2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range Dual Motor All-wheel Drive on 2040-cars

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Tesla D is, as expected, an AWD Model S but new autopilot features surprise [w/video]

To say that the Internet was excited about the mysterious Tesla D before tonight's official announcements were made is a terrible understatement. Amid a bunch of excited tweets and frustrating attempts at getting a livestream from the event, USA Today published the first story that described some of the new D's features. Automotive News followed suit, but both of those articles were quickly taken down. On site at the Hawthorne airport in Los Angeles, CA, our friend Zan Dubin-Scott tweeted about an overheard comment before Musk took the stage, "What he's about to say - you need to feel, not just hear about." The 'he' here is Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Yeah, people were ready for something big. But the news didn't quite live up to the hype. How could it, really? People wanted to see the first glimpse of the Model 3 or even the production Model X, but all they got were improvements to the current Model S. Thankfully, these are interesting improvements. Here's what Elon's D is all about: The new all-wheel drive Model S – the "D" – will get 10 more miles of range to a max of 275 miles thanks to increased overall efficiencies in the powertrain that Musk called, "a huge improvement." All Model S EVs that have AWD will be designated with a "D," so the P85 "performance" model will become the P85D when it has AWD, for example. The D models will also have a higher top speed and a decreased 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. "Literally everything improves about the car with dual-motor," Musk said. The "something else" is the "A," which is the other letter that Musk said he was glad he didn't tease when he said he would "reveal the D." The A is a suite of Tesla autopilot autonomous driving technologies and it's been in production for the last two weeks (no kidding). The new technological bits include a long-range forward-looking radar, a camera with image recognition that can read things like signs and know where pedestrians are, and a 360-degree, long-range sonar. This will all be integrated into the GPS, navigation and real-time traffic, which means that the car is now capable of being semi-autonomous. But Musk said that there are not enough safety redundancies built in to the vehicle quite yet, so it's really just a tremendously advanced active safety system. Unfortunately, the new bits cannot be retrofitted into earlier Model S vehicles.

Cadillac Super Cruise, a hands-off review

Cadillac Super Cruise won't let you eat breakfast behind the wheel, climb in the back seat or any of the other stupid human tricks displayed on YouTube by Tesla owners. It even won't allow the car to change lanes on its own, like Tesla Autopilot. But it's a big step on the road to full autonomy, a huge convenience on long-distance road trips and a substantial technological triumph for Cadillac. In the simplest terms, Super Cruise is a lane-centering enhancement to adaptive cruise control (ACC). But Super Cruise is anything but simple. Its technical complexity — hence its long delay after first being unveiled five years ago — belies its straightforward operation and intuitive user interface, which I discovered on an almost 750-mile, 11-hour drive in a 2018 Cadillac CT6 between Dallas and Santa Fe to test the system. LOADS OF LIMITATIONS First, let's dispense with the details and disclaimers. Super Cruise is standard on the 2018 CT6 Platinum and a $5,000 option on other trim levels. Because Super Cruise is supported by OnStar — an OnStar operator will call to find out if first responders need to be sent in a worst-case scenario — a three-year OnStar Super Cruise Package is included with the system. Super Cruise has loads of limitations that are probably more concerning to GM's legal counsel than they were to me during my long drive. Some are no-brainers, such as not for use in construction zones or for driving on the shoulder. But the system can also be stymied by adverse weather, poor visibility and faded lane markings. Super Cruise only works on freeways with on and off ramps and a center divider. ACC and forward collision warning also need to be engaged, and the system's cameras and radar sensors can't be obstructed. To keep drivers from looking away from the road for too long — and to keep the system active — an infrared camera on top of the steering column keeps an electronic eye on the driver's seat. GM has over 100 patents alone on this Driver Attention System, including an algorithm that triangulates the nose, eyes and ears in case the camera can't see through sunglasses to make sure you're not nodding off. In addition to the car's visible sensors, another major component of the system is something you don't see: mapping software. But not the kludgy kind that powers in-dash navigation systems.

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.