#When Will 2020 Honda Ridgeline Be Available
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eazy-group · 2 years ago
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No need for an RV with these great camping cars
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No need for an RV with these great camping cars
Consider this the summer in limbo, and not just because we have to bend over backwards to make any plans at all. With summer plans scrambled due to the coronavirus pandemic and more Americans wary of airline travel and hotel stays, it’s time to restore that timeless American adventure and hit the road.
It won’t take an RV or a vacation rental to explore America’s national treasures while still maintaining distance from other Americans. Camping requires some gear—glamping requires an excess—but our list of camper-ready vehicles come from the factory ready for adventure.   
2021 Chrysler Pacifica
2021 Chrysler Pacifica, 2020 Chicago Auto Show
2021 Chrysler Pacifica, 2020 Chicago Auto Show
2021 Chrysler Pacifica, 2020 Chicago Auto Show
The versatile family hauler can become a cabin on wheels if the weather becomes unbearable. Available now in all-wheel drive, the 2021 Pacifica comes with second- and third-row seats that fold into the floor (the hybrid model does not come with second-row Stow ‘N Go seats). Other vans have heavy, removable seats that become a pain in a pinch, such as during that surprise hail storm or when that shrill animal cry gets closer. And closer. With 140.5 cubic feet of space behind the front seats and room enough to fit four-by-eight sheets of plywood, the Pacifica could fit a full-sized inflatable mattress with just a little squeezing on the side. If that’s not enough space, it can tow up to 3,600 pounds (when a $995 towing package is equipped), good enough to tow everything from recreational toys to small travel trailers. 
2020 Subaru Outback
2020 Subaru Outback
2020 Subaru Outback
2020 Subaru Outback
The poster child for the outdoorsman, the predecessor to the do-it-all SUV, the Swiss army knife of cars, the Sultan of Swat, the King of Crash, the Colossus of Clout—you get it, even if you’ve never seen “The Sandlot” or visited Colorado. The Outback is all grown up, and handles suburban outings with the same capability as back-country romps. The low, wide, flat floor, and wide door openings make loading and unloading gear a cinch, and dogs love jumping in and out. Collapsible roof racks with tie downs come standard, as does all-wheel drive and a slew of safety features. Available water-repellent interiors, skid plates, a trailer hitch with 3,500-pound towing capacity and so many aftermarket roof-top tent options make this classic as modern as ever. And it’s the only vehicle on our list that can answer the call of the wild with efficient urban driving.
2020 Honda Ridgeline
2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition
2018 Honda Ridgeline
2018 Honda Ridgeline
Any pickup truck could make our list, but since the Ridgeline shares a platform with the Honda Pilot crossover SUV, it’s the smoothest-riding pickup and our pick for an impromptu camper. The truck bed extends from 64 inches to 83 inches with the tailgate down, which is long enough to be a makeshift bed in a pinch. With 50 inches across, a twin mattress could fit, or a full-size could get squeezed by the wheel wells. If not being used as a pillow, the dual-action tailgate swings out to the left for easier bed access and a clever floor locker can double as a cooler. A truck-bed audio system on the RTL-E trim sweetens the deal, and an available bed extender or roof-mounted bike carrier means you can bring along the toys. There are some pretty sweet aftermarket tents that extend over the bed, as well. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator
2020 Jeep Gladiator with Mopar accessories
2020 Jeep Gladiator
2020 Jeep Gladiator
Jeep’s mid-size pickup truck, or the Wrangler with a bed, offers all the capability of a Wrangler with the added versatility of a pickup that can tow up to 7,650 pounds. And you can take off the roof and doors for a night under the stars. For off-roaders, the long wheelbase limits its breakover angle compared to the Wrangler, though there are few places that would worry the Gladiator. The 5-foot steel cargo bed might not be the best for sleeping, but the available Trail Rail system with a 115-volt AC outlet and all the Mopar parts means you can equip the Gladiator in a way that tells others: “I’ll sleep when I die.”
2020 Dodge Durango SRT
2018 Dodge Durango SRT first drive
2018 Dodge Durango SRT first drive
2020 Dodge Durango SRT
As much as we love the performance from the 475-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the Durango SRT, we prize the three-row SUV here for its towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds ($1,195 package required), which is the most for any SUV not based on a truck. That’s good enough to tow some 30-foot travel trailers, and when you unhitch it at the campsite you can cruise around the local sights with gusto. Or find a straight to hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Careful on arriving at the campground late or leaving early; the unabashed V-8 rumble might cause your neighbors to enact social distancing in a much more hostile way. It seats six, too, with comfy buckets in the first two rows, so if you had to sleep in the car, you could recline and cocoon yourself in blankets or catch a flick on the rear entertainment center ($1,995). That’s not really camping but at least you’re out of the house.   
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser
It doesn’t matter that this three-row SUV is nearly old enough to get its own driver’s license, the Land Cruiser is beloved the world over for its rugged capability and SUV versatility. The 381-hp V-8 and truck frame give this heavy 4×4 the kind of off-road confidence expected in a truck but with a boxy body. It seats eight but no one will be happy about that. The third row can never get out of its own way, however, even if it’s split and swung out to rest against the wall. The off-road ready Heritage Edition deletes the third row to seat five, and comes with a mega roof rack coveted by posers and brozers alike. Options are limited but tow hooks, skid plates, mud-and-snow tires, a split liftgate/tailgate, and an integrated hitch capable of towing 8,100 pounds come standard. What it lacks in interior refinement and features, the Land Cruiser makes up for in bona fide go-anywhere capability. It’s not the roomiest if you need to crash in it overnight, but there are so many aftermarket accessories and roof-top tents you may never need to.
2020 Land Rover Defender
2020 Land Rover Defender
2020 Land Rover Defender, 2019 LA Auto Show
2020 Land Rover Defender, 2019 LA Auto Show
Land Rover might be the only brand with an off-road reputation on par with the Land Cruiser, and the return of the boxy Defender two- or four-door SUV puts the British brand firmly back in the bush. Thick bumpers, big wheels, heavy cladding, and a tailgate-mounted spare belie the blend of luxury and rugged finishes found inside, such as a touchscreen, alpine lights, and exposed rivets. The Defender X off-road model has locking center and rear differentials, and all Defenders come with four-wheel drive and 11.5-inches of ground clearance, which is nearly an inch more than a Wrangler. An available jump seat could let you sit three up front to get the best shots on safari, and other options such as a 1.7-gallon water reservoir for cleaning off muddy pets or shoes, an electric winch, or roof and side carriers let you customize your outback adventure. The various “packs” are almost as cool as the Defender itself; the Adventure Pack comes with a seat backpack and integrated air compressor. 
2022 Volkswagen Microbus
Volkswagen ID Buzz electric bus concept with 1964 VW Microbus
Like the Defender, the Bus is back. Almost. And when it arrives for 2022 as the ID Buzz or the Electric Bus or whatever it’s going to be called, it will be an all-electric van. Little is known about the reboot of the 60s counterculture icon except that it will be a key part of Volkswagen Group’s plans to build 27 different electric vehicles across all brands. Since most established campgrounds have electricity, finding one with EV chargers is getting easier. Ride on, plug in, drop out.
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austinbiketoursrentals · 4 years ago
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Safe Ways to Vacation in a Post-Pandemic World
By Stephanie Haywood
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, travel spending in the United States declined by 42% in 2020 — with domestic travel falling by 34% and international travel declining by 76%. But now that restrictions are being lifted in many areas of the U.S. and the world, pent-up demand is on the rise. In fact, online searches for travel in May 2021 were up 270% compared to May 2020, and Google predicts that figure will likely rise, according to TravelPulse. Yet, it’s hard to say if or when travel will once again feel safe or normal.
The good news is, there’s no need to put all travel plans on hold for the next year or two. It’s very possible to travel safely in the post-pandemic world, and these tips from Austin Bike Tours & Rentals will tell you how.
Take a Road Trip
Road trips are probably the safest way to travel in this age, especially if you’re traveling with your immediate household. However, you’ll still need to take safety precautions against COVID-19, like wearing face masks in public or around non-household members; keeping hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes readily available; and distancing yourself from others while pumping gas, checking into hotels, and stopping for food or restroom breaks. 
You’ll also need to find a few safe places to stay along the way, whether it’s hotels, vacation rentals, or bed-and-breakfasts. But if you’re still not comfortable staying in a hotel or vacation property during the post-pandemic, you can try hammock or tent camping, or you could travel in a sleep-friendly vehicle such as the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, 2020 Subaru Outback, or 2020 Honda Ridgeline, though that might be a little less comfortable for some.
Hop in an RV
As another pandemic-friendly travel option, you might choose to plan an RV road trip with your family or other household members. You can park your recreational vehicle at RV parks and campgrounds, and many truck stops, casinos, schools, and Walmart parking lots allow for overnight RV parking as well. A few things you can do on your RV vacation include:
●      Visit a local brewery or winery.
●      Enjoy a hike, bike ride, walk, or another nature activity.
●      Purchase a movie projector and watch an outdoor film.
●      Pick your own produce at a local farm or orchard.
●      Lounge on a sandy beach.
●      Pack a picnic lunch or dine on a restaurant patio.
If you’re planning your first-ever RV vacation, Madeline Diamond of Travel + Leisure shares five mistakes you’ll want to avoid when traveling by recreational vehicle. Additionally, it’s important to keep your distance from campground staff and other campers — and bring your own portable shower and toilet to avoid using shared facilities.
Enjoy a Staycation
If you’d prefer to stay in your own city or town, staycations are another safe option. You could rent a private vacation property for a few days of exploring your city or town, allowing you to get away from it all without wandering too far from home. Vacation rentals are professionally cleaned and sanitized after each guest, and they limit face-to-face interactions between you and other travelers.
If you live in or near Austin, for instance, you could rent a vacation home that’s close to all your desired attractions. like the 351-acre Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, or Mount Bonnell for a little hiking. You just never know what hidden gems you may find in your very own city or state!
 Traveling by train, bus or airplane may be out of the question for now, but you can still satisfy your wanderlust by planning a road trip or staycation. There are so many different things to see and do in the world, and many are within a day’s drive of your home. You just need to pack up your car, truck or RV and set off to find them!
Looking to rent a bike from a shop at the heart of Austin, or take a bike tour? Just pick your custom fitted hybrid/gravel bike from Austin Bike Tours & Rentals and you’re off! Tours include several different unforgettable rides in downtown Austin. Each adventure is unique from one another and our talented tour guides will show you the city in a different light. Contact us today at 512-277-0609.
