Tag Archives: Everyday Cars

Opinions

Rejoice! Rejoice! The VW GTD is US bound!

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Volkswagen GTD

For those of you unfamiliar with the GTD, it is quite literally a diesel version of the GTI. VW has recently been gauging potential demand for the car in the US, and has just announced, at the Geneva Motor Show, that the GTD will indeed make it to US shores.

You can see the tested specs in the video below, but in a nutshell the GTD will handle the same as a GTI, while trading a little straight line speed for around 30% better fuel economy. Going by EPA numbers for the GTI, that means MPG in the neighborhood of 31 city and 43 mpg highway, with an average around 37mpg… in theory at least. I don’t know about any of you, but I would definitely be willing to make that compromise, especially considering that the handling would still be phenomenal. The GTD isn’t exactly slow either, with 170hp and 258 ft/lbs of torque. It will lag a little from a GTI, but passing and merging will still be easy for it.

I do have a car purchase coming up in the next few months, and this GTD looks mighty appealing. Fun, economical, and supposedly pretty comfortable, what’s not to love? No word exactly on when it will hit showrooms, but I can say that I will probably wait until GTD pricing is announced before I make a decision. If VW is smart, they will price it to start around $22-23k in an effort to steal sales from Ford’s Fiesta ST, Chevy’s Sonic RS, and Hyundai’s Veloster Turbo. To anyone else who is starting to look around, it may be worth waiting out.

Motor Trend recently got their hands on a GTD, and they did well to show the car’s appeal.

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars, Road Review

Road Review: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid (9/10)

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VW Jetta Hybrid

This is my mom’s new car, Volkswagen’s brand new Jetta Hybrid. Her Volvo was rear-ended and totaled back in December, so naturally the car search began. For some reason this car managed to fly under my radar until just recently. There hasn’t been much media coverage, and it debuted quietly at NAIAS last year. I had been triaging, and test driving a few different options when my dad asked me what I thought of the Jetta Hybrid. That got me looking, and when I saw the details, I was pretty blown away. I went and test drove one the next day, and my recommendation was set. This was the car, and you will soon see why.

Hybrids have really caught on as a way of saving gas here in America. For most hybrids, the focus is on fuel economy alone, all in an effort to woo people with the showroom window sticker. The undisputed leader of the hybrid movement has been Toyota, with cars that are as much a political statement as they are a form of transportation. We all know the Prius, some love it, some hate it, but it has set the standard for the hybrid segment. Other carmakers, like Ford, have hybrids too, but they are basically copies of the Toyota’s design formula. Because of this, people tend to know what to expect when they see a hybrid, but Volkswagen has taken a different approach.

Continue reading Road Review: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid (9/10) →

CARS 101

Autocar: Snow tires vs AWD in the snow…… what’s better?

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Ok, the obvious answer for the best snow setup is to have an all wheel drive car that is equipped with snow tires. That’s what I personally have, and it is flawless in winter driving. This is still quite relevant though, if you can only have either snow tires or all wheel drive, then which is better?

Spoiler alert: the snow tires win. Truth be told, all wheel drive is far superior in snow for getting moving and for controlling your car in a skid. However, when it comes to braking and avoiding a skid by having grip snow tires are what you need. Too many people think all wheel drive does far more than it actually does in bad weather. It only helps you get traction when using the accelerator, other than that your car is just like any other car.

So the moral of the story is this: No matter what type of car you drive, if you drive it in snow, get some snow tires for the winter months. Safety first.

-Nick Walker

Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius

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Yes, the Prius. A different sort of car than we normally feature in this section, yet a car that has had a resounding impact on the automotive world in recent years. Everyone knows a Prius when they see one, and most people know that the car has become as much a political statement as a mode of transportation. Whether you buy into the whole Green movement or not, there is no denying that the Prius has been an incredible marketing success. It paved the way for an entirely new sort of car in the world, one that puts priority on efficiency and cleanliness over all else. We all know the car, but behind every car there is a story to tell. This is that story.

Continue reading Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius →

Cars We've Seen

Alfa Romeos from Europe: Can America please have Alfa back….PLEASE?!!

