The Toyota RAV4 has been one of the most popular Compact SUV's on the market for decades. What makes the RAV so sought after? Well the biggest thing backing the RAV4, isn't due to the vehicle itself , but the durability and reliability the manufacturer brings to the table with all it's brands. Then add the spacious cabin, car like comfortable ride, superb fuel economy and one of the roomiest cargo holds in it's class and you see why it holds it's status.

The 2015 Toyota RAV4 LE AWD that we have here at Oliver Motors checks all the boxes listed above. I decided to drive this sporty SUV the past couple days, and I have to say impressed is an understatement. To start out my experience with the 2015 RAV4, let me state I live a 30 minute drive from work one way. I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled up to the pump, put in $30.00 worth of gas and days later am still driving on that same $30.00. The RAV4 is estimated 22/29MPG and I can say that they are not wrong on their estimates.

I figured with the great fuel economy, other features had to be sacrificed. So I put the RAV4 to the all around family vehicle test. The first step was the drive home and back which consisted of both highway and city driving. Much to my pleasure, the 2015 Toyota RAV4 LE AWD handled excellent in both situations. There was more than enough power to merge onto the highway from the on ramps, to get up to highway speed in an ample amount of time (unlike many4 Cylinder's I've driven in the past.) and handled perfectly around town. I was impressed by the 2.5L 4cylinder that powers this 2015 RAV4.

Next, I loaded up the family and went to the grocery store. In coming back out with a cart full of groceries, I was pleasantly surprised that there was more than enough room for the groceries in the cargo area, and it was a comfortable spacious ride for my wife, kids and I both there and back. Another thing I noticed while driving, was weather by myself, or loaded down, the compact SUV drove the same, almost car like. I was expecting a rougher, noisier ride from a Compact SUV. lastly, I was impressed by the ease of driving through the lot and parking vs. driving my wife's 2017 Ford Flex.

If I was goin to say anything bad about this 2015 Toyota RAV4 it would be a personal issue I have (being I'm a little spoiled) and say it's not as luxurious as most of the vehicles I drive. With that being said, this RAV4 is still equipped very well with great features like Cruise Control, Back Up Camera, 4 Wheel Drive, Automatic Transmission, Power Locks/ Windows/ Mirrors, Air Conditioning, Hands Free, and AM/FM-CD.

I may have spent a couple more days than usual driving this SUV, but that just goes to show how impressed I was by this little 4 door SUV AWD. You can visit olivermotors.com for more pictures, information, a walk around video and a complete Auto Check vehicle history report.

Or visit the store here at Oliver Motors 315 South Blvd Baraboo, WI. 608-355-9440.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Del Morter

Oliver Motors

del@olivermotors.com

When someone is trying to compare luxury vehicles, Mercedes G Class, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, Land Rover Range Rover come to mind and then there's Cadillac and Lincoln for the domestic brands. Lincoln has been set as a prestigious manufacturer for decades as the top level in the FORD Manufacturer arsenals.

The Lincoln line was always given a more elegant look, better leather interior than it's sister models in the ford line. However, in this 2016 Lincoln MKC Lincoln has outdone itself! The MKC is on the same platform as the Ford Escape...….But there isn't anything similar between the two.

Lincoln was looking to break into the subcompact SUV market and definitely made a name for itself. The 2016 MKC is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L 240HP motor paired with an automatic six speed transmission, offering 20/29MPG fuel economy. This compact SUV has more than enough get up and go considering it is powered by a 4 cylinder motor.

I decided to drive the 2016 Lincoln MKC Premier AWD for a coupe days to get a feel for the vehicle and get my take on the vehicle. I was pleasantly impressed with the power for merging onto the highway and keeping speed at highway speeds. The vehicle glided through the air with ease, unlike some of the boxier SUV's I've driven lately with the winds we've seen the past weeks. The elegant body lines give it a better aerodynamic, which keeps it under control on the highway with the stronger winds and I'm sure helps to add to the fuel economy.

I was highly impressed with the cockpit of the vehicle when I first sat in the drivers seat. One of the things I love about the Lincoln product is how they are bringing back the nostalgic push button shift on the dash. Not only a push button start like so many other manufactures have went to but the gear selection is also a push button feature. I was impressed by the comfort of the driver seat, and how readily available every feature I needed to have a great driving experience was to my fingertips while sitting in the drivers seat.

The fact that this was considered a "compact SUV" just blew me away. One would never think of a compact SUV to be so luxurious, have so much space for driver and passenger and an ample amount of cargo and storage room. But as I was maneuvering through the parking lot of Kwick trip to put gas in, I noticed the advantage of the smaller "compact" SUV. It was easy to maneuver around and there wasn't a re adjust to be able to pull into a tight parking spot like I've had to do with bigger vehicles in the past.

