Everyone knows that Ford has a new electric crossover called the Mustang Mach-E. It’s the first really interesting fully electric car from Ford and the first time the company has taken the Mustang name out of the two-door sports coupe segment.

I have no hardcore affinity for the Mustang at this point in my life. When I was a kid, things were different. I loved the car, but as I got older I grew less and less enamored with it. I met too many guys I didn’t like who owned one, and the Mustang became less of the car to own and more of just a car I could possibly see myself in.

With that said, I have a major problem with the Mustang Mach-E’s name. Ford done goofed like it has done so many times before. Why would you decide to alter what the Mustang was all about by making the Mach-E what it is and leave a perfectly good name in the past? Thunderbird.

Thunderbird Is the Perfect Electric Car Name

Of all the names to call an electric car, I can think of few better than Thunderbird. It has a direct connection to electricity. It sounds cool. There’s a long history of the Thunderbird being an important car for Ford.

Heck, Ford could have even used AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” at the reveal and in the advertising campaigns. The ads practically write themselves. A dark background, lighting strikes, loud music plays, and there is the car shimmering. Then it races off.

Please play the video below as you read the rest of this article to hear how perfect it would have been.

Nope. Not Ford. The company couldn’t make sense. It had to ruin one of its most iconic models because BRANDING.

It’s fair to say that the Mustang is a better-known and better-liked brand than Thunderbird. I assume this is why Ford picked it. The company gets a well-known name that’s associated with sportiness—something that most people say they want even though they actually all want to buy a convenient and practical crossover—and a design language that it can bastardize on an SUV body so that the designers don’t actually have to come up with a novel design.

It makes sense. I can see how Ford executives came around to thinking it was a good idea.

The Thunderbird would have been better.

It was an important car for the company for years. Ford positioned the car as an upscale model rather than a sports car, and that could have played well with a crossover model rather than pretending the crossover is a sports car.

Also, over the years, the Thunderbird went through more dramatic changes than the Mustang. It was always a big luxury car, but it’s a bit more of a malleable nameplate than the Stang, which has always been a sports car known for its V8 engine, burning rubber, and a very distinctive shape. The design team could have used the Thunderbird styling elements of old and transferred them to a crossover body without it looking so freaking awkward.

Part of the reason the Mustang Mach-E looks so bloated and silly is that you have the real Mustang sitting right there next to it looking svelte and sporty. Chubby crossovers look best next to other chubby crossovers.

Ford Could have Avoided Some Angry Fans

Ford has undoubtedly pissed off some Mustang fanboys, and even folks who aren’t huge Mustang fans will have a certain feeling about the Mustang nameplate in general. I can’t image that playing well in the showroom. The vehicle is somewhat of a polarizing one in many circles.

I asked a friend if he’d buy one, and he said no simply because it is a Mustang, and he’s not exactly what you’d call a car guy. The issue with choosing such a well-known nameplate is that everyone has an opinion of the car already.

It’s known for all of its good traits, but it’s also well-known for causing crashes at car events and generally having owners with large egos and sub-par driving skills. I’m not sure if it’s just a temporary backlash against the things that the Boomers thought were cool or if the Mustang is permanently marred by the acts of owners of the past. But I’ve noticed a general dislike of the Stang in recent years that I didn’t see even five years ago. Of course, this is just my own observation.

Whatever the case, Ford has angered some folks. There’s even a petition online to change the name of the car. At the time of this writing, it has nearly 13,500 signatures. The petition was started by Mustang fan and automotive journalist Jimmy Dinsmore. I’ve met Jimmy more than once, and I kinda hope his petition succeeds, though I doubt it’ll have any effect. Ford already has the vehicle, the marketing materials, and just about everything else designed with the Mustang in mind.

The Thunderbird name would have solved many of these problems. The company could have kept the Mustang what it has always been, used a well-known name that doesn’t have much of any negatives that I’m aware of, and been able to get a name that actually sounds like it belongs to an electric car instead of just tacking an E on the end of the word Mach.

Let me be clear, I have no doubt that the Mustang Mach-E is a good crossover. It’s probably one of the better vehicles that Ford has produced in the last decade, but the company screwed the pooch on the name.

Ford, if you have a good explanation for why you didn’t call the Mach-E the Thunderbird, I want to hear it.

The Tesla Cybertruck is the model that everyone in the world is talking about right now. Love it or hate it, the vehicle is a garnering all kinds of press for Tesla. Everything from the over the top presentation to the smashing of the windows to the electric ATV that was brought out at one point were all there to boost the hype surrounding the automaker.

This makes sense. Tesla is run like a startup. It’s a company that relies on hype and the assumed value that it has to continue to operate. Say what you will about the company, but so far its antics and innovative ways of doing business have worked so far.

The Cybertruck is the physical embodiment of that. It’s a wild vehicle with the stated performance chops to beat the class leaders and an exterior that’s as polarizing as can be. It’s all on purpose. Musk knows what he is doing. It’s a calculated risk, and while Tesla stock took a hit initially, it will likely creep back up as time goes on.

The company’s new truck aims to revolutionize the truck market in the way its other vehicles have the rest of the automotive industry. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Cybertruck. I believe it could be the force that could change the truck segment. “Could” is the keyword here. It would take buy-in from consumers and some uncharacteristic actions from Tesla.

200,000 Pre-Orders and Counting

The reveal of the Cybertruck didn’t go off without a hitch. The “unbreakable” glass that is on the vehicle broke during the debut. Musk looked a little lost on the stage, and the whole thing was a bit awkward. The thing is, people don’t care about that. They look at the performance and range specs and judging by that, the vehicle is great, so a couple hundred thousand have already put in pre-orders.

According to CNN, Musk reported there were 200,000 pre-orders for the Cybertruck. It is important to note, all that it takes to pre-order the truck is $100 that’s fully refundable, which is far lower than the previous Tesla models.

The Cybertruck Versus Other Trucks on the Market

If the company’s performance and range stats are accurate, the Cybertruck will be a force to be reckoned with. It’ll be faster than anything on the market. It has a 0-60 mph time of under three seconds and will be the fastest truck out there. The truck can also tow up to 14,000 pounds depending on the trim level. This is more than every other full-size pickup on the market in which it will compete. The range sits at 250 miles for the low-level model and 500 miles for the top-end one.

In terms of price, the Cybertruck isn’t wildly priced. The lowest trim level version will cost $39,900. The mid-level version will cost $49,900. The top-level version will cost $69,900. While that is a pretty penny, I’ve driven mid-size pickups that cost more. The cheapest version of the Ford F-150 that is comparable to the Cybertruck (a crew cab XL F-150) comes in at about $35,000. Yes, the Cybertruck is more money, but it also offers more.

When you start climb the trim and features ladder, you might even find that the Cybertruck is cheaper than some of its competition. Some of the top-of-the-line F-150s and Chevy Silverados go well beyond the $69,900 price of the top-level Cybertruck, though I’m sure Tesla will offer add-ons to make that price climb a bit higher. Regardless, the price is a reasonable one.

How Will It Impact the Truck Segment?

Judging by the past sales performance of Tesla vehicles, I think it’s safe to say that people will wait for and buy this truck. Tesla has a history of messing up the roll-out and delaying deliveries for its vehicles.

I have no doubt this vehicle will be more of the same. I also have little doubt that people will wait. Some will drop off and go with another vehicle, but people seem to be patiently waiting for their Model 3 sedans, and I see no reason why they wouldn’t do the same here.

If Musk really does have 200,000 pre-orders, then that’s quite a big mark on the truck segment. I would expect more pre-orders to roll in over the next several months. Some will fall off, too, because they’ll get sick of waiting.

Tesla’s production facility will be the real issue here. If Tesla could churn out all of those 200,000 pre-orders in the first year that the truck went on sale, it would place it in the top half of the segment.

