As I mentioned previously in this series on Car Audio, I test a lot of premium factory car stereo systems, and while I am impressed with the quality they achieve I have found they still cannot stand up to the sound quality of aftermarket components installed properly. If you are ready to upgrade that factory stereo system, read on.
If I had to choose just one word to describe the all-new 2015 Volkswagen Golf R – the fastest and most powerful Golf from VW yet – I’d use stunning. This new hot hatch, based on the new seventh-generation Golf, is stunning to look at, stunning to drive (especially in “race” mode) and stunning to learn the window sticker price.
In the first part of this series on Car Audio I discussed basic terminology and history of radios in the automobile. This part takes a look at the types of music sources, and the music itself, that we play in our vehicles. Regardless of what type of car stereo equipment you employ in your vehicle, it all begins with music.
Music in the mobile environment is more than just an accessory or option to drivers, and for many it is a necessity. Every new vehicle I test usually arrives with a premium audio system, and I love putting the stereo systems through their paces almost as much as the vehicles themselves. But car audio can be more, much more.
If you have seen any of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup commercials on television lately you might have noticed mention of a certain metal element in the brand’s marketing piece – steel. Chevy is making no excuses in its efforts to get the point across that its trucks are still made of steel, and not a certain other element like aluminum.
There is just something about Pony cars that is so…American. Camaro, Challenger, Mustang. Iconic symbols of Detroit musclecar greatness, both then and now. We love to look at them and we all want to drive them. As the horsepower wars continue to wage, Dodge looks once again to its heritage for inspiration on the 2015 Challenger.
The diesel engine is once again back under the hood of Chevrolet cars, and this time it is a good thing. The Cruze compact sedan boasts a wide range of trim packages and since last year offers a turbocharged 2.0-liter clean diesel engine for clean, powerful motoring with fuel economy of up to 46 mpg on the highway.
Now that’s Italian! I am speaking of the new 2015 Ram ProMaster City, the newest member of the commercial vehicle lineup at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Ram ProMaster City is a Class 1 commercial van perfect for the small business owner and the urban driving/delivery environment. The new little van offers flexible cargo and passenger configurations while delivering excellent mileage.
Chevrolet says they are no longer going to compete in the midsize sedan segment. Instead, as they debuted the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Hybrid at the New York International Auto Show this week, they said they are going to win the segment with this car that is longer and lighter, has more interior space and improved efficiency.
The sight was the historic Naval Shipyards in Brooklyn, New York, and the event was the launch of the all-new 2016 Cadillac CT6 flagship luxury sedan. The CT6 sees the return of rear-wheel drive to General Motor’s luxury division and the car will showcase a host of technology when it arrives late this year.
Nissan introduced the Juke compact vehicle several years ago that, for all intents and purposes, is one difficult vehicle to define. I call it a CrossHatch as it is part crossover utility vehicle and part hatchback. Throw some performance mods from Nissan Motorsports into the mix and we have the fun and funky 2015 Juke NISMO.
When you think of dashcams, you probably think of those video cameras that capture what’s taking place in front of you as you drive, right? But with LyfeLens, a startup out of Austin, TX, you can do all that and more.
I reviewed the all-new seventh-generation 2015 Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan just a few months ago and since then the automaker sent me a Sonata Sport model for a week. I mentioned the Sport in my first piece, as I had the opportunity to test the turbo model. Trouble with this latest Sport model under review is, where’s the sport?
When Ford first introduced the Edge crossover nearly a decade ago, it quickly became one of the most popular vehicles in its class. As the field grew more crowded, consumers continued to drive the Edge off dealer lots with greater frequency than the competition. As Ford rolls out the all-new 2015 Edge, that trend should continue.
GMC has been building trucks since 1902 and they are built under the mantra of “Professional Grade.” I recently tested a couple of the brand’s latest 2500HD models in the form of the Sierra Denali and All Terrain. This new crop of 2015 GMC Sierras is the most comfortable, most capable and most advanced GMCs yet, truly professional grade.
Monday at the MWC in Barcelona, Ford announced the expansion of its Ford Smart Mobility plan with a new experiment called Handle on Mobility, a Ford e-bike prototype that will study how e-bikes can work seamlessly with cars and public transportation to deliver faster and easier community.
Lexus, the luxury division for Toyota Motor Corporation, has been around since 1989 yet it has never released a turbocharged vehicle…until now. And the automaker delivers it in a totally new vehicle, a compact luxury crossover known as NX. Lexus has launched the model line in the form of the NX 200t turbo gas crossover and the NX 300h hybrid.
Gear up your vehicles for the recent Gran Turismo 6 update for with new cars like the MINI Clubman Vision Gran Turismo car, new features and more.
Compact cars are just not as popular in North America as they are with car buyers around the globe. Midsize sedans dominate car sales in the U.S., but globally cars like the Honda Civic are top sellers; after a week in the 2015 Honda Civic Sedan it is easy to see why it is No. 1 in compacts here.
I finally got to spend some quality time in the ranch version of the 2015 Toyota Tundra 1794 full-size pickup. That name was chosen by Toyota to honor the year the ranch was founded where the truck manufacturing plant now sits in San Antonio, Texas. The 1794 edition is positioned squarely against Ford’s King Ranch models and features similar styling.
Rounding out its new lineup of “X marks the spot” vehicles, Acura has delivered the new TLX as its midsize sports sedan replacement. TLX succeeds the TL as well as the TSX and lines up between the ILX and RLX models. It is powered by choice of four- or six-cylinder engines backed by new eight- and nine-speed automatic gearboxes.