Clicking the picture above launches video about the 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Oh my Envoy,

it’s a Denali

Yes folks, the GM Envoy has also come out in a Denali edition. Now you have two Denalis to choose from.

Make that three, as these vehicles are named after the largest U.S. national park, Alaska’s Denali. It’s a big beefy machine.  The Envoy XL Denali has a meaty Vortec V-8 engine that delivers the power of 300 horses.

Quite a herd under the hood, but how is it on gas?  

In the city it gets an estimated 16 miles per gallon, while on the highway it barely gets 20.

There’s a wide price range for the Denali, starting at $29,000 you can keep adding on and end up with a $40,000 SUV. Consider getting the side curtain airbags, a safety feature standard on other vehicles reviewed by “The Family Car,” which are a $495 option on the Envoy Denali.

Load leveling suspension using air pressure means that you always have a supply of compressed air stored in the vehicle. Think of it also as a power inflator that you can use to pump up flat tires (or bike tires and balls.

With four doors and seats for seven the Envoy XL Denali has plenty of access and room for a large family.

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Feature-Rich and Upscale Cadi Escalade

Not long ago, the daughter of a friend told her mother she wanted her first car to be a Cadi Escalade. Of course, when my friend told her daughter the price of the beefy Cadillac SUV, the young lady decided upon a less expensive first car.

Escalade must mean "escalate" in some other language, i.e. to go upward. It certainly escalates the cost of your vehicle purchase.

But what else does this vehicle escalate? It sure pushes you upward into the sky, getting your head and shoulders above drivers in many other vehicles. The Escalade is so comfortable its almost too comfortable. It feels like you're driving in a high rise limo. You feel a bit conspicuous.

Wide seating, big center armrest and the all-around roomy cabin area, pampers the driver and passengers alike.

Regarding safety, it has to be said that one feels very safe in a vehicle so dominating, surrounded by so much heavy metal and advanced safety features.

Ultrasonic rear parking assistance determines how close your bumper is to objects nearby.

When you turn your head to look fruitlessly out the rear window for objects behind (which you can't see because you're riding so high in the air) a blinking light on the interior frame half way up the rear window blinks more rapidly as you approach an object.

Also helpful are the power fold rear view mirrors that automatically point down toward the curb when you back up.

There are radio controls built into the steering wheel and a 6-disc CD changer in the dash. Not to mention Bose speakers and 130 channels of XM satellite radio.

Then there's the 8 inch navigation radio centered in mid-console. It's start-up screen warns you about the dangers of driving while distracted, then proceeds to be distracting (and helpful) with animated maps shown in a variety of perspectives and views, along with spoken word directions articulated by your friendly (female) onboard computer.

When driving the Escalade you are commanding the world's most powerful full-size sport utility engine, a Vortec 6-liter 345 HP beast. And you get 13 MPG city and 17 MPG highway to prove it.

It's hard to drive around in one of these gas-chugging behemoths without feeling a bit guilty. But if your family can get over that hurdle, and the $62,000 plus price tag, this is a safe and comfortable vehicle to consider.               by Dean Adams Curtis

Ford Escape

MSRP: $19,780-$25,625
City: 23 mpg
Hwy: 26 mpg

Ford Escape Hybrid

MSRP: $26,216-$27,820
City: 36 mpg
Hwy: 31 mpg

Ford Explorer

MSRP: $25,995-$40,495
City: 15 mpg
Hwy: 21 mpg

Hybrid SUV from Ford Squeezes Gas

With gasoline prices soaring to uncharted horizons fit only for princes and kings, or your average multi-millionaire, parents across the nation are looking for ways to squeeze more mileage out of the gas tanks of their family-friendly haulers.  More>>

 Not only does it have the power to tow  heavy loads, it also has a large cargo compartment. When you fold the seats down flat to create the large cargo area, the headrests on the seat backs fold automatically.

Hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion steering make driving this SUV a joy. Four-wheel vented disc brakes with antilock braking allow you to stop or slow you down from high speeds reliably. Add to this picture the Denali chrome honeycomb grille and well integrated running boards. Nice ride!

CHRYSLER CLIMBS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH 2007 ASPEN

On a recent morn in San Diego, in the shadow of some of our nation’s greatest warships, decommissioned USS Midway and the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz (just home from tours in the Mideast) – Dodge executives gathered to unveil their newest baby: a mid-sized SUV called the Nitro.

With bold, rugged styling similar to that of the testosterone-pumped ships it shared the harbor with that morning, the Nitro is set to stand out from its many competitors in the crowded mid-size SUV market.

