The Fast Lane Car

Review: The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic means we all can finally forget about the Vega

The new Chevrolet Sonic is a 2012 model that is the best subcompact car Chevrolet has produced. But, looking at Chevy history, that may not be saying a lot. Its tinny, troublesome 1970s Vega is still remembered by many as being one of the worst small cars from Detroit.

However, it’s a different auto world now. The Sonic is derived from General Motor’s German Opel Corsa and provides larger-car refinement and driving kicks.

The front-drive Sonic replaces the lackluster Aveo and is Chevrolet‘s newest small car, although it feels larger inside than it looks from the outside. The Sonic is among the new crop of small, upscale U.S. cars. American automakers have finally learned how to make money with small family cars.  

Formidable rivals include the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Nissan Versa. 

Review: The 2012 Chevy Equinox fits like an Italian suit & drives like a classic Caddy

Chevrolet’s 2012 Equinox crossover fit me like an Italian suit. The leather driver’s seat hugged, the interior cocooned, the handsome exterior tidily enclosed. Too bad I don’t want to wear—or drive—something resembling an Italian suit every single day.

A crossover is a blend of car and sport-utility vehicle, and is meant to provide families and empty-nester types with the best of both worlds: Car-like sensations with SUV-style usefulness.

The Equinox unquestionably succeeds at the former: Its exterior looks like a second skin pulled over proportionate and brawny shoulders and chest—the front end, fenders, and hood swell in appealing ways. Plus the Equinox strikes a compact stance, and the numbers bear out the notion: At 15-plus feet (188 inches), the Chevy is shorter than a Toyota Camry sedan.

Review: The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a tranquilo ride that's easy on the wallet & the butt

Let’s talk about butts. Your butt. My butt. Really anybody’s butt, so long as it’s planted in the driver’s seat of Chevrolet’s new Sonic. I’d argue that, while I can’t say the same for the entire human body, a Sonic driver’s butt is a happy butt.

I don’t adore the Sonic’s seats. They’re mildly bolstered, firm and adequate, even “better than adequate,” which is a characterization that pretty much sums up this car. Really, I think that’s praise. Beginning at a very decent $15,000, the Sonic, for starters, has a great looking front end (particularly the lights), amusing performance, a roomy interior, and a lot of airbags. I prefer the squat and roomy hatch, though the sedan blessedly avoided any encounters with an ugly stick.

Video review: Is the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic a very new and much improved Aveo?

For 2012 Chevrolet has completely redesigned and even renamed the Chevy Aveo.

The small Chevrolet economy car is now the brand new Chevy Sonic. The old Aveo was really a rebadged Korean that is now a bad memory in the minds of many car reviewers.

So of course the obvious question is has General Motors come out of the corner swinging with a brand new Chevrolet Sonic that can take on the likes of the very popular Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, and of course the very similar KIA Rio.

Check out this 0 to 60 MPH review of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic to find out.

Video: 2012 Chevrolet Volt vs Toyota Camry Hybrid 0-60 MPH Mashup Review

The 2012 Chevrolet Volt and the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid represent two family cars that have a similar yet completely different way of saving fuel.

The Volt is both an electric car and a plug-in hybrid in that it can run on both electricity (about 40 miles) and gas.

The Camry is a more traditional hybrid in that cannot go a very long distance on just electricity but it use its electric motor in conjunction with the gas engine to go further on a gallon of gas.

So which is the better family car to own and buy?

Check out this video review below to find out as we compare a two family cars that both cost about 35K (after rebates) in another classic TFLcar Mashup review.

Review: The 2012 Chevy Silverado 2500HD is rugged, comfortable & Cadillacky pick-up

I find truck stops romantic—not for the leathery hot dogs or fluorescent-lit mini-mart aisles, but for the sounds. Specifically, I like the sound of an 18-wheeler’s diesel engine. I don’t think of that sound as “clatter.” A diesel engine sings of power and potential borne of an efficient, robust design, and its hypnotic industrial tune is one big reason that I’m a sucker for a well-executed, king-of-the-road style, diesel pickup like Chevrolet’s 2012 Silverado 2500HD.

Chevrolet’s truck engineers—and plenty of Americans—apparently enjoy the same song (pickups again top American sales charts). I recently drove a Silverado 2500HD 4WD LTZ Crew Cab packed with enough luxuries to almost make me forget I was in a utility vehicle. But then there was that rhythmic rat-a-tat-tat emanating from underneath the contoured hood as well as the cannon-sized exhaust pipe, courtesy of the 6.6-liter, Duramax V8 turbo-diesel engine. During hundreds of miles of driving, sometimes I turned off the Bose-speaker stereo and the GPS’s female narrator just to hear the diesel go.

Video: Ford F-150 Ecoboost vs Chevy Silverado Duramax Pick-up Mashup Review

Ford excepts to sell almost 100,000 brand new Ecoboost twin turbo F-150's this year. With a towing capacity of just over 11,000 pounds and 360 HP, the F-150 is a class leading pick-up truck.

But how will it do when stacked up against a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (heavy duty) with the Duramax turbo diesel engine?

And perhaps even more importantly how do both classic American pick-ups do when used the way that many people use pick-ups...as their daily drivers?

