How Chevrolet Started, Grew & Became $11.5 Billion Company
Success Secrets TV:
How Chevrolet Started, Grew & Became $11.5
Billion Company
The name Chevrolet originated from a Swiss-born
American racer Louis-Joseph Chevrolet, who
founded his company with William Durant in
1911, stayed for four years and then left
his own company to Durant in 1915.
The Chevrolet Company previously called the
Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company
and simply called the Chevy is the automobile
department of General Motors, a manufacturing
company in the United States.
How Chevrolet Began
Twenty years before Chevrolet, Durant was
the founder of a successful Durant-Dort Carriage
Company which manufactured horse-drawn vehicles.
And so Durant wouldn't even touch a car with
a ten-foot pole, let alone allow his daughter
to ride in what he called, "loud and dangerous
horseless carriages."
But as time passed he realized that there
were more cars than carriages on the American
streets; an experience that did not settle
well with the relatively tentative public.
As the government regulated cars for their
safety, Durant had other ideas.
Why not improve the security of these cars
instead?
In 1904, Durant approached a struggling Buick
Motor Company and became its controlling investor.
Within a span of four years, Durant demonstrated
his salesman attitude and transformed Buick
into a leading automobile name amongst the
likes of Ford, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac.
For Durant, however, it was only the start.
Durant figured he could further improve his
odds in the industry if he built a holding
company that would control several automobile
divisions, with each division manufacturing
their own car.
With the Buick's outstanding profits, Durant
had sufficient capital to found the General
Motors Company in 1908.
A year later, General Motors acquired several
car brands like Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac,
Elmore, and others.
Unfortunately,Durant got so carried away in
his "automobile acquisition crusade" that
GM suffered cash shortage with their sales
losing to Ford's.
And so, in 1910, General Motors showed Durant
the exit door.
But Durant did not give up.
Having regained his bearings, he reunited
with an old colleague from the days of the
Buick motor company, Louis-Joseph Chevrolet.
Durant knew the Swiss-born American as a man
whose competency for car mechanics matched
his passion for racing.
In 1909, Louis had participated in the Giant
Despair Hillclimb.
An oddly apt name, considering the Hillclimb
race was less about the racers themselves
and more about test-driving the competing
car brands they drove.
Therefore, when Durant offered a chance to
build more automobiles, Louis couldn't resist
signing his name on the dotted line alongside
Durant's.
In 1911, Louis co-founded the Chevrolet Motor
Company with Durant.
Durant used Louis’ racing status as a means
of building a motor company, and his way of
getting back at General Motors.
The first Chevrolet car, the Series C Classic
Six was designed by Etienne Planche with directions
by Louis.
The prototype was ready before the company
was incorporated even though the production
didn’t happen until 1913 where it was introduced
at an auto show in New York.
In 1914, Chevrolet redesigned its logo.
And so a "bowtie emblem" logo was used on
Chevrolet’s first produced cars in 1914:
the Chevrolet H series and L series models.
That same year, Durant and Louis argued about
their differing intentions for Chevrolet’s
future car designs.
Durant wanted simple and affordable cars that
would surpass those of Fords.
On the other hand, Louis preferred playing
it fast and loose, with luxury or racing cars.
These differences split these two associates
and Louis sold his shares of the company to
Durant.
Now alone at the helm, Durant was able to
focus on his next winning car design.
He achieved this in 1916 when the cheaper
Chevrolet Series 490 finally outpaced Ford
in sales and cemented Chevrolet’s place
among the big automobile names.
To say Chevrolet made huge profits during
this period would be a severe understatement.
Durant revisited General Motors as a controlling
investor, purchasing their stocks, which gave
him the leverage to launching himself into
leading General Motors once more.
By 1917, Durant had become the president of
General Motors.
All was right, now that Durant's "big automobile"
dream was back on track.
And of course, his first directive was merging
the highly successful Chevrolet into the parent
company General Motors as a separate division.
How Chevrolet Grew
In 1918, Chevrolet launched a new V8 powered
model, the Series D for open two-seat cars
and the touring cars that could seat 5 passengers.
These models didn't sell well though and they
were scrapped by the next year.
Given Chevrolet's successful track record
in the market, General Motors rebranded and
sold their commercial grade cars and trucks
as Chevrolet with similar appearances with
the Chevrolet’s vehicles in 1919 from Chevrolet
factories located in Flint, Michigan.
The automobile company built several branch
assembly plants in New York, Ohio, Missouri,
California, Texas, and Canada.
Somewhere between the 1920s and 1940s, Chevrolet
would see Durant's vision for "producing simple
and affordable cars" come true.
In fact, Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth were
known to Americans as "the low priced three".
During this period, one of Chevrolet's most
notable cars was the Stovebolt introduced
in 1929, which was tag-lined "a six for the
price of four".
This and several generations of the car model
blew away the competition of Ford and Plymouth.
In 1953, the Chevy Corvette, a sport’s car
with two seats and a fiberglass body debuted
to become the first mass-produced sports car
in the United States, championing the "America's
Sports Car" appeal.
The appeal of the Corvette and other Chevrolet
passenger cars would be enhanced with the
first-time introduction of Rochester Ramjet
fuel-injection engine as a high-performance
option for the price of $484.
The Chevrolet small block V8 car design made
its debut in 1955 and remained in circulation
longer than other mass produced engines around
the world.
Modifications to the V8 engine including the
aluminum block and heads, the electronic engine
management and the port fuel injection gave
birth to the designs in production today.
In 1958, Chevrolet introduced the Impala series,
which went on to become one of the best-selling
American cars in history experiencing popularity
during the 60s and 70s.
The parent company General Motors introduced
Chevrolet to Europe in 2005.
With rebranded cars manufactured from the
General Motors branch in Korea acquired Daewoo
Motors.
The economic depression between 2007 and 2010
hit Chevrolet hard.
But the road to recovery began in 2010 with
the introduction of fuel-efficient cars and
trucks to compete with foreign automobile
manufacturers.
Within the same year, Chevrolet introduced
the plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, Chevrolet
Volt in America, which was sold under the
name Opel/Vauxhall Ampera throughout Europe
with a record 5,268 units soldand became the
world's best-selling plug-in hybrid electric
vehicle (PHEV) car in 2012, winning the award
for the North American Car of the Year, European
Car of the Year and World Green of the Year.
The series was then named the combined Volt/Ampera
that was sold across the world.
It exceeded the 100,000 unit sales milestone
in late 2005 and eleven years later the Volt
family of vehicles had become the world's
best-selling plug-in hybrid as well as the
third best selling electric car after the
Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf cars.
