Why Chevrolet Spin Phase Out

GM Just Threw Away the Chevy Camaro

Scotty Kilmer:

rev up your engines, GM says that the six
generations Chevy Camaro z/28 program
has been cancelled all right now for the
car guys out there that are the muscle
cars
there have been rumors going around that
they're not going to be making the
Camaros in the future they don't have
any particular plans that they have
set in stone with it there's even some
rumors that they're gonna make an
all electric cars which may be what
they're going to do they're canceling a
sixth generation I'm assuming that they
are gonna stop making Camaros they
stopped making the things a few years
back and then they brought them back
again they had a bunch of quality
control with the ones they were making
in Quebec and so then they just stopped
making them entirely I mean those are
terrible machines in the end I had them
where the wiring harnesses would go out
to transmissions and blow up and they
brought them back again I who knows
maybe they'll just eventually have them
only as an electric car and shelving the
production of any sixth generation
Camaro kind of tells me they yeah
they're maybe they're thinking about
making the mental electric cars only
time will tell her that but you're
obviously thinking about getting rid of
Camaro is a muscle car by not producing
these, ash says hey my wife has
an old ML 320 it's forty eight thousand
mile keep it and driving myself for
selling wife wants a new car
forty-eight thousand miles isn't much if
you haven't had problems with it it
hasn't been wrecked flooded or stolen
you might as well keep it you said it's
an old one if it's an old one it has
virtually no value nobody wants to buy
an old Mercedes the resale value was
cramped but with 48,000 miles generally
don't fall apart until they are over
100,000 miles so what the heck you got
it why not use it for your car and then
get your wife another car obviously
you'll put that many miles on the cars
it still could last a while cuz you
getting nothing selling if it works okay
now what the heck I personally wouldn't
buy one but you already have it so you
might as well driving around you'll get
much for it if you try selling it, Bologna is
there any way to buy nitrogen to fill
your tires yeah oh that's kind of an
interesting subject matter realize that
Earth's atmosphere is already something
like eighty percent nitrogen dress is
about 20 percent oxygen some trace
elements but
about 80% nitrogen already so what
difference does it really make if you
have a 100% nitrogen you tires or 80%
for years people tried to sell me as a
mechanic at my shop systems that purify
the nitrogen in our atmosphere and turn it
into almost a hundred percent
nitrogen and filling the tires with
because theoretically it doesn't oxidize
inside and the temperatures don't affect
it that much when they change hot or
cold or they do use nitrogen I believe
in like the jet airplanes because
they're up at 50,000 feet and it gets
really cold there and the pressure the
tires would keep going up and down for
them and it makes sense but you're not
driving your car at 50,000 feet out
there so you know if you can find a
place that sells the stuff go right
ahead but far as I'm concerned you're
mainly wasting your money on that stuff
for a car that you're driving every day
nobody's approached me in the last year
trying to sell me one of these stupid
nitrogen systems and it cost thousands
of dollars so so if anybody has one
they're gonna charge your pretty penny
to fill up your tires cause hey they had
to pay a bunch of money for the stupid
machine
Daniel pina says hey Scotty is the 2007
f-150 a reliable vehicle these days
yeah the previous owner took care of it
2007 f-150 is pretty reliable vehicle
they're much better with the v8 sixes meh
any vehicle if you're talking about
buying a used one have a mechanic like
me check it out before you show your
money out cuz you don't know something's
wrecked flooded stolen there's all kinds
of things you can go around and with our
fancy machines we can tell I spend about
an hour checking out used cars I just
checked out a used car for a guy this
morning you know it's a fourth of July, I
forgot
he made an appointment so I got up
there anyways they can't be great good
cars but you want to make sure there
isn't a problem in it in the first place
cuz you're not gonna get a guarantee
demon says Scotty I got a
2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible with
eighty two thousand miles my first car
any thoughts baby that thing that was a
big lemon Mobil that they made the v6
engines those things were terrible it's
still running it's 82 thousand miles
let's say it runs and it shifts good now
baby it you got it it's a convertible a
lot of times people think of verticals
are worth money but convertibles aren't
because everybody knows there were
terrible cars but you gotta take care of
a change the oil every 3,000 miles don't
overheat the engine don't race it don't
peel off
pretend you're a little old lady driving
that car and maybe the last one I got
some little old lady
drive them and they're still going okay
because they drive slow but all the men
that I knew that drove them hard they
all burn out either the engine or the
transmission or both, so if you never
want to miss another one of my new car
repair videos, remember to ring that Bell

The Truth About the New Chevy Cruze, Buyer Beware

Scotty Kilmer:

rev up your engines, Kenneth case of
Scotty
I really like my 2017 chevy cruze
premiere RS I never had a problem
throughout my ownership should I keep it
thanks, well it's a 2017 it's only a year
and a half old, you better not have any
problems, you might as well keep it cuz
I'll tell you the truth if you try
selling that thing now, you'll see how
much money you will lose, what you owe on
it versus what it's worth it would be
foolish to sell it now maybe you got a
good one that's gonna last, I never advise
anybody to buy it and I got a customer with
one he's got a picture of Mickey Mouse
in his back window cuz she's sued them
under the lemon lawn for some weird
reason they gave him back three thousand
dollars and that was it, they wouldn't
take the car back so, you know but if it lasts
drive it around cuz you would lose your
shirt if you sold it now, CK says Scotty
I'm looking into buying a 2004 GMC
Canyon with two hundred sixteen thousand
miles from a mechanic should I buy it
okay
well it depends if it was the mechanic's
vehicle and he took care of it, not a
bad idea but if he's selling it for somebody
else
you kind of think now the canyon was
kind of a bizarre truck they weren't
that bad
I mean look that thing's got a lot of
miles it's still running, I just uh
wouldn't pay too much for it, it's a 15
year old GMC pickup truck with two
hundred sixteen thousand miles if you're
looking for a Knockaround truck to haul
a little bit of stuff around why not but
just don't pay too much, it's an old GMC
truck with a lot of miles on it,
Albee says what's your opinion on police
cars mainly 2013 police patrol vehicle
Taurus with the 3.7 Mustang engine with
100,000 miles on it, well that was a fun
vehicle in its time but the thing is if
it was a police vehicle, generally they
drive them like maniacs and they get
the heck burnt out of them, I mean you generally
expect you're gonna put an engine or a
transmission in them in a short period of
time, but if you are thinking about
buying one use, do not touch it until you
get a guy like me a professional
mechanic and gonna check it out with his
computer and road test it and tell you
what kind of shape it's in. you want to
start there if you do want to buy a
vehicle like that, they can be fun to drive
around but of course don't pay much for
it, a used police vehicle the resale
value is not that much, you don't want to
pay much because
you know you're playing with dynamite
you don't know what's left with that
vehicle, why do you think the police get
rid of them every so many years,
Alvaro Tejado says Scotty I got
a 95 volvo 940 when i start it up in the
morning it makes the metallic rattling
sound when I rev it, it goes away for 3-4
minutes, the engine was rebuilt seven
years ago you know what's really typical
with those things, is the catalytic
converters rattle as they age for some
reason they made them crappy inside your
catalytic converter are these honeycomb
pieces that have platinum in them and
that burns hydrocarbons and as they age
especially on those vehicles it cracks
and they will rattle, but then when they
heat up the metal expands and they
stop rattling check that first now, if it
runs okay it doesn't hurt anything and a
new cat for that vehicle cost an awful
lot of money, you might live with it if
it is the cat rattling and it runs okay
when it doesn't run good, the
temperature gauge run hotter and you'll
only be able to go like 55 miles an hour
not any faste,r then you know it's
clogged up and you'd have to replace it
then, US storm says Scotty I have an 07
Honda Civic LX coupe with rear drum
brakes should I upgrade them to disc
brakes, okay here's the thing the rear
brakes on that car are one thing mainly
most of the power is stopped in the
front disc, the rear drums are there
so the car doesn't fishtail when you
stop hard and when you corner and stop for
normal driving those work perfectly fine
and you're not gonna have any problems
with them, it's kind of a waste of money
putting it in a little car like that it
really doesn't need it it's a light car
and disc brakes for all four wheels are
more for racing because they don't fade
when you stop go fast stop go fast stop
go fast, drums will actually stop a car
just as fast one time but in a race they
aren't that's why they were first used
in race cars because they're slamming them on
and hit the gas, slamming them on and
hitting the gas and the drum brakes will
overheat where the discs wouldn't and
that's why they started using them but
on yours are you really wouldn't want to
spend money for that, my Honcho says Scotty
should I put fuel injection on a Dodge
Dart 318 v8 well it's a good question
but depends on what do you want to do
with the thing, if you're planning on
selling it in the future, no because if
it's stock that's a classic 73 Dodge dart
you're gonna lower the value by taking
the factory stuff off,
but if you want it to drive faster
and get better gas mileage, put it on but
save all your old parts, save the
manifold, save the carburetor because
then if you sell it at some point in the
future
you can say to the guy, look I did this
because I like fuel injection you want
to go back to stock here's all the parts
in the box keep them all, don't throw
any of them away, always do that with the
classic car never throw any old parts
away and if you want to modify it to your
heart's content you're gonna keep it for
years go right ahead
just keep the old parts, so if you never
want to miss another one of my new car
repair videos, remember to ring that Bell!

2019 Chevrolet Silverado; Mercedes-Benz Goes Electric | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #167

Consumer Reports:

The truck wars are heating up.
And we just picked up a brand
new Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Also, Mercedes Benz
introduced their new EQC SUV,
part of their new plans
for electrification.
And we answer your questions
next on Talking Cars.
[MUSIC PLAYING]

Hi, everyone and welcome back.
I'm Jon Linkov.
I'm Jennifer Stockburger.
And I'm Ryan Pilakowski.
And some announcements this week
about new electric vehicles,
we've also got the new Chevrolet
Silverado in our test fleet.
We'll talk about
that with the RAM.
And then we have viewer
questions, so lot of stuff.
Let's jump in Jen.
Mercedes Benz introduced
their, or showed,
their new EQC all electric SUV.
Can you tell us about it?
Right, so this is a, you
know, the first in Mercedes EQ
line of electric vehicles.
So that's kind of a big deal.
Electric intelligence is
what it stands for, right?
Right.
And C means that it's
kind of C-class base size.
C-class platform, right?
So it all has meaning, right.
I wondered what the German
word for intelligence
was that made it a Q, but
anyway, different issue.
But anyway, fully electric,
402-horsepower rating,
80-kilowatt battery,
floor mounted,
which means some
of the space stuff
maybe isn't an issue,
two electric motors
for all-wheel drive, right?
So you get all-wheel drive.
But more so it's
kind of the industry
that the big players are
beginning to introduce
electric vehicle lines.
We've talked about Volkswagen,
you know, Mercedes, so yeah.
Tesla had the Model
X. Jaguar has the--
now, let me get this right.
The I-PACE-- the
E-PACE is not electric.
The I-PACE is the
electric, right?
Right.
You know, Ryan, it's kind of
a GLC Mercedes Benz, GLC SUV.
What do you think of that model?
And do you think it would
translate well to electric?
Yeah, I mean, it all sounds
really good actually,
because the GLC we liked quite
a bit here at the test track.
I know I liked it.
If they can make it
actually go 200 miles--
Right, I think that's the key.
That's the key.
It is that size of the GLC.
I think they have something.
The price is probably
not going to be low.
I mean, let's face it.
That's the unfortunate
part I think.
But maybe it'll be reasonable.
I don't know.
But I think they'll have
something if they can do that.
Yeah, I mean, they claim that
you could charge in 40 minutes,
the battery can.
Depending on the
status of the charge,
you know, there's a lot of
caveats with this announcement
right now, almost 80%, from
10% to 80% in 40 minutes.
But does it mean something
big for the industry?
Or where does it fit?
I think it's good news for
the electrification industry,
if you will.
I don't know what
you want to call it.
But Mercedes is a big name.
And they have the infrastructure
and the knowledge,
the know-how to do
this stuff on a bigger
scale I think, than even
Tesla, you know, if it works,
if they can figure that out.
But it's--
We'll, you know, you
raise a good point.
And you know, Jen,
Tesla kind of what?
Proof of concept in a sense.
You know, Mercedes, they're
established, like Ryan said.
Right, right, maybe more--
I mean we joke about German
engineering and the rigidness,
but that's probably a
good thing in this case.
They're going to
make the technology--
And they might --work --have
been using all this time
sitting back a little bit
watching, learning, figuring--
who knows what they
have up their sleeve?
They could do
something impressive.
I find it interesting,
diesel was their way.
When it was hybrid and electric,
the Germans were like, nein.
You know, we are
going with diesel.
Diesel is the way to go and
all of a sudden scandal--
This is a big deal.
That they're accepting the
fact that maybe electrification
is the way.
Well, I think there's
two you talked about.
There's two tipping points.
One Ryan just mentioned,
the 200 miles.
Now, electrics are
a practical vehicle
that you can actually
get somewhere
without having to charge.
And you talked about Tesla.
And I think that's kind of
a hesitation for others.
Tesla did a huge thing, in that
they not just made the car,
they built the infrastructure
and the charging stations.
We have not seen
that from others
introducing electric vehicles.
Volkswagen has the plan as
part of their kind of penalty,
you know, their punishment
for the diesel scandal.
But we haven't seen
it yet, like you said.
But I think those two
need to go hand-in-hand,
that you can get somewhere,
charge, and get back.
I have a question
for both of you.
So OK, is 200 miles
or around 200 miles
acceptable for both of
you or either of you?
And also, would you
buy an electric?
Big toss up.