I was taken away with the amount of people who stared or walked up to see the brand as I was pumping gas, It definitely turns heads and was a great conversation starter. The newer, sleeker body lines in the MKC give it a different look than that of the bigger MKC which so many people are used to.

This gorgeous vehicles comes equipped with ALL WHEEL DRIVE, Automatic Transmission, Back Up Camera, Full Leather Interior, Heated Front Seats, Power Locks/ Windows/ Mirrors, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, AM/FM/XM Satellite radio/CD, and Remote Start to name a few features.

If you're in the market for a compact SUV but want the luxuries of a full size luxury vehicle and are looking for something to turn heads, look no further!

This 2016 Lincoln MKC Premier AWD is currently located at our Oliver Motors 315 South Blvd Baraboo, WI location. You can stop in, visit olivermotors.com for more information, pictures, walk around video, or Auto Check vehicle history report, or call to schedule an appointment today at 608-355-9440

The GMC Terrain, very much like its Chevrolet Counterpart the Equinox, have been mostly unchanged since its introduction for 2010. Six years without a major refresh or redesign, which seems like a lifetime in the everchanging automotive world. However, both have been top sellers in it's class for almost a decade straight. So as the old saying says if it's not broke ....don't fix it!

When it cones to looks and style, the Terrain is my favorite in the mid-sized SUV segment. It has a little more of a boxy look to it, and the front end has taken on the look of the GMC truck. It just gives it in my opinion, a more rugged, tough look than many of the mid size SUV's out there. With that being said, it still gives the classier look GMC is known for, with the chrome highlights throughout the vehicle like the door handles, and large front grill.

As with as many vehicles as I can, I drove this 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD home the other day. I like to drive vehicles on the lot to make sure everything was caught in the safety inspection we do n every vehicle. It also gives me a chance to familiarize myself with he vehicles and in doing so, I have started wring blogs/reviews to help give you a little better understanding of the vehicle while you are doing your research.

In grabbing the keys, I noticed the key fob had a remote start. So from my desk on the showroom floor, I started the Terrain to let it cool down on this hot summer day. As I walked out to the 2015 GMC Terrain, I took a little closer look at the vehicle. I wasn't sure if I was a big fan of the pewter/tan exterior. But looking at it when it was parked by itself in font of the building with the chrome accents in the grill, fog lamp bezels, roof rack, door handles, and wheels it looks pretty sharp. I opened the door and loved the two tone color combination on the leather seats and dash and door panels, a grayish off white inset with dark gray trim and red leather stitching.

Once in the drivers seat I reached down with my left had and adjusted the power seat, then adjusted my mirrors located on the drivers door, right above the Pioneer speaker, towards the op of the the power windows, and right below the power locks. This Terrain is loaded right up!!! As I glanced around at other feathers, I noticed the cruise control built into the steering wheel on the left hand side, right next to the cruise control was also Lane Departure and Crash Detection buttons. These, if activated will let you know when you are getting too close to the car in front of you by car lengths, and the lane departure will sound if you cross either lane right or left without a signal. On the right hand side of the steering wheel is the Radio and hands free features.

I then turned my attention to the center and adjusted my radio to XM 39 and turned the recirculate button on the climate control and started turned up the Air conditioning. As I put the vehicle into reverse, I noticed the large screen which once shown the XM station I was on , had turned into a large bac up camera display.

As I put the Terrain in drive and started down the street, I notice one big difference between this one and the 2017 I drove just a few days earlier. This 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD is powered by a 3.6L 6 Cylinder and has 301hp. The 2017 was a 2.4L 4 cylinder and as I stated in that review was a great driving around town and once up to speed vehicle, however took a little more to get up to speed. This 2015 GMC Terrain has the get up and go right from the start, and definitely no issue getting up to speed merging onto the highway.

The Terrain has a very smooth and comfortable ride, and maneuvers nicely in and out of traffic. One thing I liked about the Terrain was the amount of room(not only leg room) that this vehicle offers. It is a little more boxier, which gives a ton of headroom, and also allow the rear windows to be bigger making the blind spots less frustrating.

Once I arrived home, I did my normal walk around of the vehicle to see other features, like the chrome wheels, the 60/30 split back seats that folded down to make a nice level floor for more cargo in the rear area. I was focuses so much on the ride, and performance, I not once even thought to open the large sunroof that went over the front diver and passengers heads. On my ride back to work the next morning, I did take advantage of venting the roof and taking advantage of the fresh air.