In 2011, Chevrolet set a global sales record
of 4.76 million vehicles sold worldwide
In late 2013, the Chevy brand was withdrawn
from Europe by General Motors leaving the
Corvette and Camero lines.
In 2016, Chevrolet unveiled the first affordable
mass-produced all-electric car the Chevrolet
Bolt EV.
This car too has won several awards.
Where Chevrolet Is Today
Chevrolet now has its headquarters in Detroit,
Michigan, and operates throughout 140 countries
in North and South America, Asia, Australia,
South Africa, and Europe with over two million
vehicles sold annually in the US alone and
a brand value of $11.5 billion.
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Chevy Is Offering Discounts To Owners Of Every Asian Car Brand In America
PowerNation:
If you own a Hyundai, Subaru, Kia or any
other Asian car brand model 1999 or
newer, Chevy is ready to hook you up with
a deal. The automaker is giving out a
$2,500 incentive towards any base model
car or truck and you can also use it
with other discounts. You don't even have
to trade in your qualified vehicle to
get it. This is all according to The
Drive. This is Chevrolet's way of
lowering prices to compete with the
Japanese and Korean market. The good news
is it can get you in a car for under 12
grand. What do you think about that?
Chevy Bolt EV Review: Electric Excellence
MrMobile [Michael Fisher]:
2019 Chevrolet Blazer: First Drive — Cars.com
Cars.com:
When Chevrolet told us that they were
going to be introducing a new 2019
Chevrolet Blazer we got very excited. We
thought hey cool here's a new 4x4 meant
to go up against real serious
off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler or
the new upcoming Ford Bronco but that's
not exactly what Chevrolet had in mind.
Instead they've introduced the new
Blazer as a five passenger two row
premium crossover vehicle meant to go up
against things like the Ford Edge or the
Nissan Murano. Now it's got the V6, it's
got all wheel drive but it's also got a
very sporty version in the new RS that
you see behind me. We came here to San
Diego, California to get a better look at
the new Blazer, to drive it and to see
exactly what Chevrolet is brought to the
new crossover party. You can have your
Blazer in one of a few different flavors.
The base model comes with a standard 2.5
liter four-cylinder engine making 193
horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque
mated to a 9 speed automatic
transmission. Front wheel drive is
standard on all Blazers but if you want
all-wheel drive you'll have to bump up
to one of the V6 models, you can't get it
with the four-cylinder engine. This base
model is peppy and agile, has a decent
interior and features most of the
dramatic styling that makes the new
Blazer a real standout on the streets.
The front end bears a definite
resemblance to the more sporty
Chevrolet's like the Camaro but the
headlights are a little unusual.
Those lights up high on the fenders are
just LED running lights, the actual
headlights are HID projector style units
down in the bumper. All Blazers have a
floating roof design first seen on the
Nissan Murano many years ago but now
copied on to just about every automakers
new SUV. The overall effect is attractive
however especially if you get one of the
more standout colors like bronze or
bright red. Add the V6 to the basic
Blazer L and you'll get what Chevy calls
the Blazer V6 trim available with either
cloth or leather interior or spend a
little more coin and get one of the two
top trim levels, the Premier or the RS.
Both come with General Motors
omnipresent 3.6 liter v6 engine making
308 horsepower and 270 pound feet of
torque. Like the four-cylinder it's mated
to a 9 speed automatic sending power to
the front wheels. All wheel drive is
optional on all these six trim levels
but the Premier and RS trims get a
special dual clutch all wheel drive
system instead
of the more basic single-clutch system
in the lesser models. The Premier gets
a monochrome exterior paint job with
body-colored bumpers and fender trim as
well as 20-inch wheels. The RS gets a
sportier look with black out fender and
window trim, a more aggressive black mesh
grille and black painted 20-inch wheels.
21 inch wheels are an option on both the
Premier and RS trims. Inside the
influence of the Chevy Camaro is clear
from the design of the multimedia system
atop the dash to the big round air vents
that also control the temperature. The
Blazer looks decidedly sporty-er than
any of its competitors like the Ford
Edge or Nissan Murano. The more luxurious
Premier trim has some decent luxury
touches inside like unique leather dash
trim while the RS goes for a racy
two-tone look. Both have acceptable
quality trim on the dash and center
console but that material quality falls
off on the door panels and in the
backseat.
I will give Chevy credit for keeping the
height adjustable seat belts, something
they've been removing on new models
lately. The interior is comfortable up
front with plenty of width and height to
the cabin. This is a bigger SUV than the
compact Equinox crossover. It's almost as
wide inside as the much larger full-size
Chevrolet Traverse. The second row
features a sliding seat to maximize
either cargo space or back seat legroom
and the seat backs fold flat
via mechanical handles in the cargo area.
The back seat is comfortable for two but
might be a bit tight for three full size
adults across the bench. The cargo area
itself is spacious. This is a bigger SUV
then you might think. It is easily a
match for the new Honda Passport
or even the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Out on
the street the difference in driving
experience is actually greater between
the four-cylinder and six-cylinder
models than between the top Premier and
RS trim levels despite the RS' more
sporting pretense. All Blazers feel solid
and surprisingly substantial with
excellent body control and a ride and
handling balance that's impressive.
The RS gets a slightly more aggressive
suspension tune and a quicker steering
ratio but not really much else. It's not
like the Traverse RS that gets a unique
engine. The same engine power is the
Premier trim too. It's sporty-er than a
Murano or a Santa Fe but a Ford Edge ST
with its twin turbocharged V6 will
easily spike a Blazer RS in a contest
of acceleration. Suffice it to say the RS
delivers more
sporty looks than athletic ability
providing a fun styling statement and a
slightly tighter driving experience.
Choosing one trim over the other really
becomes more of which one you think
looks most appealing. The new 2019 Blazer
is not cheap. A base-model 2.5 L starts
at just a tick under $30,000 including the
destination fee while the least
expensive V6 front-wheel drive model
starts at $34,495. All wheel
drive adds $2,700
to that price. The RS starts at $41,795
while the Premier starts at
$43,895.
