Automotive Reviews

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Burt Reynolds tribute Chevy Silverado fetches $280,000

Pickup truck prices continues, particularly customized, limited editions, and especially made as an homage to actor Burt Reynolds. One extravagant example, a 2021 Chevy Silverado Bandit Edition, sold recently at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas for $286,000. The customized truck has various integrates cosmetic features included as inspirations by the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am that Reynolds drove throughout the hugely popular Smokey and the Bandit movie series. Painted black and gold, the modified Silverado also feature a large gold painted hood decal. About 200 of the bespoke vehicles have been built. Some components are made from forged carbon fiber, including the front splitter, rockers, rear spoiler and lower integrated rear diffuser. The hood graphic is hand-painted and incorporates Reynolds’ initials

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2022 Toyota GR86: It’s back, it’s flawed, it’s fun

If the criteria for purchasing a new car is driving fun but without supreme acceleration, carrying cargo or children, environmental concerns, the latest technology, comfort or a quiet, serene ride, buy a 2022 Toyota GR86. Its seemingly sole purpose is pure joy. The GR86 scoots around in city driving with ease and it deftly maneuvers along country roads because that’s what it does best. For all practical purposes, the pleasure can be shared with no more than one passenger. With a re-shaped exterior, the GR86 is handsome and attracts plenty of attention. It’s the debut of the car’s second generation and arrives after the vehicle took a one-year hiatus. 2022 Toyota GR86: driving pleasure, small package Little is embellished. Like

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2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz goes big in a smaller way

Introduced as the manufacturer’s first pickup truck, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz addresses a niche market. It’s a pickup truck for buyers who don’t want a truck or at least as previously defined. Available last June as this year’s model, the four-door, front-engine, all-wheel drive is marketed as an Adventure Sport Vehicle. Like the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick, the Santa Cruz has a unibody chassis design, not the ladder frame featured on most pickup trucks. The back seats are comfortable only for children or petite adults. The standard Hyundai Santa Cruz engine is a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder setup with 191 horsepower, 181 lb.-ft. of torque and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s based on its sibling, the Tucson crossover sport utility

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2022 BMW X4 M: It’s an SUV race car but why?

The 2022 BMW X4 M and the more powerful X4 M Competition are siblings among a handful of vehicles competing in the high-performance sport utility vehicle niche. It’s a difficult automotive segment to fathom. What’s the purpose of a family-oriented vehicle with 503 horsepower and acceleration from zero-to-60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds? Key Takeaways 503-hp performance SUV questions its own existence: The X4 M Competition delivers supercar acceleration (0-60 in 3.3 seconds) in a family vehicle, but the reviewer finds the performance largely impractical for real-world driving. Highway excellence, city compromise: Open-road composure is a BMW forte here, but the stiff ride punishes backseat passengers over every bump. Premium tech with usability gaps: The 3D head-up display impresses

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2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Yes, It’s A (Great) Mustang!

Introduced slightly more than two years ago, The Ford Mustang Mach-E, a battery-electric compact crossover SUV, went on sale a year later to a resounding, universal reaction — that’s a Mustang? Mustang purists scoffed at the 2021 debut model describing it as automotive sacrilege. Other car buyers viewed the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) as innovative — what’s this new Mustang all about? 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: It’s Different Ford viewed its new vehicle with its Mustang nameplate, Mustang identifiers and a Mach-E moniker as a way to differentiate itself from other EV newbies. It’s succeeded. Ford’s first fully-electric crossover SUV offers good looks, comfort, performance and economy. It’s just a Mustang of another breed. The rear-wheel-drive Mach-E with a standard

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2021 Ford Escape PHEV delivers as new SUV option

Following global semiconductor delays, the long-promised 2021 Ford Escape PHEV debuted a few months ago, adding to the longstanding sport utility vehicle’s lineup. It’s a strong addition to the always-expanding segment of family-oriented vehicles. Sales of SUVs are nearing 50 percent of yearly vehicle sales in the United States. With the new Escape, buyers can combine the utility of a family and small business vehicle with the economy of electricity for short excursions. It also continues Ford‘s early entry into the hybrid SUV marketplace, an option that began in 2005. The Escape is powered by a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The SUV has a 14.4 kWh battery pack with an EPA-estimated 37 miles of electric-only range and

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GM unveils electric shock treatment: new $105K pickup truck

The electric truck wars are on. With all major manufacturers vying for the future marketplace, GM has just made the biggest, boldest mainstream move to date – the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. Mary Barra, the CEO of GM, announced the vehicle during the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. She revealed the all-electric light-duty pickup will have an estimated 400 miles of range (with the largest battery), as much 664 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque. The 0-to-60 mph time is estimated as quick as 4.5 seconds with the Wide Open Watts Mode. Initially, there will be two trim levels offered: the flagship RST and the WT (Work Truck) model. The new Silverado EV will ride on

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New GM troubles, massive lawsuit claims faulty transmissions

The eight-speed transmissions installed in numerous Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles, including several trucks and SUVs manufactured by General Motors, are faulty. According to a new class-action lawsuit against GM in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, the automaker shipped vehicles with transmissions with that: “Slip, buck, kick, jerk, harshly engage, suffer abnormal internal wear, sudden acceleration, delay in downshifts, delayed acceleration, difficulty stopping the vehicle, and eventually require replacement of the transmission or its components.” Vehicles affected include: Cadillac ATS (2016-2019), Cadillac ATS-V (2016-2019), Cadillac CTS (2016-2019), Cadillac CTS-V (2016-2019), 2016-2019 Cadillac CT6, Cadillac Escalade/Cadillac Escalade ESV (2015-2019), Chevrolet Camaro (2016-2019), Chevrolet Colorado (2017-2019), Chevrolet Corvette (2015-2019), Chevrolet Silverado (2015-2019), GMC Canyon (2017-2019),

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Welcome back, Ford Bronco: better looking, off-road savvy

It’s been 25 years, but the Ford Bronco is back. The sixth generation of the former compact off-road-geared utilitarian vehicle has re-emerged. It’s available for the first time as a mid-sized, two-door sport utility vehicle. Used Bronco prices have dramatically increased with buyers perhaps remembering the family workhorses from decades ago. The Bronco debuted in 1965 as a 1966 model and as the first SUV. Its fluctuating success was matched against the Jeep CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout. The Bronco’s demise was often attached to the notorious 1994 low-speed police chase of former NFL running back O.J. Simpson. He was the back seat passenger in a white 1993 Bronco XLT driven by Al Cowlings on Interstate 405 in Southern California.

