Car Buyer’s Guide for 2015-2016: Randy’s Picks by Randy Stern As an automotive journalist/writer, it seems that people think I am more accessible as a point of consumer information than, say, Cars.com or Edmunds.com! I get it. I drive a lot of cars throughout the year. I should have a knowledge base of every damn vehicle sold in North America. Sure, I try. It does give me headaches at ...[Read More]
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT 4WD Crew Cab Review by Randy Stern For this review, I will not start off with the typical line about pickups trucks. Those have been used – and overused – by this site and other automotive and truck publications. Why bore you with images of construction sites, farms, ranches and boat launches? Heck, why even excite you with what’s new and exciting...[Read More]
2016 Kia Sorento SX Limited V6 AWD Review by Randy Stern Families that enjoy bring together must be transported accordingly. Translation: a family of four with growing children, or a growing family that might need a third row of seating in a vehicle, will need some way to get to school, work, after school (or work) activities, the weekend away…life. Tall order, isn’t it? Not really, si...[Read More]
2015 Lexus RC 350 F Sport by Randy Stern I don’t normally review coupes, but when I do… Like most enthusiasts, I love coupes. It is not often that I get them, so these are real treats when I drive them for reviews such as this one you are reading right now. A coupe must be one where it satisfies the soul. In my case, it also has to be one that evokes the past – my own – while maintaini...[Read More]
2015 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Longhorn Edition Crew Cab 4X4 Review by Randy Stern As the truckmaster of Why This Ride?, it is my duty to present as many of these workhorses to you, as possible. My duty is to test these babies as intended. They have to be dirty, filthy and take on dirt and gravel roads as some of my neighbors do – out in the exurbs. If it means taking doing crazy st...[Read More]
2015 Lincoln MKC AWD Review by Randy Stern How do you attempt to sell a luxury brand for the umpteenth time? Lincoln has been exploring ways to sell each new product lately by changing up the overall theme a bit. Maybe a bit more, but it makes you wonder what they are going for every time they adjust their marketing campaign. Somehow, they stumbled upon a hit. Lincoln wound up getting a cel...[Read More]
2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4X4 SuperCrew Review by Randy Stern For the past 37 years, this is the best-selling automotive product in the United States of America. This vehicle symbolized this country by doing what it does best. It has brought food to the market and on to the table. It has hauled bales of hay to feed the horses on the farm. It delivered materials and workers to a constructio...[Read More]
2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Review by Randy Stern You know how popular a vehicle is until you see more than three of them in any given traffic jam. In the case of this vehicle, it’s very true. Here in the Twin Cities, I could count more than five at any given mile of slow traffic. It could be a new one or something from a few generations back. There is twenty years of this lifted...[Read More]
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate Review by Randy Stern When companies talk about a “three-vehicle strategy” in a particular segment, one thing comes to mind: The story of “Goldilocks and The Three Bears.” To show you how “interesting” (Minnesotan for “he’s a bit odd…”) I could be, this analogy actually was made a bit more ...[Read More]
2015 GMC Canyon 4WD SLE Crew Short Box Review by Randy Stern It has been a long time since smaller trucks got any attention. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley through the 1970s and 1980s. It is one of the few places in this country where mini trucks were cool during that time. You did not even have to put a bed cover, mag wheels, and/or a suspension lowering kit to enjoy it. It was even cool st...[Read More]
2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Review by Randy Stern Ah, Volvo, still good to the last stop! The lone Swedish automaker – now under Chinese control – has always been an interesting study. After World War II, they became leaders in vehicle safety. Today, they maintain that leadership with new active and passive technologies point towards thinking about the next kind of impact a vehicle would ma...[Read More]
2015 Kia Sedona SXL Limited Review by Randy Stern Minivans… I know what you’re thinking. Why? Why do they exist? When families were told about how awesome SUVs were, they abandoned those soccer mom specials for something both mom and dad would drive. Little did they know they would also be derided for driving SUVs and their car-based crossovers, too! Lest we forget about the mi...[Read More]