However, I would be surprised to see Tesla do that. The company has only ever sold more than 20,000 Model 3s in a month twice, according to our records. In order to get 200,000 Cybertrucks out in one year, it’d have to put out about 16,700 trucks each month.

That would make the Cybertruck, by far the best-selling Tesla model ever, and with its polarizing styling and controversial design overall, it would be impressive, indeed, if Tesla could make that happen. The pre-orders are a promising indicator, but they don’t tell the whole story.

The more interesting part of the story is that this truck’s entrance into the segment will likely spur Ford and GM to put out electric versions of their current pickups. Recent reports indicate that GM will have an electric pickup on sale by 2021. That truck will go head to head with the Tesla Cybertruck, so Musk better hope his funky truck has better specs.

That’s where the real impact of the Cybertuck will happen. It’s less about how its sales will change the segment and more about how its existence will. That has been the case for all Tesla cars. They’ve changed the industry, and the Cybertruck might be the most important model yet. Too bad something so important is so ugly.

Ford revealed the Mustang Mach-E crossover utility vehicle to a lot of excitement. It’s getting a lot of attention from all kinds of media. There are people who love it, people who don’t, and folks everywhere in between. No matter what you think of the Mustang Mach-E, one thing is for sure, it foreshadows what is to come from the Blue Oval.

Ford Motor Company has been pumping money into its electric car research and development for a while now. The company plans to invest about $11 billion in electrified vehicle technology by 2022, according to Reuters. That may sound like a huge number, but when you consider that every automaker in the industry will be vying for a piece of the electric automotive pie, the $11 billion makes a lot of sense.

While Ford has had several hybrids in its lineup over the last several years, the Mustang Mach-E is its first major step towards a seriously electrified future. The Mustang name is famous enough to be a standalone brand by itself. To attach it to a model is a move that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Judging by the vehicle’s specs, it’s not a move that Ford did without really making sure the vehicle could deliver.

What Is the Ford Mustang Mach-E?

On its most basic level, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is an all-electric crossover utility vehicle. It promises the exciting performance that people have come to expect of the Mustang but in a crossover that has an electric powertrain.

The vehicle is the company’s first long-range electric car, and the only other vehicle to wear the Mustang name other than the two-door coupe in the company’s history. The name will excite some and anger others, but one thing’s for sure, it will get them talking.

The vehicle comes in five different trim levels that all offer slightly different takes on the design with different range and performance specifications. The least of which can make 0-60 mph in about six seconds and a range of 230 miles. The highest performance version of the car is the Mach-E GT, which can do 0-60 mph in about three and a half seconds. The highest range of any of the Mustang Mach-Es is about 300 miles.

The vehicle either comes with a 75.7 kWh lithium-ion battery (288 lithium-ion cells) or a 98.8 kWh lithium-ion battery (376 lithium-ion cells). The batteries can be charged with a regular outlet. With the Ford Connected Charging station, owners can add 32 miles of charge per hour on a 240-volt outlet. Without the Ford Connected Charging station, you’ll get 22 miles per hour of charging. Plug the vehicle into a DC fast-charging station and you can go from 10 to 80 percent charge in only 38 minutes. 

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is right on par with the competition and better than it in some respects, this should help the vehicle to sell well.

Where It Fits in the Market

In terms of the market, the Mustang Mach-E will go up against vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt. While those aren’t crossovers, they demand significant clout in the automotive industry on the electric side of the market, so you can bet that people will be cross-shopping these models.

The Mustang Mach-E is really a choice for anyone looking for an electric car. This puts it up against anything that falls into the same price point, regardless of the vehicle type. With a starting price of $43,895 before tax credits, you can bet that people will be thinking twice about the Tesla Model 3, which starts under $40,000. Despite the Mustang being a little more, I’m betting the popularity of a crossover and the added utility of the vehicle type will hold some weight here.

It’s important to note that there are some other electric SUVS out there. However, they’re either way more expensive, like the Tesla Model X or the Jaguar I-Pace, or they don’t have the performance and range chops to keep up with the new Mach-E. Hyundai’s Kona EV comes to mind.

The Mustang Mach-E has hit a particular part of the market at a time when electric car sales are on the rise with a vehicle that’s genuinely interesting from multiple viewpoints. Pair that with the fact that you can get a high-performance version in the Mustang Mach-E GT that will do an approximate three-and-a-half 0-60 mph time for around $60,000, and you have a vehicle that should pique even more interest.

What Could It Do for Ford’s Sales?

According to the Edison Electric Institute, electric vehicle sales rose by more than 80 percent from 2017 to 2018. There were 1.18 million electric vehicles on the road. In my own reporting of monthly sales numbers for this publication, I’ve noticed that electric vehicle sales, and even hybrid and plug-in hybrid sales have continued to rise, even in segments that are struggling.

Ford may have hit the market at the right time with this vehicle. However, it’s important to note that in the first quarter of 2019, electric cars still only made up for less than two percent of all new car sales in the U.S. That’s not much, but the market is clearly growing and quickly, too.

If the market sees another 80 percent gain from 2018 to 2019, there will probably be somewhere over half a million electric vehicles sold in 2020. By 2021, when the Mustang Mach-E comes out, that number could be somewhere around 800,000 to 1 million. All this bodes well for Ford’s new Mustang.

While it will face new competition and various unforeseen challenges, I see no reason why it couldn’t outsell electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model X. It could even outsell the Model 3. We’re talking somewhere around 5,000 sales each month—or possibly way more—once the vehicles begin moving off lots. From there, the sky is the limit.

Of course, this is just my speculation. This is what I see the Mustang Mach-E being able to do. However, it has to be good to drive, practical, and generally a good vehicle all around to get the kinds of sales I expect Ford would like to see. Ford can’t rely on the Mustang name for everything. The vehicle still has to be good in order for it to be a sales success.

If Ford can kick off sales well with the Mustang Mach-E, it will bode well for all of the company’s future electric cars. According to Reuters, the company plans 40 electrified vehicles by 2022, 16 of which will be fully electric, so there’s a lot riding on the Mach-E, you wouldn’t be out of line to say that Ford’s future is resting on the crossovers sporty looking shoulders. So, even if you’re not in love with the idea of an electric crossover Mustang, if you have any affinity at all for Ford, you’d better hope the Mach-E is a hit.

Genesis is the luxury brand of the Hyundai Kia Auto Group, and the G70 is the small luxury car that gets the unenviable job of taking its fight straight to some of the best in the segment from the Germans and Swedes. 

The Genesis G70 sits near the bottom of the middle of the pack in terms of overall sales, but despite its somewhat low volume, the vehicle manages to stand out. It’s also gaining ground in the segment. I got to spend a week with the G70 to see why. 

My Time With the Vehicle

During my time with the car, I drove all over Indianapolis. I took it on the highway. I pretended to be a fancy executive who had to cram his small luxury sedan into a parking garage downtown. I did the whole drive-around-the-suburbs-and-to-the-grocery thing.

I drove it hard, I drove it soft, and I cruised along the unbelievably straight grid pattern of roads that crisscrosses much of the midwest. I also managed to find a few twisty bits of road to see what this car can do in the corners. 

How is it? Excellent. Genesis is the real deal, and the G70 puts many other small luxury cars to shame. It does just about everything very well. Is it as good as the segment leaders? Not quite, but, boy, is it close. 

What Is It?

A handsome small luxury sedan. The G70 won’t make that indefinable spot in your gut ache like when you look at a Jaguar E-Type, but it does make you smile and nod. Or maybe that’s just me. 

Anyway, the car is a handsome machine with the right proportions and design elements swiped from just about every other luxury automaker out there. There’s a Hofmeister kink at the windows, a large hexagonal-shaped grille with a handsome mesh pattern to it, some sleek wraparound headlights and taillights, and some muscular sheet metal complete with a few well-placed creases for good measure. It’s a handsome car. It’s also somewhat unremarkable.

