Car Blog

The new 2011 GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups are offered with a new 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V-8 that tops the segment in power. It is rated at 397 horsepower (296 kW) at 3,000 rpm and 765 lb.-ft. of torque (1,037 Nm) at 1,600 rpm.

The new, more powerful 6.6L Duramax is also more fuel-efficient – up to 11-percent greater fuel economy than the outgoing model – reduces NOx emissions by up to 63 percent and helps enable greater towing ratings. Sierra 3500HD can tow up to 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg).

“Segment-leading power is great, but it’s not the only thing that makes the new Duramax a winner,” said Gary Arvan, Duramax chief engineer. “We designed the engine to make that power with less fuel and fewer emissions, while also increasing its durability. Customers will immediately feel the difference in power and, over years of service, appreciate all the other attributes that make it a dependable engine for any task.”

Among the 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel’s new and enhanced features are:
– Main bearing profiles changed to enhance oil film thickness
– Oil pump flow increased for more pressure at low speeds
– A revised turbocharger oil circuit for increased pressure at the turbo and faster oil delivery
– Connecting rod pin ends modified to provide increased piston support
– New, higher-strength piston design
– A new 30,000-psi (2,000 bar) piezo-actuated fuel injection system -capable of operating on ASTM grade B20 biodiesel – ensures more precise fuel delivery, improving emission performance
– An EGR cooler bypass reduces high-mileage soot deposits in the cooler and EGR circuit (pickup versions only).

A slightly different version of the 6.6L Duramax is offered in Sierra HD chassis cab and box-delete models. It is based on the same improved architecture and includes most of the same features as the pickup version. However, it is engineered to meet federal certification standards for incomplete vehicles, including the incorporation of a robust EGR system. It is rated at 335 horsepower (249 kW) at 3,100 rpm and 685 lb.-ft. of torque (928 Nm) at 1,600 rpm.

Strong small-block 6.0L V-8

The standard engine in Sierra HD trucks is the Vortec 6.0L small-block V-8, which is enhanced for 2011 with greater idle refinement. It is rated at 360 horsepower (268 kW) at 5,400 rpm and 380 lb.-ft. (515 Nm) at 4,200 rpm in Sierra Denali HD, 2500HD and 3500HD pickup models. In chassis cab and box-delete models, as well as pickups with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds, it is rated at 322 horsepower (240 kW) at 4,400 rpm and 380 lb.-ft. (515 Nm) at 4,200 rpm.

Approximately 90 percent of the Vortec 6.0L’s peak torque is available by only 2,000 rpm and excellent fuel economy is enabled by the engine’s low-friction OHV configuration and cam phasing. The state-of-the-art small-block architecture of the Vortec 6.0L – known commonly as the “LS” family – delivers great strength, smoothness and durability.

Source: General Motors

Thirty-six vehicles and 12 companion models received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest out of some-240 total 2010 models.

The ratings, published in CD’s December issue (on sale November 1), span 10 categories: Small Cars, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys–based on behind-the-wheel assessment, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities–reflect CD’s view of which 2010 vehicles offer the most value for the money.

Five “Small Cars” received Best Buys: Honda Fit, Kia Soul, Mazda3, Nissan Versa and Toyota Corolla.

Seven “Family Car” Best Buys are: Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan and Toyota Camry.

Four “Luxury Cars” received Best Buys: Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis sedan and Lincoln MKS.

Five “Sporty Cars” Best Buys are: Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, MINI Cooper/Cooper Clubman and Nissan 370Z.

Four “Pickups” and five “Minivans” earned Best Buys: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F-150 and GMC Sierra 1500 are the top pickups, and Chrysler’s Town & Country, Dodge’s Grand Caravan, Honda’s Odyssey, Kia’s Sedona and Volkswagen’s Routan are the best minivan values.

Six “Compact SUV” Best Buys include: Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner and Nissan Rogue.

Five “Midsize SUV” Best Buys include: Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and Mazda CX-7. “Full-size/Luxury SUV” Best Buys include: Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Volvo XC60.

Three “Hybrid” Best Buys include: Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid and Toyota Prius.

“We really feel for the people across the country who are suffering through some tough times financially,” says Randy Weber, CD’s publisher. “We also know that some of them will have to purchase a new vehicle soon, and we hope that they take advantage of the work we have done on their behalf so that they get the most value possible out of their purchase.”

Weber says Consumers Digest’s editors consider automotive “value” to be based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design.

Performance characteristics evaluated include starting and acceleration, shifting, steering, handling, braking, ride quality and fuel economy.

Best Buys awarded to U.S. automakers increased by seven for the 2010 model year compared with 2009 models–to 31 from 24 a year ago. Best Buys for vehicles from Asian automakers decreased by eight, to 14 Best Buy models from 22. Seven brands–all U.S.–saw their totals increase. Chevrolet and Ford led the way: Chevy has seven Best Buys for the 2010 model year (up from five for the 2009 model year), and Ford has seven (up from four). Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln and Mercury have an additional Best Buy versus the 2009 model year awards. Mercury has three Best Buys, the others two each..

