There is no better place to greet a new pickup than Texas Hill Country. It’s beautiful and rugged — a place where pickups aren’t just fashion accessories. A recent stint in San Antonio put us behind the wheel of the re-designed 2014 Chevy Silverado.

Let’s get to the important bits first. The new Silverado is available with a 285 horsepower 4.3-liter V6, a 355 horsepower 5.3-liter V8, or a 6.2-liter V8. All three feature aluminum blocks, direct injection, and Active Fuel Management (which shuts down cylinders at cruise to conserve fuel). As a result, the 5.3-liter V8 achieves 23 mpg on the highway. Ratings haven’t been released for the V6 yet, but they’re expected to approach the magic 25 mpg highway threshold.

Silverado aficionados will certainly recognize the new truck through its facelift, but it is styled to appear tougher with a larger grille, bulging wheelwells, and refined body contours. The changes are more dramatic than these promo photos indicate. Chevy’s bi-level grille and stacked headlamps remain but are much flashier. Available projector headlamps and LED accent lighting look expensive. Extended “Double Cab” models add two front-hinged doors with outside handles that can be opened with the front doors closed. Crew Cabs have nearly a foot larger opening for rear entry. Despite high style, obvious attention was paid to practicality.

Owners will also appreciate the little details that enhance hauling. Rear bumpers have steps carved into the sides for climbing into the bed. Four movable tie-downs are standard, while LED cargo lights beneath the bed rails make late night pursuits shine. Underneath, four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife rotors resist vibration and corrosion.

Soft touch materials improve the Silverado’s comfy accommodations, but large buttons and knobs are easy to grip, even with gloved hands. Newly-introduced High Country editions sport saddle brown leather, woodgrain trim, and Bose audio. Upper and lower gloveboxes, deep door cubbies, and a center console that can hold most laptops provide a YMCA’s worth of lockers. Port count includes a 110-volt outlet, five USB plugs, four 12-volt outlets, and an SD card slot. But that’s not the best of the technology.

Chevrolet’s MyLink system utilizes a reconfigurable eight-inch touchscreen to control Pandora internet radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and new map displays. Functions can also be controlled by voice or by buttons on the steering wheel. To improve safety, Silverado is available with Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning systems. “Rump shaker” seats vibrate should this chariot’s pilot annoy the warning gods.

Hopping through Texas backroads and ranch lands, it’s obvious that engineers did their homework. Steering is weighty, yet precise. On rough pavement there’s less hop, and the truck tracks more like an SUV. Stomp the V6 or V8 and you sense smooth and ample power. The hard time spent refining the driving characteristics of the new Silverado clearly paid off.

Not everybody will have the chance to drive the Silverado in Texas, but if the truck can make it there, it can make it anywhere (like Midwestern farms, urban driveways, and open Interstates). Prices start under $25,000, but rise significantly.

Storm forward!

Los Angeles and Detroit are two of the largest auto shows in North America, but automakers often save some big news for Chicago. From a new little diesel to a Superman sedan, big man van, and Texas-sized truck, there was a lot to see at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which wrapped up last week. Here are some of the highlights:

2014 Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel
Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI gets company. Chevy is shoving a 2.0-liter diesel engine — which delivers 148 horsepower and 258 ft-lbs of torque — into the compact Cruze. In combination with low-rolling-resistance tires, rear spoiler, and lightweight 17” alloys, the engine enables 42 mpg highway. 0-60 mph arrives in 8.6 seconds. Prices will start at $25,695.

2014 Toyota Tundra
Not to be left behind, Toyota debuted its new Texas-built pickup. Bold exteriors accompany luxurious interiors with available saddle brown leather, JBL audio, Entune infotainment, heated/cooled seats, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Drivers will choose from a V6 and two V8 engines, delivering up to 381 horsepower.

2013 Nissan Nismo Juke
Nissan’s in-house tuner works over the Juke with a race-inspired exterior, sport-tuned suspension, and firmer steering. Interiors feature bolstered suede seats with red stitching. Whether owners choose front- or all-wheel-drive, they’ll enjoy a 197 horsepower 1.6-liter turbo-four engine. Pricing wasn’t announced, but sales begin in March.

