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Continue reading Used cars to avoid, ranked by Consumer Reports
Used cars to avoid, ranked by Consumer Reports originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2024 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Does it seem that your car is in for repairs more than it’s in your driveway, or more to the point, for the same repairs, over and over again? If that’s the case, lemon laws might apply to you. Simply put, lemon laws are meant to give you some legal leverage to seek a refund for the purchase price of your vehicle (or replacement) and…
WASHINGTON — A group representing major automakers asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reconsider the rule issued in April requiring nearly all new cars and trucks by 2029 to have advanced automatic emergency braking systems.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing General Motors, Toyota Motor, Volkswagen and nearly all other automakers said the requirement adopted in April that all cars and trucks would be able to stop and avoid striking vehicles in front of them at up to 62 miles per hour is “practically impossible with available technology.”
Congress directed NHTSA in the 2021 infrastructure law to create a rule to establish minimum performance standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, which use sensors like cameras and radar to detect when a vehicle is close to crashing and then automatically applies brakes if the driver has not done so.
The group said NHTSA’s stringent requirements at higher driving speeds will result in vehicles “automatically applying the brakes far in advance of what a typical driver and others on the road would expect” resulting in rear-end collisions. It also argued NHTSA “vastly underestimated the necessary and costly hardware and software change required for vehicles to comply.
“NHTSA’s action will require more costly systems that won’t improve driver or pedestrian safety,” said the auto group’s CEO John Bozzella in a letter to Congress, adding the agency rejected automakers concerns and the regulation “points to the breakdown of a deliberative rulemaking process at the country’s top traffic safety watchdog.”
The requirement is the one of the most far reaching U.S. auto safety regulations in recent years. Safety advocates said existing systems were not performing well especially at night. They say the new rules are needed to ensure more crashes are avoided.
NHTSA did not immediately comment but said in April the rule will save at least 360 lives annually and prevent at least 24,000 injuries as traffic deaths spiked after COVID-19.
The rule requires the system to apply brakes automatically up to 90 mph when collision with a lead vehicle is imminent, and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.
Automakers said NHTSA should adopt a European standard that detects potential forward collisions, provides driver warnings and automatically engages the braking system.
In 2016, 20 automakers voluntarily agreed to make automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all U.S. vehicles by 2022 and by December all 20 had equipped at least 95% of vehicles with AEB, but critics say there is no way to ensure the effectiveness without government regulations.
NHTSA in March 2023 proposed requiring nearly all vehicles to comply in three years, but automakers are now getting five years.
Commuting is just about the least entertaining thing you can do in a car. Sitting in traffic in a sea of other miserable people might give you plenty of time to catch up on a podcast or audiobook, but it’s not great for your health and certainly doesn’t make you a more productive or dedicated employee. Energy.gov’s most recent Fact of the Week ranked the states with the shortest — and the longest — commutes, showing that some places have it way easier than others.
Sparsely populated South Dakota averaged the shortest commute time, in data gathered in 2022. Drivers there got to work in just 18 minutes, followed closely by its counterpart to the north. People in Wyoming had the third shortest commutes.
These commute times are averages of one-way travel, but the 18-minute low is just shy of half the time that people in New York spend behind the wheel. While some rural states, including Maine, rank higher up the list because of the distances between towns and jobs, places like South Dakota likely average lower because people work in their hometowns instead of driving between locations.
At the “top” of the list, New York, Maryland, and New Jersey have the longest commutes. New Yorkers spent an average of 33.2 minutes one-way, while the other two averaged more than half an hour. That said, those states’ numbers need to be viewed with the knowledge that a few significant population centers could be skewing the numbers.
For example, as of this year’s data, New York City has almost 8 million people, more than 10 times Hempstead’s population, the No. 2 city. Drivers in New Jersey suffer because of their proximity to New York and Philadelphia, though it’s also the most densely populated state in the nation.
Here is the full chart of findings, taken from U.S. Census data:
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Continue reading 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 adds range, drops price before launch
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 adds range, drops price before launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2024-04-16
DETROIT – GMC has announced the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will add more all-electric range than originally estimated, expanding an already impressive list of features that will be available from launch.
“Denali has been an industry icon for 25 years and the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 provides customers an exclusive opportunity to be a part of the next chapter,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick and GMC. “As a limited-run exclusive trim for launch, the Edition 1 is truly the Denali of EVs and represents the pinnacle of GMC.”