I think 200 miles is the key,
300 would be even better.
Sure, more is better.
But for me-- and again, we're
here in rural Connecticut.
The infrastructure is not there.
So for me-- and you know,
I think I've mentioned,
we have a place in Vermont.
I'm not going to Vermont
and finding a Tesla
or any other charging station.
They're getting there.
We just passed a coffee shop.
We were in Vermont
over the weekend,
three charging stations in
Newfane, Vermont, new coffee
shop.
Tesla?
I think they were Tesla.
I didn't get close.
But three Tesla
charging stations
in this little rural
town in Vermont.
So it's coming.
What about you, Ryan?
No, not yet.
I mean, if they start
getting up over 200 miles
and there's more to choose
from at a lower price,
I could see maybe
having a second vehicle.
But right now-- and I
forget to charge this thing.
You know, it's just I could
not have just one car.
I'm a dingbat.
I would forget.
And it would just be
not good, trust me.
Oh, shoot, I forgot
to charge again.
I mean, I think--
no, I'd be walking.
I'd be riding my
bike half the time.
I swear, I'd forget.
You have to keep it in the back.
I mean, where I live, if I
worked in the city of Hartford,
because I'm outside of
that, that would work.
If my employer had charging--
I mean, we have them
here, but you know,
it's a different situation.
That would work And
families close enough.
But yeah, a trip to Boston would
be one of those tic-tac-toe,
make connect the dots to charge.
And you know, goodness forbid
there's weather, traffic
jams on I-90, stuff like that.
It kind of leads
to another question
we had from someone
about hybridization
electrification of cars.
And I want to read it, because
it refers to the RAM eTorque
system.
We'll get to that.
Recently, I saw a review
of the 2019 RAM 1500.
Can you explain what
eTorque is and how
it is or is not beneficial?
Is it kind of like a hybrid?
Jen, you want to
jump on that one?
Right, so it is kind of like
a hybrid, a mild hybrid.
We use that word mild hybrid.
So in that they are using
an electric motor to one,
help the stop-start technology.
And I will say, I
found it seamless.
I wasn't sure it had it.
It was so seamless.
Right, it stops at traffic
lights and restarts.
I was like, is it even stopping?
And it was.
And then it's the
other piece of that,
is this 48-volt
power system, which
is, you know, there's so much
running electrically now,
that they're having
this 48-volt platform.
It's going to be necessary
to run all these things.
Online we said,
the 48-volt system
provides a short bump in power
delivery, regenerative braking.
Chrysler estimates this
mild hybrid system.
So that's what they're calling
it, 10% boost in fuel economy.
So we have it in testing.
Yeah, it's a unique system.
I mean, it's a giant
alternator-battery system.
And it acts a an alternator
when you're cruising along,
but it gives you a little boost.
On the v8 model, it gives
you 130-foot pounds of torque
in taking off.
And that's a big deal.
That's where you use a
lot of fuel, just getting
the vehicle moving
a lot of times.
And any little bit
helps, so it's unique.
Well, you know, we're putting
the RAM through testing.
And we'll have fuel
economy numbers coming up.
But it perfectly leads
into a huge competitor
in the giant pickup truck
market, the new Chevrolet
Silverado.
And it's 48,380, the RAM
that we're testing is 50,820.
We all drove it.
We've all been putting
some miles on it.
Both of you tow, so
Jen, let's go first
how it performs
as a tow vehicle.
Right, so I think the
power train's very good.
And I think it'll be great.
It is a bit more truckie riding.
So in towing or when it
has stuff in the bed,
I think it will ride better
when you can settle down
that rear end a little bit.
And personally, it's a little
more bare bones interior,
but I think--
again, you're talking to someone
who uses a truck for a truck.
We have hay and grains and
shavings every single week
in the back of our truck.
And I think sometimes
when you've covered--
excuse me-- covered
in horse hair,
you don't necessarily want
that plush of an interior.
Whatever you're doing.
You know what I mean?
I want it to be cleanable.
So I actually kind of
like the more sparse--
is that the right word?
Spartan.
Interior.
Again--
Utilitarian, yeah.
--it's a $50,000 truck.
But I kind of liked
that it was more
on kind of the functional side.
Ryan, boat towing or--
Yeah, no, that's why
I agree with Jen.
It's firm.
It rides like a truck.
But it was designed to
carry loads and whatnot.
I actually had weight
in both of these trucks.
OK, the RAM and the--
None of this is scientific
or-- this is objective data.
This is subjective.
Like the RAM, I had probably 400
pounds in the back of the RAM.
And it sat down a little bit.
I was surprised.
But it also rides really
nice without weight in it.
Well, it has coiled springs
under there versus a LEAF,
so it has a better
ride overall, unladen.
Exactly.
I had probably a
little less weight
than that in the Silverado
and it settled the truck down.
I mean, I think it even
shifted a little better.
So the RAM was more like
this in the settling.
And the Silverado--
Silverado didn't squat,
but it rode nicer,
because it had some
weight in the bed.
But it's designed that way.
I think it's going to be maybe
a little more of a rugged work
truck than the RAM,
but depending on what
you're looking for, you know?
And that's a key
question, because what
are people looking for,
because you know, in my town,
a lot of--
In Jon's town.
A lot of people buy
really loaded trucks.
And you never see them towing.
You never seen them
carrying a load.
The biggest load
they carry is, you
know, the family coming
back from maybe Costco
or some kind of big-box store.
You know, and they're
$60,000, $70,000--
The loaded paper towel.
--trucks.
You look great.
And the ride can't be--
yeah, right, you look great.
But the ride can't
be that enjoyable.
They're almost like--
well, you said--
Well, it's depending
on the truck.
So in the RAM, it probably
is very enjoyable.
You go back-- do you
remember back in--
we used to do, in our
ride-comfort, a full-load ride.
We actually loaded up
the bed and then judge
the ride based on a full bed.
What we found is
people, to your point,
people aren't using
them like that.
So we don't even do
that test anymore.
They're like a SUV
without a cover.
Yeah, so I would encourage
people, you know,
if you're between--
I don't know what the right way
to get a full load in, maybe
bring some sandbags or something
along and do maybe a test
drive both ways.
If you're going
to use it loaded,
don't judge it completely
on its unladen ride.
You touched on something
about the price.
And I looked at them both.
I mean, the RAM feels nicer.
It has more features really,
than not for much more money.
I mean, we're looking at maybe
$2,200 in our test vehicles.
It has XM.
It has a larger screen
with Uconnect, which is--
the GM one's good,
Uconnect's better.
It is better.
It has power-folding mirrors
and a power-sliding rear window.
Now, the GM truck has
a huge rear window,
makes it easy to see out,
but that venting is nice.
Parking sensors front and rear,
which helps with the truck,
because the front end.
You cannot see over it, right.
The key thing, I mean,
again, let's just make
a round number, 50 grand.
Neither of them has
advanced safety gear.
The RAM has a little bit of a
parking assist for the back.
It'll stop if it thinks
it's going to hit something,
but no automatic emergency
braking, no forward collision
warning, not even blind spot.
And again, you got some
big blind spots in trucks.
That's a disappointment to me.
Something that I
thought was interesting,
is the Silverado-- at least the
1500 always been a lower truck.
This truck's tall.
It's going, I think, after--
you know, Ford always has
these big, brawny grills
and they're tall.
The RAM actually seems lower.
And the Silverado went up.
I needed the handle.
And the hood I notice it's
big and it's a little bit
to look around.
The steering is still better.
I think that it has the best
steering out of the three
trucks, the F-150 included.
I don't care for the
steering in that or the RAM.
But it's a big truck either way.
I was just going
to say, I'm also
looking for stuff that
makes shorter stature.
You know, women buying
trucks, which again,
and we've talked about.
There's a lot of horse women.
In the Silverado, that
step in the bumper that
let you get in the bed,
the assisted gates,
you know, the Silverado
had a power-lift gate.
Most of them are easier
now, grab-handles
to get in, all of them have
that, adjustable pedals.
Silverado did not have
the adjustable pedals.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
RAM does, F-150 does.
So things like that make
it easier for someone
who is a little shorter.
It's an important truck
for GM, in the sense of A,
they compete with Ford for the
best-selling vehicle in America
each year.
Not truck, vehicle.
Vehicle.
Right, right, not just truck.
Small volume.
And secondly, it is
going to be the basis,
the platform basis
for their SUV's,
so the Chevrolet Suburban, the
Chevrolet Tahoe, the GMC Yukon,
the GMC Yukon XL, the big ones.
And last generation, they
didn't launch Silverado well,
according to the Consumer
Reports' annual auto survey
reliability data
from our members.
And those trucks
also had problems.
Hurt the others,
hurt the others.
They also had reliability.
So we'll see getting
them through testing
in the next couple of weeks.
We're going to move to questions
right now, because we've
got a lot of great ones.
We had that one about eTorque.
But we've got a--
We through the
eTorque in up there.
Right.
So the first one, e
have a video question
about all-weather tires.
Take it away.
Hey, Talking Cars.
So I've been thinking
of getting some snow
tires for my new Ridgeline.
But I really don't want to
changing tires over every six
months.
I saw your reviews on
some all-weather tires
from Toyo Celsius CUV,
Goodyear WeatherReadys,
and some Nokian WRG3's,
RG4's or new, I guess.
I'm in the same
state as you guys.
And I don't need to go to
work when it's extremely bad.
But I do need to be able to
drive when it is snowing.
Are these new all-weather
tires decent enough, especially
in something like a Ridgeline?
It's pretty heavy.
I'm leaning towards
the WeatherReadys.
But I also kind of like
the Toyo Celsius CUV.
Thank you, have a great day.
OK, a really good
question and something
we hear from people a
lot about type of tire
for the transitional weather.
Ryan our black-donut expert,
what should this gentleman do?
So it's a great
question, because this
is the exact situation why
these tires were designed for
or what they were designed for.
People that do encounter
snow, but don't
want to be hassled with
the tire change over.
Actually, we just
got done testing
our last all-season
program of car tires.
And there's actually
five all-weather models
that we tested in the
performance all-season group.
And there's a good spread.
I mean, we have a
couple at the top,
middle, and then
closer to the bottom.
And I think they're
a great compromise.
They are still a compromise.
Tires are always a compromise.
In what way are
they a compromise?
Well, you know, you can't have
a tire that is amazing in snow
and is amazing on wet roads.
It's just-- there is one.
He skewed more towards
snow, but yeah,
give up maybe something else.
So yeah, I mean, I definitely
recommend an all-weather tire.
Take a look at our
ratings, we just
came out with all new ratings.
And there's five
different models in there.
If that doesn't work,
if you can't maybe
find something that
fits you, you know,
there, the next
best thing is really
a set of snow tires
on wheels ready to go.
And you can go to
a local tire place.
And they'll mount them
for you, maybe even
store your other tires, so you
don't have to deal with that.
I know sometimes
storage is an issue.
Can you give us a rundown
just in the brands
that are making them?
And also are there any
worries that you may have,
because I think they're
kind of limited.
It's interesting.
You can look at these
tires and they all
look radically different.
I mean, the Michelin looks
almost like a summer tire,
but they do it all
with compounding.
The grip comes from compounding.
The Nokian looks
like a snow tire.
It's really unique.
But it's usable on dry roads.
Exactly, if you
look at our ratings,
you'll see the benefits of each.
So right, consumerreports.org,
we've got our ratings.
And we might have some
free content up there too.
But members can go to
consumerreports.org.
Also, send us your
video questions.
We really like those, text it
to TalkingCars@icloud.com, send
them in via our YouTube site.
Wherever we can get
questions from you,
we want to answer them.
So moving on, we have a
question from a young viewer
who's buying his first car.
Hi, I'm 15.
I love cars.
And I'm coming up on
buying my first one.
I live in a place
that snows a lot.
And my parents want
me to buy a car
with either 4x4 or
all-wheel drive.
I have no idea
what to look into.
And I have a budget
of about $10,000.
What should I get?
So first I'm going to
steal Jen's game, because--
Stealing my game.
--everyone has to come
up with a suggestion.
But I'm going to
go to Jen first,
because Jen maintains a list,
top used cars for teens,
fits right in here.
Jen, go.
At the risk of being repetitive,
just to say, you know,
we try to balance not too big,
not too small, not too fast,
not too slow, obviously
reliable, obviously full
of safety features.
The Goldilocks of cars, right?
Yeah, right kind of the
Goldilocks and that's
how we narrow that
teen driver list.
So my pick was--
I mean, my gut at first was
to go to all the Subarus,
you know, reliable.
I think, you know, I said I'd
lease one for my own daughter.
But if you look there, resale
prices are a little higher.
So where I ended up
for him is a RAV4.
Toyota RAV4.
Yeah, 2009 or later, excellent
reliability, ESC was standard.
I would really like
you to get something
with Electronics
Stability Control,
regardless of what you
buy, please look for that.
Four-cylinder, so
it's not too quick.
But fuel efficient.
Fuel efficient, reliability
was excellent, room,
your all-wheel drive, that's
what I settled on, RAV4.
Ryan, what did you
bring to the table?
So I went down the
Subaru road, just
because all-wheel drive and
they do make great cars, a 2010
or later Legacy.
The Impreza is too small.
I think the Legacy
is a little bigger.
It's a nicer car, I think,
a little more solid.
And like Jen said,
definitely try
to get stability control, 100%.
I was looking-- there's
some Hyundai Santa Fe's
mentioned, Santa Fe Sport.
I saw the Forester.
I went with the Impreza.
Both of you knocked it--
We didn't knock
it, I just didn't.
Truly, I just didn't.
So I'm not knocking it.
I just was weighing out the--
But you both gave reasons
not choose it here.
Non-turbo, key, no
WRX, no WRX, OK?
That's--
And you look at the price range.
You could see these 22,000.
That's the WRX.
And summer tires or super-ultra
high performance all-season
is not going to
give you snow grip.
You know, you can
look 2010 to 12's.
You know, that's
the lower end of if.
You might get some high mileage.
Also, pretty good reliability
and owner satisfaction data
from our annual auto
survey of CR members.
So I think all great option.
You want to know the other
one I through in there?
Toyota Matrix.
There's just not a
lot of them around.
There isn't.
But that was a great car.
I forgot about the Matrix.
You got to put snows.
He wants an all-wheel
drive or 4x4.
Well, you can get
all-wheel drive.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, you could get
an all-wheel drive.
But I thought that was--
Rare car.
Yeah, rare car.
You maybe not be
able to find one.
Proper tires, though.
That's on our list, so.
Right, in any case.
OK, so we have one more.
We have an electric
vehicle hybrid question
from a viewer in the
Dominican Republic.
Hello, from the
Dominican Republic.
Yay, I love our
international audience.
I think it's the first one.
First one from a island
versus --and are Canada.
--youthful.
A whole lot of questions
from the youngsters.
That's good.
Well, they're texting.
They're doing the text.
That's good.
That's good.
So let's start.
Hello, from the
Dominican Republic.
I spend over an hour
in traffic every day,
burning fuel and traveling
five to eight miles at most.
Sounds like he lives in
San Francisco instead.
[LAUGHTER]