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enginerumors · 6 years ago
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2020 Honda Ridgeline Engine, Colors, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Engine, Colors, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Engine, Colors, News – It could be a complete personalised total satisfaction to do 2020 Honda Ridgeline Enginedue to most recent Honda using Ridgeline series. Every one of the seeking engineering know-how related to pickup motor vehicle offers much more amazing concept along with design when compared with just before. Honda will be one of the most in want auto producers on…
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jjr1971 · 4 years ago
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Insomnia, ASD style
Content warning: TMI stuff
So the handy little thing about this Tumblr microblog is that while I try to keep it focused on anime, sometimes I just gotta rant about US politics or about personal stuff. I do have a dedicated anime blog from way back over on Typepad that is 100% Anime focused....and that I nearly never update because I try to save it for serious, essay-length posts.
Anway, I've had a rough night. Last night was bad. Tonight was worse. Last night I had a series of disconnected naps, back to back to back, at least with cool dreams & shit. Tonight I've just been unable to fall asleep period.
Things were so much simpler in my teens & 20s. Back then, jerking it to completion would knock me the f*ck out. It was the best natural sleep aid. At middle age with waning libido, it's a mixed blessing. Sometimes it works, other times not so much. It still feels great of course but it doesn't pack nearly the same knock out and sleep effect it used to. I did it twice tonight, to precious little avail. Still wide awake. I think one of the major problems of insomnia for ASD folks is just how hyper-aware we are of our own bodies. It's that much harder to find the "perfect" sleeping position. I rely on 12 hour Sudafed to clear my congestion in time to sleep...with varying rates of success. It definitely makes sleeping better, easier when I'm congestion free but it's not a cure-all. Plus the anxiety begins to creep in the closer dawn approaches. I've made it a habit to put a pair of boxers over the clock face on my digital clock radio so I don't know what time it is until the alarm goes off. It helps dampen anxiety but not enough tonight.
Also been having unwelcome thoughts about my Dad dying in hospital, in hospice care...how much he was suffering...they did their best, I know, and drugged him out of his mind...he was completely unconscious his last day, and that was a mercy for which I'm grateful. He might've beaten that Stage IV cancer but for that fatal surgical mistake that cost him his life first. He's been gone since 2019 and it still invades my thoughts....I ponder hypotheticals like what if we'd said no to the risky polyp-removal surgery and he'd made it to 2020 in time for the COVID19 pandemic with his COPD after years of smoking....how much more paranoid & careful we all would've had to have been even more than we were. I think how ironic it was he never got lung cancer but skin cancer instead. I speculate it was because he worked outside too much without sunscreen through the years, always working on his property up in Coldspring, Texas. He was just a very outdoorsy kind of man, really. Loved nature & hated people. Probably undiagnosed ASD until the day he died. He suffered a lot in life, never really fitting in, no real adult friends besides my mom. Mom had suggested to me once that Dad might be ASD too but at the time I was not prepared to hear that and was pretty dismissive. But over these past 10 years, I have come to accept he probably was. Dad had also wanted me to trade in my car for a truck which I thought a daft idea at the time but he was thinking long term, where I would be my mom's primary caretaker on down the line...and have a truck handy to haul stuff around for her if need be. He never put it that way directly but I think that's what he was thinking. I've been idly looking at new Toyota Tacomas, Nissan Frontiers, and Ford Rangers. I prefer Toyota out of all of them. The Honda Ridgeline is nice but hard to find and also too big and too expensive. I'm looking at a 2 door model vs. a 4 door for the Toyota/Nissan/Ford models. Anyway, decided to compose this Tumblr post since trying to sleep wasn't cutting it. Also, fuck Daylight Savings Time. That is all.
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orbemnews · 4 years ago
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Auto tendencies of 2020: On-line shopping for, electrical vans and SUVs go off-road once more And sure main tendencies emerged, like a long-awaited embrace of electrical vans and a return to the extra-rugged SUV. One other massive development: looking for a automobile from the Covid-free security of your house. Here is a take a look at a few of the largest tendencies that formed the trade in 2020. Vehicles go electrical Over the course of this 12 months, one factor was clear: America’s obsession with pickup vans is way from over. However there was additionally one other attention-grabbing twist. New advances in battery expertise have made it doable to create electrical variations of those vans with out sacrificing energy and including an excessive amount of to the value, that means the as soon as gas-guzzling behemoths have turn into far more eco-friendly. Ford unveiled a new hybrid F-150, the primary full-hybrid pickup within the US market. It is a precursor to the upcoming totally electrical F-150. We did not simply see electrical variations of already-existing pickup vans, nevertheless. In January, Normal Motors was teasing Hummer followers with an advert through the Tremendous Bowl about its upcoming GMC Hummer EV, a hyper-aggressive electrical pickup truck. And then there have been a slew of different notable entrants to the electrical truck market: Lordstown Motors revealed its strictly-for-business electrical pickup that will probably be constructed at a former GM manufacturing facility in Ohio. Fisker, finest recognized for its deliberate Ocean electrical SUV, dropped hints late this 12 months that it is trying to make a pickup, too. Founder Henrik Fisker even tweeted a picture of a pickup mattress with identify Alaska written on it. Rivian, which had first unveiled its truck, the R1T, again in 2016, lastly revealed the truck’s pricing and particulars about its capabilities. All these vans will ultimately compete in opposition to Tesla’s radical-looking Cybertruck, which was revealed late in 2019. One motive electrical vans have gotten so common is that customers are beginning to belief the expertise, stated Kelley Blue Ebook affiliate editor Allyson Haywood. “If you’re speaking about an electrical truck, there are particular expectations {that a} truck purchaser has, whether or not it is payload capability, towing capability, off-road functionality or some mixture of these,” she stated. “If they’ve considerations that these battery packs usually are not going to outlive, you are not going to have that vary to do what you want that truck to do, they don’t seem to be going to be assured shopping for an electrical truck.” It additionally helps that loads of truck consumers are enterprise homeowners, she stated, who will take a look at the gasoline and upkeep value financial savings of an electrical truck. (Electrical automobiles value much less to keep up as a result of they’ve fewer shifting elements, do not require oil modifications and do not put on out their brakes as rapidly as gasoline or diesel automobiles. Electrical energy additionally tends to value lower than gasoline on a per-mile foundation.) SUVs return to being robust Crossover SUVs, typically simply giant hatchback automobiles with raised suspension, have been wildly common for years. Auto showrooms are overrun with them. However in 2020, the auto trade appeared to rediscover SUVs and vans that have been constructed extra for rocky trails than paved parking tons. Ford reintroduced its famed Bronco, responding to years of demand for the long-out-of-production traditional mannequin. A direct competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, the Bronco has a detachable prime and is meant for rugged off-road use. The Bronco Sport is a barely smaller SUV that is supposed for lighter — however nonetheless fairly critical — off-road use. Normal Motors’ first totally electrical truck, the GMC Hummer EV, can also be a part of this development. It is a 1,000-horsepower all-wheel-drive truck with four-wheel steering that may even drive diagonally if wanted. Not all the brand new SUVs are actually that robust, although. Many SUV consumers actually do not want critical off-road functionality — even when they do enterprise out to a campsite or a trailhead each occasionally. That is the place SUVs like the brand new Chevrolet Trailblazer are available. It is received barely rugged — extra cute, actually — seems to be and it is accessible in all-wheel-drive. Nonetheless, even Trailblazer Activ, probably the most succesful model, is meant extra for grime roads than no roads. That woodsy vibe can also be why Honda redesigned its Ridgeline pickup to look extra rugged, too. And Honda plans to offer the identical remedy for its Pilot and Passport SUVs as a part of an effort to let prospects know that, sure, Honda’s SUVs and vans can get soiled, too. This development comes, coincidentally, simply as coronavirus-rattled automobile consumers who’re itching to get outdoor and away from individuals, stated Haywood. Actually, she stated, it is principally a response to the near-ubiquity of crossovers that appear to be tall automobiles. “I do assume that when individuals purchase a automobile, they wish to have some sense of individuality,” she stated. Automobile procuring strikes on-line One factor that may be attributed to the pandemic was a surge in on-line automobile procuring. This was the 12 months that purchasing automobiles, identical to shopping for all the things else, went on-line in a giant means. Used automobile procuring web site Carvana bought 39% extra automobiles within the third quarter of 2020 than in 2019. Vroom, one other on-line used automobile vendor, bought 59% extra automobiles in that very same interval. These firms’ gross sales have been already rising earlier than, however “the pandemic has simply accelerated all of that, perhaps to the tune of a number of years,” stated Carvana CEO Ernest Garcia. Firstly of 2020, JD Energy started surveying new automobile consumers about their on-line experiences. Between January and April, when lockdowns have been in place in a lot of the USA, the variety of automobile consumers who chosen a automobile on-line elevated by 63%, whereas the proportion of consumers getting credit score approval on-line greater than doubled. On-line automobile procuring has removed from taken over the brand new automobile procuring enterprise, although. Even with these massive shifts on-line, paperwork-intensive elements of the method are, particularly, nonetheless being achieved principally in particular person. As an example, regardless of that massive enhance, solely 20% of latest automobile consumers received credit score approval on-line in April, in response to JD Energy’s knowledge. And solely 15% of automobile consumers received an appraised worth for his or her trade-in automobile on-line. Improved digital processes for these types of issues will assist, stated Christopher Sutton, JD Energy’s vp for automotive retail, as will extra advertising of on-line programs by sellers and automakers. “One factor that we did see that, I believe was very encouraging, is that the purchasers too went by means of the digital expertise did report a greater expertise on stability,” he stated. Supply hyperlink #Auto #Autotrendsof2020:Onlinebuying #buying #Electric #electrictrucksandSUVsgooff-roadagain-CNN #offroad #Online #success #SUVs #trends #trucks
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enginerumors · 6 years ago
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2020 Honda Ridgeline Colours, Hybrid, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Colours, Hybrid, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Colours, Hybrid, News – It might be a particular total fulfilment being helpful 2020 Honda Ridgeline Coloursdue to most up-to-date Honda by making use of Ridgeline series. Often the forthcoming engineering know-how linked to collecting automobile creates a lot more excellent concept in conjunction with design in comparison with nicely well before. Honda will probably be…
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carsmedd · 6 years ago
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
The return of the Ford Ranger van was announced some time ago. It is now done, and it touches these days the bitumen (or snow), occupying the courses of Canadian dealers. Why does she come back after eight years of absence? And why did it take so long to finally admit that Toyota and GM were right to put their energy in this segment? First, it must be understood that for Ford, the F-150 pickup truck takes precedence over everything. And of course, imagining the revival of the Ranger, it was estimated that very few buyers would abandon the full-size van in favor of an intermediate model. Since the F-Series has dominated the market for more than fifty years, it's pointless to tell you that every vehicle that can drive down the F-150's annual sales is considered an enemy. Even if it is a house model. That's why we did not really like the idea of relaunching the Ranger in North America, especially knowing that it would no longer be a compact and affordable van like in the past.
That said, it has also been realized over time that customers in search of an intermediate pickup truck were not only growing, but also different from those who obtain the F-150. In this regard, more than 550,000 mid-size vans were sold in North America last year, Toyota of course dominating the market with the Tacoma range . Ford had no choice but to admit its strategic mistake and to start producing the Ranger. The problem is that no factory was available in the short term to make it. That's why Ford abruptly stopped producing the Focus in Detroit, which first welcomed the Ranger models after more than a year of redevelopment and modernization of the facilities. It should be noted that the Bronco 2020 utility, which will share the same structure as the Ranger, will also be produced shortly.
