Chevrolet

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#143, Record sale for Mustang; goodbye Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit

There’s always news in the automotive world. Sometimes, The Weekly Driver Podcast doesn’t schedule a guest so co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia can discuss a few topics, like cars that will no longer be manufactured and a 55-year-old Mustang selling for an eye-opening record. That’s what we do in this episode. The Chevrolet Sonic and Honda Fit will no longer be manufactured after the cars’ current editions. Bruce and I discuss why we say good riddance to the Sonic and a hearty farewell to the Fit. Mustang, Mustang. How about a Mustang? Who would have known, a Mustang selling for nearly $4 million? It’s true. A 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R sold for a record $3.85 million The vehicle

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#142, Pickup truck rarity: 1958 Chevy an homage to SF Giants

Amir Daneshvar is accustomed to selling unique, high-end, modern-day cars — Audi to Porsche, BMW to Mercedes-Benz. But how about a 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside? It’s more unusual considering its appearance. It’s an homage on wheels to the San Francisco Giants. The pickup truck was made for one of the team’s “super fans.” The year of the truck is the year the Giants relocated from New York to San Francisco. It has a 350 crate motor and a 700R4 transmission. Daneshvar is our guest on Episode #142 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia visit with Daneshvar in his office at Zen Auto Sales in East Sacramento. The 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside is parked outside, a

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Chevrolet Colorado gets cheapest truck honor

There’s a new leader among cheap trucks. Goodbye, Nissan Frontier. Hello, Chevrolet Colorado. After years of holding the honor of being the least expensive pickup, the Frontier has been rebooted with more standard equipment. The result: The Colorado extended-cab for 2020 costs $22,495 (including its destination fee) as assumed the cheapest truck honors The Frontier for 2020 costs about $7,500 this year than it did in 2019. The new Chevrolet Colorado has a lot to offer for its rock-bottom price. Its base trim features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and six-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet Colorado gets mixed reviews Pickups rely on versatility. And while many pickups have higher maximums, the Colorado isn’t bad. Its payload capacity is 1,455

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Chevy Spark tops 2020 cheapest car list

Six years ago, a small number of buyers in the United States could still purchase the cheapest car with a sticker price of less than $10,000. It was a 2014 Chevrolet Spark and considering all available rebates, including a military personnel discount and several other incentives, the base model Spark was available for a high four-figure tally. With the average price of a new vehicle now steadily advancing toward $40,000, only about a dozen new cars in the country are now available for less than $20,000. Despite the price increase, the top-10 cheap car list includes a substantially improved standard features list. Top-10 Cheapest Car List All Less Than 19K Nearly every car on the list includes air conditioning, stability

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2019 Chevrolet Camaro defines muscle car in shrinking market

One of the most compelling automotive industry competitions occurred more than 50 years ago with the debut of the Ford Mustang. It was followed in quick order by the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The trio represented affordable sporty coupe sensations. The Firebird ceased production in 2002, but the Mustang and Camaro remain rivals. The Dodge Challenger is a newcomer foe now in its third iteration. As muscle cars, the trio represents a polarizing segment. Loud, powerful, masculine gas-guzzlers have loyal followers and equally passionate detractors. Sales figures give the latter group some boasting clout. Ford sold 75,842 Mustangs in 2018, followed by the Challenger (66,716) and the Camaro (50,963). The Pontiac’s sales increased three percent; Ford and Chevrolet‘s options

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VW Beetle to Chevy Volt to Ford Focus: goodbye, farewell

The end of the year in the automotive world always marks the end of the run for a car or two and sometimes more vehicles. The end of 2018 was among the most drastic farewells to vehicles in recent years. Manufacturers announced their departures from the car-making business to focus on sport utility vehicles and trucks. Vehicles with long histories and some that barely had time to build a sustained buying base will soon be defunct. In all, the production of at least 14 cars has stopped or will soon cease. The most significant departure from the new car landscape is the Volkswagen Beetle. The “people’s car,” as designated in the late 1930s in Germany, will no longer be produced

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2017 Nissan Titan improved, but still trails truck pack

The automotive landscape is dominated by large trucks. The Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado and Ram pick-ups are perennially the country’s top-selling vehicles. So what are the other guys supposed to do to sell trucks? Nissan, which launched the Titan in late 2003, decided it needed to regroup. Except for a V8 diesel, the Titan wasn’t available as a 2016 model. It’s back in 2017 with a new look and an expanded warranty. Nissan’s goal is optimistic. It hopes the Titan can challenge the Big Three. Last year, Ford sold 820,799 F-Series trucks, led by the F-150. In 2005, Nissan sold 86,945 Titans, its best year. Sales haven’t reached 35,000 in any year in the last decade. With its 2017 model,

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Chevrolet Bolt set for early nationwide debut in August

The Chevrolet Bolt, the all-electric sedan with a 238-mile range that debuted in two states last December, will be available nationwide in August. General Motors‘ recent announcement means the sedan’s full unveiling will occur one month sooner than originally planned. Dealers across the country are now accepting orders. “We were waiting for the training to be done, we were waiting for the right tools to be in place,” Majoros said at a Chevrolet media event in Nashville, Tenn., adding all dealers wanting to sell the vehicle had to install DC fast-charging stations. “We are kind of ahead of schedule on implementing all of those things as well as making sure we have enough sufficient inventory.” California and Oregon were the

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Chevrolet Colorado top prize in earthquake charity auction