On weekends, I take the
family to the mountains,
which is a 200-mile round trip.
I know hybrids and EV's
are different animals,
but which one would perform
better in stop-and-go traffic
driving environment?
What do you think?
We've already talked about that.
Right, so I think in his case
a hybrid is the perfect one.
EV's would work for his commute,
but may not work for the travel
into the mountains.
Exactly what we said
five minutes ago.
That he's not going to find
a charger in the mountains.
So to me perfect
person for a hybrid.
And stop and go is actually
where hybrids excel.
You know, you think
of long commuter miles
on the highway, that's actually
not where they get their most
benefit.
It's in that stop and go,
in the city, perfect car.
So I would say,
absolutely go with hybrid.
Then you have the option and
when you're on your weekend
to the mountains, that
you have the backup.
You don't need to
worry about charging.
I thought a Prius,
Toyota Prius or Prius V.
The V is a little bigger.
You go to the mountains, you
can carry some extra stuff.
You know, one thing that
I was thinking about,
the charging infrastructure.
You know, I mean, what do
we see here in the States?
Right, well, we
were just talking
about how in Connecticut,
we don't have that many.
I mean, there are chargers, but
maybe in this area there isn't.
And you know, that deters me
from wanting an electric car.
I don't know what
it is down there.
I can't imagine it's
better than here, you know,
in terms of frequency
of chargers.
So you know, that's
one of the things.
I looked online.
It seems like there's
only one or two chargers.
Maybe that's only one or two
public chargers in the --it's
Dominican --not
Republic --to say
--he can't have one at
home, but yeah, right.
Right, but still and
then we go to the mileage
of an EV or the range, you're
going to maybe get 200 at best.
And that's a Bolt
or a Tesla Model 3.
If you buy a LEAF,
that's way low, right?
Batteries don't like heat.
You're going to be
using the AC a lot.
You know, that range
is going to be lower.
Any suggestions for Him?
Yeah, the only thing I added--
and you're right, Prius,
Prius V would be
great with something
maybe slightly larger, if
they're camping or going
on a round trip.
I said Highlander
hybrid or a RAV4 hybrid,
so keeping in that
Toyota vain, but yeah.
What about people who
maybe aren't living there,
but want an EV?
There is some news
about them actually.
Right, so we just
published an article.
It's an industry thing.
But right now, if
somebody is looking
to get into the
electric vehicle market,
there is a glut-- we
actually us that word.
Of used EV's in
the used car market
to be had for super reasonable.
We're talking about 1/3
of what they're MSRP was.
$10,000, you can get into a
LEAF or something like that.
Albeit, not 200 miles
range, but if you
wanted to pick up a second
vehicle as a commuter vehicle,
now is the time.
We even said, what a great
way to get new safety features
in a $10,000 car.
We talked about
this young driver.
It's hard to get ESC
yet for under $10,000.
You really got to look.
But a brand new car,
$10,000, great teen vehicle,
great way to try it, great
way to get a second car.
Yeah, if you live in
that kind of situation
I was talking
about, you know, you
have a commute 20 or 20
miles or you can charge,
that really works.
Yeah, if you have the parking
and a charger at home,
would be awesome time.
Yep, well, you know that article
and more about EV's and hybrids
is free on consumerreports.org.
And members can get our
ratings on EV's and hybrids.
That's going to do
if for this episode,
so remember to check the
show notes, also, send us
those video and text questions
to TalkingCars@icloud.com.
We really want them, potentially
for another all-question
episode down the road.
Thanks for watching and
we'll see you next time.
[MUSIC PLAYING]

Chevy Bolt Review - Chevy Is Headed in the Right Direction but It's No Tesla

Teslanomics with Ben Sullins:

2019 Chevy Blazer: FULL REVIEW + DRIVE | Introducing the Camaro Crossover!

Car Confections:

