Vehicle Review: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited - Rain, Disneyland, Dole Whip Flights and Pi(e) Day

Time for another vehicle review and this time it is the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited! This was one of my favorite vehicles to review last year and the 2018 version is nearly identical to the 2017 version.

It was a rare rainy day here in Southern California and the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited handled masterfully in the wet conditions. The vehicle I reviewed had the Ultimate Package added to it and gave a wide variety of safety features to the Limited including tire pressure monitoring, vehicle stability management, electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking, brake assist, blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian crossing, smart cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic high beam assist and HID headlights with dynamic bending light.

And what better place to drive in the rain than to Hula Girl Shave Ice in Huntington Beach to try this beauty, the dole whip flight! They currently only offer it on the weekends and you have to ask for it since it is not on the menu! The dole whip flavors shown here are not always going to be on the menu so you never know what you are going to get. But as seen here, going from left to right you have strawberry and dole whip, strawberry dole whip, pineapple dole whip, orange dole whip and citrus swirl which is orange dole whip and vanilla soft serve! You get all of this for only $10! Such a deal and totally delicious! Oh, bring a friend because this is way too much for one person to finish!


The next day it was time to hop back into the driver's seat and head to Disneyland! You can take a 360 degree look around in the vehicle interior and see just how roomy it is! The Ultimate Package on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited gives you a navigation system with an 8-inch touchscreen, Infinity Premium Audio with eight speakers and a subwoofer, power sunroof, leather seats with heated front and rear seats, driver's seat memory and Blue Link.

Another early morning when you are the first one in the Disneyland parking lot! Love coming early to get a great parking and to get into the park at rope drop!

Vehicle Review: 2015 Kia Forte EX - A Fantastic Looking, Affordable Car Packed with Great Features!

The 2015 Kia Forte EX with the High Roller

The 2015 Kia Forte EX was my ride to the world famous SEMA Show in Las Vegas! And you know that famous saying, "What happens in Vegas , stays in Vegas?" Well, in the case of the Kia Forte, that's just not true! You will want to share the experiences with everyone you know!

Atop the parking garage at The Rio

The Kia Forte EX is such a great looking car that it was meant for Vegas, its bright lights and its nightlife! Check out those beautiful 17-inch alloy wheels!

Atop the Luxor parking garage

So, what to we going do tonight? Get ready to head out to the Vegas Strip to be seen of course!

Another great place to go is to the Neon Graveyard to check out some of the great vintage neon signs that was once populated the Vegas Strip!

On the way back to Orange County, I had to stop here to take a photo!

The town of Baker is home to the world's largest thermometer. Hard to believe this is the first time I have stopped by here to take a photo.

A stop at State Line and Buffalo Bill's a great place to not only stretch your legs but go on a ride or two!

The World Famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign! So happy they put in a small parking area here.

And when you stop to take a quick photo, you never know who you will run into! Thanks for the quick photo Elvis!

But the real reason I was in Vegas was for the SEMA Show, the greatest car show on earth! If you have seen movies like The Fast and The Furious then you will know what I am talking about! All the aftermarket products you can get for any vehicle is here as well as some of the hottest cars on the planet!

Since I was driving a Kia to review, it made perfect sense to stop by the Kia booth at SEMA! Check out this awesome build by Kia to have a traveling bar!

Awesome beer provided by Ballast Point!

And for those who are not beer fans, Kia laso had Smitten Ice Cream dishing out smooth and rich ice cream!

A delicious way to enjoy the SEMA Show!

Of course I have to show you a few of my favorites from the show including this awesome adult hot wheel! Man I really want one!

Hot Wheels showed off their Darth Vader car that they brought to San Diego Comic-Con! So cool to see it up close and personal like this!

And no matter where I go I see reminders of my favorite place in the world, The Disneyland Resort! Glad I was wearing my Cars Land hat and shirt!

I felt this was the perfect time to tell you that I am really Batman!

Check out the massive trunk space! More than enough room for any trip whether it is to the grocery store or to Las Vegas!

The cockpit is nicely laid out as with all Kia vehicles. Everything is perfectly in reach. The premium leather seats were a nice surprise (Premium Package).

The touchscreen navigation (EX Technology Package) is always a welcome sight especially when traveling to places I haven't been to in a long time. This is one of those items that would have been completely after market. It's cool to see how many after market options are now add-ons for most vehicles these days.

The rear view camera (UVO w/17-inch Tire Package) is another one of those great options that years ago this would have all been after market.

The SIRIUS Satellite Radio (standard with 3 free months) makes any drive a joy. Nothing like listening to some old school hip-hop to make that drive to Vegas seem like a quick drive down the street.

The center console has a ton of options to power your portable devices.

Still one of my favorite features of the Kia's, the push to start button(Premium Package)! It just adds a luxury feel to any vehicle.