There are five seats, a trunk for bags or groceries, the interior is luxurious and the exterior is just eye-catching enough to make you either wonder what that car is or speculate on what it costs. 

Under the Hood

My tester came with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. That engine puts out a strong 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. The engine also delivers power predictably with no weird spikes in power. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with some paddle-shifters and a manual mode in case you want to do an impression of a race car driver. 

The transmission is a shift-by-wire system and it sends power to all four wheels thanks to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. The all-wheel-drive system is not standard. Standard for this car is rear-wheel drive.

The G70 is also available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. That engine makes 252 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The 3.3T is the more powerful engine, but you can get the G70 with the 2.0T with a manual (rear-wheel drive only), which will appeal to only a select few buyers (I’m one of them.)

I only drove the 3.3T model, though I’d love to check out the 2.0-liter, especially with the manual transmission. 

Attractive & Well-Built Interior

The Genesis G70 has one of the most handsome interiors out there. It’s not quite as good as the Volvo S60 I recently reviewed, but I think it beats many other cars in its segment with the exception of the aforementioned Volvo and maybe the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. 

The interior materials all feel high quality, the layout is elegant and clean without too much going on or too many conflicting interior materials.

The seats are clad in soft, comfortable leather and they’re also quite supportive. I was comfortable even on long drives. The back seats felt cramped, though the interior materials were still good.

The infotainment system is one of the better ones out there. Some people will like BMW and Mercedes-Benz systems better, but Genesis is leaps ahead of Lexus, Infiniti, and Cadillac. The system’s graphics could use a refresh (Genesis has had them for a few years now), but it’s easy to use and full of good features like navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and other apps and features. 

Everything inside the cabin felt and looked upscale, which is exactly what you want from a luxury car, and with the G70’s bargain price compared to the competition, this is good news. 

A Safe Small Luxury Car

The Genesis G70 is one of the best small luxury cars out there when it comes to safety. The vehicle received a 2019 Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. The car has not been rated by the NHTSA, but I’d expect it to receive similar high marks. 

The vehicle comes with a lot of safety equipment that includes: vehicle stability management, traction control, brake assist, seven airbags, forward collision avoidance system with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, cross-traffic collision warning, lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, high-beam assist, and hill-start assist. 

How Big Is It?

The Genesis G70 has quite a presence, but it’s really not a very big car. The vehicle measures 184 inches in length, 73 inches in width, and 55 inches in height. This is similar in size to the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Volvo S60 in the same segment. All of those cars, however, are slightly longer. 

Inside, the car features 42.6 inches of legroom up front and 34.8 inches of legroom in the rear. Up front that’s a great number, beating most of the competition. However, when it comes to rear legroom the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Volvo S60 do better.

When it comes to the trunk area, the Genesis comes up short. It features less cargo space than much of the competition. The G70 has 10.5 cubic feet of trunk space. The Mercedes C-Class beats that by about two cubic feet. The Volvo S60 beats it by about a cubic foot. The BMW smashes the G70 with a comparably cavernous trunk that’s about six and a half cubic feet 

Does It Work?

The Genesis G70 fulfills its mission. It hangs with the competition in just about every way and does so at a price point that undercuts the competition (more on that later). 

The car is a sporty, almost hot-rod of a luxury car and can take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Volvo S60 among others with ease in terms of performance. Is the G70 a class leader? It’s not the class leader, but it’s darn close. 

In terms of its interior, the car is again on par with the best in the segment, but it comes up just a little short of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in terms of interior materials and technology. I also think the Volvo S60 has a more elegant interior design overall. 

From an exterior standpoint, I actually think the car looks better from many angles than the cars that arguably have informed its styling. Genesis has done a masterful job of taking design cues from other automakers and crafting a new vehicle from them. It’s a derivative design, but a good one. 

Overall, the car is a very satisfying machine. The G70 does everything it needs to do to challenge the leaders and assert itself in the market. That’s why it’s gaining market share. The fact that it’s gaining ground makes even more sense when you look at the price. 

Does It Justify Its Price?

You bet your buns. One place where Genesis beats the competition handily is on price. This is a move that Lexus has pulled for years, but now Genesis is doing an even better job at it. The car features a starting price of $35,450. That’s well below the BMW and Mercedes offerings. It even manages to beat Audi, Volvo, Lexus, and Infiniti by a couple thousand. 

That is, of course, the starting price for the car. Climb the ladder and you’re looking at a significantly higher price tag. My tester came to me with a final dollar amount of $50,995. Not cheap, to be sure, but then luxury car buyers aren’t looking for a cheap car, they’re looking for a good value and a car they can be proud of. A comparable model from BMW and Mercedes are much higher priced. 

The Genesis might not offer all of the prestige that BMW and Mercedes do, but it does offer almost everything else. Also, Genesis seems to be gaining some ground when it comes to its image. 

The luxury automaker is doing all of the right things to build the kind of reputation it needs with offers that include: three years of connected services with every purchase, three years of remote basic service, multimedia and navigation updates, three-years of regular maintenance complimentary, Sirius XM for three years, and three years of roadside assistance should you need it.

What’s the Verdict?

The G70 is the luxury car value proposition. It gives buyers looking for a less expensive small luxury car an option while still providing all of the style, comfort, features, and performance that you get from other automakers. 

The car is darn good in almost every way, and the few areas that it comes up short in, it does so only by a little bit, which means its lower price may still sway many buyers. I know it would make up my mind for me. The smaller back seat and smaller trunk may be a no-go for some buyers, but those are areas of the car that I see a lot of folks compromising on. 

As far as I can tell, the G70 will continue gaining ground in the segment, and it’s pretty clear why. This is a car in a tough segment and still manages to stand out. Good job, Genesis. 

Specifications

• Base Price: $35,450 (3.3T Prestige AWD trim $45,750)
• Price as Tested: $50,995 (with a $995.00 destination fee)
• Drive Type: AWD
• Engine: 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6
• Transmission: 8-speed automatic
• Power Output: 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque
• EPA: 18 mpg city / 25 mpg highway / 20 mpg combined
• Optional Equipment: Low beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, parking distance warning, wide sunroof, wireless charging pad, head-up display, surround-view monitor, Nappa leather seating surfaces, heated leather seats, and microfiber suede headliner.

While the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra share a lot of the same parts, components, and tech, GMC does have a couple of things that set it apart from its bowtie brethren. This makes it worthy of your attention and consideration. 

My Time With the Vehicle

GMC flew me out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to drive the new 1500 Duramax version of the truck as well as the Sierra HD and write some reviews. I got to spend two days with the HD and the 1500 Duramax. 

While my time in the 1500 Duramax wasn’t quite as extensive as it was with the HD, I will say I definitely had enough time to evaluate the truck properly. 

The GMC Sierra sits in fifth place overall in truck sales. It now sits behind the Ford F-Series, Ram Pickup, Chevy Silverado, and Toyota Tacoma. This is for all versions of the Sierra (HD and otherwise). 

Despite this, the company seems to be doing well due to the fact that the GMC brand caters to more affluent customers. It’s an important truck for the segment. 

What Is It?

The 2020 Sierra 1500 is a light-duty, full-size pickup truck. It’s designed for buyers who need a truck that can do everything—tow, haul, get groceries, etc. The new diesel version of the truck adds another flavor to the recipe. 

The truck with the Duramax diesel can tow up to 9,100 pounds and it can haul up to 2,240 pounds. The truck is as much a workhorse as it is an everyday driver. 

GMC calls itself a premium automaker. It says it’s the only premium SUV and truck manufacturer in the country. While it does cater to a more affluent customer, I see few differences between the GMC products and the higher trim level pickups from other automakers. 

There is a little more prestige with the GMC brand, but the Sierra 1500 doesn’t feel all that much more luxurious or special than trucks from Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram. 

