Test-Driving Four Swank New Vehicles In One Day

T’was a gathering of journalists and suits, coming together to listen to and deliver presentations, meet and greet, eat poppy seed muffins and trail mix and turkey sandwiches, mingle, and mostly drive. And drive and drive.

There were 21 some-odd vehicles; I picked the ones I was interested in and the testing took place in the Rocky Mountains. Here are my impressions in brief. Some will get full reviews this year.

2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce EAWD $47,495

The jury’s still out on whether the Tonale, priced slightly higher than others in its class, will elbow its way into a permanent contender position amongst lovers of subcompact luxury crossovers. But I adored its pointy face and fast-looking visage as well as its “Verde Fanglio” color. Inside, I found the cockpit comfy and the tech attractive. It’s got a fully independent suspension and available adaptive dampers and is powered by a 285-hp plug-in-hybrid powertrain delivering around 30 miles of estimated all-electric range, and all-wheel drive is standard.

There’s a Ti trim available, bringing a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, interior ambient lights, a power-operated rear liftgate and a smartphone charging pad. It comes with just with one powertrain and the plug-in hybrid houses a turbo 1.3-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor mounted on the rear axle that together generate a combined 285 horses. The drive is pleasant, the road manners equally so. I loved this ride and look forward to a full test this year.

Land Rover 2023 Defender 130 $84,700

It’s big and boxy and heavy and gulpy, as we expect of Land Rovers. But you get what you pay for in a butter-soft interior experience, so much so that whatever river you’re fording or rock you’re climbing isn’t always noticeable to the driver and passengers. Its customization possibilities are many, including state-of-the-art off-road and safety features, and this year brings us new synthetic leather upholstery. A 60-minute drive delivered all the swank Land Rover is known for even if, my rear windshield was blocked by the headrests. But that’s what the camera in the read-view mirror is for.

2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum $60,190

The all-new 2023 Nissan Ariya, Nissan’s first all-electric crossover SUV, offers powerful acceleration and smooth, quiet operation. With an EPA estimated range of up to 304 miles for the Venture+ model, Ariya works both for daily commutes and weekend road trips so long as there’s a charger where you’re headed.

The vehicle is angled and space-agey and almost-eccentric, making it unlike everything else on the road and easy to find in parking lots. Its acceleration off the line is dandy, but after that it’s ever-so-numb at speed. It’s nice and roomy inside, and I liked the twinkly but not overly-busy dash and tech.

Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE63 $121,000

Like mayonnaise, the AMG GLE63 is “bad for you” with its gulpy V-8 but, also like mayo, it’s so satisfying, smooth, rich and creamy. It’s also ferocious, expensive, movie-star handsome and is the King of the road pretty much wherever you go. With a handcrafted biturbo V8 making 600 HP and hybrid electric assist plus AMG Performance 4MATIC+ and AMG Active Ride Control, it’ll get you to 60 MPH in a stated 3.7 seconds. An AMG 9-speed shift seamlessly glides you up or down the gears. You’ll be the toast of your block – and the bane of environmentalists.

Special thanks to RMAP and the hard-working folks who made this event possible.