How does a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado filled with earthquake supplies sound? That’s the grand prize among dozens available in the sixth annual California Earthquake Authority-sponsored auction. The California Earthquake Authority and iHeartMedia are collaborating in the auction to raise funds for American Red Cross disaster-preparedness and relief efforts in California. The 2017 Get Prepared, California! Auction continues through April 30 and offers concert and sports packages, celebrity meet-and-greets and other once-in-a-lifetime items up for bid. Last year’s auction raised more than $174,000. And this year’s proceeds could increase the total amount raised to more than $1 million. It would be enough for the Red Cross to distribute 200,000 blankets at shelters, distribute 100,000 hot meals at shelters or through mobile

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Vanderhall: a 3-wheel wonder related to a Chevrolet Sonic

It’s hard to define a vehicle that’s related to Chevrolet Sonic but looks like a beach cruiser, a toy car or a kit car. The only likely explanation: It’s a Vanderhall, and it’s no toy. The new autocycle debuted about a year ago. It features a monocoque design aluminum chassis. It has carbon-fiber body panels and a double wishbone adjustable coil-over suspension. It’s also equipped with ABS brakes as well as stability & traction control. As the original Vanderhall, the Laguna isn’t cheap with a base price  slightly less the $50,000. The Sport Premium trim is $58,500 and the top-line Bespoke model is $77,000. The recently debuted less expensive edition, the Venice, which debuted last December, doesn’t have a carbon-fiber

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Ford F-Series trucks, siblings dominate 2016 sales

The number is staggering — 17.4 million new cars and trucks were purchased in the United States in 2016, dominated by sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks. The Ford F-Series again paced the industry surpassing 800,000 in sales and about 250,000 more than the runner-up Chevrolet Silverado. Twelve of the top-20 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2016 were either SUVs or pickup trucks. The reason: a combination of versatility and lowering gas prices. The sale of pickups has increased for years. Only six manufacturers are represented in the marketplace, but the combined sales were more than 2.2 million. The 2016 car market had two surprising results. Compact-car sales fell 6.1 percent in 2016 and midsize vehicle sales fell 11.2

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Chevrolet, Mazda top Car and Driver best of 2017 list

Car and Driver, the largest-selling automotive publication in the United States, has announced its annual best cars list. The 2017 honorees include three Chevrolet models and two Mazda vehicles. The 34th annual is selected based on a car’s ability to “execute its mission at the highest level and deliver a driving experience somewhere between sublime and messianic.” Contending vehicles also must cost $80,000 or less, be on sale by January of the year of the honors and be available for the experts at Car and Driver to test during the past September. Additionally, nominees on the Car and Driver list consist of all new cars, 2016 10 Best winners, cars not available for the 2016 competition, and those with significant

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2016 Chevrolet Cruze: new edition offers plenty

Now eight years old, the Chevrolet Cruze has been redesigned for 2016 and further adds to the long list of competition in the compact sedan market. The new Cruze has a more masculine exterior appearance with a split front grille and it’s slightly longer than its predecessor. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Key Takeaways Completely redesigned second-generation Cruze: Split front grille, slightly longer body, and a more masculine exterior mark the first all-new Cruze since the nameplate launched in 2008. 153-hp 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder: All trims use the same turbocharged engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Premier trim tested replaced the outgoing LTZ name. 34 mpg combined on regular gasoline: EPA ratings of 30 city / 40 highway

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2016 Chevrolet Malibu: Still riding the sedan wave well

Now in the fourth year of its eighth generation, the Chevrolet Malibu dates to 1964. And like other vehicles with long histories, the Malibu has come a long way since it was named after the surfing-oriented city along the California coastline. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, however, is much the same as last year’s model, but it’s without a few items. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is no longer available and xenon headlights and a few other more minor equipment features have been discontinued. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The midsize sedan segment is among the most competitive in the industry, dominated by Japanese vehicles and vastly improved competitors from South Korea. So where does the Chevrolet Malibu, now more than 50

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Good Housekeeping debuts Best New Cars list

Good Housekeeping, the magazine whose testing institute has evaluated products and presented the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval since 1909, has unveiled its inaugural “Best New Cars” for 2016. The new list was compiled in conjunction with Car and Driver, the renowned automobile publication. The two publications’ collaboration narrowed 160 vehicles to 41 across four categories; eight winners: Compact, Sedan, Eco and Crossover. Then, the engineers from the Good Housekeeping Institute logged 2,000-plus miles on real roads, assessing performance, safety features, family friendliness, price, infotainment systems, usability, storage and intuitive design. Here are the winners, announced January 11, 2016 at North American International Auto Show in Detroit: Compact Mazda3 S 5-Door Grand Touring (2015): Swift acceleration gives this car a

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2016 Car of the Year? Chevrolet, Honda, Mazda?

The Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Civic and Mazda MX-5 Miata, three longstanding vehicles with loyal followings in vastly different new and used car markets, have been named finalists for 2016 North American Car of the Year. The Honda Pilot, Nissan Titan XD and Volvo XC90 were name finalists for Truck of the Year in the recent announcement the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. The 2016 North American Car and Truck of the Year will be announced in January at the Detroit Auto Show. The finalists were chosen from short lists of 10 cars and 12 pickups and SUVs created by a jury of 53 automotive journalists. Chevrolet Has Two Cars Considered For Car of the Year The BMW 7 series, Cadillac

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