Today’s News From the Cars.com Family
A reader is interested in replacing a 2005 Honda Accord, and Ask.cars.com names a few similar options. Then, PickupTrucks.com reports on the 7 millionth Ford Ranger to roll off the assembly line. Finally, MotherProof.com has an exciting new Twitter project: Chief mom, Kristen Varela, will be driving the Mitsubishi Sportback and tweeting about it in a long-form review.
What Should I Buy to Replace My 2005 Honda Accord Coupe? (Ask.cars.com)
7 Millionth Ford Ranger Rolls Off the Assembly Line (PickupTrucks.com)
Mitsu Sportback Test Drive: Family to Put Car Through Ringer (MotherProof.com)
Documentary of GM Plant Closure Nabs Oscar Nod
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant,” which follows several workers in the Moraine, Ohio, assembly plant during its last months of operation, has earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Film.
The 40-minute film is part of HBO’s 2009 Documentary Films Series and is the brainchild of filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, who hail from Yellow Springs, Ohio. The documentary follows an electrician, a toolmaker and a forklift operator among others, as GM prepares to shut down the facility. The interviews cover not only the individual lives of the factory’s employees but also delve into the United States’ decaying manufacturing base and the changes that have wrought on the nation’s blue-collar middle class. Sounds interesting to us.
Bognar and Reichert have received accolades for their previous work, including a Primetime Emmy and several screenings at the Sundance film festival. “The Last Truck” is scheduled to air on HBO’s East Coast feed at 8:45 a.m. Feb. 18 (5:45 a.m. on the West feed). The Oscars air March 7.
Toyota Recall Update: Pontiac Vibe Gets Fix
Worried owners of 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes should now be somewhat relieved that GM dealers are getting the parts they need to fix that vehicle, which was included in the recent Toyota recall of 2.3 million vehicles for sticky accelerator pedals.
Parts are being shipped this week, and letters will be sent to owners Feb. 16. Owners are being instructed in that mailing to contact their dealers after Feb. 22 to schedule an appointment.
Other news surrounding Toyota’s recent recall issues:
- An official announcement from Toyota regarding the 2010 Prius and reported braking problems is expected this week, some say as soon as Tuesday.
- NPR says a Lexus hybrid may also be included but doesn’t say which one.Other reports mention the new HS 250h.
- Toyota’s assembly plants that were shut down last week will start back up as early as today.
- Idled assembly workers spent their downtime on, among other things, improving quality control.
- Toyota dealers in the Southeast have pulled their advertising from ABC over the network's "excessive" reporting on the recalls.
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 at 2010 Chicago Auto Show
- Competes with: Dodge Challenger SRT8, Chevrolet Corvette
- Looks like: A souped-up Mustang, like last year’s GT500
- Drivetrain: 550-hp, supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 with six-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
- Hits dealerships: Spring
Like its lesser V-6 and V-8 siblings, the Mustang’s rip-snorting Shelby GT500 variant received its own tweaks for 2011. They’re relatively slight, compared to the vastly upgraded drivetrains on the V-6 and V-8 ’Stangs. The biggest news is gas mileage: Thanks mostly to new aluminum engine construction, which saves some 100 pounds versus the 2010 GT500’s iron-block supercharged V-8, Ford expects the Shelby to earn an EPA rating of 15/23 mpg city/highway. That’s up from last year’s 14/22 mpg, and it keeps the car from incurring last year’s $1,000 gas-guzzler tax.
Improved exhaust flow adds 10 horsepower for a total of 550 hp at 6,200 rpm. Torque remains the same, with 510 pounds-feet on tap at 4,500 rpm. Disregarding the old days of gross horsepower ratings, this ties the Ford GT for the most horsepower any factory car from Dearborn has ever produced.
Other changes include new electric power steering, which Ford says delivers improved driving dynamics and steering feel over last year’s hydraulic steering. It also helps with fuel efficiency, as there’s no more hydraulic steering pump dragging on the engine. Additional insulation reduces road noise some 20 percent versus the outgoing Shelby, according to Ford. Nineteen-inch wheels and xenon headlights were previously optional; both are now standard. Ford’s MyKey system, which allows parents to place driving limits on their teen drivers, is also included. (MyKey or not, though, we should add that teenagers and GT500s seem like a dubious combination.)
