Best Used Diesel 2013: The Car Connection’s Picks
Diesel vehicles have always had their fans; but in recent years, new-generation clean-diesel models have elevated the technology above that crowd.
For the most part, the overbearing diesel clatter is gone; so is the exhaust soot and odor. And diesels simply make a good sense for Americans, who spend a lot of their drive time on the highway, or on long commutes, where the technology really shines--often returning better mileage in the real world than EPA ratings suggest.
Although the diesel market finally looks poised for a surge in popularity this year, with the introduction of several models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel and Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, going back three years, there were surprisingly few offerings.
If you're looking to find a diesel model that's also rated well for reliability and safety, as well as well-equipped and pleasant to drive, the field of possibilities becomes even narrower. We've helped you with some of that task, in sifting through the possibilities and applying some of the same qualifiers used in our other 'best of' lists
- at least an 8.0 rating on The Car Connection's full reviews from three years ago--in this case, the 2011 model year
- at least four circles on J.D. Power's predicted-dependability rankings, or at least average reliability on Consumer Reports
- at least four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
In doing so, we weeded out a few of our favorites; for instance, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec might be a good used pick for some, but its 'much worse than average' reliability is a red flag; we might also pick up an R-Class as a luxury people-mover, but there's no reliability info. And two other models that have been offered in TDI diesel versions—the Volkswagen Beetle and Volkswagen Passat—both weren't offered for the 2011 model year.
We did apply a little flexibility in a few places, though. Technically, the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta Sedan, and Jetta Sportwagen all earned an overall score of 7.8 in 2011—scores that consider their gasoline engines as well—but we have no doubt they would have tipped to 8.0 or higher only considering the excellent TDI versions.
What we ended up with was a good variety pack of vehicles--a few sedans, a hatch, a wagon, and an SUV, covering a wide range of prices when new or used. Although it's a small group, there's a diesel here for most needs. Our Best Used Diesel 2013 winners are:
The 2011 Audi A3 is stylish, refined, and versatile—and nearly as good for the city as for the highway. Read more »
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan swings to the masculine side of the pendulum and sharpens its driving appeal in the process. Read more »
(more...)5 Cameos That Could’ve Made Audi’s Spock Vs. Spock Commercial More Awesome
No doubt about it: Audi's new commercial starring Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto is 31 flavors of awesome.
Dubbed "The Challenge", the clip manages to work in numerous Trekkie gags while hyping the Audi S7. We even get a glimpse of Shelley, the autonomous Audi TT designed by Stanford University's Center for Automotive Research.
By all accounts, the ad is a hit, having received over 1.7 million YouTube views in just 48 hours. But could a few well-placed cameos have made it even awesomer? Consider the possibilities:
1. William Shatner: This man (we like to call him "Schatzi") epitomizes contemporary cool. True, it took some of us a while to appreciate his Priceline-fueled return to prominence in the early aughts. But since then, the interwebs has allowed us to relive Shatner's most outstanding moments, including his completely out-there performance of "Rocket Man". He could've at least been given the role of a valet at the club. Chris Pine would never need to know.
2. George Takei: Jennifer Lawrence won a slice of the web this week, but Takei owns the whole internet pie. In our dream version of this Audi commercial, Shelley speeds off and Takei pops up between Nimoy and Quinto, moaning his trademark, "Oh myyyyy."
3. Nichelle Nichols: The woman who spawned thousands of teenage fantasies as Lieutenant Uhura might not have the household name recognition as others on this list, but one look at Nichols, and you know exactly who she is. How great would it have been to see her slide out of Shelley and waltz right past Nimoy and Quinto, yammering into a Bluetooth headset?
4. Patrick Stewart: Purists might scoff at mixing Star Trek's original and Next Generation cast members, but thanks to some very high-profile appearances in recent years -- especially his voiceover work on animated series like American Dad -- Stewart is a perennial crowd-pleaser.
5. Robert Downey Jr.: The world is abuzz over next week's release of Star Trek Into Darkness, but has Audi already forgotten its huge product placement win with Iron Man 3, which had the second-biggest opening in U.S. movie history? Surely there would've been a clever way to wrap Tony Stark into the fun.
Amateur casting agents: share your own thoughts about Audi's "The Challenge" ad in the comments below.
