2002 Cadillac Escalade Ext 79k Miles!! Perfect!! on 2040-cars

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Fullsize GM SUVs have a problem that's making owners sick

Some fullsize SUV owners are getting sick, thanks to a buffeting and vibration problem in 2015 model year examples of the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC Yukon. According to owners' complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue can vary from an annoying vibration inside the cabin to an experience so severe that it leads to dizziness and headaches. General Motors is aware of the complaints, but the fix isn't so simple. According to spokesperson Tom Wilkinson to Autoblog, the company "has been tracking this issue for a while." The problem has a fairly low incidence rate, but when it does occur the issue can be "uncomfortable and annoying for owners." There's no precise cause for the issue, Wilkinson claims, and in some cases, simply balancing the tires or changing the door seals can make it go away. However, not all of the fixes are so simple. AutoGuide dug deep into the problem and discovered a GM preliminary information bulletin that advised dealers to remove the headliner and to check the roof's bonds to the bows that go across the vehicle. However, that document included a note that the solution might not entirely eliminate things. According to AutoGuide, adding Dynamat insulation to the roof sometimes helped the problem. A GM spokesperson also told AutoGuide the company fixed the problem at the end of the 2015 model year, and didn't go into any more detail. This roof issue seems linked to some of the worst droning in these SUVs. According to one complaint from a 2015 Suburban owner to NHTSA: "Roof will not remain attached to the roof bows. This causes the buffeting similar to a window being down when all are up. The results span from annoying to painful." A 2015 Yukon owner claims to have another alleged cause for the problem in a NHTSA complaint from February 2015. This person brought their SUV to the dealer seven times over the course of four weeks for vibrations. The dealer replaced the driveshaft, suspension components, and more, but nothing worked. According to an engineer to the service adviser: "In an effort to prevent roll overs, they designed the frame and body mounts too stiff. There are 40 engineers working on issues, they have no solutions that work across the board." Wilkinson told Autoblog that GM is working with customers on an individual basis to rectify things. Since these are newer vehicles, dealers should also fix the problem under warranty.

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V prepares to kick ass, take names

Some stories write themselves. This post on the North American International Auto Show debut of the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is one of them. This 200-mile-per-hour sedan pilfers the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the Chevy Corvette Z06, and puts it to the same tire-devastating effect, offering up 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic – please join us in a moment of silence for the dearly departed manual CTS-V – then dispatches the force-induced thrust to a very large, sticky set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. To ensure the CTS-V can tear your face off with lateral Gs as well as accelerative Gs, Cadillac stiffened the car's structure by 25 percent, fitted magnetic ride control and fitted the aforementioned tires. Beyond the mechanicals, a substantial rear spoiler, front splitter and diffuser improve grip through aerodynamics. Keeping drivers pinned during all this tire shredding and face tearing is the task of meaty, two-piece Recaro sport seats, which are found in a luxuriously appointed cabin, complete with 4G LTE connectivity, a Bose stereo and Siri Eyes Free. There's even a Performance Data Recorder, which will be on hand to record your miscues if (or perhaps when) the car's extreme abilities outpace your own talents. Take a look at our array of live images from the CTS-V's official debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.