2013 Gmc Yukon Xl Slt 17k Miles, Leather, Onstar, Bose, 3rd Row on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper. For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011. The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors. While the adoption of SAE J2807 will be helpful for light-duty customers, those interested in bigger trucks will still be left with differing standards. There is no sign of the new tow standards being adopted for the heavy-duty market.

GMC confirms Hummer EV will be joined by an electric Sierra, or Sierra-like, pickup

GMC will step into the electric vehicle arena for the first time when it begins building the Hummer EV in 2021. While it's not planning on becoming an electric-only brand, it has more battery-powered models in the pipeline. "There will be an all-electric Sierra pickup, but no timeline yet. But, the plan is to make it electric; this whole electric thing is a moving target," Lynn Thompson, the president of a Buick-GMC-Cadillac dealership in Missouri, told the Detroit Free Press. He said executives revealed those plans during a national dealer meeting. What remains to be seen is whether the truck will be an electric variant of the Sierra as Thompson said, or if it will arrive as a standalone electric truck with Sierra-like dimensions and capabilities. Sister company Chevrolet is also planning to launch an electric pickup in the coming years, and it strongly hinted it will take the second route. Its entry into the segment won't look like a Silverado, and nothing seriously suggests it will be badged as one. It will also be interesting to watch how GMC ensures that the truck doesn't overlap with the Hummer EV, which will exclusively be offered as a four-door pickup with a relatively short cargo box when it arrives in stores as a 2022 model. Our crystal ball tells us the Hummer will be marketed as a more expensive model aimed at weekend adventurers who want to make a statement, while the Sierra-like model will be cheaper and primarily aimed at buyers who merely want a truck, whether they're commuters, contractors, or fleet operators. Chevrolet's entry into the segment will slot beneath these two models. General Motors used this strategy nearly 20 years ago to keep the Hummer H2, the GMC Yukon, and the Chevrolet Tahoe in separate corners of the same room. GMC's electric truck could share powertrain and chassis components with the Hummer EV. It might also be built in the same Hamtramck, Michigan, factory that parent company General Motors is funneling $2.2 billion into. Regardless of the path it takes, GMC is not going all-electric. "[GMC boss] Duncan [Aldred] said we're certainly not going to abandon our internal combustion engine vehicles because that's our core business, and that was good to hear. It's to let people know they're not going down the same road as Cadillac," a dealer who asked to remain anonymous said. Cadillac might go EV-only by 2025, starting with a crossover named Lyriq, and many of its dealers have refused to spend $200,000 on upgrades.