seats and soft pillows on the rear headrests.

A solid tray, tied to a metal arm, will lift from the rear center console and swing over in front of the right rear passenger, whose seat can be reclined. The passenger, if only he and the driver are traveling, may push a switch to move the front passenger seat forward and direct a footrest to rise from the seatback. The rear-seat passenger is able to stretch out in comfort for the ride.

Much of my driving was in Sport mode, and the V-8 delivered an average of 20.1 miles per gallon. Many buyers of the BMW 7 series opt for a 320-hp, turbocharged, 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine.

A few of the dozens of high-end options boosting the BMW’s price to $129,000 are night vision with pedestrian detection, front and rear heated and cooled ventilated seats, power side and rear window shades, Bowers & Wilkins sound system. To increase volume of the audio system, circle a finger to the right; circle left for lower volume.

With press of the key fob when approaching the sedan at night, light is splayed on the ground beneath the doors’ area, illuminating the path. And, not to be outdone by Mercedes, in a small sealed bag in the center console storage compartment is a cigarette lighter.

Almost 200 pounds of curb weight was cut from the 750i through the use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and high-tensile steel.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 BMW 750i xDrive sedan:

• Capacity 4 passenger
• Wheelbase 126.4 inches
• Length 206.2 inches
• Width 74.8 inches
• Height 58.2 inches
• Curb Weight 4,610 pounds
• Track 63.7 inches front, 64.8 rear
• Ground Clearance 5.3 inches
• Turn Circle 42.3 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 4.4-liter twin-power turbocharged V-8
• Horsepower/Torque 445/480
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Steering Servotronic power-assist
  Fuel mileage estimate 16/25
• Fuel mileage average 20.1
• Fuel Tank 20.6 gallons, unleaded premium
• Wheels 20-inch
• Tires Pirelli 245/40R20
• Trunk Volume 18.2 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/506,000 miles basic, powertrain

Competitors Mercedes-Benz S550, Audi A8, Porsche Panamera, Lexus LS460, Jaguar XJR Supercharged

Assembly Plant Dingolfing, Germany

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 5%, Germany 60%

Base Price of Lowest Model $94,400; Base Price of Review Model $97,400; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $129,245.