Review The Kia Sportage: Car or an odd Grey Blob? Ninjutzu, 20/12/202420/12/2024 Chapter 1: The Scene of the Crime, and yet another California Rental Adventure Right, let’s get this out of the way. This… thing… was my trusty steed for a recent trip. I’ve spent a solid ten minutes now staring at this picture from back then, and I’m still not sure how…
Review The Alfa Romeo Giulia: Is it Beautiful or Just Plain Bewildering? Ninjutzu, 15/12/202415/12/2024 Preface: An Unexpected Italian Stallion Let’s set the scene, shall we? I landed in Genoa, ready for a classic Italian adventure, and there, at the rental desk, was… this. Not the usual beige box of rental mediocrity, no. Instead, they handed me the keys to an Alfa Romeo Giulia. A…
Review Conquering Chicago in a Behemoth: My Ford Expedition 2023 Adventure Ninjutzu, 03/10/202403/10/2024 Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gas Pump Chicago. The Windy City. Home of deep-dish pizza, questionable baseball teams, and, apparently, roads wide enough to land a small plane on. It was the perfect place to test out the 2023 Ford Expedition, a vehicle so vast…
Review My Portuguese Odyssey in the Jeep Compass e-Hybrid Ninjutzu, 04/06/202403/12/2024 Chapter 1: The First Impressions – A Love at First Drive It all began with a swift love affair the moment I laid eyes on the Jeep Compass e-Hybrid, the 2023 model. The vehicle exuded a charm that promised adventure and luxury. As I settled into the driver’s seat, I…
Review Surprisingly Delightful 2020 Ford Expedition, one week in California Ninjutzu, 10/05/202417/12/2024 Let me preface this by admitting a grave sin. For the past two decades, my rental car allegiance has been pledged to the golden arches of Hertz, as my employer had it as the preferred rental shop, and I didn’t mind. New cars, they gave me always the best that…
Review Hungary, Here I Come! And So Does the Ford Kuga Ninjutzu, 26/04/202426/04/2024 So, there I was, in the heart of Hungary, Budapest, ready to embark on a grand adventure across the country. I’m handed the keys to what I initially thought was just another crossover SUV: a 2022 Ford Kuga. Now, I’m not one to be easily impressed, but let me tell…
Review My Hyundai Santa Fe Misadventure in a Dashing 2019-ish Edition! Ninjutzu, 20/04/202421/04/2024 Right, listen up! Meanwhile traveling to Dubai (I managed to get out before the biblical rain) I recently had the distinct displeasure of, ahem, getting acquainted with the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. Now, I’m a man of simple tastes, really. But this? This was like hopping into a time capsule…
Review Conquering Canada in a Surprisingly Leaky Jeep Wrangler Ninjutzu, 15/04/202419/04/2024 Ah, Vancouver. Land of lumbersexuals, overpriced sushi, MTB land and… mountains! Perfect for a week of pretending I’m a rugged outdoorsman by tackling some peaks in a rental car. And what better rental car for such an adventure than a Jeep Wrangler? Exactly. You couldn’t pay me to be seen…
Review Nissan Qashqai: The Beige of the Crossover World Ninjutzu, 11/04/202411/04/2024 The engine of my beloved Skoda Yeti decided to explode and crack as a consequence of a camshaft belt that got broken (dealer mistake) and that got me the privilege to drive, for more than a month, a wide range of Nissan Qashqai models that the dealer decided to borrow…
Review My Total Disappointment with the Mercedes A45 AMG Ninjutzu, 08/04/202419/04/2024 Ah, the Mercedes A45 AMG. A car that whispers promises of neck-snapping acceleration, track-day glory, and the sheer terror of accidentally parallel parking next to a Bugatti. Being a motoring simpleton, I took it for a spin, hoping to rediscover the joy of being pinned to my seat like a…