2014 Ram ProMaster
Developed from the Fiat Ducato, this unibody front-drive Ram will become a staple of contractors and delivery services and could give the Ford Transit Connect a run for its hard-earned money. Doors are wide enough for pallets. Under the hood is a 174 hp, 3.0-liter EcoDiesel or 280 hp 3.6-liter V6. Bluetooth, hands-free texting, web access, and navigation aid drivers. Sales begin this fall.

Kia Cross GT Concept
Peter Schreyer’s design studios created another stunner. Penned in Frankfurt, but built in California, it previews a next-generation crossover. Motivation comes from a 400 hp V6 hybrid system with AWD, enabling 20 miles of all-electric range. A hexagonal glass skylight, leather tanned with veggie oil, and walnut trim the interior. (Ed. note: Kia is not a gay-friendly automaker)

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR
Inspired by a ‘70s Beetle of the same name, the GSR will echo its predecessor with yellow paint, black accents, and large rear spoiler. Interiors boast Fender audio, sunroof, alloy pedals, and a stopwatch (!). The 210 hp 2.0-liter turbo-four and 19” alloys should deliver peppy performance. A limited allotment of 3500 units arrives this fall, pricing TBD.

2013 Dodge Mopar Dart
Outfitted with Mopar accessories, this special Dart wears black paint with blue stripes, 18” gloss black alloys, spoilers, Katskin blue leather driver’s seat, and industry-first wireless smartphone charging. A lowered suspension, premium brakes, and Fiat-sourced 1.4-liter turbo engine enhance performance. Production is limited to 500 cars.

Ford Fiesta ST Racer
Ford has been a contender in almost every racing series over the decades, and will continue in the Global RallyCross Championship, including five North American events, with a special Fiesta ST that previews the coming launch of a production version. The cars will be expertly driven during 2013 by Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan, and Ken Block.

Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid
The Optima Hybrid is already a superhero for Kia sales, but a partnership with DC Entertainment created this special car to help raise money for the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign to alleviate drought and famine in Africa. Widened fenders, adjustable suspension, and Superman color scheme gave the car super powers in Kia’s stand. (Ed. note: Kia is not a gay-friendly automaker)

Last week’s 2013 Detroit Auto Show was a whirlwind of premieres and press conferences. Thankfully, the long, three-day weekend gave me time to reflect and choose some winners and losers of the lot.

Below, you’ll find my best-in-show list. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a full gallery — and stay tuned this afternoon for the, um, not so fortunate.

THE “YES, PLEASE-ES” 

2014 Chevrolet Corvette 

Behold: the new, 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It’s still a Corvette, only now it wants you to mistake it for a Ferrari. Not a bad thing.

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette looks great in person, with a much more sculpted and intricate design than the last generation C6. The rear is especially changed, as Chevy has ditched the ubiquitous circular taillights and replaced them with some highly three-dimensional units, compete with “crying chola” tear-drop tattoo vents on each side. They look far better than my description may make them seem. (Scroll down to see them in the gallery.)

The interior is also a vast improvement on the truly horrible, econo-car interior of the previous, C6. The new interior is focused toward the driver — fitting for a super serious sports car. In fact, the controls are SO canted toward the driver that Chevy has provided the passenger with her own adorable set of climate and seat controls right below the right hand air vent. Awwwww.

I DO take issue with Chevy calling this iteration of the Corvette a Stingray though. Using that hallowed name is going to make many a baby-boomer’s eyes pop-out with anticipation, so I’m sure it’s a smart marketing move; I’m just not convinced this design truly says “Stingray.”

One area in which you won’t be mistaking the Corvette for a Ferrari is the price. Expect this puppy to start around $50,000 when it goes on sale later this year, and THAT my friends is what I like to call American ingenuity.

2014 Cadillac ELR

The extended-range electric Chevy Volt was a great start but let’s be real: it lacked the glamour to really set people’s hearts afire. Of course debuting the Voltec technology on its mainstream brand was a deliberate move on GM’s part, seeking to make the point that the future of alternative propulsion was not going to be reserved for the rich.

