When Toyota launched its compact SUV, the RAV4, in 1994, the baby-ute was named for its mission as a “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive”. Now, in the sixth year of its 4th generation, the 2017 RAV 4 adds two new trim grades, an upgraded standard safety system Toyota Safety Sense™ P and a true sense of sportiness.

The former “new-concept” SUV may be sporty and fun, but it is all about safety with the new Toyota Safety Sense™ P system that combines the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection , Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. TSS-P’s comprehensive features create in-the-moment safety designed to support a driver’s awareness and decision-making on the road. And it is a standard add-in.

The RAV4 family also gains a new luxurious Platinum grade to its gas-powered variant, while its hybrid-powered model welcomes a sportier SE grade, and a redesigned front bumper cover gives the SE – gas and hybrid – a more rugged look.

Playing off its rep for being packed with amenities, my LE trim came standard with Halogen projector‐beam headlights with auto on-off feature; Halogen Daytime Running Lights; color‐keyed rear spoiler; roof rails; roof-mounted sharkfin antenna; 17‐inch wide vent steel wheels with wheel covers and P225/65R17 tires; color-‐keyed outside door handles; power outside mirrors with folding feature and blind spot mirror; washer‐linked intermittent windshield wiper and intermittent rear window wiper; rear window defogger with timer; privacy glass on rear side, quarter and liftgate windows; acoustic noise‐reducing front windshield and front and rear skid plate.

Inside, the RAV4 LE comes standard with air conditioning with airfilter; backup camera with projected path and a 4.2‐in. TFT Multi‐Information Display with integrated backup camera display, customizable settings, odometer, outside temperature, clock, climate control settings, fuel economy, trip information, and many safety and performance warning messages. You also get a tilt/telescopic urethane steering wheel with audio, multi‐information display, voice recognition and Bluetooth ® hands‐free telephone controls.

RAV4 has been the “cool” SUV for 23 years. Its sleek and dynamic stance includes a bold front fascia that excites when equipped with the available LED combo of headlights, daytime running lights and Hi-Lo Headlights. Its flowing profile and sporty attitude are enhanced by its raked front windshield, rear rood spoiler and sculpted side panels.

RAV4 keeps remains compact with a 104.7-inch wheelbase and 183.5-inch length. Height is low enough for relative stability at 65.9 inches, while width is 72.6 inches. Curbweight remains at about 3550 pounds and ground clearance comes in at 6.1-inches.

For power, RAV4 utilizes a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed ECT-i automatic transmission. The set-up provides 176hp and 172 lbs.-ft. of torque for a 22mpg/city, 28mpg/highway EPA rating for AWD in my LE trim. My mixed-use tests achieved an average of 25.9mpg.

Fun to drive and cozy behind the wheel, RAV4 is a steady, but not speedy drive. Acceleration is good for passing at speed and for taking on uphill highway grades. In tests, my 2017 RAV4 finished off a zero-to-60mph dashing 8.6 seconds, and polished off the quarter-mile in a slow, but entertaining 16.2-second quarter-mile.

RAV4’s electric power assisted rack and pinion steering was responsive, with some entertaining understeer. In quick auto-cross S-curves, I experienced some body roll, but but on the highway at speed, RAV4 is predictable and confident. MacPherson strut front suspension with stabilizer bar and hydraulic shocks, working with a double wishbone multi-link rear with coil spring, stabilizer bar and hydraulic shocks are attentive and road-softening for the niche. The power-assisted ventilated disc brakes provided sure stopping power.

The RAV4 cabin is sporty and accommodating and filled with infotainment including a 6-speaker Entune™ Audio system with 6.1-inch touchscreen. Comfort items include six-way adjustable driver’s seat. Special attention was directed toward improving cabin quietness with the addition of sound insulation materials in the rear cargo area, floor pan, and side and rear doors to help reduce road noise and create a premium feel.

