The 2023 Tesla Model 3 sits on the grounds of Campion Academy, south of Loveland. (Richard Maxfield photo)
Made available to me for a short drive in late June was the hot-selling 2023 Tesla Model 3 all-electric sedan.
With Richard Maxfield of Greeley as a passenger, I pulled the 2024 Subaru Impreza hatchback into the parking area of the Tesla Service Center in Loveland. Within 10-15 minutes, I was in the driver seat of the Tesla 3 heading south out of Loveland.
The smooth-operating Tesla Model 3 is of rear-wheel drive, with an electric motor at that axle, and has a strong regenerative braking system.
Estimated electric range from the Model3’s lithium-ion battery pack is 272 miles. Of a question I posed of what is the battery’s biggest drain from range, other than normal power use, Nate from the service center said, “In these parts it is cold weather.”
Sticker price on the model I drove is $41,380, though buyers are eligible to qualify for federal tax credits.
Maxfield a year ago purchased a new Tesla Model Y and took delivery at the Loveland service center.
The Model 3 was introduced by Tesla in 2017.
The top 10 sellers of electric models in the U.S. for the first six months of this year are led by:
The S trim of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid adds AWD. (Bud Wells photos)
New-model gas/electric hybrid automobiles continue in strong popularity across the country; some dealerships are having trouble keeping any on the lot or in the showroom for display.
Two I’ve driven recently, both of which recorded excellent fuel mileage, are the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid S all-wheel drive crossover and the ’23 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport front-wheel-drive sedan.
The Corolla Cross Hybrid, which averaged 41.7 miles per gallon, has overall length of 176.1 inches, fitting in size right between the Toyota C-HR at 172.6 inches and the Toyota RAV4 at 180.9. Curb weight for the Corolla Cross Hybrid is 3,296 pounds. Its powertrain is same as that from the new-generation Toyota Prius.
The combination of a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine and electric motors provides 196 net horsepower and 139 lb.-ft. of torque.
All-wheel drive is standard on the S trim of the Corolla Cross Hybrid. Pricing begins around $29,000 and sticker price for the review model reached $35,000. The Corolla Cross Hybrid is built in Huntsville, Ala.
Toyota’s lineup of gas/electric hybrid vehicles are Corolla, Corolla Cross, Highlander, RAV4 Prime, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna, Venza, Prius and Prius Prime.
The S trim of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid adds AWD. (Bud Wells photos)
The radiant red metallic Honda Accord Sport sits low and is very sleek with long hood and short rear deck with spoiler.
A 90-mile drive into the foothills and back on Sunday evening delivered an average of 47.6 miles per gallon for the Accord, the ultimate for the week. Lowest reading was 39.5 for 60 miles, much of it stop-and-go, earlier in the week.
Front-seat headroom seemed satisfactory for 6-foot-4-inch Ted King, a friend who with wife Shirley joined Jan and me for a ride to Meeker’s in Greeley. Legroom was especially tight, though, in the rear seat.
The Accord Hybrid, built in Marysville, Ohio, carried a sticker price of $35,425, including leather-trimmed seats, 12.3-inch color touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration, heated front seats, power moonroof, 19-inch alloy wheels and remote engine start. Honda Sensing offers adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist and traffic-jam assist.
Cargo space behind the rear seat is 23 cubic feet. (Bud Wells photos)
Have you ever seen a beautiful wagon? Me neither, until the 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country B5 all-wheel-drive model showed up at my home. Its blackstone finish is almost majestic in appearance from the nifty nose and Thor’s Hammer LED headlights out front of the sloping hood, over the raked windshield and flow of roofline to the large taillight clusters.
It’s a five-passenger compact model of 188.5 inches in length and wheelbase of 113.2 inches, with luxurious interior accommodations.
The B5 engine designation, replacing the former T5, is for a new, turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder of 247 horsepower/258 torque, 8-speed Geartronic transmission and all-wheel drive. An added boost is a 48-volt mild hybrid system for starting the car and passing, as well as slowing when it utilizes regenerative braking.
Performance is smooth and ride is comfortable with Volvo’s typically wide, supportive seats. One of my many great drives was a September night 20 years ago from Ashland, Ore., to Winnemucca, Nevada, in a front-drive Volvo V70 wagon on a straight, lightly used highway which invited excellent miles-per-hour. That drive will be one of many featured in my book, “2,600 Cars and a Dog Sled,” scheduled for publication this fall.