What's going on YouTube! with so many crossovers pouring into the market it's really hard to make an impression today
But that's something the Blazer has definitely managed to do
Its rivals are already some of the most stylish SUVs on the market
but Chevy has gone a step further here and has resurrected the Blazer into something of a practical Camaro and
That's an intriguing concept which is why we're happy to be checking out this fully loaded blazer premier today at Sutherland Chevrolet
Special thanks to them for giving us access to this vehicle
And if you're the market for any new Chevy
Be sure to stop by their dealership or visit them on their website, which we provided a link to in the video description. So
Is this a Camaro on stilts, let's find out
So starting off here on the outside it certainly seems like the answer is yes
this is a very
provocatively styled crossover with a large grill dominating the front as
Far as all the trims. It is different between them
So on this premier, we have the extra chrome as well as a gray piece at the bottom
Compared to the lower trims which have a matte black finish
The one exception to that is the sporty RS which blacks everything out for the full Camaro. Look
But what stands out the most is the way the headlights are designed
This is a very similar setup to how the rival SantaFe does them
which is that you have a thin and aggressive LED daytime running light across the top but
Then the actual headlight is located down in a separate housing towards the bottom on the Blazer
This light is always hid and you will not find any fog lights
Moving to the side the Blazer sets between the equinox and Traverse size-wise though. It is much closer to that of the equinox
however, it doesn't look like either of them since it's got a coupe light stance with a sloped roof and a really high beltline and
Then around back. It's definitely got a more aggressive stance than the vehicles it competes against in
A nod to Camaro. The taillights are designed to have two sections each one kind of looking like an era and
Then dropping down to the bottom every blazer will come with dual exhaust but the shape of the outlet will vary by trend
But overall the Blazer really stands out in this increasingly crowded segment
This isn't just another CUV with cookie-cutter looks this is something that people will notice when it rolls down the street
Now another one of the eye-catching elements are these huge 21 inch wheels
These are available as an option on the premier and there is also a fully black 21 available on the RS as well
Both of those trims would normally come with 20 inch alloys and then as far as your other three trims, they have 18 inch alloys
Coming up to the mirrors
They are always body color powered adjusting and heated
plus you'll find blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert on all with the base L trim and
On the topic of safety systems like most GM vehicles. They are mostly reserved for the upper trims
Only the RS and premier have the option to add front emergency braking with pedestrian detection
Lane Keeping Assist
advanced adaptive cruise control and auto high beam headlights
It is worth noting that these are features that many of the rivals include even on the base trims and
Then the last thing to look at on the outside is the fuel tank
Which is either 19.4 or 21.7 gallons for front or all-wheel drive models respectively
Now I'll go through every possible combination. But this specific model can travel
456 miles on a tank of fuel and both engines do run on regular unleaded
But anyways, that's it for the resurrection Blazers aggressive exterior, so now let's see if the cabin is just as bold
So right off the bat the Blazer has a leg up on most of the
Competition and that's because it gives you both standard smart entry and remote start across all of the shrimps
And to get inside the vehicle itself like all GM vehicles, there is no sensor behind the handle so you just press the button
All right, so checking out the interior of the all-new blazer
And you can see it right off the bat it definitely carries that Camaro influence from the outside into the interior as well
Now as far as the actual materials and colors, there are a lot of different choices
So on your L through to LT
You're gonna have cloth seating and then the rest of the trims will have leather though
It is worth noting that on the RS. There is a cloth insert in the middle
And then as far as the colors are concerned most of your trims, you're just choosing between jet black or gray on
The RS is jet black only but with some red accents and then on this premier
You do get a maple sugar color option though. We have stuck with the jet black as you can tell
Now turning over here to the door trim that is very upscale
You do have a nice leatherette
Across the all the armrest and up the handle here as well as above it now. The top part is hard touch though
You got a black trim through here. And then on the premier, you will find two person memory seating
Coming down to the windows, they are OneTouch Auto down for all four of them, but only auto up on the drivers
Now checking out the seat here
It is 8-way power adjusting on all that the very base L model and you do have two-way lumbar support as well
And then like I was saying on the premiere you do have real leather
It has a nice high-quality feel to it as well as a really attractive
Stitching and piping design with the contrast as well as the special pattern, which you'll see repeated throughout the cabin
So like I was saying right off the bat you can really tell the Camaro influence in here
However, I will say that the material selection is nicer than the Camaro
Down the extreme upper part of the dash it is hard touch
However, you got this layer of leatherette with some nice stitching that runs across all this area
That same material can continues down here and you have some more stitching as well as that pattern. I was mentioning earlier
this material travels across the center part and then down below you even got a nice leather padded area for you to rest against
And then overall the materials do fit together really nicely
Now across all Blazers you do have push-button start
And when you press it, you will also find this 8 inch display standard on even the base model
Now looking over here at your gauges these however are not standard these are just reserved for your RS and premier trims
as you can see
We've got the 8 inch reconfigurable display the other shrimps come with a smaller 4.2 inch display
This continues to be one of the better reconfigurable displays on the industry because you have so many different options
Including the ability to actually change your entire theme
So you can go into that touring mode as you can see that switches up everything to a kind of a more wild design
So basically you can just modify things to whatever matches your taste. now coming
back to the steering wheel
Of course
you do have electric power steering and
One really nice feature is that you will find a leather wrapped steering wheel on every model including the models with the cloth seating
Now up here we've got our buttons for our cruise control as well as the heated steering wheel that comes on RS and premiere
Then on this side you got your buttons for your display as well as your traditional phone and voice controls
As far as the wheel itself it is power adjusting here on the premier only
Now moving on to the storage component
I am happy to report that even though it looks like the Camaro it definitely has more storage than the Camaro
So starting off over here with your center console
As you can see it is very deep
About a foot deep and you do have a nice little pad down at the bottom
Additionally, you will find a regular and type-c USB port as well as a 12-volt outlet inside of here
Then up in front of that, we've got another little cubby two cupholders and
In this big blank area here great for sticking your phone
And as you can see, it is also a wireless phone charger on the premier trim
Additionally above that are two more USB ports
The Chevy has been able to provide you with all that space
While still sticking with a traditional shifter instead of the electronic one that's on some of this models platform mates
For this of course is very easy to use you. Just pull back for Drive
you can go into a low mode and you do also have manual shifting ability via these toggles and
Then shifting into reverse you will find a standard backup camera across all of the trims
However, our model has the optional surround view
360-degree camera
Now this is available as an option on the 3LT, RS and premiere now
This is one of the best 360 cameras in the business
Not only because you have so many different views to choose from but also because of the resolution
This is excellent resolution as you can see it's super clear
And it's better honestly than some of the other GM vehicles like the Tahoe for example
It's definitely the newer generation of the 360 camera
This model does also have an electronic parking brake it's actually located over here
As far as what's behind the shifter though, you do have a button to turn off your parking sensors
but your land Keeping Assist and then you have your controls for on this model the
torque vectoring twin clutch all-wheel drive system
But moving up to what is probably the most signature part of the Camaros interior design you've got the exact same climate controls
So like it says straight off the Camaro
You've got the two giant low mounted vents and then you just twist around
To adjust the temperature which does appear there as well as under the display
Above that you got physical controls for your zones
As well as AC functions and then below that you've got your fan
So I do appreciate that it both looks good and is also a highly functional
Attorney over here to your seating controls, you will find three-stage heated seats on your 3 LT and up
However, our model also has three stage ventilation that's reserved for only the premiere
All righty, so now that brings us up to our audio system on the premiere
We've got an 8 speaker Bose premium sound system and this is the only trim to get that
Sound quality of this system is very good
Anyhow that brings us up here to our Chevy infotainment 3 system, so let's go ahead and take a quick look
Alright, so I'll just go through the system highlights here real fast
Of course the infotainment 3 is the newest Chevy infotainment system
It's very speedy and it's easy to use
Right here. You get your home screen
With various things like your audio phone navigation, you can click straight into that stuff
While we're in the navigation
I will go ahead and mention this is standard on the premier only though it is
Available as an option on the RS and 3 LT
As you can see this is really responsive very detailed
graphics and you can't even do things like your
Tilt to zoom kind of like Google Maps, so that's pretty nice
Coming back to the home screen. You can swipe over see all of your applications
so you have audio where you can control the functions and your different sources and you can click on the phone as well and
See your contacts which would automatically sync over if I have my phone connected right now
One of the things I will point out is that you've always got these shortcut buttons along the bottom. So it makes things very convenient
Now the big thing that people are probably most interested in is your apple carplay and android auto
so even if you have one of the models without integrated navigation
Which is the majority of them
You do still have access to
Google Earth maps as well as Apple Maps if you use apple carplay or Android auto which is standard equipment
as far as other noteworthy features
You do have your Wi-Fi hotspot, like all GM vehicles and this is where you'll find the password to sign in
But anyways, that's pretty much the main features of the Chevy infotainment 3 system
However, we do have a really detailed tech help video that digs into the features
So if you want to check that out a link to that is in the video description
I'm moving up to mirror, of course, it is auto-dimming
We do also have the rear camera functionality which is optional on the three LT RS and premiere
This car has pretty good visibility, but the rear window is a little small and the pillars are a little bit thick
So this is definitely helpful
And then moving on up from that
You will also find a panoramic moonroof on our model
Now once again, this is optional on the top three trims
Via the Sun and wheels package, but as you can see this is well worth it
I think because it is huge a different portion does open up just like a traditional
Moonroof would so it gives you a lot of open air?
space
But anyways, I have to say that I am really digging the Blazers interior I
Honestly don't think any of the rivals have such a good mixture of style and functionality
So overall, it's just really a great place to spend time
Anyways now I'll go ahead and hand it off to Mason who will finish up the rest of the cabin
So heading around to the rear seat of the all-new blazer
You're going to find a larger than average amount of spice
Its technical writing is 41 inches of rear legroom and 38.6 inches of rear headroom
That does make it larger than the Ford Edge Nissan Murano and Hyundai Santa Fe
However, the Headroom rating is a little bit less than those models since it does have the sloping roofline
Now moving over to the door trim. It is really nicely finished
So you do have a leather wrapped armrest with some stitching going through that
it is also padded above that and the top portion is a nice cranny and
Down below that you will find an auto down window as well as heated rear seats standard on the premier or optional in the RS
Further below that you do have some bottle storage
Now the seat itself is a really nice design
So you have perforation here as well as a little Alcantara insert with stitching in addition to that. You can also slide and recline
Now here in the center area the blazer is really nicely finished
so all models will get these rear vents and it does have a little silver outline which makes it look a lot more premium and
Down below that Chevy was also nice enough to include a USB
Regular USB port as well as a USB type-c port now in addition to that
we do also have a household stock outlet, which is a really nice touch and
Down below that we do have storage
I don't know if you can see it or not, but there's plenty of storage down here
You can fit quite a bit of stuff in there
In addition to that we do have an armrest does fold down nicely
It is leather wrapped and it has some cup holders in the end
Now up top this fully loaded blazer does have the panoramic moonroof which does look really nice here at the back and
Beside that you do have an assist grip LED lighting and a coat hook
Now as far as where legroom is concerned like I said, this is the biggest among its rivals
So I have plenty of space behind Drew seating position
I probably have about six inches of rear legroom and I feet can't easily slide up on it the seat
now sliding over
Even with the seat scooted all the way back. I still have plenty of room
But overall, I'm extremely impressed by the Blazer for seat most in this class do offer comfortable rear seats
But the blazers has plenty of features and it truly feels like a luxury car back here
Now to fold the rear seats you can use this level over here and it does come down it does fold 60/40 split
Now heading around to the tailgate of the Blazer
It is power on the 3 LT trims and higher and foot activated on the RS and premier trucks
So just wave your foot under the bumper and you will notice that it does even have a Chevy logo light up on the ground
Here so this way your foot into the buffer and it does open right up
Now inside the Blazers trunk
You will find a little bit less space than where you will on most of the rivals
It comes in a 30 cubic feet behind the second row seats and expands to 64 cubic feet with them folded now
Like I said that is a little bit less than the rivals. It's about 10 cubic feet less than the Santa Fe and Ford Edge
However, Chevy does finish it really nicely back here since we do have the cargo management system straight off with the x.25 which basically allows
you to divide your cargo areas and
Down below the floor here. You have a spare tire
some additional storage to the left
some additional storage right here as well and you will also notice we have some LED lighting as
Well as the handle two folding rear seats
And once you do fold them all the way it is a flat loading
Now the passenger seat is that same nice design it even has some nice cool stitching here and
It is also sick type our adjusting on the 3 LT trends and higher or it would be 4-way manual on the lower trims
Now in front of the passenger we do have awesome materials
so we have a leather area right here as well as the stitching the tail and
To open the glove box. All you have to do is press this little button
Now once aside you will find it's a nice sized glove box it is not felt lined but it does have LED lighting
Now top the Sun Visor does have a mirror light and the lights do gently fade in
And you can also detach it and extend
But anyway guys that sums up all I'm going to talk about for the rear areas at the blazer
So now let's go ahead and talk about the powertrain and do a test drive
All righty, so now to go ahead and talk about your different powertrains
Now for this model, you've got two different choices
You've got a two and a half liter four-cylinder for your L and 1 LT
so your base 2 trims and that makes 193 horsepower and
188 panel feet of torque
Now for the rest of the models, which is - LT through premier, you're gonna get a much bigger
3.6 liter v6
And that makes 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque
Regardless of your choice of engine you're gonna have a 9 speed automatic transmission
Power is put to the ground with standard front wheel drive across all of the trumps
Or optional all-wheel drive on the 2lt and up
However, it is worth noting that on our s and premiere models. There is a more sophisticated
twin clutch all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring
As far as your fuel economy is concerned the EPA didn't publish all the figures
But I just read the sticker on this model and this is the 3.6 liter v6 all wheel drive
and it's rated at 18 city 25 highway 25 and
That pretty much matches the equivalent Ford Edge if you're making a comparison, but anyways, that pretty much covers the basic specs
So let's go ahead and take it for a quick test drive
So setting off in the 2019 blazer
Power seems pretty good
So here at this stop sign our auto start/stop system just engaged. So, let's see how quickly it restarts here
Did a good job that restart well before my foot went from the brake to the gas pedal, so that's what you want to see
And I do also kind of want to point out
for those of you that don't know like all of the heat and stuff stays on so
It definitely is not going to be something that you're going to notice when you restart
We have power definitely feels more than adequate like I was saying earlier a
Lot of different jean vehicles have this including vehicles much much bigger
like your Buick Enclave for instance and your Chevy Traverse and those of course are
Gigantic three row SUVs and this is a smaller and lighter vehicle. You can definitely tell that
Like you said, we drove all of those and this feels so much smaller even just riding here in the passenger seat
I'm not even behind the wheel and you can just tell you're hauling around a whole lot less
mass
When you buy the Blazer, absolutely
And you can tell that in the handling as well
This uh, it feels pretty agile now, of course, this is no
It may look like a Camaro but it's not. It shares no bones with the camaro
It's still just a crossover, but I do appreciate that Chevy has made it
sportier
Than their other offerings like the equinox and bigger things like this Traverse
So this is like a good middle ground. I guess you could say it as well in driving dynamics as well as size
I also want to talk about how smooth the 9 speed automatic is
It's incredibly smooth
There's not many transmissions that shift as smooth as this hat is shifting
Just driving like a normal person
It's it and then here the rolling stop
you can see it just
Just does it all like it has no hesitation but no animation no stuttering and you know
A lot of people they don't like the gears to shift
continuously and with the 9 speed you kind of would expect that but
You really can't tell when it shifts gears like just riding along here
I
Couldn't tell when it switched gears or anything
You just get that power that you need when you need it and the fuel economy that you want
When you're just cruising down the highway, that's exactly right
Really getting the blazer out on the highway is a really good measure of what this car is going to be doing mainly so this
Car is a crossover after all I Drew said it's not a sports car or anything like that
And just riding along here. It is a super smooth vehicle. We went over a bridge just a few minutes ago and
It took it like a dream like the bumps. You can't feel them at all. Nothing really makes it into the cabin
It's quiet in here. The seats are comfortable and really is just a great
Highway cruising vehicle, which is what a lot of you guys will be doing in this car
Right, this is a poorly maintained road. Yes. It's still very quiet inside the cabin
I don't think you'll have any problem taking off merging onto a highway or something. We live in a busy city
No this car handles it really well, I'm very impressed. You know, this engine we did say is in a lot of other beautiful
GM vehicles in general but this it sounds good in this car. It feels definitely peppy enough
Because it's not hauling around as much weight
But overall I have to say I'm really impressed by the way the new blazer drives
it really just feels like a
Well-rounded package, you've got the nice ride and the space of your bigger siblings like the Traverse
But then it's got more of an agile and you know tight sporty feel
Then your equinox or traverse as well
So it kind of just feels like that
Right mixture kind of maybe the perfect maybe the Goldilocks of the Chevy lineup as far as the crossovers go
So you need a little space but one a little Camaro insert it in there. Then this blazer might be your choice
Well guys we've enjoyed watching one of the first in-depth looks at the fully loaded
2019 Chevy Blazer premiere stay watching for a quick overview of the pricing and don't forget with those like and subscribe buttons below
We'll catch you next time as we sing for more of the latest automotive delicacies!

