Awesome 1986 Chevy C10 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Stop-start standard in four-cylinder 2015 Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet has announced that it will include stop-start technology as standard in the entry level 2015 Impala. The result is a nearly five-percent improvement in city fuel economy, also known as one mile per gallon, up to 25 mpg, combined. The 3.6-liter V-6 Impala will not feature stop-start. The 2015 Impala comes equipped with Chevrolet's 2.5-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which will also offer 22 mpg in the city, and 31 on the highway. The 3.6-liter V-6 Impala will not feature stop-start and the mild-hybrid eAssist model from the 2014 MY, which got 29/25/35 combined/city/highway mpg, has been discontinued. Chevrolet spokesman Chad Lyons told Green Car Reports that not even one percent of the 2014 Impalas purchased were the Eco model. So Chevy is trying something different. With a seamless driving experience in mind, the new Impala's stop-start tech features software that governs under what conditions the feature will activate. The engine won't shut off if the car has not reached a speed of six miles per hour, so the start-stop won't be cycling during traffic jams. It can also fire the starter even if the engine has not come to a full stop, which quickens reaction time, particularly in instances of what Chevrolet calls "change-of-mind events." The stop-start function uses information about cabin temperature and humidity as well as battery charge to help determine whether or not to shut off the engine. The 2015 Impala has been engineered to reduce NVH, which will also help create a smoother stop-start experience for occupants, Chevy says. Motor mounts have been updated, and a burlier starter motor will help restart the engine after a stop. The Impala follows the 2014 Malibu as Chevrolet's second vehicle to feature stop-start tech. The four-cylinder model currently makes up over 30 percent of Impala sales. The 2015 Impala will be available beginning this summer, with a base MSRP of $27,735 (including destination charges). And while one MPG isn't a huge difference, neither is the price increase of just $50 for a bit of eco-minded innovation. Read on for more details in the press release below. Chevrolet Makes Stop/Start Standard in 2015 Impala Technology improves city fuel economy by 5 percent 2014-05-22 DETROIT – Stop/start technology will be standard on the 2015 Impala base 2.5-liter ECOTEC® engine, an addition that improves the vehicle's city fuel economy by nearly 5 percent, or one mile per gallon.

How Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra will take on the Ford F-150 profit machine

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — When General Motors engineers were developing the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, some of them joined public tours of Ford's Dearborn, Mich., factory to watch aluminum-bodied F-Series trucks go down the assembly line. The redesign of the Ford F-Series trucks, launched in 2014, set a new standard for fuel economy and lightweight vehicle construction. But armed with stopwatches and trained eyes, the GM engineers believed they saw problems. "They had a real hard time getting those doors to fit," Tim Herrick, the executive chief engineer for GM truck programs, told Reuters. His team did more intelligence gathering. They bought and tore apart Ford F-Series doors sold as repair parts. Their conclusion: GM could cut weight in its trucks for a lower cost using doors made of a combination of aluminum and high-strength steel that could be thinner than standard steel, shaving off kilograms in the process. These pounds-and-pennies decisions will have major implications in the highest-stakes game going in Detroit: dominance in the world's most profitable vehicle market, the gasoline-fueled large pickup segment. What's more, GM is banking on strong sales of overhauled 2019 Silverados and GMC Sierras to fund its push into automated and electric vehicles — a business many investors see as the auto industry's long-term future. The risks are high given the hits automakers have taken from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies. Rising aluminum prices spurred by Trump's tariffs are driving up costs on the Ford's F-Series, while rising steel and aluminum prices likewise drag on GM results. GM also has a significant risk should the United States, Mexico and Canada fail to agree on a new NAFTA trade deal, given GM trucks built at its Silao, Mexico, factory could face a 25 percent tariff if NAFTA collapses. Major profit per truck Interviews with GM executives and a tour at its factory here in northwest Indiana provide a detailed look inside GM's plan for the most important vehicles in its global lineup. These big pickups are everything Tesla's Model 3 or Chevy's Bolt electric car is not. The mostly steel body is bolted to the truck's steel frame, rather than the one-piece body and frame electric vehicles. The majority of trucks will have a V-8 gasoline engine powering the rear wheels — like the classic GM cars of the 1950s. Some Silverados will have new four-cylinder engines, but there is no electric or hybrid offering as of now.