Last week’s ’23 V60, riding on Pirelli 245/40R20 tires, averaged 25.5 miles per gallon; its EPA estimate is 23/30. The V60 is built at Ghent, Belgium.
Twenty-inch, seven-spoke wheel kit with all-season tires, Bowers and Wilkins premium sound and ventilated nappa leather seating helped push sticker price from base of $54,100 to $63,585. A new Google-based infotainment system has been added. Cargo space behind the rear seat is 23 cubic feet.
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale at the Wyoming State Capitol Grounds in Cheyenne. (Bud Wells photos)
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce showed up at my house on the first day of June and attracted attention everywhere I drove it, partly for its recognizable triangular grille, for its verde green finish and for its distinctive 20-inch, five-circle wheels.
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale at the Wyoming State Capitol Grounds in Cheyenne. (Bud Wells photos)
Named for a high mountain pass in Italy, the Tonale SUV crossover is similar to the new Dodge Hornet; they’re produced in Naples, Italy. The Tonale I drove is a plug-in hybrid, offering up to 30 miles of all-electric charge.
Jan joined me for a drive north into Wyoming, only as far as Cheyenne.
After dinner, we left the Rib and Chop House restaurant in downtown Cheyenne as dark clouds rolled overhead; just out of the city heading south on U.S. 85, we hit heavy rain for about 15 miles. The Tonale had little problem with the water in roadway, but that and the downpour led to a message, “Driver Assist System Unavailable. Service Required.” ” When I asked of this later, Ross Littman, Alfa Romeo product manager, explained, “As with all modern vehicles, heavy rain can obscure the forward collision warning sensor’s ability to ‘see’ the road; the car was simply warning the driver that the forward warning and automatic emergency braking are unavailable due to the severe weather conditions and driver should be alert.”
Once we passed through the rain onto dry pavement, the message was gone, all systems including cruise worked fine, no problem.
Lifted by the 30 miles of electric range, the mpg for the 118.4-mile trip was 41.2. The plug-in hybrid technology performs with a 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder combined with a 15.5 kWh battery, the gas/battery combo producing 285 horsepower and 347 lb.-ft. of torque.
Being built alongside the Alfa Romeo Tonale in a Stellantis factory in Naples, Italy, is the Dodge Hornet. Base engine in both models is a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder; also offered are plug-in powertrains for up to 30 miles of all-electric travel.
Beyond those similarities, the Tonale interior is dressed up for the luxury field, competing with Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA. The Hornet will go against Mazda CX-30, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson.
I’ve enjoyed my time in the good-handling Tonale, which has drawn a good measure of interest everywhere it’s been. The Tonale, listed as a compact, is 8 inches shorter in wheelbase and overall length than the Alfa Stelvio SUV crossover which I tested several years ago.
The Alfa Romeo paddle shifters are very large; they’re column mounted, stationary compared with much smaller paddles mounted on the steering wheel. I prefer the smaller paddles.
Pricing for the Alfa Romeo Tonale begins at $44,590 for the Sprint trim; the model I drove is the top Veloce level, which begins at $49,000 and with several options climbed to $54,500.
Interior camera keeps close tabs on rear-seating area. (Stellantis)
Twenty-five years ago, it was the panoramic convex mirror (a ‘fisheye’ mirror) attracting attention in the 1998 Ford Windstar minivan.
Today, it is a feature called FamCam, a black disc in the headliner of the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica that contains cameras for viewing each seat in the rear of the van.
It was and is all about “keeping an eye on the kids” in the second and third row of seats.
The disc, positioned overhead between the second and third row of seats, will show an overall image of the rear seats, and a zoom option will focus on any one of the individual seats, including even a rear-facing child seat. The images are viewed on the infotainment screen in the front dash of the minivan. Infrared camera views are provided in nighttime driving.
The Ford convex mirror from the late ‘90s dropped down out of the overhead console to give the driver virtually complete view of the inside of the minivan. It gave a wide-angle reflection of everyone, from the front-seat passenger to those in the second and third rows. It covered from side-to-side, top-to-bottom.
The Ford Windstar was produced from 1995 to 2003. In calendar year 2000, the Windstar sold 222,298 minivans, second only to the Dodge Grand Caravan, which sold 285,739.
