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Toyota Land Cruiser, GMC Sierra and the long-term fleet | Autoblog Podcast #558

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. They talk about driving a pair of short-term test cars, the Toyota Land Cruiser and GMC Sierra AT4, as well as two of Autoblog's long-term test cars, the 2018 Kia Stinger GT and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Following the test fleet talk is a discussion of a new program from Lyft and the Chinese-market Ford Territory. And of course everything is wrapped up with yet another Spend My Money segment in which we Autoblog editors help a reader choose a car to buy.Autoblog Podcast #558 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Short-term cars: Toyota Land Cruiser and GMC Sierra AT4 Long-term cars: Kia Stinger GT and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Lyft subscription program Ford Territory Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts Chrysler GMC Kia Toyota toyota land cruiser chrysler pacifica chrysler pacifica hybrid kia stinger gt

Hellcat no help to Fiat-Chrysler's bottom-of-the-pile mpg average

What, you expected the "fastest muscle car ever" to help fleetwide fuel economy? Nope, don't think that's going to happen. That means Fiat Chrysler will likely to continue to languish at the bottom of the heap when it comes to fleetwide fuel economy among the largest automakers serving the US, especially as the automaker starts to sell its Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. A few hundred Fiat 500E electric vehicles aren't going to turn the trend around. See, Chrysler has once again finished at the bottom of the list when it came to fleetwide fuel economy among automakers for 2014 model-year vehicles, according to a preliminary study by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Chrysler and Fiat had an average of 21.1 miles per gallon. That substantially lagged the overall 24.2 mpg average, but it was an increase from the company's 20.9 mpg average last year and the 20.1 mpg average two years prior. For 2014, General Motors had the second-worst fleetwide fuel economy at an even 22 mpg. Fiat Chrysler does say it's working on improving its fuel economy, according to Automotive News. The company plans on making its inline-four-cylinder and V6 engines smaller, and will sell more vehicles with eight- and nine-speed transmissions. Heck, there's even a plug-in hybrid version of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan in the works for late 2015, and the company can tout fuel-efficiency gains with the Chrysler 200 and Jeep Cherokee. We would be remiss if we didn't note that, compared to its muscle-car forefathers, the Hellcat actually performs pretty well at the pump. Last month, word got out that the 2015 Challenger Hellcat, equipped either with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission, got a combined fuel economy of 16 mpg. Heck, the automatic-tranny version got 22 mpg on the highway. And that's for a car with 707 horsepower and a 10-second quarter-mile time. Still, with the pedal floored, the car can burn a gallon and a half of fuel per minute. Ouch.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Long-Term Update | Luxury steering wheel leaves us cold

Our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, being the Limited trim, is a pretty plush place in which to spend some time, with Nappa leather seats, heating and ventilation for those seats, eight-way power adjustments for both front occupants, a heated steering wheel, and seat-mounted screens for the rear. In the black and cream combo of our van, it's a light, airy, and borderline luxurious place to be. But the steering wheel has begun to bother us. Chrysler calls it the "Luxury" steering wheel, and it's exclusive to the Limited trim. It's lovely in appearance with dark leather on the outside, light leather on the inside, and a real metal ring separating the two. Unfortunately, now that it's become bitterly cold in Michigan, the metal ring is freezing our palms. And although the wheel is heated, the only parts that get warm are the leather sections. So while the rest of our hands feel toasty, each one has a slim line that stays chilled where they contact the metal trim. View 12 Photos In the words of LeVar Burton, don't just take my word for it. Assistant Editor Zac Palmer was frustrated by it, too, and feels it betrays the practical nature of the minivan: "I'm a firm believer in function over form in nearly every circumstance. A minivan is the ultimate expression of function in the automotive world, but the steering wheel on our Pacifica does not follow that philosophy. The large metal band going all the way around the leather wheel nearly eliminates the benefit of the warm, heated steering wheel. Once this gets cold, it stays cold, and there's nothing you can do except take solace in the fact that it looks pretty as your palms rest on icy metal." If you're like us and dislike cold hands, the good news is that the wheel isn't featured on the Pacifica Hybrid Touring Plus or Touring L trims. Both also offer packages with heated steering wheels and seats. Of course, skipping the Limited trim does mean missing out on a number of nice luxury features, such as the Nappa leather, 8-way power passenger seat and front seat ventilation, plus dual rear entertainment screens and a Blu-ray player. So you'll have to weigh your priorities to determine whether this steering wheel is worth living with. And if you do have to have the Limited trim, perhaps we could point you toward some driving gloves for the winter months? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.