We are back with this week’s instalment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature ‘Commute, Toy or Destroy’.
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AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection

Sometimes, it is not hard to improve on a product. We can’t imagine there were too many developers at Microsoft who said “No sir, we can’t improve on Windows ME.” Same can be said for the designers at Chevrolet.

Things most likely not heard around the office in the past three years “Nope. No way could we possibly make the Impala more stylish.”

So, it should come as no surprise that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala is better than the king-of-the-fleet-yard 2013 model. But even with such high expectations, the 2014 Impala still exceeded them; think 2000 New England Patriots vs. 2001 New England Patriots.

Certainly you have already checked out our 2014 Chevrolet Impala Review – Video first drive, but to ensure we weren’t swayed by the picturesque location, vast vehicular improvement and general awesomeness of the warm San Diego climate, we decided to take a second drive of the 2014 Impala. General Motors invited us up for a drive and to visit to its Oshawa, Canada assembly plant where the Impala, Regal, Camaro, XTS, Equinox and old Impala (Classic) are built. Even with a constant bombardment of rain and snow, the new Impala truly is the real deal in the full-size sedan market; here are five reasons why.

We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature ‘Commute, Toy or Destroy’.
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The Automotive Industry Creates Some Odd Bedfellows

Sometimes automakers have holes in their line-up bigger than Van Halen did in 1985. Due to a lack of time, resources or manufacturing facilities, the company looks for a quick fix. The solution? Grab a vehicle from another company that fills the void and rebrand it as their own. But like Wade Boggs in a New York Yankees uniform, these rebadged vehicles never look quite right. And, like any decision made by cobbling together bits and pieces from here and there, it doesn’t always work.

In the world of rebadging, Australian General Motors division Holden is king. The company will rebadge anything and everything for the Australian market. Since Holden could have a top ten list entirely their own, we’ll skip them. Instead, let’s focus on vehicles most in North America will recognise in either current or rebadged form. We are not talking platform engineered cars within a company or ones co-developed between two companies, but rather vehicle rebrand jobs that seem to come out of left field and are thinly disguised.

We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature “Commute, Toy or Destroy.”
Continue Reading…

We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature “Commute, Toy or Destroy.”

Continue Reading…

It’s not every day that AutoGuide launches a new weekly feature. Today, however, is not just any day; it’s first installment of an interactive segment we call ‘Commute, Toy or Destroy’.

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Before its debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show later this week, Buick has released specs and images for the 2014 Regal, which will finally receive optional all-wheel drive.
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Because Creativity is Overrated

What’s the most important step a manufacturer undertakes when creating a new car? Building a great chassis? Getting the interior ergonomics right? Providing the perfect drivetrain to complement the new product? Nope. All wrong. The really, really important factor for any new car is getting the name right.

All joking aside, a vehicle’s name is very important. Slap a clever name on a car and it can help boost sales. Conversely, choose a bad name for a vehicle, like Probe or Dictator, and it can hurt sales. Manufacturers spend a lot of time and money analyzing potential model names.

Well, that’s usually what happens, but sometimes, the creativity well runs dry. Every now and then a new vehicle receives a name that leaves us all wondering: “Really? That’s all they could think of?” Not to get confused with naming conventions that are just lazy, like Mazda’s numbered sequence or Mercedes-Benz’s lettered sequence. No, we are referring to model names that give the perception maybe the marketing team forgot to show up one day and the engineers were left in charge of naming the new ride. “We are pleased to announce the latest from Hyonbaru Motors, ‘The Car!” Don’t laugh, some the following models are even worse.

Five-Point Inspection

This Week’s Five-Point Inspection takes a look at the soon-to-be-overhauled Mercedes-Benz E-Class, what we love about it and what we’d like to see changed.

About to become redundant, there is a mid-cycle refresh coming for the 2014 model year which will put the current E-Class out to pasture. This doesn’t mean the E-Class is necessarily a bad vehicle, but in the ever evolving world of luxury automobiles, it is either constantly improve your brand or get left behind.

With a base price of $51,905 after transportation charges, the E-Class may be the most versatile vehicle in the automotive kingdom. There are no fewer than four distinct body styles, five engine choices, three fuel options and two drivelines.

“First thing I do when I get in my car is turn off the stability control and traction control”.

Many of us have heard someone, at some point, utter this. Or maybe we ourselves are the guilty party. When asked why it was turned it off, the typical response is along the lines of “’cause I’m a real driver,” or, “it gets in the way of driving”.

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Bland Like Unsalted Popcorn

Are you self-conscious? Don’t like to stand out in a crowd? Would you rather blend into the background than be the center of attention? Well, when it comes to the automotive world, you are in luck. Some vehicles seem to have skipped class when it came time for their styling lesson. This is not to say they are ugly, but more that they lack any style whatsoever.

We’ve all heard the clichés to describe these anonymously styled cars; plain vanilla, beige, white bread, etc. We like to think of them as stylistically-challenged. Regardless, if you don’t want to draw any undue attention towards yourself, here are ten vehicles that are guaranteed to blend into the landscape.

When Size Matters

Large and in charge. Big is beautiful. Size matters. Yes, there are endless clichés to support the notion that the bigger something is, the better it is. In the automotive kingdom, some vehicles not only adhere to this philosophy, but redefine it. We aren’t talking the puny realm of offerings like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or even Dodge Charger. No, this is for the serious four wheeled hippos. The cars where it is more fun to be in the backseat than the front seat.

If you have more money to burn than the average NFL Quarterback, then there are some serious vehicles you can buy that are seriously long. How about the 220.9-inch Phantom Coupe? Not long enough for you? You could upsize to the 239.8-inch Phantom extended-wheelbase sedan, or maybe the 242.7-inch Maybach 62?

But for the rest of us mere mortals, there are some sizable vehicles out there under $100,000. Heck, two of the top ten are even under $30,000. So we will now present to you the top ten vehicles that are longer than The Hobbit.

What's in a Name?

Usually the engine found inside a vehicle receives a name based on some sort of manufacturer specific numbering and lettering convention. However, every once in a while a manufacturer will feel a little fiery and give that new hunk of metal an actual, proper name.

These names, more often than not, conjure up images of power and hairy-chested strength. Names like Rocket 350, BOSS and Fireball. Or, sometimes the name will refer to the design of the engine itself like Hemi (referring to hemispherical combustion chambers) or Quad-4, which is a dumb name in itself, but at least referred to four valves on four cylinders.

But now and then a manufacturer will reveal their latest and greatest engineer marvel and slap on a name that leaves us scratching our heads in disbelief, or is just so pretentious our eyes can’t stop rolling. Remember the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-to named Ford inline-6 called the ‘Thriftpower’? Well, that didn’t even make this list.

AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection

For 2013 the RAV4 has undergone some major reconstructive surgery. The goal is to infuse a bit more life into this compact crossover that helped define the segment 17-years ago. Gone are both the V6 engine and 3rd row seating options. Thankfully, so is the antiquated four-speed automatic which has been replaced by a six-speed automatic.

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