$$ 1996 Buick Regal Custom $$ on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Here are all the cars GM is axing as part of its restructuring

GM plans to kill off a couple of great and a few meh cars as part of its restructuring. Here's a rundown of all the cars being phased out of production. None of the vehicles GM axed were SUVs or crossovers. Instead, it was an action reminiscent of what Ford recently decided to do by discontinuing U.S. sales every Blue Oval sedan. GM just didn't explicitly say, "We're killing our cars," like Ford did — probably a smart move by GM. Keep scrolling down to see the full list of deceased GM models. Chevrolet Volt This one was the most surprising of all the cars GM decided to can, primarily because cars with plugs are supposed to be our future. However, maybe consumer demand just isn't quite there yet for a plug-in like the Volt. We came up with all sorts of ideas for what was to blame for the untimely demise of the Volt, so go check that out for a full breakdown of the situation. Cadillac CT6 Here's another car we'll be sad to see go. Cadillac's flagship sedan was such a joy to drive, and it served as the conduit to deliver GM's semi-autonomous Super Cruise system, which still hasn't been surpassed by any other company's technology in our books, even Tesla's Autopilot. That being said, GM does plan to produce the CT6 until March, with the last cars coming off the line set to be twin-turbo V8 V-Series models. If it's going to go, this seems like a pretty great way to make an exit. We'll be patiently awaiting the next flagship Cadillac once this one finally fades away. Chevrolet Impala The Impala is actually a pretty good car. It doesn't sell terribly, and we think it's a completely satisfactory car to drive. However, people would rather have a Traverse or Equinox these days, making the Impala one of the vehicles to find itself on this list. Chevrolet is keeping its smaller brother, the Malibu, but a big, full-size sedan just isn't what people are ordering up these days. It's unfortunate to see it go, but we won't be broken up over it. Chevrolet Cruze We wouldn't rank the Cruze at the top of the compact car class, but if you were looking for a small, cheap American car, it was either this or the Focus. The Cruze had the potential to be a true small performance car if Chevy had ever wanted to make it into one. But sadly, we're seeing it bow out before Chevy ever tried to slot a hot engine and suspension in there to make it competitive with other hot hatches. A Cruze SS would have made enthusiasts take notice.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.

Buick Avista concept is 'buildable', but not a priority

Buick could build the striking Avista concept that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show, though it's not a top priority, the brand's top executive said Tuesday in New York. "The reaction's been so great, we'll try to run the numbers and see if there's a business case," said Duncan Aldred, Buick vice president of sales, service, and marketing. Buick will show the Avista in red this week at the New York Auto Show as a followup to its Detroit debut. Buick actually built two prototypes, which are being used to promote the brand's performance potential at auto shows around the world this year. "It's very buildable," Aldred told reporters after the reveal of the reveal of the 2017 Encore small crossover before the New York Auto Show. "Ultimately, it comes down to priorities." He added, "We'd love to do it. We could do it, but [there's] lots of things we'd love to do... Nothing to confirm or deny." The Avista concept suggests a sports car with a twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower put to the rear wheels. The two-door followed another impressive Buick concept, the Avenir, which was four-door styling exercise from the 2015 Detroit show. Though the Avista remains on the minds of enthusiasts – helped in part by Buick – the priorities for the brand are crossovers. The Avista offers style, but the freshened Encore is the substance for Buick in New York, which along with the Envision, launches this year into the red-hot utility segment. The new Cascada convertible and redesigned LaCrosse also are joining Buick's lineup this year. While the Avista is doable, the brand clearly has other priorities ahead of it. Related Video: