The first-ever 2025 Toyota Crown Signia, available XLE and Limited grades, is powered by 240 net system horsepower hybrid system with an EPA-estimated combined 38 MPG rating and can tow up to 2,700 pounds. The station wagon-like crossover SUV is larger than both the Venza and Rav4 and as luxurious as a Lexus. Richard Saxton reviews the Crown Signia.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Monday, September 2, 2024
Test Drive: 2024 Toyota Sienna XSE Hybrid Minivan
The 2024 Toyota Sienna, now in its fourth-generation and third year as an all-hybrid model delivers 245 total system horsepower from a 189 horsepower 2.5-liter Dynamic Force 4-cylinder16-valve Dual Overhead engine and a 134 kW (180 horsepower) electric motor.
Richard Saxton reviews the Toyota Sienna XSE 7 Passenger hybrid minivan on a 375 mile city/highway test drive around Vancouver and to the Whistler/Blackcomb ski resort.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Test Drive: 2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige
The all-new 5th generation 2023 Kia Sportage subcompact SUV, which hit the roads in Spring 2022, has many driver assisted features and a slightly more powerful new 187 horsepower 2.5-liter I-4 engine with a new 8-speed automatic transmission. It's 7.1 inches longer than previous generation on a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase. This 353 mile test drive, mainly on the highway, delivered 24MPG. This top-of-the-line X-Pro Prestige AWD, with 1.5-inch increased ground clearance, is priced at $38,815 (including $1,215 freight and handling charge). It was very impressive and the Lane Keeping Assist worked as well as it did on the previous generation. Operating the climate controls on the same knobs as the audio system took some getting used to, otherwise, intuitive function management.
Monday, November 21, 2022
Video Interview: Mike Darrow, CEO, TrueCar
TrueCar, an automotive digital marketplace connecting buyers to dealers (ticker: TRUE), continues to adjust its mission as new CEO Mike Darrow tells us in this interview. Separately, TrueCar's recent survey shows consumer's interest in purchasing an electric vehicle has grown from 52% in March to 59% nationally in August and 31% are "much more likely" to consider an EV. Los Angeles residents, who pay the highest price in the country for a gallon of gas, are 68% more likely to consider buying an EV with 38% "much more likely" to purchase an EV.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Test Drive: 2023 Mazda CX-5
The CX-5 was first introduced at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show going on sale in 2012 and receiving a refresh in 2017. The CX-5 popularity continues and it remains Mazda's top selling vehicle.
All my first impressions from a 2013 test drive were reaffirmed recently and the upgraded safety features along with standard all-wheel drive on all eight trim levels, make the CX-5 a top choice in the compact SUV category.
This test drive was in the polymetal grey metallic Carbon Edition with red interior which fits in above the S, Select and Preferred trim levels with an MSRP of $31,775 (including $1,275 for destination and handling) and below the Premium, Premium Plus and more powerful Turbo and Turbo Signature grades.
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Carroll Shelby 1994 Interview
Carroll Shelby (1923-2012), automotive designer and race driver who was the 1959 winning driver of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and designer of Shelby GT350 and GT500 based on the Ford Mustang and 1983 Dodge Shelby Charger, to name a few. His incredible legacy was most recently in the feature film Ford vs. Ferrari and documentary Shelby American. Shelby sits down for a brief interview at the opening of the Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Ivan "Ironman" Stewart and a 1984 Baja 1000 TV Report

Back in 1984 as a KGTV San Diego sportscaster (above right) I spent the good part of a day covering the Baja 1000 and appeared to be the only media around.
Click here to watch video.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
James Kuffner, Toyota Research Institute On Self-Driving Cars
James Kuffner, Chief Technology Officer at the Toyota Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, discusses Toyota's role in developing autonomous self-driving cars with automotive journalist Richard Saxton. Kuffner led Google’s robotics program until joining Toyota In January of 2016.
Monday, November 28, 2016
2016 Los Angeles Auto Show Highlights on KNX1070 Newsradio
Frank Mottek of Mottek on Money interviews SaxtonOnCars.com publisher Richard Saxton on KNX1070 News Radio, Los Angeles. Watch on YouTube.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
2014 LA Auto Show Video: Audi's Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg
The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro concept is hydrogen fuel cell, plug-in electric hybrid vehicle with a range of 310.7 miles on one tank of fuel with an exhaust emission of a few drops of water. The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro has 170 kilowatts of electric drive power driving two electric motors to drive all four wheels. The 2016 Audi TT also debuted at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi discusses the new TT sports car and the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro concept vehicles.
Monday, December 1, 2014
2014 LA Auto Show Video: Scion's Doug Murtha On iM Concept
The Scion iM Concept five-door compact hatchback with a price tag under $20,000 targets youthful customers featuring front and rear bumper overhangs, deep air intakes and fog lights, and 19-inch forged alloy wheels flush with the body while vented rotors with 4-piston front calipers work with the adjustable-height racing suspension. The Scion iM Concept will be coming to dealerships in 2015 with details at the New York International Auto Show in April and closer to launch.