Why Chevy Is Radically Changing The Corvette

CNBC:

The Corvette is widely regarded
as America's sports car.
The Chevrolet Corvette has been in production
since 1953, making it one of
the longest running production
vehicles in history.
Of course, it's also one that
has occasionally risked the axe, especially
in times of stress for
Chevrolet parent General Motors.
In spite of that, the car has endured
and it is about to undergo its
biggest change in history.
The Corvette is becoming a mid-engine sports car
and it is one of a small
number of mid-engine sports cars that can
be bought for less than six
figures.
GM President Mark Reuss told the crowd
at the Corvettes unveiling that the
car would start at less than 60
thousand dollars and gasps could be heard
from the audience to
understand what this means.
It is important to take
a look at Corvette's history.
The first Corvette was designed
by legendary General Motors designer
Harley Earl.
Earl saw that American soldiers returning
from Europe after World War 2
had gone crazy for European sports cars,
and he wanted to create an
American competitor.
GM built 300 of the first Corvettes
in 1953, while the initial Corvette
was a virtual masterpiece
of automotive design.
The car's performance was mediocre.
GM engineers had put the car together
from materials the company had on
hand. Its six-cylinder engine lacked the
horsepower needed to match the
car's sleek looks.
The first Corvette sold poorly and was
being outsold several times over by
competitors such as
the Ford Thunderbird.
Just a few years after its creation,
the Corvette was already in danger of
being discontinued.
But the car had caught the attention
of a Russian born Belgian immigrant
engineer and race car driver named Zora
Arkus-Duntov, who soon got a job
with GM and became the
Corvettes first chief engineer.
Arkus-Duntov is credited with pushing
for a sportier, higher performing
Corvette. Over time, the car grew a
reputation as a working man's answer
to high end Italian and German supercars
and developed a proud and devoted
following apart from its lower price.
It also, over time, became known for
keeping its engine in the front of
the car. Like many conventional cars.
But the performance and handling of
a mirror engine layout is often
favored among makers of super cars
and high end sports cars.
Arkus-Duntov
had pressed his bosses to make a
mid-engine Corvette, and for years the
company experimented with designs.
You know, creating a car with the
drive train centralized in the middle of
the vehicle helps
centralize the mass.
When you do that, you end up with
more equal weight between the front and
rear axles and on the front tires.
Essentially, that makes the car more
stable, even at higher speeds and
even around sharper corners,
braking and acceleration.
Everything you're doing in the car especially
is a performance car is more
stable, more balanced when you have
mass centralised engine design over
time.
Chevrolet developed several different iterations
of what was called the
Chevrolet Experimental Research
Vehicle or CERV.
These cars were outfitted with
mid-engine configurations too, some of
which Arkus-Duntov himself held patents, but
none of the designs ever made
it to production, even as high
end performance vehicles from other
manufacturers routinely demonstrated the
advantages of the mid-engine
layout.
That Corvette was able to compete with
many far more expensive cars was
impressive that it did so while keeping
its engine in the front of the
car. For many of its fans added to
its charm, in some ways, the car
appeared to succeed in
spite of itself.
I think that when we talk about Corvette
and the idea that it stayed true
for so long to its heritage front engine,
rear drive and over time, as we
saw more mid-engine cars coming out,
performance levels getting higher and
higher.
Part of the mystique and the aura
around mid-engine was literally that was
the engines like right
behind your head.
Changes like ride and
drive dynamics, too.
But it kind of gave this idea that,
to compete at this level, you have to
have a mid-engine.
At the same time, Corvette soldiered on
and it was great Nuremberg lap
records.
It was crazy amounts of power grid,
all despite the fact that didn't have
this latest and greatest
exotic car engine.
Part of its success has come
from the credibility Corvette has established
in racing.
Corvettes have been a popular choice
for racing enthusiasts for decades,
even when General Motors has not
been formally involved in racing.
In 1960, a private race team entered a
Corvette in the 24 hours of Le
Monde endurance race in
Le Mans, France.
In 1999, GM began sponsoring a Corvette
racing team, which has since won
107 races around the world.
That is more than any other car
in the history of the International Motor
Sports Association, one of the major
sanctioning bodies for racing in
North America.
In addition, the current Corvette racing
team has had eight victories in
the car's class and the 24 hours
of Le Monde race since 2001.
The Corvette also benefited from some
clever publicity, courtesy of early
NASA astronauts in the early 1960s.
GM President Ed Cole and a Florida
Chevrolet dealer named Jim Rathmann, a
former Indy 500 winner, offered astronauts
from some of the Apollo
missions a special deal that let
them drive any Chevrolet vehicle they
wanted for a year for one dollar.
Many, of course, chose the Corvette.
That doesn't mean things have always
been easy for the Corvette.
General Motors has been
close to canceling the.
Car a few times, but it's always seemed
to save it at the last minute.
One famous incident was in the 1990s
when GM wanted to shut down the
Corvette program in favor
of more popular models.
At that time, the company was
reportedly losing 1000 dollars on every
Corvette it made.
But Corvette program manager Russ McClain
and his team secretly went to
work on a new Corvette.
McClain told no one except his wife that
he had been ordered to cancel the
car.
The car they created was released in
1997 and became Motor Trend's Car of
the Year in 1998.
Corvette sales have seen a decline
in recent years, falling from 33,329
units in 2015 to
18,791 units in 2018.
GM, along with rivals Ford and
Fiat Chrysler, have rapidly been abandoning
traditional passenger cars.
However, industry watchers say the Corvette
name has now lived long enough
to attain a kind of iconic status,
not unlike the Ford Mustang, which Ford
has decided to hold on to even
as it slowly drains its portfolio of
traditional sedans and coupes.
But General Motors has decided it is
time for a big change to Corvette,
and many industry observers say the
mid-engine gives GM a shot at
attracting a new audience to the car.
I think for General Motors and
virtually every automaker whose main stream
or even the luxury brands
that have these halo cars.
The rationale is literally that is that
we have to have something that
brings you into the showroom or gets
our own employees excited because it
does have that trickle down
effect from said vehicle.
And it's one of those things where
you're never going to justify on paper,
you work in product planning, your
corporate bean counting, whatever you
want to call it.
On paper, it doesn't make
a lot of sense.
Can you truly measure
its effect overall?
Not really.
I mean, if you really want extrapolated
down to word of mouth kind of
thing, which again, is pie 1, the
highest, you know, most reputable things
is , I heard it from X, Y, Z,
and you really can measure stuff like that.
You can say, you know, on the
internet we saw this much activity.
We saw as many clicks.
But at the end of the day, it's
one of those things that you really can't
measure people's feelings.
And we know the cars of this nature,
they stir the soul and they get
people excited.
The new Corvette boasts
some impressive specs.
It will have 495 horsepower.
And when paired with a performance package,
we'll be able to go from zero
to 60 in under three
seconds according to GM.
That is approaching
supercar performance levels.
For example, it is within just fractions
of a second of the times boasted
by the 350 thousand dollar Ferrari
488 Pista and the 573 thousand
dollar Lamborghini Aventador
SVJ Roadster.
Chevrolet said redesigning the new Corvette
from the ground up provided a
historic opportunity Chevrolet designers have
wanted for 60 years.
The company said the Corvette can stand
tall with the best the world has
to offer.
GM President Mark Reuss also said Corvette
has pushed the potential of its
front engine design as far
as it can go.
But not everyone is happy about
the switch to a mid-engine layout.
Some longtime Corvette fans have cried
foul over the change, some
considered a betrayal
of Corvettes legacy.
Some complain the car is just aping
European designs and some don't like
how the mid-engine layout
changes the car's proportions.
Others are more optimistic;
if a bit guarded.
General Motors has been trying to
cut costs and improve profitability, and
its push has resulted in some bold,
if controversial moves such as cutting
production of several of its
passenger cars in late 2018.
As of September 2019, shares of GM
had risen about 12 percent over the
past five years.
With sales being so small, many think
Corvettes status as a kind of 'halo'
car becomes ever more
important to its survival.
It gives GM a chance to make
an inspiring, attention grabbing vehicle and
showcase the company's
engineering talent.
By switching over to
a mid-engine design.
Corvette is showing it can make
a world class vehicle and undercut
higher-end makers of super
cars in price.
It's always fascinating to
watch the supercar evolution.
This is a this is
a segment that doesn't stop.
It's never standing still.
It's never static. Every
not even a year.
It's really more like almost
every three to four months.
There's another super car
coming around the corner.
I think General Motors has stepped
into this competitive segment with a
very capable entry in this
new C 8 Corvette.
And it will be fascinating to watch
how how effectively they compete at
their price point with
much higher priced vehicle.
When they've got a vehicle that already
looks like it's going to be
offering performance based models that
are just being produced, despite
all the data that shows sport
utility is taking over the U.S.
auto market.
The next few years could be
some good ones for sports cars.