This was over all a very fun vehicle to drive and was very comfortable as a whole. This would definitely work for any situation a 5 passenger or less vehicle was needed. The 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD is currently at our Baraboo location. I highly advise to come see it before its gone.

The GMC Terrain, very much like its Chevrolet Counterpart the Equinox, have been mostly unchanged since its introduction for 2010. Six years without a major refresh or redesign, which seems like a lifetime in the everchanging automotive world. However, both have been top sellers in it's class for almost a decade straight. So as the old saying says if it's not broke ....don't fix it!

When it cones to looks and style, the Terrain is my favorite in the mid-sized SUV segment. It has a little more of a boxy look to it, and the front end has taken on the look of the GMC truck. It just gives it in my opinion, a more rugged, tough look than many of the mid size SUV's out there. With that being said, it still gives the classier look GMC is known for, with the chrome highlights throughout the vehicle like the door handles, and large front grill.

As with as many vehicles as I can, I drove this 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD home the other day. I like to drive vehicles on the lot to make sure everything was caught in the safety inspection we do n every vehicle. It also gives me a chance to familiarize myself with he vehicles and in doing so, I have started wring blogs/reviews to help give you a little better understanding of the vehicle while you are doing your research.

In grabbing the keys, I noticed the key fob had a remote start. So from my desk on the showroom floor, I started the Terrain to let it cool down on this hot summer day. As I walked out to the 2015 GMC Terrain, I took a little closer look at the vehicle. I wasn't sure if I was a big fan of the pewter/tan exterior. But looking at it when it was parked by itself in font of the building with the chrome accents in the grill, fog lamp bezels, roof rack, door handles, and wheels it looks pretty sharp. I opened the door and loved the two tone color combination on the leather seats and dash and door panels, a grayish off white inset with dark gray trim and red leather stitching.

Once in the drivers seat I reached down with my left had and adjusted the power seat, then adjusted my mirrors located on the drivers door, right above the Pioneer speaker, towards the op of the the power windows, and right below the power locks. This Terrain is loaded right up!!! As I glanced around at other feathers, I noticed the cruise control built into the steering wheel on the left hand side, right next to the cruise control was also Lane Departure and Crash Detection buttons. These, if activated will let you know when you are getting too close to the car in front of you by car lengths, and the lane departure will sound if you cross either lane right or left without a signal. On the right hand side of the steering wheel is the Radio and hands free features.

I then turned my attention to the center and adjusted my radio to XM 39 and turned the recirculate button on the climate control and started turned up the Air conditioning. As I put the vehicle into reverse, I noticed the large screen which once shown the XM station I was on , had turned into a large bac up camera display.

As I put the Terrain in drive and started down the street, I notice one big difference between this one and the 2017 I drove just a few days earlier. This 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD is powered by a 3.6L 6 Cylinder and has 301hp. The 2017 was a 2.4L 4 cylinder and as I stated in that review was a great driving around town and once up to speed vehicle, however took a little more to get up to speed. This 2015 GMC Terrain has the get up and go right from the start, and definitely no issue getting up to speed merging onto the highway.

The Terrain has a very smooth and comfortable ride, and maneuvers nicely in and out of traffic. One thing I liked about the Terrain was the amount of room(not only leg room) that this vehicle offers. It is a little more boxier, which gives a ton of headroom, and also allow the rear windows to be bigger making the blind spots less frustrating.

Once I arrived home, I did my normal walk around of the vehicle to see other features, like the chrome wheels, the 60/30 split back seats that folded down to make a nice level floor for more cargo in the rear area. I was focuses so much on the ride, and performance, I not once even thought to open the large sunroof that went over the front diver and passengers heads. On my ride back to work the next morning, I did take advantage of venting the roof and taking advantage of the fresh air.

This was over all a very fun vehicle to drive and was very comfortable as a whole. This would definitely work for any situation a 5 passenger or less vehicle was needed. The 2015 GMC Terrain SLT-2 AWD is currently at our Baraboo location. I highly advise to come see it before its gone.

The 2106 Audi Q5 has athletic handling, a ton of great room for all 5 passengers, a ton of cargo room, and upscale interior. When I meet someone on the lot, and they ask my opinion of the Audi brand, I say the same thing of all the Audi makes and models. Audi is the best of both worlds from BMW and Mercedes. Audi, in my eyes, like BMW gives a little sportier drive and performance with a stiffer suspension and steering, yet the upgraded features and luxury ride of the Mercedes.

