Jim Bray, CFP Automotive Editor

Justice League and Classic Trek get the 4K disc treatment

Fans of the cinefantastique are in for a treat – well, maybe – with new 4K disc releases from Paramount and Warner Brothers. One is a boxed set of the four earliest Star Trek movies and the other is a massive upgrade – well, maybe – of a major DC comics universe stinkeroo. Let's talk Trek first. I've been wanting to see these movies in 4K since there was 4K, especially the first film – the ponderous Star Trek the Motion Picture. It was, as was advertised back in the day, a "toy for the eyes" with fantastic special effects that made the trusty old Enterprise look simply splendid. Alas, that was about all there was to it; the story was a rehash of the old TV series' The Changeling, except that the old TV episode was better and accomplished its story in an hour-long venue with cheap and cheesy special effects.

Honda Civic rings out the old in preparation for the new

It may have started life as basic transportation, an affordable alternative to the Big Three's coupes and sedans of the 1970's, but since then the Honda Civic has grown up in every way. And now that it's in the process of being replaced by a new generation, this classic family car could offer you some deals if you can still find any on a Honda lot.

Great new ear buds from Bowers and Wilkins truly rock

Earbuds are a dime a dozen these days, and wireless ones are really charging into the marketplace. But is there a way to find a great noise-cancelling set of wireless buds that actually sound great? Well, I haven't tried nearly all of the offerings out there, but I've tried several and these new P15's from Bowers and Wilkins are easily the best I've tried. They ain't cheap, but it does appear to be a case of one getting what one pays for. Bowers and Wilkins also introduced the P17's, which take what's great about the P15's and adds even more goodness. I haven't tried them, but if my experience with the P15's is any indication, they're undoubtedly even more terrific.

Lexus IS 350 a beautiful and classy sleeper that makes Bangle Butt beautiful

Lexus' IS series sports a new set of clothes for 2021 as well as some tweaks the company thinks should make this sporty sedan an even more compelling choice for folks shopping in this market niche. Arguably Lexus' sportiest sedan, especially in the V-8-powered IS F trim level that appears occasionally, the IS has been around for some 20 years now and through at least three generations. My son has had a first generation IS 300 for many years now and still loves to drive it. He'd love it more were it equipped with a manual transmission, but such is the case with any IS today anyway – a stick is not available at all. And that's shame.

Mazda offers the high and low of driving pleasure with turbo CX-30 and Mazda3 sedan

Talk about a tough decision! Which is better, the Mazda 3 or the Mazda CX-30? Both are mostly the same under the skin – or close enough anyway - and both are relatively inexpensive (comparatively, anyway) in their very competitive marketplaces. And both are available with Mazda's terrific 2.5 litre turbo four engine and all wheel drive.

Almost Famous a fascinating 4K time capsule – while Mortal Kombat 4K will test your TV's reds

Cameron Crowe hit it out of the park with Jerry Maguire, and followed it up with this even better movie, a semi-autobiographical tale that's also a wonderful capturing of a moment in pop culture history. And if you like your game-inspired movies violent and graphic, Warner Brothers thinks it has you covered.

Ford Explorer charts new ground again

Ford's Explorer came back with a mostly all-new generation for 2021, and if you're a traditionalist – or a hooner – you might like what it has to offer. That's because the new generation Explorer has returned to its roots, as a rear-wheel drive model that can send torque to the front wheels when it's needed. That's as opposed to the last couple of Explorers that were front-drive-based but could send torque to the rear wheels if necessary. "Who cares?", you may say. "What difference does it make?", you may say.

My Fair Lady a bloomin' nice experience on 4K disc

Wouldn't it be loverly if one of the all-time great musicals found new life in a pristine 4K video presentation, with newly-remastered and remixed Dolby Atmos audio? It would, if you ask me. But no one asked me and we have to live with a newly scanned (at 8K, apparently) version of the restored and remastered My Fair Lady that debuted on Blu-ray several years back. So instead of a brand, spanking new and pristine print with state-of-the-art audio, we get a major upgrade from the Blu-ray as far as video quality is concerned, but that's about it.

Honda Pilot a decent three row SUV in a crowded field

Three row SUV's are a common sight these days, whether from mainstream or luxury names, and some are much better than others. This isn't surprising, of course; some things are better than others in any field. My beloved Calgary Stampeders are tops when it comes to regular season performance in the Canadian Football League, for example, whereas the damn Toronto Argonauts seem to have the number of most teams when they actually make it to the final. It's really annoying.

Paramount gives Indiana Jones a sparkling new 4K makeover

Paramount studios obviously cracked the whip on the people who do their restorations of films, because their, and Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' swashbuckling series, has just been released in the UHD format and it looks and sounds fantastic. They've even stuck in a whole Blu-ray of extras that I didn't expect to see! Indiana Jones first came to the big screen back in 1981, when Lucas got together with his friend Spielberg to bring to life his vision of an action film that hearkened back to the old Saturday afternoon serials that used to be shown in movie theatres. The result, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was a huge hit – and a deserved one, too.

