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Ford Rangers offer some nifty versions of the compact pickup truck

If you happen to be looking for a compact pickup truck, Ford may be your huckleberry, thanks to its line of Rangers.

And judging from my couple of weeks in back-to-back Rangers, including the outrageous Raptor version, you just might think they have done it right.

Now, as my regular reader knows by now, I've opined many times that I am not the best person to be reviewing pickup trucks. I don't like them, I don't like driving them, and as a person whose legs barely reach the ground on a good day I don't like getting into and out of them.

This applies especially to full size pickups, but even the Rangers had me hopping out gingerly lest Parent Nature use her gravity powers to face plant me on the ground outside the truck. Still, ingress and egress were a lot better for me than in a big pickup and, thanks to the Rangers' running boards, my wife and I managed.

And I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed the two Rangers (I really wanted to put a Lone Ranger joke there, but NOOOOOO!), though obviously I liked the packed-with-goodies Raptor better, because it not only had more toys, but it was more fun as well. A lot more fun!

Not only that, but because Ford appears to know what it's doing when it comes to its customers, I didn't have to cuss out its stupid nannies even once! Oh, the lane change thingy doesn't turn off completely, but you can emasculate it so it's barely noticeable. And the rest of the nannies are either completely turn offable or minimizable as well. And as a result, my blood pressure remained normal.

Bravo!

It still wouldn't make me buy a truck, but it makes me like Ford better! more...

Electric cars the worst for depreciation – while used car values continue to soar

Can electric cars survive without taxpayer money? Should they?

Subsidies for EV's seem to be on their way out, which suits me just fine; they should sink or swim on their own, like evil gas-powered vehicles have to.

Subsidies or not, if you're thinking of getting an EV and want to keep it for a while, the folks at iSeeCars have some sobering news.

"Electric cars lose more value than any other vehicle type, dropping by nearly 60 percent after 5 years," says a new survey by the group. "This compares to only a 40 percent drop in value for trucks and hybrids, and an industry average of 45.6 percent across all vehicle types"

The survey notes that while the five-year depreciation of EV's is 58.8 per cent, trucks "only" lost value by 40.4 per cent, while SUV's lost nearly half their value (48.9 per cent) and hybrids were "down only" a tad more than as trucks, at 40.7 per cent.

That overall average of 45.6 per cent depreciation this year compares with 38.8 per cent in 2023 and – worse – a whopping 49.6 per cent in 2019. So read that way, the stats may indicate a yoyoing rate of depreciation more than a trend. I guess time will tell. more...

Roger Corman's debut monster movie more guilty than guilty pleasure

Before there was an Audrey II, before there was the Raven and before there was a Wasp Woman there was the Monster from the Ocean Floor, Roger Corman's first foray into what became his signature style of cheap and/or exploitative popcorn movies.

Since then, Corman's name has become legendary, so perhaps this particular flick can be forgiven for its comparatively lackluster story and looked at as a forerunner to Corman's famed run of motion pictures.

I mean, I looked at the Monster and thought immediately of Ray Harryhausen and how much he could have benefitted the production. He'd probably have priced it out of Corman's range, though, so I guess there's that.

Besides, what's a classic Corman movie without a tad of schlock?

The new release comes courtesy of Film Masters, and as usual it isn't on 4K disc but they have done a nice job of dragging this 1954 outing into the 21st century, thanks to a 4K scan from an original 35 mm camera negative. Oh, it's still cheap black and white, and not widescreen, but it looks about as good as I imagine it could – and, to channel Han Solo, "I can imagine quite a lot".

As the PR blurb says, Monster from the Ocean Floor is the "first feature-length film produced by the iconic king of pop cinema, Roger Corman." It goes on to say that the project was inspired by a story in the Los Angeles Times about a one-man submarine manufactured by Aerojet General. Apparently, Corman couldn't pay for the use of the sub in his move, but he promised plenty of publicity in return. And the rest is history.