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: Used Trucks, Used SUVs, Used Toyotas, Used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Today In Press Releases: Turtle Wax Wants To See You Topless
We receive plenty of curious press releases here at The Car Connection. Some hype "experts" that we might want to interview. (We don't.) Some tout products suited for "mature" websites. (We may be old, but we're rarely mature.) And some are just plain weird.
We'll let you decide where to file the latest missive from Turtle Wax.
It touts a promotion called "Wax On, Shirt Off", described as "a national social movement to celebrate car care season". The gist is that, with the weather warming up, the folks at Turtle Wax want you to step outside and shine up your ride.
Except they want you to do it topless.
And take photos of yourself in the act.
And post them to the internet.
But there's more to this promotion than sheer exhibitionism. As the PR team at Turtle Wax explains it: "Celebrating sunshine and shiny cars, 'Wax On, Shirt Off' welcomes the return of spring as only a shirtless afternoon in the driveway can. And Turtle Wax wants pictures to prove it. If you're man enough to let it all hang out, share your shirtless car wash to help a great cause and a chance to win some prizes as well."
To participate, you'll need to tweet your pec pics to Turtle Wax (@TurtleWax) using the hashtag #WaxOnShirtOff. The company will send vintage Turtle Wax tees to 250 lucky show-offs and give everyone else a shot at winning other Turtle Wax products.
Even if you don't make off with swag, you'll know that you're doing your part for kids: for every tweet, Turtle Wax will contribute $1 to Hartford’s Camp Courant, the oldest and largest free summer camp for kids in the U.S. For that reason alone, we encourage your participation, though we do have a couple of caveats:
1. Women: please familiarize yourselves with local obscenity laws before going topless in the driveway. For obvious reasons.
2. Men and women: consider wearing sunscreen, unless you want to spend your twilight years rubbing Turtle Wax on your skin, too.
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: Used Trucks, Used SUVs, Used Toyotas, Used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2013 Mercedes-Benz GL Class SUV Recalled For Seat Belt Anchor Bolt Issue
Mercedes-Benz is conducting a voluntary safety recall of certain 2013 model year GL Class full-size SUVs for second-row seat belt anchor bolts that may have been improperly torqued during assembly.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected in the U.S. at 272. Vehicles affected by the recall include certain 2013 GL350 BlueTEC, GL450 4MATIC, GL550 4MATIC, and GL63 AMG models that were built at the German automaker’s Alabama plant from May 15, 2012 through October 4, 2012.
The problem
According to documentation (PDF) Mercedes-Benz submitted to the NHTSA, the defect was determined to be caused by a problem with the power screwdrivers used during manufacturing. As a result, the second-row seat belt anchor bolts may not be tight enough and, over time and with vibration from normal vehicle use, could come loose.
A possible consequence is that, in the event of a crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
What Mercedes-Benz will do
Mercedes-Benz will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the second-row seat belt anchor bolts, as necessary. The service will be performed at no charge.
The Mercedes-Benz safety recall is expected to begin in May 2013. In the meantime, owners of 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUVs with any questions or concerns may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V166000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
BMW 3-Series Recall Adds 42,000 Vehicles To Airbag Action
After conducting its internal investigation, BMW now says that it will recall 42,000 2002 through 2003 BMW 3-Series vehicles as part of the massive Takata airbag recall we covered in April.
At the time the airbag recall story broke, BMW said it would participate but did not immediately know how many vehicles were involved.
At issue is the front passenger-side airbag that may not inflate properly during a collision. The defective stems from faulty manufacturing by Takata Corp., the Japanese company that makes the airbag part.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, a BMW spokesman said, “We have not had a single cases of a reported failure in our cars, but it is the same problem, yes.”
According to BMW, owners of 2002-2003 3-Series cars affected by the recall will be notified by first-class mail and later advised when replacement parts are available so that they can contact a BMW dealer to make an appointment to have the airbags replaced.
In the meantime, BMW owners with any questions or concerns may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Buick LaCrosse, Regal eAssist Recalled For Fire Risk
General Motors is conducting a safety recall of certain 2012 and 2013 model year Buick LaCrosse, Regal and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu hybrids for a potential defect that may result in a fire.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected by the recall at 42,904. Vehicles affected are those equipped with the mild hybrid system known as eAssist.
