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Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

2020 Chevy and GMC HD truck spy shots reveal LED lighting

With Chevy and GMC's 1500 series pickups just starting to roll into dealerships, our attention naturally turns to the Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 series trucks. We've seen these HD trucks testing already, but thes latest spy photos give us our first good glimpse of the two HD trucks' headlights through some translucent camouflage, and their designs appear very interesting and quite different from each other. The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD looks to be getting a striking set of LED lights that flank the grille. A previously released teaser image of the truck shows that the front lighting elements are split by a bulky wing that branches out from a big, upright chrome face, and both top and bottom units seem to incorporate LED slashes. If you look closely at the images, you can easily make out the Chevrolet script cut into the grille's top edge. Amidst a bevy of Chevy test trucks was one lone GMC model in a dually configuration, and the Sierra HD also appears to have some LED accent lighting up front. Unlike the boomerang-shaped Chevy LEDs, GMC's version sports a shoulder-like right angle of light bars. Assuming these are production-level lighting units, it seems the Sierra HD will stick pretty close to the face of GMC's latest light-duty pickup truck. We're still waiting for confirmation on what range of powertrains will be available in GM's next-gen HD trucks, but we're sure there will be both gasoline- and diesel-burning engines on the ordering sheet. We expect to hear official details on the trucks sometime soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2020 GM Heavy Duty Pickup Spy Photos View 18 Photos Image Credit: KGP Spy Photography Spy Photos Chevrolet GMC Truck gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd

2013 GMC Acadia Denali

Refreshed, Not Refreshing
I'm probably ill-suited to accurately and fairly take the full measure of a vehicle like the 2013 GMC Acadia Denali. This is a machine conjured around the express notion of corralling and then herding a brood of rafter-swinging hatchlings to and fro in relative comfort, and with no such passel of wee Bowmans to call my own, it's difficult to give this rig a fair shake. While I can certainly weigh cargo capacity, legroom and fuel economy stats with the best of them, I'd be lying to your face if I said the word "crossover" didn't urge some uncontrollable Pavlovian recoil from the murky recesses of my frame. To put it simply, I just can't stand the damn things.
As a rule, the segment is built on a bed of compromise. Manufacturers love nothing more than to spin up a tired yarn about the virtues of this particular neck of the market. We're told the crossbreeds deliver all the ride quality, driving dynamics and fuel economy of a car married with the seating position, capability and interior volume of the SUV set. That all sounds as swell as a sunset, but as the 2013 Acadia Denali so artfully illustrates, the advertising on the box is rarely congruous with the prize inside. Even with an imaginary squad of younglings at my heels, the refreshed luxury crossover doesn't quite manage to scratch the promised itches.