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
From Thailand to Michigan The Ranger van that North Americans are discovering these days is not new. Indeed, it has already existed for several years on the side of Thailand, being marketed in Asia, Europe and South America. Of course, Ford has taken care to modify and adapt it primarily for compliance, but also to meet the needs of buyers. But now you understand why the style of his body is not as strong, or at least in harmony with that of the F-150 here. For now, the offer of the Ranger is simple. Three versions (XL, XLT and Lariat) and two choices of cabins, with respectively one body length. A first handicap against the competition which, with the exception of the Ridgeline , always offers a choice of lengths of board with the models with double cabin. The total It was at the wheel of a Lariat version with technology group and FX4 off-road package that I traveled some 1,300 kilometers last week. The price of the test model was $ 50,000, which is a far cry from the previous generation. Of course, the reflex of many people has been to mention that at this price, we can get a well-equipped F-150, which is true. But we must realize that not all buyers want to be driving such a juggernaut. For many, the maneuverability and versatility of an easy-to-drive urban vehicle is also of great importance. What's more, statistics show that the mid-size vans sold by GM and Toyota have lower depreciation than full-size models. And of course, it will be the same at Ford. But, I grant you, the Ranger van is not given.
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
Fortunately, we find at this price a complete equipment, except for the heated steering wheel. I would add that at this price, we could have included a damping cylinder for the lowering of the tailgate which, despite its design of aluminum, bangs hard after making his free fall. That said, we get voice-activated navigation, dual-mode air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot and lane detection, high-fidelity audio system and the inevitable connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Things you will not have in a Nissan Frontier van ! The finish on board is irreproachable. Again, the driving position does not have the aesthetic passion of a genuine American product, but everything is ergonomic and perfectly tied. The seats are comfortable, even behind. On the other hand, it is a pity that the seat can be raised in only one section, question of versatility. Disorders of Mustang Under the hood obviously does not hide the Mustang V8, but rather its four-cylinder. A revamped version of this turbocharged 2.3-liter engine, which generates 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. What to allow the vehicle to accelerate and tow with the passion and power of rivals V6. In fact, Ford is proud to offer the segment's best towing capacity of 7,500 pounds. Still!
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
Without being able to tow with the vehicle, I have no doubt about his abilities. On the one hand because the mechanics are powerful, but mainly because the structure of the vehicle is extremely solid. It is felt in the driving, which obviously contributes to this feeling of invincibility so much sought after by the amateurs of vans. The Ranger is also very fun to drive because of precise steering. The steering circle is weak, the suspensions are well calibrated and the braking power is excellent. Congratulations to engineers who have greatly improved the soundproofing of the cabin, thus obtaining the best-isolated cabin segment. Mechanically, the power is always up. It is clear that the automatic transmission constantly switches from one report to the other since there are ten. However, we do not feel it very much. Why such a box paired with a four-cylinder? For a question of comfort and economy, but also because it would adapt it seems very well to more serious work.
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
Without having worked heavily with the vehicle, I would say that the main benefit of this box and this engine is felt in urban areas, where the power and performance are always optimized to obtain the best fuel economy that is . A much more efficient performance than the competition which displays between 13.2 and 15.8 liters per 100 km average consumption, while the Ranger consumes 11.8 liters. Unfortunately, the balance sheet darkens greatly when it comes to economy on the road, since the vehicle records a rating similar to that of Colorado / Canyon V6 engine, 9.8 L / 100 km. And believe me, because this is a turbocharged engine that works more at high speed and in cold weather, this average posted is very optimistic. For example, driving only on the road, at a temperature of about -15 degrees Celsius, resulted in an average of 12.4 L / 100 km. One liter more than with Colorado conducted a few weeks ago in such conditions. However, the average obtained in urban areas and at a similar temperature was only 12.6 L / 100 km. Curious, is not it? That said, this is proof that this powertrain is better suited to the city than for long journeys on the road. This also tells me that by hanging heavy loads, consumption will climb to almost unimaginable heights.
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Ford Ranger 2019 the wait was worth it
Where is the Raptor? The tested Ranger was equipped with the FX4 off-road package, which is essentially described by a firmer suspension, a locking differential and the addition of protective plates. Nothing really aggressive, especially compared to what Chevrolet and Toyota offer. On the one hand, the ruthless Colorado ZR2 Bison able to cope with the worst conditions, just like the Tacoma TRD Pro who launched the ball of pickup trucks designed to climb Everest. At Ford, the Ranger Raptor pickup truck is waiting. However, it exists in other markets, but it seems - according to the latest information obtained - that the probate costs are too high. The existence of the North American Ranger van is proof of this: Ford is able to change its mind. Hope she will do it again. In the meantime, this truck still serves us a good 4x4 system which, moreover, is delivered to us as standard. Indeed, no two-wheel drive version is proposed. At least in Canada. Ford rightly considers that this market is minimal and that it is useless to force dealers to order models that will stick in their yard. However, we would have liked the 4x4 system to have an automatic mode like the Chevrolet Colorado, more user-friendly for everyday driving. Will we add it soon? One thing is certain, Ford has been able to effectively adapt a product that was clearly not designed for our market. Depending on demand, it is clear that the Dearborn manufacturer will invest to make additional improvements as well as a wider range of models. A Ranger King Ranch, Limited, or even a high-performance ST version? Who knows what the future holds. In the meantime, this van is enhancing the offer of a rising segment. It may not eclipse the competition as the manufacturer claims, but the proposal is serious, extremely competitive, and deserves attention. Ford Ranger Evaluation Sheet Trial version -Lariat 4x4 Super Crew (5.0 ') Price range -nd Price of the model under review -ford ranger 2019 price $ 42,289 Basic warranty -3 years / 60,000 km Consumption (city / road / observed) -11.8 / 9.8 / 12.4 L / 100km options -nd Competitive models -Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, Jeep Gladiator, Toyota Frontier, Toyota Tacoma Strong points -Robust construction -Amazing comfort -Excellent soundproofing -Good maneuverability Weak points -High price -One body length (double cabin) -4x4 system without automatic mode -High highway consumption Consumption -The conditions under which I was able to drive him were execrable. Now, I've seen a high consumption on the road but a reasonable consumption in the city, a sign that a four-cylinder turbocharged and strong couple is working well Comfort -Of course, an extended wheelbase with a 6.5-foot box would have contributed to more comfort. That said, the excellent soundproofing and structural rigidity come to support a suspension that does a great job. Performances -You will not feel the 270 horsepower from this engine accelerating. However, the generous couple can get out of trouble in any situation, and brilliantly. Multimedia system -Very effective. A system that has improved over the years to become one of the best in the industry. And hat for the sound of the optional B & O brand audio system. Driving approval -We take pleasure in driving the Ranger because of its great maneuverability. It feels solid, able to face the worst conditions and able to sneak almost anywhere. General appreciation -Is the Ranger really better than the competition? No. But this is a serious rival that is likely to convince some current buyers of F-150. -SEE ALSO:
Subaru Legacy 3.6R 2019 the end of an era
2019 Chevrolet Spark Affordable when it's tempting
Toyota RAV4 2019 strongly hybrid
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perksofwifi · 5 years ago
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Best Small Trucks for 2020: Which Should You Spend Your Money On?
There were few options for those looking for a small truck five or six years ago. But today, many competitors populate the space, as automakers have realized that lots of consumers are looking for something smaller and less expensive than a full-size truck. Fortunately, today’s small pickup trucks are more capable than ever. Keep reading to find out which are the best small trucks for 2020.
2020 Chevrolet Colorado – $22,395
This is the ultimate well-rounded small truck. It performs better than most competitors when it comes to ride refinement, maintaining composure even on poorly maintained roads. It benefits from agile handling and strong engines, particularly the 308-hp V-6, which provides plenty of power whether or not the spacious bed is loaded. What the interior lacks in style it makes up for in functionality. We liked this truck so much that it won our recent small truck comparison test.
2019 Honda Ridgeline – $31,085
If you want a truck that doesn’t quite feel like a truck, this could be your pick. Basically a Pilot with a bed and a longer wheelbase, the unibody Ridgeline doesn’t suffer from the same jitters as many compact trucks. It boasts a smooth ride and car-like handling, although towing capacity can be low compared to other small pickup trucks. The bed proves practical for carrying gear, and we’re impressed with the truck’s cargo bay under the bedliner. So while it may not be the best choice for serious hauling, it strikes a nice balance between work and play. It earned second place in our small truck comparison.
2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 – $42,495
The Colorado ZR2 is the most capable off-road small pickup on the market. Just like the regular Colorado, the ZR2 is exceptionally versatile. Whether on or off the road, the ride remains compliant. Our ZR2 tester with the Bison package proved capable crawling on rocks and on high-speed desert runs, with Multimatic DSSV shock absorbers ensuring good body control. Taking into account everything it offers, and for a very reasonable price, this truck was the winner of our recent off-road small truck comparison test.
2020 Jeep Gladiator – $35,040
Starting at more than $35,000, the Gladiator isn’t cheap. But as you’d expect, much like its Wrangler sibling, the Gladiator impresses off the beaten path. It also has exceptional towing capability: up to 7,650 pounds with a max tow package. Although the Gladiator isn’t particularly quick, it delivers power smoothly through an available eight-speed automatic. This master rock-crawler finished second place in our comparison of off-road small pickup trucks.
2020 GMC Canyon – $30,195
With exceptional engines and satisfying steering, the GMC Canyon shares the same DNA that makes the Chevrolet Colorado such a stellar competitor in this space. But there are a few things that set it apart from its sibling, including its exterior design and a luxurious Denali model. If you’re willing to pay the price, this is the ultimate luxury small truck with heated and ventilated front seats, leather-appointed upholstery, chrome steps, and other upgrades.
Other competitors
2020 Toyota Tacoma – $27,145
It may be the best-seller in its segment, but the Toyota Tacoma just doesn’t measure up to the competition when put to the test. In addition to a cramped cabin and narrow bed, the Tacoma features a punishing ride and overly sensitive brakes. In our recent small truck comparison, where the Tacoma took last place, we wrote that the engine and transmission “work in tandem about as well as a pack of cats and dogs.”
2019 Nissan Frontier – $20,135
At this point, the Frontier is almost an afterthought. It was last fully redesigned for the 2005 model year, making it ancient in automotive years, even truck years. It suffers from cheap interior materials, an old media system, and poor fuel economy. Keep in mind a new Nissan Frontier is expected to hit dealerships sometime in 2020 as a 2021 model. In the meantime, the 2019 Frontier may be an option if you’re looking for a no-frills pickup. It’s a relative bargain with a starting price of just over $20,000.