Actually, that sub is kind of neat but it appeared to me to be kind of pointless, too. I mean, the guy in the sub still wore scuba equipment and when he got to the sea floor, he had to leave the sub anyway to go a-scuba-ing, so why not just dive from the ship and not bother with the little, pedal-powered micro sub?

Well, it was kind of neat….

Corman, who also has a short cameo, hired newcomers William Danch to write what screenplay there is, and Wyott Ordung to direct. Other new faces included actor Stuart Wade and Jonathan Haze, the latter of whom would become a regular Corman player.

The story sees Julie Blair (Anne Kimbell) as an American artist vacationing at a seaside Mexican village, a place where legend has it that there's a man-eating creature living in the cove. That piques her interest, of course, and she enlists Steve Dunning (Wade), a marine biologist doing research in the area in that silly little sub. Julie believes there may be some truth behind the legend, but Dunning thinks she may be mistaken. more...

Warners' new Christmas movie miss and old musical masterpiece hit hit 4K disc

Just in time for Easter, we get Red One, Warner Brothers' new Santa Claus-themed movie. And it could have been a really good Christmas flick, too. It has an interesting concept, a good cast, and excellent production values.

Alas, this movie about the search for a kidnapped Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons, who's mostly wasted here), never really decides if it's a Christmas movie or yet another comic book-like action-adventure special effects film. And that really works against it.

On the other hand, while the story of a long dead classical music composer may not sound like the stuff of which cinematic dreams are made, in the right hands it can be a compelling and highly enjoyable film. And that's what happened with Milos Forman's adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play Amadeus, which has also just been released on 4K disc.

It's kind of ironic that the better of the two films – Amadeus, by far – doesn't look as good in 4K as Red One.

Anyway, I didn't expect much from Red One, but I was quite surprised – at least initially, before the movie went big, bloated and derivative. The Santa/Christmas stuff was really quite good and I looked forward to the story unfolding, but it devolved fairly quickly and repeatedly into a kind of Marvel/Ray Harryhausen action film that wasn't necessary and which took away from the joy of the Christmas stuff.

It also features some cussing, though it's fairly mild, but it's really out of place. It also means this movie isn't for the kids, whereas it should have been and could easily have been for the kids. Heck, why else would you make a Santa Claus movie?

Red One is Santa's code name (like Air Force One) and he has his own infrastructure at the north pole featuring his Secret Service agent Callum Drift (Johnson), who's planning to retire after the pending Christmas because the coarsening of society has ruined the holiday for him. Then, proving just how competent the Service is, Santa is grabbed by a team led by a mysterious woman in white (Kiernan Shipka).

Fortunately, there's a covert agency called MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority), headed by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), and they get on the case, enlisting hacker Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans).

It never becomes particularly compelling, let alone interesting, and there are some scenes with "Satanic-like" critters that will probably not appeal to the kids – let alone be appropriate for in a Christmas movie. I'd love to recommend this one, but Red One is really a zero.

On the other hand, Milos Forman's version of Peter Shaffer's screenplay (from of his own stage play), is an absolute masterpiece, directed by Forman's sure hand and with a cast that brings to life the glory days of eighteenth-century Austria and all that went with it. more...

Consumers appear leery of intrusive insurance apps – and AMC lives again in book form

Car insurance, and their related premiums, are a necessary evil in today's society and it always seems as if prices go up and never down.

Yet there is a way to control your insurance premiums at least somewhat, though the solution I'm talking about involves trusting your insurance company and that's not something I – and apparently many others – am comfortable with.

It's the tracking technology, or "telematics" some insurance companies offer that keeps an eye on where and when – and how – you drive.

Can you say Big Brother?

Making American Motors Great Again?

On a more fun note, kind of, there's another new automotive book out, kind of in the vein of the one on John Z. DeLorean I reviewed a couple of columns back. This one deals with another "niche" manufacturer, though one that wasn't too niche back in the day until economics, market forces, and the like, turned it niche and then later it went kaput.

It's "The Complete Book of AMC Cars – American Motors Corporation 1954-1988" and rather than just telling the story of the AMC company, it's an encyclopedic look at the company, its movers and/or shakers, its various brands and various models.