Documentation from GM (PDF) submitted to the NHTSA identifies the vehicle recall population as follows:
- 2012 Buick LaCrosse – 13,909 vehicles built from November 16, 2010 to June 14, 2012
- 2013 Buick LaCrosse – 3,369 vehicles built from March 6, 2012 to November 15, 2012
- 2012 Buick Regal – 2,449 vehicles built from March 2, 2011 to August 7, 2012
- 2013 Buick Regal – 796 vehicles built from December 20, 2011 to December 4, 2012
- 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco – 22,381 vehicles built from June 21, 2011 to November 15, 2012
The problem
The NHTSA bulletin and GM documentation indicate that the subject vehicles may have a condition where the Generator Control Module (GCM) fails to function properly.
As a result of this condition, there could be a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.
According to GM, should the warnings be ignored, “eventually the engine may stall, and/or the vehicle may not start.” GM further cautions that, in addition, “there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.”
The automaker said that two trunk fires have been reported, including one in the trunk of a vehicle at a dealership.
As reported in The Detroit News, GM spokesman Alan Adler said that the issue is not related to the battery in the hybrid systems.
What GM will do
GM will notify owners and dealers will inspect the GCM, replacing it as necessary. The service will be performed at no charge.
GM has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for the safety recall campaign, identified as No. 13136. In the meantime, owners of 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Buick Regal with eAssist and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles with any questions or concerns may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Best Used Hatchback 2013: The Car Connection’s Picks
Hatchbacks may be the workhorses of Europe, but here in the U.S., they're only now regaining in popularity, after decades dominated by SUVs.
You probably have plenty of questions when considering a new hatchback, especially since today's models aren't just economy cars--not when you include five-door models like the Porsche Panamera and the Audi A7. You may even wonder what divides a hatchback from a wagon or even a crossover; for us, the hatchbacks are closer in roof length to the cars to which they're related, and the angle of the hatch slopes more than the tailgates on utility vehicles.
But you're most likely to have more questions if you're shopping for a used hatchback. Take all those questions above, and add on the multipliers that face every used-car buyer--is it safe? Is it reliable? Am I getting my money's worth?
We're taking some of the mystery out of the process, and helping you find some of the best bets in the hatchback class, whether they're from economy-car roots or luxury origins. We've sifted through a few different kinds of data to come up with a handful of hatchbacks that we think have the most complete, most well-rounded reputation for safety and reliability, as well as driving satisfaction. We've arrived at this Best Used Hatchback 2013 list by looking at three-year-old vehicles that must score:
- at least an 8.0 rating on The Car Connection's full reviews from three years ago--in this case, the 2011 model year
- at least four circles on J.D. Power's predicted-dependability rankings, or at least average reliability on Consumer Reports
- at least four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
After studying those sources, the following vehicles qualified for our recommendation. We'll note here that some higher-priced vehicles like the Panamera were lacking in crash-test data, which led us to drop them from the final list. Even with that loss, the field of contenders yielded plenty of great hardware ready for you to shop from our vehicle listings pages:
The 2011 Audi A3 is stylish, refined, and versatile—and nearly as good for the city as for the highway. Read more »
The 2011 Honda Fit is like a mini-minivan in some respects, with an incredibly space-efficient design; yet it's peppy, frugal, and fun to drive. Read more »
The 2011 Kia Forte exemplifies the new direction of Kia, with a simple, elegant style, unexpected levels of refinement, and lots of value for the money. Read more »
The 2011 Kia Soul is fashion-forward and fun-to-drive—and unlike most of its urban-wagon rivals, it's just as practical as it looks. Read more »
The 2011 Mazda3 provides more driving enjoyment than most other small-car models, along with a stylish, racy look; but with a tight, noisy cabin, it’s not without compromise. Read more »
The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI are fast, fun cars to drive in any situation, and they're comfortable, safe, and practical enough for small-family use; poor fuel economy and a lack of automatic transmissions limit its appeal, though. Read more »
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: used trucks, used SUVs, used Toyotas, used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Best Used Truck 2013: The Car Connection’s Picks
Pickup trucks are the mainstays of the U.S. auto industry. New trucks are regularly among the biggest crowd pleasers and the best sellers. Ford's F-150 has been America's best-selling vehicle for 36 years. Those new trucks don't leave anything to worry over: they're right off the assembly line, without a single payload of mulch or drywall delivered out of one, not a single trailer of show horses pulled behind one.
