Well Maintained Vehicle For Sale on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM reworking mandatory OnStar plans for some 2024 models

For the 2023 model year, GM added its OnStar and Connected Services plan as standard equipment to a large number of Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles. Folding the $1,500 retail price into the MSRPs of models like the GMC Acadia and Buick Encore plumped up prices beyond the usual year-on-year bumps. Looks like there's a reversal in play for 2024, GM Authority reporting that many of the models fitted with OnStar and Connected Services — now called OnStar Premium — will step down to three years of OnStar Remote Access standard.   OnStar Remote Access comes with these features: Remote key fob, vehicle locate, and remote personalization through mobile and in-vehicle apps. Three additional features can be added to the plan: OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle hotspot, and Super Cruise. Owners can also upgrade to OnStar Premium if they choose.  Higher trims like Buick's Avenir and GMC's Denali, plus the GMC Hummer and the Cadillac Escalade will retain OnStar Premium as standard equipment. That suite starts with Remote Access and adds: Automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and recovery, OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle app access, unlimited streaming, three years of Super Cruise on vehicles with the hardware, and six months of SiriusXM radio. The Escalade puts a cherry on top with three years Sirius XM instead of six months. The Remote Access plan normally charges $14.99 per month. We're not sure yet if GM will subtract the cost of OnStar Premium from the MSRP and add the $540 for OnStar Remote Access, or if the trial period comes free of charge. Even if that's what happens, the change could take nearly $1,000 off the MSRP of a car like the GMC Acadia before any 2024 increases. We'll know more as the 2024MY models roll out and prices are announced. Related Video 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir revealed

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.

Buick Electra-L, Electra-LT concepts lead the Wildcat to production

Buick loves the Beijing Motor Show, and why shouldn't it? Working with its local partner, SAIC, the brand seems to saves up so much mojo for April in Asia and shows up with stunning designs. Here are another two takes on the brand's latest sheet metal philosophy, penned by the SAIC-GM Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center and riding on GM's Ulitum platform, the Electra-L sedan and Electra-LT wagon concepts. The Electra-L could be seen as a production version of the Wildcat EV concept from 2022 (not the Wildcat from 1985) that launched Buick's new design language. All the major forms and curves are there, so too the turbine-style wheels, but the fastback roof's been stretched to create adequate headroom for a quartet. The edges of the front fascia have been redrawn to be less aggressive and form a canvas for illuminated ornamentation. The four-door stretches 198.3 inches long on a 118.1-inch wheelbase, meaning less than an inch difference in both dimensions between the Buick and the new BMW i5. Power comes from a single motor on the rear axle making 342 horsepower. A battery of unknown capacity is claimed to be good for a 435-mile range under China's CLTC test loop. The light-sensing glass roof hovers over a rectilinear instrument panel with a floating main display and a retractable 7-inch screen for the front passenger, four pressure-sensitive "zero-gravity" seats wrapped in an eco-friendly fabric, and rear quarters with a small inductive cooktop for enjoying tea in the custom tea set.  SAIC and Buick had less to say about the Electra-LT. Looking like the Allroad version of the Electra-L, it's got fender extensions framing the "titanium metal armor" wheel design, an air suspension that can lift the body by 1.6 inches, and that roof box to broadcast its light adventure credentials. Fitted with the same basic interior layout as the sedan, the wagon might add a third row; the description says its "eConnect smart cabin system supports 7-screen interaction." We're not sure if something got left out of the powertrain description, though, as the Electra-LT said to be powered by a 342-hp motor on the rear axle while also possessing "independent four-wheel drive."    Two years ago, Buick said it would introduce five all-new EVs in China by 2025. The sedan is rumored to be headed to the Chinese market next year, a production version perhaps ready by the time of the 2025 Auto Shanghai.