Numbers don’t lie, and in the case of the 2018 GMC Yukon XL, the numbers are pretty staggering.

It’s among the largest and longest vehicles available to car buyers, coming in at 224 inches long, 81 inches wide and 74 inches tall.

This big boy is a truck-based twin to the Chevy Suburban, with the main wrinkle being its Denali trim level, which pushes the Yukon XL into a higher echelon in the GM landscape.

I recently tested this behemoth and I’m back with a full report.

LOOKS

Size is everything with the Yukon XL, which grows from the base Yukon by more than 20 inches in length. Leg room in the third row also grows by nearly 10 inches when moving up from the standard Yukon to the XL, and cargo volume behind the third row more than doubles.

Point blank: Everyone and everything in the Yukon XL will be comfortable and roomy.

Some cars are fast. Others are faster.

And others are “holy xXxX this thing gets moving” fast.

The 2018 SQ5 crossover from Audi is in the final category, and I recently spent some time in this street legal rocket and am back with a full report.

LOOKS

Like the regular 2018 Audi Q5 … the 2018 Audi SQ5 is a well-designed crossover with an attractive look. But where the Q5 is strictly classy, the SQ5 moves up to looking sporty and classy due to a sharp high-performance looking exterior and interior. The optional matador red metallic paint job sparkled. 20-inch wheels are standard but you can upgrade to 21-inch wheels.

On the inside, my test vehicle featured a black interior with excellent detail.

The standard materials inside the SQ5 are a mix of leather and Alcantara suede, plus nice touches are offered like the optional Carbon Atlas inlays.

Another year, another Samsung Galaxy smartphone is unveiled. It’s an annual ritual.

Depending on the year and how much is changing, the level of reaction can vary. But the key questions are always the same for those who prefer the Android side of the smartphone aisle: What’s new, and who should upgrade?

I recently spent some time with the Galaxy S9+, the extra large version of the new Galaxy S9, and I’m back with some key things to consider when debating whether to take the plunge.

Photo quality, features
For most of us, our phones have replaced our point-and-shoot cameras, and they keep getting better and better (though not quite to the level of DSLRs yet).

Samsung has made some improvements in the camera department with the S9 and S9+. One upgrade is an automatic dual-aperture camera (f/1.5 and f/2.4), which lets in the proper amount of light when taking photos. I also found there’s a somewhat noticeable improvement on photos taken in low-light conditions with the S9+.

The big news is that on the S9+ (but not the regular S9), you now have 12 MP dual cameras on the rear of the phone. The front-facing camera features an 8 MP camera.

Contrary to what you may be hearing, not everyone wants to drive an SUV. Sure they take over more and more the sales charts each year, but don’t discount the fact that some folks out there don’t need to carry a bunch of people around or a lot of cargo space. They want a small, fun, sporty ride that they can enjoy.

Enter a couple of contenders in this arena, which I recently was able to test:

In this corner, the new 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport, a capable ride with a strong level of nimbleness. In the other, the 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring, which annually draws solid support from those of us who love to drive (and from buyers, as the Mazda3 is the top selling Mazda worldwide).

Here’s a full rundown of what each of these vehicles has to offer to those looking in this segment.

For some people, bigger is always better.
Thankfully for them, several automakers have not given up on producing full-sized SUVs, the stunningly large vehicles which look like they could fit most of a traveling circus inside of them, and which you might hear an echo in if you yelled to the people in the back row..

One of those full-size SUV options -- the Nissan Armada -- recently went through a remodel, and I recently got to test out the 2018 version. I’m back with a full report on what it offers and how it compares to others in the class -- which also includes the Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe.

LOOKS

The big change with the redesign is that the Armada is now based off the same underpinnings as its more upscale corporate sibling, the Infiniti QX80.
And just like the QX80, the Armada can be described as big -- as in very big, wow that’s big!

With each new model year, even if there aren’t wholesale changes, any Mazda vehicle needs to continue to demonstrate some key abilities in order to maintain the brand’s reputation -- and chief among them is a stout driving performance.

I recently spent some time in the 2018 Mazda CX-5, a vehicle that has long been a favorite of mine in the mid-size SUV category, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up to expectations.

LOOKS

While not a lot is new in the 2018 CX-5 due to a significant remodel one year ago, you do get some changes for the new year, including a standard leather-wrapped steering wheel.
This exacerbates an already well-appointed interior in the CX-5, not at luxury level but sharper looking and more comfortable than most vehicles in the segment. You’ll find mostly soft surfaces, high-class touches on the dashboard. and leather-trimmed seating. A power moonroof is offered for a nice visual touch.