Well, guess what, you patient rich people: your extended range electric car is finally here! Was it worth the wait? Well just look at it. Let me answer for you: YES. The ELR is a clear evolution of the current Cadillac design language, with sharp creases married to soaring, fluid shapes. It works really well on the ELR and gives this car the visual gravitas it needs to turn heads. Of course those stunning (and standard?!) 20-inch rims add to the feeling every time you glance at the ELR. Inside, the ELR expands on Cadillac themes we’ve seen as well, though the materials and execution seem even richer than in the lesser models.

In my heart of hearts, though I really wish Cadillac had called this an “El Dorado.” I know I’m going to get people yelling that that’s an old person’s name, but whatever. It was badass sounding then, and it’s badass sounding now.

BMW 4-Series Concept

Stylistically, BMWs are still recovering from the wounds wrought upon them by Chris Bangle. Squawk all you want: Bangle’s designs for the Bavarian performance powerhouse may have been interesting, but they certainly weren’t attractive. Thankfully, the brand has been making a recovery and the new 4-Series concept shows BMW is pushing its design back into the realms of attractiveness.

Interesting and muscular side-detailing fits the demeanor of this compact sport coupe concept. My only real concern here is with that face. It’s a bit gawky in person and leans a little too forward and down resulting in an awkwardly dorky gaze. Also: too bad about the interior, which is shared with the standard 3-Series sedan, making it a bit downmarket compared to the competition.

Still, this is a solidly attractive entry for BMW, something that has been sorely missing from this company in the past decade. More like this please. 

Lincoln MKC Concept

The unveiling event for the Lincoln MKC was freaking bizarre. It was all pretty and nice until they opened the box containing the new crossover concept, and two young women emerged carrying long scarves covering the MKC Concept. It was like Cleopatra coming to Rome. Hopefully, unlike Cleopatra, the Lincoln MKC crossover won’t bring ultimate death and destruction to the the Ford empire. I certainly don’t think it will, because the Lincoln MKC Concept looks fantastic.

The MKC Concept offers a very clear glimpse of what the production Lincoln MKC crossover will look like when it hits the market in what I’m guessing will be about a year. A very well-conceived design, the Lincoln MKC includes a successful application of the brand’s new “flying” grill, as well as its newly re-adopted trademark full-width tail lights. So long as the proportions are maintained for production, Lincoln should have a winner on its hands. If Lincoln is smart, it’ll also include a hybrid version to entice some Lexus loyalists over to Lincoln-land.

Sidenote: I got the chance to speak with Soo Kang, the Korean born designer for the MKC (and MKZ) interior. She was a delight: funny, open, and genuinely excited about the product she help design. When asked about where the “champagne bubble” leather perforation pattern from the MKZ concept went in the production model, she assured me that she was working on something even cooler for the future that would indeed make it to production. Color me very intrigued.

Honda Urban SUV

The Honda Urban SUV Concept was a pleasant surprise at the show. Like it or not, Americans still have a taste for things called “SUV” and “crossover”, and Honda wants as big a piece of that pie as they can get. The Urban SUV Concept foreshadows what we can expect from their upcoming Fit-based crossover. It’s a pleasant little porker with clean styling and good proportions. Let’s hope they keep all of that for the production version.

I’m going to come right out and say it: the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze Eco was the most fun car I’ve driven in a very long time.

That may cause some of you to question whether I get out enough. (I don’t.) It may cause some of you to question whether I’m feeling all right. (I’m just getting over some sinus issues, thanks for asking.) But trust me when I say that the Cruze Eco is like Bob from Accounts Payable: a little conservative, a little on the quiet side, but get him home, and you discover that there’s a tiger in that tank. Let the romance begin.

For starters, the 2013 Cruze Eco is powerful. I reviewed the 2012 Cruze last spring, and while I didn’t particularly care for the turbo on the LT model I was driving, I found the car to be a comfy, solid ride at a very reasonable price. I was expecting more of the same from the 2013 Eco — great little car with a moderate powertrain — but after one caress of the accelerator, and I realized that I was in for some very wild nights.

The Cruze Eco comes with a whopping nine trim packages, from the LS manual (starting at $17,130) all the way up to the LTZ automatic (starting not much higher, at $23,550). My Eco automatic sat right in the middle, with a starting price of $20,875 and a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that cranked out a modest-sounding 138 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque.