CD’s Auto Best Buys section includes photos, invoice pricing, standard features and performance traits that support the models’ Best Buy selection in the collective opinion of CD’s veteran automotive editors: Jim Gorzelany has served Consumers Digest readers for 22 years, including reporting on automotive categories, such as hybrids; Kevin Kelly is senior editor of Automotive Design & Production magazine; Jim Mateja writes a weekly Chicago Tribune auto column and has received numerous awards for his auto coverage; Dan Jedlicka has written about autos for 41 years and is a member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury.

“Few purchases are more important, or require more research, than buying a new vehicle,” Weber says. “Our analyses underscore our commitment to ensure that consumers are as satisfied with their auto purchase years after making it as they were on the day they drove off the lot.”

Source: Consumers Digest Communications, LLC

Prizes Include Enough High-Performance Hardware to Build The Ultimate Street Machine & Treasure Trove of Hot Wheels Collectibles

Performance Therapy, a “social media car show”, launched this week with backing from top automotive aftermarket brands. The site, PerformanceTherapyContest.com asks enthusiasts to show the world how they enjoy their car by submitting a photo. The Grand Prize Winner will receive parts to build an incredible, high-performance supercar. Popular vote determines category winners – whom receive a $250 gift certificate. Sixty runners-up will receive a free t-shirt.

Performance Therapy Defined

Despite tough economic times, auto enthusiasts are packing car shows, races and events. Across seven continents and hundreds of niches, car fans have one thing in common: high-performance vehicles make them happy. Owning, modifying and driving cars is more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. It’s the cheapest form of mental therapy and provides quality entertainment for the entire family.

The Contest

The Performance Therapy Contest is a chance for enthusiasts to participate in one of the biggest online car shows of all time, show off other enthusiasts around the world and win a variety of fantastic prizes. The purpose is to help people have fun with their ride. For three months any enthusiast can submit a picture, show it off to friends and get as many votes as possible. With six categories and nine fantastic sponsors, there are dozens of ways to win and nearly 70 prizes will be awarded!

The Prizes

The Grand Prize is enough hardware to build a muscle car dream machine, including a Hotchkis Sport Suspenison system, Baer Brake system, Rushforth Wheels, Yokohama Tires, Flowmaster Exhaust, an MSD Ignition System, Red Line Oil & Lubricants, a Lifeline Fire Safety System and enough Hot Wheel Collectibles to fill a dream garage!

To enter or vote for your favorite car, go to www.PerformanceTherapyContest.com. For more information, email info@performancetherapycontest.com or click for more information on the rules, prizes and sponsors.

The Performance Therapy Contest is brought to you by Hotchkis Sport Suspension, Baer Brakes, Flowmaster, Hot Wheels Red Line Club, Lifeline USA, MSD Ignition, Red Line Oil, Rushforth Wheels and Yokohama Tire Corp.

Source: Performance Therapy Contest

11 brands offer best savings on recommended cars; Ford most prominent with 10 models included

Memorial Day is a time for Americans to commemorate the sacrifices made by men and women to protect our freedoms and values. And traditionally, the holiday is associated with discounted car sales. To assist car buyers, the Auto Price Services team at Consumer Reports has researched and compiled the best deals on American-made cars for the holiday weekend.

Many people think of the Detroit Three – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler – when discussing American-made cars, but reflecting the global nature of the auto industry, the reality is that most manufacturers build cars in the United States. Conversely, many models from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are imported from other countries.

As is the case with Consumer Reports’ Best New Car Deals, to make this list, a vehicle must meet CR’s stringent requirements to be recommended. Specifically, the vehicle must have performed well in CR’s tests, have average or better reliability, and, if crash-tested, provide good overall safety. Vehicles also must not have tipped up in the government rollover test. Also factored into the overall analysis were customer rebates and hidden dealer incentives. The 40 cars included on the best American-made cars list meet CR’s recommended criteria and offer the greatest discounts.

Of the six Nissan models included, the 2009 Nissan Titan SE 4X4 Crew Cab, with its recommended rating and a potential savings of 25% below MSRP, is overall the best American-made deal. The 2009 Ford Focus SES Sedan and SES Coupe are the second and third best deals, respectively.

Among the 11 different brands featured in the top 40, five brands, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevrolet and GMC, are owned by American manufacturers. In total, 16 models manufactured by Detroit are featured on the list. The most prominently featured brand on the list is Ford, with 10 models listed as best deals – or 25 percent of the list.

Regardless of the model that catches your eye from this list, buying these models will help keep America working and put you behind the wheel of a good car.

