Aaron Gold, About.com's Guide to Cars, just got back from a trip to Portugal with Nissan, and brought us back this report about the Nissan Pathfinder Diesel:

Question: How do you sell a big SUV like the Nissan Pathfinder in continent like Europe, where fuel costs $8/gallon? Answer: You fit it with a diesel engine. I got a chance to drive the diesel Pathfinder on a recent trip to Porgugal. Under its hood is a 2.5 liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that puts out 171 horsepower and 297 lb-ft of torque, compared to 266 hp but only 288 lb-ft for the gasoline V6-powered Pathfinder. Fuel economy ratings are about 24 MPG with a manual transmission and 23 MPG with an automatic, quite a bit better than the gas-powered Pathfinder. So would the diesel Pathfinder make it in America? I doubt it -- the one I drove was noisy and slow, even by diesel standards, though the 6-speed manual did make it quite a bit more interesting. Still, the 2.5 is hardly a cutting-edge engine; I drove several other Nissan diesels that were quieter, smoother and more refined. Diesel SUVs are already starting to trickle on to the American market, and we expect to see more in the next few years, not just from European marques but from brands like Acura and Honda. This new generation of diesels may be one way that America's love affair with the SUV can survive ever-increasing fuel prices.

Aaron has posted a gallery of Nissan's world cars. Is this the future of the car and the SUV in America?

Photo © Aaron Gold

According to Ken Bensinger's article in today's Los Angeles Times, "in April, Americans bought 64,310 more cars than trucks and SUVs, continuing a trend that began in March, when cars pulled ahead by about 3,000."

There's no mystery about the cause -- it's those higher gas prices, and the "R" word that politicians refuse to speak: "Recession." The only difference that I can see from this Recession that we're mired in right now and previous Recessions, as far as SUVs go, is that I don't think SUVs will ever recover. Until the day comes that we're no longer relying on petroleum to fuel our vehicles, the days of affordable gas and big SUVs are over. I expect this trend of smaller vehicle sales to continue, indeed to accelerate, as the big SUV becomes a dinosaur.

The gas companies have been softening us up to the $4 per gallon price for a couple of years -- don't be surprised to see $5 per gallon very soon. The propaganda wave about how Europeans routinely pay the equivalent of $7 and $8 per gallon will increase, as the marketers attempt to convince us that we're actually still getting cheap fuel, and the higher prices we see at the pump are really just "corrections," prices that we should have been paying all along. The reality will hit, though, and people will realize that their money only goes so far -- and that it will go farther in a small vehicle than in a large one.

Is this the death of the large SUV? Will hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles save the breed? Click on "comments" below and share your thoughts.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

I just got back from a trip to the Laurens Proving Grounds outside of Greenville, South Carolina, where BF Goodrich revealed their new tire designed specifically for crossover vehicles, the Long Trail T/A Tour. I'll report on this event and this new tire soon -- but it got me thinking about tires in general.

On a properly designed and maintained SUV, the only part that touches the ground is your tire's contact patch -- an area about the size of a dinner plate. Many of us take our tires for granted, only paying attention to them when it's too late: when they've gone flat or when they're showing visible wear or cracking. Considering how vital your tires are to your SUV's performance and safety, it's plain nuts to ignore them.

I'm going to go outside right now and inspect Moose's tires, check for proper inflation and give them the once-over. I haven't done it in a while -- and I'd be willing to bet that you haven't, either. So why don't you do yourself, and your SUV, a favor? Take a few minutes and check out your tires. You may be surprised by what you find.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Basem Wasef, About.com's Guide to Motorcycles, is an excellent writer, and lucky for us, he wrote a 2008 Honda CR-V 4WD EX-L Navi Test Drive and Review for us.

He's also an excellent photographer, and I present this 2008 Honda CR-V 4WD EX-L Navi Photo Gallery as evidence to support that claim.

The CR-V helps -- it's got a great set of lines, luscious surfaces and a seductive shape (for a crossover vehicle) that entice a photographer to find the right angle and just the right light.

Not a bad-looking vehicle, especially considering how ordinary the previous generation of CR-V looked.

Photo © Basem Wasef

According to numerous sources, including The New York Times, Toyota took the lead in global sales for the first quarter of 2008, outpacing General Motors by 160,000 vehicles. GM outsold Toyota by just 3,100 vehicles last year, a virtual photo finish, after trailing in the first quarter of 2007 as well. Whether or not GM can catch up this year remains to be seen.

But that's not the big news, or even the alarming news. Though Toyota posted an overall gain in sales over the same period last year, SUV sales have slumped. Toyota SUV sales were down 7.8% for the first quarter (vs. the first quarter of 2007), and down an alarming 12.9% for the month of March.

