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Photo gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:05:26 +0000

Before we get to the CTS Coupe, a quick note: I'm on my way back from our 24 Hours of Lemons race. Things went well -- we actually finished! I'll tell you more about the race, as well as how the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid did on fuel, in a day or two.

Today, we have other news from Cadillac: Photos of the production version of the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. To be honest, the photos don't look terribly exciting to me, but I've seen the concept version in person and it's a stunner. I'm thinking (and hoping) that the production version looks significantly better in person -- I think this is going to be one of those cars that has to be seen in person to be appreciated. Caddy also released some tech specs, and they look great: The CTS Coupe will be powered by a 304 hp 3.6 liter direct-injected V6 with a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions, and a "V" version is in the works. Have a look at my 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe photo gallery and see what you think. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © General Motors

Photo gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe originally appeared on About.com Cars on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 03:05:26.

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Towing green?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:23:58 +0000

As you read this -- well, provided you're reading it after 6:30 am or so Pacific time -- I'll be towing our race car (and I use that term loosely) in the general direction of the 24 Hours of Lemons race at Thunderhill in northern California. Now, last time I towed the car to a race, I did it the old fashioned way: With a Dodge RAM 3500 pickup powered by the famous Cummins turbodiesel. The Dodge drove as if I was towing a load of feathers, and returned a respectable 16.7 MPG.

This time, I'm trying something a little different -- I'll be towing the car with a 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. GM says the four-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid will tow up to 5,600 lbs, which is just a few hundred pounds more than we need, and its 14,000 lb gross combined weight rating (GCWR) means we can add another ton or so of passengers and cargo without risking a Darwin award. EPA fuel economy estimates for the two-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid are 20 MPG city/21 MPG highway. I'm driving an all-wheel-drive version, and the EPA estimates are... well, I actually don't know, because the extra weight of the all-wheel-drive system pushes the Escalade into a higher weight class and makes it exempt from EPA testing. (You'd think Cadillac would publish the numbers anyway, as a point of pride.) Whatever the numbers are, they've got to be better than the non-hybrid Escalade's estimates, which are -- Prius owners, you'd better sit down for this one -- 11 MPG city and 14 MPG highway.

So far, I've been averaging 18.8 MPG in mixed driving with no trailer but about 200 lbs of race-related cargo in the back. We'll see what a trailer and a crappy race car do to the Escalade's fuel economy. Any guesses? -- Aaron Gold

Photo © General Motors

Towing green? originally appeared on About.com Cars on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 03:23:58.

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What's the best (or worst) car myth you've heard?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:05 +0000

Before I get to today's topic, allow me to beg your forgiveness for the lack of new reviews this week -- I've been busy as all get out, driving cars for the upcoming Best New Cars list and Internet Car of the Year and preparing our BMW 633CSi for its second 24 Hours of Lemons race (we're turning it into a replica of Richard Petty's Superbird; pictures coming soon). I have a bunch of new 2010 reviews in the works, so please bear with me.

Okay, on to business. Yesterday, I was reminded of a British chap I met some years ago who used to rev the engine of his Volvo 245 before shutting it off. When I asked him why, he said that revving the engine "leaves a spark in the distributor". I tried to explain that electrical sparks are not something you can store, and that turning off the car's ignition turned off all the electricity, but he wasn't buying it -- he continued to rev his engine so he'd have a spark ready and waiting the next time he wanted to drive his car. I've never heard a myth that good -- although the friend who insisted that it was better for the car to shift from Park to Neutral and then to Reverse, rather than going direct, came pretty close. (And for all I know, the P-N-R thing could have been right.)

I'm sure you've heard some pretty good car myths -- truisms that people swore by, even though they couldn't possibly be true. So let's hear 'em -- click the "comments" link and tell your tale.

And by the way, if you need your new review fix, Jason Fogelson, our Guide to SUVs, has just reviewed our first 2011 production vehicle (assuming you don't count my 2011 Ford Fiesta preview drive, that is) -- check out his write-up on the 2011 Kia Sorento. -- Aaron Gold

What's the best (or worst) car myth you've heard? originally appeared on About.com Cars on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 00:01:05.