Lots of leg room for your friends in the back. The leather seats continue back here with heated seating as well. Both features come with the Premium Package. The drivers seat also comes with a ventilated seat (Premium Package) that is perfect for those warm days.

Super bright HID headlights (Premium Package) and fog lights (standard) ensure you being seen on the road and of course clearly lighting your way in any weather.

The sleek power-folding side mirrors with turn signals come standard. I do wish the Kia Forte also came with blind spot detection on the side mirrors.

Great gas mileage to and from Vegas. I put over 750 miles on the Kia Forte and every mile was a pure joy. I averaged slightly above the 29 MPG City/Highway. The 4-cylinder engine was powerful and provided more than enough power on the drive to Vegas. Acceleration was smooth and maneuvering through traffic was a breeze.

One more photo of the Kia Forte with the High Roller.

The Luxor provides the beacon of light for the 2015 Kia Forte EX. Such a perfect way to end this review. If you are looking for a fantastic looking vehicle that is loaded with incredible features then check out the 2015 Kia Forte EX! Perfect for driving around town or on vacation!

As tested the 2015 Kia Forte EX came in at $26,400.00 with both the Premium, EX Technology and UVO w/17-inch Tire Packages. Plus, the world famous Kia warranty is there as well. The warranty is a 10 year/10,000 mile limited powertrain warranty, a 5 year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty, and 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance.

*Disclaimer: I was given a week to drive and review the 2015 Kia Forte EX. Opinion and photos are strictly my own.*

Vehicle Review: 2014 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring

Take a look at the 2014 Mazda MX-5! This was my first sports car and also my first convertible to review! I took my review car up to Northern California for a week and drove over 1,200 miles! Let's check out some of the great places I went to visit and of course learn more about the car itself! Let's jump into the review!

All ready to hit the road and make the drive up the I-5 to Sacramento! I love the big 17" alloy wheels!

Time to drive but first let me take a selfie! Yes, I am parked and not driving! Safety first!

But before I get too carried away with my trip, let's take a look at the 2014 Mazda MX-5 itself! The smooth lines are impossible to ignore! That huge "smile" of the grill is like the MX-5 is telling you it is happy to be driven! The car says sports car, speed and sexy without even saying a single word! There is more than enough horsepower to zip around traffic with the greatest of ease. Plus I was surprised by the gas mileage. A full tank got about 300 miles. It was easy to want to drive everywhere on my trip and I did!

Brilliantly bright xenon headlights and fog lights throw more than enough light to light up the night!

The cabin actually has a lot of room and the layout is simple enough. The steering wheel has both cruise and audio controls. It was cool to see a 6-disc CD changer even though I mostly made use of the Sirius Satellite Radio!  

This is part of a 7 speaker Bose system provide for incredible surround sound as you drive with the top up or down! I was surprised by the audio quality with the top down and driving on the Southern California freeways!

The seats are tight and almost body forming. They hold you well as you drive and take sharp turns. I was very comfortable during my 6 hour drive from Southern California to Northern California.

And taking the top down is a simple one touch button system! I can't tell you how great it was to drive with the top down and have the wind in my hair!

The smooth lines continue to the back of the MX-5.

As to be expected not a whole lot of trunk space here! But I easily fit my suitcase and several other items back here for my trip!

I took the MX-5 to visit this replica of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The travel stories that these two could share.

I also took the MX-5 to the oldest operating McDonald's in the United States. You will find this in Downey, California. This location has a great museum and they still make the fried apple pies and not the baked ones!

Love the look of the oldest operating McDonald's with the smooth lines of the Mazda MX-5!

On the way up to Sacramento I took advantage of one of the vista points along the I-5! Such great lighting and scenery along the way!

As you head up or down the I-5 stop in Kettleman City and go to Bravo Farms! A great stop for BBQ, or ice cream, or wine tasting, plus they have a play area and a shooting gallery!

If you stop here make sure you pick up a glass bottle of root beer milk! Yes, root beer milk! It tastes like a root beer float! So good! I stopped here on my way up north and on my way back down south! And you know I bought root beer milk each time!

Another vista point with a great view of some of the central valley's farmland.

Sacramento is not only the home of my mom and dad but also a cool relocated Disney landmark! These are the old California letters that once stood in front of the entrance to Disney California Adventure! They are now in front of Cal Expo, home to the California State Fair!

Finishing up the review with a few more photos of the Sacramento River. With the sun going down on my last day of my trip, it was fitting to get these photos of the Mazda MX-5.

The 2014 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring is the perfect car for those that are single, couples without children or adults with kids out of the house. The car is sleek and demands attention.

The Grand touring that I reviewed came in at $32,735.00. It comes with a 36 month/36,000 mile 'bumper to bumper' warranty, a 60 month/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, and 24 hour roadside assistance.

I loved driving this car! It was sad to return the MX-5. The car just begs to be taken out on the open road!


*Disclaimer: The vehicle was provided for a week to review and the review is strictly my own opinion.*