Load up an RS or Premier with all-wheel
drive and every option on the sheet and
you're easily into the low $50,000 range
which is a lot of coin for a midsize
Chevy SUV but is indeed comparable to
what you'd pay for a Murano, Edge or
Grand Cherokee. With its sophisticated
styling, its excellent ride handling
characteristics and the technology-laden
interior the new Blazer really is a
quite formidable competitor to the
Murano and the Edge. It's on sale now in
dealerships across the country and if
you'd like to learn more about the new
Chevrolet Blazer
please come look us up on Cars.com.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse Review — Cars.com
Cars.com:
one of the biggest 3-row crossover SUVs
you can buy is the Chevrolet Traverse
and with its redesigned for the 2018
model year it's grown bigger still but
its dropped around 350 pounds from its
curb weight the result is a comfortable
roomy SUV that can fit the whole family
and it also offers enough tech features
to keep them all entertained the
traverses exterior styling mixes new and
familiar chevrolet styling cues but the
overall look is decidedly more
truck-like than its predecessor it gets
the SUV version of Chevrolet's twin port
grille up front and that's flanked by
high-intensity discharge headlights and
LED daytime running lights in this 3lt
trim level the wheelbase grows two
inches for a total length of nearly a
hundred and twenty-one inches and what
you get with this long wheelbase are
these big rear doors that offer good
access to the second and the third rows
of seats one of the other styling
changes on the Traverse is this new C
pillar shape which takes after the one
on the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV the interior
styling is new too in the dashboard
design now has a more upscale look at
its center is this available eight inch
touchscreen multimedia system the system
supports apple carplay and android auto
smartphone connectivity and it also does
an unexpected trick if you press this
button here the screen will motor up to
reveal a hidden storage compartment
behind it that includes a USB port
that's good for storing things you want
to keep out of sight like maybe your
phone or wallet besides the one USB port
in the hidden storage compartment our
Traverse has another six USB ports
scattered throughout the cabin in all
seating rows so everyone in the family
should be able to keep their devices
charged to keep those devices connected
to the Internet when on the go the
Traverse offers 4G LTE connectivity with
a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices
after an initial trial a data
subscription is required the Traverse is
big exterior dimensions payoff in the
cabin where first second and third row
passengers have ample space if only the
seats themselves were more comfortable
the front seats backrest have oddly
shaped cushions that pushed against my
upper back in the second row bucket
seating is too hard you never forgot how
big the old traverse was when driving it
it just felt bigger than a lot of its
competitors but even though the new
Traverse is even bigger than that model
it feels smaller when you're driving it
it's easier to maneuver and control the
driving experience is also refined the
SUV's long wheelbase contributes to the
composed comfortable ride that seems
perfect for a long road trip it's also
really quiet inside which contributes to
the serene driving experience power
comes from a 310 horsepower v6 or a
turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 255
horsepower our tester had the v6 and
both engines team with a 9 speed
automatic transmission the 9 speed does
a good job keeping the v6 in its power
band but it made some abrupt shifts
during our testing we've long told
shoppers who want a practical family
vehicle to consider a minivan because
they're hard to beat when it comes to
lugging around kids and all their stuff
but the new Traverse has closed the gap
considerably with much of the passenger
space of a minivan but with the style
and presence of an SUV that shoppers won
it just might be the best of both worlds
you
2019 Chevrolet Blazer; Cars That Broke Our Hearts | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #190
Consumer Reports:
This week, we talk about
the Chevrolet Blazer
that we just added to our test
fleet, the 2020 Subaru Legacy
sedan, and the cars
that broke our hearts.
Next on Talking Cars.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to another
episode of Talking Cars.
I'm Jon Linkov.
I'm Keith Barry.
I'm Mike Quincy.
And this week, we've got
some pretty interesting news
from the most
recent Chicago Auto
Show, which was
a couple of weeks
ago in the whole polar vortex.
Keith, one of the cards
that they showed, getting
near and dear, Subaru Legacy.
Yeah.
Can you tell us a
little about that?
Now, we love the legacy.
It's on our recommended list.
And there have been a couple
of changes to it this year.
It gets some new engine choices.
It gets a new turbo.
And it gets a new
giant touchscreen.
So the turbo, for
the new XT version,
that's kind of a cool idea.
The giant touchscreen, I'm
not entirely sure about.
What do you folks think?
Have you seen it?
One of the things that's
interesting with some
of the Subaru's, Mike, is
that they dropped the turbo
from the Forester.
And everyone complained,
oh, my, gosh, there's
no more turbo in the Forester.
So now, in addition to the
four cylinder, I believe,
is the base engine.
You get this new
turbo charged engine.
Yeah, they dropped the six.
They dropped the six.
Right.
Which did really well in
Consumer Reports' test.
I mean it was quiet,
and smooth, and--
Strong.
Kind of an under-appreciated
trim line of the Legacy.
I mean, I was
thinking about this.
And I was thinking how--
Subaru's kind of edgy.
Because they have
a car like the WRX,
a hyper turbo
charged sports sedan.
Right.
And when it comes to maybe more
mainstream mature sedans, what
other brand is putting out
something that might be as
edgy as a turbocharged Legacy?
Yeah, Ford Fusion, as you move
up, the Titanium is sporty.
But that car is going away.
It is.
Right.
And there isn't, like
you said, a huge number
of these performance affordable
sedans that are out there.
And with all-wheel
drive, there's--
Right.
I mean, the ultimate just
added all-wheel drive.
But aside from that,
something that's affordable--
I mean, this Legacy is
going to be pretty much it.
But you bring up a good point
about when Subaru dropped
the turbo engine
on the Forester,
are people going
to get-- are people
going to get excited about
this and then not buy it,
like they did with
the turbo Forester?
Well, I'll say one thing
that may be interesting,
is that replacement
for the turbo Forester
will be a turbo Outback.
Because the Outback is
based on the Legacy.
Yeah, and we already
get a sense that--
I mean, a couple of dealers
are even saying, like, hey,
you're wondering what new
Outback's going to look like,
and it's probably going
to debut later this year,
just take a look
at the new Legacy
and imagine just a little
wagon shape on the back.
You know, one
thing you mentioned
is the big touchscreen.
Is it like the Dodge
Ram, upscale touchscreen?
Or is it like a
Tesla touchscreen?
Or is it just like
this iPad mini?
Honestly, it reminds me
of-- and don't kill me here,
because this is going to be a--
but it reminds me a
little of the big census
screen in the Volvo's, because
it does control climate
control.
But will it work better--
There aren't those hard--
--than the Volvo screen?
Yeah, but still,
with climate control,
I need my hard buttons,
so I can just reach
and just touch something.
I don't want to take
my eyes off the road
in order to turn on a defrost
or something like that.
Or it blanks, if it
resets, if it goes out--
I've been in them, I've been
in some of our test cars
where the screen is blank.
And then all of a sudden,
you're driving with someone,
and the windows
fogged up, and you're
lowering the windows in
the winter because you
so much body heat, and outside,
the condensation that forms,
and the fog, you
run into trouble.
So I do agree, hard buttons.