But unlike my 2012 model, I experienced no turbo-lag at all this go-round: it was pure power, right out of the gate. And the Cruze Eco offers vroom-vroom without scrimping on fuel economy. My six-speed automatic was rated at 26/39 mpg, while the Eco manual earns a jaw-dropping 28/42 mpg. That’s on par with some hybrids we could mention.

Like many Chevrolet models, the Cruze Eco offers a dual clutch transmission (or in Chevy parlance “Driver Shift Control”), which allows you to do some of the shifting yourself while leaving your left foot flat on the floor. Of course, if you really like the stick, the Cruze comes with four manual transmissions to suit every taste and budget. But if your partner doesn’t know how to drive one (mine doesn’t), Driver Shift Control is a nice middle ground, offering all the fun of shifting without the pain and sorrow of teaching someone you love how to work a clutch.

The other thing I noticed was that the Cruze Eco felt roomy and — dare I say it? — even airy. The windows were large enough to offer a good view of my surroundings, and the cockpit was sexy-cozy without being cramped. For entertainment, the Eco comes standard with a color-touch radio, featuring a seven-inch screen and Chevrolet MyLink, which syncs with smartphones using Bluetooth. Pandora and Stitcher are built in, so endless streams of music, news, and Ira Glass are just a click away. The optional Rear Vision Camera (part of the $770 Driver Convenience Package) helped more with parallel parking than I might’ve thought.

That said, as with most romances, there was some room for improvement. For example, on the ergonomic front, I found it a little difficult to climb out of the Cruze. I know, I know: I’m not as young and spry as I used to be, but I’ve kept up with my yoga (Jivamukti all the way, baby), and I still had to do some stretching to get in and out of the driver’s seat.

Speaking of seats, I wasn’t a fan of the Cruze Eco’s upholstery, which spread all the way to the dashboard. The webbed texture was interesting to look at, but I think I’d grow tired of it pretty quickly. Also, it tended to get dirty fast — and that was with just me and my husband in the car. I can only imagine what it would look like after a road trip with my three hounds. (If you’ve ever left a fleece hoodie unattended around a dog or cat, you know what I’m talking about.)

But those are minor flaws. Over time, I’m sure I could’ve found a seating position that would’ve allowed me to exit the vehicle as gracefully as Anne Hathaway, rather than Britney Spears. I don’t know how I’d overcome the upholstery issue, since the 2013 Eco doesn’t seem to offer anything other than the cloth seats I encountered, but keeping a couple of lint brushes handy would be a small price to pay for such a fine romance.

2013 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
Powertrain: Ecotec 1.4-liter turbo-four with 138 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque
Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic 
Fuel economy: 26/39 mpg (automatic) or 28/42 mpg (manual) 
Assembly: Lordstown, Ohio
Base price range: $17,130 - $23,550
As-tested price: $24,470

Americans used to look at micro cars and fantasize about flicking them off the roadways with full-size SUVs or V8-powered muscle cars. Then, gas trucked past $4 a gallon, and we began to think, “Gee, I really don’t need 5,000 pounds of steel and gas-sucking family bus to get to work.” The Smart fortwo, Fiat 500, and Scion iQ soon appeared on U.S. shores. Now, Chevrolet thinks there might be room for an even better micro.

Inexpensive does not have to mean cheap. Chevy’s designers couldn’t get around tall, urban-friendly proportions, but they also sculpted hood edges, carved character lines, and added hood-length headlamps for eye candy. The Spark punches above its modest price point with standard 15” alloy wheels, exhaust that exits through the rear bumper, and chrome accents. Colors like Denim, Lemonade, and Techno Pink brighten gray streets. Considering its micro-price, the Spark is a very nicely styled car.

And it gets better on the inside. Unlike other micros, passengers enter through four doors and have a back seat large enough for real humans (you know, the kind with legs). The body-color trim on the dash and doors, the motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster, French-stitched seats, and leatherette-covered steering wheels feel expensive, even if they’re illusions. So what if the dash and every panel are molded plastic? If you want a Cadillac, buy one.