2019 Ford Ranger – $25,495
Opposite of the Honda Ridgeline, Ford’s small truck performs best on the job. The Ranger has the right amount of power to haul, and towing capacity maxes out at an impressive 7,500 pounds. Ride quality improves with some weight in the bed; otherwise, the ride is particularly harsh. This truck placed third in our comparison of compact trucks.
Best Small Trucks for 2020
2020 Chevrolet Colorado – $22,395
2020 Honda Ridgeline – $31,085
2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 – $42,495
2020 Jeep Gladiator – $35,040
2020 GMC Canyon – $30,195
The post Best Small Trucks for 2020: Which Should You Spend Your Money On? appeared first on MotorTrend.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/best-small-trucks/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com
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paulbenedictblog · 5 years ago
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REVIEW: The Jeep Gladiator pickup truck is a beast off road, but might be too rugged for its own good on the interstate
The Jeep Gladiator is a Wrangler-based fully mostly pickup truck, which starts at $33,545 and has seven trim alternate choices. Essentially the most costly model starts at $51,745.
Every trim capabilities a Pentastar V6 with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-toes of torque, and most feature the series of either a six-flee manual or an eight-flee automatic transmission.
The Gladiator is truly immense at off-roading and hauling, nevertheless it surely's no longer the most effective toll road cruiser.
My loaner came out to a total MSRP of $62,020.
Focus on with Commerce Insider's homepage for added experiences.
When the good media snappily of us kindly dropped the 2020 Jeep Gladiator off in front of my Brooklyn home, I needed to chortle. Contrasted sharply in opposition to the grey concrete and the similarly gray autos most incessantly parked right here, the orange Jeep was garish, lurid, and vulgar. A punchline straight to the eyes.
But it wasn't suitable the coloration. There was presence. The Gladiator stands immense; it has fat, all-terrain tires. Swaths of blocky, unlit trim. Squared-off fenders that stick out inches from the physique. A impact composed of straight traces and unbiased angles.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
The factual files is that the Jeep Gladiator's survey will likely age smartly; straight traces and 90-level angles don't precisely dart out of type.
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator: Jeep went wild on the non-compulsory capabilities 
The Gladiator is Jeep's make a choice on the extremely lucrative midsize pickup truck market. Designed to compete in opposition to the likes of the Honda Ridgeline, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma, the Gladiator affords four-wheel force, a 5-foot mattress, off-roading prowess, and Jeepish looks. 
In actuality, when you were to study it straight in the acquainted seven-slot grille-face, you wouldn't have the flexibility to expose there is a pickup mattress hooked up help there at all. From the aspect, too, its front half is a Jeep Wrangler. Its help half is a rectangle. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
Jeep affords seven trims for the 2020 Gladiator. Essentially the most price effective is the Sport, which starts at $33,545. Essentially the most costly is the High Altitude, which starts at $51,745. For the explanation of my overview, Jeep loaned me the Gladiator Rubicon — tied for the 2d most costly in the lineup.
Unbiased levels for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator.
Kristen Lee
Rubicon Gladiators advance with trimmings enjoy an available forward-going thru off-road digicam, LED headlights and fog lights, protective cab and cargo-mattress rock rails, two-piece physique-coloration fender flares with unlit insert, 33-inch tires as favorite, and a enjoy Rock-Trac 4x4 machine, factual for scaling over boundaries while traversing off road. 
My loaner was additionally equipped with seemingly all of these alternate choices: leather-based fully mostly-trimmed bucket seats ($1,495), a top rate audio machine ($1,695), a roll-up tonneau quilt ($595), adaptive cruise make a choice an eye on ($795), an eight-flee automatic 850RE transmission ($2,000), a physique-coloration three-piece hardtop ($2,295), a winch-succesful metal front bumper ($795), 17-inch polished unlit aluminum wheels ($995), and the forward-going thru path digicam ($595).
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
In all, the total rate of the auto came to a whopping $62,020. 
Display me the one who would realistically option their Gladiator in the kind of type, on legend of I cannot imagine them. $62,000 is different money for a midsize pickup! The alternate choices Jeep gave its press automobile were most customary, nevertheless they did now not truly add or detract from the truck's vital job, which is being a truck.
Most crucial parts and security scores: Constructed for off-roading, nevertheless no longer for gas economy
Powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, the Gladiator makes a claimed 285 horsepower and 260 pound-toes of torque. A six-flee manual comes favorite, nevertheless an eight-flee automatic is non-compulsory.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
The engine is designed to electrify low-differ torque — meaning that or no longer it's most effective-suited to low speeds and doing low-flee issues, equivalent to off-roading, riding in the future of harsh prerequisites, hauling cargo, or towing one thing. 
The Gladiator is per the the same platform because the hot Wrangler and makes use of a physique-on-physique impact: the auto's physique and physique are two assorted objects. Accurate, it way the Gladiator is at probability of be heavier and no more gas-efficient than one thing with a unibody construction — where physique and physique are combined into one piece. 
But it additionally way that the Gladiator was designed from the ground up as one thing intended for off-roading and transporting heavy masses. Physique-on-physique autos are most incessantly more cost effective to procedure, too.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
Rubicon-trim Gladiators additionally assign on a Jeep Path Rated badge, which way that they comprise added ground clearance, big tires, 30 inches of water fording skill, and as a lot as 7,650 kilos of towing skill. 
Despite the incontrovertible truth that the National Twin carriageway Site visitors Safety Administration has no longer yet given the 2020 Gladiator an overall security ranking, it did award the truck four out of 5 stars for overall frontal crashworthiness. The front driver aspect earned four stars, while the front passenger aspect earned 5 stars. Facet break hasn't been rated, nevertheless rollover scored a mere three stars. The company reported a 26.7% threat of rollover.
What stands out: The factor is a god in its off-roading ingredient
Regardless of its fearsome and rugged looks, the Gladiator is de facto a ecstatic build to utilize a couple of hours in the future of lengthy commutes. There is grand room in the cabin for four passengers, and even the rear seats are roomy. Quite so a lot of headroom and legroom. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
The mattress, for us, hauled two suitcases, two backpacks, baggage of groceries, electronics, a handbag, a laundry impede, and two immense director's chairs. Jeep offered a tonneau quilt and that came in very handy, as it kept all of our stuff dry. 
Some light off-roading later, it was sure to me the broad Jeep was in its ingredient. Trundling up and down grassy knolls and thru the woods, the Gladiator fortunately bumped, tilted, and thumped in the future of the uneven terrain, continuously solidly planted. 
The off-roading suspension drank in the turbulence — no longer so noteworthy soaking it up fully so that you simply, the motive force, could perchance be numb to it — nevertheless reasonably in a mode that was pliable and inspired confidence. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
Driving the truck in the future of this originate of atmosphere was equivalent to sitting astride a extremely sure-footed, four-legged animal. Optimistic, I wouldn't recommend doing it with an open mug of espresso for your hand, nevertheless all four wheels consistently felt they were working together, cohesively, below me. 
That feeling was a thunder results of the truck's four-wheel force and locking differentials — which enables each wheels on an axle to shuffle on the the same flee so when one wheel loses traction, each make a choice spinning and confidently will pull you out of the low-traction affirm of affairs.
The 11.1 inches of ground clearance additionally intended that the Gladiator can also dash over a immense series of issues in its way. The trunk of a fallen birch tree, to illustrate, would comprise torn off the front bumper of (and resulted in well-known hurt to) your moderate crossover or SUV, nevertheless the truck stepped unbiased over the obstacle and concept nothing of it. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
What falls short: No longer a cheerful toll road camper 
The announcing, "jack of all trades, master of none" sadly rings extremely suitable right here. As stoked because the Gladiator clearly is while splashing about in muck or sand, it would now not impact the toll road cruising with almost about as noteworthy gumption. 
Don't procure me atrocious; the Gladiator is a extremely excellent-looking out round-metropolis commuter, immense for running errands. You sit high and can without difficulty look round and over assorted autos — a extremely big deal for a short particular person equivalent to myself. 
But once you hit the toll road, that confidence and sure-footedness from the low-flee off-roading all nevertheless evaporates. The bouncy suspension, so smartly optimized for uncivilized terrain, feeds some unwelcome wobbliness into the cabin. The broad, all-terrain tires hum loudly at high flee. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Jeep
The Jeep additionally did now not enjoy affirming toll road speeds. Quite plenty of autos merely require periodic throttle inputs to sustain constant speeds of about 65 mph or so; reasonably effortless and thoughtless stuff. The Gladiator felt as if it was repeatedly riding thru molasses that kept dragging its flee down. At remaining, I gave up making an strive to help to a constant flee by myself and as an different switched on the cruise make a choice an eye on. 
And as a result of approximate aerodynamics of a brick, I seen the Gladiator to advance help a median of 19.2 mpg in the future of the course of my loan, which included metropolis riding, toll road riding, and round-metropolis errand running. On the truck's window sticker, the EPA affords the Gladiator a gas economy and greenhouse-gasoline ranking of three out of 10. 
Hardware wise, I impact need the cruise mirrors stuck out reasonably further. The Gladiator is a lengthy automobile and it's no longer continuously easy to seem where it ends. It has thick C-pillars, which consequence in blind spots in the future of over-the-shoulder glances. Waft mirrors with a noteworthy wider arena of leer would were critical there. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
How the Gladiator compares to its opponents: A miniature extra pricey, and pretty extra shameful 
When put next with assorted midsize trucks available to US traders, the Gladiator's putrid rate is high. If your sole making an strive to hunt out standards is for a midsize truck, then the Ford Ranger could perchance be a excellent-looking out factor to bring home. The Ranger starts at $24,410, and its four wheel force model will get an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in the metropolis and 24 mpg on the toll road. The Gladiator with the automatic transmission will get an EPA-estimated 17 mpg in the metropolis and 22 mpg on the toll road.
Completely, assorted trucks are likely extra ecstatic and civilized than the reasonably shameful Gladiator. That's the unique truck pattern on the moment: SUV-enjoy quality and comfort, nevertheless with a mattress to your total stuff. 
But in uncover for you a truck where you're going to have the flexibility to pull its doorways off, a truck that revels in getting muddy from playtime and going where there are no longer any roads, the Gladiator is for you. It could perchance impact the suburban lifestyles suitable excellent-looking out, nevertheless you're going to have the flexibility to expose its heart is in other locations.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Jeep
Our impressions: Perhaps if I did now not are residing in Brooklyn
Per chance right here's a uniquely Me Bid, nevertheless I truly felt too short for the Gladiator. At 5-foot-three, I used to be disappointed by the truck's lack of running boards (don't wretchedness, you're going to have the flexibility to procure them as an option). It took plenty of days for me to procure outdated to the broad step up I needed to make a selection out to climb into the cabin. Twice, while exiting backward, I misjudged the gap from the truck to the ground and almost about fell out of it.
