Automotive News & Reviews, Cars & Prices, Test Drives, Crashes

Most Watched Cars.com Videos of 2009

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by admin.

When you’re researching a new car purchase, don’t just read a review and look at photos. Video can show how much headroom there really is in a sports car or how easy it is to fold an SUV’s seats flat.

In 2009 we shot and posted more than 200 videos. The following are the 10 most watched by shoppers on Cars.com. Click on each link to watch the videos in a new tab, or go here to browse all of our videos. 

1. Muscle Car Shootout (Mustang, Camaro, Challenger)
2. 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
3. BMW iDrive
4. 2010 Taurus SHO
5. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
6. Date Cars: Women Part 3
7. 2010 GMC Terrain
8. 2010 Toyota Camry
9. 2010 Honda Insight
10. 2009 Smart ForTwo

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Recall Alert: 136,100 Volvo Cars, SUVs

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Volvo is recalling 136,100 vehicles from the 2001 to 2005 model years, including almost every vehicle in its lineup from those years. The issue stems from a fuel pump that can develop cracks when you mix fuel types and live in a hot climate or one that sees rapid changes in temperature.

Affected models include:

• 2001-2004 Volvo S60
• 2002-2005 Volvo S80
• 2001-2004 Volvo V70
• 2001-2004 Volvo XC70
• 2003-2005 Volvo XC90

The states included in the recall are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Dealers will inspect the vehicle and if a defective pump is present, the specific part named in the recall will be replaced for free starting in January 2010. You can contact Volvo for more information at 800-458-1552.

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Group Rates Few Child Booster Seats Highly

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by admin.

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2010 Lexus HS250h Video

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Lexus’ first dedicated hybrid lives up to the brand’s luxury cachet inside, but how does it do on the road? As a hybrid? Cars.com’s Mike Hanley finds out in this video and also shows off some of the car’s unique technology features. You have to watch until the end though, the as-tested price nearly floored us. That’s one pricey hybrid, Lexus or not.

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Report: GM-Isuzu Duramax Diesel Joint Venture At Risk?

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Could General Motors go it alone building Duramax diesel engines for its Heavy Duty pickups instead of with manufacturing partner Isuzu Motors, Ltd?

Isuzu President Susumu Hosoi said he's seeking talks with GM to review the companies' joint venture DMAX, Ltd. factory, where Duramax engines are produced in Morraine, Ohio, and that ending joint production “may be an option,” according to a report by Bloomberg.

Hosoi is concerned that the market for large diesel-powered trucks may not recover to levels seen earlier in the decade, when fuel prices were lower and the U.S. economy was booming.

The timing of Hosoi's comments might seem unusual but they're not wholly unexpected.

The DMAX facility escaped GM's plant closure list when the company was reorganizing under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during last spring and summer. Although GM decided to end production of its slow selling medium-duty trucks, its Heavy Duty Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are set to receive a major update for the 2011 model year, including the introduction of the new 'LML' 6.6-liter Duramax V-8 diesel engine that was developed jointly with Isuzu.

The LML Duramax is compliant with tough new federal emissions regulations that take effect on Jan. 1, 2010. In 2007, GM invested $69 million in the DMAX plant to build the new engine.

Why would Isuzu consider ending the partnership now? Isuzu's value in the program may be rapidly dwindling.

Aside from substantial ownership and financial considerations — GM owns 60% of DMAX and Isuzu the rest — going separate ways would likely have little effect on GM's future heavy-duty diesel engines.

In 2000, Isuzu and GM started joint production of the first 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engines for GM's 2001 Heavy Duty pickups. GM teamed with Isuzu to tap Isuzu's diesel engineering strengths to help GM become a major player in HD pickups. GM's earlier 6.2-liter and 6.5-liter diesel engines were widely considered to be noncompetitive vs. Ford's Navistar-sourced Power Stroke and Chrysler's Cummins-built diesel engines.

By 2002, GM had 30 percent diesel pickup market share, up from approximately 5% in1999.