Front headroom is niche-roomy at 39.8 inches, with 38.9 inches in row two. Legroom is accommodating at 42.6 inches in row one with 37.2 inches for second-seat passengers and there is a wide-body 57.3 inches of shoulder room in front with 55.4 inches for the back row.

The RAV4 Star Safety System™ is a cornucopia of enhanced occupant protection and crash avoidance systems from eight standard airbags to vehicle control systems to energy-absorbing crumple zone construction.

The base RAV4 starts $24,410 for the LE trim in FWD, The XLE starts at $25,500; the XLE Hybrid starts at $29,030; SE trim starts at $30,190; the Limited trim begins at $30,905; the SE Hybrid starts at $32,185; the Limited Hybrid bases at $34,030 and the new Platinum trim starts at $34,030. My test LE added AWD for $1400; Entune® Audio Plus with Navigation App and roof rails (for some reason), added $865. All-weather floor liners added $149; bodyside moldings added $209; fog lights added $355 (why are these an option, I wondered) and running boards added $549. Delivery and processing fees were $995, for a sticker-as-tested of $28,932.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

Carlisle Events is known around the world as the top presenter of classic and collector car entertainment. Shows presented at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds are some of the largest of their type and what happens at Carlisle isn’t too unlike what happens at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Just like at Carlisle, classics and collector cars are on display at SEMA, while vendors are on-site promoting the hottest items coming on to the market.

The two worlds collide in November as Carlisle Chrysler Nationals Event Manager Ed Buczeskie takes his 1967 Plymouth Belvedere to be showcased at SEMA as a way to highlight how an average enthusiast can take a car with miles on it, transform it, yet still not go broke doing so. Powered by a HEMI direct from MOPAR, a suspension system from Hotchkis Sport Suspension and additional parts from TTi Performance Exhaust and Headers, Mancini Racing and Schumacher Creative Services, the Belvedere will be worked on in a small Pennsylvania shop. There won’t be cameras, unlimited resources or top of the line products coming in from companies around the world, but there will be a true-blue enthusiast wrenching his beloved classic, all while doing so on a budget that includes some donations and discounts, but more than anything else, time and energy from a passionate car owner.

The goal of this project is to show what can be done with what most enthusiasts already have. In other words, rather than buying a project and building a car from the ground up, this project is taking an existing car and doing just an engine swap. In typical hot rodder fashion, Buczeskie (and friends) are taking what they have and making it better. Long before the high-end restoration shops and custom builders, guys took the cars they were driving and swapped out small blocks for big blocks, 383s for 440s and just about anything for a HEMI. The biggest advantage to the late model HEMI swap is the ability to get an increase in power AND an increase in gas mileage and overall drivability. That was never the case in the past.

Of course, there’s nothing stopping an enthusiast from going farther. Buczeskie is simply showcasing the basics that are involved with the engine swap. Enthusiasts often get discouraged with their projects as they become too big and/or too expensive. Anyone with a complete car that’s in good shape can look at this as a way to make it better. There are also plenty of cars out there with a solid body but missing the drivetrain. Either of these would be a great platform for a late model HEMI swap and the new kits from MOPAR include the wiring and computer to allow you to add a modern, fuel-injected engine to pretty much any older MOPAR.

The car will debut at SEMA starting October 30 and be on display as part of the Carlisle Events booth throughout the week-long event. In the meanwhile, anyone interested can follow the build via social media at (https://www.facebook.com/BelvedereRustomod/) or call Ed Buczeskie with questions at 717-243-7855 x131.

Remaining at its rank as the 11th top-selling sedan in America, (it was last year, and remains so for 2017), the 2017 Ford Focus stays with what has worked for it, while we anticipate a redesign for 2018.

Focus is the result of Ford’s focus on compact cars, which began in 1999 for the 2000 model year, as their engineers designed the Ford Focus to replace the Escort (and Mercury Tracer) and Contour (and Mercury Mystique) in the line-up.

