Ram 2500 Full Overview I recently got a chance to spend a week each in two Rams, which gave me a chance to try some options unavailable or opted against when we configured Guffman. One was a Ram 2500 Power Wagon that let me try out the front bench seat, the whopper 12.0-inch vertical infotainment screen, the RamBox bed, and the gas V-8 (our Cummins diesel I-6 is too long to package in the PW’s steeper approach-angle nose)—not to mention the winch and diff-locks. Then I spent a week in a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to compare the junior oil-burner’s drivability with our truck’s. The Power Wagon’s 40/20/40 front bench features a backrest that folds down to form an armrest with three cupholders. Opening its lid reveals a change dispenser, a USB port, and a 10x8x3-inch stowage b...
Spoon Sports is a brand synonymous with any and all things Honda performance-related, especially when it comes to what enthusiasts describe as the automaker’s Golden Era, which spans the late ’80s to the early 2000s. From the bright, screaming yellow and blue paint schemes to the often-idolized company founder and acting president, Tatsuru Ichishima, the name and product line are recognized and respected worldwide. And while you’ve no doubt seen Spoon brake calipers, ashy SW388 wheels, and signature kevlar bits and pieces strewn about every car show you’ve ever attended over the last few decades, make no mistake, the heart and soul of Spoon Sports belongs to the track. See all 34 photos Humble Beginnings In 1985, well before the company took shape, a then-33-y...
Jeep Wagoneer Full Overview The big mic drop is the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that will reach dealers this summer with top-notch materials and features and a price tag that can quickly grow to six figures. But for those who want a large three-row family SUV from Jeep at a lower price point, there is the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer. Dropping “Grand” from that luxury hauler’s name drops the starting price by almost thirty of a different sort of grand—as in thousands. The Wagoneer family is entirely made up of full-size three-row SUVs, augmenting the Jeep brand with its largest vehicles to date. These new models mark the return of the Wagoneer nameplate after 30 years out of the market and represent a modern reinterpretation of the original Wagoneer that came out in 1962 as a ’6...
2022 Grand Wagoneer vs The Competition: Power Struggle. Since looks are entirely subjective, we’ll leave that sort of stuff out of this comparison. It’s safe to say the Grand Wagoneer, Navigator, and Escalade are all well-executed, but the rest is up to the eyes of the beholder. Instead, we’ll start with what motivates these gargantuan family haulers. The smallest (in terms of cylinder count and displacement) is the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that rests under the hood of the Lincoln. It’s the only engine offered in the Navigator, but it isn’t wanting for power. The turbocharged mill churns out 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. That’s more than enough get up and go for the big SUV, as we recently found out. See all 104 photos Under the hood of the Esc...
With a base price of $59,995, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer enters the scene as either an expensive mainstream full-size SUV or a bargain-priced luxury one. We’re tempted to view the new Jeep as the latter. Although the base Wagoneer Series I’s sub-$60,000 starting sum undercuts the entry-level 2021 Cadillac Escalade and 2021 Lincoln Navigator by almost $17,500, it strikes us as a model intended to strictly serve as a price leader. Even so, we’re sure it’ll come reasonably well-equipped given it costs over $8,000 more than a base 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and 2021 Ford Expedition, its more direct competitors. A Series of Wagoneer Trim Levels It seems Jeep hopes most consumers will skip past the Wagoneer Series I and drive off in the higher-end Series II model. At $69,995, the S...
We’re here to help break down the key differences between the two big Jeeps and decided which is best for you. And just in time—orders are being taken now for the new Wagoneer family, which goes on sale this summer. For reference, both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the same size (and both have long-wheelbase versions coming later) and feature the same interior layout for seven or eight passengers. Think of them as similar to Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Cadillac’s Escalade: Mechanically and structurally the same, but one is nicer and more expensive. See all 112 photos Wagoneer vs. Grand Wagoneer: Design At first glance, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer are not overly different. They’re pretty much the same size and both have U-shaped windows, r...
