2025 Chevrolet Trax ACTIV: An Entry Level SUV Starting Under $22,000

September 22, 2025 / John Faulkner / Leave a comment

Will consumers be drawn to the Chevrolet Trax’s low entry price of under $22,000? Seeing as the average price of an SUV is double that, it’s a good bet Chevrolet will get their attention.

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2026 Subaru Solterra EV: Improvements For The Second-Generation All-Electric Crossover

August 26, 2025 / John Faulkner / Leave a comment

Subaru brought automotive journalists to Denver, Colorado for first drives of the 2026 Solterra EV. The second-generation Solterra EV has improvements in almost all areas, making it an even more versatile compact crossover.

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2025 Volkswagen Tiguan First Drive: Refined and Ready for Road-Worthy Adventures

May 26, 2025 / Mercedes Lilienthal / Leave a comment

We recently attended the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan first-drive event in Bozeman, Montana. Although the weather offered steady rain and wind, that didn’t dampen our spirits when testing VW’s third-generation five-seat SUV. Along with the rest of VW’s SUV lineup, this all-new people mover may have the American audience captivated. In 2024, the Germany-based auto manufacturer’s…

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Rolling Stock Review: BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus On Our 2005 Subaru Forester XT

September 6, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

When we purchased our “bought not built” modified 2005 Subaru Forester XT (with the 5-speed manual), we knew the first thing that had to be changed: wheels and tires. This fact was hammered home as the Subaru would easily turn into a drift missile around corners, especially in the rain. Admittedly, the low grip was…

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Crankshaft Culture Gear Garage: AO Coolers Carbon Series 36 Pack Cooler Review

November 13, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Words by Andy Lilienthal; photos by Mercedes Lilienthal When we got our first ARB fridge/freezer, I said if I ever needed to use a cooler again it’d be too soon. Well, that was a stupid thing to say. There are simply times when you need a soft-sided cooler. We found ourselves in such a situation…

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Review: 2023 Toyota Corolla GR Circuit. A Hype-Worthy Future Icon

October 6, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Every now and then a car comes out that has a ton of hype built around it. Once and a while, it lives up to the hullabaloo. The Toyota Corolla GR is one such case. So when I was asked if I’d like Toyota Corolla GR Review vehicle, the answer was easy.

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Nameless Performance Subaru Crosstrek Strut Tower Bar Installation

September 14, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Today, our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek finally crossed over 1,000 miles! But shortly before that, we installed yet another modification, this time in the form of a Nameless Performance Strut Tower Bar. This modification is done to help increase handling and structural rigidity and decrease chassis flex on the Crosstrek. If this helps to increase handling, we’re all for it.

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First Crosstrek Mod: Nameless Performance Executive Axle Back Exhaust

August 14, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

Well, that didn’t take long. We’ve already installed our first modification onto our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. We don’t even have 900 miles on it. So first things first? Let’s make this thing a bit louder. We installed a Nameless Performance Executive Axle Back Exhaust. So far? We’re impressed.

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Review: The 2023 Nissan Z Turns Heads, Quickens Pulses

August 6, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

I pull into the parking lot of my local hardware store driving the new 2023 Nissan Z. As I shut the car off, a man in a white Volvo 850 wagon drives in front of the svelte sports coupe. As I’m turning the car off and gathering my phone, I can see him still looking…

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Winter Road Trip Road Test: Toyo Celsius All-Weather Tires

January 21, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 3 Comments

As you know, we recently got a 1998 Honda CR-V. In fact, we drove it from Oregon to Wisconsin and back and only broke down once. (That’s a story for another time.) Before leaving for the frozen midwestern tundra, we put some all-weather Toyo Celsius tires on. No, not all-season, all-weather. If you’re not familiar,…

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