Those millions of new trucks sold each year means there are millions of used trucks coming on the market each year, too--and that creates awesome opportunity for anyone that needs a more affordable alternative to truck prices that easily pass $30,000 new--and sometimes pass $50,000. And just as passenger cars have grown more reliable and durable over the past two decades, so have pickup trucks--while they've also become safer and more luxurious.
Shopping for a used truck can be far more puzzling, though, than the average minivan or compact car, because of the endless variations on the theme--which body style, which bed length, which drivetrain. It pays for used truck buyers to know exactly which use they have in mind--or at least, which one happens most often, whether it's towing, hauling, or carrying a work crew with tools. (Or, face it, profiling in front of the home-improvement palace.)
We've taken some of the mystery of shopping for a used truck by sifting through some of the data to come to a set of pickups with the best reputation for reliability, safety, and satisfaction. We've arrived at this Best Used Truck list by looking at three-year-old pickups that must score:
- at least an 8.0 rating on The Car Connection's full reviews from three years ago--in this case, the 2011 model year
- at least four circles on J.D. Power's predicted-dependability rankings, or at least average reliability on Consumer Reports
- no reported score lower than four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Since only some body styles of pickup trucks are tested by those agencies, we've included a truck nameplate if one of its styles made the cut.
After sorting the data, only two pickup trucks qualified for this list. We'd note that some contenders came close in numeric rankings--the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra among them--while others we like missed on both the reliability and crash-test counts, as in the case with the Ram 1500. In this field of contenders, we've come up with the following choices as the best used trucks on the road today, with the bottom line from our 2011 review:
All-new engines across the 2011 Ford F-150 model line finally give these full-size trucks strong (yet efficient) performance to match their macho looks.
The interior may be a letdown in quality, but the 2011 Toyota Tundra is every bit as big and tough as the other full-size trucks.
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: used trucks, used SUVs, used Toyotas, used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Death List 2014: The Cars You Won’t See Next Year
We've already begun to review the best new cars, crossovers, trucks and minivans for the 2014 model year--cars like the 2014 Jaguar F-Type, Chevy Impala, and Mercedes-Benz CLA.
But what about the cars that aren't coming back?
Last year, we brought you the definitive list of the vehicles that disappeared for the 2013 model year. And now it's time to wave some more goodbyes--some fond, some not so much--to the clutch of vehicles that won't be hitting the road next year.
You won't be surprised by some of them. In at least a couple of instances, some of these vehicles would not go gently into the night, no matter how many pillows were held to their face. Others are certainly getting buried long before their time, and no amount of CPR will help at this point.
Send your condolences to the brands below, and do yourself a favor--don't hold out for 2014 reviews on these disappearing cars:
The ZDX puzzled us from the very start. A size-challenged spin-off of the Acura MDX, the ZDX gave up too much rear-seat and cargo space in its quest for a coupe-like body. Had it been priced closer to $35,000 instead of $50,000, it might have found a niche--but instead, 2013 will be its last year on sale.
Ford Mustang BOSSThe best Mustang you can buy was always conceived of as a two-year special. And special it is--we've driven it at Laguna Seca and had the most fun possible in a live-axle car this side of 1000 horsepower. But the BOSS is handing over the reins for 2014, while Ford preps an all-new Mustang for the 2015 model year. Mark your calendars for next year's New York Auto Show.
Jeep LibertyThe Jeep Liberty never got as much respect as it deserved--or it got exactly what it deserved, depending on who you know. Jeep tussled with the degree of carlike qualities in the Liberty, and ended up with a vehicle packaged like an SUV, with less off-road capability and conversely, with the fuel economy of one--unless you're talking about the coveted diesel model. The Liberty's being replaced by the very awkwardly styled 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which has its head on straight when it comes to carlike qualities--it's derived from the Dodge Dart.
Jaguar XF V-8 (non-supercharged)
The Jaguar XF isn't going anywhere--but for the 2014 model year, it's dropping the base, normally-aspirated V-8 in favor of a supercharged V-6 and a turbocharged base four. The supercharged V-8s still are available, but if you want the quietest XF of 2013, it's time to buy.
Mercedes E350 BlueTEC, rear-drive AMG E63
The Mercedes E-Class lineup is getting a major overhaul for the 2014 model year--and in the process, it's reconfiguring two of its most desireable models. The V-6 turbodiesel gets replaced by a four-cylinder turbodiesel--and the E63 AMG models lose their rear-drive layout for standard all-wheel drive, all the better to market the cars in the Northeast.