One thing you’ll never get in a Spark, though, is a CD player. Just as Apple ditched floppies during the ‘90s, Chevy is kicking the silver disc to the curb. Since most drivers walk around with smartphones nowadays, all engineers had to do was create an easy interface and link them in.

Using a touchscreen your great-grandmother could understand, drivers use their USB- or Bluetooth-connected phone to access music, pictures, voice-activated calling, Pandora internet radio, and Stitcher Smart Radio. They can even watch video on the screen when parked. The just-announced BringGo app summons full GPS navigation including Local Search via Google and live traffic updates. BringGo has a one-time charge of $50 — a pittance compared to typical factory-installed navigation systems.

On the downside, if our drive through busy Chicago is any indication, the Spark should probably avoid high-speed tollways. At 2,269 pounds (minus humans), with an 84 hp, 1.25-liter four-cylinder engine, Spark drivers pilot a car 450 pounds heavier than a Smart fortwo with just 12 more ponies under the hood. Add in another 360 pounds (or more) for a couple of passengers, and the situation gets worse. The Spark is an urban car and that’s where it should stay, whether shifted through the standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy kisses 32/38 mpg city/hwy.

If you want a swifter little Chevy, spend a couple grand more and get a turbocharged Sonic, which will fix many of the Spark’s shortcomings. However, no Sonic comes with a $12,995 sticker like the base Spark, which includes a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Lay down $17,500 for one with all the extras.

Chevy hopes that the Spark’s roomy interior, sophisticated style, affordable price, and that same park-me-anywhere spirit that carried Smart to our shores will buoy its bigger micro. We’ll soon know.

2013 Chevy Spark
Four-passenger, FWD hatchback
Powertrain: 84 hp, 1.25-liter I4, five-speed manual transmission
Suspension f/r: Independent/compound crank
Wheels: 15”/15” alloy f/r
Brakes: disc/drum fr/rr with ABS
Must-have features: Style, touchscreen
Fuel economy: 32/38 mpg city/hwy
Assembly: South Korea
Base price: $12,995

I knew it. I just knew someone, somewhere, would complain about the cabin plastics in a review of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. [The guilty party shall remain nameless, for now.] Let me put this to rest: if you’re worried about the grain of the plastic on the door panels, the center console — or anywhere else for that matter — then you’ve completely missed the point of this car. With its 580-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, this is officially the most powerful production Camaro to ever hit the streets. Coupled to that snarling and snorting engine is a six-speed manual transmission, or optional ($1,135) 6-speed automatic.

There is nothing subtle about the Camaro, much less the ZL1. Even the base models have that sinister front end, kicked up rear fenders, and lowered greenhouse that makes almost every other car look painfully lame by comparison. The shallow glass also makes parallel parking an absolute nightmare but, hey, if you can afford the ZL1’s base price of $55,250 (including destination), you can afford to park in a lot. Other than the mega engine, the ZL1 package adds a raised aluminum hood, a unique front fascia with curb-scraping front splitter, magnetic ride control suspension, high performance Brembo brakes, 20-inch alloy wheels (20×10 front/20×11 rear), a heads-up instrument display, and a rear-view camera.

The ZL1 is basically loaded with everything you can throw onto a muscle car. Added to my test car was an eye-watering Rally Yellow paintjob with black racing stripes, carbon-fiber hood inserts, and micro-fiber suede on the dashboard. Maybe it’s the latter option that allowed me to overlook the G.I. Joe quality of some plastics in the Camaro’s cabin. My guess, however, is that all it took was the first jab of the gas pedal and the instant roar of the V-8 as the car lunged forward, pushing me hard into the driver’s eat. This car makes you want to drive fast. All. The. Time.

What’s even better is that the ZL1 isn’t a one-trick pony, only capable of going fast in a straight line. Unlike its closest competitor, the even-more-powerful Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, the Camaro has an independent rear suspension. The Ford might dust the ZL1 in a drag race but, if corners are involved, I’d take the Camaro every time. On bumpy New York City streets or on the Turnpike headed to the Jersey shore, the ZL1’s suspension impressed me for being firm and sporty, but not overly punishing. The handling is heavy, as are the throws of the six-speed manual and the calf-strengthening clutch pedal.