And Subaru is that sort
of no-nonsense brand,
where people who want something,
people who would about a Volvo
20 years ago, they want--
it seems to be, from what
we hear from Subaru buyers,
that they like
the fact that it's
a no-nonsense car,
it's all-wheel drive,
it's practical.
Is this going to
turn people off?
Are people going to walk
in and say, no thanks.
And they didn't do
that with the Ascent.
Yeah.
We're going to-- the Ascent
SUV, their big three row SUV.
Yeah.
We're going to
keep our eye on it.
But it kind of led us
to talking a little bit
with the Valentine's Day
week, about cars that we
loved, but missed out on.
You know, people love
the Subaru Legacy.
But is there something
that we each loved,
that we weren't, either
we didn't buy it,
or we owned it, and wish we did.
I think, Mike, you
came up with the idea.
Well, yeah, the idea was
cars that broke your heart.
Right.
And the first thing
that I thought of
was all the Volkswagen turbo
diesels broke my heart.
So being a road trip guy,
the Volkswagen turbo diesels
were always my go-to car.
So when it had the
emissions scandal
and they dropped them
off from the lineup--
because I recommended
turbo diesel Volkswagens
to dozens of people.
Sure.
And then all of a sudden,
they come back to me,
like now what do I do?
And I'm like, oh, god.
So I loved these cars.
But they totally--
They lied to you.
They totally--
The relationship
was built on a lie.
Yep.
Yeah, terrible.
I mean, there have been fixes,
but we haven't tested them.
And we're not endorsing
any of the old cars either.
They broke some trust.
Yeah.
And it was a car that I loved.
And now I'm just--
Spurned.
I just kind of drop
my head, and go,
oh, man, it just killed
diesels in the United States.
Yeah, it really did.
Keith--
So mine's a little
more personal.
Mine is a little
more personal story.
When I was 18 years
old, I had about $4,000
I'd saved up to buy on a car.
And because like all
18-year-olds I was a genius,
and I thought I realized
something that nobody else
in the world had ever realized--
And that was like
four years ago.
Yeah, yeah.
It was that you could go out
there and buy a really, really
expensive car as long as you got
one that had depreciated a ton.
Sure.
So I bought an X300-XJ6.
A Jaguar, OK.
Little did I realize
at the time--
Wow.
--that one of the VINs on
it had a salvage title,
but the other one didn't.
So that was fine.
I got it registered.
And I drove it.
I felt like a million bucks.
I was going to the
kind of college
where it wasn't uncommon
to see Porsche Cayenne's
in the student parking lot.
How was the country club?
Seriously?
But here was I,
definitely not that.
And I felt like I
kind of-- you know,
people were looking at me.
And I thought I was
really, really cool.
And I was learning
a bit about the car.
And I was getting under the hood
a little and doing a little.
And then the exhaust system--
You had Triple A on speed dial.
No, actually, it
was remarkably--
I mean, it had
142,000 miles on it.
And this car, it was no problem
for road trips, everything.
But the thing that
killed me was,
it needed a new exhaust
system from the cat back.
And the parts alone
on that at the time
were almost as much
as I paid for the car.
Wow.
So I sold it to someone.
He fixed it up.
And in relationships,
that happens with them.
But the thing that
really killed me--
The friend or the car?
To the car.
The thing that really,
really killed me
with this, though, is that,
and it really broke my heart,
is that I googled
the VIN one day.
Don't ever do that.
If you have a car
that you like really
love, don't ever look up
to see what happened to it.
Because it was on the list
from cash for clunkers.
And it had been crushed
like a mile from my house.
And it was just one of
those things I could just
like hear what the
sound of that wood
splintering and the hydraulic
press would sound like.
Even worse, what you would
have gotten for that, maybe.
I know, I know.
Actually, I sold it for
less than what the--
you know, but still.
You know, pay some respect.
John, I'm sorry.
It killed me.
I'm at the edge of my
seat, waiting to hear.
What's yours?
What's your story?
Well, the one thing I'll
say is there's a reason why
they depreciate like so.
I found that out now, which is
why I'm a consumer journalist.
Mine's the opposite.
So it's probably 15 years ago,
talking to a friend of mine.
When you were 18.
When I was 12.
This is new math.
And saying, when you
get your license,
and you make your first million
dollars at your first job,
you gotta buy a
Porsche RS America.
And then at that
point, they I want
to say in the 30's
maybe, $30,000 range.
And this is a car that a lot of
people kind of looked and said,
oh, you know, they de-contented
it when it came out.
It was a 911, that
they had pull door--
pull latches.
All to save weight
for track days.
They didn't give it any
performance enhancements.
And people kind of looked
at it like, well, America's
not getting the real one
that they had in Germany.
And it's just, lack of love.
Well now, they're
$90,000, they're $100,000.
They're a $100,000-plus.
And people love
those, de-contented.
They're authentic.
Yep.
Now they're authentic.
That's a farm to table Porsche.
It is.
Yeah, there you go.
It's sustainable and all.
So it's just one
of those things,
like if you scrape up money,
take out a stupid loan
or something, here's a car that
it could have been really fun
and then it has a lot of value.
It wasn't like it got away.
It wasn't like I had--
I was going to say,
it broke your heart
because you didn't buy one?
Yeah, it broke my heart, because
it would have been a smart buy.
I didn't have that lapis
blue one waiting for me
around the corner.
It just was one of those things,
like it was an opportunity.
It was a smart buy.
It would have been fun.
I was single.
I had some cash from
living at home a long time.
That would have worked out.
So, we each have our own story.
I'm sure everyone's got a story.
You can let us know.
Send us some stories
about one that got away,
TalkingCars@icloud.com.
That's going to give
us some movement
to a car that we just got in,
kind of a historical name.
By name, yeah.
The Chevrolet Blazer,
we just got this SUV in.
It's a two-row model.
Takes on a couple
of big competitors.
And it fills a
niche for Chevrolet.
Mike--
Well, it goes along the theme
that we always talk about
at "Talking Cars,"
is SUV saturation.
Every manufacturer wants to have
an SUV of every shape, size,
price range, or whatnot.
The Blazer certainly
comes in with--
you know, it's not
really negative baggage.
It's probably positive baggage.
Most people think
back to the Blazer,
they think about big SUV from
the 1970s, not the trailblazer,
which was absolutely
abysmal [INAUDIBLE]
Or the S10 based Blazer,
is what I think of.
And that's that kind
of cool, you know--
I owned one.
It wasn't [INAUDIBLE].
And for some people,
like in my household,
my teenagers are too big
for a third row seat.
Even when they were younger, we
rarely used a third row seat.