2016 Chevrolet Cruze: Tech Features

Cars.com:

cars have become rolling computers in
the redesign 2016 chevrolet cruze
compact sedan drives the point home
besides expected comfort and convenience
features the cruise packs a ton of
available tech features designed to keep
you both informed and entertained when
you're on the move the cruise has a
standard 7-inch touchscreen multimedia
system in this 8-inch touchscreen on
this premier trim level is optional but
what I like about the setup is that
regardless of which screen you get you
get apple carplay and android auto
smartphone capability which mirror
select apps on the screen and it takes
just a few seconds when you plug in your
phone for the apps to show up here
making an easy way to use your phone's
media and navigation capability when you
need it
our cards can be a hassle especially in
the car but the crews helps you reduce
some clutter in the cabin with its
available wireless device charging it's
available for the premiere trim level
and all you have to do is put the
compatible smartphone in this slot in
the center console
however it doesn't work with every phone
doesn't work with iphone right now
without a special adapter so you have to
have a phone like a samsung galaxy model
right now take advantage of this feature
LT and premier trim levels come with an
extended like trial of the cruises
connected services doubt the 24-7
promise it includes two years of sirius
XM satellite radio 2 years or 24
gigabytes of 4G LTE data for in-car
Wi-Fi and two years of the onstar
guidance plan as introductory trial
offers go this plan is pretty generous
because the norm in this segment is
three to six months for a sirius
satellite radio trial
chevrolet says the 24 gigabytes of data
can provide up to 800 hours of streaming
music or 1600 hours of web browsing but
online video will burn through that
considerably quicker with the my
chevrolet app you can stay connected
with the cruise through your smartphone
the app gives you information like
vehicle fuel level tire pressure and
also the cars current location you can
find it if you forgotten where you
parked at the mall
you can also send a destination to the
cars optional navigation system and lock
and unlock the doors and start the car
if the car
remote start some of the features on the
app mimic the ones on your key filed
like remote start but I like how it
gives you the freedom to access your car
from almost anywhere like every other
automaker chevrolet is trying to figure
out how to get the attention of younger
buyers and I think they've had on a good
approach in the new cruise by making it
easy to stay connected with your digital
life with technology that's already
familiar the effort should go a long way
towards helping the crews stand out in
the competitive compact car segment

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 vs. Dodge Challenger Hellcat vs. Chevy Camaro ZL1 — Muscle Car Comparison

Edmunds:

CARLOS: In an
Edmund's exclusive,
here's the ultimate
muscle car comparison.
We've got the Chevy Camaro
ZL1, Dodge Challenger Hellcat,
and Ford Shelby GT500.
These cars have never been
as powerful or as capable.
We have them outfitted in
their highest performing
configurations.
The ZL1 one has the
1LE track package,
the Hellcat is the
Redeye wide body,
in the GT500 has the
carbon fiber track package.
And they're all automatics, too.
We've already done
the drag race.
Go watch that video if
you haven't already.
To do these cars justice
in a proper comparison,
we're going to find out which
one's the fastest around a road
course, which one's the most
fun to drive, which one sounds
the best, which one has
the most useful interior,
and which one does
the baddest burn out.
First, let's acknowledge
our obvious biases.
Kurt is a Ford owner.
Elana lot as a dodge owner.
And I'm a Chevy owner.
ELANA: I also have a
Plymouth and Pontiac.
KURT: How are
those brands doing?
ELANA: Kurt, you
are mean, but fair.
The point is, it
all cancels out.
We're on an even playing field.
CARLOS: So which one of
these cars is the ultimate?
Let's find out.
All
ELANA: Right we, have three
extremely powerful cars
behind us.
And not only are
they full of horses,
they're also quite capable.
Like, they can go
around road horses,
they're good on the street.
But if we are going to
call them muscle cars,
there is one thing that
they have to be able to do.
KURT: Burnouts.
CARLOS: Exactly.
KURT: Yeah.
CARLOS: So we're going
to do this comparison up
on the right foot by doing
a burnout super test.
Rules are simple, from
a stop, start a burnout,
and then go for distance.
Longest burnout wins, but you
can't use your brake pedal.
This is a measurement of
just pure, raw horsepower.
If we see your brake lights,
you're DQed, because science.
ELANA: Yeah, I mean,
burnout scientists say that.

CARLOS: Yeah.
KURT: Yeah.

CARLOS: All right, stability
control off, trac control off,
manual mode engaged.
I'm going to try to shift as
manually through the gears,
try to avoid red line.
And we'll see how this goes.
SPEAKER 4: Carlos
in 3, 2, 1, go.

CARLOS: That was weak.
So the burnout won't
carry through an up shift.
You're basically limited
to whatever first gear
red lines at.
Was just a practice run.
SPEAKER 4: All right, Carlos.
3, 2, 1, go.

That's a burnout.
That's a burnout
without brake use.
Normally, you would use
the brakes to of course,
control the speed so you can do
the longest burnout possible.
But without brakes,
that's a burnout.
OK, I don't feel so
embarrassed anymore.
The trick, though, was
to leave it in automatic
and let the transmission
shift itself.
Because if I tried
to shift manually,
it would end the burnout.
And the only thing
that did-- well,
it didn't do much of a burnout.
The only thing it really did
make me question my manliness.
ELANA: Well, and also,
like, whether or not
you were truly an American.
We were a little
worried about you.
CARLOS: I was worried myself.
So we are still--
ELANA: I think you're
still going a little.
CARLOS: See some--
KURT: I'd say it ends
we're right about here,
because I don't really
see anything past there.
CARLOS: It's going to take
a vote of two out of three.

KURT: Yeah.
ELANA: I mean, that's fine.
Yeah, I can see it.
CARLOS: 187 foot burnout.

I'm OK with that.
ELANA: I mean, it
definitely gives us
something to shoot for.

KURT: All right, burnout time.
I want everything turned off.
And I'm going to get some
wheel spin with the brakes,
and then let it rip.
I'm not going to
shift it itself.
I'm going to let it handle it.
So wish me luck.
SPEAKER 4: 3, 2, 1, go.

KURT: Well, that
was kind of spicy.
Squirrelly.
Not the best.
ELANA: You know, Kurt, I was
expecting more of a smoke show.
I mean, it wasn't bad.
CARLOS: Looks to me like it
was worse than the Camaro.
ELANA: Yeah, I have
to say, the whole no
brakes thing so that you
can't really torque up on it
and get them spinning,
that's a hard rule.
CARLOS: You know,
but it's also--
that the only way to
make it scientific,
because you can probably
drag the brakes,
I'm thinking, and do a burn
out for the entire duration
of the straight.
But it didn't look like that
could do a standing burnout.
KURT: I don't know what it is,
but it just wouldn't really
break the barriers loose,
and I just kind of had
to build up a little bit
RPM and then just floor it.
CARLOS: It seemed like you
had to let the clutch engage.
KURT: Kind of, sort of, yeah.
CARLOS: And then you just
rode out through first.
But then you shifted into
second, and it ended.
KURT: As soon as it hit
second, it hooked up,
and the thing
catapulted forward.
CARLOS: Still seeing
lines, though.
ELANA: Yeah.
KURT: Yeah, I mean,
they're still there.
CARLOS: They're just
getting fainter.
KURT: You know, the car does
have a full tank of fuel.
That's one weight.
CARLOS: And we just ate lunch.
KURT: I mean, that is
burnout out science.
CARLOS: Yeah.
The funny thing is it
looks like it resumes
when you get it in a second.
ELANA: Yeah.
CARLOS: But it stopped here.
ELANA: It counts.
It brakes, it counts
KURT: Yeah.
CARLOS: Second gear burnouts are
cool, but only if it continues.
Longest continuous burnout.
So we'll call it 124--
ELANA: 124, 125?
CARLOS: Yeah.
124.
KURT: I appreciate
your generosity.
ELANA: I'm excited and
a little bit nervous.
SRT mode.
I'm going to use the same
one I use for drag racing.
And then let's get the traction
control all the way Off
SPEAKER 4: 3, 2, 1.

CARLOS: Bravo.
KURT: Yes.
CARLOS: Bravo.
KURT: Yes.
ELANA: Does that count?

KURT: Did that count?
I like how polite you were led
off after you trounced them.
You were, I don't have to
go any farther than this.
CARLOS: You're a
gracious winner.
ELANA: I think it's my win.
CARLOS: OK.
You were a gracious winner.
ELANA: I know but,
it's just so fun.
CARLOS: Yeah.
What I like is it's
not just the length.
It's how dark the tire is
relative to the Mustange
and the Camaro.
ELANA: You know why?
Because that thing is heavy.
And when it's sticking it
down, it's sticking it down.
CARLOS: I'm actually wondering
if we have enough measuring
tape.
We may have to put
down a marker somewhere
and do some math afterwards.
ELANA: I mean, at least
there's no question about where
it ends.
You know, I was born
here, but I feel
like today is the day I
truly became an American.
CARLOS: Your birth
certificate has just
been laminated in the test.
ELANA: They're going
to put a picture of me
in the White House.

KURT: So we've gone
way past where my mark.
So 200 plus.
Beyond 200.
200 plus.
CARLOS: Should we call it?
Give her 200 plus?
ELANA: No, I want
every single inch.
CARLOS: You want every inch?
ELANA: Yeah.
CARLOS: That's going to take
forever to reel that in, yeah.
But--

KURT: I'm going to say--
and it almost keeps going.
ELANA: No, it's like yours.
It starts and it restarts.
KURT: Right here.
ELANA: Right here?
CARLOS: We're pulling.
KURT: So that's--
CARLOS: We'll call it 250.
KURT: Yeah, let's
just call it 250.
CARLOS: Just because,
what's the point
of specificity at this point?
KURT: Got down there.

ELANA: Chuckle it up.
Losers.

KURT: That's going
to be here forever.
ELANA: I think they
can see it from space.

Before we go any further,
guys, can we just-- can we just
take a moment and process
what's happening here?
We have three cars,
three American pony cars,
with an average horsepower of--
CARLOS: 736.
ELANA: You do that
math in your head?
CARLOS: I did it before.
So smart.
ELANA: He's super smart.
But that's nuts.
736 is the average.
You don't need a racing license.
You don't need to have
previously owned a lesser
model from the same brand.
Like, any one of us could just
walk in-- if we had the money--
and then drive out
in one of these.
KURT: You're not old
enough to buy a beer,
but you're old enough to walk
in and buy one of these cars.
ELANA: That is very
kind of you, Kurt,
but I am actually over 21.
CARLOS: Let's talk
about what makes
each one of these cars special,
and let's start with the Dodge.
ELANA: Sure, I mean,
I did not expect
to be standing here saying
this but this 797 horsepower
wide body Redeye Challenger
is the least extreme car here.
I mean, it doesn't have a
giant carbon fiber wing.
It doesn't have
cool little arrow
running all along the side.
Even the hood, while
functional, is kind of subtle
compared to these two.
And I think that's because
both the Camaro and the Mustang
are really focused
on road course use.
It's not that the Redeye
isn't track-focused.
It's just it's inspired by
Dodge's barely legal drag
racer.
So the technology
that's on it is
more drag race focused, right?
It's got like, a
chiller and supercharger
so that the air that
goes in is really cool.
So you can just keep running
it-- at it all day long.
Has great apps and
infotainment systems
so you can track all
your quarter mile runs.
Got a line lock.
You can do great burnouts.
It's got floor seats.
You can put your
whole family in it.
It's got heated and vented
seats, a heated steering wheel.
Good radio.
Like, you can just drive around
and use it like a normal car.
But it's not exactly the
same usage plan as these two.
CARLOS: Totally.
The Camaro, I believe,
is the underdog here.
It's got the least power at 650.
That's the bottom end of the
spectrum in this comparison.
It's the lightest.
It has the least amount of
interior space, has the least
amount of visibility, too.
Lowest price.
And least treadwear.
These tires have a
treadwear rating of 100.
ELANA: So that's just
basically smooth, right?
CARLOS: We're going
to change them just
after looking at them today.
They're going to be done.
But that speaks to the
car's race track intentions,
like you mentioned.
It's got the 1LE track package,
which gives it the wing,
gives it the arrow on the front.
And it gives it these
really trick fixed dampers
that are definitely
for racetrack use,
not for daily
driveability comfort.
This thing is firm.
But it goes round
racetracks really quickly.
And it's still the least
expensive car here.
And in spite of that, it's
got some really cool tech,
like performance
traction management,
that really sophisticated
stability control
system that actually
helps you drive faster.
It's got an onboard video data
logger it's got electronically
control locking differential.
You can get it with a manual--
ha, ha, ha.
ELANA: OK, all right, yeah.
CARLOS: And it's
going to ask tested
price that's 20 grand
less than this Mustang.
KURT: About the price--
we'll come back for the price.
The Camaro is old and the
Challenger is even older.
So it is a brand new car, so
you will pay a slight price
premium.
But it has the smallest engine,
but it makes the second highest
amount of horsepower.
760 horsepower from
a 5.2 liter engine.
This particular car is equipped
with the carbon fiber track
pack, which is why the
price goes up over $94,000.
But with that, you get these
really tricked carbon fiber
wheels.
And to my memory, there
are only two other cars
in the world that
use them right now.
So--
CARLOS: And one of
them is a Ferrari.
KURT: Yes.
ELANA: And is the
other the Ford GT?
CARLOS: Yep.
KURT: Also part of the
carbon fiber track pack
is that cool rear wing and
the lack of a rear seat.
You can't be taken seriously
if you have a rear seat.
So this car is serious.
It also has MagneRide
shocks which are perfect.
They handle the occasional track
use or the constant track use.
They handle highway driving.
I think this car is the
best all around performance
car of the three.
ELANA: All around
performance car.
Performance is great,
don't get me wrong.
But that's what
track stuff, right?
And how much time are you
going to spend on the track
versus on the street?
CARLOS: The idea of
a practicality test
with these cars seems silly,
but if you think about it,
it makes sense, right?
If you're going to
take one of these cars,
you're going to buy
one of these cars,
you're going to go to a track.
You're going to
go to a racetrack.
And you're probably going to
want a backup set of wheels
and tires.
Unless you have a trailer,
those wheels and tires
are going to need
to go somewhere.
ELANA: Like in the car.
CARLOS: Yes.
ELANA: Yeah.
And I mean, I don't think it is
silly to do a practicality test
on these cars,
because I really think
that most of the
people who buy them
will have them on the street
more than they'll have them
on the track.
For those folks, just
pretend that these tires
are groceries or babies.
KURT: Those are big babies.
CARLOS: We're going to try to
fit as many wheels and tires
into these cars as possible.
Points for a number of wheels
in tires that we can fit
and the amount of time that
we can get them all fit by.
3, 2, 1, go.