We took two of America's newest and most popular turbo-charged pick-ups and put them to the everyman test of comfort, ease of use, and combined that with a very unusual drag race to see which pick-up was the better daily driver.

Watch this classic American pick-up mashup challenge and review below.

Review: A tale of two Chevys – the 2012 Cruze LT and Cruze Eco (part 2)

When I saw my name on the list to get the Cruze Eco right after driving the one in California, I was peeved. I mean, this was going to be a boring, underpowered, striped-down Cruze built for efficiency – right? There is no way I can evaluate a lesser car like this without finding fault based on my experiences with its loaded brother – right?

Well, not exactly.

First of all, the Chevrolet Cruze Eco has the same, sprightly engine as the LT I drove in California. This was fortuitous as economy cars in the Rocky Mountains tend to bog down at high altitude; they can lose up to 30% of their horsepower in the thin air. The Cruze Eco is turbocharged, so it mitigates power loss.

Review: A tale of two Chevys – the 2012 Cruze LT and Cruze Eco (part 1)

One thing I simply love about this job is the opportunity to be surprised. Considering the new batch of efficient cars, I was pleased with Chevrolet’s progress in this segment, especially with the Cruze. If you are shopping for a quality small sedan, I think the Chevrolet Cruze is an excellent candidate.

Here’s why:

Video: Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs Chevy Cruze Eco Challenge Review

What's the most fun hybrid or eco car to drive?

It certainly isn't the Toyota Prius, but it could very well be the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid or the 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco with the manual transmission.

Both cars get 40 or more MPG on the highway and both cars are fun to drive...at least as fun as high mileage cars can be.

The new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has something that most hybrids don't have...a standard automatic transmission instead of a CVT.

The new Chevy Cruze Eco also has something that many high mileage cars don't have...a manual transmission and a turbo.

So which one is the better car if having a fun to drive car high mileage car parked in your garage is at the top of your shopping list . Check out this first drive review to find out.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible review: what you see is what you get

Most people love a convertible, and Chevrolet’s new 2011 Camaro convertible should satisfy many soft-top lovers.

That is, unless they don’t mind a rear seat suitable just for kids and a rather small trunk with a high opening that gets even smaller when the top is lowered.

Convertibles long have been more expensive than coupes, and the base Camaro convertible starts at $29,150 with a V-6 and goes to $39,650 for the top-line 2SS V-8 version, which I tested with a manual transmission. My 2SS V-8 model cost $42,145.

In contrast, a base Camaro V-6 coupe lists at $22,680 and the top-line V-8 coupe is $34,395, without options.

Video review: the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is the biggest Chevy crossover of them all

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse AWD LTZ is one of the biggest new crossovers that you can buy today.

It will seat 8 people and take them in all wheel drive comfort and safety from Florida to California.

But is it better than the Ford Flex and the rest of the breed of new large crossovers like the Ford Explorer and the Dodge Durango?

Watch the video review below and find out.

Video review: Does the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco have the technology to get 40 MPG?

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco is one of a new breed of non-hybrid fuel efficient cars.

It competes with cars like the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus and the Hyundai Elantra for the younger entry level buyer.

BTW: You can read our review of the the standard Chevrolet Cruse HERE.

Unlike the standard Chevrolet Cruse, the high mileage Eco version of the car is packed with enhancements to get the most out of every drop of fuel. Chevy has equipped it with the 1.4L engine from the Volt and to make it perform better Chevrolet also strapped on a turbo for 138 HP.

The Cruze Eco is also lighter and more aerodynamic that the standard car.

But does it have enough technology to reach 40 MPG on the highway without the need for an expensive hybrid battery?

That's the question we answer in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco video review below.

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is a step in the right direction

 
The last front-drive, economy minded Chevrolet I drove (before my Cruze test drive) was the 2010 Aveo – which was not a particularly memorable experience. I know General Motors can do better; fortunately, the Chevrolet Cruze is better. Sure, the Chevrolet Cobalt was unsophisticated the moment it was produced – with the exception of the awesome SS, but it had some merits, the main one was affordability.

I was a bit concerned that the Chevrolet Cruze priced itself out of the game with $16,275 being its starting price. Then, after doing some research, I found most of the competition was priced about the same. The competition in this case is definitely the Ford Focus. As wonderful as that car may be, I can not attest to any of the Focus’ merits as Ford has not allowed me to so much as touch one.

Fortunately, I have driven the Chevrolet Cruze. It was during a press event in Southern California. I had less than an hour behind the wheel, but it was enough time to get the gist of what this small Chevy is. 

Review 2011 Chevy Corvette Z06: Teaching you the real meaning of getting to know 'every bump in the road'

Nearing its 60th birthday, the Chevrolet Corvette is arguably the most highly recognized and popular production sports car built in North America. The current-generation Corvette debuted in 2005, with the carmaker amending the vehicle with various trims and tweaks in recent years.

For 2011, Chevy introduced a mid-step between the base model Z06 and top-of-the line ZR1. It’s a Z06 featuring for the first time an upgrade offering select ZR1 features like an adaptive suspension, grippier Michelin tires and a carbon fiber package.

The result is a trio of impressive statistics: 505 horsepower, a top speed of 198 mph and the designation as the lightest Corvette at 3,178 pounds.