2015

Ford, Toyota dominate 2015 U.S. car, truck sales — again

As has occurred yearly since nearly the invention the the automobile, the Ford F-Series was the best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2015. The iconic pick-up truck, manufactured since 1948, had a 3.5 percent increase in sales last year from 2014. The Ford F-Series was the country’s best-selling vehicle for the 34th straight year. It sold 780,354 units in 2015, and it also led a top-three sweep of trucks as the top sellers in the country. The Chevrolet Silverado was the country’s second-highest seller with 600,544 units sold, followed by the Ram Pickup, with 451,116 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado had 13.4 percent sales increase from 2014 to 2015, while the Ram had an increase of 2.6 percent. The

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TheWeeklyDriver.com names Best 12 Vehicles of 2015

For the ninth straight year, TheWeeklyDriver.com has selected its Best 12 Vehicles of the Year. Ford, Honda and Hyundai each have two vehicles on the 2015 list, which this year has expanded from the usual top-10 list to a dozen selections. As editor and publisher of the TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I fully reviewed 38 cars and trucks with 2015 model years. I also drove a half-dozen other cars briefly at manufacturer preview days. This year’s list has expanded to a dozen vehicles for one simple reason: Manufacturers keep making better machines. For the first time since the end-of-the-year list began, our list includes a pick-up truck. For the 2014 list, we selected a single top vehicle, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

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2015 Chevrolet Silverado: Rugged, powerful, versatile

The Chevrolet Silverado was the second best-selling vehicle in the country in 2014. With its identical cousin, the GMC Sierra, the two vehicles remain largely unchanged for 2015. Introduced in 1999, the two full-sized pick-up trucks have steadily increased audiences via their combination of rugged versatility, comfort and spaciousness. Nearly 530,000 units sold last year, more than a 10 percent increase over 2013 and largely because of the Silverado’s new generation of trim levels. The Weekly Driver Chevorlet Silverado Test Drive Among the Chevrolet Silverado’s strong attributes is its appeal to multiple types of pick-up truck buyers. It’s available in a wide range of configurations from two and four-door options to different engines to several available beds and engines. My weekly

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2015 Top-10 Best Cars and Trucks (Now and Then)

Many prominent automotive sites pick their top-10 2015 cars and trucks of the year early in the year perhaps even in  late in the previous year. It’s an odd practice, as if Kelley Blue Book is trying to outdo Car and Driver and Edmunds is trying to outdo Consumer Reports and vice versa. TheWeekyDriver.com waits until the end of the year, and we’ll present our ninth annual top-10 at the end of the year. In the meantime, since many manufactures have released their 2016 models and other carmakers are introducing 2017 models, now seems like a good time to revisit top-10 2015 vehicle list. The list was released in February and we’re keeping the site’s name off the post, just

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2015 Ford F-150: The best pick-up truck gets better

As the country’s best-selling vehicle seemingly since the model-T, the 2015 Ford F-150 could have been presented identically as its older siblings and still led the pick-up truck pack. But Ford decided not to rest on success, particularly as other manufacturers’ trucks are ever improving. Still, it was a surprise when Ford introduced the iconic truck’s 13th generation. Among its slew of a new features and upgrades is a lighter and thus more fuel-efficient aluminum body and a monstrous new chrome grille. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Versatility is among the many reasons the Ford F-150 has been the top-selling truck for nearly four decades. And with its redesign for 2015, the F-150 further advances the standard of its already

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2015 Ford C-Max: Underdog hybrid still chasing Prius (VIDEO)

Ford isn’t the only manufacturer attempting to infiltrate the hybrid segment dominance of the Toyota Prius. But three years ago it started its best effort, the highly touted Ford C-Max hybrid-only line-up. Ford’s marketing plan included a motto directly pointed at Toyota. It promoted the debut 2013 C-Max as “a hybrid that drives and looks like a real car.” Like previous years’ models, the 2015 Ford C-Max is true to the carmaker’s claim. It looks and drives like a non-hybrid. It’s available as a gas-electric hybrid as the Energi, a plug-in hybrid. The Ford C-Max hasn’t significantly dented the Toyota Prius market share, but it’s like its main competitor in two respects. It’s not available in a gas-only model, much

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2015 Honda CR-V: Best crossover SUV gets better

In its 21st year, the Honda CR-V is mature, a standard bearer in the sport utility market. The 2015 edition further defines the top-selling people mover. The 2015 edition isn’t a new generation, but there’s plenty new. For starters, the 2.4-liter, 185-horsepower engine is now the same as the Accord’s direct-injection, four-cylinder with a continuously variable transmission. The exterior styling has been refreshed. And, so, too has the interior. New are a front console armrest, rear climate vents, a 7-inch touchscreen linked to the LaneWatch blind spot monitoring system on the higher-level trim. The Touring trim also has upgraded safety technologies. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2015 Honda CR-V is a five-passenger crossover sport utility vehicle. It’s available in

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2015 Nissan Murano: Driving the USA Pro Challenge #2

The USA Pro Challenge, the fifth-year professional cycling event in Colorado, takes the riders throughout cities large and small. In the past few days, I’ve driven the 2015 Nissan Murano from Frisco to Copper Mountain to Aspen to Breckenridge. The route has primarily been along winding and hilly Interstate 70 that advance through wondrous rock formations. I also drove on a several state routes along flowing rivers and on a few frontage roads and on city streets in Frisco and to the top of Snowmass. My guide was the touchscreen navigation system. I liked the clarity of the seven-inch screen and its functionality via  straightforward features. When I was getting low on fuel, I quickly found the closest gas station