One of the things I like to do at Oliver Motors is drive as many vehicles as I possible. First off, it familiarizes me with the inventory so I can explain features of every vehicle we have. Second, It gives me an opportunity to make sure nothing was over looked in the safety inspection we do on all our vehicles (Seeing our service department is still human). And lastly, I started writing review/blogs of the vehicles I drive, so you can get yet another perspective to help make an educated decision on your next vehicle. I'm not saying that my wants and needs and opinions are the same as yours, but it's another factor to take into play.

With that being said, a couple weeks ago I drove home the 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Quattro AWD. I have come to really like the Audi product, It has a sporty yet elegant look, sleek body lines, great performance, comfortable ride, and great features. And after driving this 2016 Q5, it proved to check each box I just described.

As I sat behind the wheel of this beautiful Q5, I saw that it had the option of inserting the key fob in the dash or keeping the key in my pocket and pushing the start button located on center column, ad choose the later of the two. As the car fired up, I noticed the side mirrors that had been folded up parked into place, and were ready for me to adjust them to my liking. The first thing I do when getting in a vehicle on the lot, is set it to my driving habits. I reach down with my left hand, and adjust the power seat located on the left side of the seat. Then I reach over on the door and I set the side mirrors to where I need them. The power mirrors on the Q5 are located at the top of the door handle right below the power locks and on top of the power windows and are a round rotate lever which makes it very easy to maneuver while driving.

Audi has done a great job with the two tone interior and then added a wood grain finish to give the interior a little more sophisticated look. As I stated earlier, the interior and seats are very similar to that of the Mercedes or other more luxury vehicle. The seats are a little more plus and comfortable and the features around the drivers compartment and rest of the vehicle are upscale.

I like to familiarize myself with the vehicle, so I don't have to search while driving, and as I scanned the Q5, I noticed on the left side of the steering wheel wash the info button for dash displays, on the right side was NAV and radio controls and the Cruise Control switch was a toggle switch behind the steering wheel on the left hand side.

As I scanned the center council and radio area, I noticed the large screen for NAV, radio features, and back up camera. One thing that took me a little getting used to, was like BMW, Audi has put a selector dial and buttons on center council area at the drivers right hand to change through most features on the center stack. It helps to navigate easier and safer through all the features o the screen. Below the screen, I found all the climate control button, including heated seats (not really needed in June but nice to know).

So I set the radio to XM, tuned in channel 39 (Hair Nation), looked up at the huge panoramic sunroof and opened the shade and vented the roof and started on my way home. It was a beautiful sunny day and the panoramic roof was great, not a lot of wind noise but a ton of sunlight.

As I drove down the road I was impressed with the performance of the 2.0LT motor. It pushes 220hp and is matched with an 8 speed transmission which helps get to speed quick while still helping it with its estimated 20 City/ 28 Hwy EPA. Town driving was fantastic, like I stated it drives and rides more on the BMW side with great cornering and a little lower stance for an SUV. But the main challenge will be how this 4 cylinder gets up to speed and merges onto the highway? I am used to driving more the 6 and 8 cylinder vehicles with a little more pep. And I have to say that this 2.0 compares nicely to the performance and power in drivability. It also has a very comfortable, smooth ride and little to no road noise.

When I arrived at home, I walked around the rest of the vehicle to see what else it had to offer. I folded down the 40/20/40 split back seats, stepped back and admired the way the aftermarket black wheels added the little extra look to this already beautiful machine, and admired the LED rear tail lights.

If you are in the market for an upscale, midsized SUV that gives a sportier feel drive, and luxurious feel interior, with a ton of features and great look, I'd highly recommend looking into this 2016 Audi Q5 AWD. Once you get the hang of the radio controls its one of the nicest vehicles I've driven comfort wise in a long time.

Del--Oliver Motors

In everything that I've read, they say that the 2016 Jeep Renegade is a top pick for a compact SUV. As many who have read my review/blogs know, I am a Jeep fan! I lean more towards the Gr. Cherokee and Wrangler line up, however, I am still impressed with the room, ride, fuel economy, and especially the 4 wheel drive systems of the Patriot, Compass, Cherokee, and Liberty. I didn't have the chance to drive Jeeps Renegade, until now. We recently picked up a 2016 Jeep Renegade Latitude 4x4 for our lot in Baraboo. Now, we've had a couple Renegades over the years, but they were sold before I was able to take one home for the night. I like to take vehicles home to familiarize myself with them, make sure everything is in good working order, and no surprises arise when I am with a guest, and so I can write these blogs informing you of my experiences. So when this 2016 Jeep Renegade Latitude 4x4 landed, I made sure to be the one to give it it's test drive after going through our shop.

I have to say at first glance, it does have the Jeep look, a boxier body with stylish body lines and of course the seven slot front grill. It looked like it was going to be a little more on the smaller side, which in a vehicle is not really my liking. I have to say however, I may be a little judgmental of this vehicle, because it's my least favorite look of all the Jeep line. However, with that being said, everyone I knew whom I came across while driving it, loved the look and style, especially my kids.

