Home » Archive by Author

Articles by Jonathan Spira

Review and Test Drive: 2020 Lexus LS 500 F Sport AWD

We last looked at Lexus’ flagship LS in standard LS and LS Hybrid guise late last year and this summer turned our sights towards their more powerful sibling, the LS 500 F Sport AWD.
Now in its fifth generation, the original Lexus LS, launched in the same year that the marque was, namely 1989, turned the automotive industry on its ear.  Back then, Lexus stunned the automotive world with a luxury …

Movie Review: ‘The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz’ on Amazon Prime Video

The 1960s hit television comedy “Hogan’s Heroes” used the tagline, “If you liked World War II, you’ll love ‘Hogan’s Heroes.’”  To paraphrase that thought, originally a quip by comedian Stan Freberg, I would say, “If you liked ‘Hogan’s Heroes,’ you’ll love ‘The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz.’” 
“Paula Schultz” is the story of a fictitious East German Olympic star (played brilliantly by Elke Sommer) and a bumbling group of Americans …

As Coronavirus Cases in U.S. Pass 6 Million Mark, Expect Repercussions for Years to Come

It took three months from the report of the first confirmed coronavirus case in the United States on January 21, 2020 to the one millionth, yet it took only 22 days for the total to go from five million on August 5 to 6 million on August 30, and just 16 days to go from four million to five million prior to that.
Even though there were only 44,469 new cases …

Is It Now Safe to Come Out of Our Bunkers?

As someone who grew up with family members who were immunosuppressed as a result of having had kidney transplants, avoiding infection was somewhat second nature to me. As soon as I saw the coronavirus take hold in the New York area (it was the highly publicized case of the Broadway usher’s infection that made things crystal clear, given that I, in pre-corona days, would go to between one and four Broadway and …

Review and Test Drive: 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier

The Chevrolet Bolt, Detroit’s answer to the call for electric vehicles with sufficient range as to be useful for more than short trips and commutes, made its debut not at one of the major auto shows but at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.
That alone should be telling.
The Bolt is assembled in General Motor’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan, which received a $160 million upgrade in order to produce the high-tech …

Review and Test Drive: 2020 Kia Telluride SX AWD

The last thing one might think of is that the world needs yet another mid-size SUV.  The folks at Kia clearly thought it did, and, after a little over a week with the new 2020 Kia Telluride – the largest vehicle Kia ever produced for the United States – we believe they were spot on.
The 2020 Kia Telluride made its official debut at the 2019 North American International Auto Show …

Review and Test Drive: 2020 Mazda Mazda3

Mazdas are always welcome guests in our fleet.  No sooner did we turn in a Soul Red Crystal Mazda6 than a Polymetal Gray Metallic Mazda3 appeared in our driveway.
Several years ago we looked at the Mazda3, which was the third generation of the successful compact line that made its debut in 2003.  The fourth gen Mazda3 sedan and hatchback were both unveiled at the 2018 Los Angeles International Auto Show …