Available as a coupe or convertible, the Shelby GT500 will go on sale in the spring. Prices have yet to be announced, but we’d expect the car to start somewhere near the 2010 model’s $46,725 base sticker.
More photos below.
Tested: WeatherTech DigitalFit Floormats
By now you’ve likely seen a commercial or two for WeatherTech’s custom-fit all-weather floormats. You know the ones. They promise the clumsy dad spilling coffee all over the floor that he’ll be saved the shame of ruining his car’s resale value. And that the soccer team can wear their muddy cleats in the minivan.
The commercials seemed too good to be true. So we went out and ordered a set to see if the WeatherTech promise of all-weather protection supremacy is really true.
The first problem we had was just getting the mats. In November I wanted to order a set for our 2005 Passat Wagon as winter approached. No luck. WeatherTech doesn’t make its DigitalFit mats for that model. After my wife and I got our new Subaru Outback on New Year’s Eve, I checked again, and WeatherTech did have mats available for it, so I ordered a set right away, on Jan. 4. A good four weeks later, they finally arrived … or about 16 inches of snow later.
At first glance, spending $159 for front and rear mats plus tax and $18 shipping (which took four weeks) seems high. But a total of $190.69 is still less than all-weather mats from the manufacturer, which typically cost $200.
But how well did they fit?
I was really happy more with the material itself than the fit of the mats in front. There were small gaps on the sides where the commercial promises a perfect fit. Luckily, the biggest gap was on the less-often-used passenger side, and the driver’s mat was tighter. However, the high-wall design will keep small pebbles and salt from getting stuck underneath, despite the imperfect fit towards the seat, which in the photo above is slid all the way back.
The one-piece rear mat, however, was really well done, and I couldn’t find any noticeable gaps back there. And if you have two young kids, that’s where you want added protection.
The nice thing about the mats is that they’re not super thick yet still feel really durable. The underside is a sticky rubber to help with traction, and the top is hard rubber to help with cleaning.
Our old Outback’s all-weather mats were bulky and had a series of large rubber ruts that made them hard to clean. The WeatherTech mats can be wiped inside the vehicle. Actually, taking them out might be the biggest deficiency. The rubber is pretty rigid, so when you take it out to dump the dirt off, you have to be really careful or it might dump the dirt right back into the car if not handled properly.
After $190 and a month’s wait, do the WeatherTech mats live up to the commercials’ claims? Yes. Are they going to make you less clumsy or more likely to let muddy kids in your car? No.
The Top Ten Super Bowl Commercials, About Cars
The big game is over, and everyone outside of New Orleans is back at work talking about the commercials. Here at Cars.com, we had our own entry in the big game, but we also wanted to weigh in on the other spots that focused on cars. Our top 10 is below; let us know what you thought in the comments.
1. Audi: Green Police
The whole premise of overanxious greenies policing our bad environmental habits was exceptionally well done. Showing off the Audi A3 TDI at the end seemed like an afterthought, though, and it didn’t even list the car’s mileage. It’s 30/42 mpg city/highway in case you’re wondering.
Why is it our top ad? It’s the only one we heard people pointing to as a standout for the entire night’s commercial lineup.
2. Hyundai: 10 Years Strong
In probably his best acting role since “There’s Something About Mary,” Brett Favre from 10 years in the future really resonated with football fans and was a unique way to illustrate Hyundai’s 10-year warranty.
3. Kia: Childhood Friends
It’s likely only parents will recognize some of the characters in Kia’s Sorento spot, but overall the concept still worked for everyone, and it showed off the crossover at the same time. Who would have thought, show the car for more than the last two seconds.
4. VW: PunchDub
The setup of the classic punch bug game, now punch dub, wasn’t established right away, but even we have to admit the final punchline – pun intended – with Stevie Wonder and Tracy Morgan was pretty funny.