Whereas the DeLorean book was a bit of a ripping yarn, this one is more for wonks.

Written by AMC authorities Patrick Foster and Tom Glatch, you get a well-written and copiously illustrated tome that reviews every one of AMC's production cars from its founding until its foundering. more...

Consumers keeping the used car market alive and thriving

It appears that the lustre and the lure of new wheels is wearing off for an increasing number of car owners, and that older cars are making up a much larger portion of the used car market than even 10 years ago.

According to a study by iSeeCars, the number of older cars on the market has increased by nearly a third over the past few years, with conventional sedans, hatchbacks and, my favourite, wagons leading the way.

That may not be translating completely into people being able to keep as much of their hard-earned after-tax income, however. According to Karl Brauer, iSeeCars' executive analyst (I guess he analyzes the executives) "Consumers seeking relief from high vehicle prices are turning to older cars…but even going back a decade or more isn't shielding buyers from the massive used car price hikes in recent years, with the average older car now costing more than $12,000." That's U.S. dollars.

I can dig this. I review new cars and as much as I enjoy it, I wouldn't buy a new car today. Not only are they stupidly expensive (an entry level Toyota Corolla now lists on the company's Canadian website for $27,198.96 and for that you have to suffer through life with a cvt transmission) they're so full of technology and supposed safety and driver assistance aids that I find myself yelling at some of these vehicles rather than enjoying the drive.

Don't get me wrong, I like some of this stuff. Rear view cameras with cross traffic alerts are fantastic, for example, and I can live with blind spot monitors even though they get fooled easily when you're turning left in dual lanes (and other places). But front cross traffic monitors? When you supposedly have eyes?

And there are lots of other annoyances.

This, as well as financial reasons, is why, as I've mentioned previously, my wife and I joined the drive to keep older cars around. and to help facilitate that, I upgraded my old car's audio system to bring it into the "modern age". more...

John DeLorean and his iconic car live again in new book

If you've ever wondered what the real story was behind the DMC-12 and its famous, infamous, and late, inventor, a new book gives insight you might find quite fascinating.

"Delorean: the Rise, Fall and Second Acts of the Delorean Motor Company", by Matt Stone, is an easy read, illustrated copiously, and it basically follows the life of John Zachary DeLorean from when he was a nipper until, well, today – which is about two decades after his untimely death from a stroke.

It's a tale of the pursuit of one's dreams, the pursuit of excellence, and the lengths to which some people will go to ensure their dream is realized – or that an upstart's dream isn't.

I enjoyed it quite a bit!

I also learned quite a bit.

Oh, I knew who Delorean was; it's hard to be a car guy and not have heard of the guy who brought the world the stainless steel-bodied gull winger sports car from the early 1980's. Heck, even if you're not a car guy you've undoubtedly seen the iconic DMC-12 from its appearances as the pivotal time machine in the Back to the Future movies.

But there was a lot more to the man than merely the DMC-12 – though of course he's most famous for that attempt to create a brand-new sports car that could go head-to-head against the existing giants and the sports car establishment.

In fact, DeLorean first made his name at General Motors, at the time the world's largest car company. It was he who dreamed up the concept of the muscle car – a mostly conventional sedan or coupe into which a large engine and other performance upgrades were crammed in. more...

New for 2024 Lexus TX 350 upgrades the three row SUV experience

If you want a mid-sized SUV/Crossover that's a little more nicely tricked out than something like the Toyota Grand Highlander, Lexus may have your answer.

The new TX, available in two versions in Canada, is based on that great Grand Highlander, but as is typical for Lexus, they've worked their luxury magic on what was already a very nice vehicle.

The result, not surprisingly, is "very nicer."

The TX offers three rows of seating, configurable for six or seven people, depending upon whether you opt for a second-row bench or captain's chairs. Lexus Canada's sample had the captain's chairs, which is the way I'd configure it if I were purchasing this vehicle. Not only are captain's chairs more comfortable, but it's easy to sneak around them to gain access to steerage, the small but adequate rear bench.

