Accelerate Mpls

Episode 30 starts with introducing this weeks guest Drew Dowdell owner of CheersandGears.  Moving into the garage we talk about the 2011 Ford Fiesta I was in for the past week along with the Chevrolet Malibu Drew was in. We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• 2011 Honda Odyssey (Link)
• 2011 VW Jetta (Link)
• 2011 Dodge Challenger details (Link)
• Hyundai Equus, Genesis to get 5.0 L Tau V8 (Link)

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured an ad by Daimler proclaiming the best or nothing. (Link)

This week we introduce a new segment called car spotting.

Next came our main topic which was discussing Tesla and their upcoming IPO and everything that comes along with that.

Last we discuss we plug our respective blogs, Cheers and Gears,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

Lets be frank, the last two generations of the Chevrolet Malibu were underwhelming to say the least.  That is actually probably being nice.  Were they transportation?  Sure, that does not mean that they would have been on my list of recommended cars.  That is all changed with this latest generation Malibu.  Chevrolet has taken this seriously and really wanted to show something with this car.  They wanted to show they could really build a good car.  This was one of the cars that started this new wave of good product.  So how good is it really?  Is this top of its class or back at the end of the line again?  Lets find out.

Exterior-

The exterior of this car is terrific.  I like the lines, the design, the greenhouse, the front, the rear, ok you are getting the picture.  I personally really like it.  I have heard some say the rear looks truncated and too short.  I like it.  The rear C-pillar is great.  The A-pillars are not ridiculously oversized like some of the newer General Motors cars.  The rear taillights on the LTZ model I had featured LED lighting and I personally think they are much better looking then the plain unit found on the lower trim models.  The headlights have a great design to them and the dual port Chevrolet grille works well on the front end.  The panel gaps are all ridiculously tight!  I do wish the four-cylinder model would get dual exhaust like the V6, especially in LTZ trim.  Overall the exterior is a win.

Interior-

Like the exterior the interior is sharp looking.  The particular Malibu I had was a loaded up LTZ model which featured a two-tone brown and cream color scheme.  The leather seats looked great and were supportive.  The fit and finish was terrific just like the exterior.  The top of the dash has soft touch material (lesser trim models do not feature soft touch material).  The wood is definitely fake.  The upgraded Bose branded sound system sounded fine but not mind blowing.  A USB port was on the head unit and connected to my iPhone quickly without an issue.  The front seat backs are scooped out to increase rear seat leg/knee room.  The automatic climate control is simple to use and the radio is the General Motors black tie unit.  Overall the interior looked nice but I know the materials fall slightly in the lower trim models.

Powertrain/Driving Dynamics-

The Malibu I was in was equipped with a 2.4 liter inline four pumping out 169 hp and 160 ft-lb to the front wheels.  This power is channeled through a six speed automatic transmission with no manual transmission as an option.  I wanted to note the base trim Malibu (LS) is equipped with a four speed automatic transmission while all over trim levels have the six speed.  The loaded Malibu LTZ I was in had paddle shifters.  I have to ask the question (you know you are thinking it) of why?  I have no real answer.  The four-cylinder model has electric power steering instead of a hydraulic set up.  I will say it never feels ridiculously over boosted at parking lot speeds and has decent on center feel on the highway.  Mileage is rated at 22/33 MPG, which are decent ratings though no longer class leading.  I came close on the city rating averaging 21.2 mpg but on the highway I could only eek out an average of 27.2 mpg.  It is worth noting that my highway average was cruising at 75 mph, which leads me to believe that if I was cruising at 65 mph I would have come closer to the rated 33 mpg average.

Ok now for some gripes.  First and foremost this car has a bad combination.  I know you are thinking what could it be.  It is simple; this is one of the heaviest and one of the least powerful cars out of its direct competitor set.  This is not a great combination to have.  This is most reflected in passing power on the highway.  Also you cannot—in any trim level or options package—get dual climate control.  The closest you will come to navigation is your iPhone or OnStar.  While such things did not matter as much a few years ago when this generation Malibu made its debut, it matters now.

Final Thoughts-

The original question was, is this car best in class or back at the end of the line again?  After a week with the car I can whole-heartedly say it is a good car.  With that said, it has flaws and that holds it back from being best in class.  That is not to say it is back at the end of the line again.  This is a good car.  Quite possibly the Malibu is the tightest screwed together car Chevrolet produces.  The panel gaps are insane, and the interior is good.  The car is showing its age as the competition has upped the ante in the powertrain, technology and feature department.  This Malibu is a good car, but the competition has stepped up their game and that is what keeps this car from being great.