As I got into the Renegade, I was impressed with the interior color combinations and look. This Renegade has a light gray insert surrounded by a grayish brown with orange highlights around speakers and other components which tied everything together great. Jeep (along with the rest of the C/J/R/D brands) has stood by their soft touch interior that was introduced in 2011 and perfected it. I was especially surprised by the amount of room that was not only in the driver compartment, but throughout the vehicle.

As always, I started to adjust certain features to my driving habits like reaching down to on my left side and adjusting the power driver seat, moving my left arm up onto the door and finding the power side mirrors button located right above the power windows and locks for the vehicle on the drivers door. After I adjusted everything to my liking, I started to familiarize myself with the rest of the vehicle. The steering wheel has your U-Connect hands free controls and controls to navigate through displays on your dash on the left hand side, and cruise control on the right hand side. The Renegade has the push button start feature, so I press down the brake and pushed the button to start. From there I looked over at the display screen for the radio and other features, and clicked the "accept button" so I could tune the radio to 96.3 FM for the ride home.

As I started on my way home, I came across some pluses, and minuses to this Renegade. With gas being $4.67 a gallon right now, I was looking forward to the 24 City/31 Hwy E.P.A estimated fuel economy. This Jeep Renegade is powered by a 2.4L 180hp motor, (which by the way is the bigger of the two offered) and is paired with a 9 speed automatic transmission. With that being said, I am a little spoiled by the mid sized vehicles with a 6 or 8 cylinder powering them, so yes the fuel economy was great, but the power and performance were a little less than I am use to. The in town driving was fine, getting up to speed to merge onto the highway was still better than the performance of most 4 cylinder vehicles I have driven, but it wasn't the quick response I'm used to. Once up to speed the Renegade traveled down the interstate perfect, and the ride was pleasant and comfortable. Once the cruise was set I couldn't tell the difference between this or the vehicles I'm used to driving even while maneuvering between traffic. I did like the line of vision that this renegade has, with all the windows and the height, it was easy to see and I felt like I had a ton of room in the vehicle.

When I arrived at home, my kids came out to check out the "Cool Jeep", and I started going over some of the other features it has, like the drop down 60/40 split rear seats, Alloy Wheels, and played around with the very easy to use remote start. After driving the Renegade, my mind was changed as if I would drive one, rent one, or possibly own one down the road. It ay not have had the get up and go that I'm used to, there was definitely a lot of other great features and options that made up for it.

Del--Oliver Motors

Much of the 2017 GMC Terrain's appeal lies in the fact that it's much bigger than most of the other SUV's in it's segment, offering a large cargo area and spacious room for all passengers including the three in the rear seat. Of the three Terrain, Equinox, and Envision, I like the look that the GMC Terrain has to offer over the rest. The Terrain may have a boxier look, but that's what I like, boxier body, and boxier front clip giving it the same look at their truck series.

Oliver Motors is always trying to find ways to help you make the best choice for your next vehicle. Bryan and I will typically drive each vehicle we get in after it's gone through the shop to make sure nothing was missed and that everything is working properly before we offer it for sale. It also gives us a chance to familiarize ourselves with the vehicles so we can give you our best recommendation when ting to match the perfect vehicle to your needs. As an additional benefit, I have started writing blogs on the vehicles we drive. This will help you to see our point of view on the vehicle and it's handling and performance.

A couple weeks ago I took the 2017 GMC Terrain SLT AWD home for the night. Like always, I started by getting into the drivers seat, reaching down with my left hand and adjusting the power drivers seat. Once I had that in the perfect spot, I moved my left hand half way up the drivers door toward the front of the door and adjusted my power mirrors which were located in front of the power window switches and directly under the power lock switch on the drivers door. I was very impressed by the leather interior and how comfortable the front seat was, I've sat in other vehicles where the seats were hard and hugged you too much. Next I turned my attention to the other features on the vehicle. As I was familiarizing myself with he Terrain I noticed the Cruise control built into the steering wheel on the left hand side , and radio controls built into the right hand side. Looking at the key I noticed this Terrain was equipped with not only the power lock/unlock feature but also had remote start. I clicked open the key from the fob, and started the Terrain. The dash lit up with a soothing red background, making it easy to see no matter the time of day or nigh.

I then turned my attention to the radio screen, and went through to XM where I tuned to channel 39 Hair Nation. I noticed the AM/FM/ XM/ Pandora/ USB options on the screen, and below in the climate control buttons I saw this 2017 Terrain also comes equipped with heated front seat (not that I will be trying those out in June).