To view the entire list in detail, get pricing information and learn more about the vehicles’ ratings, consumers can visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

Source: Consumer Reports

Thirty-six vehicles and 14 companion models received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest out of some 240 total 2009 models. The ratings, published in CD’s December issue (on sale November 1), span 10 categories: Small Cars, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys — based on behind-the-wheel testing, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities — reflect CD’s assessment of which 2009 vehicles offer the most value for the money.

Five “Small Cars” received Best Buys: Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Mazda3, Nissan Versa and Toyota Corolla.

Six “Family Car” Best Buys are: Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Mercury Sable, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry/Camry Solara.

Four “Luxury Cars” received Best Buys: Acura RL, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis and Lincoln MKS.

Six “Sporty Car” Best Buys are: BMW 3-Series, Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti G37 coupe, MINI Cooper/Cooper Clubman, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.

Four “Pickups” and six “Minivans” earned Best Buys: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and Toyota Tundra are the top pickups, and Chrysler’s Town & Country, Dodge’s Grand Caravan, Honda’s Odyssey, Hyundai’s Entourage, Kia’s Sedona and Volkswagen’s Routan are the best minivan values.

Five “Compact SUV” Best Buys include: Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan. Six “Midsize SUV” Best Buys include: Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Mazda CX-9 and Saturn Outlook. “Full-size/Luxury SUV” Best Buys include: Acura MDX, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Infiniti EX.

Four “Hybrid” Best Buys include: Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Toyota Prius.

“‘Value,’ as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design,” says Randy Weber, CD’s publisher. “In these tough economic times, we believe consumers in need of a new vehicle will be served even more by the results of our extensive research and behind-the-wheel expertise.”

Performance characteristics evaluated include starting and acceleration, shifting, steering, handling, braking, ride quality and fuel economy.

A notable fact relating to the 2009 Best Buys compared with Consumers Digest’s 2008 recommendations is a decline of three total Best Buys for U.S. automakers — to 24 from 27 a year ago. Asian automakers increased by three, to 22 Best Buy models from 19. Four brands saw their totals increase by two: Chevrolet has five 2009 Best Buys, Mazda has four, Nissan has three and Volkswagen has two. Two brands saw their Best Buy totals slip by two: two vehicles from Saturn received Best Buys; Jeep has no Best Buys in 2009.

The Auto Best Buys section includes photos, invoice pricing, standard features and performance traits that support the models’ Best Buy selection in the collective opinion of CD’s veteran automotive editors: Jim Gorzelany has served Consumers Digest readers for 21 years, including reporting on automotive categories such as crossover SUVs and hybrids; Kevin Kelly is senior editor of Automotive Design & Production magazine; Jim Mateja writes a weekly Chicago Tribune auto column and has received numerous awards for his auto coverage; Matt Nauman served as San Jose Mercury News’ auto editor and is one of the jurors that picks the North American Car of the Year at the annual Detroit auto show.

“Few purchases are more important, or require more research, than buying a new vehicle,” Weber says. “Our analyses underscore our commitment to ensure that consumers are as satisfied with their auto purchase years after making it as they were on the day they drove off the lot.”

Consumers Digest, launched in 1960, is designed to inform and educate readers so they can buy with confidence, no matter the product or service. The magazine is committed to providing practical advice, factual evaluations and specific recommendations that lead consumers to exceptional values in today’s complex marketplace.

Source: Consumers Digest

The following are the 20 top-selling vehicles in the U.S. through July of 2007 as reported by the automakers.

RANK VEHICLE 2007 2006 ’06 RANK % Chng
1 Ford F-Series P/U 411,926 469,159 1 -12.2
2 Chevy Silverado-C/K P/U 357,893 383,752 2 -6.7
3 Toyota Camry 282,044 260,409 3 +8.3
4 Toyota Corolla 231,940 239,103 6 -3.0
5 Honda Accord 219,488 216,159 5 +1.5
6 Dodge Ram P/U 214,569 215,967 4 -0.6
7 Honda Civic 201,652 193,663 7 +4.1
8 Chevrolet Impala 201,612 171,210 13 +17.8
9 Nissan Altima 164,717 134,628 9 +22.3
10 Honda CR-V 124,262 87,518 +42.0
11 GMC Sierra P/U 115,185 124,565 10 -7.5
12 Chevrolet Cobalt 112,287 143,913 15 -22.0
13 Toyota Prius 110,565 59,270 33 +86.5
14 Dodge Caravan 110,507 138,617 12 -20.3
15 Ford Focus 109,876 111,108 17 -1.1
16 Ford Econoline/Club Wagon 106,045 104,640 21 +1.3
17 Toyota Tundra 105,990 67,743 16 +56.5
18 Ford Escape 104,645 101,509 22 +3.1
19 Toyota-RAV4 101,618 89,770 35 +13.2
20 Honda Odyssey 94,479 106,815 20 -11.5