Luckily, the Jeep has handles on the A- and B-pillars that passengers can use to pull themselves up, nevertheless this crutch falls aside must you advance the truck with objects in each hands, equivalent to a phone, automobile keys, and a beverage. Even when you residing as a lot as open the door with one finger, you're going to soundless ought to first reach into the truck to position all the pieces down earlier than grabbing the tackle to hoist your self in. It be an further step. 
The lofty ground clearance — so immense for fallen timber and the enjoy! — additionally way that the mattress is rather high up. Perhaps it's possible you'll perchance also very smartly be immense satisfactory that you simply're going to have the flexibility to appropriate reach in from the aspect to retrieve your objects. To that cease, I'm contented for you. I needed to bodily climb into the mattress and push all the pieces toward the tailgate earlier than I could also pick it. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
Regardless of these cramped inconveniences, though, I cherished the Gladiator. I enjoy its existence. I appreciate its off-road capabilities and how true it continuously felt. If I lived in the desolate tract, ideally somewhere in the American Southwest, I would positively attach in thoughts one. But as it currently stands, I are residing in Brooklyn, and in Brooklyn, the Jeep pickup truck simply feels too big to be allowed. 
That being said, I truly comprise a laborious time knowing who the Gladiator is de facto for. You'd focal point on, given the recognition of midsize trucks, they'd sell extra rapidly than Jeep can also manufacture them. It indubitably appears enjoy the automaker was having a wager on this very factor to happen. But it did now not.
The Gladiator went on sale in the future of the 2d half of 2019. But, the Compass, Wrangler, Cherokee, Vast Cherokee, and even the Renegade sold better than it did in Q4. I be conscious automobile readers being very angry in regards to the Gladiator. But it would now not seem enjoy many folks sold them.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
Per chance or no longer it's since the Gladiator markets itself a miniature bit too noteworthy to the arena of interest truck buyer. The increased rate rate indubitably suggests that. This truck appeals to the client who likely wouldn't use their Gladiator as a work instrument, nevertheless reasonably as a recreational automobile. A playtime buggy. A toy. 
Be aware no further than Jeep's private press pictures of the truck, which feature it prominently at play (or doing play-adjoining actions): fording creeks, going to the ocean gallop, rock crawling, hauling a ship, and transporting kayaks and dust bikes. That is the truck you load up with camping equipment to procure to that a long way-out campsite that is inaccessible to all the pieces aside from lifted Jeeps and donkeys. 
It be no longer a corrupt territory to make a selection out, even when a miniature arena of interest. 
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.
Kristen Lee/Commerce Insider
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componentplanet · 5 years ago
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Consumer Reports Picks Its Top Car Brands
Four brands stand at the top of the annual Consumer Reports car issue. Three of them, Porsche, Genesis, and Subaru all received brand rankings of 80 or more. The magazine gives a recommended rating to every model sold by Porsche, Genesis, and the fourth-highest-scoring brand, Mazda, while every Subaru is recommended except for the WRX.
Two vehicles earned the highest overall scores: the Toyota Avalon family sedan (main photo) and the Kia Telluride SUV that won several car/truck of the year awards. Each received 93 of 100 possible points. The details are in the magazine’s April 2020 issue.
33 car brands ranked by overall score, which comprises road tests, reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety. CR says the road-test score is based on 50 different tests; reliability is based on 17 problem areas. It covers cars surveyed for the last three years.
Porsche, Genesis, Subaru, Mazda, Lexus, Audi, Hyundai, and BMW all received overall brand scores of at least 75 on a 100-point scale. The midpoint score (half above, half below) was 70. The biggest gainer was Tesla, which jumped eight spots from 19 to 11; its weak point remains reliability, which is below (but not significantly below) average. It’s not clear if there’s a statistical difference between brands rated a couple of points apart.
The 2020 Kia Telluride, tied with Toyota Avalon for the highest overall score, is one of Consumer Reports’ Top Picks and one of ExtremeTech’s 10 Best cars of the year.
Ten Top Picks (And They’re Super-Safe)
Consumer Reports has an annual Top Picks comprising the one top vehicle in each of 10 categories. To be considered, the vehicles must have received a recommended rating from the review and come standard with:
Forward collision warning (FCW)
Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
Pedestrian detection, an adjunct to AEB
CR does not, however, require blind spot detection or adaptive cruise control. The CR-required safety features can be implemented by a single, sub-$100 camera mounted at the top of the windshield. Blind-spot detection (BSD) requires multiple rear sonar/radar sensors. Some safety experts say BSD is crucial especially for older drivers who have trouble looking over their shoulders. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) makes rush-hour commutes and long highway drives less stressful and safer as well. But it, too, requires a separate front-facing radar. With forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, you don’t know the device is working until it’s almost too late, while ACC slows you as soon as the vehicle in front slows or brakes.
CR Top Picks Per Segment Score Midsize 3-Row SUV: Kia Telluride 93 Big Sedan: Toyota Avalon 93 Midsize Sedan: Subaru Legacy 87 Small SUV: Subaru Forester 84 Midsize SUV: Lexus RX 80 Sports Car: Toyota Supra 80 EV: Tesla Model 3 80 Hybrid: Toyota Prius 79 Compact Pickup: Honda Ridgeline 76 Small Car: Toyota Corolla 75
These are the 19 vehicles to which Consumer Reports awards a score of 85 or higher. That’s out of 260 vehicles rated.
CR 2020 Highest Rated Cars Score Toyota Avalon Hybrid 2.5L 93 Kia Telluride 3.8L 93 Lincoln MKZ 2.0T 89 Genesis G80 3.8L 89 Audi A4 2.0T 88 Porsche 718 Boxster 2.0T 88 Porsche Cayenne 3.0T 88 Subaru Legacy 2.5 87 BMW M240i 3.0T 87 Subaru Outback 2.4T 87 Hyundai Palisade 3.8L 87 Lexus ES350 3.5L 87 Lexus GS350 3.5L 87 Mazda Miata MX-5 86 Mazda CX-9 2.5T 86 BMW 740i 4.4T 86 Subaru Crosstrek 2.5L 85 Toyota Camry 2.5L 85 Kia Cadenza 3.3L 85 Score of 85 or higher (of 100 points).
Interesting Factoids (to Us, at Least)
Consumer Reports, April 2020.
The top individual-model rankings (above, those rated 85 and higher) are skewed toward Japanese, German and Korean automakers:
Japan: Toyota/Lexus 4, Subaru 3, Mazda 2
Germany: BMW 2, Porsche 2, Audi 1
Korea: Kia 2, Hyundai 1, Genesis 1 (all part of Hyundai)
US: Lincoln 1
Among the overall brand ranking, the biggest loser was Acura, which fell eight places from 16 to 24 among the 33 brands. Lincoln and Volkswagen each fell five places, from 8 to 13, and from 11 to 16. The eight automakers at the bottom, scoring below 60 points, remained the same, and CR noted:
The bottom brands are an unchanged club, with Fiat [lowest scoring, 43], Mitsubishi, Jeep, Land Rover, Cadillac, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, and GMC again falling short. We tested a total of 36 models from these brands, and we recommend only the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Among small cars, Consumer Reports picked 33 best used vehicles under $20,000. They have to have performed well on tests when new and have above-average reliability. That includes:
Toyota, 13 models
Lexus, 6
Mazda, 4
Honda 3
While Honda and Toyota both sell a lot of vehicles, the recommended-used-cars differential is more than 4-1 (13 Toyota, 3 Honda). Mostly because of the $20K price cap, there are only two premium-brand European cars cited, the Volvo Xc70 and BMW i3. And in what may be an ominous sign for the US-flagged automakers, among recommended used cars, not a one is from GM, Ford/Lincoln, or Dodge/Chrysler/Ram.
Much of Consumer Reports car coverage is behind a paywall. But it does make freely available safety news (recalls) and some top lines on cars on the site if you don’t want to lay out $39 a year for digital access.
Now read:
EVs Finally Get Some Love from the Most Important JD Power Study
2020 Subaru Forester Review: The Safety-First, Can’t-Go-Wrong-Buying-One Compact SUV
Tesla Teardown Scares Competitors: ‘We Cannot Do This’
from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/306930-consumer-reports-picks-its-top-car-brands from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/03/consumer-reports-picks-its-top-car.html
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actutrends · 5 years ago
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Comma.ai launches Comma Two, a $999 kit that imbues cars with assisted driving features
Two years ago, analysts predicted that upwards of 10 million self-driving cars would hit the road by 2020. They weren’t the only ones — in 2015 and 2016, respectively, The Guardian and Business Insider proclaimed that people would become “permanent backseat driver[s],” riding in fully autonomous cars from 2020 “without needing any interaction from [drivers].”
Fast forward to today. Despite assurances that as many as 8 million driverless cars will be added to the road in 2025, even operations like that of Alphabet’s Waymo have yet to expand beyond selected metros. The reasons are regulatory as well as technological in nature, but expense plays a role. Conservative estimates peg the cost of outfitting cars at between $100,000 to 250,000 per car.
So why not go the do-it-yourself route? That’s the question George Hotz posed five years ago — he’s the American hacker best known for developing exploits that targeted Apple’s iOS operating system and reverse-engineering Sony’s PlayStation 3. In September 2015, Hotz founded Comma.ai with the goal of developing a semi-automated system — OpenPilot — that would improve cars’ visual perception and electromechanical motor control. Unlike most full-stack solutions in testing, it’s intended to replace OEM advanced driver-assistance systems, effectively imbuing cars with self-driving capabilities.
For the first time in its history, Comma.ai has an official presence at the Consumer Electronics Show. The company this week invited members of the press (including VentureBeat) to test-drive the latest version of its system — and to show off the Comma Two.
OpenPilot
OpenPilot’s development had a bit of a rocky start. The first version’s reveal in a Bloomberg article and video prompted a cease-and-desist letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which accused Comma.ai of testing a self-driving car in the state without a license. Subsequently, OpenPilot was packaged into a shippable device dubbed the Comma One, which again ran afoul of the authorities because of noncompliance with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Under pressure from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, Comma One was canceled, and Comma.ai open-sourced OpenPilot on GitHub.
Much has changed. In the roughly three years since Comma.ai made OpenPilot available to the public, over 1,500 users have racked up more than 14 million autonomous miles collectively, half of which were driven autonomously. (That’s up from 10 million miles as of May 2019.) Moreover, they’ve forked the GitHub repository over 2,300 times, adding features like automatic lane change and support for older Tesla, Chrysler, and Jeep models.
Comma Two
Comma.ai previously sold the Eon Devkit, a self-contained and windshield-mounted modified OnePlus phone. It started at $599, and once OpenPilot was installed to it, it automatically recognized car models by analyzing CAN network traffic. (The presence of certain CAN messages and their lengths is an indication of the model year, car brand, car model, and trim.) Companion devices dubbed the Panda and Giraffe plugged into cars’ OBD-II ports to track RPMs, MPG, cornering G-force, battery life, and more, and to provide access to the communication buses and enable the Eon to interface with the car.