Side Note-

I have seen the next generation Malibu that will be a 2012 model year vehicle.  It should go on sale hopefully in the summer of 2011.  It looks terrific. I do not know what powertrain will be used, but I can naturally assume some of my complaints with the current car will be remedied while keeping the quality I saw in this one.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Episode 25 starts with introducing this weeks guest William Maley also known as realmudmonster on Twitter.  Moving into the garage we talk about the Chevrolet Malibu LTZ I was in for the past week along with the Porsche Panamera 4S sitting in my driveway.  We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S.
• Progress for automakers after losses
• Top Gear coming to the USA

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured the new Ford Super Duty Kumbaya clip. (Link)

Next came our main topic which was discussing a poll about more Americans saying U.S. cars top Asian autos.

Last we discuss we plug our respective blogs, Cheers and Gears,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

Download this episode (right click and save)

This week I had the honor to be a guest on the best second best darn auto podcast on the interwebs called RoundAbout Show.  It is truly a eye opening experience that everyone should experience at some point or another in their lives.  This week happens to be a grab bag.  This means each person brings a story to the table that gets submitted for discussion.  This week those topics included-

Top Gear America 3.0, maybe

New York car repair scam

Transparent Nissan 370Z

Operation Crash-for-Cash

Off-Road Chevrolet Corvette

Diesel Mazda RX-7 Rumors

Next up something they call “the blind spot.”  This week featured a Barbie Car Drunk Driving Bust

Moving on into the garage between the lot of us we had an Audi S5 and a Malibu LTZ.

We finish up the show with RoundAbout update which this week was the worlds worst parking job and also highway hearsay.

I want to thank Jeffrey Ross, Michelle Naranjo, Zach Bowman, Eric Trytko, Craig Cole and Ben Sanders for having me on the show.

Download MP3 | | |

The Silverado is a nameplate that goes back generations.  People’s grandfathers and their grandfathers drove these pick up trucks while working the land.  They are every worker’s friend and seem to always be there.  Over the years, as we have evolved, so has the Silverado.  The pickup of yore were smaller and less powerful, not to mention much less luxurious.  Though things have changed, the underlying characteristics that makes the Silverado, the character has not.

In 2007 the Silverado went under the knife for a major refresh.  In the first commercials Chevrolet had a clay Malibu and then showed designers reshaping the vehicle into the new Silverado.  This was to try and tie the sharp styling of these two vehicles together and connect the Chevrolet brand.  Without question, the outside of this truck is sharp.  The front has the headlights stacked vertically and the hood has two small power bulges on the sides.  The fender flares are over-sized and shaped nicely, though the side of the truck, specifically the cab is plain and rather slab sided.  The windshield has a steeper rake then the previous generation Silverado and the panel gaps are tightened up.  This all leads to better aerodynamics.  Overall, the look is sharp on the exterior, though I would like to see more done with the cab styling.

The current Silverado rides on the GMT900 platform, a truck chassis adapted from the current Tahoe and Suburban.  The frame is fully boxed and that helps not only the payload and towing specs, but also the ride.  Engineers commented at the launch of the 2007 Silverado about how they wanted to keep high capacities but strived to hit a good mix for ride and handling, both when the truck was under load and when it was empty. It rides nice all the same.

I formed strong opinions about my experience with the truck and little things struck me.  For instance, the Silverado I had was an extended cab.  The rear half doors swung open on unique hinges a full 180 degrees.  This is not only impressive but also quite handy.  The truck also was equipped with the Z71 package which among other things, on the interior gave a unique gauge cluster background which resembled carbon fiber.  I personally liked the gauge cluster in the Silverado.  I found it easy to read and had all the necessary gauges a truck owner using his vehicle might need.  I found the leather seats to be very comfortable and the leather seemed to be good quality.  The sound system was the base unit and sounded decent at best.  It got muddy with the lows, while not the worst system I would definitely opt for the upgraded unit.  The USB port was hidden in what you would assume to be a power outlet but it was easy to reach and quickly connected with my iPhone using a little white cable.  The biggest down fall of the interior, and this is a huge downfall, is the plastics.  The entire dash is made of hard plastic that does not even look that great.  The door panels are all cheap plastic except for the touch points.  While this used to be fine in the pick up segment the competition (Ram and Ford F150) have all upgraded their interior cabin material significantly recently and that makes the Silverado look dated.  All was not lost for I did like the electronic climate control interface.  Though the gauge cluster, terrific 180 degree extended cab doors and electronic climate control interface cannot fully make up for the cheap interior plastics.