As I put the vehicle in reverse to back out, The center radio screen turned into a big monitor for the Back Up Camera which also had yellow and red lines to show how close you are to stuff. In posting this vehicle to the website, marketplace, and numerous buy/sell/trade sites, I noticed it states its Avg. fuel economy according to E.P.A is 20 City/28 Hwy. This particular Terrain is equipped with the 2.4L Six Cylinder pushing 182hp paired with a six speed transmission. In driving home, I realized with the good, comes the not so good. It's not a bad thing, just not what I'm used to. The performance around town was great, but as I was on the ramp merging onto the highway, you could definitely tell it wasn't the 3.0 or 3.6L motor under the hood. Once I was up to highway speed though, all was fine and it maneuvered through traffic just perfect.

Once at home I walked around the Terrain to see some of the other features it has to offer. The first thing I noticed was the look, it definitely has a tougher look than its Buick and Chevy counterparts. Especially in this beautiful black paint with the addition of chrome wheels, door handles, side mirror covers and grill. I played around with the 60/40 split fold down back seats which opened up an already huge cargo are behind the back seat's to an impressive cargo area with the seats folded down.

I give this 2017 GMC Terrain a great review for room, comfort, features, and ride. My own personal taste, I like a little more get up and go, however my wife has a different thought on that. This gorgeous black on black 2017 GMC Terrain SLT AWD is currantly at tour Oliver Motors Baraboo location. Call Bryan or Del at 608-355-9440 to schedule an appointment.

Del--Oliver Motors

It's been a heck of a past few months! Oliver Motors has had some great success selling vehicles, and trying to replace just the right inventory has been a challenge. I've had the opportunity to drive a lot of vehicles over the past few months, but haven't had the opportunity to review any of them. Well, I finally have a beautiful sunny summer day to sit down and do a little catch up!!

I'm going to start with the most recent vehicle I drove, a Beautiful 2014 Jeep Gr. Cherokee Limited 4x4 that's currently at our Oliver Motors Baraboo location. When I say BEAUTIFUL, I'm not just saying that!! This Gr. Cherokee is one of my favorite colors for a Gr. Cherokee, many will call it a maroon/red but I believe Jeep calls it Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl coat [Red].  My personal feeling is that color gives it a sporty, yet elegant look. And when you match it with a black leather interior it just looks sharp!

Now if you've read my past reviews, you know I'm a little more partial to the Jeep line. If you really want to know whey, stop in and drive this one. Again I was NOT disappointed in the ride, performance, or style.

As always I went to adjust all the features like side mirror, driver seat and rear view mirror to fit my driving style. Everything was quick, smooth, and easy to find right at my fingertips. As I adjusted my seat, I noticed how comfortable the seat was and how thee was plenty of room, not constricting like some seats. This Gr. Cherokee has the push button start feature, so I placed my foot on the brake and went to push the start button. I will say that in doing so I noticed the only thing I may change, (it's not a big thing or a bad thing) the previous owner put a touch of bling around the push button. The vehicle started smoothly and quietly and the dash and display lit up big and bright.

As the U Connect popped up on the large radio/touch screen I noticed that not only was this Gr. Cherokee equipped with heated seat, but also a heated steering wheel (Not that these features are needed in June, but nice to know). I pushed "Accept" and went to the main home screen and adjusted the temperature, tuned into XM and switched to channel 39 (hair nation), and by habit clicked on the Navigation button.

Now that I had everything set into place, I reached down to put in reverse. If there was anything I would say bad against this Gr. Cherokee, it would be the shifter. Not that it's bad, defective, or hard. It's just that I'm set in my ways, and like the old way of shifting, where this has the electric shift and I'm just not used to it and well don't care to learn new things. After driving the vehicle the shifter did start to come around and I did notice that is was a smooth feature. Anyway as I put it in reverse, the center screen lit up bright with a back up camera that features green, yellow, red lines helping judge distance and a perforated line keeping you on track as to where the center of the Jeep's rear end is.

As I put the Gr. Cherokee in drive, and headed down the road, I remembered why I love the Jeep product so much. The 3.6L Pentastar motor has 295hp, which gives more than enough power, get up and go, and performance to satisfy any situation you would have for a 6 cylinder motor. For a full sized SUV, the Gr. Cherokee handles like a dream! It handles great in cornering, has a smooth comfortable ride, and little to no road noise. There wasn't an issue merging onto the highway as far as power, it didn't have a bad blind spot, and it felt like I was driving a luxury vehicle both through town and down the interstate.

