GREEN MACHINES (Posted 11/14/07)
 General Motors is looking for the Chevrolet Volt to change the landscape of hybrid-vehicles. About the same size as today’s Chevy Cobalt, Volt is a plug-in hybrid powered by a lithium-ion battery pack using GM’s E-Flex system. E-Flex can power the vehicle purely on electricity, or recharge the battery using an engine that runs on a fuel cell, gasoline, diesel or biofuel.
Volt can also be plugged into a 110-volt household outlet and recharged overnight. With the right batteries, the Volt could travel 40 miles without a drop of gas, equivalent to the average American’s daily commute. GM expects to begin road testing the Volt next spring, and for the vehicle to be available in 2010.
Toyota has also announced plans to test a plug-in hybrid in the U.S., Japan and Europe. Dubbed the Toyota Plug-in HV, the test vehicle has a range of eight miles on battery alone with a top speed of 62 mph. The Plug-in HV runs on the same nickel metal hydride battery as the Prius, which require about 1 ½ hours to recharge at 200 volts and three or four hours at 100 volts. Toyota has declined to say when it will bring the vehicle to market, citing the need for better battery technology. Toyota was expected to use lithium-ion batteries in the redesigned Prius due in late 2008, but has delayed their use citing the same need for better technology.
General Motors is developing an engine that burns gasoline without a spark plug at speeds as high as 55 mph, according to Automotive News. Referred to as the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine, the engine sips fuel like a diesel engine but produces low emissions like a gasoline engine. The engine can improve fuel economy by as much as 15 percent compared with a conventional gasoline engine, while burning as much as 25 percent less fuel.
 Malibu, Accord Aim for Camry’s Perch
Are changes enough to topple #1? (Posted 11/14/07)
Honda and General Motors believe their all-new versions of the Accord and Malibu sedans can compete head-on with Toyota’s Camry. Both new models feature improved fuel economy and upgraded interiors, making them real contenders in the midsize sedan market.
For 2008, Honda introduces a more aggressively styled sedan and sportier coupe versions of the Accord. Everything about the new model is larger or better, including overall size and interior volume, power output and fuel economy, and the list of standard features. Accord’s interior is a direct reflection of the Acura RL, Honda's luxury nameplate sedan.
 The 2008 Accord is three inches longer than the model it replaces, while interior volume is up 3.3 cubic feet to 106 cubic feet. Accord also gets the largest and most powerful engine ever offered in a Honda car, a 3.5 -liter V-6 producing 268 hp. The engine includes cylinder deactivation, but with an extra twist. The new engine chooses from three-, four- and six-cylinder modes, depending on power demand, helping to boost fuel economy to 19 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. Other engine choices include a non-cylinder –deactivation V-6 in the coupe equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, and two 2.4-liter four-cylinder options. Five-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available for most trim lines. Honda will not be offering a hybrid version of the Accord.
The Chevrolet Malibu arrives in November featuring a tighter fit and finish, and upgraded materials. Malibu will be offered with three powertrain options initially, including a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, four-speed; a 3.6-liter V-6 six-speed and a four-speed gas-electric hybrid. Next year the line will be expanded with a four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed transmission that GM claims will boost Malibu’s highway fuel economy above 30 mpg.
Malibu will be offered in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. All come standard with head-curtain side air bags, OnStar with remote diagnostics, and XM Satellite Radio. A stability control system is standard on LT and LTZ models. For the first time, the Malibu is offered with two-tone trim combinations, including Ebony and Brick and Cocoa and Cashmere. There is also an all-Ebony combination, accented with a distinctive wood grain element that offers a unique, upscale appearance. Malibu 2LT models feature standard ultra suede-trimmed seats and LTZ models receive distinctive, black-chrome accents, a specific instrument layout and unique, two-tone leather seating surfaces. Heated seats are standard on 2LT and LTZ.
If a midsize sedan is on your radar screen, it makes sense to look at the 2008 Honda Accord and 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Both models should pleasantly surprise you.
 2008 Chrysler Town & Country
Family feedback drives improvements
(Posted 11/14/07)
Is the minivan dead? Certainly not, and proof to the contrary can be found in the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country. The fifth generation of this minivan has 35 new and improved features, including roll-down rear windows and the choice of three seating options.
