Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
A class action says GM knew 2019-2020 Silverado and Sierra rear windows leak into the cab, tracked it in a service bulletin for four years, but never issued a recall.
Read moreKarl Brauer has an extensive history in the automotive industry, including his current position as the executive analyst for iseecars.com. The website, an automotive research firm and data-driven car search engine, helps shoppers find the right car at the right price. It also develops and shares powerful studies and market analyses that have been featured in over 2,000 media outlets. Brauer is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. iseecars.com is a top auto search engine Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Brauer several areas of the automotive industry, including the research firm’s recent study on top-selling new and used cars for 2020. It’s no surprise the Ford F-150 leads both categories. The enduring
Read moreLike all of its siblings, the Hyundai Santa Fe does a lot right. Competitors have more upscale interior appearances and the sport utility vehicle isn’t geared for rugged adventures. The Santa Fe also doesn’t have the best performance in a super-competitive segment. What it does offer is versatility. It has impressive gas mileage, a healthy supply of safety features, the industry’s best warranty and attractive pricing. Which is why the 2020 edition, with a few tweaks from the 2019 offering, is a top choice in the mid-size market. Gone is the Ultimate trim, leaving the base SE, SEL and Limited. As the new top-level offering, the reviewed Limited trim was equipped with the discontinued Ultimate trim’s equipment, including blind-view monitoring,
Read moreNow is the time. Brand anxiety? Brand sensitivity? Let the terms vanish from any discussion including vehicles made by Genesis. The luxury division of Hyundai was founded in 2015. Its first vehicle debuted in 2017 and late last year J.D. Power named Genesis the most dependable automotive brand in North America. Launched with the large sedan G90, the brand now has three sedans and a sport utility vehicle, all moving into 2021 editions. Last year’s models are still available including the Genesis G70. In its debut two years ago the smallest of the company’s three sedans was named North American Car of the Year by the national automotive media industry. The 2020 Genesis G70 offers the same combination — a
Read moreIt’s no surprise. Pickup trucks remained the country’s most popular vehicles in 2020. The Ford-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram Pickup 1500 ranked first through third overall among the top-10 best-selling vehicles last year, according to the car engine iSeeCars.com. The study looked at over 12.9 million vehicle sales in 2020 to determine the most popular vehicles throughout the United States. The data was tabulated nationally, state and metro area. “The Ford F-150 has been America’s undisputed best-selling new vehicle for over 40 years, and the popularity of pickup trucks help contribute to its high volume of sales,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. Three compact SUVs made the list: the fourth-ranked Ford Escape, fifth-ranked Nissan Rogue and eighth-ranked Chevrolet Equinox.
Read moreThere’s never a dull moment in the automotive industry. Car news never stops. Competition is intense. The emerging electric vehicle market continues to emerge but with its future unknown. Recalls aren’t going away anytime soon. And how consumers buy and sell vehicles is further transitioning from in-person sales to the online marketplace. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. Overall, the automotive industry, just like most businesses, endured a turbulent 2020. Car News Abounds The Weekly Driver reported on much of the car news . . . recalls to bogus speed records, an iconic sports car’s mid-engine revelation to a record sales in the vintage car sales market. Bruce Aldrich and I discuss on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.
Read moreThe 2020 Toyota Highlander celebrates the mid-sized crossover sport utility vehicle’s 20th birthday. The occasion also marks the family hauler’s continuing spree of prime sales years. Beginning in 2017, the Highlander has had three straight years surpassing 200,000 units sold globally. A fourth consecutive year of 200K sales will likely occur when yearly tallies are calculated in January. It won’t be surprising since the 2020 model was redesigned with worthy updates. The Highlander is now a further family favorite. A three-row crossover with seating up to eight, the 2020 Highlander is available in five trim levels: L, LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum. All models feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 295 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is
Read moreIntroduced in 2015, the Lexus RC F is the third vehicle in the Toyota luxury brand’s performance-oriented lineup. Like its sedan, SUV and speed-geared siblings, it has plenty to offer. The Lexus RC F has aggressive styling, 19-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips and a carbon-fiber roof panel. The engine is a naturally aspirated 472-horsepower 5.0-liter V8. It has Brembo brakes, improved and more aggressive suspension tuning and is rear-wheel drive. Key Takeaways 472-hp naturally aspirated V8 resists the turbo trend: The 5.0-liter V8 pairs with Brembo brakes, 19-inch wheels, a carbon-fiber roof, and quad exhaust tips for a 4.3-second 0-60 run. $64,900 base escalates past $80,000 as-tested: Optional Navigation ($2,725) and Premium ($5,350) packages drive the total beyond $80,000, bringing
Read moreThe 2020 Corvette Stingray is rare in the automotive universe. Envisioned for decades and initiated eight years ago, the mid-engined sports car revitalized the faltering brand. It’s TheWeeklyDriver.com’s Car of the Year. Every new car is promoted with a mess of adjectives best-suited for romance paperbacks. The Corvette deserves the rabid praise. After years of diminishing sales, the new eighth-generation is unlike any previous Corvette, influenced by Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren masters. Specs are impressive: a 6.2-liter V8, top-speed of 194 mph and 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds. It’s an exotic, equally well-suited on the track and as a daily driver. Top-line cost is $78,000, less than half of top competitors. Car of the Year Here are the remaining top-10
Read moreThe 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R roadster and coupe are among the rarest mainstream cars on the road. The former was limited to 750 units, the latter 2,000. Combine scarcity, exterior design and the matted paint choice of Selenite Gray Magno and the supercar attracts constant attention. The GT R, which debuted in 2018, defines a sports car. With craftsmanship channeling of Porsche, Ferrari and the Dodge Viper, there’s nothing quite like the performance-oriented Mercedes-Benz relative. It’s a glistening work of art on wheels. Yet the exterior is a contradiction with much of the rest of the car. How can you go wrong with a four-liter, 577-horsepower V8 biturbo with a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission and 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds?