Your 101-level business professor was right: There really is no such thing as a free lunch. Take the 2022 Hyundai Tucson, for instance. It’s bigger, more stylish, and comes with more features than the model it replaces. And guess what? It’s also more expensive than its forebear. SEe What You Get? With a base price of $26,135, the entry-level 2022 Hyundai Tucson SE stickers for $1,250 more than its 2021 counterpart. Those extra bucks, however, buy you an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display (one inch bigger than before), LED headlights with automatic high beams, a 187-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (up 26 horses from the old 2.0-liter), and those aforementioned hard-edged wares. Step up to the $27,685 Tucson SEL and the compact SUV brings additional kit such a...
Kia Motors America (KMA) is voluntarily recalling the following vehicles: 2017-2019 Cadenza vehicles manufactured from June 2, 2016 to June 14, 2019 not equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC); 2017-2021 Sportage vehicles manufactured from December 10, 2015 to October 23, 2020 not equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). The recall population was determined by a review of vehicle and supplier production records. Kia is conducting this recall as a preventative measure to mitigate any potential fire risk. It has been determined an engine compartment fire may occur in the area where the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) is located. The electrical circuit within the HECU may experience a short circuit condition that results in excessive current, thereby increasing the risk of an engin...
Jeep has some concept car tricks up its proverbial sleeves for the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, which kicks off March 27. Specifically, the brand plans to reveal an electric variant of its iconic Wrangler, which may go by the name “Magneto” after earlier being referred to by the rather uncreative name of the Wrangler BEV—or battery-electric vehicle—concept. Likely one of the many concept vehicles Jeep will presumably bring to the annual off-roading event—or in this age of coronavirus, perhaps just digitally reveal around the event—the Magneto/Wrangler BEV builds upon the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid. Unlike the Wrangler 4xe, which relies on a pair of electric motors and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for motivation, ...
The phrase “green with envy” has moved so far past the point of cliché that it’s effectively impossible to justify using it. However, when an Irish Green Gunther Werks 993-series Porsche 911 shows up, well, our jaws drop, our eyes widen, and our hearts are struck with nothing but pure, unadulterated want. We’ve covered a few of Gunther Werks’ remastered 911s in the past, and we continue to believe this tuner company is simply unable to disappoint us. As you may or may not know, the SoCal-based company’s creations start life as a regular 993-generation Porsche 911. The engineers at Gunther Werks then take the entire thing apart. That means every nut, bolt, body panel, electrical gizmo, and mechanical do-dad is stripped away leaving just the body-in-white....
Texans have good reason to be concerned with their energy grid after it failed spectacularly this winter. Happily, Ford owners and dealers came to the rescue with their F-150 PowerBoost hybrids, and now Tesla is building what appears to be a more permanent solution. According to a report by Bloomberg Green, a company called Gambit Energy Storage, which is a subsidiary of Tesla, is building a 100-megawatt energy storage facility about 40 miles south of Houston. Such a system could produce enough power to run roughly 20,000 homes on a hot summer day. See all 13 photos Tesla already has other mega-batteries in operation, including a 20-megawatt facility east of Los Angeles and a 100-megawatt unit in Australia. Such battery systems serve as buffers for renewable energy sources—for example, sto...
Who said buying a project vehicle sight unseen was a bad idea? David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan say it all the time, but they usually include a version of, “Do as I say, not as I do,” somewhere while they walk up to their most recent sight-unseen purchase. But this is Roadkill, and it’s business as usual with this most amazing of project vehicles: Welcome the ultra-wide, couldn’t-be-more-’70s 2nd-gen Camaro to the Roadkill fleet! We know, it’s beautiful. Yes, that is (as near as makes no difference) three whole feet of tire section in the rear. No, it isn’t a Pro Street build. No, that doesn’t make it a Pro Touring build, either. So what is this shining example of 1970s ingenuity? Beside being Freiburger’s latest automotive infatuatio...