The Trims, Configurations, and Powertrains

GMC, like Chevrolet, offers its 1500 truck in regular, double cab or crew cab. You can get two or four-wheel drive, and there are six different trim levels: Sierra, SLE, Elevation, SLT, AT4, and Denali. The Denali trim level is the luxurious one and the AT4 trim level is the off-roading trim level. 

When it comes to engines, there are a lot of choices. GMC offers a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a 4.3-liter V6, a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and finally the 3.0-liter turbo diesel straight-six. Depending on the engine you’ll get either a six-speed automatic, and eight-speed automatic, or a 10-speed automatic. 

I drove only the Duramax diesel engine. It comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission and makes 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. It also manages 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. The gas mileage is impressive but not as good as Chevrolet, surprisingly. 

The Exterior

In terms of the exterior, I wouldn’t say the GMC Sierra 1500 is as good looking as the HD pickup. That truck just looks better with its lower beltline and lower bed height. However, the GMC looks far better than the Chevrolet Silverado. Chevy’s truck is too edgy and busy of a design for me. 

GMC’s Sierra is more subdued and a little more mature in the styling department than Chevrolet’s truck. This is especially true when you look at the AT4, which is the off-road trim level. GMC did a good job of making the truck look a little more aggressive, but it didn’t go full whacko crazy with the styling. The designers give it blacked-out accents and more or less left the rest alone. In short, the GMC is one of the best-looking full-size pickups on the market. 

Two other parts of the exterior I need to discuss are the carbon fiber bed and the MuliPro tailgate that GMC has. The tailgate offers six different ways it can be used and is a serious innovation. It looks cool and offers functionality no other truck can match. 

The carbon fiber bed is another GMC exclusive. GMC had us journalists beat the crap out of one of the beds with baseball bats, bricks, and golf clubs. The golf club was the only thing that did any damage, you can read more about that in my Sierra HD review. Basically, the carbon fiber bed is extremely tough. However, I wonder how difficult and expensive it is to replace if it were to be damaged in an accident. 

The Interior

As you might expect, the Sierra struggles in the interior department. The cabin is ergonomically fine, but from a styling and interior materials standpoint, it’s lacking. 

Interior materials are the true issue here. As I mentioned in my review of the Sierra HD, the cheaper plastics, fake wood trim, and fake metal in some cases has to go. GMC is supposed to be a premium automaker, and it needs to have premium level materials throughout the entire cabin. 

Right now, there are a lot of good things in the cabin. The seating upholstery is good, many parts of the dash look handsome and offer good quality materials, but the center stack, center console, and doors all have cheap plastic on them. If you cut out the cheap plastic and replaced it with something else, you’d have a true premium truck.

Towing Technology

GMC’s Sierra can be had with the company’s ProGrade trailering technology. This technology is designed to make towing as easy as possible. It works well. 

There are 15 different camera views. All of these views help make the truck easier to drive when towing a trailer. The one that’s most impressive is the transparent trailer view. It stitches together a special view using the rear-view camera and the side cameras to make it look like the trailer has almost disappeared. It’s especially handy with big-box trailers or a camper. 

The trailering technology can take some getting used to, but once you do, you’ll love the tech. Also, GMC has partnered with ASA so that it can interface with the company’s iN-Command control system. This system connects with an RV and allows you to control the RV’s systems from the truck. This means you can be rolling down the road and turn on your RV’s AC unit before you get to your campground. 

The Rest of the Technology

In terms of the rest of the technology in the truck, GMC hasn’t skimped on much of anything. There’s a high-quality infotainment system that provides drivers with access to 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, OnStar services and more. 

The truck also gets a multi-color heads-up display that measures three inches by seven inches. You get information like your speed, the speed limit, turn-by-turn navigation, cruise control status, and lane position. GMC isn’t lacking when it comes to technology in this truck. 

How Big Is It?

In its largest configuration, the GMC Sierra measures 241.3 inches in length, 81.2 inches in width, and 75.5-inches in height. 

That’s right in line with Ford, Ram, and Chevrolet’s pickup trucks. It is a little larger than some of the competition, but it doesn’t feel it on the road. One thing to note is that full-size trucks (all full-size trucks) are almost too large to fit in most people’s garages these days. 

Before you run out and buy one, think about the size of your garage or parking area and make sure it will fit. If it won’t consider a midsize truck, there are plenty out there and many offer good towing and hauling numbers. 

Does It Work?

Yes, it does. The GMC 1500 Duramax Diesel does its job. I got to tow right around 8,000 pounds up and down mountain roads and had no issues. The 10-speed automatic transmission is quite good. 

Your specific 1500, should you buy one will have a handy sticker inside the door telling you how much the truck can handle. Because these are VIN specific, you’ll know exactly for your specific truck.

I also got to take an AT4 version of the truck through a pretty rigorous off-road course put together by GM. The truck handled a tall rock climb and giant muddy bog area with ease. The AT4 is essentially GMC’s version of the Trail Boss. It comes with a two-inch lift, updated suspension, Rancho shocks, 18-inch wheels, hill descent control, traction control, and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires.

The truck works as an everyday vehicle, too. The cabin is comfortable and the truck easy to maneuver on the road. There’s plenty of room for storage, and the infotainment technology and driver aids work well. 

My only real complaint is the fact that some of the interior materials look and feel cheap. This is something that was less of a problem in the Chevrolet Silverado. I still mentioned it, but it’s less of a problem. GMC is supposed to be a premium automaker, and its interior materials need to reflect this, especially in the Denali trim level. 

Does It Justify Its Price?

The GMC Sierra 1500 starts at $29,600. That’s for the base model with a regular cab. It is affordable. However, it’s on the upper end. This is expected for GMC as it’s supposed to be a little higher on the prestige scale than say Chevy or Ford. 

The diesel engine is a good addition to the truck and one that I think is probably worth it. GMC charges $2,495 more than the 5.3-liter V8 engine for the Duramax. This is a pretty big chunk of change, but it’s not an outrageous amount. The engine is smooth, powerful, and much more efficient than the V8. If I were buying, I’d think about forking over the extra money. 

GMC also charges less for the upgrade than the competition. Ford and Ram both charge more for the diesel. 

Then we have the question of should you buy the GMC or Chevy? This is a tough one. For the non-diesel crowd, it’s easier. All you have to ask yourself is if the Chevy is too ugly for you. You should also ask if you’re interested in the MultiPro tailgate (the answer should be yes) and the carbon fiber bed (the answer should be no). 

In terms of the diesel curious, you need to ask yourself the questions above and if three mpg matters to you. Chevy’s truck makes 33 mpg highway, which is better than GMC’s truck by three mpg. The choice is yours. Personally, I’d take the GMC over the Chevy. The MultiPro tailgate option is worth it to me to pay a little more for the truck.

What’s the Verdict?

The GMC 1500 Duramax diesel is a fantastic pickup truck. It’s powerful, attractive, comfortable, and easy to drive even if you’re towing a heavy trailer behind it. The model has some interior bugaboos, but otherwise, there’s very little to complain about. 

Is it the best full-size truck out there? Well, that depends on what you want and how you use your truck. However, I will say that it’s better than it has ever been before and the MultiPro tailgate and diesel engine helps make it pretty special. 

Specifications

• Base Price: $29,600 (for base non-diesel truck)
• Price as Tested: Various models tested
• Drive Type: 2×4 and 4×4
• Engine: 3.0-liter turbo diesel straight-six
• Transmission: 10-speed automatic
• Power Output: 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque
• EPA: 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined
• Optional Equipment: List not provided with vehicles driven

The GMC Sierra follows much of the same playbook as that truck, so you might expect me to say it’s just as good. I’m not going to say that. The GMC is better. If only slightly. GMC managed to take essentially the same truck as the Chevy and make it just special enough. 

My Time With the Vehicle

The company invited me out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to drive the new 2020 Silverado HD, the 2020 Silverado 1500 Duramax (a review of that truck will come at a later date), and the new 2020 Acadia AT4. I got to spend the better part of two days in the truck. Towing, off-roading, and hauling all over. 