The FamCam interior camera in the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica is part of an optional Uconnect Theater Family Group, which for an added $3,295 also includes 19 Harman Kardon speakers with subwoofer, power-folding third-row seat, integrated vacuum, seatback video screens and Blu-Ray DVD player.
The Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival also have optional rear-seat viewers; Honda’s is called Cabin Watch and Kia’s is Passenger View.
The Ford Expedition competes with full-size, four-wheel-drive SUVs. (Bud Wells photo)
With its relatively new Timberline trim, the 2023 Ford Expedition is a strong competitor against the Jeep Wagoneer, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada among full-size, four-wheel-drive SUVs.
The big body-on-frame Expedition is reinforced with offroad chops from Timberline, including tuned suspension and shocks, increased ground clearance, shorter approach and departure angles, two-speed transfer case, steel skid plates, electronic limited-slip differential, tow hooks and all-terrain tires.
The eight-passenger sport ute casts a large presence, standing 6½ -feet high, 210 inches in overall length and curb weight of 5,625 pounds. Available also is the Expedition Max, a foot longer in length and wheelbase of 131 inches, compared with the Expedition standard of 122.5.
“Plenty big enough,” I say of the standard Exped, during my review. A high-output, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine delivers 440 horsepower/510 lb.-ft. torque, with 10-speed automatic transmission.
Handling of the Expedition, not surprisingly, is like most big, heavy SUVs, a bit of understeer at times. Lane centering is controlled very smoothly, with little wander. Ride comfort is soft, right up there with the Tahoe and Yukon. The Expedition can tow up to 9,300 pounds.
Dominant in the up-front interior is the large infotainment screen. (Ford)
Open the driver door, step up onto the platform running board, sit down in the pilot’s seat and instantly focus on the huge, 15.5-inch, vertically positioned infotainment screen. The LCD screen is part of a special package of options which boosts the price past $80,000 from a base of $71,400. Included are panoramic vista roof, the running boards, trizone electronic temp control, Bang & Olufsen premium sound, remote start, heavy-duty radiator, second-row heated seats and third-row power-fold seats.
Bill and Kathy Allen joined Jan and me for a drive to Sterling, where we visited with Dave and Norma Wagner, Rick and Jana Lock. Even with the 200-mile roundtrip highway run, the Expedition was disappointing in overall fuel mileage – 15.6 mpg. Its EPA estimate is 15/19. The SUV rides on Goodyear Wrangler 265/70R18 tires.
Sticker price reached $83,505 for the Expedition Timberline. Less expensive trim levels are XL, XLT and Limited; higher trims are the King Ranch and Platinum. XL pricing begins around $57,000 to $58,000. The Expedition is produced at a Ford plant in Kentucky.
The Expedition has been around for more than 25 years. When it showed up in the fall of 1996 as a ’97 model, we spent a vacation week driving it to Durango and back. That one was 6 inches shorter in overall length than today’s model. It was equipped with a 4.6-liter V-8 engine with tow capacity of 6,100 pounds, compared to today’s 9,300 tow capacity with the EcoBoost V-6.
Roominess has been added to the interior of the 2023 Honda Pilot. (Bud Wells photos)
The fourth-generation 2023 Honda Pilot showed up larger in size and noticeably improved upfront with a newly designed, more upright grille, departing from the long-used horizontal-bars-type. Its exterior structure is somewhat boxy, like a Kia Telluride or Nissan Pathfinder.
Looking a bit more rugged in TrailSport trim, the new Pilot is 200.2 inches in overall length, almost 4 inches longer than the ’22 version, and its wheelbase has increased by 2 ½ inches.
Smoothness of shifts has improved with a 10-speed automatic transmission replacing last year’s 9-speed; the 3.5-liter V-6 engine develops 285 horsepower, 5 more than a year ago.
The Pilot review model is front-wheel-drive based and is equipped with all-wheel-drive capability.
Even helped by a 100-mile round-trip drive to Thornton, the Pilot managed only 19.7 miles per gallon overall in the week of my possession. Its EPA estimate is 18 city/23 highway/20 average.
The Thornton run was to the home of Dan and Jamie Johnson last Saturday for celebration of the 97th birthday for my longtime friend, Richard Johnson. Dick and I worked together on the city desk at The Denver Post in the early 1970s (the latter days of columnist Red Fenwick). Johnson in later years became a features writer for the paper’s Empire Magazine.