So I could see the
appeal of this.
And as we talked about in a
previous episode, the Honda
Passport.
Again, I kind of like that
idea of just really a utility
vehicle, because I'm not going
to be using the third row.
Right.
But when you mentioned
before about climate buttons
and being able to be
able to see things--
Oh, my god.
That's one of the things going
against the Blazer, right?
Look, Keith, you've spent some
time, and I think all of us
have driven it a bit.
Yeah.
What about the buttons?
Because I have my
own opinion them too.
So it took me a
while to find them,
because there is
this sort of ridge
that sort of protrudes from the
inside of the center console,
and it seems to have no
other purpose other than
to obscure every physical hard
button control in the car.
And I tried a ton of
different seating positions.
I asked you to make
sure that it wasn't just
the car was designed as an
anathema to my ergonomics.
Because we all have
different sized bodies.
Yeah.
But it seems like walking
around the offices
at Consumer Reports'
test track, everyone's
saying the same thing.
Yeah.
It's almost like a design
element that GM is moving to,
because we found a similar
thing in the Cadillac
XT4, their subcompact,
their compact SUV.
Also, oddly enough,
it's as if they
haven't sold enough Camaros.
Right.
Because they had the giant
Camaro vents down low.
And they're cool in some ways.
Look, turning them on
and off is pretty easy.
They have the
temperature controls.
It's like a rotary knob.
It's a rotary know.
But it just--
I don't get this
whole, like, wow,
it's got Camaro elements
in this two row SUV.
It feels like an XT4 that
someone looked at and said,
you know what, let's make
this look more like a Camaro.
And it's not like the--
Decontented.
Yeah.
--camaro sells in great numbers.
GM is basically saying,
yeah, we know that Ford
sells more Mustangs than we do.
I have another climate
related, but it's
more of a sort of global
climate change related concern
about these SUVs.
And the more these
come out, you know,
we see gas mileage in
high teens as, I guess,
as we're driving it around.
Not this one--
formally, but yeah.
Overall, and we test
these, obviously.
But on average, these don't
get the best fuel economy out
there.
And we got the V6 model.
And I feel like we're
living on an island,
and we've got like
three trees left.
And we need shelter,
and we need heat,
but we're going to
cut down those trees
and lift up our
houses a few feet.
It just feels like
it's just not the best
use of where this great
technology can go in design.
That's me, that's me, but--
So Ford Edge is a competitor,
the new Honda Passport.
Murano.
The Nissan Murano and
the Hyundai Santa Fe.
Is this class needed?
I mean, is it--
It's wanted.
There's a niche and we have to
put a car in there to compete.
But a lot people
by three rows SUVs.
We, my wife and I, had, in 2010,
had our baby, our daughter.
And we had a Volvo XC70
previous generation wagon.
And it fit pretty well.
Hard to put the car seat in,
the infant seat in facing,
rear facing.
But at some point, my wife's
like, oh, we need an SUV.
And we need a three row SUV.
Need three row.
We're going to be
carrying people around.
I just don't find it.
It could be where
I live, everyone
is just so active with all
their kids' different activities
that you never carpool.
Because they're all going
different directions.
But is a two-row world needed?
Or is it, just look, we're a
three-row world of vehicles.
Should an SUV just be a large--
I mean, obviously, if you're
going to make choices,
people are going to buy them.
And I'm not against
making choices out there
for a key for every lock.
But at the same time,
it does feel like--
Did you say a Keith
for every lock?
A key for every lock.
They're very different.
No, none of these are for Keith.
But there's, it's a slightly,
it feels like a bit of overkill.
I don't know what the
solution to that is.
And obviously, it's not having
everyone driving a Nissan Leaf.
But at the same time--
It's what the market
is sort of demanding.
Yeah.
But as we started
this whole segment--
Chicken and the egg, though?
But Subaru is sticking
with the Legacy.
Yeah.
So they're saying, you know, we
know that everyone wants SUVs
and we're going to offer one
from every shape and size
practically.
Well, they have [INAUDIBLE].
Which is basically what they do.
But they're saying, you know,
we're also committed to sedans.
And I think that's cool.
I love driving sedans.
As I've said many times, I get
just a little bit saturated
with SUVs all the time.
Sure.
So speaking of driving,
speaking of driving the Legacy,
what is the experience
with the Blazer so far?
What have you guys felt?
I'll go with Keith
first, that way
we don't all just go like this.
There's nothing, it's
certainly not a Camaro.
There's nothing special
about it in either direction.
There's nothing about
it that grabs me.
It's pleasant.
There's nothing that upsets me.
John, what do you think.
I used to work with an editor
that hated that word, pleasant.
Yeah, pleasant.
Right, but it's almost damning
with faint praise in a sense.
Exactly, exactly.
What do you--
I mean, what do you think?
I think, to me,
it comes down to,
driving the Blazer is like
driving in a shoe box.
I mean, the visibility to
me kills the experience.
Because the rear
visibility is really
compromised by the styling.
The dashboard seems high.
The glass area seems low.
It feels very closed in.
The model that we got
does not have a sunroof,
so the interior is not
brightened up very much.
And it's a black
interior, black leather.
Yeah, so to me, it's
just kind of dower.
I like the way it looks.
But I think GM is
really banking on people
kind of in love with the name
that they're going to flock--
Nostalgia.
--and buy that.
I was surprised that for a
$40,000 plus SUV, no sun roof.
Right, it's also--
That was just baffling.
--kind of a lousy value, also.
But I agree with Keith.
It is very unremarkable
the way it drives.
Like, it's OK.
That's a better
word than pleasant.
Yeah.
It's OK, but I don't--
I don't find myself
running to the keyboard
and getting my name on it before
other people so I can have it.
The previous Ford
Edge was, was, is,
we haven't finished testing
of the redesign of it,
but it was a little sporty.
I'd say it's a sporty vehicle.
It may be compromised other
ways, but it was sporty.
Ostensibly--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, ostensibly, the Passport
is a little bit sportier.
True, the Hyundai Santa Fe
was an enjoyable car and SUV.
And I had this over the
weekend with the kids.
And it was easy to get in and
out the doors open pretty wide.
And the dash is high.
But again, yeah, unremarkable.
And I think my kids actually
walked to a different red SUV.
Now they're little,
but I'm beeping it,
and they're like is the one?
I got to say, the
first time we had it,
I had trouble finding
it in the parking lot,
the first time I took it.
Because I didn't know
what color it was.
And the whole reason this
exists is to be distinctive.
Right.
But in a market crowded with
SUVs, it's good for consumers
because they have
a lot of choices,
unremarkable isn't good enough.