Of course, if you really need to carry seven people, you'll either have to opt for the second-row bench or glue that seventh person to the roof, which might open up a different can of worms.

Lexus makes a couple of TX versions. My test sample was the TX 350, a gasoline-only version, but you can also opt for the TX 500h hybrid and even the TX 550h+, the plug-in version, which as of this writing isn't quite available yet.

The TX is meant to go head-to-head with such competitors as the Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Genesis GV80, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Volvo XC90. I haven't driven most of those competitors, so can't comment on how it stacks up, but Lexi are usually very competitive, if a tad soft.

The TX is all-new for 2024 and it kind of takes the space of the RX 350L, the three row version of what's essentially a two row SUV/Crossover. That's good, because my memories of the RX version have it with a very tight third row. The TX's is much better. more...

Warners releases three classics on 4K disc – and an inferior sequel

Warner Brothers has outdone itself with three great 4K disc releases from their catalogue, and each one of them is well worth owning if you collect or are just a fan of any of this trio: North by Northwest, Blazing Saddles, and James Cameron's original The Terminator.

Then there's the inferior and unnecessary second Beetlejuice movie, which is okay but hardly in the league of Tim Burton's fresh original.

Let's tackle the good news first, and the best of the good news is how great all three of those classic films look (and sound) in their 4K release. My favourite of the three, North by Northwest, also simply bristles with excellent extras, so much so that it's almost like going to film school to study the great Alfred Hitchcock.

But it's Blazing Saddles that looks the best of the three, and who'd have expected that? It also features some fine extras. Terminator looks and sounds great, but the extras (other than a "music and special effects featurette") aren't really much. Still, they got the films themselves right, and that's worth a lot.

North by Northwest, Hitchcock's 1959 masterpiece, tells the tale of advertising man Roger Thornhill, a man who at the beginning of the film seems to have the world on a string. Then, all of a sudden, he finds himself running for his life. And driving for his life, and riding a train for his life, and ducking an airplane for his life – and finally zipping around Mount Rushmore for his life.

You see, some bad guys – led by James Mason, in a wonderful performance – think he's someone else and they're out to prevent him from doing whatever it is they think he's about to do. Meanwhile, Thornhill has no idea what's going on, just that he'd better get the heck out of Dodge before the next attempt on his life succeeds.

It's a terrific story, thrilling and funny at the same time and if you haven't seen it, you really should. I think this is my favourite Hitchcock outing (not that I've seen that many), with excellent performances, a wild script by Ernest Lehman, great score by Bernard Hermann and exquisite production values. It really does check all the boxes. more...

Ford Bronco Raptor ups the SUV's game

It may only sport a V-6, but Ford's Bronco Raptor is a high performance on-and-off-road beast that'll not only get you into and out of the outback, it'll turn heads and cause drool attacks from certain onlookers.

So, if that's what you want in a utility vehicle, put together your $116,570 entry ticket (without options) and pony down to your Ford dealer to get in line for yours.

The Bronco Raptor's twin-turbo V-6 is rated at 418 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. or torque. That's pretty nice in a mid-sized vehicle such as this and it gave me no issues when I wanted to accelerate with wild abandon. You also get upgraded HOSS 4.0 with FOX Live Valve 3.1 Internal Bypass Semi-Active Dampers that supposedly gives you better off-road capability, though I never took it offroad during my week with it.

Beneath all that, 37-inch all-terrain tires promise to give you peace of mind when it comes to traction. And to keep all that stuff in good shape, there are skid plates galore.

And to keep you entertained, you get a lovely Bang and Olufsen audio system featuring 10 speakers including a Subwoofer. It sounds great, too! I was surprised when Ford announced a few years ago that they were putting B&O in some of their trucks, because I figured it would be a waste of some great audio technology. I was wrong, and now I hope the B&O system trickles down through the line.

To help prevent you from being really annoyed with ridiculous interfaces the company's SYNC 4 features a 12-inch Touchscreen with Swipe Capability and Enhanced Voice Recognition. I actually preferred just using it as a straightforward touch screen, something Ford does really well, and it works great that way.

