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Preserving automotive history costs big bucks

$1.8 million is spent each year to maintain GM's fleet of 600 production and concept cars.
When at least two of the Detroit Three were on the verge of death a few years back, one of the tough questions that was asked of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler execs - outside of why execs were still taking private planes to meetings - was why each company maintained huge archives of old production and concept vehicles. GM, for example, had an 1,100-vehicle collection when talk of a federal bailout began.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. midsize crossovers and SUVs: How they compare on paper

In a world full of SUVs and crossovers all competing for similar buyers in similar segments, there are still some models that find their own little niches that lack such fevered fighting. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of those vehicles. It's an oddball in the sense that it's a midsize crossover SUV with a unibody chassis and independent suspension, but it still uses rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive systems and has some off-road capability. It's also a midsize crossover, but only offers two rows of seats. Despite the Grand Cherokee's odd nature, we did come up with a few crossovers and a classic SUV that seem to match the Jeep in size and pricing. We looked at the numbers to compare them on paper. You can find the raw data in the chart below and deeper analysis after that. As always, this is just a comparison of specifications and you'll want to check out our driving impressions of each car if you're getting serious about one or all of these vehicles. And if you want to compare any of these against other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tool. Engines and Drivetrains When comparing base engines, the Jeep Grand Cherokee's 295-horsepower is the clear power winner, beating the next most powerful 4Runner by 25. But in torque, the 4Runner takes the laurels with 278 pound-feet, narrowly edging out the Edge's (no pun intended) turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder's 275. That four-cylinder in the Edge will also be picking up another 5 horsepower for 2019, but it still won't win this power contest. Both Ford and Jeep also have another advantage in the fact that you don't have to settle for the base powertrain. Ford has two other engine options, a naturally aspirated V6 and a twin-turbocharged V6, the latter of which outguns the Grand Cherokee's gasoline V6 in both power and torque. That engine will also be bumped up to an impressive 335 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. View 20 Photos The Jeep has the most engine options, though, and it's the only to offer V8 and diesel options. On most Grand Cherokees, the options include a 5.7-liter V8, which is only available with 4WD. It makes 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, outperforming even the 2019 Edge's twin-turbo V6. The diesel engine doesn't make much power with just 240, but it makes up for it with torque at 420 pound-feet. And of course there are the SRT and SRT Trackhawk models with even bigger and supercharged V8 engines respectively.

Nissan exec says Tesla isn't a disruptor, but Uber is

Everyone seems to have an opinion on Tesla. Depending on whom you ask, the EV maker might be the world's most innovative company, only offering incremental improvements to the internal combustion engine, or just plain stupid. Unsurprisingly, Nissan North America's senior vice president of manufacturing and supply John Martin doesn't think the company is worth the hype either, but Uber might truly disrupt things in his opinion. Uber is already a serious threat to the taxi industry, according to Martin, and it's forcing changes in the market there. Plus, without needing to manufacture anything, the company is cheaper to run than an automaker. Other companies are already looking at entering the ridesharing business one day. Once autonomous tech becomes sophisticated enough, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are considering the idea. In addition, Tesla and Google are reportedly mulling similar possibilities for the future. As long as Tesla remains a luxury brand without a direct challenger to the Leaf, Martin doesn't seem too worried. "People ask me: 'When are you going to compete with Tesla?' And I ask them, 'When is Tesla going to compete against me,'" he said at a conference panel, according to Automotive News. With some major hires, Google is taking the auto industry seriously, and Apple appears to be, as well. However, Martin is also outwardly unfazed by this potential competition, Automotive News reports. Not only does this pair currently lack the manufacturing to build cars, but the industry offers far lower margins than they are used to, the Nissan exec believes. Related Video: