Ford should be commended for going where no full-sized truck manufacturer has gone before. The new F-150 should not only please current Ford truck owners, it should bring many more pickup buyers into the Blue Oval's fold.

Texas is the nation's largest truck market so it seems fitting that Ford chose the 2015 State Fair of Texas to unveil its 2017 lineup of aluminum - and high-strength steel-intensive Heavy Duty pickup trucks.

Mazda has announced that when the 2016 CX-3 goes on sale in the fall of 2015, it will have an MSRP that is expected to start in the low $20,000s. Aside from those rather nebulous generalizations, we now know much more about what to expect when it does hit dealer showrooms.

The folks at Hyundai realize this and an all-new Elantra will certainly be unveiled within the next year - possibly as early as the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. But until that happens, the Korean automaker is putting more pressure on the competition by introducing a number of changes during the model's last year including a new trim level.

Although pricing has yet to be released for the 2016 model year Rogue (it will be released closer to its on-sale date in the fall of 2015), the following new features and technology have been announced

The first Titan model to be assembled will be the XD Crew Cab - the current Truck of Texas that's positioned between traditional light- and heavy-duty models and should go head-to-head with the Detroit three.

One of the highlights of last Monday's media day at the 2016 North American International Auto show in Detroit was the unveiling of the second-generation Honda Ridgeline midsize pickup.

Not only does the new light bar improve the Interceptor's capabilities, but by ordering it from the factory, the windshield, which normally features a dark shade band at the top, is replaced by one with only clear glass. This means the light bar will not only shine more brightly through the windshield, but also that this enables it to be mounted closer to the headliner for improved forward visibility.

Taking a closer look, the High Desert should also appeal to pickup buyers who currently own (or are looking for a vehicle like) an Avalanche and are hoping for something with a similar appearance - replete with sail panel windows - to the one GM stopped making following the 2013 model year.

Earlier today, Chevrolet and 16-time NHRA champion John Force introduced a new Funny Car body - the first based on the sixth-generation Camaro SS