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Best and Worst GM Cars

Oh yes, because we just love receiving angry letters from devoted Pontiac Grand Am enthusiasts, we have decided to go there. Based on a heated group Slack conversation, the topic came up about the best and worst GM cars. First of all time, and then those currently on sale, and then just mostly a rambling discussion of Oldsmobiles our parents and grandparents owned (or engineered). Eventually, three of us made the video above. Like it? Maybe we can make more. Many awesome GM cars are definitely going unmentioned here, so please let us know your bests and worsts in the comments below. Mostly, it's important to note that this post largely exists as a vehicle for delivering the above video that dives far deeper into GM's greatest hits and biggest flops, specifically those from the 1980s and 1990s. What you'll find below is a collection of our editors identifying a best current and best-of-all-time choice, plus a worst current and worst-of-all-time choice. Comprehensive it is not, but again, comments. -Senior Editor James Riswick Best Current GM Vehicle Chevrolet Corvette We were flying by the seats of our pants a bit in this first outing and my notes were similarly extemporaneous. When it came time to tie it all together on camera, I failed spectacularly. Thank the maker for text, because this gives me the opportunity to perhaps slightly better explain my convoluted reasoning. I chose the C8 Corvette because it's simply overwhelmingly good, and it's merely the baseline from which this generation of Corvette will be expanded.  While the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (more on that in a minute) is an amazing snapshot of GM's current performance standing and its little sibling so enraptured me that I went out and bought one, their existence is fleeting. Corvette will live on; forced-induction Cadillac sport sedans, not so much. So while all three are amazing machines when viewed in a vacuum, the Corvette stands above them as both a reflection of GM's current performance credentials and a signpost of what is to come. So, given the choice between the C8 and the 5V-Blackwing right now, I'd choose the C8. In 10 years, when the Blackwing is no longer in production and Corvette is in its 9th generation? Well, that might be a different story. Now, just pretend I said something even remotely that coherent when we get to the part of the video where I try to make an argument for the 5-V Blackwing as best GM car I've ever driven. Or just laugh at me while I ramble incoherently.

2024 GMC Acadia drops lowest trim, entry price starts at $43,995

GMC unveiled the third-generation Acadia at last summer's Detroit Auto Show, loading as many instances of "More" as it could. The all-new midsizer is longer, taller, with more room for occupants and cargo, more standard features, and a more powerful engine with a higher tow rating. The exterior dimensions return the Acadia a footprint closer to the SUV's first-gen proportions, that SUV about 201 inches long. For the 2024 version, overall length stretched another 10.6 inches to 205 inches, swallowing a wheelbase that grew 8.4 inches to nearly match that of the related Chevrolet Traverse, and overall height climbed 3.2 inches — except on the AT4 trim, which sits another inch higher thanks to a suspension lift. Plumping the exterior makes more room for occupants and cargo, GMC saying second-row passengers enjoy 27% more seat room while cargo gets 80% more space, 12.8 cubic feet formerly compared to nearly 23 cubes now. The new engine is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, outdoing the 2023 Acadia's retired, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that made 228 hp and 258 lb-ft, and the retired 3.6-liter six-cylinder that made 310 hp and 270 lb-ft. It shifts through an eight-speed automatic, a loss of one cog compared to the 2023 Acadia transmission. The additional gumption means gains for the tow rating, now maxed at 5,000 pounds. That's anywhere from 1,000 to 1,700 pounds more than before. The new Acadia also comes standard with new ADAS features like enhanced lane keep assist, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, and rear park assist, and offers Super Cruise. Early pricing info reveals that "More" extends to the window sticker, which should surprise no one. These aren't minor bumps, either. Assuming destination holds steady at $1,395, MSRPs for the 2024 Acadia and their differences from 2023 are: Elevation: $43,995 (New trim) AT4: $51,395 ($6,600) Denali: $55,695 ($6,195) Some small print: These figures pay for front-wheel drive except on the AT4, which is AWD only. Getting AWD on those other trims costs $2,000, same as now. The 2023 Acadia started with an entry-level SLE trim that cost $38,195, and that's been booted from the lineup, so too the SLT trim that started at $42,495. The 2024 Acadia Elevation brings GMC's familiar trim name into the Acadia ranks, its MSRP representing a $5,800 rise over the former entry price for the Acadia line.

Disabled man realizes dream of driving with converted pickup truck

A man with a devastating illness is mobile once again thanks to a heavily modified pick up truck. He hopes he can help others in his situation gain the freedom of mobility they need to lead a normal life. Chris Sauerbaum has a physical disability resulting from chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, a form of muscular dystrophy where the sufferer's immune system attacks their nerves. Sauerbaum lost both of his legs and is bound to a wheelchair. After 11 years of trying, he finally has a vehicle that he can drive. "You might as well be driving a Lamborghini," Sauerbaum told the York Dispatch as the driver side door extended to a lift to accommodate Sauerbaum's wheelchair. "Everyone comes up and talks to you. You come out looking like a Transformer." It wasn't easy getting transportation that fit his needs. First he bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser, which wasn't large enough to handle the equipment needed to convert the car for a legless driver. In 2013, Sauerbaum and his wife Heather Sloat appealed to local businesses and friends for donations. They raised $10,000 and were able to put a downpayment on a GMC Sierra. The truck then underwent $91,000 worth of upgrades. It was completely outfitted for Sauerbaum, with a large lift to bring his wheel chair up to the driver's seat and joysticks doing the work of peddles and the steering wheel. New York's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation paid for the conversion. "Think of it as a big remote controlled car. An 8,000 pound R/C car," Sauerbaum told the Dispatch. After a week and a half of learning the controls, Sauerbaum was able to drive with confidence again. He will no long need to rely on his wife to get him two and from work, an 80-mile trip each day. Sauerbaum and Sloat hope to start a nonprofit called Drive for Independence that will assist other wheelchair-bound people with the costs of getting a converted vehicle that suits their needs. "It's just one piece of the puzzle to get people to work," Sloat told the Dispatch. Related Video: Weird Car News GMC Driving Ownership Truck Videos disabled ms