Come Join Us at MikeHagertyCars.com!

Twelve years ago this August, I sat down at a reconditioned used laptop, stared at the blinking cursor on Blogger and wondered how in the world I was ever going to fill that page.  I managed.  In fact, I've managed to fill 1,269 of them. 

A lot has changed since 2008, and we need to keep up with the times.  So, TireKicker is moving and morphing into MikeHagertyCars.com.  You can expect more insight, better photography, more interactivity and soon---our own YouTube channel with original video reviews.

TireKicker will remain online as an archive of the cars we've reviewed since the beginning.  But, starting now, all new reviews will be on MikeHagertyCars.com.  Come take a look and let us know what you think.

Best,

Mike Hagerty
MikeHagertyCars.com

Rough Rider: The 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew 4X4 Lariat

The 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew 4X4 Lariat.

Ford, which has owned the full-size pickup world with its F-150 for decades,  returned to the midsize pickup segment last year with the first new Ranger truck in seven years.  And while it's already caught up to Chevy's Colorado, which had a re-boot five years ago, it's still selling roughly half as well as the leading midsize, the Toyota Tacoma, which got its last major re-do in 2016.

A Little Less For A Lot Less: The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T SEL with 4MOTION

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T SEL with 4MOTION.

If it seems like not that long ago you were reading a review of the Volkswagen Tiguan here, it wasn't.

Just six months ago, we reviewed the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium with 4MOTION. Not much has changed about the Tiguan.  2020 models now have a standard wi-fi hotspot, forward collision warning and a blind spot warning system.  There's also a shortened warranty, dropping from 6 years or 72,000 miles to 4 years or 50,000 miles---a blow VW softens by adding two years of free scheduled maintenance.

But while the Tiguan is largely the same, the world has changed unimaginably in the six months since our evaluation of the '19 Tiguan.  And this 2020 model may be better suited to the times.

That Special Feeling: The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC.

Five-passenger SUVs are ubiquitous. Everywhere.  Everyone makes one, everyone sells one.  A good one, well-equipped, is going to be ten grand either side of $50,000.  So how do you choose?

Mercedes-Benz is on a roll right now---making vehicles that, as befits the marque and its heritage, look and feel special---and make the driver feel special, too.

The Answer Is Always Miata: The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club.

"I want a convertible."
"I want a sports car."
"I want a car that gets great mileage."
"I want a car for track day."
"I want a reliable car."
"I want an affordable car."
"I want a car I'll love driving every day."

I'm by no means the first to say it, but the answer is always Miata.  For 30 years, Mazda has been making the old-fashioned sports car for the modern world.  In its fourth generation now, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is in a class by itself.

Clearing A High Bar: The 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD

2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD.

All-new cars are exciting and also fraught with peril.  If the old one was beloved, there's the risk the new one will somehow screw it up.

The stakes were especially high here at TireKicker World Headquarters for the all-new 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD---the replacement for the exact 2019 model that Mrs. TireKicker and I took on our epic nine-day, 3,000-mile road trip last September and loved.

One In A Field Of Two: The 2020 BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe

2020 BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe.

Perspective varies by person and experience, but to me, BMW is a maker of performance vehicles that have their roots in well-built, exciting-to-drive four-door sport sedans.  That's a huge part of why I find the 2020 BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe so satisfying.

There's also a pioneering aspect here.  At this writing BMW is one of two cars carving out a new niche of four-door coupes in this size class.  The Mercedes-Benz CLA250, which we reviewed in March, is its only direct competitor.

Ten Years After: The 2020 Toyota 4Runner 4X4 TRD PRO

2020 Toyota 4Runner 4X4 TRD PRO.

Ten years.  A decade.  A tenth of a century.  That's how long ago I wrote my first review of this generation of the Toyota 4Runner. We were in a recession then.  People, short on money, houses being repossessed at record rates, seemed unlikely to buy a bigger, beefier version of what started out as an SUV based on a compact pickup.

By 2014, it was clear that I had called it wrong, underestimating the American driving public's love for bigger, better and beefier.  And looking over my notes, I see that I also reviewed the 4Runner in 2015 and 2016---by which point, I was saying things like "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Niche Within A Niche: The 2020 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus AWD

2020 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus AWD.

It worked (sorta) for Mini.  So you really can't blame Fiat for trying to expand its 500 minicar into a family of vehicles. Unfortunately, Fiat hasn't had a particularly aggressive or effective marketing presence here in the USA, so a lot of people misunderstand exactly what the 500X is.