The Pilot isn’t intended as an offroad competitor of Wranglers and Broncos, though with the new Trailsport trim its suspension has been lifted an inch, it has steel skid plates and Continental 265/60R18 all-terrain tires. Max tow capacity for Pilot AWD models is 5,000 pounds.
The dressed-up interior features a 9-inch color touchscreen with surround-view camera, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/phone charger, heated steering wheel. By touching CabinTalk icon on the home screen, front-seat driver or passenger are able to speak to rear-cabin occupants through audio-system speakers or headphones.
The 2005 Honda Pilot was a foot shorter in overall length than today’s model.
From the added length of the new Pilot comes roominess and more comfort in the second- and third-row seats. The third row has more shoulder room and legroom than that in the Toyota Highlander. Push a button and second row seatback leans and entire captain’s chair slides forward to allow ease of entry into the third-row seating. Cargo space behind the third row amounts to 18.6 cubic feet and 48.5 feet with the seats folded.
Sticker price on the ’23 Pilot AWD TrailSport is $50,150. Cheaper trim levels are Sport and EX-L; more pricey than the TrailSport are the Touring and Elite.
Honda, after rebadging the Isuzu Rodeo as a Honda Passport from 1993 to 2002, fully joined the midsize SUV competition in 2003 with its first Pilot. Originally produced in Alliston, Ontario, it has since 2007 been built in Lincoln, Ala. This year’s Pilot is a foot longer than the original 20 years ago.
The Range Rover Sport retains its clamshell hood in the redesign. (Bud Wells photos)
Add 23-inch wheels and an extraordinarily long rear spoiler to the muscularly redesigned 2023 Range Rover Sport and its imposing presence raises the question: Has the Sport moved into the full-sized Range Rover’s territory, sizewise?
A glance at the spec sheets for the two dispels the urge to park them side-by-side; the big daddy Range Rover still rules. The Sport, at almost 195 inches in overall length, is a foot shorter and 300 pounds lighter.
Note the large wheels and lengthy rear spoiler on the Range Rover Sport.
Underhood in the ’23 Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic, which I drove in March 2023, is a 3.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged inline-6-cylinder of 395 horsepower/406 lb.-ft. torque mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Stronger V-8 power is still available in the Range Rover Sport, along with a couple hybrid options; next year is expected to bring an all-electric Sport to the lineup.
Performance is satisfactory from the word “go,” when the supercharger boosts early, then the turbo takes over at midrange. Tied to the AWD setup are selectable terrain choices, with the V-6 power lending smoothness. My overall fuel mileage average was 23.2; the Sport’s EPA estimate is 18/26 mpg.
The well-balanced Range Rover Sport, with air suspension, offers a comfortable ride, highlighted with an interior of plush Windsor leather, power reclining heated rear seats and Meridian sound. The five-passenger interior is attractive, except for the cheap-looking upper panels on the doors, durable but cheap.
The Range Rover Sport reached $100,085 in sticker price with the addition of the wheels, head-up display, heated washer jets, heated steering and pixel LED headlights. Included as standard items are panoramic roof, power sunblind, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/Amazon Alexa integration, rain-sensing wipers and safety aids adaptive cruise with steering assist, emergency braking, lane-keep assist and traffic-sign recognition.
The Range Rover Sport is built in Solihull, United Kingdom. Among competitors in the luxury midsize SUV field are Mercedes GLE-class, BMW X5, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Genesis GV80, Lincoln Aviator, Volvo XC90, Lexus RX350 and others.
Reader responds
Bud: I’m a loyal reader of your Saturday feature in The Denver Post; regarding one-pedal driving as you mentioned in your review of the Nissan Leaf. I hear lots of reviewers talk of one-pedal driving with electric cars, but, I wonder, how does the person behind in traffic know when you’re braking? If you’re not pushing the brake pedal to slow down or stop, your brake lights won’t let the cars behind you know that you’re about to slow down. This seems like a serious safety concern. Thanks. – George B.
Well, George, when using one-pedal driving, the brake lights will function as if the driver is using the traditional hydraulic brakes. The brake lights illuminate when the accelerator pedal is released, making drivers behind the car aware that it is slowing down.
The Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited made the drive to the auto show. (Bud Wells photos)
As I stepped into the 2023 Ford Bronco Heritage Edition, I scraped an ankle on the high-riding front-seat floor track; I instantly recalled the same occurrence a year ago when entering the Ford Maverick pickup.