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While over in Europe this summer, each day was made a little brighter by the fact that I got to see Alfa Romeos everywhere I went. Alfa Romeo hasn’t been in the US for quite some time now, so seeing all of the modern Alfas was a real treat for me. I particularly loved the Giulietta (shown above), but all of them are basically akin to rolling sculptures. The Italians really know how to style a car. I have heard varied things about the way many new Aflas drive, but as a spectator I was smitten with them. I am hoping and praying that the rumors of Alfas return to the States are true, because I could easily see something like a Giulietta in my driveway as a daily driver.   Continue reading Alfa Romeos from Europe: Can America please have Alfa back….PLEASE?!! →

Opinions

Why young people aren’t buying cars, debunking the hysteria

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There has been tons of talk lately about young people, or “millennials”, and their lack of interest in cars. This summer I was working on some aspects of the Chevy Spark launch, and all we talked about was how to make the car appeal to fictional young people whom nobody has ever met. As an actual member of the “millennial generation” I can tell you that this is all extremely frustrating; a bunch of idiotic older people trying to read all sorts of fantastical reasons into an answer that is really quite simple. Now, I am obviously a car enthusiast so my own tastes are not representative of my whole generation, however many of my friends fit the norm much better. I will try and make things clear, from the perspective of someone who is actually a part of the generation in question, and not some foolish marketing person in a panic.   Continue reading Why young people aren’t buying cars, debunking the hysteria →

Opinions

Jalopnik: Small Vans for Gen-Y

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I don’t normally like to repost articles without attaching my own opinion on here, but this article just posted on Jalopnik hits the nail on the head I think. I spent my whole summer working on the PR for the Chevy Spark, and the talk was about how to get young people interested in cars. I was a huge fan of the VW Bulli when the concept was released, and I still think it would be quite successful. Give this article a read and see what you think.

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10)

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Cadillac hasn’t really been the “Cadillac of cars” since the mid 1960s. Even though their tag line is “The Standard Of The World”, anyone who’s been paying attention knows that they are really going through a renaissance after around 30 years of terrible products. The triumphant V16 cruisers, which made Cadillac’s name, are distant memories of the past, and even the classic finned cars are now over half a century old. The 2013 XTS is Cadillac’s new flagship model, replacing both the STS and DTS in the lineup. There has obviously been lots of talk about Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system because the XTS is the first to feature it, but my purposes going into this drive were focused on one thing: has Cadillac made a world-class luxury car, or is the XTS more of the same?

Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10) →

WHO ARE WE?

A new member in the family.

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A few months ago, I added a new car to my stable.  I’ve been driving a gold Toyota Camry since the day this site launched, but not anymore (my brother is now driving it).  As of May 31st, I’ve been driving this sleek black Subaru Legacy GT.  A review of both this very car and the Camry are coming in the future, but for now, here’s a pair of photos Nick took of my new car on a visit home from Michigan.  I will say more in its review at the end of this month, but I will say this: I am totally and utterly satisfied with this car.

-Albert S. Davis

Opinions

GM kills two of its own birds with one Buick

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When the Buick Verano Turbo was announced, Jalopnik proclaimed “The Buick Verano Turbo just slapped your grandmother in the face.” While that was my favorite headline of the day by far, it is more accurate to say that GM is really slapping themselves. The Verano Turbo looks promising in every way, with 250hp, a manual transmission, a price likely to range from around 26k to 32k, all a little too promising for the likes of the Buick Regal GS and Cadillac ATS 2.5.

Continue reading GM kills two of its own birds with one Buick →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars

Test Driven: Buick Verano Al’s Take

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Buick has not had the best reputation with smaller cars.  Their most recent entry, the Skylark, turned a once great name into one best remembered for being an elderly librarian’s best friend and a speed demon’s worst enemy on I-95.  However, Buick’s fortunes have turned around a lot in the past two years or so, with newfound success in the larger and smaller portion of the premium midsize market and a newfound lease on life.  So, I took this white Verano you see here for a spin in South Florida to see if it was up to the hype. Continue reading Test Driven: Buick Verano Al’s Take →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars

Test Driven: Toyota Prius C (9/10)

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Toyota Prius C: Small Car, Big City

This was my first time driving a Prius of any sort, although I have driven other hybrids. The Prius is special though because society has made into the poster child for the green car movement. The Prius C is the newest, smallest member of the Prius family, and it is selling like hotcakes right now. Like many car guys, I have always had a good deal of contempt for the Prius over the years for various reasons, but I figured it would be a good idea to at least go try one out for myself before closing the book on the car for good. What lay ahead tuned out to be an interesting experience.    Continue reading Test Driven: Toyota Prius C (9/10) →