Read moreA 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback and a 2004 Pontiac Aztek are as far apart on the automotive spectrum as possible — with one exception. With a few dozen other vehicles — an Aston Martin DB5 to AMC Pacer and a Plymouth Fury to Pontiac Trans AM — the Mustang and Aztek are cultural icons. Younger automotive and movie enthusiasts may only know the Aztek from the “Breaking Bad” series on Netflix or a Toyota MK IV Supra from the movie “The Fast and the Furious.” But the Bullitt Mustang, released in three time frames in the past 20 years, dates to the 1968 movie “Bullitt.” Bullitt Mustang: Relevant Then, Now Actor Steve McQueen epitomized coolness as Police detective Frank
Read moreWith several exterior design changes including a polarizing paint color choice, the 2020 Lexus RX 450hL stands out on the omnipresent highway sea of sport utility vehicles. It’s a smooth cruiser with some drawbacks. A six or seven-passenger midsize hybrid, the RX 450hL comes with three rows of seating and all-wheel drive. It’s operated by a 3.5-liter V6 that coordinates with two front-mounted electric motor-generators. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) propels the front wheels; a third electric motor powers the rear wheels. Total horsepower is 308 and the 0-60 mph standard is accomplished in 6.8 seconds. The base 2020 Lexus RX 450hL and Luxury are the only trim levels. Standard equipment on the base model includes a power liftgate,
Read moreJeep doesn’t make a lot of pickup trucks, but for seven years beginning in 1976, a trim package called The Honcho was available. The limited-edition offered on the J10 model and only on the step side and short bed offerings included bold striping and decals. Optional extras included an interior made by Levi’s (in blue or tan) or a roll bar. The specialty trucks also included the Golden Eagle and 10-4. The latter was offered with an optional CB radio corresponding to the radio acknowledgment decal “10-4.” The Jeep J10 Honcho was manufactured through 1983, and it could be ordered with a combination of the specialty items. Only 1,264 examples were made. It’s not the most coveted, but it’s now
Read moreThe Honda Pilot is its 19th year as the manufacturer’s biggest, most versatile and most expensive sport utility vehicle. It’s also among seven utility vehicles Honda makes. All fulfill a niche for the ever-increasing percentage of consumers buying cars, trucks, SUVs and vans. As Honda‘s only three-row SUV, the Pilot combines the brand’s reputation and reliability with keen family and cargo capabilities. With its all-wheel-drive option, the Pilot has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Available in LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, Elite and Black Edition trims, all 2020 Pilots are equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard for the LX, EX and EX-L trims; A nine-speed transmission is included in the Touring Elite
Read moreThe 2020 Genesis G90 marks the fourth model year of the flagship sedan. It’s the South Korean challenger, still young, unheralded and a worthy underdog to its well-heeled front runners from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. If its stalwart German rivals haven’t noticed it yet, they should. As the subsidiary luxury brand of Hyundai, Genesis has risen quickly among the automotive watchdogs. Car and Driver to J.D. Power and Motor Trend to Kelley Blue Book annually simultaneously bestow automotive honors while touting themselves. Genesis, with its G70, G80 and G90 models, has been the star for a few years. The G70, the value-priced sedan, is leading the clan in the accolades tally. The Genesis G90 is the limo-like cruiser offered as
Read moreThe transportation saturation of SUVs and pickup trucks is ever-increasing. But the 2020 Lexus LS 500, the showcase vehicle in Toyota’s upscale division, is a fine reason why consumers should still consider sedans. Completely redesigned two years ago with a fifth generation, the 2020 LS 500 retains the full-size luxury sedan’s finer attributes. It combines an uber-quiet, comfortable ride, an interior designer’s finest skill and top-line technology. Key Takeaways 416-hp twin-turbo V6 pairs with a 10-speed automatic: The fifth-generation LS 500 reaches 60 mph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds while averaging 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway on premium fuel. One trim level keeps configuration simple: Rear-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive is optional, and a hybrid version
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