It's not Murano.
I mean, the Murano
is-- it's polarizing.
Well, the looks of it.
But the Santa Fe is
a car you can get in,
and they didn't
make it expensive,
but the interior at least, it
gives you something different.
Yeah.
It's a cool look.
It's more than pleasant.
We're putting our miles on it.
We're going to have
some information
on ConsumerReports.org,
our first drive of it.
We already have that
up, actually up,
and the video's up too.
Yeah, so check that out.
We're going to move now
to a really good segment.
We've got a couple of good
questions that people sent in.
Once again, send your questions
and your video questions in,
TalkingCars@icloud.com.
The first one is from Henry S.
And he says, in a recent show,
you endorsed undercarriage
washes during the winter.
Can this force salt into the
wheel wells between the sheet
metal and the wheel
well liner, into an area
where it will never leave?
I have done undercarriage
washes on my car for a few years
and recently had rust start
under the paint in the wheel
well area.
Keith, you actually
have a story about that,
again on ConsumerReports.org.
Yeah.
What do you think?
What advice do you
have for Henry?
Yeah, so we do still endorse
undercarriage washes.
Or suggest.
Suggests them, yeah.
And for the same reason that
you're having a rust issue,
is that stuff tends to
get caught in places that
don't otherwise get washed.
The issue is that an
undercarriage washed, no matter
how many times you
do it, it's not
going to clean absolutely
everything out of there.
I've seen this happen on cars.
And that's one of
the hardest places
to get that sort of salty--
when salt kind of turns into
like a paste with road grime,
and it sits there, it's going
to get wet no matter what.
And rust never sleeps, so, yeah.
Yeah, very true.
Exactly.
So I hesitate to create
a counter-factual here.
But I imagine that
this might have,
your car might have
rusted even a little more
if you hadn't done those
undercarriage washes.
So no, it's not like
it's pushing it up there.
But, the other thing, especially
this time of year, that it
does this, if you
live in a place
where they salt the roads,
and you really get stuff
that's caked on under there,
an undercarriage washes
is just going to blast it off.
And sometimes, it is an option
when you go to an automated car
wash.
They often will charge
you extra or they'll ask.
It's usually $2
or $3 extra, yeah.
I would say, in the wintertime,
it's not a bad idea.
Because there are all
these nooks and crannies.
And there's sound deadening.
And there are these panels.
And most of the time,
rust proofing these days
is very good.
But 10, 15 years ago, I don't
know how old your car is--
Well, that's one question.
That's another question too.
We don't know the age of it.
We don't know maintenance.
Not saying Henry's
not taking care of it,
obviously he's washing
it, but you never know.
Information online about
that, because there's
a whole host of car wash advice,
from coatings and washes,
waxes, et cetera.
We're going to move to Paul.
Paul says, longtime
fan, love the show.
Thanks, Paul.
Thanks Paul.
I was recently told
by a Honda dealer
that automatic
emergency braking only
works during cruise control,
regardless of the manufacturer.
Is this really true?
Mike.
Another one of those times
when a car salesperson maybe
doesn't quite have
their facts straight.
No, this is not true.
I spoke with our safety
experts here at the track,
and they definitely confirmed
that with automatic emergency
braking, cruise control does
not have to be activated.
I certainly found
this out for myself.
We were-- I was driving
our Lexus ES test
car the other day.
Pulling into my son's school,
and I found a parking spot.
And there was a lamp post in
the front the parking spot.
And I got to within a few inches
of it, and all of a sudden,
the brakes jammed up.
Yeah.
And I didn't think--
I thought it was a
little bit premature.
But obviously, it did the job.
And I, obviously, was not
also using cruise control
to pull into the parking space.
I've had that with
pulling into my garage
in different vehicles.
And it just depends, maybe
your feathering the brake,
you're going in
a little quickly,
and it just doesn't know.
But certainly--
Every manufacturer is
different in the way they
program their sensitivities.
Right.
But no, definitely--
It's independent of
automatic cruise control.
But one thing I got to
say on this, though,
is that it highlights the
fact that, first of all,
a lot of buyers don't understand
how these systems work.
And also, that a lot of
dealers don't understand.
And they might just
tell you something just
to make sure that you,
just to move you along.
But the thing is
that I really want
to make sure is that automatic
emergency braking is not
the thing that will slow
the car if there's traffic.
Automatic emergency braking
is sort of that last resort.
And it might not even be
enough to actually stop the car
and avoid a crash.
So it doesn't--
It'll limit the impact and
limit the severity of it.
Yes, so it doesn't mean
automatic emergency braking
isn't the thing
that where you can
take your foot off
the brake in the car
will just slow itself down.
Right.
But that, with the
automatic cruise control.
Distance sensing
cruise control--
Distance sensing
cruise control, that's
going to be the thing that's
going to slow you down when you
have traffic coming up ahead.
Automatic emergency braking,
those are two totally
different things.
One thing you both touched
on, the dealers, and this
isn't to knock the
dealers, because there's
a lot of technology coming out--
Oh, yeah.
--that's kind of
coming, like this.
I picked up the I-PACE.
We are testing
the Jaguar I-PACE.
And the salesman, and he's
was the sales manager,
and he was really great.
He was great through
the whole thing.
But he said to me,
there's just so much
new technology on this
car, it's hard to just get
a grasp of everything with it.
There's so many settings now.
There's so many menus.
There's so many ways to get the
car personalized, so to speak.
Let alone just the technology
of what type of charger works
on an electric car, et cetera.
And in reading this question,
it reminded me of the days
when anti-lock brakes were new.
Stability control was new.
It wasn't standard on every car.
Sure.
And I think the salespeople
either didn't know much
about it, or they weren't
stocking the cars with this--
Exactly.
--equipment.
And so they would
often say, ah, you
don't need that,
you don't need that.
As it proliferates throughout
the market, expect to have it.
But it's also a key thing
for people to think about.
Don't just get in the dealer,
go to the finance and insurance
guy, sign the
papers, and get out.
Now with cars,
you really do have
to book a bunch, book some
time to make sure you go over.
And even on the test drive--
Do your research.
Yeah, do your research.
You got to know what packages--
Know what the cars can do even
before you get to the dealer.
So you can be in the opportunity
to know more about the car.
You know a great place
to do that research?
ConsumerReports.org?
Yeah.
I was going to say, check it
out at ConsumerReports.org,
because we have a whole list
of all the current 2019s,
and even some of
the 2018s, the cars
with advanced safety systems,
and which are standard
and which are optional.
And that's a big thing to know.
Because it's hard
sometimes to figure it out.