And of course, you can exploit Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It's a surprisingly comfortable vehicle to be in, once you hop up into the cabin. Seats are nice and supportive and there's plenty of leg room.

You can take off the roof, too, if you so desire. Being a bit of an oaf, I didn't even contemplate trying that! more...

LG's remarkable CineBeam 4K projector is an intriguing home theatre alternative

Flat panel TV's are today's staple in home entertainment video devices, but if you want a really, really big picture you'll pay through the nose for one – even though prices continue to drop.

For a more affordable RLS ("really large screen", an acronym I just made up), there are still front projectors you can buy, a wide variety of them in fact, from ultra short throw ones that don't require you to renovate your room, to longer throw ones whose placement is more critical than the others, but who can throw to really, really big screens.

Into this market comes LG's tiny little CineBeam Q 4K projector, a thing so small could fit into a backpack easily. And while it isn't perfect, it's a remarkable thing that offers excellent picture quality and full smart TV features (for better or for worse…) in a package that will only set you back (depending upon when and where you buy it) as little as $1300.

That's pretty darn cheap for something that can do so much!

The CineBeam Q is a 4K DLP (Digital Light Processor) projector that uses lasers to provide the illumination. The laser heart means you won't have to worry about changing bulbs down the road (the projector will probably be obsolete by the time you need to think about such things).

Lasers could also mean you get an incredibly bright picture, but that – unfortunately – is not the case with this unit. I daresay it would be a lot more expensive if it were the case. Alas, there are always compromises.

Still, the projector offers a really nice picture with strong contrast (450,000:1) and great colour, real 4K performance, and of course it's so compact and easy to set up and use that you could take it with you to impress your neighbours (if they have a blank wall or a screen). You could even take it outdoors in your back yard, at the campground or wherever you want, and create your own personal drive in (or walk in or stagger in) theatre. more...

Ford F-250 Super Dutys bring brawn and bling to the serious truck market

Ford, the king of pickup truck sales in North America, has updated its big F-250 for 2024, though since it was updated in a major way for the last model year it may be a case of gilding a pretty  nice lily.

Still, if you're looking for a three-quarter ton diesel-powered workhorse, you probably can't go too far wrong – after all, there must be a reason Ford sells so many trucks year after year!

All this is mostly lost on me because, as I've said repeatedly, I'm not a truck guy in the slightest. Oh, I get their use and their place and that people love them even if they don't really need a truck (people don't need MX-5's either, after all). But I'm more a MX-5, small and sporty car guy and I'm sure that makes some truck aficionados think I'm from outer space.

So, when I'm tasked with reviewing a truck, it's quite a challenge for me. Hell, just getting into and out of a full-sized truck is quite a challenge for my short and round body.

That was one of the reasons I enjoyed Ford Canada's sample F-250 Super Duty diesel: it had retracting running boards that meant I could get in and out without making a complete fool of myself (the downside being that I had to find other ways of doing that!).

Fortunately, as well, I have some friends in my neighbourhood who are truck folks and they took me out in the F-250 to give me their impressions. And they loved the truck!

The F-250 is about as comfortable to drive as I've ever experienced with a full-sized truck, though in my non-truck-guy world that isn't saying a lot. My neighbours thought it was great, though, smooth and comfortable and with responsive steering and a ride that isn't as bouncy as they expected. I thought it was as bouncy as all get out, chittering over frost heaves and seams in the asphalt as if it's about to spin around on you – though it never came close to doing that. But they are far more experienced with and tolerant of trucks, so I must defer to them.

I hate that! more...

LG 4K Nanocell TV offers nice performance and good value

Television technology continues to advance, with many of today's screens offering picture quality and other features that could have only been dreamed about not too many years ago.

I've followed, and participated in, this evolution ever since I discovered I might be a nerd – or at least since my first colour TV. Back then, a 20-inch screen was considered the best because, as CRT-based technology, that size offered the best compromise between pixels and the (empty) space between them. You could get up to 27 inches or so (and, eventually, giant CRT's of 40 inches or so also came along) but it was argued by many video snobs that the actual picture quality was best at 20 inches.