Giant monsters soar – and smash – in glorious 4K

If Hong Kong is going to be the setting for a sequel to this smash-em-up giant monster film, it would behoove the city poohbahs to up their building code requirements substantially. Why? Well, because in Godzilla vs. Kong, a great part of the city is laid waste as the titular Titans tussle against each other and, eventually, an even bigger threat than that of "merely" two giant monsters laying waste to your city.

Ford Bronco Sport a real head-turner

have a funny feeling that Ford is about to sell a ton of its new "baby Bronco". That isn't judging from my impressions driving the newly spawned SUV, but from the reactions I got to driving the newly spawned SUV – from neighbours, passersby, perhaps even from passengers in aircraft flying over at 40,000 feet. This vehicle, which I happen to find quite unattractive and not particularly compelling, garnered so many stares and thumbs up gestures (and possible a few other gestures aimed at the driver) that I couldn't believe it. I've had Porsches and BMW's and Lexi and Jaguars and Mercedes and Audis, and some of them bring crowds – but nothing like this new Bronco Sport.

Ford adds hybrid tech to its venerable pickup truck line

If you drive a pickup and find its fuel mileage a tad, shall we say, anemic, would you think about embracing hybrid technology to help ease that fuel bill? How about if the raise in mileage was only a few miles per gallon? I suppose it would depend on how much of a percentage improvement that might be – and in a pickup truck (a genre not known for fuel mileage) even a few MPG could be a large percentage improvement.

Jeep pickup picks up diesel power and off-road sportiness

The most legendary off-road brand in North America is back with a CJ-based pickup truck the company hopes will take its legendary off-road reputation even farther off road. It's the Jeep Gladiator, wearing its High Altitude 4x4 livery (that's "altitude", not "attitude" so if you find the vehicle gets in your face, that's probably just its default position). And if you're into this type of vehicle, chances are you'll love this new version of the pickup first introduced a couple of years ago.

Roku Streambar adds audio capabilities to its streaming skills

Roku makes one of the greatest media streaming devices on the market – actually, several of them – but the company is also "streaming out" to new areas – including the introduction of a sound bar as well as some original programming to watch on its eponymous app. It's pretty cool stuff, too. Let's start with the "Streambar," the soundbar you can use to replace (and probably upgrade) the speakers built into your TV. Soundbars are nothing new, and in fact there are so many of them on the market that choosing one is probably a real treat.

Mostly terrific new TLX points the way toward an even nicer future for Acura

It's handsome, it's fast (enough), it's luxurious and it's comfortable. Is there anything the 2021 Acura TLX isn't? Well, it isn't a panacea for all the Honda-isms I've complained about for several years, but it is a big step forward in many ways. The TLX, which started life as a kind of blending of the old TL and TSX, is a mid-sized luxury sport sedan, the type of car the company has made for decades – right back, really, to the original Legend. It goes head-to-head against such tough competitors as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Genesis G70. The Acura and the Audi are based on front drive platforms, though both offer all-wheel-drive options – as do the rear drive BMW and Genesis.

Theragun promises to rub sore users the right way

Are you bothered by muscle pain, tired or pulled muscles, or are you just looking for a way to get a nice massage at home without hassle? Well, folks, the people at Theragun think they have your magic bullet, in a line of personal massagers that promise "deep muscle treatment, in an ultra-quiet smart percussive therapy device with advanced sound insulation." I would personally rather be torn apart by wild dogs than massage myself or anyone else, yet after the Theragun folks sent me a sample of their Elite model, I found myself rubbing my wife the right way – for a change! – and, even better, she'd give relief to herself with the device without me having to move a muscle.

Acura MDX gets a major upgrade for 2022

Acura's new flagship SUV, the MDX, is back with an all-new set of clothes in what the company says is "a quantum leap forward with a bold exterior design coupled with a sophisticated and elegant new interior featuring the most high-tech and advanced cockpit in the brand's history." And it's all true, though I'm not as ready to heap praise on the "most high-tech and advanced cockpit" part.

The Ten Commandments 4K disc is a serious upgrade

If you thought Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments looked great in its Blu-ray version, wait till you get a view of the new, 4K disc version. It may have been created from the same master as the 10-year-old Blu-ray, but the extra resolution and High Dynamic Range allow for a spectacular "new" version of this spectacular film. It's kind of analogous to the 4K Lord of the Rings trilogy, which looked tremendous in its DVD and Blu-ray versions, but then the 4K version came along and blew them right out of the water.

4K Wonder Woman 1984 – or whatever it's called – is a victim of "sequel-itis"

Warner Brothers' latest Wonder Woman movie is a bold attempt at following up the terrific original from 2017 but, it falls well short of being close to its quality. There's a reason I love "origin stories," such as the first Superman (1978), Batman Begins, the first Spider-man, Guardians of the Galaxy 1, etc. etc. etc. Sure, they spend half the running time building background and the world and its characters, but we also get to see the heroes at the beginning, when they're learning their abilities and also learning that (to coin a phrase) "with great power comes great responsibility".