Our final question, questions,
kind of merge together.
The first one is from Nathaniel
S. Dear "Talking Cars,"
in a recent episode,
when you were discussing
cargo room in a new
Lexus, Jennifer mentioned,
Jennifer Stockburger,
mentioned some ways
that you guys
measure cargo room.
How do you measure cargo space?
And how does that factor
into your overall ratings?
So I'll jump on this.
The way we do test it,
is that we use something,
we use a big pipe frame box.
And basically, it's adjustable
for height, and for width,
and for depth.
And we fit it into vehicles
that are hatchbacks or SUVs.
And minivans.
And minivans, exactly.
Because you'll see these
ratings of the XYZ, the 2019,
brand new has 48 cubic
feet of storage space.
And that's maybe if
you're filling it
with ping pong balls.
And if you're filling
it with ping pong balls,
that's a fantastic
part of your clown job.
I don't know what you
do on the weekends.
You steal from the ping
pong factory you work at.
You steel from the ping pong
factory and have your own.
But basically, that's
not always usable.
If the opening is this big, and
the cargo space is this big,
you're only getting a
small long object in there.
So what we do is we
measure the usable space
of the base with a frame, where
the hatch and the cargo door
open, and then what you
could fit it in there.
So it'll be great
to know you can
fit a refrigerator in there.
You may not have 38.5
cubic feet of overall--
you may have that space, but you
can't refrigerator in the car
if it has a tiny opening.
Or if it has a sloping rear end.
Or sloping rear end.
Because we do it with
closing the hatch.
So it's great, you could fit the
four by eight sheet of plywood
or something out
the back, but you're
going to have the flag hanging.
We test what you could have
in the vehicle with the hatch
closed.
The other question that's
kind of associated.
Jake says, hi, on top of
recently getting a dog,
my wife and I are
hoping to adopt
and could need a bigger
vehicle with no notice.
I would be replacing
a 2013 Hyundai Elantra
and would like to improve on
its fuel economy, mostly highway
driving, while adding
around 30 cubic feet
of cargo space for the dog.
A used Prius V, Toyota
Prius V fits the bill,
but we don't like the
cheap interior materials
and lethargic acceleration.
Are there any alternatives
with above average reliability
ratings that are under $20,000
with less than 75,000 miles?
We each came up with our own.
I'm going to toss this
one to Keith first.
I say-- I say treat yourself.
You're starting, you're
starting a new family.
You might have to go for a
car that's a little bit older.
But my recommendation
is the Lexus RX.
Stellar, stellar
reliability in our tests.
The '08 to 2010, really
nice interior, really quiet.
It's got a ton of space.
And there also is a
hybrid version of it.
I mean, it's not going to
get Prius V fuel economy,
but it's not going to be a
huge dip from the Elantra.
And yeah, it's a
bigger car, but you're
going to be able to have that
reliability and that comfort
as well, that
you're looking for.
Mike and I initially kind
of thought of the same one
almost, like a mind meld.
Mike--
It just came out of
mouth at the same time.
It was like Mazda 5.
Yeah.
Mazda 5 is this really kind
of obscure, little cross
between a wagon and a minivan.
The cool thing
about the Mazda 5,
it had dual sliding side doors.
It had room for six.
It had a decent
cargo room inside.
The four cylinder engine
didn't have a lot of power
and the handling was made it
kind of agile, kind of fun
to drive.
Yeah.
The downside of this car, they
didn't sell a lot of them.
So it might be hard to find one.
Right.
But we've known a
few people that we've
worked with in the
communications office, who
bought one for his family,
and really liked it.
It's like a mini mini van.
Exactly.
We were kind of sad to see that
go out of production, actually.
Well, there's a lot
of cars out there.
I would suggest
that, Jake, you go
take a look at
ConsumerReports.org
and look at our best
used cars under $20,000.
There's also some
list best under 30,
if you happen to be able
to bump it up a bit.
But a lot of cool information
on there, particularly
for CR members.
So that's going to do
it for this episode.
As always, check the show
notes for what we talked about.
Thanks for watching, and
we'll see you next time.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
2015 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel - TestDriveNow.com Review by Auto Critic Steve Hammes | TestDriveNow
Steve Hammes New Car Reviews:
Hear that? That's a sound you haven't heard
from a Chevy car in a while. In my 17 years
of test drives this is the first American
car I've had with a Diesel engine. But the
headline here is 46mpg highway and it comes
courtesy of the Chevy Cruze.
When 50-state compliant diesel engines began
showing up a few years ago, the push was primarily
engineered by the VW Group. Gas prices were
sky high and alt fuel vehicles were in consumers’
minds.
2015 Chevrolet Cruze DieselSo Chevy decided
to see how a small diesel-powered car would
do against competitors’ hybrids and other
diesel models. Now in its 2nd year, Chevy’s
best-selling global car with a 2.0-liter clean
turbo-diesel is the choice for about one out
of every 10 Cruze buyers in the U.S. GM’s
unreliable diesel models from the 80s left
Americans with a negative impression of this
gasoline alternative but with so many advancements
in the technology since then, diesel cars
nowadays are no more of a concern than any
other propulsion you may choose.
So why go Cruze Diesel? It’s all about fuel
economy and torque with secondary considerations
given to a diesel engine’s reputation for
longevity. In this case, the engine was specifically
adapted for the U.S. market, meeting stringent
emission standards while producing peak torque
of 264 pound-feet that gives this Cruze an
instant on feeling when you press the go pedal,
particularly impressive in passing maneuvers
on the highway. Don’t measure this engine’s
strength by its mediocre 0-to-60mph time of
about 8.5 seconds; it has the low-end gumption
drivers appreciate when stepping off. As for
the efficiency angle, as paired with the only
available transmission – this 6-speed auto
– the city/highway spread of 19mpg is greater
than that of any other new vehicle. Rated
at 27mpg city/46mpg highway and 33mpg combined,
the Cruze Diesel’s return on investment
will greatly depend on where you drive most
of the time. I averaged 35mpg for the week
and during a highway run from NYC to Albany
I managed over 45mpg. So unlike some other
alternative powertrains, the impressive diesel
mileage numbers are once again for real.
The most obvious difference between the Cruze
Diesel and the Jetta TDI is the clatter heard
from the engine. VW really knows how to mute
the typical diesel sounds while Chevy makes
it loud and proud. Does that bother me? Well,
it's a little off-putting and everyone who
stands near it or rides in it instantly noticed
but I'm sure to some diesel aficionados it
sounds like a badge of honor.
It’s also not a sporty car when running
on these fuel-saving tires, instead it promotes
comfortable cruising – diesel sounds and
all. There were also occasions where the 6-speed
felt confused.