That was analogue technology and though its resolution never really got beyond 480i, it was pretty darn good for the time, especially if you embraced the old Laserdisc technology and, then, DVD.

Now, of course, it's a whole 'nuther ballgame, with digital high-definition TV having been the rule for the past couple of decades. And now it's "ultra high definition", which is known mostly as 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels).

In this little ditty I'm going to talk about an LG 65-inch QNED flat panel, the AI QNED85 4K Smart TV. This $1199 (depending on where and when you buy it) is available in a variety of screen sizes from 55 to 86 inches, but LG Canada chose to send the 65-inch version, which is a reasonable compromise. more...

Lincoln Nautilus charts a widescreen course into drivers' garages

Ford's upmarket brand, Lincoln, has an idea it thinks will appeal to the video generation, which may indicate they're going for customers who may not have been the marque's traditional market.

Indeed, this modern vehicle simply bristles with high tech – for good or for not so good – with a unique dashboard-wide video setup that's quite the thing to see.

Alas, I found it redundant, obtrusive, and kind of silly, since most of what you can display on this massive display (actually a few displays side by side) can and/or is displayed already on the more conventional large screen atop the centre stack.

Still, it looks really cool, is somewhat customizable, and certainly starts conversations among onlookers and passengers.

Nautilus is a two row, five-passenger beastie that's meant to compete with such other beasties as the Genesis GV80, Porsche Cayenne, or BMW X5.  The only ones of those competitors I've driven is the Cayenne and X5, and not for at least 10 years, so I'm totally unqualified to compare them.

Ford Canada sent me the conventional (non-hybrid) version of the "new for 2024" Nautilus and though Captain Nemo was nowhere to be found, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. It drives well, is comfortable, and you can even set it to minimize the wallowing. more...

Mazda's new CX-70 brings a lot of goodness to the plug-in hybrid SUV market

If you're looking for a reasonably large, two row SUV that also offers some nice fun-to-drive to the mix, check out Mazda's brand new CX-70.

Available in three versions, Mazda Canada sent the PHEV, plug-in hybrid, model for review. This isn't the one I would've chosen – there's another one with a lovely inline six-cylinder engine that I was really looking forward to try – but it's a fine vehicle nonetheless and if you're in the market for such a beast, this one is well worth your time.

The CX-70 is essentially a CX-90 with the third row removed, welded shut, or whatever it is they did to eschew extra seating. And that's fine! I liked the CX-90 a lot but the only time I'd ever use the third row is if the kids and grandkids are travelling with us, which is a tiny minority of the time. Therefore, I'd be more interested in the CX-70 anyway, for everyday driving.

The CX-70 PHEV starts at $58,750 for the GS-L trim level, according to Mazda's Canadian website, whereas the same trim level with the extra row – the CX-90 – starts at $59,950. Oddly, you can save a few bucks with the CX-90 by opting for the lower end GS trim level, which starts at 54,900. So far, however, Mazda doesn't offer a GS option for the CX-70. more...

George Miller's Furiosa a great looking but strange prequel

The Mad Max saga continues, without Mad Max, in director/writer George Miller's latest epic, Furiosa. And though it's pretty weird, and sometimes very cruel, it's well worth at least a look.

Furiosa is set before the last Mad Max outing, Fury Road, and stars Anya Taylor-Young as the title character, with Chris Hemsworth, sounding more Australian than he probably does even in real life, as her main nemesis, a pompous and rather socialist warlord called Dementus, who has dreams of dominating the wasted lands of the wasteland.

But before Furiosa meets Dementus, we find her living in the kind of perfect, idyllic green world the eco-nuts dream of, an oasis from the wasteland where there's lots of water, plenty of animals, and all the electricity needed comes, apparently, from a few lazily-spinning windmills that obviously survived the eco-apocalypse that destroyed the world.

Fortunately, all this political crapola is really mostly just a part of the setting, and takes a back seat to the action. This is good, because there's plenty of action on hand and it's about as over the top as one would expect from a Mad Max franchise entry. more...