Suzuki Kizashi, SX4, Grand Vitara, XL7
Suzuki is dropping a lot of models for 2014. All of them. Maybe you've heard.
The VW Routan, the unloved stepchild of Chrysler's minivan power couple, is actually still being built in limited numbers for 2013 and 2014. The only problem is, you won't find them in retail showrooms. They're being used as corporate vehicles, we're told--most likely to soak up all the Routans that haven't been sold since VW and Chrysler inked the badge-engineered deal back in 2009.
The Volvo lineup needs new blood, and it's getting it by 2015 with the new V60 wagon. In the meantime, it's losing two of its slow-selling smaller cars. The C30 is losing its production home and its place in the lineup, while the C70 is simply aging out, having been around since the late 1990s.
(more...)Six Rules Of The Road You Should Observe (But Probably Won’t)
Journalists who cover the auto industry drive a lot of cars.
Which means we like to think we know a little more about driving than other people.
Not you, of course. Statistically, you know you're a better driver than most other people on the roads. We're talking about those other ones.
But each of us gets behind the wheel of several dozen cars a year and racks up tens of thousands of miles, on everything from racetracks to Manhattan streets, ranging from high-speed freeway cruising to irksome stop-and-go suburban Saturday shopping.
What follows are six rules for safer driving that you should be observing.
After all, you're the sole pilot of a two-ton machine that can travel at more than 100 mph.
Based on what we see through the windshield, though, you're probably not observing all of these rules--and some of you aren't observing ANY of them.
(1) Check your mirrors every 30 to 60 seconds.
It's painfully clear that many drivers have no earthly idea what's behind them.
That would seem to be because they're not using any of the three mirrors--one on the windshield, one on each front door--to glance at what's happening behind them.
No, this shouldn't come at the expense of looking ahead.
But it's critical to know what's going on behind you.
If you can't say whether there are vehicles behind you in each lane or not, you're not looking in your mirrors often enough.
Is there, for instance, an over-eager adolescent kid in a lowered car parked 18 inches off your rear bumper at 65 mph?
If so, the sooner you move over, the quicker he can roar past you--thereby taking you out of the range of a potential accident or road-rage incident.
And this is especially important now that various blind-spot warnings are displayed in the door mirror as well, from lights that illuminate when there's a car in your blind spot to specially angled second-mirror insets that show what's next to you.
(2) If you're not passing another car, stay OUT of the left lane!
The left-most lane on roads with two, three, or more lanes in the same direction is NOT just for travel. It's called the passing lane. And there's a reason for that.
We can't do any better than to quote the full text of a graphic that's been making the rounds on social media (see diagram, which we found via Wade Brown).
It doesn't matter if you're going the speed limit. You may feel like you're doing the right thing by slowing a speeder down, or you may feel it's your RIGHT to drive in any lane you 'darn well please.'
You're not. It's not. And you ARE breaking the law.
Here's how it is DESIGNED to work: You're in what you think is just like any other lane except that it's 'fast'. One of us approaches you from behind at 74mph (and you look down to see you're going 67mph and you switch to your smug 'justified' face because the sign says 65). While rather close in proximity, the driver begs you to move over.
Oh, how you should.
But you don't.
The driver tries to be patient and now cars start lining up behind both of you. There's a quick flash of the brights, and if you look up from your phone you either move over, or your ego decides that you'll be stubborn (and in some cases actually slow down ON PURPOSE). In most cases you don't even notice the signal but you just start complaining about the guy riding your bumper.
Now there's four or five vehicles lining up behind you while you have a LOT of distance ahead of you and enough room to move over. Now the sixth vehicle back finally jets across two lanes of traffic to go around not only you and the cars behind you, but but also around the slower cars in the two lanes to your right, only to find that there's no GOOD reason for you to be IN THE WAY.
Note that he used the 'SLOW' lane to do this in.
Move over. You don't have to be stubborn.
It's not your lane. You don't have to be self-righteous.
Please be part of the solution. Don't cause traffic jams and contribute to road rage.
The general rage among drivers at oblivious left-lane hogs was rewarded in March, when a Maryland woman was ticketed for blocking the passing lane and failure to keep right.
The "keep right" rule is also taken seriously in Georgia, we gather.
On the West Coast, though, the rule has apparently been forgotten entirely--helped along, we suspect, by the legality of passing on the right on multi-lane freeways.
(more...)