Seven years into its third generation (last tweaked for 2015 with a redesigned front end), the front-wheel drive Focus line-up stays quiet for 2017 with the exception of its RS trim amping up with a 350hp engine.

Assembled at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, with unitized steel body construction, this year’s uptweaks include a new SEL trim package that features 17-inch machined-aluminum wheels with black-painted pockets, fog lamps, black headlight bezels and power moonroof. Focus is available in either sedan or hatchback configurations.

The 2017 Ford Focus has available SYNC® 3 enhanced voice recognition and entertainment system with AppLink™ and 911 Assist®, an 8-inch center LCD touch screen with available navigation, and swiping and pinch-to-zoom capabilities. Two standard smart-charging USB ports are great for families on the go with energy-hungry devices.

A new color available for 2017 is White Gold.

Showing off a sporty architecture not expected from an economical sedan, priced under $20K, Focus looks energetic and hip with a curvy and fluid demeanor. Available in hatchback or sedan, the compact sedan, measures 178.7 inches in length (the hatchback is 5 inches shorter), 71.8 inches in width and 57.8 inches in height on a 104.3-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight just under 3000 lbs.

The SE model I tested was your basic Focus, but featured some cool packages that included a body kit as well as a standard 2.0-liter Ti-VCT engine, the 17-inch machined aluminum wheels in the SEL trim, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, rear disc brakes, rear spoiler and PowerShift® 6-speed automatic.

For power, Focus offers two direct injection power source options, which can be mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with available SelectShift® functionality. A 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost® engine built in Craiova, Romania, is the more economical offering, providing 123 hp and 125 lbs.-ft. of torque. The manual version is EPA rated at 30mpg/city, 42mpg/highway and 35mpg combined, while the six-speed PowerShift automatic with SelectShift is rated at 28mpg/city and 40mpg/highway. My test Focus SE was outfitted with the 2.0-liter Ti-VCT FFV inline-4-cylinder engine built in Dearborn, Michigan. That system provides 160hp and 146 lbs.-ft. of torque and is rated at 26mpg/city, 36mpg/highway with a manual transmission and my six-speed PowerShift automatic was rated at 27mpg/city and 40mpg/highway. My car tests finished with an average of 31.6mpg in mixed-use driving.

We seldom expect much zip from a compact economy sedan, and my Focus SE filled the niche as presumed. My test ride was predictable with a steady zero-to-60mph dash accomplished in 9.2 seconds during 17.1-second quarter-mile. At speed, Focus has enough to pass other vehicles and take on hill grades, and while some understeer was apparent, the response was also predictable and in a solid range.

Inside, Focus features a center console and driver/passenger-friendly capabilities. With seating capacity for five, front head room is 38.3 inches with 38 inches of rear head room; front legroom measures 43.1 inches with a crunched 33.2 inches for rear passengers and shoulder room is 55.6 inches in front and 52.6 inches for rear seat passengers.

Focus was designed to exceed global safety standards for occupant and pedestrian protection. To that end, it includes dual-stage first row airbags with passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation, front-seat side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags, four-wheel Anti-Lock Brake System, front fog/driving lights, dusk sensing headlamps, stability control, AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control, rearview camera, child safety rear locks, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether Anchors for Children), anti-theft engine immobilizer and tire pressure monitoring.

The Base “S” 2017 Focus sedan starts at $17,650. The SE Sedan adds 16-inch painted wheels, a trip computer and automatic quad-beam LED halogen headlamps and bases at $19,050, and the 4-door hatchback starts at $25,650.