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2015 Nissan Murano: Driving the USA Pro Challenge #1

Newly designed for 2015, the Nissan Murano is a midsize, versatile crossover SUV. It’s available in four trim levels and all with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. My weekly driver of the USA Pro Challenge, a seven-day pro professional bike race in Colorado, is the SL trim with all-wheel drive. Standard equipment on the base S model includes: 18-inch alloy wheels, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, dual-zone automatic climate control and cruise control. Electronics and entertainment features include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 7-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera, smartphone app integration and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an auxiliary input jack. The SL trim, two trims advanced, includes a host

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2015 Lexus ES 350: Perfect sedan for a 2,000-mile desert trek

What car enthusiast wouldn’t welcome the opportunity to drive across three sates, including long stretches in the desert, on wide, high-speed roads? And considering super cars to classics, what would be an ideal car to drive just under 700 miles from Sacramento, California to Logan, Utah? And after eight days in Utah, how satisfying would it be to make the return trip on the ninth day and in one day instead of the two-day departure journey? Performance freaks might select any number of rarities. Perhaps others would prefer a sports car or a gas-guzzling exotic. But what about a vehicle the public has readily available at an affordable price? I haven’t driven a sedan priced at the entry level luxury

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2015 Porsche Panamera Hybrid: The perfect cycling car?

The fledging Airgas-Safeway cycling team is still seeking competitive clout. But the squad has attracted major attention at the Tour of Utah — if only in the caravan of race vehicles. The first-year team and its exuberant owner, Chris Johnson, secured the use of two 2015 Porsche Panamera S Hybrids as team cars for the biggest race of the team’s short tenure. Subaru is a race sponsor and there’s the usual assortment of manufacturers represented among team vehicles, Kia to Volvo. But it’s a safe bet to assume $110,000 high-performance, four-door hybrid sports cars with 380 horsepower are a first in the sport. “I think cycling is a perfect type of audience; a lot of cyclists drive Porsches,” said Johnson,

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Driving the Tour of Utah in a 2015 Lexus ES 350, #1

Driving from Sacramento, California to Logan, Utah is doable in one day. It’s about a 685-mile trek and takes 12 hours with stops. I opted for the two-day version, and one reason was because of my ride, a 2015 Lexus ES 350. A logical approach to attend the Tour of Utah bike race was a first night’s stop in Elko, Nevada, a 415-mile effort east on Interstate 80 to Reno, Nev. It was then into the desert for several-hour effort into open range, past small towns, plenty of sage brush and where the 75-mph speed limit is barely a deterrent. The 2015 Lexus ES 350 is the upscale version of a Toyota Avalon. It’s a four-door, luxury sedan featuring a

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Say goodbye to three Honda models in 2015

Honda makes great cars. The Honda Civic, Accord and CR-V are annually among the top-10 best selling vehicles in the United States. But even Honda admits failure sometimes. Which is why at the end of the 2015 model year, three Honda models will be discontinued. Gone will be the Civic Hybrid, the Accord Plug-In Hybrid and the natural-gas powered Civic GX. Honda has plans for a new plug-in hybrid and battery electric models. But in the meantime, here’s a look at the three departing Honda models: It’s a Natural Honda Gas The innovative Civic GX was arguably the least appreciated car in the United States. About four years ago, Honda made a concerted effort to market its natural gas vehicle.

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2015 Toyota Sienna: no more minivan stigma

Minivans get a bad rap. They’re boxes on wheels. They’re only for soccer moms. Neither criticism seems fair to me, and one reason is the 2015 Toyota Sienna. Manufactured since 1997 when it replaced the Toyota Previa, the 2015 Toyota Sienna has been refreshed in the fourth year of the third generation introduced in 2011. Among the most versatile and safe vehicles available, the Toyota Sienna received a new tail light and interior design refresh. The Sienna SE reverted to the original pre-facelift “sport” tail lights and Sky Blue Pearl, Creme Brulee Metallic and Attitude Black Metallic are new exterior color choices. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the Toyota Sienna SE, the eight-seater and one of

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2015 Ford Mustang: Iconic muscle car turns 50 in style

The 2015 Ford Mustang marks the car’s 50th anniversary, and the carmaker celebrated the milestone with a surprise. It didn’t spoil the party with an over-the-top, too powerful machine. Instead, it offered an EcoBoost four-cylinder as one of six trim levels. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With its Competition Orange exterior paint and black ragtop, the 2015 Ford Mustang attracted as much attention as any car I’ve driven with the exception of a Rolls-Royce Wraith. Young people in the neighborhood yelled out praise. Strangers in parking lots offered compliments, and a few drivers accelerated past me on the highway seemingly wanting to have drag races. None of these onlookers knew, but my Ford Mustang test vehicle for the week was

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2015 Ford F-150 sales slump prompts $10,000 discount

The Ford F-150, the biggest-selling vehicle in the United States for more than three decades, is in a sales slump. But Ford Motor Co., is hoping to reverse the trend by offering discounts of more than $10,000 on the new aluminum-bodied edition. The company’s website offers “up to $10,029 in total savings” on a 2015 F-150 XLT SuperCab 4X4 with the luxury chrome or sport package in some U.S. regions. That model comes with a discount of $7,050 in other areas, according to Ford.com. Sales fell 8.9 percent in June for Ford’s F-Series pickups, its top-selling line and most profitable vehicles. Ford blamed tight inventory caused by the conversion of two plants to build the trucks, the first mass-market vehicles

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