Through optimization of the GM Ultium Platform, the EV pickup will come standard with a GM-estimated 440-miles of range1 for the 2024 model year, a 10 percent increase from the originally estimated range of 400 miles. The Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will also launch with GM-estimated 10,000 pounds of max towing2 and 1,450 pounds of max payload3, an increase of 500 pounds and 150 pounds respectively from initial estimates.
Dealers are currently working with Edition 1 reservation holders on the ordering process.
The Sierra EV features a mix of true truck capability, next-gen power, purposeful technology and signature luxurious Denali design cues inside and out.
Among a packed list of features on Edition 1 is CrabWalk3, a GMC-exclusive feature that, at low speeds, allows the angle of the rear wheels to mimic the angle of the front wheels. This feature — which is also available on the GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV — allows for diagonal movement of the vehicle and can provide additional options for drivers when they need to maneuver in tight spaces.
Other key features include:
Deliveries of the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 are expected to start this summer at a final starting MSRP of $99,4956 (including $1,995 DFC).
1GM-estimated range on a full charge for Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 based on current capability of analytical projection consistent with SAE J1634 revision 2017- MCT. Actual range may vary based on several factors, including temperature, terrain, battery age, loading and how you use and maintain your vehicle. EPA estimates not yet available.
2GM estimate. For comparison purposes only. See the owner’s manual and the label on the vehicle door jamb for the carrying capacity of a specific vehicle.
2GM estimate. Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the Trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow.
3Limited to low speeds. Read the vehicle’s owner’s manual for more important limitations and information.
4Actual charge times will vary based on battery starting state of charge, battery condition, output of charger, vehicle settings and outside temperature. See the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for additional limitations.
5Always pay attention while driving and when using Super Cruise. Do not use a handheld device. Requires active Super Cruise plan or trial. Terms apply. Visit gmc.com/connectivity-technology/super-cruise for compatible roads and full details.
6MSRP excludes tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment. Dealer sets final price.
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — In a large, empty parking lot outside Atlanta, one car slowly careened around parking spaces. From the passenger seat, driving instructor Nancy Gobran peered over large sunglasses at her student, a 30-year-old Syrian refugee woman who was driving for one of the first times in her life.
“Turn the wheel and then accelerate,” Gobran, the owner of Safety Driving School, said softly in Arabic. Gripping the wheel tightly, the student cautiously rounded the corners of the parking lot for nearly an hour.
Gobran has been working for nearly five years with a program called Women Behind the Wheel, which offers 14 hours of free drivers’ education to mostly refugee and immigrant women. Many of the women who enroll come from countries that discourage women from driving or working outside their home.
It’s not a new concept, but Women Behind the Wheel is unique to Georgia. Similar programs exist across the country, such as Refugee Women Rising in Omaha, Nebraska, which offers driver’s education, seat belt safety and car seat installation help, and Driving Opportunity in Denver, which offers classroom and road instruction to refugee women.
“Helping a lot of refugees is not easy,” Gobran said. “At the beginning, it’s kind of awkward for some people for their first time being behind the wheel, but by the end of the program, they gained the benefit they’ve been looking for.”
Students sign up for the driving program through Ethaar, an Atlanta-area nonprofit organization that aids refugee families through their resettlement. Its name is an Arabic word meaning altruism and affection.
Ethaar co-founder Mona Megahed said she started Women Behind the Wheel to fill a glaring need many refugee families have that partially stem from cultural differences.
“We named it Women Behind the Wheel for a reason,” Megahed said. “We really wanted to empower our female clients. A lot of these women were struggling because they were fully dependent on their spouses.”
She noted some husbands held beliefs from their home countries that their wives shouldn’t drive or work.
“We quickly explained, well, you can’t really provide if you’re making minimum wage and you have six mouths to feed in addition to helping with your wife,” Megahed said. “So she also needs to kind of learn how to drive and find a job and get out there.”
The stress can be compounded for families in metro Atlanta, where many people rely on cars to get around. Most of the refugee families Ethaar works with settle in Clarkston, a suburb 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.
“Most of the time because of lack of access to transportation, it’s hard for them to get to their jobs,” said Sarah Karim, Ethaar’s executive director. “It’s hard for them to go study anywhere except for what is close by, and there aren’t that many options, unfortunately.”