ELANA: Oh yeah, we're
going to be fine.
KURT: Those are huge tires.
CARLOS: They're big tires.
ELANA: OK.
I got this.
I'll be fine.
KURT: Yeah, let's help.
CARLOS: Yeah.

ELANA: Got that?
KURT: I got it.
ELANA: You think we can get two?
KURT: No.
CARLOS: Well, that
doesn't matter, then.
I think we get one
in the back seat.
You guys do the other backseat.
KURT: OK.
CARLOS: I'm glad
we bagged these.
ELANA: Let me get that for you.

KURT: Thanks.
Oh, you have a nice
little power seat.
Good.
ELANA: Oh, do you not?
KURT: Don't need it.

Yet.

ELANA: I mean, once
I'm at the track--
CARLOS: And time.
One minute, 21 seconds.
ELANA: Beat that.
There's no room for
you guys in the car,
so how am I going
to get them out?
CARLOS: All right,
Kurt, 3, 2, 1.
Go.

ELANA: Whoa, that's
a lot lighter.
CARLOS: Don't help him.

ELANA: But he helped me.
CARLOS: Don't-- come on man.
KURT: Fine.
ELANA: Sorry, you're
on your own, man.
CARLOS: He gets the advantage
of carbon fiber wheels.
He has lots of interior
space for a crushing weight.
So the lack of a back
seat is an advantage here.
ELANA: Yeah.
I think he's
definitely going to be
able to get two in the
back and one in the front.
CARLOS: Three wide.
He might go three
wide across the rear.
I feel like a Sports
Center caster.
KURT: Can you guys shut up?
CARLOS: Oh yeah, he's going
to do three in the back.
ELANA: No.
CARLOS: This is a real Happy
Gilmore moment right here.
ELANA: This is wild.
But what if it doesn't fit?
CARLOS: He might actually--
that's a really--
ELANA: If it doesn't fit, he's--
CARLOS: If he's
going to do all--
oh!
Shut the door, shut the
door, shut the door!

Not only did you
get all four in--
one minute, 16 seconds--
so you did it
faster than we were
able to do with the Challenger.
ELANA: And you could
bring a friend.
CARLOS: But you passed so
out of breath right now.
KURT: Shut up.
CARLOS: You are not
running any races.
KURT: Oh, no, I'm not.
You're next.
CARLOS: Oh boy.

KURT: 3, 2 1.
ELANA: Are we helping?
CARLOS: This is going so badly.
KURT: No.
CARLOS: So badly.

ELANA: It's actually half as big
as it looks from the outside,
and it looks small
from the outside.

CARLOS: Done.

I think I've got this.
KURT: He's at one already.

CARLOS: We'll all go to
the track together, right?
KURT: Yeah.
What are you doing?

That's my seat.
CARLOS: Done.
Call it.
KURT: One minute, 36 seconds.
If you weren't last, we would
probably disqualify you.
ELANA: You didn't
even shut the door.
CARLOS: It's inside the vehicle.
There was nothing in the rules
about shutting things or being
able to drive away.
Camaro loses the
practicality test.
ELANA: Yeah, that's impractical.
CARLOS: That's very impractical.

KURT: It is one thing for
these cars to look bad ass.
But it's something else entirely
they don't sound bad ass.
CARLOS: We should measure this.
KURT: Yeah.
CARLOS: If only we
had a sound expert.

It's not revving
above 3,000 RPM?
It's in neutral.
I've tried it in park.

This wouldn't happen
with a manual.

ELANA: It'll only go to 4,000,
and then it just stops you.
I mean, how am I
going to impress
my neighbors with 4,000?
KURT: Yeah, I don't
have a limiter.
It just let me rev all
the way to 7,500 RPM.
CARLOS: Mustang handily
wins the sound competition.
ELANA: It's almost like
the Mustang engineers
knew what people might
want in a muscle car.

CARLOS: Now we've got a
winding track behind us.
And we're not going to find out
how fast they are-- we're not
going to lap times just yet.
But we're here to find out how
these things drive as cars.
Should you be afraid of them?
ELANA: I mean, I think a lot
of people are afraid of them
because they are so powerful.
But there's no reason to.
I mean, they are
surprisingly drivable.
CARLOS: This is
an important thing
to find out, because even if
you are going to race track,
you still have to drive there
and you have to drive home.
So we're going to find out how
they feel in that situation
or on your favorite
mountain road.

ELANA: Is it a problem if my
entire review of the Redeye
is just me driving and giggling?
This car is so fun.
There is a lot of stuff
that people can rightfully
complain about.

But that's not it.
It's big.
I mean, every time I go around
a corner I'm slowing down,
probably a lot more than
Carlos and Kurt are going
to have to in the
Camaro and the Mustang,
because I can feel all
the weight of this car.
But if you trust it, then
sort of like a hippopotamus
in ballet shoes--
it's capable of
surprising grace.
And also--

Oh my god.
Whose idea was this?
I'm sorry, I'm going to
take this more seriously.
These days, because there's
no contemporary equivalent
of say, the Chevelle, the pony
cars have become muscle cars.
And certainly, the Challenger
meets all the definition
of a muscle car which,
is the company's biggest
engine in its sort of
sporty its midsize car.
This is a midsize car and
that is the biggest engine.
6.2 liters, a
supercharger that is
bigger than some engines, and
of course, 797 horsepower.

These seats are great.
And they're huge.
In fact, one of the things
when you are on track
is you kind of move around
a little bit in them.
They're not a tight fit.
But when you're on
the street, they're
very, very comfortable
and kind of plush.
They're also heated
and vented, which
is an excellent luxury
in a muscle car.
As I go around this corner,
visibility is not great.
This is a big pillar.
It is better than
say, in the Camaro.
And it's about equal
to the Mustang.
None of these cars are
fantastic for seeing out of,
because they're huge.
They have these
really long hoods.
In the case of these
performance versions,
they have really
high hoods, too.
I mean, I'm sitting pretty high
up just so that I can see over
the bulges in the hood.
If you're familiar with
any of the Hellcats,
there are three modes.
There's sort of a street mode.
They call it auto.
A sport mode, which
is really kind
of more of a drag racing mode.
Kind of gives you
a lot more burnout
in a straight line action.
And then there's a track mode,
which tightens everything up,
makes the shift really hard.
You can also make a custom
mode, which is great,
because if you like the sound
and the shifts in track mode,
but you like the steering
better in straight mode,
it's up to you, baby.
You can do whatever you want.
This car really does
it best if you just
let the speed automatic
do all the work for you.
Just don't try to second
guess the machine.
Let the robot win.
Suspension-wise and
like ride quality-wise,
the Challenger absolutely
destroys the other two.
Or rather, the other two
will destroy your kidneys
and lower back,
and the Challenger
will be like sitting
on the couch.
So yes, this thing is huge.
Compared to the other two
cars, it's kind of a monster.
But there's a benefit to that.
And that benefit is a
more comfortable ride
and obviously, more space.
I mean, the Mustang doesn't
even have a backseat.
And the Challenger--
heck, road trip it.
I think if you put all
three cars together and said
which one most meets the
definition of a muscle car,
the Challenger would
win, hands down.
The other two at this point
are almost sports cars.
And then of course, sports
cars have become super cars.
Where will it end?
Don't ever let it end.

CARLOS: The Camaro ZL1
one on a winding track.
We're going to treat
this like a country road
and talk about the things
that make the Camaro ZL1 1LE
fun to drive.
There's a lot to talk
about in that respect.
Yes, this car lost the
sound coolness tests
and you know, barely squeaked
by the usability test.
But the way this thing drives
remains its primary attribute.
And I've got to admit,
with the exhaust and track
mode, when you're not trying
to rev it while idle, it
does sound very good in here.
It's a deep baritone roar.
It's not a lot of
nuance to the sound.
It's just sort of
loud, and in your face,
and brutish, and broad.
But you got to admit,
that sounds good.
And we have a 10
speed automatic that
can make shifts that quick.
It's a weird situation because
this supercharged V8 has
such a broad torque delivery.
And yet when you're
really on it,
the transmission is
shifting, and RPMs
are dropping in such
small increments,
that it's a weird experience.
You never expect a car
with this kind of power
and this broad of a torque curve
to be able to shift so quickly
and only had the
RPMs drop so much.
I mean, this engine
could be peakier
and use that kind of a different
characteristic of power.
But I got to say,
I enjoy this as is.
Though I might enjoy it
more if I had a manual.
Hmm.
So the 1LE track
package imbues this car
with a lot of really
nice handling attributes.
And they all relate back into
the driving experience when
on a mountain road.
Of course, the tires need
to be at temperature.
That's a major issue
with these cars,
because these are race
track-oriented tires.
When these tires are cold,
they are uncommunicative
and they are slippery.
This morning, it
was in the mid 30s
as we were driving
into the track,
and boy, did the tires have
some trouble with merging
on freeway and whatnot.
But that's what you're getting
into when you get a 1LE track
package.
You are buying
the track package.
You are opting in
to that experience.
That's OK.
But when the tires are on,
they start working really
nicely with these shocks.
These fixed spool
valve damper shocks.
The way the rest of the
suspension is set up,
it is highly adjustable for
the weekend track we're at.
But in the setting it's in
now, it's also fine, too.
Not compliant on the road.
It's pretty firm,
especially over bumps.
It doesn't have nice adaptive
dampers to soak up and adjust
for comfort.
This thing is all
hardcore track use.
But it ties all
this car together.
And you end up with a lot
of confidence in this car,
especially in the front end.
That's important, because
you have so much power.
You need to be able
to trust this thing
to put the power
down and let you get
escape from corner to corner.
It's a big deal.