The GMC Sierra trickled down to fifth place overall in trucks below the Ford F-Series, Ram Pickup, Chevy Silverado, and Toyota Tacoma. This is for all versions of the trucks and not just the heavy-duty trucks.

GMC sells higher priced machines and manages to mostly cater to a more affluent customer. The Sierra’s unique offerings and its place in a more premium space of the truck market make it a very important truck for the segment. 

What Is It?

The 2020 Sierra HD fits into the heavy-duty truck segment. It’s designed for buyers who have heavy loads to tow and haul. The Sierra HD’s max conventional towing capacity is 20,000 pounds when properly equipped, max fifth-wheel towing capacity is 35,000 pounds when properly equipped, and payload capacity is 6,532 pounds when properly equipped. 

Those aren’t the highest numbers in the segment, but they’re more than enough for the vast majority of buyers. 

When you look at the Sierra HD in terms of how it compares with the others in the segment, it’s a bit of an outlier in that the company purposely focuses on more affluent buyers. GMC sees itself as the only premium SUV and truck brand. The company is the only one out there catering specifically to the premium market. 

Despite this, Ford, Chevy, and especially Ram all offer high trim levels of their trucks that are right on par with the Sierra HD and arguably more luxurious and premium in some cases. This comes down to marketing. GMC says it’s a premium brand, even if I were to say it was not, they still would claim to be higher in the food chain, but the lines get blurred. 

In the end, all you need to know is that this is a nice truck built for people who want something with a little more prestige than a Ford, Chevy, or Ram. 

The Trims, Configurations, and Powertrains

GMC like Chevy and the rest of the competition offers the Sierra HD in 2500 and 3500 variants. The truck can be had with a regular cab, double cab, or crew cab. You can get two or four-wheel drive and get the vehicle in a dually if you would like. 

As far as trim levels go, there’s the base Sierra, SLE, SLT, AT4, and Denali. The AT4 is the off-road version of the truck. It’s essentially the Chevy Silverado Trailboss of the GMC range and brings considerable off-road equipment to the model while still providing ample towing prowess. 

In the GMC Sierra HD you have the choice of two engines. They are the same choices as the Chevy Silverado HD. There’s the 6.6-liter V8 gasoline engine that makes 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. There’s also a Duramax 6.6-liter V8 turbodiesel that makes 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. This is the engine everyone wants and should want. 

The Exterior

One of the GMC Sierra HD’s best qualities is its exterior styling. The truck is truly handsome in an age when most HD trucks look like a big ass air conditioner on truck-sized wheels. Ford and Chevy have distinct—but I think ugly—styling right now. Ram is doing better, but GMC takes the cake. 

The exterior of the HD is bold and handsome. The exterior design folks at GMC told us that the beltline of the vehicle was actually brought down to improve sightlines. It also looks better to me. The top of the bed, too, was brought down to improve sightlines and make it easier to tow things like a fifth wheel without having to worry about damaging the top of the bed accidentally.

It’s a purposely crafted design that’s also handsome. GMC left the sides of the doors smooth so you can put your company logo on the side of the door easily. They could have got all funky and did some creases there but chose not to. 

When I look at the GMC I appreciate the level of restraint. Sure, the big chrome grille can seem a little gaudy on certain trim levels, but other than that, this is a classy HD truck. 

You can say similar things for the AT4 off-roader. The truck features more of a blacked-out aesthetic. I’m not one to say that black equals rugged like some people, but I do think the back looks good. GMC didn’t go over-the-top like Ram does with the Power Wagon, again it’s a bold and somewhat sophisticated look. The AT4 has a little more attitude, but it doesn’t scream at you. 

There are two elements of the GMC Sierra’s exterior that you really need to know about. The first is the company’s MultiPro Tailgate and the CarbonPro bed. The MultiPro Tailgate is a unique tailgate that offers six different functions and can be fitted with a Kicker audio system. 

The CarbonPro bed is the first carbon fiber bed in the industry. It’s supposed to be stronger than steel or aluminum. I think it’s great, but it won’t be an inexpensive thing to replace if it does get damaged. 

GMC gave us a chance to beat the heck out of the bed with bats, golf clubs, cinder blocks and more. I managed to break a golf club on the bed and in the process put a tiny crack in the bed (pictured above). Other folks’ attempts to damage the bed proved futile. It’s one seriously tough bed. 

These two special features set the GMC apart, especially in terms of GM products. They’re exclusive to GMC.

The Interior

The interior is where GMC struggles—this is true of Chevy, too. I don’t know who does the interior design for GM’s products, but they need to really study the competition and take some notes. 

This is specifically true when it comes to interior materials. I would love for GMC to put real wood trim in. Fake wood cheapens the whole cabin. Also, I don’t know where GM gets some of its cheaper looking plastics, but it features them in all of their brands and vehicles. 

Maybe GM has a good partnership with the company supplying these materials. Maybe it seems like a great idea to put these low-quality plastics in all vehicles to cut costs. It isn’t, especially in the GMC Sierra. It’s supposed to be a premium truck. Cheap plastic pieces on the doors and center console are a bad idea and are the chief contributing factor to me questioning whether this is really a luxury vehicle. 

The GMC Sierra HD should have real aluminum and wood trim. There will still be plastics because everyone uses plastics these days, but the paper-thin flip-up covers on the auxiliary power outlets have to go, the cheap-feeling fake wood plastic trim needs to disappear, and the center console should be a thing of beauty. Leave the cheaper materials to Chevy where it belongs. 

Towing Technology

GMC and Chevy have the same technology when it comes to towing, so if you read my Silverado review, you’re not going to see anything new here. 

Basically, it’s class-leading. There are tons of cameras installed on the truck and you get up to 15 different views from these cameras that all help make towing, seeing in blind spots, and generally doing about anything extremely easy. 

The coolest view is the one that essentially makes the trailer disappear. The image is stitched together from the various camera angles of the truck. It looks mildly distorted but it’s honestly pretty freaky. 

In addition to that you can set up to five distinct trailer profiles and there’s even a guest option if you borrowed a trailer from someone. All of this tech interfaces with GMC’s app, which connects your smartphone to your truck. If you’re towing an RV, there are even connections to equipment in the RV, which is awesome. You can climate control the RV while running down the road if you want. 

The Rest of the Technology

The rest of the technology is standard GM. You get a large touchscreen infotainment system with one of the better interfaces out there. 

The infotainment system comes with 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, OnStar features, and more. It’s easy to use and there’s a lot to it. Pair that with all of the towing tech and driver aids like blind-spot monitoring and you have a technologically advanced truck that can do just about anything. 

How Big Is It?

The GMC Sierra HD is, as you’d expect a big truck to be, extremely large. The truck measures 250 inches with the crew cab and long box and 266 inches with the long bed (about 22 ft long). It feels big on the road, but not unwieldy. GM has done a good job of making its big trucks easy to manage. Also, the technology helps a lot. 

You will have trouble getting this truck in a typical garage. However, that can be said of all HD trucks these days. They’re all large, and the GMC isn’t really any larger than its competition. The tucks are big and meant to be. 

One note on size is that the carbon fiber bed that GMC has in its vehicle allows for excellent cargo volume even with the lower beltline. The company managed to make sure there was no extra space between the interior of the bed and the exterior of the truck’s body. By removing that space, the bed is truly cavernous. 

Does It Work?

I towed a 12,000-pound trailer up and down mountain roads, towed 30,000 pounds at one point around a small course, went off-roading at a 300-acre ranch, and hauled 2,000 pounds of logs up and down the mountains around Jackson Hole. 

So, does it work? Yes. Just like I expected. The GMC works as well in every regard as the Silverado. The engines, technology and much of the interior are the same. It’s more attractive in my opinion and the Multi-Pro tailgate and optional Carbon-Pro bed help make the model more than most other pickups on the road. 