Scion Vice President Doug Murtha discusses the iM and the Scion brand.
Friday, November 28, 2014
2014 LA Auto Show Video: Fiat's Jason Stoicevich On 500X Coming Next Year
The all-new 2016 Fiat 500X, with seating for five, is the latest addition to the FIAT lineup in North America, available with a 160 horsepower 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission, or a 180 horsepower 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir2 engine paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission on all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive models. The Fiat 500X is available with features like Uconnect 6.5 radio with a 6.5-inch high-resolution touchscreen and navigation, Bluetooth streaming audio, Uconnect Access Via Mobile, a 3.5-inch color thin-film transistor cluster display, Keyless Enter-N-Go, and heated front seats and steering wheel. The 2016 Fiat 500X, available in five trim levels: Pop, Easy, Lounge, Trekking and Trekking Plus, will arrive in FIAT studios in North America in the first half of 2015.
Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, discusses he new 2016 Fiat 500X and the Fiat brand.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
2014 LA Auto Show Video: Volvo's Thomas Andersson
The 2015 Volvo V60 Cross Country (above), with 2.6 inches more ground clearance compared to the V60, made its world premier and the all-new 2016 Volvo XC90 its North American debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country, with All-Wheel Drive and new Cross Country 18” and 19” wheels, will launch in the US and Canada with Volvo’s five-cylinder 250 horsepower gasoline engine coupled to an automatic transmission delivering 23 mpg. The V60 Cross Country comes standard with Hill Descent Control, which controls the car's speed automatically when driving down steep inclines. The driver can control the speed with the brake pedal or the accelerator when Hill Descent Control is activated. Sports seats in black leather with distinctive brown stitching will be available from launch, while two new two-tone leather upholsteries will be offered in early 2015.
Thomas Andersson, Vice President of Global Marketing, Volvo Cars Group discusses the new vehicles and the brand's future.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Thursday, May 10, 2012
EVS26 - Electric Vehicle Symposium Wrap on KNX Radio
Saturday, December 24, 2011
KNX Radio "Live" From L.A. Auto Show: Sedan Introductions
KNX Radio "Live" From L.A. Auto Show: Compact SUV Introductions
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Covering The Auto Industry: An SPJ Event
The Society of Professional Journalists - Los Angeles Chapter went up against the NBA Championship Lakers-Celtics' Game 7 on June 17 with an event entitled “Covering the Automotive Industry.” Panelists were Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl, Hyundai Motor America Communications VP Chris Hosford, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. VP of External Communications Mike Michels, and USA Today auto writer Chris Woodyard. The panel was moderated by SPJ secretary yours truly.
Anwyl provided attendees with a look at how recent automotive trends from the Edmunds.com data team indicate a possible so-called "double dip recession" because fleet sales have been unusually high due to spending triggered by the federal stimulus package. He warned that when these purchases slow down soon, a sales downturn is inevitable. Many news sources will then report that the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) has fallen without noting the actual buying behavior that caused the sales decline. Unseasonably high incentive offerings and other unusual offerings that shift consumer psychology also undermine the accuracy of the SAAR, but reporters tend to cover SAAR as a simple black and white picture of industry health – a practice that is often misleading and potentially damaging to consumer confidence. We'll keep a close eye on June sales numbers this week.
Hyundai's Chris Hosford made the point that like cars themselves, the industry is quite complex, so there's rarely a simple answer to issues that may seem basic. He also pointed out that journalists shouldn’t forget the importance of current technologies despite the allure of future technologies.
Toyota's Mike Michels presented the audience of journalists and educators with a list of ten points worth knowing about the auto industry, including “Autos are everyone’s business” -- meaning the auto industry affects the economy in many more ways than the average person – or reporter – may realize. Michels also discussed recalls, and acknowledged that government regulations regarding timing often result in a recall announcement taking place before a fix is determined, causing potential confusion and uncertainty for consumers and dealers.
USA Today's Chris Woodyard, the only writer on the panel, expressed that a critical part of being an automotive writer is taking very complex issues and breaking them down for readers so that they can understand and draw value from those issues. Woodyard who had covered other beats like retail, says automotive reporting brings you much closer to the executives and also provides the widest variety of story choices because cars are involved in almost everything. He cited a stories about going through the contents of trunk of a car to the latest industry trends.
The key message was use the resources available to research your story - from Edmunds.com data compiled from 14 million views per month to those provided by the media reps like Michels and Hosford.
My thanks to Edmunds.com for hosting this event which ended with 4 minutes left in the game so that many of us could dash upstairs to the big screens to see the Lakers capture another NBA title. I'll be sure to schedule the next event when the L.A. Dodgers or Kings are in a crucial play-off game to bring them luck, too.