The Bronco and Maverick share the same basic platform, and, kicking aside my initial step-ins, they’re two of my favorite models of the past year. Both attracted good shares of attention at the 2023 Denver Auto Show. As I walked through the show floor on a Tuesday night and the next morning, I noticed the Bronco corner of the Ford display was busy with viewer traffic.
The Ford Maverick was announced as winner of the Truck of the Year for the second year in a row by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. The midsize Mav beat out four full-size competitors – the Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500.
RMAP’s first-ever E-vehicle-of-year award was won by the Kia EV6.
Other winners are the Nissan Z as Car of the Year, the Mazda CX-50 as SUV of the Year and the Kia EV6 electric as E-Vehicle of the Year.
I drove the Nissan Z, which edged the Acura Integra for car-of-year honors, on a day last May from the Boulderado Hotel into Boulder Canyon toward Nederland with twists and turns and downshift-inducing rises in the narrow roadway.
The turbocharged Mazda CX-50 edged the Hyundai Palisade and Cadillac Escalade for the SUV award, and in presenting the Kia EV6 electric with the E-vehicle award, Matt Pilgrim of RMAP said, “The Kia EV6 proves that EVs can be stylish, have a roomy interior, be reasonably affordable, and deliver a level of performance that can rival today’s top sports cars.”
Among other car-show highlights:
The Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited 4X4 was powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 8-speed automatic transmission and attractive exterior of yellowstone metallic (price tag $46,400). . . . . Jannelle Grigsby was here from Santa Monica, Calif., to be introduced as Nissan regional PR manager for the western half of the U.S., succeeding Steve Parrett, who will now serve the eastern half of the U.S. and Texas. . . . .Kelley Enright, Central Region communications manager for Stellantis, flew here from Chicago to show off the new Dodge Hornet, which is derived from the Alfa Romeo Tonale in Italy. . . . .
Toyota staged a half-hour press conference to reveal expected highlights of the 2024 Grand Highlander, a three-row midsize SUV, but gave no hint of when it will show, or at what price.
Enjoying coffee are, from left, Lorren Ballard, Dick Husted, Norm Fryer, Bud Wells, Mel Bacon and Jim Rudolph. (Photo by Jan Wells)
I was readying the coffee, with cinnamon rolls on the table, as I awaited arrival of five old friends at my home in Greeley on a Friday morning.
The five are among dozens of drivers who through the years have delivered new cars to me from Automotive Media Solutions and Drive Shop for reviewing, something I’ve done off and on for 45 years.
Responding to my buzzing cell phone, I heard one of them, “We’re turning the corner toward your home, look out your kitchen window.”
I was surprised, for it wasn’t five men in one car, it was the five guys in five cars – all classics.
Parked at my home were, from left, 1949 Packard, 1963 Ford Galaxie convertible, 1957 Cadillac Sedan deVille, 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk and 1946 Hudson. (Photo by Bill Allen)
The five old autos and the driver of each:
1946 Hudson Commodore 6 driven over by Mel Bacon of Brighton. Bacon has a collection of 19 classic cars, including these five and several Kaiser/Frazer models.
1949 Packard Custom 8 driven by Dick Husted of Littleton.
1957 Cadillac Sedan deVille driven by Lorren Ballard of Roxborough Park.
1963 Ford Galaxie convertible driven by Norm Fryer of Arvada.
1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk driven by Jim Rudolph of Littleton.
The automobile beauties were pulled over and parked in a line along the curb in front of my home as I walked down the driveway to greet them. A neighbor, Wayne, from across the street walked over for a close inspection of the parade.
The weather was nice, relatively warm (a rarity this spring); numerous people walked by and stopped to admire the cars, as they were parked out front for more than an hour. Several persons driving by stopped and took photos.
The old models, deserving lots of TLC, were driven only 40 miles per hour from their facility in Brighton to Greeley; the drivers got waves and thumbs’-up signals and an occasional honk of a horn while being passed by other motorists.
Jan was having tea that morning with our daughter Kathy Allen, though she returned home in time to greet the guys and capture the accompanying photo of the six of us.
I then enjoyed a short drive in the Packard with Jan in the front passenger seat, Bacon and Husted in the backseat. I’d forgotten, but to start a ’49 Packard, the driver must push the accelerator to the floorboard – the starter button was positioned at floor level beneath the pedal. I quickly remembered the effort it took to turn that big, heavy sedan without power steering.
The five guys have been drivers for Automotive Media Solutions, owned and operated by Paul Shippey.