Is it perfect? Of course not. It suffers from many of the same minor pitfalls as the Silverado and fails at greatness if only slightly. The truck is good, darn good, and the one that I would probably pick if I had a large box trailer, horse trailer, or camper to tow. Still, there are some things I would gripe about. 

First and foremost is the cheap-feeling plastic inside the cabin. Most of the cabin materials are top-quality, but the cheaper pieces of plastic in this truck have to go. It’s a premium truck. It needs to lose the cheap fake wood (how about real wood?) and eliminate any cheap plastic in the cabin. 

Then there’s the question of if GMC’s truck is really a more premium product. It certainly caters to that audience, but the differences between GMC and Chevy feel small and I wonder if that’s really enough to justify GMC saying it’s a premium automaker. 

Again, these are nitpicks. This HD pickup is an excellent machine and a true beast. It tows heavy loads with ease and the camera system makes doing so easier and less stressful than ever before. 

Does It Justify Its Price?

If you’re reading this review and you like all the stuff mentioned above but don’t need a fancy tailgate, a carbon bed, or then buy the Chevy Silverado. It’s ugly, but you’ll save money going with the Chevy. 

The GMC Sierra HD in its most basic form is $37,195 for the 2500 regular-cab long bed. This is more expensive than the competition by about $1500 at the very least. As you climb the ladder the GMC stays more expensive. 

Most of the trucks I drove (there were several) were priced around $80,000. This is typical for a true HD towing machine these days regardless of manufacturer. These models came with some of the best tech in the business and most of the best features. 

So, if you want some prestige, a bit more of a luxury overall feel, better looks, and access to some fancy features like the CarbonPro bed and the Multi-Function tailgate, then the GMC may just justify its price. 

Personally, I’d consider saving some money by buying the Chevy. However, the Chevy is a true uggo, whereas GMC’s truck is handsome. The price delta might be worth it for that reason alone. Who wants to come out to an ugly vehicle every friggin morning? 

What’s the Verdict?

In the end, it comes down to what you want. If you just want supreme power and excellent towing chops with the best towing assistance technology in the industry, then you buy the Chevy Silverado. 

If, however, you want your HD truck with a bit more prestige, for it to not look like it got beat with an ugly stick and have access to fancy things like a carbon-fiber bed and a new tailgate design, then you buy the GMC. 

Then we have the AT4. The closest competitor here is really Silverado Trail Boss or the Ram Powerwagon. The AT4 is an interesting proposition. It’s a heavy-duty truck that doesn’t suffer much in the towing and hauling department and can off-road like nobody’s business. If you need a towing machine, but also plan on doing some hardcore off-roading, GMC has your truck. 

In the end, you have to be ready to shell out some serious dough for a heavy-duty truck these days no matter what brand you choose. In terms of GMC, you have to decide if the small things that set it apart are worth it. There’s no doubt the truck is impressive but is it impressive enough? That is a question that each person will answer differently. For me, it is. 

Specifications

• Base Price: $37,195 (2500 regular cab, long bed)
• Price as Tested: Prices varied but most were around $80,000
• Drive Type: 2×4 and 4×4
• Engine: 6.6-liter V8 or Duramax 6.6-liter V8 turbodiesel
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic (gas engine), 10-speed automatic (diesel engine)
• Power Output: 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque (gas engine), 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque (diesel engine)
• EPA: NA
• Optional Equipment: List not provided with vehicles driven

General Motors has issued a recall for more than 600,000 four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs, according to The Detroit News. The reason is that there’s a software error with the braking system.

This software error isn’t a minor issue, either. The brake system software’s wheel-speed sensor could fail, and this would lead to unintended braking on the opposite wheel from the sensor that failed. If this were to occur, the vehicle would pull to one side.

The problem with the brakes could result in a crash, which is why the company has decided to reprogram the vehicles in question free of charge. The problem does not occur on two-wheel-drive models.

The GM models impacted by the recall include the following trucks and SUVs:

• 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban
• 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
• 2014-2018 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2015-2020 GMC Yukon

The total number of vehicles that will be recalled is 653,370 worldwide. GM made a point to note that none of the vehicles targeted by the recall have reported accidents due to the issue. GM did say that the risk can be eliminated by driving in two-wheel drive mode until the recall can be completed.

If you own one of the models listed above, you should take your vehicle into your local dealership for service.

The Telluride is big and knows it. It’s for drivers with big families who want a lot of space, plenty of power, and high levels of comfort. The Kia Telluride delivers on much of what it tries to do, but it still left me unsatisfied. It felt like it was trying to be more luxurious or special than it is. It’s good but not great, and in a segment so competitive, Kia might have to do better to succeed. Still, this is a notable move in the right direction for Kia, and I commend their efforts. 

My Time With the Vehicle

I got to spend a week with the vehicle. I drove it all over Indianapolis. It took it on tight city streets where the Telluride’s large size was put to the test. Then I cruised on some country roads and the interstate. It also found a couple of twisty patches (a true feat in the flat grid of roads in Indiana) and managed to find the limits of this vehicle. 

It’s not sporty. It’s not meant to be. The Telluride is a vehicle designed for the suburbs. It’s a vehicle that will move you and your family from place to place with ease and it’ll bring along most of your stuff with you. It’s good at what it does, but I struggle to say it’s good enough to put the well-established three-row SUVs from Honda and Toyota out to pasture. 

What Is It?

The Kia Telluride is a large, family-oriented SUV with three rows. The SUV features an upscale looking interior, especially for a Kia. It’s a bold and big vehicle with plenty of room for luggage, people and just about everything you can think of. 

It’s not necessarily hardcore off-roader, though it does have the goods to handle some sloppy snowy conditions, some dirt roads and muddy trails, and some mild four-wheel-drive duties. It’s the most at home cruising on the highway and around the suburbs. 

In other words, it’s a family vehicle built for the masses. It hits the market right where people are looking, and is an interesting alternative to the other options out there.

Under the Hood

My tester came with a 3.8-liter V6 under the hood. This engine puts out 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. I found the engine to be plenty powerful enough. Throttle response was predictable and the vehicle comes with a few ride modes. I found the ‘Smart’ mode that Kia and Hyundai have to be the best. 

The vehicle is offered in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. My tester came with Kia’s active all-wheel-drive system with AWD Lock and Snow Mode. With the all-wheel-drive system, the Telluride gets a 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. Front-wheel-drive models do a little better at 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. 

This is decent for a vehicle of this size. It’s close to the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander, which are this vehicle’s main competitors. Those two models do have slightly better EPA numbers. 

Attractive and Comfortable Cabin

The interior of the Telluride is interesting. On a first look, it almost reaches premium brand levels in terms of materials, but as you use things, you come to realize, they’re not on par with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Not even close. The doors on the storage bins inside the cabins, the switches, dials, and most of the buttons just don’t feel quite on par with some of the other brands out there, even some of the non-premium brands. 

The overall design of the cabin is well laid-out and works from an ergonomic standpoint. The seats are upholstered in nice leather and many of the dash materials are top-notch. 

Also, the technology inside the cabin is no joke. The model features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is also navigation, multi-device Bluetooth connectivity, and everything else that comes with Kia’s UVO infotainment. 

The interior is comfortable and well-designed in many ways, but materials and fit and finish left a little to be desired. The overhead interior light and sunglasses holder housing wobbled with only a little prodding, the door to the armrest storage area wouldn’t stay closed if you shut it too hard or too soft, and the storage area right in front of the center stack took far too much pressure to open and close. 

It’s small details like these that revealed the Telluride’s issues. While not dealbreakers, they are mildly concerning. Kia has good design for an interior but needs to refine the details and make sure the vehicle is on par with the vehicles that it wants to compete with. 