The Comma Two replaces the Eon, but it retains all of the Eon’s features and then some. That said, it ditches the Panda for a single-cord solution, and it’s slightly pricier at $1,000 (though it’s available on a payment plan through Affirm).
The first batch of 300 units are available for purchase today. They’ll begin shipping later in the month, Hotz says.
The Comma Two is powered via OBD-C as opposed to by battery, which Hotz says was a top complaint among current Eon owners, and it has a larger mount as well as a custom fan-based hardware cooling solution. Like the Eon, which used a camera to recognize drivers’ faces and decelerate if it detected those drivers were distracted, the Comma Two performs facial recognition. In point of fact, it’s in improved in that it leverages two infrared sensors as opposed to an RGB sensor, enabling it to work during nighttime.
Other highlights include front and back cameras, as well as a fourth CAN bus to connect the OBD-II port and a low-power mode that automatically shuts off the Comma Two after three days to save car battery.
The Eon was equipped with cellular service and a SIM card supplied by Comma.ai. Data was unlimited (though capped to 512Kbps), and users could spring for Comma Prime if they so chose, a $24 per month service that enables remote access (via T-Mobile) from anywhere and online storage of 14 days’ worth of drive data (compared with the standard three days). The Comma Two also taps cellular for connectivity and plays nicely with new and existing Comma Prime subscriptions, and it comes with a year’s worth of storage.
By default, OpenPilot uploads driving data in real time from the road-facing camera, CAN, GPS, inertial measurement unit, magnetometer, thermal sensors, and operating system to Comma.ai’s servers for machine learning training and development purposes. Much of this data can be accessed locally through the Comma Connect app for iOS and Android or through Explorer, an online dashboard of recent drives from which disengagements (i.e., instances when a driver took control from OpenPilot) can be annotated to help improve the system.
From within the app, Comma Two owners can remotely wake up the Comma Two and snap a picture from either the front- or rear-facing cameras. Additionally, they’re able to switch among multiple units on the fly and to view their real-time geographic locations.
Compatibility
OpenPilot isn’t compatible with every car under the sun. It only works with these models and model years:
Acura ILX (2016-2018) and RDX (2016-2018)
Buick Regal (2018)
Chevrolet Malibu (2017)
Volt (2017-2018)
Cadillac ATS (2018) and Pacifica (2017-2018)
GMC Acadia Denali (2018)
Holden Astra (2018)
Honda Accord (2016-2019), Civic (2017-2019), Civic Hatchback (2017-2019), CR-V (2015-2019), CR-V Hybrid (2017-2019), Fit (2018), Odyssey (2018-2019), Passport (2019), Pilot (2016-2019), and Ridgeline (2017-2019)
Hyundai Elantra (2017-2019), Genesis (2018), and Santa Fe (2019)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (2016-2019)
Kia Optima (2019), Sorento (2018), and Stinger (2018)
Lexus RX Hybrid (2016-2019) and ES Hybrid (2019)
Subaru Crosstek (2018) and Impreza (2019)
Toyota Avalon (2016-2018), Camry (2018-2019), C-HR (2017-2019), Corolla (2017-2020), Corolla Hatchback (2019), Highlander (2017-2018), Highlander Hybrid (2018), Prius (2017-2019), Prius Prime (2017-2020), Rav4 (2016-2019), Rav4 Hybrid (2017-2018), and Sienna (2018)
Equally critically, OpenPilot isn’t capable of fully autonomous driving on all road types in all conditions. It can currently handle lane centering on roads without clear marking thanks to machine learning algorithms trained with user data, and it can maintain a safe follow distance and drive in stop-and-go traffic without supervision.
But it’s complicated. On all supported cars, OpenPilot’s automated lane centering and lane keep assist replace the stock systems. Only on specific supported cars does the system’s adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning slot in for default, however, and on no model does OpenPilot take over things like auto high-beam, blind spot warning, and side collision warning.
Driving experience
So how’s the driving experience with the Comma Two? “Smooth sailing” sums it up. OpenPilot indeed maintains its lane position even when the markings aren’t obvious — or aren’t visible. In a construction site with cones on either side and on an unpaved road without dividing lines, we watched OpenPilot deftly keep centered and maintain a comfortable following distance from the car in front of it.
It doesn’t much matter whether the road ahead is straight or severely curved. OpenPilot used to scrape OpenStreetMap for road curvature and traffic data, but it doesn’t any longer — now, it’s smart enough to calculate the trajectory in real time and to ensure it doesn’t speed along that trajectory too violently.
In this respect, OpenPilot is akin to Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, Volvo’s Pilot Assist, and GM’s Super Cruise, the last of which is one of the few systems that offers hands-free driving thanks to an eye-monitoring infrared camera. But in contrast to Super Cruise, which only engages on about 130,000 miles of U.S. and Canadian highway that GM has mapped, OpenPilot theoretically works anywhere there’s a discernible road.
OpenPilot can change lanes automatically, but it requires signaling from drivers before it does so — they have to first switch on a turn signal and nudge the steering wheel in the direction they’d like to go. It smoothly merging while keeping pace with the traffic ahead in our brief experience. But Hotz noted that OpenPilot won’t prevent lane changes when cars are to the immediate left or right, in the Comma Two’s blind spot.
Of course, Comma Two and OpenPilot can’t anticipate every situation. An SUV rear-ended a hatchback during our driving demo, forcing Hotz — who was behind the wheel — to tap the brake and disengage the system. And OpenPilot doesn’t handle things like red lights or stop signs — at least not yet.
Safety
Whether OpenPilot can be considered truly safe is a semantics question, in part. The driverless car industry lacks an agreed-upon metric for safety — Noah Zych, head of system safety at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, told Wired in an interview that miles traveled isn’t a particularly insightful measure without context like location. Derek Kan, U.S. secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, echoed that sentiment in remarks at a conference two years ago.
Companies like Intel’s Mobileye and Nvidia have proposed mathematical models that aim to codify good habits like giving other cars the right of way. Essentially, they’re decision-making policies in a motion-planning stack that monitor unsafe actions by analyzing real-time sensor data.
Comma.ai has a safety model of its own, which Hotz said involves several forms of regression testing. Commits aren’t merged to the OpenPilot codebase before they’ve met the test suite’s muster.
This aside, Comma.ai problematically hasn’t committed to regularly publishing any sort of statistics beyond miles driven, like disengagements or accidents. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles mandates that all companies testing autonomous cars report disengagements, but because Comma.ai doesn’t have a permit to test cars, it’s exempt from this requirement.
Hotz for his part asserts that the infrared sensors in Comma Two will improve safety substantially, as will the onboarding video customers are required to watch before they launch OpenPilot for the first time. On the subject of the former, a warning appears on the Comma Two’s screen if a driver diverts their eyes from the road for four seconds, and after six seconds, OpenPilot disengages and begins to slow down. (Unclicking the driver-side seat belt or opening the car door also disengages the system.)
For what it’s worth, we encountered only one disengagement — Hotz’s stop to avoid the accident — over roughly 7 miles and 25 minutes of driving  “We pushed on nuance [with this latest version of OpenPilot],” said Hotz. “Intersections have no lane lines — it’s unclear where you should go. [OpenPilot] follows the path that the human would follow.”
Backend improvements
On the backend side of the OpenPilot equation, new is a simulation environment called the Small Offset Simulator that loads in real-world routes and simulates deviations of them. “You can’t just take a lot of data and train a model to mimic the data, because that model doesn’t realize that if it takes action, the world will change,” said Hotz. “The only way to really do that is to build a simulator.”
Using a technique called projected geometry and generative adversarial networks (GANs), or two-part AI models comprising generators that synthesize data samples and discriminators that attempt to distinguish between the synthesized samples and real data, the simulator redraws scenes meters to the left or right or with curvature and other perturbations. Hotz said that the models within the Small Offset Simulator are now training on 200,000 minutes of driving data collected by Eon users.
It’s similar — but not quite the same — as the simulation environments deployed internally by Uber, Waymo, and others. GM’s Cruise, for instance, leverages a replay approach that involves extracting real-world sensor data, playing it back against the car’s software, and comparing the performance with human-labeled ground truth data. Cruise also engages in planning simulation, which lets the company’s data scientists create up to hundreds of thousands of variations of a scenario by tweaking variables like the speed of oncoming cars and the space between them.
Future developments
Going forward, Comma.ai plans to release new hardware on roughly a yearly cadence — Hotz believes its business model of selling devices at profit and eating the cost of software development is sustainable. (Comma.ai has raised $8.1 million in venture capital to date across two funding rounds, the most recent of which closed in April 2018.) As for OpenPilot, achieving a better end-to-end driving experience remains an acute area of focus for the engineering team.
“What we want to do is move away from [lead car following] and move to an end-to-end longitudinal [model],” he said. “One of the problems we as a company have trying to convey is, when it works well, you don’t even notice it. Our company mission is to solve self-driving cars while shipping intermediaries.”
But Comma.ai isn’t discouraging rivals from cloning its hardware and piggybacking off of OpenPilot. In fact, Hotz encourages it, just as he encourages those with proprietary solutions to compete with Comma.ai.
One such challenger — former Yahoo CTO John Hayes’ Ghost Locomotion — emerged from stealth last November promising an aftermarket self-driving kit to retrofit existing cars. Another — Cambridge, U.K.-based Wayve — claims its driverless cars self-improve by learning from safety driver interventions. Mobileye doesn’t sell a consumer product, but like Comma.ai, its driverless tech leans on cameras for autonomous decision-making. And then there’s Tesla, which recently release a preview of an active guidance system (Navigate on Autopilot) that navigates a car from a highway on-ramp to off-ramp, including interchanges and making lane changes.
Hotz is unconcerned. “Mobileye is the Windows [of autonomous driving] that’s going to do Microsoft-style business development deals with big companies, Tesla’s the Mac that’s going to ship sexy hardware to consumers, and we’re the Linux,” he said. “Everybody should use us for whatever they want.”
The post Comma.ai launches Comma Two, a $999 kit that imbues cars with assisted driving features appeared first on Actu Trends.
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enginerumors · 6 years ago
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2020 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Colours, Hybrid, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Colours, Hybrid, News
2020 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Colours, Hybrid, News – It might be a particular total pleasure being valuable 2020 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Coloursa result of most updated Honda by making use of Ridgeline series. Usually, the approaching scientific know-how relevant to collecting automobile generates a significantly more excellent concept in addition to design in comparison with effectively…
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robertkstone · 6 years ago
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Tailgate Wars: Ram vs. GMC vs. Ford and More
As long as pickup trucks keep dominating sales charts, automakers will continue developing new features to give their products an edge over the competition. The latest battleground? Trick tailgates. GM recently took tailgate tech to a new level with its MultiPro tailgate available on the GMC Sierra 1500 and HD. Not to be outdone, FCA just introduced its Multifunction tailgate on the 2019 Ram 1500, which can drop down like a traditional tailgate or split open like barn doors. Given these new tailgate innovations, let’s take a closer look at the options truck brands offer today.
