The Rocky Mountain Driving Experience!

Picture this: our favorite auto manufacturers serve up their latest and greatest vehicle lineup, and we get to jump in and test-drive them. Dreamy, right?

This year, we started in Southwestern Denver, nestled right next to the mountains – the cool thing about this spot is that we drive right into the canyons near Red Rocks and drive the twists and turns.

Here was this year’s lineup: (totalling over $800k in car value!)

2026 Jeep Cherokee, 2026 Dodge Charger, 2026 Jeep Gladiator Willys ’41, 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, 2027 Chrysler Pacifica Limited, 2026 Genesis GV80, 2026 Subaru Outback, 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness, 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, 2026 Acura Integra A-Spec, 2026 Acura ADX A-Spec, 2026 Honda Prelude, 2026 Honda Pilot Elite, 2027 Kia Telluride, 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD, and 2026 Lexus ES500e.

I didn’t get to drive all of them but I gave it my best shot! Here’s my quick review:

What I drove:

2026 Jeep Gladiator Sport Willys ’41 – Fun and sporty and a bit of a rough ride. This thing was super old school and looks like it can take you to off the beaten track spots
2026 Acura Integra – If you know me, you know I LOOOVE 6-speed manual transmission. I think I scare the Acura rep with my enthusiasm. Let’s face it, stick-shift is an anti theft device for anyone not GenX
2026 Acura ADX A-Spec Advance AWD – this fun zippy entry-level SUV is brand new and priced at under $50K.
2027 Lexus ES500e – Super yummy and luxurious. I currently drive an electric vehicle and I’m a huge fan (there is a learning curve to owning one, tho). This Lexus model is a sedan with a luxurious interior and a ton of room. Unfortunately, my darling Husband couldn’t make it this year but it’s always fun to stick him in the back of cars and see how his 6’4″ frame fits! I think he would have done nicely in this one.
2027 Chrysler Pacifica Limited – I’m 61 years old and have no kids, and I can’t tell you how much I get a kick out of minivans. This one was no exception. Chrysler has done a lot of work over the years to refine its Pacifica model, and it’s definitely top-of-the-line. I took one on a long road trip a few years back and it’s definitely the way to travel – tons of room and easy to access all your stuff!
2026 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige Black AWD – Wooo, this sexy MF! Super luxurious and definitely top of the line. Loved the interior features

The cars I’m sad I didn’t have time to drive:

Kia Telluride – This thing looked solid and luxurious, and I’m mad I didn’t get a chance to give it go. Plus the color was gorgeously gold
Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee – word on the street is these were fan favorites
Subaru Outback Wilderness – I sat quickly in this one and really loved the interior features – sleek and well designed

Something everyone was talking about that day….

Honda decided to get retro and relaunch the Prelude Hatchback. Personally, I thought it was impractical and totally fun to drive. And you can lay out straight and pretend like you are under glass in that hatchback back situation.

Another thing I love about the RMAP group and this event – all the people! I particularly love that we have a strong female presence in the group, not only the members but the manufacturers’ reps as well. A topic that I can talk about all day long is #FemaleBuyingPower, and seeing representation in what is obviously a male-dominated industry always gives me hope.

Look for me to be test-driving more cars and giving my real-life, unsolicited, and mouthy opinion about them! And as you all know, one of my favorite games to play is “How much donated pet food and supplies for Colorado Pet Pantry can I fit into this thing?!

Interested in joining the Rocky Mountain Auto Press? Check them out!