But the hairy-knuckled driving manners are consistent and, once you’re used to them, it’s hard to imagine driving a car that doesn’t seem to be itching for a brawl. So long as no one in your posse plays center for the Knicks, there’s room in the back for two adults — though visibility back there is on par with peeking out of a tank turret. The trunk is shallow but still capable of holding 11.3 cubic feet of cargo, which helps to make the ZL1 more than just a weekend plaything. Fuel mileage is pretty god-awful, as you’d expect. The ZL1’s 19-gallon fuel tank runs dry fast when you’re dealing with an EPA certified 14/19 mpg in city and highway driving. Did I forget to mention a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax also comes standard?

But like those cabin plastics, complaining about mpgs isn’t the point of the Camaro ZL1  – or any muscle car, for that matter. You’re paying for the performance, the engine and transmission, look-at-me styling, and the history attached to the nameplate. The ZL1 is addictive and outrageously fun. Case closed.

Happy July, y’all! We’re packing our pic-a-nic baskets and preparing to head out for the Independence Day festivities, but before we bolt, we thought we’d share some nifty statistics with you. (Because we’re nerds, even on holidays.)

On Sunday, we dug deep into Gaywheels’ data mines and extracted a list of our top ten posts for the first half of 2012. We’re happy to say that Gaywheels’ list of Gay-Friendly Automakers still holds the #1 spot, but below that, it was nothing but car reviews for as far as the eye could see. Sounds like some of you may be in the mood to buy …

And so, without further ado, here’s a list of the ten most popular posts on Gaywheels so far this year. Stay tuned: we may be asking you some questions about your current ride very soon!

1. 2011 VW Golf GTI vs. 2011 VW Golf TDI
2. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO
3. 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
4. 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum
5. 2007 Nissan Quest
6. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
7. 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe: Test Drive
8. 2012 Chevrolet Cruze: Big Bang For Bargain Bucks
9. 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI
10. 2012 Toyota Prius C: Sex Doesn’t Always Sell

If you’re old enough to remember the gas crisis of the 1970s, you’re probably old enough to remember some of the econo-boxes it inspired — dinky, rattly little things that offered solid fuel economy at the expense of physical and mental comfort. Getting one up to highway speed took Herculean effort, not to mention nerves of steel.

The Chevrolet Sonic is the grandchild of those cars, but apart from its pint-size profile, it bears little resemblance to its ancestors.

The Sonic is one of the most recent entries in the automotive industry’s increasingly crowded subcompact field. However, thanks to some very admirable features — and some very nice customization packages — the Sonic can easily hold its own against the competition.

The pros

When the Sonic arrived at my front door, I admit, I squealed a little. The sedan’s bright red paint was striking, but more importantly, they’d sent over a Sonic with a manual transmission — not a dual-clutch, but a bona fide manual (something that’s increasingly hard to find). As any driver with left-foot skills can tell you, manuals mean serious fun.

And the fun began as soon as I started her up. The 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder engine gave off a sporty exhaust note that set my blood racing. (I’m not a speed demon by any means, but a primal thing like that is hard to resist. Imagine Christopher Meloni growling in your ear: it was that good.)

That engine also provided some impressive pickup. The 138 hp didn’t wow me on paper, nor did the respectable 148 lb-ft of torque. But the moment I put that baby into first gear and let off the clutch, my opinion changed — and how. There was none of the expected lag from the turbo engine; just pure thrust.

My other favorite thing about the LTZ model I drove (the top of the Sonic’s three trim levels, which also include the LS and LT) was the center stack. Unlike its big brother, the Chevy Cruze, the Sonic’s infotainment and climate control systems were all easy to read and navigate. True, they were a tad simpler than in the Cruze, but I’ll take simple and usable over complex and confounding any day of the week.

The cons

As you might expect in a car with MSRPs ranging from $14,495 to $17,995, the Sonic contains a good bit of plastic. It’s not the cheapest-looking interior in the segment — not by a long shot — and it does benefit from some very appealing, intuitive design. But if you’re plastic-averse, it’s something to be aware of.

Also, I found the seating position in the Sonic to be really low. Adjusting backward and forward was easy, but moving up and down? Not so much. True, it gave the Sonic more of a racing feel, which might appeal to some drivers, but it seemed strangely low to me.