Ram 1500
The big tailgate news from Ram is its $995 Multifunction option. The tailgate is split 60/40, and the side-hinged doors can swing out up to 88 degrees for easier access to the bed, especially when you opt for the $295 retractable center step. This is a boon for accessing the bed while a trailer hitch with a vertical tongue jack is attached. Alternatively, you can drop it like a regular tailgate, which can still support 2,000 pounds. The feature is cool, but it does add weight. Ram tells us the Multifunction tailgate weighs 75 pounds more than the standard gate, though there is damping when you drop it vertically. The side-hinged doors have detents to prevent them from swinging too far.
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GMC Sierra 1500 and HD
The optional MultiPro tailgate helps set the GMC Sierra apart from its Chevy Silverado sibling. The tailgate has a hinged upper portion that can become a step when the gate is down, a small table when the gate is up, and a load stop in either position. In total, there are six different configurations. On the driver’s side of the bed is a folding handle for the tailgate step, which locks in place so you can easily pull yourself up. MultiPro is standard on 1500 Denali, SLT, and AT4 models,
Just like Ram’s Multifunction gate, the MultiPro adds weight, though not quite as much. Compared to the base tailgate, MultiPro is 51 pounds heavier on the Sierra 1500, and 20 pounds heavier on the Sierra HD. A torsional spring and damper assists with opening and closing, however.
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Ford F-150 and Super Duty
Ford has offered its integrated tailgate step for years now, which means the design has had plenty of time to prove its durability. The option, offered on both the F-150 and Super Duty, includes a spring-loaded ladder step that extends from the top of the tailgate and drops down. The gate also has a vertical handle bar that telescopes out the top and folds up. The step adds 46 pounds to the tailgate, and Ford says the feature includes a lift assist feature to help compensate for the extra weight.
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Honda Ridgeline
Like the F-150’s tailgate steps, the Ridgeline’s Dual-Action tailgate goes back many years and borrows the tailgate design first offered on station wagons in the 1960s. Originally offered on the first-gen Ridgeline, the current iteration includes a tailgate that can drop down normally or swing open thanks to hinges on the driver’s side. The latter method allows easier access to the In-Bed Trunk, a secret storage compartment beneath the floor of the bed. Both features come standard on the Ridgeline.
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Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and HD
  GM plans to keep the MultiPro tailgate exclusive to its “professional grade” brand, but Chevy at least gets a consolation prize. The 2019 Silverado 1500 and 2020 Silverado HD both offer a power tailgate that can lift and lower the tailgate at the push of a button on the key fob (or inside the truck). The tailgate is made out of aluminum to offset the weight of an electric motor and power latches. The power up/down tailgate is standard on the High Country trim of the Silverado 1500, and available on the LTZ as part of the $1,550 convenience package.
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Rivian R1T: Tailgate of Tomorrow?
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superautoreviews · 6 years ago
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2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Release Date, Price, Exterior, Interior
New Post has been published on https://www.2020hondarumors.com/2020-honda-ridgeline-rumors-release-date-price-exterior-interior/
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Release Date, Price, Exterior, Interior
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Release Date, Price, Exterior, Interior – Although many expected them to are unsuccessful, Honda turned out everyone that you can start an entirely new industry segment with the assist of a great product or service. The Ridgeline is a different truck sold on the US marketplace explicitly aimed at all those searching for a car without to have to accept the negatives of a single. This concept is not new and possesses been used in the prior on the initial generation of the Ridgeline. However, it entirely was not practical as well-known, or as very good, as the new model. The unveiled previous year, the Ridgeline is excellent however it is missing out on some core capabilities. Some of these sways are added with the 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors up-date. This is not recognised for the present time, but there is a couple of inside of options proclaiming that these rumours are more than likely real.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Exterior
The 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors continues to price more than the average of its class because of to on offer in a single setup. Honda will undoubtedly supply the truck as a team-cab with a medium sized mattress. This is ordinarily great for many individuals, but the lack of layouts may hurt it in the future. The sleep of the changes on the 2020 model will most likely be hidden from the look at. The car’s front end, headlights, tail lamps and probable colouration colour scheme will always be the very same as before. Some rumours do suggest a new securing tailgate as nicely as new potential folding decorative mirrors as well as re-manufactured rear doors. These would be wonderful since the present versions will not available almost broad adequate.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Exterior
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Interior
Getting based on a crossover has its benefits. For starters, the driving a car place in the upcoming 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors is proceeding to be much better than in any of its straight rivals. This will be obtained with the somewhat very low unibody chassis and the tremendous amount of space readily available inside of. The dashboard must continue to be the same as just before, but the infotainment system could have to modify.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Interior
The recent model receives an all-touch based device which is really poor to use and especially and once driving a vehicle. The adjusted model will probably obtain the same new system located in the new CR-V with the amount button and the extra playback control buttons. Some also recommended that Honda may well add ventilated chairs, heated up rear car seats as effectively as a rear user interfaces as optional extras. These would turn the 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors in a family members haulier that takes place to have a mattress strapped to it again.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Engine
The 3.5 litres by natural means aspirated V6 engine must be taken more than unchanged. This may continue to make 280 horsepower and 262 lb-feet of torque. Though it might appear deficient, the driver should allow it to be one particular of the swiftest medium-sized trucks on the market place. On top of that, even with merely being rather sizeable, the engine is identified to provide as much as 28 MPG on the road which is a class top-rated variety. So far the truck came with a six-speed automatic, and either top or all-wheel generate.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Engine
The 2020 model can get clear of the older six-speed package in favor of a new ten-speed automatic. This is a transmission created and designed by Honda entirely from scratch which is targeted to change the more mature nine-speed ZF automatic completely. From it, the 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors ought to become much more fuel efficient than just before. Also, with the aid of a beefed up air conditioning system it may even get a better tow rating which could make it that much far more beneficial.
2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors Release Date And Price
With a model that can enter new MY virtually unchanged, you should not anticipate any particular statement for the release date. When it got again, very last year Ridgeline was a quick achievement, so the time is not suited to large you-transforms in their design or with almost every other component of the vehicle as an example. At the minute we might are to say that the Japanese company does not also have time to temper using its only pickup. The reason is mostly their focus on the next technology of Accord. That is why you need to assume the tranquil launch of new 2020 Honda Ridgeline Rumors and a release date timetabled for the next quarter of 2019.
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perksofwifi · 5 years ago
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The New Ram Dakota Midsize Truck Could Look Like This
Just a few years ago, the midsize-pickup-truck field was better suited to archaeologists than automotive enthusiasts, but now General Motors’ Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon doppelgängers share the road with Jeep’s Gladiator, the returned Ford Ranger, an updated Toyota Tacoma, and soon a Ram Dakota that might look something like this. Expected to arrive in 2020 for the 2021 model year, the new Ram Dakota midsize truck might be exactly what you expect—or it could yet hold some surprises.
Although details are still entirely speculative, some baseline expectations are likely to be met: a body-on-frame structure, a choice of gas or diesel V-6 or gas turbocharged four-cylinder engines, and a careful job of positioning around the Gladiator’s space in the market. That latter element might be the trickiest part of the Dakota’s development, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles won’t want its two most profitable brands stepping on each other’s toes.
Given Jeep’s position as the off-roadiest brand in the FCA family, Ram should push the Dakota toward the more realistic, everyday uses most pickups actually get put to—think something more along the lines of Honda’s Ridgeline, minus the unibody construction and car-like driving demeanor. (Or, viewed from the other end, plus body-on-frame toughness and a satisfyingly truck-like driving demeanor.) FCA CEO Mike Manley has already stated the Gladiator and Dakota will have very different missions. To that end, the Ram is also likely to offer both single and quad cabs and both short and long boxes, where the Jeep is only available with four full doors and a short bed.
Threading the needle with the Dakota gets even harder when you consider the Ram Classic, the marque’s previous-gen pickup, is still on sale alongside the current Ram 1500. It will continue after the Dakota’s launch and was just updated to include a special-edition Warlock model.
Whatever the Dakota’s final form, it’s certain to meet a market recently repopulated with very strong competition. But given Ram’s distinctive styling, strong powertrain selection, and broad, often brand-loyal fan base among pickup buyers, we’re already stocking up on the popcorn.
On Sale: Mid-2020 (est) |  Base Price: $25,000 (est)
The post The New Ram Dakota Midsize Truck Could Look Like This appeared first on MotorTrend.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/new-ram-dakota-midsize-truck-renderings-rumors/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com
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goarticletec-blog · 6 years ago
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2018 LA Auto Show preview
New Post has been published on https://www.articletec.com/2018-la-auto-show-preview/
2018 LA Auto Show preview
The 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show was a good one, with more new cars, trucks and SUVs than one could easily shake a stick at. AutoMobility LA, as it’s also known, proved why it’s one of the most important auto shows in the calendar year by bringing out something new to entice just about everyone who loves cars. Anyone who sets foot in the Los Angeles Convention Center from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9 during the show’s public days will not be disappointed.
While auto shows often tend to end up focusing on a single vehicle class — think SUVs at the Chicago Auto Show or exotics at Geneva — the LA show didn’t seem to this year. But, as we learned from Seinfeld, something lacking a central focus can still be highly entertaining. With debuts ranging from the highly anticipated Wrangler-based Jeep Gladiator pickup to the next Kia Soul, Mazda3, Porsche 911 and all-new Hyundai Palisade SUV, Roadshow’s staff found themselves pretty busy putting their butts in all the new seats.
Here’s our roundup of the most important debuts so that you’ll know what to look out for if you find yourself in LA or if you find yourself shopping for a new ride in a few months. For even more detailed look, be sure to visit our 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show landing page — it’s a convenient way to access all the in-depth coverage of all the individual models that we looked at this week.
Audi
The Audi E-Tron GT is still a concept car — and holy hell is it a good-looking one — though it will lead to a full production model that launches in late 2020. Its powertrain technology is closely related to that in the forthcoming Porsche Taycan, and that’s a good thing. The key specs that you need to know: It’s got a 90-kWh battery pack giving it a 248-mile range, as well as 590 total system horsepower and a 0-60-mph time of 3.5 seconds. The E-Tron GT will help Audi get toward its goal of selling 20 electrified models by 2025, and if more of them look like this, then we’re all for it.
Bentley
We already love the new Bentley Continental GT, and now there’s a fabulous convertible version that can do 207 miles per hour. The top, which Bentley says keeps the cabin 3 decibels quieter than in the old Conti GT convertible, can open or close in just 19 seconds when traveling at speeds up to 30 mph. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 engine, good for 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The convertible is 375 pounds heavier than the coupe, but will still get to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. The new Conti GT made its debut in Los Angeles during the week of the show, but strangely, was not at the show itself.