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New Tesla rear camera, trunk woes prompt 475,000 recalls

Tesla is recalling more than 475,000 of its Model 3 and Model S electric cars from model years 2014 to 2021 because of rearview camera and trunk issues that increase the risk of crashing. The U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling 356,309 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles to address rearview camera issues and 119,009 Model S vehicles due to front hood problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced The federal regulator has been discussing another camera issue with the automaker while probing the electric vehicle manufacturer’s driver assistant system and other issues. According to the manufacturer’s sales figures, the total number of vehicles being recalled is about the same volume of vehicles Tesla delivered in 2020. Tesla: Recall Issues

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Tiger Woods back, still can’t drive or play straight

Now that the fandom and television network adulation have subsided, a calmer, bigger-picture perspective on Tiger Woods’ return to golf is warranted. He is not a hero. And nor does he represent the beauty of the mentorship that occurs between fathers and sons. Instead, Woods, 10 months removed from his third automobile accident in 14 years — all the golfer’s fault — is still a father in denial. While he previously appeared on national television to apologize for his poor personal life choices, Woods has yet to appropriate any public forum to address his wont for reckless driving. Tiger Woods: 3 accidents, 14 years Woods’ children aren’t fatherless only because the 82-time PGA Tour winner and 15-time Major winner was

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2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S: Beautiful, Expensive Beast

Not too many years ago, the term “four-door sports car” rattled automotive purists. It’s now part of the accepted lexicon only to be replaced with the latest oddity, “supercar luxury family sports sedan.” A few abound including the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S. The addition to the German stalwart manufacturer began as a 2016 model as a two-seat coupe. But a convertible and four-door sedan are now offered. The niche of niche segments also includes the Audi S7 and RS 7, BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and M8 Gran Coupe and the Porsche Panamera. For 2021 (2022 models are pending via supply chain shortages), the AMG GT 63 S is the top-line of four trim levels. All-wheel drive is standard

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Hydrogen Highway goes awry in Hyundai Nexo

About 55 years ago, the Chevrolet Electrovan debuted as the first modern hydrogen-powered vehicle. It weighed 7,100 pounds. It had a top speed of 70 miles per hour, a milestone achieved in an eternity of 30 seconds. The vehicle was scrapped not too long after its short life only in General Motors’ testing facilities. The Electrovan had a 150-mile range but its alternative fuel was expensive. And its large carrying containers, positioned behind the middle bench seat, didn’t define automotive safety. Not much in the technology’s sustainable future occurred for nearly a half-century. Hydrogen cars most prevalent in California Now, three vehicles — the Honda Clarity, Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai — are part of the still-niche hydrogen marketplace. All

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Toyota no longer king of the green car industry

It’s hard to believe that Toyota, the automaker behind the hugely successful hybrid-electric Prius, is no longer viewed as the green car industry leader. According to Danny Magill, an analyst at the London-based think tank InfluenceMap, Toyota has gone from a leading position to an “industry laggard” in clean-car policy as other automakers push ahead with ambitious electric vehicle (EV) plans. InfluenceMap gives Toyota a “D-” grade—the worst among automakers—saying it exerts policy influence to undermine public climate goals. While companies like Tesla have produced fully electric cars now part of the EV rage, Toyota, focusing on gas-electric hybrids and futuristic fuel cell vehicles, has started to lose market share. Toyota Prius: Losing Its Green Car Crown Records show the

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Ford goes retro with zero-emissions F-100 pickup truck

What once was old is new is old again — the Ford F-100 Eluminator pickup truck. The automotive industry best-selling truck manufacturer recently announced the concept — a zero-tailpipe-emissions. demonstration truck. It’s powered by the new Ford Performance Parts Eluminator electric crate motor customers can now buy online. Based on a heritage 1978 F-100 pickup, the F-100 Eluminator concept features all-wheel-drive via two electric motors shared with the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. Two electric traction motors drive the front and rear wheels, packing 480 horsepower and 634 lb.-ft. of torque. Ford F-100: The Past Is The Present The Eluminator is the first e-crate motor from Ford Performance Parts. It’s based on the Mustang Mach-E GT’s traction motor. The

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2022 Genesis GV70: An SUV star is born

Nearly 20 small luxury crossover sport utility vehicles are available in 2022 models — Acura to BMW, Infiniti to Mercedes-Benz. All simultaneously have unique and shared traits. The names change; the vehicles often don’t. Further, there’s no exact definition of what makes an SUV or any other car achieve luxury status. The luxury tagline is used to define vehicles offering better performance, plush interiors made with high-end material as well as top-line safety and advanced technology features. The luxury definition was once reserved for luxury-only brands, namely German stalwarts. Several manufacturers, some formerly consider economy-based, have changed the dynamic. Still, how can a new SUV find its place? Genesis GV70: Legitimate Contender Welcome the 2022 Genesis GV70, a debuting SUV.

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