Tech Update: The 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport

The 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport.

About a year ago, our now-former Phoenix Bureau tested the 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport, pronouncing it a worthy competitor to small crossovers like the Toyota CH-R and the Honda HR-V.  That hasn't changed, but for 2018, some other things did, and for the better:

Christmas Wish Fulfilled: The 2019 Mazda CX-9

The 2019 Mazda CX-9.

Regular TireKicker readers know of our fondness for the Mazda CX-9, an appreciation that was deepened in the summer of 2017 during our two-week vacation to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Leading With Your Rear: The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

About that headline.  It's the type of thing that, in my earliest days of committing journalism, on the staff of the Bishop Union High School Bronco Roundup (1970-73),  I would have been called by our no-nonsense Advisor, Mrs. Martinson to explain ("and it better be a really good one, Hagerty").

What I'm saying is that, with the 2019 Toyota Corolla, Japan's biggest automaker is taking the unusual approach of introducing the hatchback ahead of the rest of the lineup, which won't come along until the 2020 model year.

Calling it a "hatchback" is also an unusual move, given that most automakers avoid that term like the plague and Toyota itself, in the 70s and 80s, called them "liftbacks".

S-Class From Seoul: The 2019 Kia K900

The 2019 Kia K900.

Once upon a time, not that long ago if you're of a certain age, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was considered the finest sedan in the world.  Best-engineered, best-equipped, best-built.  Then everyone got in the act---everyone largely being Lexus---and the big Benzes were built to a price point, and not an engineering standard.

These days, it's really more features and brand preference that will steer you in your decision to buy a Mercedes S Class, a BMW 7 series, an Audi A8, a Tesla Model S or a Lexus LS.  So why not break free of the caste system and save a few tens of thousands in the process?  

Yes, we're suggesting you consider taking a pass on the big five of luxury sedans and buy a Kia.

Longform Luxury: The 2019 Lexus RX450hL

The 2019 Lexus RX450hL.

As strong a seller as the RX series has been for Lexus, one can't help but wonder how many sales were lost for want of a third row.  For 2019 (and 2018 before it), that lack of wayback seating has been rectified with new "L" models.

The one we drove is arguably our favorite of the RX lineup, the RX450hL hybrid.

Last Chance: The 2018 Mazda 3 Four-Door Grand Touring

The 2018 Mazda 3 Four-Door Grand Touring.

If you, like us, love the current-gen Mazda 3, this would be a very good time to get one.  Early next year, there will be an all-new 3, a clean sheet of paper.

One of Three: The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In

The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

After a year of being a California-only, fuel cell-only vehicle, Honda has expanded the Clarity model lineup to include a pure electric and a plug-in hybrid. 

The fuel cell model, running on hydrogen with a range of 366 miles, is of limited use even in the state of California, since once outside the metropolitan Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento areas, hydrogen filling stations are few and far between.  The pure electric is limited by a range of just 89 miles.  This, at a time when the Tesla Model 3 can break 300, properly equipped, the Hyundai Kona EV is good for 258 and the Chevy Bolt 238.  The latest generation of the Nissan Leaf now boasts a range of 150 miles. 

The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is, then, the one of the most usefulness to the greatest number of people, since it can be bought outright (the fuel cell and pure electric are available through lease only) and boasts a combined range of 340 miles.

Good Companies Doing Good: The Turn 5 Scholarship Winners

One of the proudest associations we have here at TireKicker is with Turn5.  That name may not ring a bell, but Turn5 owns American Muscle and Extreme Terrain, which have been advertisers on TireKicker since 2012 and American Trucks, which joined the party at the beginning of this year.

Advertising on TireKicker doesn't buy a company editorial coverage, but Turn5 does a lot of good.  We've told you about their Positive Payload Program, which gives money to charities that use American pickups in their service to the community twice a year.  

The news this time around is a twice-yearly scholarship program---actually, three scholarship programs---one each for American Muscle, Extreme Terrain and American Trucks. 

American Muscle's scholarship is an essay-based program.  Entrants write about how they plan to use their automotive education to drive change in the custom car industry.  Four winners are selected, two per semester. The scholarship is $2,000 each.  It's been going on since 2013, with 20 winners so far---the two newest just this month---Jade Perreira of the University of Hawaii and Sheikh Ahamed of Iowa State University's PhD Mechanical Engineering program.

American Trucks started its own scholarship program last year, focusing on students striving to contribute to the construction and building trades.  Each year, four winners were awarded $2,000 each and this semester's winners are Tommy Moncur of Utah Valley University and Kolby Lusk of the College of Eastern Idaho.

Extreme Terrain's program awards $3,000 once per semester.  This month's winner is Natalie Murphy of Reed College.  The money helps in the pursuit of degrees in Environmental Studies.

All told, Turn5 has awarded $88,000 in scholarships to deserving students in the past five years, beginning the year the company was founded---giving back right out of the gate.  That's not only newsworthy, it's noteworthy and admirable.  Again, we're proud of our association with Turn 5.

Conversation Starter: The 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody

2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody.

I was in the parking lot of a motel in my wife's hometown of Ukiah.  It was the Sunday morning after a big family gathering and Mrs. TireKicker was in the room putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup while I was loading the trunk of the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody.  Suddenly, there was a voice.

"Ow's yer car?"---in a thick Irish brogue.

I looked to see a man, I suppose in his 50s, slender build, a bit shorter than I, walking toward me.

"Fine.  Fast.", I said.  It was early-ish and I hadn't had coffee yet.

He pointed to the five silver letters on the black panel between the taillights that read "DODGE".

"'Harry Chapin wrote a song about a Dodge, y'know.  "Learned about love in the back of a Dodge", he sang" (the song "Taxi", from 1972,  the late Chapin's first hit and perhaps his best-known after "Cat's in the Cradle", contains that lyric).

Further conversation revealed that my newfound friend was named John, that he was on his first visit to the States, just off the plane the day before after landing in San Francisco.  Given the brand's non-existent profile in Ireland, he may have thought a Dodge was a Dodge and that Harry and Sue in the song had learned about love in the back of something close to what he was examining, with great fascination, in this parking lot.

I gave him my business card, which has TireKicker's web address on it.  John, lad, if you're reading, the Dodge Harry was singing about probably looked something like this (click the link).

Still, the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody manages to provoke cases of mistaken identity even among U.S. natives and especially car buffs.