By Barbara & Bill Schaffer One of the things we like about Mazda vehicles is their obsession improvement. That?s not to say other manufacturers aren?t improving their cars, it?s just that Mazda doesn?t to wait around for a new generation to make changes, they just do it. For example, for 2018 Mazda is giving their…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Some people need a full-size pickup because they are pulling something big, like a trailer or boat; while others just like to drive trucks. For those who like trucks and occasionally must haul something or pull something, we think the 2017 Toyota Tacoma offers a great opportunity to drive something…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer After driving a Volvo to the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year we did a test car swap for a Hyundai for the 150-mile trip back to our home northeast of Portland, Ore. Because we drive about 150 different new cars a year,…
?2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E AWD? Honda returns to the light-duty midsize truck arena San Antonio, TX – The first generation Honda Ridgeline ran from 2006 through 2014. It was a different kind of truck appearing in a non-traditional form. Many viewed it as a Japanese Avalanche given its unique styling there were even a few…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Sometimes lost in the skirmish between Camry, Accord, Altima and nearly a dozen others, the Mazda6 is often overlooked by mid-size sedan shoppers, however its distinctive styling and state-of-the-art engineering make it one of the best choices. All-new in 2012 the Mazda6 is the flagship sedan of a brand that…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer The unveiling of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata was like a metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly for the South Korean car maker?s mid-size sedan. The previous five generations of the Sonata were ho-hum at best, and then suddenly in 2011 the brand blossomed into the beautiful and exciting Sonata. Sales more…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer We had been driving the 2015 GMC Canyon pickup around town and on the freeway for two or three days when Barbara said, ?I don?t feel like I?m in a truck!? Mostly that was because the GMC Canyon SLT interior is nicer and more comfortable inside than many of the…
By Barbara Schaffer San Jose, Calif. ? As a California expatriate who fled to the Northwest many years ago, I still find I need to go back on a regular basis to keep up with friends and family, but more important now, is my grandson playing football. I hadn?t seen him play yet, but was…
By Bill Schaffer Del Mar, Calif. — Remember mid-size trucks? In recent years anything smaller than a massive full-size truck has been about as rare as a new Oldsmobile. If fact the only new mid-size trucks available were the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma, but they were both introduced nine years ago and were designed…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer One of the most difficult new car buying decisions is picking one from the mid-size sedan grouping. With cars like Accord, Altima, Camry, Chrysler 200, Fusion, Legacy, Malibu, Mazda6, Optima, Passat and Sonata the task can be daunting and darn right confusing. There are just as many ways to pick…