5. Dodge Charger: Man's Last Stand
There’s no doubt that men are likely the target market for the Dodge Charger, especially the Hemi-powered R/T in this ad. But we didn’t know these manly men had been completely emasculated at home. This followed a slightly more sophisticated ad by Dove in somewhat the same vein. But the end of the Dodge ad had more impact, and at least one female staffer thought it was a terrific ad. Another wondered, “Does that mean all Dodge Charger owners overcompensating?”
6. Hyundai: Painted Sonata
Yes, this ad was pretty boring. Yes, associating the name Sonata with classical music is kind of lame. But the red Sonata is a good-looking sedan, and the rest of our choices were pretty forgettable.
7. Bridgestone: Whale of a Tale
Watching the trio of men racing with a killer whale sticking out the back of the truck was funny, and showing how much good tires matter was done well. The line about the bachelor party fell pretty flat, though.
8. Hyundai: Body Pass
How many Hyundai ads were there? A lot. This one tried to highlight the improved quality of the brand’s cars, but was all around a dud.
9. Bridgestone: Your Tires or Your Life
While some ads tried to paint men as inadequate in some ways, this Bridgestone ad was aimed at men who clearly find it OK to devalue their better halves. And even if you come from that mind-set, it still wasn’t funny.
10. Honda Crosstour: Pixalated Squirrel
The graphics and concept were pretty slick, but we had to ask around the office for a 10th car commercial to round out this list, and no one remembered the Crosstour was even highlighted.
2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Video
With 600 horsepower under the hood, the 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 has power to spare. Unfortunately, as Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek reports, there aren’t that many actual Vipers themselves to spare. Dodge built only 500 of these, but at a cool $90,000, they make for an expensive present to yourself. At the very least, you can watch the Viper in action in this Cars.com video.
Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week
Continuing its utter domination in the Most-Read Reviews tally, the Hyundai Tucson certainly seems to have piqued our readers’ interest, as it remains way ahead of the pack. Vaulting to third place in its first week, the Volkswagen GTI may find even more appeal in the coming weeks. In the lower half of the list, the Ford Fusion manages to crack the top 10. But our question is which vehicle will be the one to displace the Tucson?
1. 2010 Hyundai Tucson
2. 2010 Subaru Outback
3. 2010 Volkswagen GTI
4. 2010 Subaru Forester
5. 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
6. 2010 GMC Terrain
7. 2010 Subaru Impreza
8. 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour
9. 2010 Suzuki Kizashi
10. 2010 Ford Fusion
Philadelphia Auto Show Recap, Round 2
Just like the Phillies making it to the World Series again this past year, Automopedia returned to a snow-covered City of Brotherly Love to gasp at exotic cars at the 2010 Philly International Auto Show. Our second weekend at the 2010 Philadelphia Auto Show involved a blizzard, rude concession workers, and exotic cars. We’ll try to disregard the first two and focus more on the imports. There were many foreign auto makes representing the rest of our globe in Philadelphia, but one make really brought just about every vehicles they had to the show – Audi.
Seriously, from the TDI clean diesel, 2010 Green Car of the Year, The S4, the A5, A6, R8 and every other letter-number combination Audi has, the German make was taking up more space than most of the other “exotics” on the third floor at Philly’s Convention center. And what a good spot, as soon as you walk past those not-so-friendly concession workers.
Porsche, who also brought several models – including the all new GT3, Panamera and Updated 2010 Boxster – was sadly shoved in the back. Whether this was Porsche’s decision or they showed up too late at registration we aren’t sure. Another difference between these German auto makers was accessibility. Porsche had most of its vehicles, aside from Panamera, locked up tight. Audi was an open book…or in this case, an open car door. Maybe they felt jaded?
Land Rover & Jaguar also had a fair amount of vehicles, along with a couple Maserati coupes, a Rolls Royce Phantom (which was too big to fit into one photo) and …why yes, more Audi’s! When all was said and done the first blizzard of 2010 couldn’t keep Philadelphians home – they came out to see what makers had for net year, and to gaze at the vehicles some only dream they could afford.
Darcos Vador III - Remasteris
patricejamet wrote: Manifestation (des lyc
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