Archive for August, 2019
2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier in Graphite Metallic
2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier AWD
Class: Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 733
Fuel used: 33.5 gallons
2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid Advance in Canyon Bronze Metallic
2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid Advance
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 178
Fuel used: 7.0 gallons
1965 Buick Electra 225
Buick is one of the oldest automotive brands still in existence, and it has a number of cool feathers in its cap. The upscale automaker is credited with selling the first car powered by an overhead-valve engine (1904), and becoming the first division of General Motors (1908).
2019 Nissan Altima SV AWD in Gun Metallic
2019 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV AWD
Class: Midsize Car
Miles driven: 327
Fuel used: 11.3 gallons
1952 Mercedes-Benz W194 race car (L), and some of Collectible Automobile Publisher Frank Peiler’s “what-if” designs.
By Frank Peiler
It was early 1952 when Mercedes-Benz was in the midst of developing the 300SL sports car. The skeletal frame, drivetrain and suspension were beautifully engineered masterpieces. However, the original form-follows-function body looked like a half-used bar of soap with a cap stuck on top. Let’s say that in this post-WWII era of rebuilding, there wasn’t much of a design department at Mercedes-Benz that the company could turn to.
2020 GMC Sierra Denali Heavy Duty
There’s a lot new in the redesigned 2020 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty pickups, but five things stand out:
- Maximum towing capacity of the 1-ton 3500 has been raised an astounding 52 percent to an equally astounding 35,500 lbs.
- For those who tow – and GMC says 93% of heavy-duty pickup buyers do – the Sierra offers up to 15 different camera views, including remote cameras that can “see” inside of and behind the trailer.
- Buyers opting for the 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine – which most do – will find it’s now mated to an Allison 10-speed automatic transmission.
- All models are available with GMC’s exclusive MultiPro tailgate.
- Newly available is a large, multi-color head-up display, along with a rearview camera that can project its image into the rearview mirror (which keeps things like rear-seat passengers or tall cargo in the bed from blocking your view straight back).
Okay, maybe that’s six things. And yet there’s still more.
First Spin: 2020 Subaru Legacy
2020 Subaru Legacy Limited XT
Imagine if Joanie Loves Chachi, the ill-fated spin-off of the beloved TV show Happy Days, had somehow become vastly more popular than the program that spawned it. That’s kind of what happened with the Subaru Outback and Subaru Legacy. The first-generation Legacy debuted for 1989 in sedan and station-wagon form; the Outback followed for 1995 as an SUV-flavored variant of the Legacy wagon, with rugged-outdoors touches such as beefier body trim, a roof rack, and a raised ride height.
2019 Lexus IS 350 AWD F Sport in Ultrasonic Blue
2019 Lexus IS 350 AWD F Sport
Class: Premium Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 764
Fuel used: 34.9 gallons
2005 Chevrolet Astro
As I recall things, Chevrolet caught some media flack when it introduced the Astro minivan back in 1985. Compared to the revolutionary Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Voyager, the new Astro (and GMC Safari clone) was too trucklike, failing to match the Chrysler vans in ride quality, fuel economy, or garagability. But the Astro had its own charms.
Test Drive: 2019 Lexus RX 350L
2019 Lexus RX 350L AWD Luxury in Nightfall Mica
2019 Lexus RX 350L AWD Luxury
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 462
Fuel used: 20.7 gallons