As a result, it was hard to read the gauge cluster, and even harder to get comfortable. Even with the steering wheel ratcheted all the way down, my arms were still sloped upward. Remember the old woman driving in the chase scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? That’s pretty much how I felt.

But the biggest ding against the Sonic would likely be the ride quality, which I found to be a bit rough. Now, keep in mind that I’m based in New Orleans, and our roads are…well, somewhat less than stellar. Still, even on smooth stretches of highway, I felt jostled — which, given the low seating position, occasionally made it feel as if I were driving a go-kart.

However, that’s not to imply that the Sonic is unsafe. If anything, it’s quite the opposite, boasting a full array of airbags and safety gadgets, as well as a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. All I’m saying is, if you’re used to driving a compact SUV, the Sonic could take a little getting used to.

Bottom line

If you’re looking for a small car to get you around the city, the Sonic is well worth a look. Given the variety of trim levels available, there’s a Sonic for every budget.

If you need a car for commuting, the Sonic can also fit the bill — though I’d recommend upgrading to the LTZ model. Despite the low riding position I mentioned above, the seating is comfortable. In fact, you might not even notice that the leather-looking upholstery is actually leatherette.

Most importantly, the Sonic is fun — far and away, the most fun car I’ve driven in a while. It may not be great for families with more than a child or two, but it’s perfect for a first set of wheels. In fact, I’ll be surprised if the Sonic doesn’t develop its own rabid following of tuners, like the groups that have massed around the Scion brand. Give it a spin, and let us know what you think.

For more info, check out the stats and gallery below.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ
Powertrains: 138 hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder or a 138 hp turbocharged Ecotec 1.4-liter four-cylinder (same as the Chevy Cruze)
Body type: Sedan and hatchback
Pricing: from $14,495 (LS sedan) to $17,995 (LTZ hatchback)
As-tested price: $17,995
As-tested fuel economy (city/hwy): 29/40 mpg
Manufacturing: Orion Township, Michigan
Comparable cars: Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa

In big corporations and sprawling government agencies, we see it all the time: the left-handed don’t know what the right-handed are doing. (That’s how the saying goes, isn’t it?)

Well, Gaywheels isn’t a big company, and yet, the same thing has happened here: two of our reviewers have, unbeknownst to one another, test-driven the same car.

Richard Read posted his review of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt two weeks ago. Today, we present another take on the Volt from our left-coast colleague Jeff Stork.

Do we really need two reviews of the same car? Given the game-changing status of the Volt, we’d say “Sure, why not?”

We hope you’ll enjoy this slightly different take on one of the most innovative cars of the past decade. We also hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised — as we were — that two very different critics have such very similar opinions about the Volt.

* * * * *

I’ve always been one fascinated by the next big revolution in automotive propulsion. In the early 1960s, I was mesmerized by the Chrysler Turbine Car — a gorgeous creation that hummed softly while slurping down fuel like it was free and emitting large quantities of nitrous oxides. Smooth operation, but emissions and fuel economy were both serious problems later shared by the rotary engine as it struggled and ultimately failed to go mainstream in the 70s.

I was also very impressed with the all electric GM EV-1 back in the 90s. The General’s first electric car was quick and quiet, although the car was tiny inside and out. I always thought they were onto something, but the range never quite got to commercially viable levels. Pure electric cars have always carried range anxiety along for the ride.

When the Chevy Volt came to market a year ago, I was highly intrigued: an electric car with a back up generator? In a nutshell, the Volt has a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery supplying a 111-kW electric propulsion system, plus a 1.4 litre generator with a 9.3 gallon fuel tank, which gives the car a total range of over 300 miles. It seemed much more practical to me for the real world.

So when Chevrolet offered me the opportunity to test drive one for a week, I not only eagerly accepted, I decided to take it a step further and drive the car as I would my everyday car — but with a goal of using no gasoline during our time together. To accomplish this, I parked my regular car away from home for the week, leaving the Volt as my only form of transportation.