You get really nicely
weighted confident steering.
When the tires are
working-- again,
that's a caveat we
keep referencing--
but when they're working,
it feels really good.
The Camaro shows its
downsides in normal driving.
You got a peek of that at
the interior usability test
or functionality tests,
where we loaded these cars up
with wheels and tires.
There was no space
left over at all.
And that's a problem
with the Camaro.
The trunk aperture is tiny.
This interior space
feels tiny as well.
The visibility outward
is extremely poor.
It's shocking how tight the
view can be outside of this car.
Also, when it comes to
daily driving, I gotta say,
the 10 speed automatic
does come into its own.
This transmission
works great when
you're pushing it really
hard and when you're just
tooling around town.
It's when you're kind of doing
the half way driving that it's
not as responsive as the
Mustang's dual clutch, which
is very snappy and very
crisp all the time.
This is still a tremendous
machine for road course use.
And one that, ride
comfort aside,
is still civil
enough for daily use.
We still have heated
and ventilated seats.
I think this has heated
steering wheel as well.
You've still got
good integration
through your infotainment with
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto.
Although the screen does kind of
look like it's tilted back in.
That's always been an
annoyance with Camaros.
Still, ZL1 1LE is
the best Camaro ever
at its specific job,
that race track use.
And to say it's not as punishing
as it could be on the road
is quite a testament to its
many skills and attributes.
But just know what
you're getting in for.
There's a lot going on here.
And for the money, I think
this is an incredible value.

KURT: The new Shelby GT500.
So it's one thing to rip
around in a car like this
and drive it like a hooligan.
But most of the time
people drive these cars,
they're not really going
to be in track mode
like I am right now.
They're going to
be in maybe sports,
so let's drop that
into sport, pop it out
of manual mode, and
just cruise around,
and tell you what
it's like to drive it.
Obviously, it makes
a lot of power.
That 5.2 liter engine has
a giant supercharger on it.
Cranks out 760 horsepower.
And yeah, it goes fast.
There's no two ways about it.
But what's really
impressive about this engine
is just how tractable it is.
I mean, I'm kind of
cruising around now
and it's still friendly.
It's quick to respond.
And I've driven
this car in traffic,
and it could care less
that you're in traffic.
It's happy to burble along.
And for an engine with
this kind of power--
I continue to be impressed
with modern engines.
This engine should not be
this easy to drive, and it is.
Putting all this
power to the ground
is smooth because
of a seven speed
dual clutch automatic
transmission.
The other to use a more
traditional automatic setup.
But this is quick shifts, crisp,
and not abrupt or jarring.

It's still really responsive.
Wow, listen to that.
I mean, I want this
in my everyday car.
I'm going to put this into
Normal mode now and just cruise
around like a normal person.
Now these are pretty good tires
these are Michelin Pilot Sport
Cup 2 tires.
And that's compared to
the ones on the Camaro,
they're fairly run of the
mill high performance tires.
I mean, you can find these
on any old Porsche 911.
But these tires talk to you.
And they have good
grip when they're cold,
they have good grip
when they're warm.
Every aspect of this car
makes it a friendly car.
And you can't say
enough about it.
In case you hadn't noticed
from all the other pictures
of this car, it has ginormous
brakes on the front.
It has the 16.5
inch brake rotors.
And the calipers-- yeah,
they're six-piston calipers,
but they're gigantic
six-piston calipers.
A car like this
shouldn't be this
easy to drive at high speed.
It shouldn't be this easy
to drive at low speed.
I think Ford's really
found the GT500 sweet spot.
I'd argue this is the most
well rounded performing car
of the group.
You've got comfort
when you want it,
you've got speed
when you want it.
You got sound, you got
quiet, you got everything.
And if you've got the
money, You should probably
buy one of these.

So we've had some fun.
And ride over there
is a road course.
It's short, but it's fast.
It should be fun.
And I think we should
do some time laps.
ELANA: Well, if we do
time laps, then we really
need those to be consistent,
so probably the same person
should drive all three.
CARLOS: Oh, dibs.
Can't fight dibs!
KURT: Come on, dude.
ELANA: He's right, though.
You can't fight dibs.
KURT: I hate him.
ELANA: Carlos, you ready?
3, 2, 1.
Punch it, baby.

KURT: I'm surprised
that car turned.
ELANA: They made
an effort with it.
And it also has steam rollers
of rubber underneath it.
KURT: Does it?

Can I say across the line?
ELANA: Yeah, do it.
KURT: Is that trademarked?

I have no idea if
that's fast or not.
ELANA: 38:37, Carlos.

3, 2, 1.
go.

KURT: He tried to get
clever with launch control.

ELANA: Do you feel like
that worked for him?
KURT: No.
ELANA: I mean, I know he's
tried to warm up these tires,
because they are a lot fussier.

KURT: This looks a bit faster.
ELANA: It does look fast.

36:11.
KURT: 2.2 something
seconds faster.
CARLOS: That launch
control sucks.
What happened?
ELANA: That wasn't so hot.
CARLOS: It was great,
then it was bleh!
It was like, what?
What's going on?
ELANA: Do you feel like
you need to try it again?
CARLOS: No, it's
Chevy's problem.
ELANA: Well, it was still
faster than the Hellcat.
CARLOS: Good.
As physics would dictate.
KURT: And it sounds
decidedly less bad ass
and the Hellcat does.
CARLOS: I'll tell
you what, though.
best tires here.
KURT: Yeah.
ELANA: Pony Boy, you ready?
3, 2, 1.
Go!

CARLOS: Love that
seven speed in the car.

ELANA: I like how there's
just a hint of supercharge.
CARLOS: Yeah.

KURT: Woo.
Don't let him know.
He'll just get a big hit on the.
Camaro
CARLOS: How did I do?
ELANA: I believe your car
won because that was a 36:27.
KURT: Do I leave the Camaro now?

CARLOS: Even with a bad launch?
KURT: Yeah.
Those tires, man.
Those tires.
CARLOS: OK, let's recap.
Winner of the test
numbers, Ford.
Winner of the burnout.
ELANA: I vaguely remember the
Challenger doing pretty well
there.
CARLOS: Utility, board.
KURT: Sound board.
Fun on the mountain road?
Three way tie?
ELANA: Yeah.
I mean, I think we all had fun.
CARLOS: Three way tie.
Time to hot laps?
KURT: Oh, Camaro.
That's its job.
ELANA: Yeah, I don't think you
need to be super good at math
to figure out that the
Mustang handily takes us.
And I would be mad--
I mean, I wanted the
Challenger to win, It's so fun.
It should be
celebrated for that.
But it's had its time at the.
Top and if it inspired something
as good as the Mustang,
I mean, I feel kind
of proud about that.
I don't think it
takes anything away
from the Camaro
or the challenger
to recognize how
good the Mustang is.
CARLOS: Yeah, all
three of these cars
are really good at their
specific jobs, right?
The Challenger is a factory.
The Camaro takes road
racing very seriously.
People who are really into
going around racetracks fast
and don't want to spend a lot
of money, the Camaro 1LE ZL1
is an incredible value.
But still, you gotta acknowledge
what that GT-500 delivers.
KURT: I'm shocked at just
how well-rounded it is.
I mean, previous iterations of
the GT500 have been really fast
and they've been really
loud, but they just
haven't had the breadth, the
practicality, and handling
ability that this new one has.
And it is brand new.
Both of those other cars
have been around for a while.
So Ford has had a chance to look
at them and learn from them.
But it's just-- it's
such an impressive car.
CARLOS: And not only is it
the ultimate muscle car,
it makes you re-evaluate
what your expectations are
for a muscle car.
And that's why it easily
wins this comparison.
ELANA: Yeah, no question.
KURT: Yeah, I agree.
CARLOS: So thanks for watching.
Please be sure to
subscribe, like,
and visit Edmunds for all
your car shopping needs,
helping you pick the right
car at the right price.

You guys remember the M4?
ELANA: Vaguely.
KURT: Oh yeah
ELANA: Like, Supra
wasn't that a car.
CARLOS: It wasn't
even that long ago.
KURT: No.
CARLOS: AMX.
I think they make those anymore.
ELANA: Pontiac Firebird?
KURT: Cuda.

4K Review: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Quick Drive | Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports:

The new 2018 Chevrolet
Equinox is out,
and it looks to turn up the heat
in the small SUV competition.
The previous and
bigger Equinox seemed
lost when compared to larger
models such as the Toyota
Highlander and Hyundai Santa Fe.
And it also couldn't
compete with smaller SUVs
like the Toyota RAV-4, Honda
CR-V, and Subaru Forester.
The last Equinox had
underperforming engines,
so so visibility,
and not as much
equipment as competing SUVs.
So this new model couldn't
have come at a better time.
The new Equinox has
finally found its identity,
and goes smaller.
In fact, it's now five inches
shorter and about 400 pounds
lighter than the last model.
There's also no more
six-cylinder engine.
Instead, you can choose among
three four-cylinders, a 1.5
liter turbo, a two liter turbo,
and a fuel thrifty 1.6 liter
turbo diesel.
We bought a mid-level,
all wheel drive LT model,
which has the 170
horsepower, 1.5 liter
turbo, and six-speed automatic.
We had some popular options,
including a power rear lift
gate, a huge sunroof,
heated seats, and dual zone
automatic climate control.
We also got ours with
important safety features,
such as blind spot monitoring
and rear cross traffic alert.
Bottom line, we spent $33,730.
Looking at this price
compared to a Honda CR-V EX,
however, we're not sure you're
getting as much for your money.
So negotiate hard at
your Chevy dealer.
And we're also a little dismayed
that forward collision warning
and automatic emergency
braking are only
available in the
top trim premier.
We think this should be
standard in every model.
Spending some time
behind the wheel,
the Equinox reminds us of
GM's fine mainstream sedans,
the Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu.
That is, the Equinox
shares qualities
that we admire in these cars,
such as a quiet interior,
mostly absorbant ride, and
reasonably responsive handling.
The 1.5 liter turbo
gets the job done.
Not overly powerful,
but adequate.
The transmission
isn't the slickest.
You do feel some shifts, but
it's not too objectionable.
The stop start feature is
also fairly unobtrusive.
The front seats have
8-way power adjustments,
including 2-way power lumbar.
They're reasonably comfortable
over a long commute.
Front visibility isn't
bad, but the rear 3/4 view
is compromised by thick pillars.
A rear view camera is standard.
The rear seat is
especially roomy,
with both flat to offer
a large cargo space.
Even though there are some
soft touch materials, and a bit
of chrome scattered about, the
overall feel of the interior
is a bit on the cheap
side, reminding us
of a cut rate rental car.
We like this version of GM's
MyLink Infotainment System.
It's easy to use and comes with
Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto
compatibility.
There's also a good
number of USB reports.
Like a prizefighter, whether
or not the new Equinox
can succeed at a lower weight
class is yet to be seen.
So far, we're impressed
with what we see.
Especially, since it embraces
many of the attributes
that we really like in a
few of GM's better sedans.
We'll know more as we
accumulate the miles
and do our formal testing.
For more on SUVs, check
out consumerreports.org.

First drive: Chevrolet Cruze hatchback has way more cargo space than sedan

The Globe and Mail:

If you look inside there is so much room here,
there is actually 1,300-plus litres of space.
Enough room for your grocery bags and your
golf clubs.
It is actually three times more space than
the sedan version.
Now off the line it is a little bit slow to accelerate.
It's not a race horse, but it is not meant to
be.
People who buy these vehicles, they buy it
for the
practicality and the functionality of a hatchback.
I love that fact though that this is a great
city car because of its compact size, it's
great for driving in crowded areas in the
city and for parking as well.
And I love the extra features like an auto
start stop function, which basically kills
the engine when you are stopped and restarts
again to save you fuel.