Seating options include a second-row bench seat with second-row covered storage bins and third-row fold-in-the-floor seating, the industry-exclusive Stow ’n Go® seating and storage system that offers the only second- and third-row fold-in-the-floor seats and the new Swivel ’n Go seat system that allows the second-row seats to swivel 180 degrees to face rearward. Swivel ’n Go also includes a removable table that fits between the second and third rows and a fold-in-the-floor third-row seat. A minivan-first one-touch power-folding third-row seat is available with either the Stow ‘n Go or Swivel ‘n Go seat systems.
Powertrain choices include a new 4.0-liter V-6 aluminum engine and a 3.8-liter V-6 aluminum engine, both mated to a minivan-first six-speed transmission, and a 3.3-liter flex-fuel-capable V-6 aluminum engine mated to a four-speed transmission. Chrysler offers three versions of the 2008 Town & Country: LX, Touring and the Limited.
Other improvements include LED interior lighting, a conversation mirror that allows to driver to see what is happening behind them, and a number of entertainment connections, including Sirius Satellite radio. Some reviewers describe the Town & Country’s ride similar to that of a limousine. Find out for yourself by giving us a call.
 2007 Dodge Sprinter Van Gets a Makeover
Optional ECO-Start automates engine Start/Stop
(Posted 11/14/07)
An engine that is not running does not need any fuel. This truism helps the Mercedes-Benz based, 2007 Dodge Sprinter van to save fuel. If the vehicle is stationary with the engine idling and the transmission in neutral for more than three seconds, the engine is automatically switched off. As soon as the driver depresses the clutch pedal again, the engine re-starts. On average, the amount of fuel saved will probably be somewhere between five and eight percent. The driver can also deactivate the system by means of a button on the instrument panel.
The 2007 Sprinter comes in three body styles: cargo van, passenger van and chassis cab. Engine choices include a 154 hp, 3.0-liter V-6 diesel and a 254 hp, 3.5-liter gasoline engine. For the first time, Dodge is offering adaptive electronic stability control on the Sprinter. Sprinter has up to 600 cubic feet of cargo space and the cargo area is up to 7 feet high.
Bigger Mini arrives in 2008
Longer model broadens appeal to fleets (Posted 11/14/07)
 The mini is about to get a big bother, the Mini Clubman. The Clubman model is 9.5 inches longer than the Mini Cooper. The Clubman has one door on the driver’s side and two on the passenger’s side. The small rear door on the passenger’s side is hinged in the rear and has no exterior handle. The rear of the car has two doors hinged on the sides like a commercial van. Clubman will be available in the First Quarter of 2007, configured as a four-seat model. Already a hit in delivery and service fleets, don’t be surprised to see a Clubman Mini making a delivery in your neighborhood.
 2008 Chevy HHR SS
Super Sport model packs 260 hp
(Posted 11/14/07)
Chevrolet’s SS models became the standard for sports car enthusiasts in the 1960s. SS models included race-inspired features, most notably of which was a larger engine. That tradition continues with the introduction of the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS.
Arriving in the fourth quarter, the HHR SS packs a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 260 hp. An intercooler cools the pressurized air after it leaves the turbocharger and before it enters the cylinder. Cooler air is denser, and more air in the cylinder enables the engine to make more power. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. The base HHR comes equipped with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder rated at 149 hp. Electronic stability control and 18-inch wheels are standard equipment.
On the inside, HHR SS has sport seats and a turbo boost gauge, a smaller steering wheel than base models, and a shift lever on the manual transmission that requires less movement to change gears. For a retro drive with an attitude, consider adding the HHR SS to your garage.
Extreme Heat Ages Tires and Leads to Failures (Posted 11/14/07)
Heat causes underinflation
A recent tire industry survey found that 85 percent of drivers fail to properly check tire pressure. But coupling this trend to an area prone to high heat can be a disastrous combination for any driver.
Extreme heat that leads to underinflation is a major factor in the aging of tires, which, in turn, is a factor in tread separation, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA officials noted that heat speeds up the aging of tires, thereby reducing their durability. Those officials noted that a one-year-old tire driven in extreme Arizona heat shows much greater wear than most drivers think they would experience.
One large insurance company told NHTSA that between 2002 and 2006, 77 percent of tire claims came from Texas, California, Louisiana, Florida and Arizona, while just 27 percent of its policyholders are from those states. Of those claims, 84 percent were for tires over 6 years old.
The message here is clear. No matter where you drive, checking the air pressure on your tires on a regular basis to prevent underinflation is extremely prudent. When you live or drive in a warmer climate, consider checking and replacing your tires more frequently. |