Mazda's miniscule motoring masterpiece continues to amaze and delight

If you're looking for a classic sporty drive, you can't go far wrong with Mazda's venerable MX-5.

Now just called the MX-5, though it'll always be the Miata to me, Mazda's little two-seater hearkens back to the classic European sports cars of old, except that the Mazda is far less likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road than those Eurosports of days gone by would.

I say that from experience. Three of the first cars I owned were MGB's (or is it MG's B?), of varying age and condition.

Then Mazda, in its wisdom, decided the world could use a little personal "Zoom-Zoom" again and created a new classic roadster that was reminiscent of (some might say ripped off from) the British sports car of old.

Now in its fourth generation, the car has grown in size and capabilities, but has never strayed from its roots very far. It has never been a really fast car (well, there was a Mazdaspeed turbo for a while), but it has always been nearly fast enough. Heck, it's a sports car, not a race car (though the MX-5 does very well there, too). more...

Travelling by vehicle this summer? How about making sure your vehicle is ready for action?

Flying used to be fun to me. I've always been an aviation buff, my father flew in World War II, and in the early 1980's I realized a dream and got a pilot's license myself.

But flying commercially now (I haven't flown privately for years, alas) is nothing but a major pain in the buttocks. Whether it's obtrusive security screening that always seems to give special attention to those who don't fit the "terrorist profile" (grandmothers, etc.), airlines who apparently don't give a damn about the people who pay their salaries, airplane manufacturers who seem to be slacking off in their quality control, or just the layers of bureaucracy - from government to corporate – that strangle what used to be a pleasant and even fun experience, I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather not fly any more.

Hence the summer driving vacation! And taking care of some basic maintenance doesn't take a lot of work, or attention, and it not only can help ensure you get where you're going, and back, it's better for the life of your vehicle, especially if you plan to keep it for a few more years. more...

Twister blows onto 4K disc in a wild presentation

Just in time to cash in on this summer's sequel (or at least soften us up for its arrival), Warner Bros. has unleashed a really nice 4K version of the 1990's disaster film about storm chasers who appear to get chased as much by the storms as they do chase them.

It's a kind of classic disaster film, the type one might expect from Irwin Allen, except that this one comes from such more modern names as Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton – folks who had already given us Jurassic Park a few years earlier.

As I said in my review of the Blu-ray when it came out: "If you open a dictionary, looking for the definition of "summer popcorn movie", chances are you'll find Twister there right next to Independence Day."

Looking back now, I might add such titles as "The Towering Inferno", "Earthquake" or "The Poseidon Adventure", classic disaster movies that probably kept Orville Redenbacher in business.

As with the others, Twister is another special effects extravaganza, one that eschews such trivialities as a logical screenplay and believable characterizations – despite coming partly from the word processor of the great Michael Crichton – instead embracing eye candy and a fantastic surround sound soundtrack. more...

Ford's Mustang is a better than ever treat even after 60 years

Muscle cars are getting hard to find these days as government regulation and some short-sighted auto companies continue to drop cars in favour of the flavours of the decade, the EV, the SUV and/or crossover.

But if you want a muscle car, the original one can still be found, and after a week spent in the 2024 version of the Mustang GT, I can safely tell you it's still a blast.

And the one I had was saddled with a damn 10-speed automatic transmission!

To my eyes, the current, seventh generation of the Mustang is the best looking one ever, even nicer than my usual favourite version the 1967-68 model that became so famous when Steve McQueen caused a comparable Dodge Charger to blow its doors – and everything else, really – off. After 1970, the Mustang kind of lost its way stylistically, and with the Mustang II it lost its way technologically, too.

Fortunately, that was then and in the 2000's Ford brought the Mustang back to attractiveness with the retro styling that's still kind of the basis of the car today. More recently, they also changed the rear suspension from something the Amish might like for their buggies to a real, independent one that helps the car handle nicely in more than a straight line. I loved it! more...

Are so-called safety nannies endangering your car's value?

Lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, front cross traffic monitors, driver awareness warnings – all of these are bits of technology supposedly designed to help keep you safe when you're behind the wheel. And maybe they do.

