Tom Strongman

Tom Strongman began writing about automobiles for The Kansas City Star 20 years ago. He was the full-time Automotive Editor from 1991 to 2001. Now he is a Contributing Editor who works on contract for the paper. His syndicated column also appears in The St. Louis Suburban Journals and The Columbus Dispatch. He writes a bi-monthly column for AAA's Home and Away Magazine. Strongman's "Behind the Wheel" segment airs weekly on KSHB Channel 41 in Kansas City.

2004 Toyota Solara Convertible Road Test

Convertibles stir your soul and add a new dimension to driving, creating a sensation almost like riding a bike or…

6 years ago

2006 Dodge Durango Road Test

The totally new vehicle is 7 inches longer, 3 inches wider and 3 inches taller than the previous model. It…

6 years ago

2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Road Test

Just the thought of throwing ten dirty bags of compost into the back of an SUV makes me cringe. Getting…

6 years ago

2005 Land Rover LR3 Road Test

Land Rovers replacement for the Discovery, the LR3, is not only bigger and better looking, but it is a showcase…

6 years ago

A Matter of Design

Summary Clark Oliver's 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville is Elysian green. Elysian is defined as having the characteristics of heaven or…

6 years ago

Is It a Car or a Boat? Amphicars Are Both

Summary An Amphicar has a watertight body with a bottom that’s shaped like a boat.It uses a special transmission that…

6 years ago

2005 Chevrolet Equinox Road Test

Summary The 2005 Equinox has a standard V-6, an adjustable rear seat and a series of unique items that make…

6 years ago

2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Road Test

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. The 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is clearly more refined yet more trail-worthy than the vehicle it replaces.…

6 years ago

2004 BMW 530i Road Test

Photos by Charles Ofria  Category:  $45,000 to $55,000 Rear wheel drive mid-sized sport sedan  Who should buy this car:  A…

6 years ago

2006 Honda Ridgeline Road Test

Honda's innovative pickup truck LA JOLLA, Calif. Aside from cars, the list of products bearing the Honda name is staggering:…

6 years ago

2006 Hyundai Sonata Road Test

Settle inside the 2006 Hyundai Sonata, twist the key and its clear that the family-sedan landscape is undergoing a substantial…

6 years ago

2004 Buick Rainier Road Test

With the addition of the Rainier, Buick now has two trucks in its lineup. The Rendezvous, which is a cross…

6 years ago

2008 Audi R8 Road Test Review

WASHINGTON, D.C - Six wedge-shaped Audi R8s rolling through the morning traffic of the nation's capital turned heads like a…

6 years ago

2005 Chevrolet Corvette Road Test

Taking Chevrolets redesigned 2005 Corvette for a few laps around the newly completed road course at General Motors Milford proving…

6 years ago

2005 Dodge Magnum Road Test

Category: $22,000 - $30,000 Large Rear-drive (or AWD) Station Wagon Who should buy this car: Anyone looking for a macho…

6 years ago

2005 Ford Freestyle Road Test

Summary The 2005 Ford Freestyle is a roomy passenger wagon worth $25,000 to $30,000 with four-wheel drive and car-like handling.The…

6 years ago

2005 Ford Mustang Road Test

Mustang Sally blared through stereo speakers as J Mays squealed a new Mustang GT through the gates of Greystone Mansion,…

6 years ago

2004 Cadillac XLR Road Test

Category: $75,000 - $90,000 Luxury Sports Car Who should buy this car: A person looking for the ultimate personal touring…

6 years ago

Ralph Reschke turns junkyard Plymouths into classics

Ralph Reschke of Lawrence loves the twins, which is what he calls his matching 1955 Plymouth Belvederes. He has created…

6 years ago

2004 Cadillac SRX Road Test

Cadillac's SRX is hard to define. Is it a car or an SUV? It looks like a station wagon drives…

6 years ago

2004 GMC Envoy XUV Road Test

Category: $32,000 - $40,000 Mid Sized SUV Who should buy this car: A person looking for a combination of a…

6 years ago

2005 Ford GT Road Test

Category:$150,000 Super CarWho should buy this car:A deep pocket looking for the ultimate thrill rideComparable models in this class:Aston Martin DB7,…

6 years ago

2005 – 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan Road Test

Stow 'n Go seats revolutionize the interior Minivans are all about seats. You need seats for up to seven people,…

6 years ago

2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Road Test

Rolling down the Pacific Coast Highway at 50 miles an hour in Ford's new gas-electric Escape Hybrid, I recorded an…

6 years ago

2006 Lexus RX400h Road Test

Category: $45,000 - $50,000 Hybrid SUV Who should buy this car: Environmentally conscious people that need a vehicle with the…

6 years ago

2004 Volkswagen Phaeton Road Test

Some may think a luxury Volkswagen is a rolling contradiction, but the all-new Phaeton is proof that the company that…

6 years ago

2006 Jeep Commander Road Test

Category:$75,000 to $100,000 Sports CarWho should buy this car:A person looking for an iconic sports car with beauty, style, flash…

6 years ago

2006 Mercedes Benz R-Class Road Test

Category:$50,000 - $60,000 Large WagonWho should buy this car:A family looking for a high end cruiser that seats 6 adultsin…

6 years ago

2004 Mercury Monterey Road Test

Category: $30,000 - $35,000 Minivan Who should buy this car: A family looking for an upscale, practical, functional minivan that…

6 years ago

2005 Porsche Carrera GT Road Test

Category: $440,000 Super Car Who should buy this car: A very deep pocket looking for the ultimate thrill ride Comparable models…

6 years ago

Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Road Test

Category: $20,000 to $27,000 Compact Pickup Truck Who should buy this car: A person looking for an inexpensive car-based SUV…

6 years ago

2007 Jaguar XK Road Test

Jaguar's newest cat is one sleek coupe The luxury sports coupe segment may be small, but it is populated by…

6 years ago

2004 Mazda RX8 Road Test

Mazdas rotary engine is back, and this time it's in a sporty coupe called the RX-8. The heart of the…

6 years ago

Rob Ballard’s 1955 Studebaker Speedster

Summary Tom Strongman’s book, “Wheel of Dreams,” is a collection of beautifully illustrated true stories about vintage vehicles.One of the…

6 years ago

Scion xB Road Test

My wife laughed when I pulled a Scion xB into the driveway. That looks like a bread truck, she said.But…

6 years ago

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Road Test

GREENVILLE, S.C. Toyota's FJ Cruiser has morphed from a 2003 concept car to a 2007 production car with very little…

6 years ago

2005 Cadillac CTS-V Road Test

A 400-horsepower sedan Whats more American than a Cadillac? How about a Cadillac CTS-V with a whopping V-8 that can…

6 years ago