The 5.3L V8 in this Silverado pumped out 315 hp and 335 ft-lb pushed to the rear wheels though it had four wheel drive.  A six speed automatic handled the power and was programmed quite well.  It seemed to be in the correct gear and never seemed lazy.  The mileage is rated at 15/21 which is definitely competitive and right along the lines of other full size pick ups.  I averaged 14.8 throughout the week.  The way this particular Silverado was equipped it was rated to tow a maximum of 10,400 lbs and the maximum payload is rated at 1714 lbs.  Neither of these numbers was I able to confirm as I did not have a Bobcat lying around to tow.  Though I can only assume it would tow a boat or trailer quite easily.

The Silverado I had was a 1500 4WD extended cab LT.  With many packages tacked on this LT was not stripped.  The optional packages included the interior plus package, exterior plus package, power pack plus package, off road suspension package, Z71 appearance package and the 40/20/40 split bench seat.  Among these packages features such as the dual automatic climate control, Bluetooth, chrome exterior bits, remote start, and much more were added.  The total sticker price rang up to $37,775.  The package I wanted to take a moment to focus on was the power pack plus package.  This upgraded the engine to the LTZ trim levels 5.3L V8 with active fuel management.  That engine gives a few more horsepower and ft-lb but the real addition is the six speed automatic ditching the four speed transmission.  I am a bit shocked this engine is not the standard V8 and transmission combination on the Silverado line.  What is the exact reason for offering the 4.8L V8 and four speed automatic transmission on the base LT models.  Make with the standard six speed transmissions already.

The reality is simple when it comes to the three American made trucks, you are not going to buy a bad truck.  Really, I know you are about to blast me and that is because everyone has an opinion on this topic.  The reality of it is these trucks are all very capable when it comes to working hard they are worlds nicer, stronger and more power then they used to be.  At the end of the day would I recommend a Silverado to someone?  Absolutely.  Now ask me if it would be my first choice and I would say no.  I really do like the Silverado but I would have to be honest and say both the new F150 and Ram 1500 are more competitive in their own rights.  The interiors have been heavily upgraded and the innovative features are endless.  The Silverado is not a bad truck, it simply is not currently the best truck. A complete refresh is coming around the 2013-2014 time frame (possibly sooner) and we shall see how the chips fall at that point.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Episode 15 starts by introducing our first guest Chris Baccus.  We decided to move discussing the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls to the end of the show. The week in review included- the Minneapolis International Motorcycle Show, my Volvo XC60 Review, First impressions on the new Ford Edge and Colin’s Chicago Auto Show: Thumbs Up/Down.  We move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Chevrolet Malibu is a great car but sales disappoint?
• American Top Gear still Lives?
• Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring may get new names?

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured the Super Bowl commercial from Dodge – Man’s Last Stand

Last but certainly not least, we discuss our main topics.  This week those topics included the Chicago Auto Show and Toyota’s a better tomorrow.

Download this episode (right click and save)

As posted late last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited by GM to an exciting event. The event started with GM showing some of the products and technologies coming in the near future. Pictures were not allowed in the design center.

2010 GMC Terrain

Front and center in the GMC design studio was a design concept, a Denali trim of the Acadia crossover. It had a body kit and larger chrome wheels with the mandatory chrome grill and wood inside. I can see this trim level coming soon and it was rather good looking. Next up was the 2010 Terrain the GMC version of the new 2010 Chevy Equinox. The exterior of the Terrain is better looking in person than it is in pictures. The interior had soft materials and a clean look. Equipped with the four cylinder, the Terrain will achieve 32 mpg on the highway, quite impressive. The most interesting vehicle was a clay model without a name. It looked reminicent of the Kia Soul. It was boxy and short with little to no overhangs and like no other current GMC. Even though is was not bad looking, I do not see it fitting in with the rest of GMC unless the future products are considerably different than the current lineup, which could happen.