The Cruze debuts an updated front fascia this
year with LED daytime running lights and the
Diesel model comes with a rear spoiler, an
aero performance package and ultra low-rolling
resistance tires. Inside, Apple Siri integration
is a welcome addition as is OnStar with 4G,
not 3G, built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. The sport
mesh trim used around the cabin is a unique
look and though the next generation Cruze
will debut shortly as a 2016 model, this car
has maintained its premium composure quite
well with features such as a back-up cam,
side blind zone and rear cross traffic alert
the very agreeable Chevy MyLink system with
navigation. Remote start is always appreciated,
too. And as long as the folks in the front
aren’t too long legged, the rear seats are
useable and are elevated for better forward
visibility.
Priced as the premium model in the Cruze lineup
from $26,485 and stickered here for $29,105,
the Cruze Diesel’s nemesis is the gas fueled
Cruze Eco which the EPA estimates costs $100
less per year to fuel with the culprit being
the high cost of diesel vs. a gallon of regular.
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]
Best Gas Mileage Cars Chevrolet Cruze Road Trip
Will Tinney:
Alright, where are we going guys?
St. Ignace!
How much gas do we have?
One tank!
Whoa, St. Ignace on one gas tank!
Whoa, St. Ignace on one tank of gas!
160 miles to St. Ignace.
We are actually averaging 34.6 miles per gallon mpg right now.
We are taking a quick road trip break. We only have got an hour and a half or two hours to go. And we have over three quarters of a tank of gas.
Whoa!
Hey guys, are we almost there?
Well according to my phone we have two hours left.
We're in Mancilona at Mc Donalds… In our Chevy Cruze
We are just approaching three fourths of a tank… And we made it to Petoskey.
Petoskey welcomes you!
We are now exiting Petoskey and we are just, just under three fourths of a tank of gas. So, we are doing excellent with the gas mileage. It says we still have 381 miles left in the gas tank, which is great, I think we'll actually make it back to Grand Rapids, MI safely and not have to worry about gas.
Hey! We made it to St. Ignace and we are on Mackinac Island!
No, Mackinac Island is over there!
No, It's somewhere.
Guys… Over there.
Oh, Mackinac Island is over there! Whoa!
We are in St. Ignace now. We have averaged 37.7 MPG miles per gallon. We still have well over a half a tank of gas. We have 361 more miles we can go, yet we have already traveled 290.8 miles so far.
So we are currently heading back home to Grand Rapids, MI.
It was a lot of fun but I hope we don't run out of gas because I don't want to push the car.
Let me tell you we don't have anything to worry about we still have over a half a tank of gas, high five!
Yeah, my Jeep would never make this trip.
We are about to reach our final destination, Tinney Chevrolet. We still have an eighth of a tank of gas left and we have driven over 520 miles on one tank.
Yea! We are back at Tinney! Whoa! We made it on one tank of gas!
No pushing for me today.
2014 Chevrolet SS - TestDriveNow.com Review by Auto Critic Steve Hammes | TestDriveNow
Steve Hammes New Car Reviews:
The SS badge on a Chevrolet has long since stood for performance and in recent years we've seen it grace everything from 4-cylinder compacts to half-ton pickups. But now the name stands alone on a car worthy of its heritage. This is the rear-drive, V-8 powered Chevy SS. The irony can't be missed; an American company once renowned for its rear-drive spirit must now turn half a world away for such a platform. GM continues to tap its Australian subsidiary Holden to build 2 cars; this SS and the Caprice Police car. And though it's gone the Down Under route for other low-volume cars recently like the Pontiac G8, the announcement of Holden's manufacturing closing in 2017 means this is likely another car for aspiring collectors. You've got to go back to the likes of the '96 Caprice and Impala SS to find the last Chevys like this one. And providing the muscle is a pretty cool hand me down from the previous gen Corvette; the LS3 6.2-liter V8 tuned for 415 horsepower and a matching amount of twist; an engine that also lives on in the Camaro SS. A boisterous startup and a charmingly lumpy idle cue you in to its performance intentions. Intricately designed front seats with a combination of leather, suede, red stitching and faux metal accents not only look the part but do their job of balancing a firm embrace and yielding comfort. Grab hold of the thick, flat-bottomed wheel with paddle shifters and put the 6-speed auto into drive or over to the right for sport mode and you're ready for a driving experience that spans a wide dynamic range from German-stout bahn burner to a frolicking adolescent dressed in his Sunday best. Everything about the SS feels solid, brawny and until provoked quite reserved. With struts in the front and coil overs in the rear, the SS gets by without any of GM's electronically controlled damper tricks to deliver a buttoned-down ride quality that's focused on quickly killing body motion. The steering has a substantial heft to it that knows on-center better than any car I can recall. And despite its large car size, the SS plays smaller on the curvy road with an easily tractable manner and a traction control system fully overseeing the rear end -- when desired. It can be deactivated. The power delivery is outrageously fast -- hitting 60mph in about 5-seconds while making the kinds of sounds that Taurus SHO owners aren't familiar with. And of course Brembo brakes are on board up front to provide stellar stopping power. There's a high degree of precision engineered into all of the driver controls that's instantly noticeable. The ride is taut but not jarring. And the LS3 has been left to keep its muscle car charms in a sedan that's just as at ease taking your wife out to a nice dinner as it is doing hot laps at the track. The cabin has a tactfully, performance-inspired design with the kinds of modern technologies you'd expect in a $40,000 car -- like the user-friendly Chevy MyLink for all of your infotainment needs, the often overlooked security of OnStar and even a Chevy first -- Automatic Parking Assist, that'll take you into either a parallel or perpendicular parking space by itself. Other camera and radar-based goodies like forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert and rear cross traffic alert are all standard. And the head-up display is a great safety feature in itself. The passenger room is segment leading and big car space awaits at least 2 rear seat passengers while everybody's stuff fits nicely into the 17 cubic foot trunk. If you're sensitive to noise, note that the staggered width 19" Bridgestone max performance summer use tires do generate a fair amount of drone though the exhaust does not. The biggest demerit I can give to the SS is in its styling; a bit too understated and Malibu-like for my tastes. Oh and one other thing -- the $1,300 gas guzzler tax isn't too attractive either. Rated at 14mpg city/21mpg highway, just be thankful that it'll run on regular. Otherwise the SS comes in basically one easy order configuration for $45,770 -- $900 more if you choose the sunroof. Though not your classic beauty from the outside, Chevy has finally brought a Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger competitor to market for the loyal bowtie crowd.
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