When I arrived at home, I did a quick walk around of the rest of the vehicle and played around with the 60/40 split rear seats, folding them both down to see how much room was in the back. Not only is there a ton of leg room with 5 person capability with the seats up, but when you lay the back seats down you open a large cargo area.

I am quickly going to touch on the main reason I am an advocate for Jeep, their 4x4 system. Now in June, there's not a lot of need for the 4 wheel drive, unless I decide to take it in the mud, or out in the woods over a little rougher terrain. However, talking from experience, I know that if I decided to, or was in the middle of a winter storm that I would have the best 4x4 system under me.

All-in all I was not disappointed in this 2014 Jeep Gr. Cherokee Limited 4x4, and I think if you're in the market and drove it, you would also understand the phrase "It's a Jeep Thing"!

Del--Oliver Motors

For decades, General Motors truck line has been know for holding the best resale value and having a higher price MSRP when purchasing new. And yet for decades people will still purchase these vehicles new and pay the premium for them on the used car market. At first I thought it was just a looks thing? But Ford and Ram have put out some pretty aggressive competition. Then I thought maybe it was just the Ford-Chevy-Mopar badging thing? However over the past two decades in the business, I've come to realize that brand loyalty isn't as strong as it used to be. Then it hit me, people are buying off a multitude of things, and the GM line up hits most of them out of the ball park.

I have the opportunity to drive vehicles home for a couple reasons. First is to familiarize myself with the vehicles, and then I want to make sure that even though the vehicle has gone through a safety inspection and has been set up for the lot, that there isn't anything that may have been missed or not found like you would in every day driving. I took home the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Crew Cab 4x4 the other day and had my eyes opened to what people are talking about with the GM product.

Now, in my older years I'm getting a little more spoiled. I like driving a truck to sit me up higher and for the practicality of having a truck form on and end jobs around the house. However I've spoiled myself with the more luxurious SUV and sedans on the market.

As I got ready to leave the dealership, I adjusted the six way drivers power seat to fit my shorter than most structure, adjusted the power mirrors to my liking and adjusted the rear view mirror. After leaving the dealership in the 2012 Chev 1500 Crew Cab, I was impressed by the comfort of the seat. Along with being sat up and able to see more of the surroundings that you get in a truck, this 2012 Silverado also gave a comfortable seat and ride. Handling around the round about and then down the road was more than I expected. The 2012 Silverado for town driving felt more like an SUV or larger car with it's ride, suspension, and steering. Don't get me wrong, it's not as smooth as a Cadillac, but was not what I'd expect from a full size truck equipped to go trail riding.

As I crossed over Old 12, entered the round about, and then merged onto 12/19, getting up to highway speeds was not an issue at all. The 5.3L V8 powering this full Crew Cab truck has more than enough power to get you up to speed and maneuver around the highway. When set in my place on the highway, I started to check out the rest of the features at my fingertips. I moved my left thumb over the cruise control located on the left side of the steering wheel, and turned it on and set it at the desired speed. I then moved my right thumb over the radio controls located on the right hand side of the steering wheel and proceeded to move through the media options (hoping to find XM active and listen to some Hair Nation, but found it was not activated at this time) and ended on FM radio, then adjusted on the steering wheel the volume. I do like how all are right there at your finger tips so you don't have to take your eyes of the road. As I did look around, this 2012 Silverado is well equipped with Power Locks, windows, Air, Tilt Steering and CD player also.

I was rather impressed with the handling of this full size truck driving down the interstate also. I started out this article by saying GM hits most of the features people are looking for out of the ball park. This is what I meant, here is a 2012 Chev half ton truck that most would expect to be basic, rougher ride due to truck suspension, noisy, and a looser steering. However, driving this 2012 Silverado was just the opposite, it handles beautiful down the road with a nice tight steering, comfortable suspension ride (almost like a car even having the Z71 suspension), a quite cabin with little road noise, and is fully loaded. And with an EPA of 15 city and 21 Hwy, this full size truck that can become multi purpose for odd and end jobs and drives out like an SUV with a ton of room gets about the same fuel economy as most mid/full size SUV's.

As I walked around the truck in my driveway at home I was taken in by the tough look, a couple of small accessories that were added took away from the basic look like the black bug shield, tonneau cover, and wheel well moldings to match the black side mirrors and door handles. It wouldn't take much to put a little lift and a slightly more aggressive tire and possible aftermarket rim to transform this already sharp looking truck to the next level. But this is what always gets me in trouble lol, not everyone wants that look and or stance.

Either way, if you're in the market for a full size Crew Cab truck check out this beautiful 2012 Chev Silverado 1500 4x4 currently at our Oliver Motors Baraboo location.