A Safe Three-Row SUV

The Kia Telluride is a safe three-row SUV. The model received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. The vehicle received a good rating for all crash testing. It came up short of the Top Safety Pick+ rating—the organization’s top honor due—due to the fact that its headlights and LATCH child seat ratings were either acceptable or poor, depending on the trim level. 

The NHTSA has not yet released its ratings for the 2020 Kia Telluride. However, I’d expect them to be pretty good if the IIHS ratings are accurate. 

How Big Is It?

The Kia Telluride measures about 197 inches long, about 78 inches wide, and 69 inches high. When you compare the vehicle’s exterior dimensions to the competition, you’ll see that the Telluride is right on par with the Honda Pilot and just a bit bigger than the Toyota Highlander. 

The Telluride features a little more than 41 inches of legroom up front, a little more than 42 inches of legroom in the second row, and a bit more than 31 inches of legroom in the rear row. When compared to the aforementioned competition, the Telluride actually does a little better than the Pilot and the Highlander. 

Cargo space is important for any family vehicle and the Telluride is no different. The model features 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46 cubic feet behind the second row, and 87 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row. This is actually better than both the Pilot and the Highlander. 

Does It Work?

On many levels, yes, the Kia Telluride works. It’s spacious, comfortable, smooth on the road, and totally capable of handling the situations in which people will use it. The model drives nicely, it has plenty of technology for the modern driver and is one of the better three-row SUVs out there. However, it’s not perfect. Far from it.

You’ll find better build quality in Honda and Toyota products. The Kia’s interior design looks like it’s trying to be a little more premium than it is. Once you really start to take note of the materials used, you’ll find that it actually feels cheaper than its competition. 

The engine is a high point for the vehicle. There’s plenty of power, and while the Telluride is far from punchy and sporty, it felt strong in every situation I used it in. Passing on the highway was no issue, and the vehicle handled its around-town duties with ease. 

The Telluride should more than satisfy the needs of many drivers. The Telluride offers a lot of content, comfort, and performance, and many people will find it to be just fine. It will be interesting to see how the public responds to this vehicle and if it can compete with Honda and Toyota’s vehicles. 

Does It Justify Its Price?

The Telluride comes in with a starting price tag of $31,690. That’s right on par with the competition. The Toyota Highlander costs $31,830 and the Honda Pilot costs $31,850. So, the Telluride does beat these vehicles on price if only by a little bit. 

The model that I tested was the SX trim level with AWD. It came with a higher price tag of $46,860. When you look at the competition and climb the trim ladder in the same manner that you would do to get to the price of my tester Telluride, you’ll find that the Honda and Toyota are similar in price. 

With all that said, we come back to the question of is this model worth the money. I would have to say yes. While I have gripes about the interior materials and some of the fit and finish, there’s also a bit more space in the Kia. 

If I were shopping for a vehicle of this type, space would be a serious concern. Also, the infotainment system is top-notch. This is one of the areas that the Telluride shines. The technology is very good. 

With that said, if you didn’t find the cargo space and interior space increases very important, and you don’t feel as strongly about the tech, I can see spending a bit more money for a Honda, Toyota, or other three-row SUV. 

What’s the Verdict?

The Kia Telluride is a good entrant into a very tough segment. The Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander are the vehicles that dominate the segment right now. The Telluride manages to swoop in and hang right behind the leaders. Is it as good as those models? In some respects, yes. In others, not so much. It’s very close to being at the top of the heap, but right now it lags behind. 

As good as the Telluride is, I see it struggling to pull sales from Toyota and Honda. However, it will be able to pick up sales from people upsizing from a five-passenger SUV to something bigger as their families grow. This model is an important one, and it’s a good move by Kia. The company just has a bit of work to do on the model before it’ll make Honda and Toyota shake in their boots. 

Specifications

• Base Price: $31,690 (SX trim $$43,490)
• Price as Tested: $46,860 (with a $1,045 destination fee)
• Drive Type: AWD
• Engine: 3.8-liter V6
• Transmission: 8-speed automatic
• Power Output: 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque
• EPA: 19 mpg city / 24 mpg highway / 21 mpg combined
• Optional Equipment: SX Prestige Package: head-up display, Nappa leather seat trim, premium cloth headliner and sun visors, heated and ventilated 2nd-row seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers; carpeted floor mats; carpeted cargo mat with seatback protection.

The Kia Soul is honestly a cross between a hatchback and a crossover. It sits high like a crossover but drives and looks a lot like a funky hatchback. It’s also often lumped into the wagon segment, but it doesn’t deliver nearly enough of what I look for in a wagon to truly qualify either. 

Here at Good Car Bad Car, we place this oddball machine in with the small cars, where I think it really belongs. In that playground the car performs well, placing fifth overall so far this year. 

The Kia Soul was reworked for 2020. The popular little hatchback thing is an important car for the company and I was happy to have the chance to drive one. 

My Time With the Vehicle

I spent a week with the Kia Soul. I drove the car softly and carefully for a couple of days to get a feel for it and then spend a few more days flogging it pretty hard. The vehicle didn’t flinch the whole time I had it, and I’m happy to say it still has all of the hamster-y charms that it did in previous generations. 

The Kia Soul is still far from perfect. It’s kind of one of those vehicles that thrives because it’s imperfect, though. 

It’s odd, and it’s for people who want an odd car but need something practical. Like the elementary band teacher who needs a way to transport instruments around but still wants to show off his quirky side, or the ex-hipster mom who isn’t quite ready to break down and buy a minivan despite the fact that she has two kids and honestly would be happier with a couple of sliding doors. 

The Kia Soul is one of those vehicles that does its job well and has a sense of style while doing it, but it’s never an aspirational vehicle. All of this was very much on my mind while driving the car for a week. 

What Is It?

As I said above, the Kia Soul is a little hard to pin down. Kia will likely tell you its a crossover because crossovers are in vogue right now, but it’s really more of an upright hatchback flavor of a car with a side of sporty sauce. 

The vehicle is a spunky, affordable little hatchback. It’s an excellent machine that blends practicality with a unique style. It’s not for everyone, and that’s part of what makes the vehicle so interesting. 

Under the Hood

The base version of the Kia Soul sports a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. It is not a peppy engine. It does, however, get pretty good gas mileage. The vehicle gets 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined. 

You can buy the Soul with a manual transmission—one of the few cars out there offered with this option. If you go with the automatic option, you’ll get Kia’s Intelligent Variable Transmission, which is a form of CVT. 

There’s also a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder option should you want more power. This engine makes 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Fuel economy is 27 mpg in the city 32 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined. If you have the extra money, get this engine. 

A Spartan Interior but Tech-Friendly Interior

The interior of the Kia Soul is nothing special. It’s honestly pretty spartan with the styling and the controls for various vehicle features are simple and look somewhat dated. However, everything works very well.

The infotainment system on my tester featured a 7-inch touchscreen display. The infotainment system in the Kia is one of the better out there and it comes well-equipped, too. You get things like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth connectivity as standard equipment. 

If you were to jump up the Kia Soul trim line, you’d find a car equipped with other cool features, too, like a HUD, wireless charging, a 10.25-inch touchscreen display with navigation, HD Radio, and more. 

When it comes to seating in the Soul, the LX X-Line model that I drove had an upright seating position and firm padding. This firm padding provides plenty of support, but the seats aren’t wildly comfortable. I found them more than acceptable for the price, but if you want a softer seating surface, you might have to look elsewhere. 

A Safe Car

The Kia Soul is a very safe vehicle. It was selected as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. The only things marring its ratings were poor headlights in lower trim levels and an acceptable ease-of-use rating for the LATCH child safety seat system. 

The NHTSA has not yet rated the 2020 Kia Soul (at the time of this review). However, the 2019 Kia Soul received a five-star overall safety rating from the government, so you can expect the 2020 model to do well, too.

How Big Is It?

The Kia Soul measures 165 inches long 71 inches wide and 63 inches tall. I struggle a bit when it comes to finding vehicles to compare it to because the Soul exists in the gray area between crossover and car. 

