Trail-Rated Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Crawls Through Sloppy Mud

by

I had the opportunity to put a 4WD 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk to the test a few weeks back at a Chrysler track day event at the Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia. It was a rainy day at the track, as the remnants of Hurricane Joaquin moved up the eastern seaboard. The persistent precipitation turned the off-road test track into a marvelously mess … which is exactly what you hope for when you’re testing 4x4s. I hopped into a brand new trail-rated 2016 Renegade Trailhawk with BeCarChic.com’s Melanie Batenchuk and Jim Morrison, Director of Jeep Product Marketing.

Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect of the Renegade Trailhawk off-road. I’d only had the opportunity to drive one briefly before, and that was a half hour drive on two-lane blacktops and highway. I was skeptical, despite the Trail Rating. A nice sloppy jaunt through the mud and my opinion changed. Watch this video and yours may change, as well. It’s an eye-opener (and a fun ride).

Read more

Volkswagen Diesel Lawsuits Ignore the Bigger Picture

by

We’ve never seen anything like Volkswagen’s massive deception on NOx emissions. Automobile manufacturers can do some questionable things, but this ranks among the most puzzling. It’s a huge slap in the face for diesel advocates. The current buzz indicates that VW will “fix” the effected TDI diesel-powered vehicles that exceed federal emissions standards. Exactly how this will play out, remains to be seen. 

Meanwhile, legal firms are circling Volkswagen like vultures. There are a number of lawsuits in the works, aiming to score a settlement with Volkswagen. Is this really about TDI owners getting restitution or is it simply a big payday for the attorneys? The fix will surely lower performance and fuel efficiency. How much can Jetta, Golf, and Passat owners expect to recieve? If I owned one of these vehicles, I wouldn’t want it “fixed” … I’d want to swap it for a brand new version that delivered the performance and MPGs that I was promised.

With the spotlight on Volkswagen, the media is ignoring the larger issue. If we are serious about reducing emissions, whether it’s particulates, NOx, carbon, or other pollutants, we must move past our addiction to petroleum. The biggest problem isn’t diesel engines. It’s the fuel.

Read more

How to Save Money on Car Parts and Supplies

by

I’ve spent a whole lot of money on car parts and supplies over the years, and I’ve learned (the hard way) how to control costs. While the game was built to extract profit from the unwitting, the Internet leveled the playing field. A little knowledge goes a long way. If you do just a little bit of homework before you head out to the store, you’ll get a better deal and keep more cash in your pocket.

Read more

All Season Tires on a S2000?

by

Tire choice is tough. Do you stick with the proven OEM tires (for better or for worse) or do you trust the reviews of random folks on the Internet? I’ve been sitting on the fence for months on end, while my 2007 Honda S2000 has been tucked away in the garage, waiting for a new set of tires.

I’ve always wanted to test a new set of tires before buying them. Even better, test one set of tires against another. So when BFGoodrich invited me to drop in on their “Are You Driver Enough?” tour at Giants Stadium, in the New Jersey Meadowlands, “where the mosquitos are as big as airplanes,” I jumped on the opportunity.

Ford Mustangs at MetLife Stadium BFGoodrich event

Read more

2015 Corvette Stingray – Highway MPG Testing

by

“Wow, I’ll bet that gets great fuel economy on the highway!” is the last thing that most (normal) people think when seeing a Stingray cruise down the street. And yet, it’s true. The Corvette’s long been known (by those who know) to deliver solid MPGs when conservatively driven out on the open road. At long last, I had the opportunity to test it.

The positively scrumptious 6.2 liter V8 in the 2015 C7 Corvette pumps out 455 horsepower and 460 foot pounds of torque. It features cylinder deactivation and an Eco-mode (for fuel economy, of course) and can be fitted with a seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. I was double-lucky to test a manual-equipped car. I found the clutch pressure to be reasonable, the shift mechanism quite good. Dealing with an overload (seven!) of speeds in the gate is eased by gear indicators on the digital dashboard and heads-up display (HUD).

Read more