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Nissan Leaf: Batteries not included

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:59:42 +0000

On Friday, I attended a press conference for the kickoff of the Nissan Leaf tour. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn was among the speakers, and although he did not announce exact pricing, he did talk about the pricing plan: The electric Leaf will sell for the same price as a similarly-sized gasoline-powered car. The Leaf is similar in size to the Sentra, so my best guess is the price will come in around $21,000... but the battery isn't included. Read more...

Nissan Leaf: Batteries not included originally appeared on About.com Cars on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 00:59:42.

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Cash for Clunkers reality check: Why 2 MPG is a good thing

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:15:19 +0000

There's been a lot of talk in the news recently about how many people used Cash for Clunkers to swap old F-150 for a new F-150, yielding a fuel-economy increase of between 1 and 3 MPG. The conclusion, according to the pundits, is that the program was a failure. And my conclusion is that Microsoft should invent a way for me to reach through my monitor so I could grab said pundits' collective collar and do a little 'splainin. Read more...

Cash for Clunkers reality check: Why 2 MPG is a good thing originally appeared on About.com Cars on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 11:15:19.

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Test drive: 2010 Lexus HS 250h

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:55:46 +0000

There are a lot of people who think Lexus' new HS 250h hybrid is nothing but a tarted-up Toyota Prius with leather seats and a sedan shell. I actually thought that myself, to the point where I spent a full two days trying to come up with a funny way to combine "Lexus" and "Prius" into one word. (I failed. So far as I can tell, it can't be done. Anyone have Robin Williams' phone number?)

But a week of test-driving made it clear that the Lexus HS 250h is anything but a fancy Prius... which, as it turns out, is kind of a shame. Find out why in my 2010 Lexus HS 250h test drive and review. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold

Test drive: 2010 Lexus HS 250h originally appeared on About.com Cars on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 03:55:46.

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Test drive: 2010 Toyota Prius

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:35 +0000

There are two different schools of thought regarding the Toyota Prius hybrid. Some see it as the future of transportation -- a roomy family car that uses about half the fuel of a typical mid-size sedan. Other see it as the anti-car, a joyless, soulless form of transportation completely lacking in the character which car fanatics love so much. Personally, I can see both side of the argument -- and apparently so can Toyota, because they've attempted to imbue the all-new Prius with something the old car lacked: Personality. Has it worked? Find out in my 2010 Toyota Prius test drive and review. -- Aaron Gold

Test drive: 2010 Toyota Prius originally appeared on About.com Cars on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 00:01:35.

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Opinions wanted: When will the auto industry recover?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:02:22 +0000

I often go to press previews for new models. Before we drive, we're given a technical presentation, and most of these start with a "State of the Company" section. Naturally, all the talk has been about when the auto industry will recover. Some say recovery is just a few months away; others say things won't get back to normal until 2014 at the earliest.

So, I'm curious: When do you think the auto industry will recover? And by "recover", I mean that sales bounce back -- if not to pre-2006 numbers, at least to a level consistent with the growth we were seeing before the bottom fell out of the economy. Vote below, and if you'd like to elaborate on why you think what you think, by all means please click the "comments" link. -- Aaron Gold

Opinions wanted: When will the auto industry recover? originally appeared on About.com Cars on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 01:02:22.

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Revisiting the Chevy Camaro and Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:41:45 +0000

As we head into winter, I'm focusing on our upcoming Best New Cars of 2010 awards. I have a feeling it's going to be a long list -- 2010 may be shaping up to be a bad year for car sales, but it's a great year for new models. I've got contenders lined up two at a time for test drives right through the end of December, and I recently spent some time revisiting couple of hopefuls that I haven't driven for a while. Read more...

Revisiting the Chevy Camaro and Hyundai Genesis Coupe originally appeared on About.com Cars on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 04:41:45.

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Fiat discusses the future of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:13:21 +0000

Yesterday, Fiat and Chrysler held a marathon press conference to discuss Chrysler's future. Read more...

Fiat discusses the future of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep originally appeared on About.com Cars on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 03:13:21.

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