My test SE sedan in Ingot Silver Metallic, and the 2.0-liter engine, upgraded to the 6-speed automatic transmission for $1095, and added the $1995 201A equipment group with 17-inch Black Gloss Aluminum wheels, ambient lighting, black headlamp bezels, fog lamps, overhead console, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, leather-trimmed seats with 8-way power driver seat and power lumbar, LED signature lighting, perimeter alarm, rear center armrest, rear disc brakes, Reverse Sensing System, SelectShift® (when equipped with 6-speed automatic transmission) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. The Exterior Protection Package added $245 for molded front and rear splash guards and a rear bumper protector. Destination charges added $785 for an MSRP as tested of $23,170, built I really would have liked the Ford Sync3 navi package for an extra $1300 – my test ride was without it. And incentive packages can slash thousands so, check with your local dealer to see what offers are available.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

After a massively successful three-day offering as part of Spring Carlisle earlier in 2017, the Carlisle Auctions team returns to action for its second three-day event of the year; this time at Fall Carlisle. The weekend auction excitement commences September 28 at the Carlisle Expo Center and includes 450+ lots, including rare muscle, elegant classics, a unique motorcycle and more. The auction, while very much a stand alone, must attend event, also runs concurrent with Fall Carlisle (September 27-October 1), taking place at the neighboring Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. All told, nearly 100,000 guests will converge on central Pennsylvania to buy, sell and trade all things automotive!

With so much history available for sale to the highest bidder, the chance to buy and sell with Carlisle Auctions is at an all-time high. Available consignment opportunities have sold out and those looking to bid and buy have pre-registered to do so at a record pace. By the time it all starts on the 28th, an unmatched energy will be felt by all at the expo center.

But…what makes this offering different than its predecessors? Could it be the quality of car/truck available? Yes! How about the varying types of history available too? Yes! How about the fact that the customer first nature of the Carlisle Auctions team makes everyone feel like a member of the family rather than just a bidder number? Also true! The bottom line – people flock to Carlisle Auctions for the live entertainment, the automotive history and the chance to own their first or next classic.

As for the aforementioned consignments, it’s truly impossible to recognize everyone, but a few do stand head and shoulders above the rest. Two of the top options for this year’s auction couldn’t be more different, yet equally desirable. With the new Ford GT coming onto the market very soon, a piece of GT history is available via a low mileage 2006 Ford GT. In addition, available at NO RESERVE, Carlisle Auctions is excited to announce the inclusion of a 2012 Confederate x132 Hellcat Motorcycle. This particular bike is actually prototype #1, making it ultra-rare.

Along with those two, Carlisle Auctions features a variety of high quality consignments, with auctions getting better each time around. Additional consignments include a 2003 Shelby CSX Cobra, 1956 Austin Healy 100-4, 1939 Ford Restomod, 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, 1953 Buick Skylark and more! Plus, ALL NEW for Fall 2017, specialty hours. These hours Chevrolet on Thursday (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), Ford on Friday (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and all things truck on Saturday (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) as the auction wraps up!
Combine all that with its success FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee (for vehicles 25 years or older) and everything is lining up nicely for what promises to be another successful weekend.

Complete details on Carlisle Auctions can be found at www.CarlisleAuctions.com or by calling 717-960-6400. On the web are links and information for becoming a bidder, a link to buy spectator tickets, consigning a vehicle to a future auction and a photo gallery of most of the vehicles that are consigned to the auction.

The Hyundai Elantra, first marketed in Australia as the Lantra, was launched in 1990, and now, its evolution continues with its sixth generation, as an aggressively priced elegant family sedan with European styling, good fuel economy, an indulgent ride and a carload of standard features.

Completely redesigned for 2017, the new Elantra builds on the momentum and success gained as one of Hyundai’s all time best-selling models, with a bold sophisticated design; a longer, wider and more stable architecture; all-new efficient powertrains for enhanced fuel economy; better ride quality and noise insulation; comprehensive safety with class-above features; and an impressive assortment of high tech and infotainment items.

Elantra projects confidence with sculpted body forms complemented by smoothly contoured lines blended with functional aerodynamics. From the front, Elantra is defined by Hyundai’s signature hexagonal grille and modern lighting signatures, including available HID headlights with Dynamic Bending Lights and unique vertical LED daytime running lights. Its sporty lower front fascia integrates functional front wheel air curtains, a component that is derived from the Sonata Hybrid that helps manage air flow from the front of the vehicle and around the wheels to minimize turbulence and wind resistance. And sleek bodyside character lines accentuate a sweeping side window silhouette and striking side profile.

