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The Defender 130 V8 Flexes by Refusing to Flex
Filed Under: RidesFound In: New HampshireIn a marketplace saturated with look-at-me SUVs, the Land Rover Defender stands tall. In a most subtle, British sort of way. When its competitors are strutting about with illuminated grille halos, wacky wheel designs, and convoluted body angles of many different finishes, the Defender chooses the Q-ship approach. Crisp corners, an almost total lack of…
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MIT’s Bryan Reimer on Building AI That Helps Drivers
Filed Under: PeopleFound In: MassachusettsBryan Reimer, a research scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, doesn’t believe the best technology will replace people. Rather, it will help them get more done, more safely and more easily. “Over time, my thinking has evolved from studying how technology distracts drivers toward exploring how it might actively…
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Ridgeline, Santa Cruz or Maverick: Pick Your Trade-Off
Filed Under: RidesNot long ago, “midsize pickup” meant something narrower and more traditional. Today it’s a wide-open category, and nowhere is that more obvious than with these three unibody trucks: the Honda Ridgeline, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, and the Ford Maverick. These three trucks are kind of how people described the early Beatles: The Smart One, the…
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5 Slate Truck Myths That Fall Apart Up Close
Filed Under: RidesFound In: MassachusettsBack when I got started in this career 30-something years ago, the idea of a fresh new automaker on the scene was virtually impossible to think about. There wasn’t anyone in the 1990s and early 2000s that was going to be able to break into such a calcified, protective market. Then the 2010s arrived and…
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Scout Traveler and Terra Up Close at Head of the Charles
Scout Motors parked its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup concepts on the bank of the Charles River last weekend as the Official Automotive Partner of the 2026 Head of the Charles Regatta, and for most of New England it was the first look at the revived brand in the metal. NEMPA Media Members were given…
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338 HP and AWD: Subaru’s Uncharted Sport Surprises
Filed Under: RidesA year ago, I was fortunate to film a preview of the Subaru Uncharted in NYC (you can watch it below). I remember when I first saw it, I liked the looks of it but was immediately skeptical of it being an EV. It was just a first look, so we couldn’t drive it, test…
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2026 Kia K4 Hatchback: The Crossover Antidote
Filed Under: RidesI have an unpopular opinion on the Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo. It’s a station wagon, not a hatchback. The online peanut gallery tends to disagree, and I imagine Kia would think it crazy to use the dreaded wagon moniker circa 2026. It’s understandable. Wagons are effectively extinct in America. Sure, some crossovers attempt to…
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Across America and Back: Ford Super Duty Road Trip, Part 6
Filed Under: RoadsFound In: MaineThe metaphoric end of our coast-to-coast adventure—Route 66, Santa Fe Trail, Moab, Utah, and everything else—has to be Nashville. It is still 1,300 miles to home in Maine, but that will just be a driving slog, battling the countless trucks and the traveling masses on the crowded two-lane interstates, not a fun ride with inviting…
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Moab to Music City: 6,000 Miles in a Ford Super Duty
Filed Under: RoadsFound In: MaineMoab! Las Vegas is widely known as an adult playground, but almost all of its attractions are inside so that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Sin City indeed. Moab, Utah is the exact opposite. Everything is outside. Exploring, hiking, biking, rafting, ATV/UTV expeditions, two splendid National Parks (Arches & Canyonlands) with countless natural…
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Utah Beat Every Other State on This Maine Couple’s Trip
Found In: MaineDay 22, Utah. There is nothing else like it. No other state we have passed through on this Maine to California and back trip has matched the visual beauty, the wonderful roads, and the awe-inspiring natural wonders of Utah. Nothing. We achieved our Route 66 goal of making it to Santa Monica, dipping our toes…
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Outrunning a Hurricane on Route 66 in a Ford Super Duty
Found In: MaineHow many days would you take to drive across America? Would you explore the cities and states that you cross? Would you talk to the people along the way? What would you want to drive? And, would you be able to retain your focus, or would the temptations of America force unexpected compromises in your…
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2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness Review: Built for Dirt
Filed Under: RidesFound In: New HampshireThe 2026 Outback Wilderness is probably the best argument yet for what Subaru has been trying to do with the Wilderness badge. It still isn’t a hardcore off-roader, and I don’t think it needs to pretend to be one. However, I’ve taken this car off the beaten path, down two-tracks and minor off-road trails, and…
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Wink Mark3 and Slate Truck Bet on Small, Cheap EVs
Filed Under: RidesA handful of new developments show that American car companies finally are taking a realistic approach to electric cars. The most interesting and promising new initiatives come from young companies operating outside of the traditional American auto industry. That isn’t surprising, because the established U.S. vehicle makers – Ford, General Motors, and the remnant of…