In terms of crossovers, the vehicle is about the same size as the Nissan Kicks and the Ford EcoSport. In terms of cars, the vehicle is about as long and wide as the Honda Civic Hatchback and the Toyota Corolla Hatchback. 

Inside, the Soul’s legroom measures 41.1 inches in the front row of seating and 38.8 inches in the rear row. This is about the same as Nissan Kicks and the Ford EcoSport in the crossover segment and about the same as Honda Civic Hatchback in the car segment. 

In terms of cargo space, the Soul does well. The vehicle offers 24.2 cubic feet with all seats in place and 62.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. This is on par or better than any of the competition. 

Does It Work?

The Kia Soul does a very good job. It is a car that has been crafted well for its price point. If you go into the driving experience knowing what to expect, you’ll come away from the experience a very happy driver. 

The Kia Soul drove well. It’s comfortable on the highway, quick and nimble in traffic, and honestly kind of fun on a twisty road. A good friend of mine called it “a little go-kart.” I have to agree with his assessment. The car handles really well. 

My main complaint with the Soul is that the base engine is slow. Kia has a better engine, though and if you have some extra money you should spring for it. The turbocharged engine is worth it. 

Otherwise, I found the Soul to be a very good car. The infotainment system works well and the fact that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard is a nice feature. The cargo space isn’t massive, but it does a good job of swallowing all but the biggest things you could need to carry or move from place to place. 

The only other thing I can think to complain about is that the car isn’t as quiet as some of the competition. When you take the vehicle on the highway, you do get a fair amount of road, wind, and tire noise. I just cranked up the six-speaker audio system. I assume you’ll do the same. 

Does It Justify Its Price?

Let’s take a look at the price of the soul and how it compares with the competition. In order to do this, we need to look at what people will cross-shop the model with. Many people will look at the soul if they’re looking at crossovers, which I get. It sits up higher and stands a little taller. I still think of it like a car, but we should do the price comparison on both cars and crossovers. 

In terms of crossovers, the Kia Soul is cheaper than some of its stiffest competition. I’d put it in the same class as vehicles like the Nissan Kicks, Ford EcoSport, Chevrolet Trax, and Jeep Renegade. 

All of these vehicles are more expensive, and none of them—with the exception of the Jeep Renegade—are as good to drive and live with as the Kia Soul. Save yourself a couple of thousand bucks and buy the Soul.

Now let’s consider cars. The competition to the Soul when it comes to cars are vehicles like the Fiat 500L, Hyundai Elantra GT, Honda Civic Hatchback, and Toyota Corolla Hatchback. You might disagree with these options, but that’s what I would stack the Soul up against. 

Again, the Kia Soul comes in under the price of these cars. Sure, you could point to even smaller hatchback cars as cheaper hatchbacks to compare the Soul to, but I’d argue they’re not nearly as good to drive or spacious as the Soul. 

In terms of driving prowess, the Soul doesn’t match up to the Civic Hatchback, the Corolla Hatchback, or the Hyundai Elantra GT. However, many people will like its more upright seating position and improved practicality. In short, this is a car that totally justifies its price. 

What’s the Verdict?

The Kia Soul is an excellent hatchback car. If you stuff it in with all of the crossovers, it’s still an excellent car. It’s not the most exciting but it is practical. If you don’t mind putting up with some funky styling and constantly thinking about hamsters every time you walk out to your garage, then you should be quite happy with this little people mover. 

The best thing about the Soul is that it’s appropriately priced for what it is. There’s something about this trait that makes it feel like an honest car. Kia has a winner on its hands, but it’s not charging a premium price. You can get one of these in your garage for a very fair price, a price that’s better than most of the competition, and that’s important. 

Specifications

• Base Price: $17,490 (LX X-Line $21,490)
• Price as Tested: $22,615 (with a $995 destination fee)
• Drive Type: FWD
• Engine: 2.0-liter four-cylinder
• Transmission: Intelligent Variable Transmission
• Power Output: 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque
• EPA: 27 mpg city / 33 mpg highway / 30 mpg combined
• Optional Equipment: Carpeted Floor Mats

We will almost always advocate that people drive their cars. Driving is a fun activity and a great way to get from place to place and see the country while you do it. However, there are situations where shipping your car not only makes sense but is the right move.

If, for example, you are trying to move a car a very long distance and you don’t want to put the miles on it, shipping makes sense. Another scenario is that maybe you simply don’t want to drive the car that far, or maybe it’s a project car that you’re worried won’t make it to the destination. 

No matter your reason, there is a solution available in open car transport shipping. You’ve probably seen these out on the highway at one point or another. It’s a large trailer designed to move cars from place to place that’s towed by a large semi. 

Dealerships and automotive manufacturers use them all the time to get cars from one place to another without putting miles on them. While dealerships and manufacturers definitely use this service a lot, it’s something that’s open to any business or private individual.

A Convenient and Effective Way to Get Your Car to Any Destination

Open car transport shipping is here to make your life easier when you don’t want to or can’t drive your car to a specific destination. To learn more about the ins and outs of this type of shipping, we talked with the company Number 1 Auto Transport, one of the industry’s leaders. 

Shipping your car is going to be more expensive than driving it somewhere in just about every scenario. However, in the case of cars that you don’t want to put miles on or cars that you can’t drive yourself due to a variety of factors, shipping the car can make perfect sense. 

Number 1 Auto Transport’s spokesperson told us that shipping a car is a luxury. “Most people do it for convenience and not to put miles on the car.”

They also told us that your car will make the trip in only a few days in most cases. For trips under 200 miles, it should only take a day. Anything between 200 to 500 miles will take two days. Trips from 500 to 1000 miles will take two to three days. Over that goes up a couple of days every 750 miles or so. 

Overall, it’s not as quick as simply driving the car, but you won’t have to wait long for your vehicle and you can have your car shipped anywhere. 

Prices Will Vary

It would be nice if there was a simple flat rate to ship a car, but the fact of the matter is that every car is different due to three main factors pointed out by Number 1 Auto Transport. They are location, vehicle size, and time of year. 

In terms of location, if you’re in a high-traffic city, you’re going to have an easier time getting a low price. If you’re somewhat far out from an urban location the carrier has to factor in that distance travelled into the price. 

Then we come to vehicle size. Large, tall, or heavy vehicles will cost more to ship. Carriers only have so much capacity, and a larger vehicle uses up more of that capacity. If your vehicle is large, it may mean that the carrier has to take one less car than it’s designed for. This, of course, will drive your price up. 

Finally, the time of the year can play a big role. During certain times of the year, there’s a lot of people who decide to ship their car from the home they use in the winter months to their summer home. 

According to Number 1 Auto Transport there are 10 times more cars shipped from the North to the South during September, October, and November than other times of the year. If you’re fighting for a spot with everyone else, you can bet on the prices being higher. 

It Should be a Smooth and Easy Process

Number 1 Auto Transport cautioned against going with any company that doesn’t make the process as easy as possible for the customer. A lot of this comes down to communication. This means you should always have a point of contact at the company and have the number of the driver. You should receive a call about 24 hours from the time of pickup and delivery. 

Also, the company should take the time to make the pickup location is as convenient as possible for you. Sometimes this means coming to you. Sometimes this means meeting at a close-by location. The reason pickup location can vary, according to Number 1 Auto Transport, is that the truck will often have trouble making it into different areas due to the size of the trailer.

Open car transport trailers are often double-decker five to nine car haulers, though there are smaller one to three-car carriers. For the most part, though, they are large trucks and will not always fit on tighter streets with low overhangs and low hanging branches. A large parking lot is ideal for loading and unloading cars, so you might have to take your car to the closest one. 

No matter where you have to load your car, just make sure you clearly understand the process, prices, and services being provided to you. Communication is key, and if you don’t feel comfortable with a specific company, don’t entrust your car to them.