Are we watching the demise of the SUV? Click on "comments" below and share your thoughts.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

When you're an automotive journalist, there are a few questions that you can't avoid answering in social situations. Once you get past the "You mean they let you drive new cars, and all you have to do is write about them?" questions, inevitably the next line of questioning is "What's your favorite?"

Every list of favorite SUVs that I have compiled since 2007 has included the Honda CR-V. Regardless of price, regardless of size, regardless of power, the CR-V works for me on every level. Since I reviewed the 2007 Honda CR-V, I invited Basem Wasef, About.com's Guide to Motorcycles, to review the 2008.

Read Basem's 2008 Honda CR-V 4WD EX-L Navi Test Drive and Review, then click on "comments" below and share your thoughts.

What's your favorite SUV?

Photo © Basem Wasef

A few months ago, I posted this blog entry about catalytic converter theft. Moose, my beloved 1994 Toyota 4Runner, was victimized one night while sitting innocently in front of my house in North Hollywood, California. After a $1,281 repair bill (which included spot-welding to make the next theft a little more challenging) and a quick garage clean up, Moose is back to normal. He now lives inside the garage, instead of on the street. I feel safer, but at the same time, violated.

Based on the number of comments I've received to my initial blog entry, too many of you have been victimized as well. I've heard some hair raising stories of brazen theft -- at church, at the department store, at park-and-ride lots, from suburban driveways.

What I have not heard is much about police response. My local police department never followed up on my theft, failing to even call me back with a report number as promised. I have to assume that this epidemic continues unabated, and that all of our catalytic converters are still at risk.

Park safely. If you have a garage or a secure lot, use it. When you're in public, park in a prominent spot where anyone crawling around your SUV will be exposed. And if your cat gets stolen, report it to the police right away, and follow up to see if they're investigating. If you've got an engraver kit, engrave your vehicle's VIN on your catalytic converter so that it can be identified if found at a salvage yard.

And please share your stories here -- click on "comments" below to tell your tale, and check out the thread at the original blog post.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

I just got back from an amazing trip -- so amazing that I haven't even had time to write about it yet, or to post a photo gallery. That'll happen in the next few weeks, but I couldn't wait that long. I was on the 2008 Land Rover Adventure in Moab, Utah, a weekend of off-road driving in Land Rover vehicles.

If you've never been off-road in an SUV and you've always wanted to try it, there couldn't be a more intoxicating way to dip your feet in the water than on a Land Rover Adventure. The vehicles are all brand new Land Rovers -- the LR3, the Range Rover Supercharged, the Range Rover HSE and the Range Rover Sport -- which are superbly suited to the task of off-roading in luxury. Land Rover Driving School instructors accompany and supervise the trip, acting as spotters and trail guides along the way. The trails are challenging, but conquerable, and the views are spectacular at every stage of the event. Price may be an obstacle for many people, starting at $2,995 per person, but if you're considering buying a Land Rover, you'll know after this adventure whether or not it's for you.

Keep watching here for more complete coverage of the 2008 Land Rover Adventure in Moab, Utah -- I'm going to go look at my pictures and relive the experience.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

There's a reason I have a picture of a wheel next to this blog entry. What I really want you to look at is the brakes.

I've been thinking a lot about brakes lately. I think it's because I've had a couple of panic stop situations come up, and I've found myself relying on brakes to help save my skin. Luckily, accidents and injuries have been avoided, but it's got me thinking again about brakes.

When was the last time you had your brakes checked? Are your brakes making noise? Have you noticed that your stopping distances have increased lately? Is that ABS light on the dash staying illuminated all the time now?

With spring in full bloom, road conditions are going to be in flux. Those potholes that have been developing all winter are now mature, ready to swallow whole SUVs. That spring shower is going to release all of the oil that has been trapped in the road surface, and things are going to get slippery.

Do yourself, your family, your SUV and me a big favor -- do a spring checkup on your vehicle. Check your brakes, check your tires, check your windshield wipers -- heck, wash that filthy SUV, why don't you? The better condition your vehicle is in when you encounter that unexpected obstacle, the more likely your panic stop will be able to help you avoid an accident.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

If you haven't visited Christine & Scott Gable's excellent site, AlternativeFuels.About.Com, recently -- well, as an SUV fan, you've got a good reason to click on over there. They've just posted their 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid Test Drive and Review, which stands as a very good second opinion of the GM Two-Mode Hybrid system.

I posted my own review of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid recently, and it's interesting to see how Christine & Scott's evaluation, from a completely different perspective, lines up.

So go ahead and visit AlternativeFuels.About.Com -- but be sure to come back over here and let us know what you think.

Photo © Jason Fogelson