(SOLD)Does a spontaneous trek through the woods to do some camping sound appealing? The off-road-ready 2016 Subaru Crosstrek could be for you. This SUV is the best of all the worlds, great fuel economy on the highway, smooth commuter around town, and is more than the typical crossover for heading into the wilderness.

I want to start by saying how impressed I am in Subaru as a whole. There aren't a lot of manufacturers that can say that almost all their line of vehicles start under $35,000.00 brand new. Or that the majority of their line of vehicles get over 30 mpg hwy (many in the mid 30's) and did I add the entire line comes standard AWD?

Now with that being said, I have stated in many articles in the past, that I try and drive every vehicle to familiarize myself with them and make sure there aren't any surprises for the guest after they buy it. And while looking over the lot today, to see what vehicle I take should take home tonight, again (like I have numerous times over the past decades) I skipped right over the Subaru in the line-up. I was eyeing up the 2015 Audi Q7, but needed to move the 2016 Subaru Crosstek in order to get it out. As I grabbed the keys for the Subaru, I hesitated and asked myself, why not just take this? Is it because it's not sporty enough? Do I really have a thing against the wagon look? The only thing I truly do know, is that I made it a point to drive EVERY vehicle and give my driving experience in an article.

As I was ready to head home for the night, I walked outside, locked the door, and went to unlock the 2016 Subaru Crosstreck. As I looked at the key fob in my hand I noticed it was very much like BMW. Both makes have a lock button on top, their logo below (which is the unlock) and then this model also has the rear hatch and panic button.

I opened the rear driver side door to place my lap top bag on the back seat and was surprised by the amount of room in this compact SUV. As I climbed into the driver seat I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of room in the drivers compartment. I was expecting to be cramped or at least a little uncomfortable. But much to my surprise, even after moving the seat forward, there was plenty of room. I set my coffee cup in the large cup holders to my right, and started to make the Crosstrek my own. I adjusted the seat, the rear view mirror, and the side mirrors. Everything was easily accessible and right at my fingertips. While sitting in the vehicle I started to notice a couple extra bonus features on this Limited model, like Weather Tech floor mats, rain guards on the windows, and a nice roof rack. These features nicely complimented the power locks/ window/ mirrors, Air, Cruise, Tilt, sporty honeycomb looking two tone wheels, and Sunroof this vehicle also came equipped with.

I placed my foot on the brake, put the key in the second cup holder, and pushed the start button. As I dropped the vehicle into drive and started to pull out of the driveway onto South Blvd., I noticed that this 2.0L 4 cyl had a little pep to its step. Now don't get me wrong, it's not going to win races or leave black marks on a constant basis, but that's not what this vehicle was designed for. Subaru did a good job of matching a 2.0L 4 cyl with enough pep to nicely take off from a stop sign, and easily merge from an off ramp onto a highway with a CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) transmission to make sure to offer the best fuel economy for an SUV.

While driving from work to home on the highway, I moved my right thumb slightly to the left on the steering wheel to easily activate the cruise control. I like having it set into the steering wheel with easy access to reach, and see, so as not to have to search and take my eyes off the road. I also noticed on the left hand side were the controls for the radio and vehicle info center on the dash between the tac and speedometer. I looked up and noticed the large sunroof that was above the driver and passenger in the front seat, I can't wait for this Wisconsin March weather to finally warm up so I could enjoy it.

This 2016 Subaru Crosstrek drove out nicely. It was a smooth ride, comfortable, enough cabin room, performance was there to do the job, and I was surprised by how quite the CVT transmission was compared to ones I've driven in the past. When backing up the large screen turned into a well lit back up camera, and I noticed a ton of other great safety features through out the vehicle like air bags.

The next morning at I walked out of my house, headed down the sidewalk, I looked up and saw the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek sitting there alone in my driveway. For the First time I really noticed the aggressive looking stance, nice body lines, and rounder aero dynamic body that this compact SUV has. When parked next to other vehicles on the lot, you really don't get a chance to take it all in. Then marry in the sharp sporty wheels and the luggage rack and that helps to take the aggressive stance to a tough look.

All-in-all I have to say I was quite satisfied with the driving experience I had with this 2016 Subaru Crosstreck Limited 2.0I AWD. The only feature I wasn't able to check out (and honestly I'm not disappointed I couldn't) was the AWD system. So I will have to take Subaru's word that they have one of the best ALL WHEEL DRIVE system's on the market.

If you'd like to schedule a test drive, call to verify its still available and at what location. At the time I am writing this it is located at Oliver Motors 315 South Blvd Baraboo Wi.

608-355-9440--Oliver Motors Baraboo

608-318-6100--Oliver Motors Sun Prairie