But in the middle of the decade, things started to change in the DMAX partnership. In April 2006, GM sold its 7.9% stake in Isuzu for $300 million. That sale opened up an opportunity for Toyota to acquire 5.9% of Isuzu, in a bid to bolster Toyota's diesel engine knowledge.

In June 2007, GM introduced an all-new 4.5-liter Duramax V-8 diesel engine that was slated for use in GM's light-duty pickups before falling truck sales and rising fuel prices caused GM to indefinitely postpone its arrival in March 2009.

What was notable about the so-called 'baby' Duramax — aside from its advanced architecture and layout — was that it was 100% designed by GM and would have been built without Isuzu's involvement. Charlie Freese and Gary Arvan, GM's senior engineers responsible for designing the 4.5-liter V-8, are two of the brightest diesel engineers on the planet and both men still work for the company.

Today, unless Isuzu helps engineer the LML's replacement, there seems to be little value for Isuzu to hang on to its share of the joint venture. GM has proven that it has the in-house knowledge to build advanced diesel engines
without Isuzu's help and nearly all of the engineering and prep work is
complete on the LML Duramax.

Such a breakup isn't without precedent. Ford and Navistar ended their 30-year diesel manufacturing relationship in January. Ford's all-new 2011 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel was designed and engineered entirely in-house and is set to start production soon at one of Ford's engine plants in Mexico.

The ending of the DMAX partnership could be one of the final chapters in a long history of mutual cooperation between GM and Isuzu that started in 1971, when GM first invested in the Japanese company. And it could be the start of an entirely new chapter for GM's diesel powertrain program.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Developing…

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Cadillac Concept Heading to Detroit: First Look

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Above is the first image Cadillac is unveiling of the concept car it will show at the Detroit auto show in January. It’s hard to tell at this size, but the most revealing part of the image are two door handles running down the side of the car. Meaning, this could be the first look at the future Cadillac large sedan rumored to be called the XTS.

We’ll know more the closer we get to the show, which kicks off Jan. 11 for the media.

Oh, and the company also confirmed that it will debut the 2011 CTS-V Coupe at the Detroit show, going into production this summer.

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Updates from the Equator, Part 6 – Finish Line in Sight

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Words and Photos by Mark Williams for PickupTrucks.com

Mark Williams is road tripping 1,500
miles through the heart of the American Southwest in a custom Suzuki
Equator. Follow Mark's driving adventure as he blogs from the highway.

Not quite sure how it happened, but after getting unstuck from a riverbed back in New Mexico (Broad Canyon) and on my drive through Arizona, I realized that I was really behind schedule. Pretty sure I didn’t plan on being in Texas for three days, but somewhere along the way, I lost an entire day. No matter; all that meant was my itinerary needed to be modified. With one night left, I’d rather not spend it in a generic hotel, especially since I’ve got a tent with me.

Unfortunately, that meant sweeping through Phoenix, cutting across the desert to Kingman. (My hope was to visit the old cowboy town of Oatman and explore a few mining roads.) However, if I pushed through the night, I could make it to the backside of the Salton Sea, where I know there are some interesting 4×4 trails. After a long afternoon and night of driving, my only question was exactly where I’d end up sleeping.

The next morning, at sunrise, was a bit of a surprise. Navigating at night turned out to be a good thing, since I probably would have been a little nervous with how close to the edge of the trail I parked the Suzuki. But the morning view was spectacular. I’m sure the sunrise was gorgeous, but my exhaustion after the caffeine ran out and the fact the tent is pretty dark inside meant I didn’t wake up well after sunup. Again, what a view.

This area is an odd expanse of open-use land where many off-road clubs have been coming for decades. The desert landscape sits at the base of the Chocolate Mountains with the Salton Sea (elevation is 227 feet below sea level) covering about 370 square miles right out the front doorstep. The area offers amazing 4×4 trails and tons of open canyons and hilltops to explore. To the north is Joshua Tree National Park; to the east is the Salton Sea and Colorado Desert; to the south is Mexico; and to the west is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Ocotillo State Vehicular Recreation Area. Unfortunately, my trip was near the end.