BMW
BMW debuted its little heart out with a full lineup of hot new luxo-missiles, the most important of which is the M340i xDrive. BMW gave us a glimpse of the 330i at the Geneva Motor Show, and our man Steven Ewing got a chance to get behind the wheel of the new G20-generation 330i at the Nurburgring. This LA debut showed us the most aggressive version (so far) of the next 3 Series, which will make 369 horsepower from its turbocharged straight-six. After seeing it in the metal, we can confirm that it’s much more interesting in person, with its more aggressive exterior and interior.
BMW also had the new 8 Series Convertible on hand along with the Vision iNext concept (which still looks like a dye pack exploded inside) and its full-size, three-row X7 SUV, which you can read more about here.
Fiat
Fiat’s subcompact 500X crossover SUV has been on sale in North America since 2016, but it hasn’t quite caught fire with consumers (maybe it would if it looked more like the Multipla from the late 1990s and early 2000s). For 2019, a refreshed model debuts with slightly different looks, a new engine, standard all-wheel drive and a greatly simplified model range.
Slight downsizing has occurred in the engine bay, where the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine or 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine has been replaced with a single 1.3-liter turbo unit. Despite the size reduction, the new engine actually produces a lot more torque than its predecessors: 210 pound-feet (versus 184 pound-feet in the 1.4-liter or 175 in the 2.4-liter). That should make it feel sprightlier than last year’s model, despite the fact that horsepower remains modest at 177.
For 2019, the six-speed manual transmission has been nixed, meaning it’s nine-speed automatic or nothing. Front-wheel-drive configurations have also been discontinued.
On the plus side, a newly upgraded Uconnect 4 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, and adaptive cruise control and front park assist are now standard. 
Honda
Honda’s Passport expired in 2002, but the nameplate has been resurrected (with 100 percent less Isuzu) as a two-row, five-passenger crossover that slots in sizewise between the CR-V and the Pilot, though it’s built on the same Honda Global Light Truck platform used for the Pilot and Ridgeline. The Honda Passport will launch early next year with rugged-adjacent looks and a 3.5-liter V6 engine churning out 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It’ll be able to tow as much as 5,000 pounds if optioned correctly, and Honda will offer all manner of roof-mounted racks and accessories.
Honda sees the Passport competing with the likes of the Nissan Murano and revitalized Ford Edge, though Honda’s entry does seem a little more rugged than those entries.
Hyundai
This year Hyundai debuted the 2020 Palisade, a new three-row, midsize crossover, and gave the first one to a couple who adopted four orphaned siblings. This isn’t Hyundai’s first crack at a three-row SUV — you may recall that the short-lived Veracruz fit that bill, followed by the more successful three-row Santa Fe and its recently renamed twin, the Santa Fe XL — but it does seem like an attractive and well-considered option.
Hyundai recently told Roadshow that the midsize SUV segment moves about 1.5 million units per year in North America, so it will be interesting to see how many of those sales the Palisade will capture when it hits dealers next summer.
Jeep
If this year’s LA Auto Show was about one thing, it was the 2020 Gladiator pickup truck. Jeep hasn’t offered a pickup truck in its lineup since the Cherokee-based MJ Comanche pickup of the late ’80s and early ’90s and if the internet’s reaction to it is any kind of barometer, it’s going to be a hit.
While it’s easy to write off the Gladiator as just a Wrangler with a pickup bed, there are a bunch of differences. For instance, it’s got a unique five-link rear suspension setup and can tow much more than the standard Wrangler, a segment-best 7,650 pounds and a payload of up to 1,600 pounds. A 3.6-liter V6 engine is standard, but we know that a turbodiesel will be offered at a later date. Don’t hold your breath for the turbo four-cylinder version.
Other Wrangler-derived conveniences and capabilities transfer to the Gladiator, such as the folding windshield with available removable hardtops and a folding soft top, plus the ability to ford 30 inches of water when you elect the tough Rubicon model. Mopar also showed off a ton of awesome accessories that will help make your Gladiator unique on the trail. 
Kia
Kia brought the new, third generation of the Soul to the LA show. It has sharper styling, more tech and even an X-Line variant with a slightly more rugged look (read: black plastic fender trim). Powertrain choices comprise a 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter Nu inline-four and a 201-hp, 1.6-liter turbo option. Kia also introduced the 2020 Soul EV, which has a 64-kWh battery pack that should yield a driving range of at least 200 miles, though we’re still waiting on an exact number. Speaking of electric Kias, there’s also a new Niro EV. Like the Soul EV, it has a 64-kWh battery pack and a motor rated for 201 horsepower; Kia says it will return 239 miles of range on a single charge. The hamsters, thankfully, were nowhere to be seen.
Lexus
The Toyota Land Cruiser-based Lexus LX 570 is old, though it has received three face-lifts over the past 11 years. Rather than bringing a redesign to the LA Auto Show, Lexus is just showed off the 2019 LX with a new appearance package called the Inspiration Series. In a nutshell, you’re dealing with an ordinary LX 570, but “murdered out” as the kids say, with blacked-out 21-inch wheels and a black grille, along with several other dark bits to peg the sinister meters. The Inspiration Series also pegs the price alarms with its $100,420 MSRP, but that’s due to a lot of bundled-in optional features.
Only 500 units of the LX Inspiration Series will be made, so place your orders now. While you’re at it, you can learn more about this special SUV here.
Lincoln
First shown in concept form this past March at the New York International Auto Show, the Lincoln Aviator was the belle of the ball with its head-turning looks and cutting-edge features. Now the production 2020 Aviator has been fully revealed, with three rows of seating, rakish design and two powertrain options.
Buyers can pick between a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine with 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, with either rear- or all-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid option is rated for 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet, though Lincoln hasn’t yet offered any details on electric driving range or efficiency. Other luxurious and high-tech features include the ability to use your smartphone as the car’s “key,” a four-corner air suspension that uses a camera to “read” the road and react to bumps proactively, a 28-speaker Revel audio system and Lincoln’s CoPilot360 Plus active-safety suite. The fact that Lincoln used the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the Aviator’s warning tones also truly resonates with our inner car nerds.
Mazda
The fourth-generation 2019 Mazda3 is now here, with both sedan and hatchback versions that follow the styling language previewed by the Mazda Kai concept shown at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The new car will go on sale in early 2019.
There are lots of changes beneath the surface, too. The Mazda3 base engine will still be a 2.5-liter inline-four, with either manual or automatic transmissions with six speeds. The 3 is also the first production Mazda to use the company’s Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine, which uses a supercharger and a mild-hybrid motor assist. As if that’s not enough, the Mazda3 also boasts an upgraded 8.8-inch infotainment system and an infrared eye-tracking Driver Monitoring System that can tell if the driver is looking away from the road.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-AMG used the LA show to reveal the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro, which is an even more bonkers version of the already certifiable AMG GT R. There’s no power increase, with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 still putting out 577 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, but the GT R Pro benefits from a revised coilover suspension, adjustable anti-roll bars, carbon-ceramic brakes and retuned dynamic engine mounts. It also adds the AMG Dynamics stability control system, which has Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master modes.
Along with the Pro, of course, AMG has updated all versions of the GT coupe and convertibles with tweaks like restyled headlights, a new rear diffuser, a fully digital instrument cluster and some other interior switchgear changes. Oh, and those vents on top of the fenders are totally making the Roadshow staff swoon.
Mini
Ever since the first Mini arrived in 1959, the brand has been no stranger to special editions. Yet another one will make its North American premiere at the 2019 LA Auto Show. The Mini John Cooper Works Knights Edition takes a run-of-the-mill John Cooper Works Hardtop and drizzles it with a black and silver shining-armor theme.
The Knights Edition also features a John Cooper Works variable exhaust straight out of the accessories catalog that will let you drive stealthily or broadcast to the world that you’re fine with being small and loud, like Gilbert Gottfried. Read more about the John Cooper Works Knights Edition here.
Nissan
Nissan is updating its “four-door sports car” for the 2019 model year, giving the Maxima a slightly revised look inside and out, as well as extra safety technology on the inside. There’s also a new Platinum Reserve style package and a new orange interior stitching for the SR trim level. The car still uses a 3.5-liter V6 engine that sends 300 horsepower to the front wheels. Similarly, the 2019 Nissan Murano crossover receives an update with new lights, new interior trim pieces and a new grille design. It also adds more safety technology, and even diamond-quilted leather in the top-tier Platinum model.
Porsche
Southern California has long been Porsche’s most important market, so it’s only fitting that the sports car maker would choose LA to unveil the next generation of its most storied model, the 911. The 2020 911 debuted in Carrera S and 4S guises, with a 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six engine rated for 443 horsepower, which is 23 more than before. A new eight-speed PDK dual-clutch is your only transmission choice at launch, but Porsche promises a manual is on the way later.
At first blush the new 911 may not look that different than its predecessor, but the car is 1.77 inches wider up front with a bumper and headlight treatment reminiscent of the 993-generation 911 of the mid-1990s. It also has flush-mounted electric door handles and restyled, wide taillights. Extra technologies include features like a Wet Mode, which will adjust the stability and braking systems when it detects water on the road, and standard precollision braking.
Rivian
Electric-vehicle startup Rivian is used the LA show to reveal its R1T pickup truck and its R1S SUV. The pickup claims a 400-plus-mile range and a 0-60 time under 3 seconds, as well as impressive towing and payload ratings. The R1S is a three-row luxury crossover that is also designed for lots of off-roading. It’ll use the same motors and battery packs as the truck, though its driving range should be a little longer, at up to 410 miles of range if you elect the 180-kWh battery pack. When production time comes, Rivian has pledged to build its vehicles at the former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. The R1T is due in fall 2020 and the R1S should come in early 2021.
Toyota
This is a huge year for Toyota at the LA Auto Show, with two major bread-and-butter debuts in the form of the all-wheel-drive Toyota Prius, which adds an electric motor to its rear axle to help it lure people away from crossovers, and the all-new 2020 Corolla Sedan, which also adds a hybrid powertrain for the first time in the US market. Those are all important debuts as they’re big sellers for Toyota and now will be even more appealing.
On top of that, Toyota is showing off the sporty-ish TRD versions of the Avalon and Camry.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s debut at the I.D. Buzz Cargo, the work-van version of the passenger van that debuted last year. In addition to looks that force you to be happy, the I.D. Buzz Cargo features a passenger compartment with three-across seating along with an electric driving range approaching 350 miles. The one at the show was gussied up to look like a racing support van and it made us feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.
We have a ton of additional information about the I.D. Buzz Cargo van, which you can check out here.
Volvo
Volvo brought a virtual reality demo of its fancy-pants 360c concept, a driverless car designed to leave the sensor hardware carbuncles behind for a smoother, less autonomous-looking (that is, more attractive) appearance. Other than that, Volvo isn’t planning to have any other production cars on display. It did, however, have a pile of Amazon boxes for people to sit on, so look forward to that, true believers.
Our editor-in-chief, Tim Stevens, recently got up close and personal with this innovative machine. You can read more about the autonomous 360c here.
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