Their clientele depends on the shifting global landscape and conflicts, Karim said.
“Lately, we’ve observed various nationalities among our clients, including families and individuals from Afghanistan, Burma, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq and Eritrea,” Karim said.
So far, there have been 230 graduates of the program, including a few men. The driving program typically has a three-to-four-month waitlist because of the demand. The U.S. government gives refugee families up to 12 months of financial and medical assistance, so there is limited time to become autonomous.
“The point is for every refugee to reach self-sufficiency or self-reliance,” said Dorian Crosby, a Spelman College professor who is an expert in refugee migration.
“Learning how to drive and getting access to a license is critical to refugee women reaching that level of self-reliance,” Crosby said. “It’s not just to meet the government regulations of the cutoff, but they now can sustain themselves. It is also such an emotional boost.”
Instructors like Gobran are fluent in Arabic, which makes students more comfortable. She watched her client slowly gain confidence over her hourlong session. A smile crept across her face. A month later, her student passed her driving test.
“This is their new home, and they have to understand how this country works,” Gobran said. “It starts with the very little thing as driving to build a future.”
Continue reading 2025 GMC Yukon AT4 teased, will likely follow 2025 Suburban template
2025 GMC Yukon AT4 teased, will likely follow 2025 Suburban template originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Apr 2024 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2024-04-11
DETROIT – Today, GMC shared a glimpse of the refreshed 2025 Yukon, the brand’s flagship nameplate. The 2025 Yukon will be the next GMC SUV launch following the all-new Acadia hitting dealerships this spring.
The image features the 2025 GMC Yukon AT4 and shows its refreshed front fascia, updated headlight and redesigned grille executions.
2024 marks the fifth anniversary for GMC’s popular AT4 trim. Since launching on the Sierra 1500 in 2019, the AT4 lineup has established itself as the industry standard for premium off-road capability. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of GMC’s Denali sub brand, which first debuted on the 1999 Yukon Denali concept.
Earlier this year, GMC announced plans to expand its brand presence into more global markets. The 2025 Yukon will spearhead the brand’s rollout for the first time in Australia, New Zealand and China.
The 2025 GMC Yukon will be revealed later in 2024.
About GMC
GMC offers a range of premium trucks and SUVs designed and engineered to the highest standard. With vehicles like the compact Terrain and full-size Yukon, all-new Canyon and Sierra light-duty, as well as the world’s first all-electric supertruck the GMC HUMMER EV, our trucks and SUVs deliver GMC’s signature combination of intuitive technologies, precise engineering and premium execution. Built on a strong foundation of manufacturing trucks since 1902, GMC now sells in a dozen countries across the world. Details on all models are available at gmc.com.
WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it is investigating a March 3 fatal crash between a Ford Mustang Mach-E and two stationary cars in Philadelphia in which an advanced driver assistance system could have been in use.
This is the second recent Ford crash under investigation by the auto safety regulator and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in which a driver assistance system is suspected of being in use.
The March 3 crash involved the Ford striking two stationary vehicles on the I-95 interstate highway in Philadelphia killed two people and shut down traffic for hours. The NTSB said it is investigating in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, which declined to comment.
Ford offers BlueCruise, an advanced hands-free driving system that operates on 97% of U.S. and Canadian highways with no intersections or traffic signals.
In March, NHTSA and the NTSB said they were investigating the use of an advanced driver assistance system in a Ford Mustang Mach-E that was involved in a Feb. 24 fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas in which the Mach-E struck rear of a Honda CR-V that was stationary in a traffic lane on Interstate Highway 10. A San Antonio police report said the Ford had “partial automation” engaged at the time of the crash.
Ford said it was recently made aware of this incident by the NTSB and informed NHTSA, which requires automakers to report all fatal crashes involving advanced driver assistance systems.
“We are researching the events of March 3 and collaborating fully with both agencies to understand the facts,” Ford said.
NHTSA has opened special crash investigations into the two recent Ford crashes. The agency typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues.
Since 2016, NHTSA has opened more 40 Tesla special crash investigations in cases where driver systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used, with 23 crash deaths reported to date. Tesla in December agreed to recall 2 million vehicles to install new safeguards for Autopilot.
The NTSB has opened several investigations in recent years into advanced driver assistance systems including Tesla’s Autopilot.