Following in the footsteps of its Dodge cousins Charger and Caliber, the Nitro is positioned to bring out the masculine side of one’s personality. While other mid-sized haulers in its class, such as the Ford Escape, Nissan Xterra and Chevy Equinox, cater to a fairly generic audience, the Nitro is designed to appeal to more males than females. Continued

Holding Both Hands on the Volvo Wheel

I’ve known ever since driver’s education films during high school that I should hold both hands on a steering wheel at the 10:00 and 2:00 positions. But, I confess to wanting to hold the wheel with one hand at the bottom at the 6:00 position. Unfortunately, in the Volvo XC90, I can’t do so.  The bottom center of the steering wheel is largely filled in with a V-shaped structure that must have made good sense to the Volvo designers, as it references the company name, but because the bottom of the V utilizes the 6:00 position, I can’t rest an elbow on the door  or center console armrest and rest my hand comfortably and in control at the bottom of the steering wheel.

Answer: Chrysler, the inventor of the minivan, hasn’t had a sport utility vehicle in its stable. I’ll pause a while you pick yourself up off the floor. Yes, the stalwart Chrysler has been slow to get on the SUV bandwagon. But the good news for SUV lovers is that they don’t have to wait any longer because this fall, the good folks at Chrysler are answering the call by introducing the 2007 Chrysler Aspen.

With gas prices promising to continue rising, some would question the logic of introducing a big bruiser to the heavily competitive SUV market. But Chrysler is coming out swinging by throwing some tricks into the Aspen to make it economically appealing for all consumers.

During a recent preview at the El Dorado Polo Grounds in Indio, California, just south of Palm Springs, the Chrysler design, engineering and marketing team introduced the new Aspen as a one-of-a-kind SUV that is loaded with performance, amenities and fuel-saving technology.

“We understand that in the past, 25 percent of Chrysler’s customers were forced to leave the brand in order to buy an SUV,” said Michael Berube, Senior Manager of Chrysler Brand Marketing. “We have come up with a solution that offers a balance for these customers who want the versatility of an SUV, but don’t want to sacrifice styling and value that they’ve come to appreciate with Chrysler products.”

At first glance, Chrysler’s entry into the SUV class is an eye-catcher, with big and bold design elements that are finished off with just a touch of bling-bling. Chrome accents such as mirrors, door handles and a large chrome grille give the Aspen a look that is unmistakably Chrysler.

But the Aspen’s “Wow” factor continues under the hood with a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, featuring a whopping 335 horsepower for great giddy-up and go. However, fuel economy isn’t necessarily sacrificed for this fun since the engine also features a fuel-saving multi-displacement system that seamlessly alternates between four cylinders for less power and V-8 when more power is preferred.

The resulting fuel mileage is fair for a full-size SUV, with both the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive 4.7 liter V-8 Aspen models getting 14 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 19 on the highway.

With seating for up to eight adults, including a third row that easily handles a six-footer, the Aspen also has more cargo room than most of its full-size SUV competitors, such as the Ford Expedition, Chevy Tahoe and Toyota Sequoia. And the Aspen makes it easy to get in and out of the rear rows by extending the opening radius of the rear doors to 84 degrees, which is a welcome change for those in the way back seat.

It also is powerful enough to tow up to 8,950 pounds and features best-in-class trailer sway control that monitors the vehicle’s movement relative to the driver’s intended path and senses as a trailer begins to sway, then applies selective brake pressure and engine control until the sway threat is under control.

The Aspen also offers a full range of active and passive safety systems that move it to the head of the class in safety features.

In other words, the Aspen is one smart SUV.

Some of the other, more visible techno gadgets that are available in the Aspen include a power lift gate, rear seat DVD entertainment system, full-screen navigation SIRIUS satellite radio, tire pressure monitoring system, remote starting capability and a rear backup system that Chrysler calls ParkSense.

Another first in long list of firsts for the Aspen is a special cloth seat fabric that is stain and order resistant, allowing all spills to be wiped off easily and completely.

Driving the Aspen over the mountain roads is a pure joy, with none of the heavy, SUV roll that one would expect from a full-size hauler. In fact, after a short time behind the wheel of the Aspen, one tends to forget that you’re driving a big vehicle at all.

With prices starting below $32,000 for the 4x2 Aspen Limited (including destination charge), a fully loaded aspen tops out at $39,225. /p>

What’s the morale of this Chrysler story? Good things come to those who wait.