After a leisurely walk around the hilltops, I packed up the tent (took me just 17 minutes this time) and set out toward the Salton Sea. Fifteen minutes later, I was at the water’s edge where things can look a little odd. It obviously takes a special type of person to live here. This area is cozy and humble in its own way; there are an awful lot of mobile homes. And I can’t think of any lakes in California where you can follow the signs to the marina and pull up onto the beach. A warning note: The ground that looks like compacted sand is really tons and tons of dead barnacles and ancient sea life, and it’s quite loose to drive on, especially near the water’s edge. Also, we’re told that if you go for a swim, you’ll float like a bobbing cork.

Certainly this is an amazing way to finish a 1,500-mile-plus trip. In two hours we’d be pulling into our driveway and topping off our ninth tank of fuel. Astute readers will calculate that right around 14 mpg. Not amazing by any stretch, but considering all the extra weight we’re hauling around, the aggressive tires and my penchant toward “enthusiastic” driving, maybe it’s not so bad after all. I’ll have more details in a future road test of the Equator down the road. For now, thanks for following us on our travels — thankfully, no disasters.

We started out these updates-from-the-road saying there’s nothing like a road trip, and that’s probably because, if done right, a road trip will always leave you different by the end of the adventure. I know I’ve seen things I’ve never seen before and driven in places I’ll never forget. If that means I’m changed, so be it. Now it’s time for you to start planning your next road trip.

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New SAE Tow Testing Standards Explained

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.

It’s been more than two years since we first brought news that a group of truck manufacturers — including Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota — was partnering with the Society of Automotive Engineers to define a uniform set of tow testing standards. The effort was a response to recent hikes in claimed maximum tow ratings that have pushed some half-ton trucks into formerly three-quarter-ton towing territory.

Until now, each manufacturer was free to create and test in conditions ideally suited to a truck’s towing strengths but not what might be considered “apples to apples” relative to the other guys' claims.

Known within the SAE as “J-2807 — Performance Requirements for Determining Tow-Vehicle Gross Combination Weight Rating and Trailer Weight Rating,” the standards have finally been spelled out in clear terms.

Don Sherman at Automobile Magazine has the full rundown and explanation of J-2807’s five engineering characteristics and test areas that strongly influence any tow vehicle's performance, including:

• The engine's power and torque characteristics

• The powertrain's cooling capacity
• The durability of the powertrain and chassis
• Handling characteristics during cornering and braking maneuvers
• The structural characteristics of the vehicle's hitch attachment area

The new standards are expected to take effect with the 2013 model year.

[Source: Automobile]

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F-150 Designer Leaving Ford for Whirlpool

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.

The man credited with designing the last three generations of the Ford F-150 is leaving Ford to take on a new role at appliance maker Whirlpool, according to PickpTrucks.com sources.

Pat Schiavone, Ford’s North American Truck and SUV design director, has worked for the company for 21 years. Schiavone also designed the 2002 Ford F-350 Tonka Truck and Ford F-150 Lightning Rod concepts.

Schiavone is the latest in a string of recent departures of Ford’s senior designers. Earlier this year, Camilo Pardo, Ford GT designer, parted ways with Ford after 24 years. Peter Horbury, executive director of Ford Americas design, announced his return to lead vehicle design at Volvo, which Ford is trying to sell.

Schiavone is expected to wrap up his duties at Ford in early 2010.

Here’s video of Schiavone walking us around the 2009 Ford F-150.

2010 Nissan 370Z Navigation Video

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Cars.com senior editor David Thomas has long been a fan of Nissan’s navigation systems, yet he’s still very impressed with the latest upgrade. Nissan has gone all out with a system that includes a high-resolution screen, 3-D images and a 9-gigabyte hard drive. Check out this video of Thomas showing off the nav system on the 2010 370Z.

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