All of the cues fit into a larger package within the same footprint. The 2017 Elantra is 0.8 inches longer this year at 179.9 inches long; the width has gained an inch at 70.9 inches wide and height remains 56.3 inches high on the same 106.3-inch wheelbase, with a minimum ground clearance of 5.3 inches. The vehicle gains road stability, and is about 100 lbs. lighter with a curbweight of 2850 lbs.

In keeping with the exterior evolution, Elantra matures inside as well. The cabin depicts a modern driver-oriented design that is optimized for intuitive control, improved interior roominess, high-quality materials and premium technology features. The contemporary interior design integrates premium soft-touch materials in key touch points and high-tech details to create an inviting and comfortable interior environment for all passengers.

Though larger outside, Elantra is actually tighter inside. Filled with comfort, environmental and infotainment-communication items, the Elantra cabin is refined with intuitive design and lighting, and its standard leather seating surfaces join with cloth-like pillar trim made of fibrous tissue and volcanic rock for a premium look and feel. However, Elantra provides front headroom of only 38.8 inches (1.2 inches tighter than the last generation) and rear headroom is only 37.3 inches. Legroom loses an inch, but is still accommodating at 42.2 inches in front with only 35.7 inches in row two. Shoulder room is generous throughout with 56.2 inches up front and 55.3 inches in the rear.

Powerwise, the new Elantra receives two all-new powertrains designed for improved fuel efficiency and everyday drivability performance. The standard engine available on the base SE and Limited trims is a 2.0-liter Nu MPI Atkinson four-cylinder engine producing a peak 147 horsepower and 132 lb. ft. of torque. The second powertrain is an all-new 1.4-liter Kappa turbocharged GDI four-cylinder engine equipped on the Elantra Eco trim. This engine produces 128 hp and 156 lb-ft. of torque. My test Elantra SE’s 2.0-liter engine was mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission for an EPA estimated at 29mpg in city driving and 38mpg on the highway. My week of mixed-use testing yielded an average of 33.2mpg.

The Elantra ride is worthy of higher-segment comfort and quietness. Rack-and-pinion type, power assisted Motor Driven Power Steering was responsive on the autocross and took S-curves with confidence. Uphill grades were conquered with ease and acceleration was acceptable in mid ranges. Acting more like the family sedan it is, than a track star, my track tests were completed in a 9.6-second sprint from zero to 60mph and a 17.2-second quarter-mile.

Also fitting the family sedan niche, the independent MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs, hydraulic twin-tube gas-filled shock absorbers, and 22mm stabilizer bar matched well with a coupled torsion beam axle rear, gas-filled, hydraulic monotube shock absorbers and coil springs for enhanced steering stability and ride smoothness.

A top safety pick, Elantra is built with strong unibody construction, front and rear crumple zones and internal dual beams in its rear doors. Additional safety features in addition to those mentioned above include hill-start assist control, seatbelt pretensioners, tire pressure monitoring system and driver’s blind spot mirror.

The 2017 Hyundai Elantra in Base SE trim with a manual transmission starts at $17,150 – automatic is $1000 extra; the Elantra Eco starts at $20,650 and the Elantra Limited starts at $22,350 (and that includes an automatic transmission). Automatic transmission within the AE A/T Tech Package added $1300 and came with LED Daytime Running Lights, Blind Spot Detection w/ Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, 3.5-inch TFT monochromatic cluster display, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual automatic temperature control with auto defogger, proximity key with push button start, immobilizer and hand-free smart trunk, door handle approach light, heated front seats and more. An Auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink® and Blue Link® added $295; carpeted floor mats were $125 and freight charges added $885, for a sticker-as-tested of $19,755.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.