But what if they're just expensive add-ons – that you have to pay for anyway – that not only lull drivers into a false sense of security that they're "safe!" but which could also affect your car's value if it's involved in a collision?

According to a recent article by Chris Chilton, as run on MSN's website (I know, I know…), an ugly reality of nanny life is that about 20 per cent of such nanny-equipped cars end up being written off completely after the vehicle was crunched (or crunched someone else's).

Here's how Chilton described it: "The rocketing cost of repairing crashed cars means 21 percent of wrecks now result in a vehicle being totaled by insurance firms, a five-fold increase versus 1980. And some experts think that number could jump to a staggering 30 percent as cars become even more complex. more...

Kia EV9 a compelling vehicle despite the issues of EV's

If you're looking for a relatively big, three row electric SUV, Kia's EV9 is probably a good place to start.

That said, Kia also makes other very nice three row SUV's such as the Telluride and Sorrento, except that those vehicles have internal combustion engines and therefore won't facilitate smug emissions.

But this piece isn't about fake Eco-lunacy, it's about the captivating EV9, which Kia's Canadian website says starts at $63,166. That's a pretty big chunk of change, about 10 grand more than the Telluride's starting price and more than 20 grand more than the Sorrento's starting price.

Of course this is a bit of apples-to-oranges, especially with the smaller Sorrento, but it does show that "going green" is going to cost you big time.  That said, you can spend a lot more for competing EV's.

Here's how Kia describes the vehicle. more...

Dune part 2 and American Sniper: two 4k films worth owning

Warner Brothers has released two excellent examples of the 4K disc medium and both are so good they're really "must own" discs if you're a movie buff and/or collector. One is brand new, and the other is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

But you may be surprised to find out which one this die-hard sci-fi fan thinks is the better of the two – although I suppose I just gave that away.

Yes, I had planned on focusing more on Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 2, yet after having seen Clint Eastwood's American Sniper I found myself so taken, so moved by this masterpiece that I decided to focus more on it because it's not only a better film overall, but a more important one as well.

Not that Dune Part 2 is a slouch. I'm not sure it's better than Part One, though that seems to be the consensus of reviewers, but it's still a darn fine sci-fi epic and the fact that it did its best to stay faithful to Frank Herbert's classic novel is a big bonus

Taking pot shots at war…

I haven't seen nearly all of Clint Eastwood's films, either as actor or director, but I've seen my respect for the man growing over the past several years. I first noticed his skills behind the camera with Unforgiven, the early 1990's film that won him all kinds of accolades, including some important Oscars (back when the Oscars were important!).

American Sniper is better and it deserved to have won all the awards that Unforgiven did. But it didn't. more...

Excellent new Arizer vapes up the brand's – and the state of the art – ante

Medical marijuana users – and others who may merely choose to imbibe in cannabis products since Justin Trudeau decided he needed their votes – have some great new (and new-ish) tools from which to choose, thanks to Canadian company Arizer.

So why vape, as opposed to edibles or smoking? Well, I can't really comment on edibles, but my doctor recommended vaping as opposed to smoking because you don't get all the supposedly dangerous stuff created by combustion (vapes don't burn the stuff, they just heat it up until it gives up its "wonders").

And now Arizer has taken my favourite vape – the Solo, which impressed my panel and myself in various versions – and introduced not only an update to an earlier generation but added an entirely new model (the Solo III) as well, one that ups the ante substantially.

The previous version, the Solo II, now has a Max edition as well, and you can also get an even more portable Air Max and an entry level Air SE. Arizer sent me all four of these to reiew and I can happily admit that all deliver excellent performance coupled with wonderful build quality. They're quite a bit different from each other, however, and together they offer a nice range from "entry level portable" to "high end not quite as portable" units.

Let's start with the new kid on the block: the Solo III. At $344.99 (US and Canadian), it's hardly entry level, but you get a really great unit that performs better than any other such vape I or my friends on the panel have tried. It definitely isn't without issues, but the thing works so well we can live with them easily. more...