Archive for February, 2015
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, Consumer Guide sat down with Dodge President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Kuniskis. With the brand being repositioned as Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s American performance division, we wanted to learn more about the future of this century-old marque.
Test Drive: 2015 Buick Encore AWD
Consumer Guide’s test Buick Encore arrived in AWD Leather Group trim. Our test truck came to $31,110 including destination charge.
2015 Buick Encore Leather Group AWD
Class: Compact Crossover
Miles Driven: 206
Fuel Used: 9.0
The JC Whitney auto parts and accessories catalog goes back 100 years.
Presented here is unedited content provided by JC Whitney in a press release commemorating the company’s 100th anniversary.
LASALLE, Ill. – February 25, 2015 – JC Whitney, the company with one of the most comprehensive selections of auto parts and accessories in the world, has built its business by offering “everything automotive” to DIYers, enthusiasts and folks just looking to personalize their rides with a little flair. As a result, for 100 years the company has collected a treasure trove of strange and colorful items for sale, thanks to its famous JC Whitney Catalogs.
Consumer Guide’s test Ram 1500 arrived in Laramie Limited trim, loaded with options. Including the EcoDiesel engine, our test truck came to an eye-opening $59,060.
2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited Crew Cab 4X4
Class: Large Pickup Truck
Dates tested: 2/10/2015 – 2/17/2015
Miles Driven: 185
Fuel Used: 7.8
Consumer Guide’s test Lexus IS 350 arrived in F Sport trim. Including destination charge, our test car came to $48,830.
2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport
Class: Premium Compact Car
Miles Driven: 160
Fuel Used: 8.7
Ram Laramie Limited grilles: before (above) and after (bottom).
In 2011, Dodge pickup trucks became Ram pickup trucks, ending the Dodge brand’s 82-year tradition of truck sales. The split came as Dodge marketing types sought to separate its cars and SUVs from what would soon become a full line of commercial vehicles. Today the Ram brand includes light- and heavy-duty pickups, plus ProMaster and ProMaster City commercial vans and chassis cabs.
This Volkswagen Beetle Type R was a collaborative project between professional driver Tanner Foust and Japanese Porsche tuning house RAUH-Welt Begriff.
Import-tuner style cars may have faded a bit from the peak of their popularity in the early 2000s, but the scene for modified Asian and European machines is still motoring along… and evolving. One of the aftermarket trends we’ve noticed recently is a move toward large fender flares on modern-day sport compacts. Some of these flares are smoothly integrated into the car body’s quarter panels, but many have a tacked-on “overfender” look that is reminiscent of vintage IMSA racers and 70’s Japanese street machines. All of them help cover extra-wide tires and make for a more aggressive, race-inspired stance.
The 1995 Auto Brochure Power Quiz
Identify this 1990 car, and four more below.
You know the drill–we give you an abstract portion of a brochure page, and you have to guess the vehicle featured. For this quiz, we’re featuring the cars of 1995. All the vehicles in question were available for sale in the U.S. We can also tell you that none of the cars here are especially rare, obscure, or of a kit-car nature. Mystery Car Quiz.
When it arrives in March, the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive 2015 Golf R will come only as a 4-door hatchback with an automatic transmission at a starting price of $36,595. A (possibly less expensive) manual-transmission version is due this fall.
Madonna …
Bono …
Sting.
Consumer Guide’s test Chevrolet Colorado arrived in crew cab Z71 trim. Including the destination charge, our test truck came to $36,710.
2015 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Z71 Crew Short Box
Class: Compact Pickup Truck
Miles Driven: 424
Fuel Used: 24.4