2010 Buick Lacrosse

The center vehicle in the Buick studio was the new 2010 Buick Lacrosse which should be hitting dealerships soon. The new Lacrosse is gorgeous with tight panel gaps and great character lines. It is a car that will be competing with the Lexus ES350, the lines on this Lacrosse are much bolder. The interior has a soft touch dash and has a quality feel. Impressive! I felt the seat tracks looked unfinished. They were completely uncovered and looked as if things could get caught in the tracks. We viewed four other vehicles, two crossovers and two sedans. One of the crossovers was basically a re-badged Saturn Vue which will be launching as a Buick next year, and it will come as the first plug-in hybrid suv in 2011. It was truly unsightly and reminds me of things (re-badging) that was wrong with the “old GM.” The other crossover will launch in 12-16 months as a baby Enclave which itself is a good looking vehicle. The other two vehicles that are coming within the next 10-24 months include a midsize sedan based on the European Opel Insignia. This midsize sedan could very well wear the Regal name. The second vehicle will launch later and will be based on the new the European Opel Astra. They had two interior styling bucks for the two sedans, both of which were as good looking as the new 2010 Lacrosse. Buick seems to have gotten their mojo back in the styling department other then the re-badged Vue.

2010 Chevy Spark

The predictable future vehicles, such as the convertible Camaro coming 2nd quarter of next year and the Chevy Spark small car, was there as well. I was surprised to see a next generation Aveo, which happened to be a hatchback. The rear end was practically the same as the current generation while the front end was much more aggressive. The front end reminded me of the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer. The headlights were good looking but not very aerodynamic. The vehicle that caught me off guard was the next generation Malibu. It is drop dead gorgeous! It has a little BMW in the rear end and the front end is straight European design. The exterior was impressive and the interior had three real interior styling bucks. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would never believe it was a Chevy interior. Keep in mind that these were production designs, not concepts. Arriving in 2011 as a 2012, the next Malibu is going to be a winner.

2009 CTS-V

The Cadillac CTS coupe will arrive next spring. It will be accompanied by a CTS-V coupe which, of course, is exciting for any enthusiast. Next the new 2010 SRX and CTS sportwagon, both of which should be arriving in dealerships now. I personally love wagons. After the presentation, I asked the director of Cadillac about the possibility of a CTS-V sportwagon. During our conversation, he informed me that there was a CTS-V sportwagon on campus and it is a shade of black. He also said that “if” a CTS-V sportwagon was to go into production, he would guess it would be in dealerships next summer. I would not say that is a promise but darn closer than “no we have no plans on making one and have not studied it as a business case.” Here’s hoping for a CTS-V sportwagon.

Three new Cadillacs were revealed to us. The first was the sportwagon. The next was a BMW 3 series fighter dubbed ATS, which will come in both coupe and sedan forms. The car is similar looking to a CTS with a more evolved look. I could see the ATS coming with a turbo and naturally aspirated four cylinder as well as direct injection six cylinder engines. The proper wheels (rear wheels) will be receiving the power and all wheel drive will be a option. The last was a car that will compete with the BMW 7 series, dubbed XTS. It will replace the quickly aging STS/DTS sedans. The styling of the XTS is reminiscent of the Cadillac Sixteen concept from years back but without the long hood. Both cars were good looking and have real potential.

Joel Feder & Bob Lutz

I had a conversation with Bob Lutz and questioned him about the future of the now dead Pontiac G8. He informed me that the response to them killing it has been overwhelming, and they are working hard to figure out how to incorporate it in the Chevy lineup in the future. Mentioning how it will die with Pontiac but could be coming back as a Chevy. He went on to say it would have big brakes, a big V8 and quickly adding, no V6 option. This would be an aggressive sports car without a doubt, the four door of Corvettes (no it will not wear the Corvette name). Though he mentioned it would most likely be expensive and probably a niche product, making only enough for demand. My question is when and how much!? I asked about the Caprice name and styling of the Asian market Caprice and he said it was not aggressive enough and would not happen. This conversation was informal and is in no way a final green light for production.

Lastly the Millford proving grounds. I drove the Camaro SS with the 6 speed. First order of business was to turn off the traction control completely. Dropping the clutch and smokey burn outs are easy to accomplish. The car is definitely heavy but carries its weight well through the slalom. While the brakes definitely got toasty and you could smell the burn, they never gave up or made me nervous of losing effectiveness. Had I been on the track longer it could have been a different story. Next the CTS-V with a automatic. I felt this handicapped the cars potential on the track. On the other hand, the automatic shifts quickly and zips around when driving it in the city on a daily basis.

After this event it is safe to say, I can say I feel GM has a real future and great product in the pipeline. The only true questionable vehicle was the re-badged Vue. Two big take aways here are that the G8 may not be dead after all and the CTS-V sportwagon is more then a possibility! I would say Toyota should be put on notice because the next Malibu and new Equinox are truly world cars.