In many ways, I’m the perfect candidate for a plug-in hybrid. As a writer, I work from home a lot and live in a gepgraphically tight community where I don’t drive extremely long distances. Some days I don’t use my car at all, and most of my trips are less than 20 miles or so. So far so good, except that I do go into LA a couple of times a month, and I live in a desert — Palm Springs, to be specific. That means air conditioning, and some days, lots of it. I was curious about how desert temperatures and the need for climate control would affect its range, which is estimated to be about 36 miles on a full charge.

My test Crystal Red Tintcoat Volt arrived as a fully loaded example, with Bose audio, Navigation, Premium Trim, Park Assist, and polished aluminum wheels. It looked handsome inside and out, with a leather trimmed interior and four bucket seats. Everything had a well-tailored look to it. I did note that the console was rather high, because the battery pack is nested beneath it. The Volt is a hatchback, and the rear compartment is on the smallish side, but the rear seats fold individually to accomodate most needs.

Behind the wheel, the first thing I noticed was the quality of the interior — comfortable two-tone perforated leather seats with contrasting stitching, high quality soft materials, color graphics and information center, and a great deal of light all in all made for an airy cabin. Once the energy button was pressed, I was struck by the quiet: no engine noise, no transmission whine, just the soft whirring of the electric motors. Then out on the road thing I noticed an unexpectedly smooth ride. The Volt’s propulsion system adds about 400 pounds compared to the gasoline-powered Cruze, and as a result the ride quality is much improved.

The instrumentation was totally unlike a conventional car. There are two multicolor displays, one in front of the driver and one in the console. A small fuel gauge shows how much fuel is in the 9.3 gallon tank and displays an estimated range on gas. Beneath that is a battery gauge that estimates electric range, and at the bottom a display of estimated total mileage. A digital speedometer is in front of the driver and to the right is an efficiency gauge, like a fuel economy gauge of the 70′s gone space age. A happy green dot (looking remarkably like the earth) rotates in the center of the display — it moves up and down as the gas and brake pedals are applied. The color changes the further it moves up or down. The driving lesson is obvious: jackrabbit starts and screeching stops are the enemy of electric range. The usual battery of engine monitoring gauges are absent.

I’d also done some reading online about the difference between “low” and “drive” in electric operation: there are no transmission gears in play, so the difference is the application of regenerative braking. In drive, lifting your foot off of the accelerator causes the car to coast. In low, as soon as your lift your foot off the gas, the regenerative braking commences. It allows you to move at low speeds with minimal application of the brake pedal. So at speeds under 35 mph, I drove in low, and over that I used drive, but downshifted before applying the brakes whenever possible.

Driving the Volt was very much to me like flying a Cessna. An airplane has a window of flight — a minimum speed to stay aloft without stalling, and maximum safe speed before breaking up. In addition, the wings and ailerons must be kept within a tight range and all movements executed gradually. That’s how I began to see the Volt as I moved through traffic.

Armed with the Energy Usage Screen that rates the efficiency of both driving style and climate control usage, I strove to keep the car moving whenever possible. I monitored the window of traffic more actively and worked more diligently at maintaining a steady and smooth speed than I would have in a conventional gasoline car, and my reward was range. I got as much as 44 miles of range (versus a projected 36) by paying attention to calibrated traffic lights and moving at a steady speed. But keep in mind, that I could have also just ignored everything and driven the Volt like a conventional car. The worst that could happen was that the generator might come on.

And then the heat came. The Volt and I endured some pretty unseasonal heat — 106 degrees to be exact. Throw in a couple of cranky passengers and I tested the A/C in “Comfort” mode. The range loss was less than I expected — only 3 miles. We stayed cool inside, and I still didn’t end up needing the gasoline generator.

In fact, I didn’t end up using the generator at all. I spent the entire week in exclusively electric power, and it was a pleasure. I plugged the Volt in at night (120V takes about 7 hours) and awoke each morning to a “Fully Charged” message on the dash. The car was wonderfully quiet, and the hood stayed cool to the touch, which was another unexpected pleasure. The car performed flawlessly all week and I took quite a few people for rides. Often when I came out to the car, people would ask me questions about it. The highlight was pulling into the bank one morning as a guy was pulling out in a new Rolls-Royce Phantom convertible, and he was looking at me. That says quite a bit. The Volt did everything a conventional car does, except need gasoline. And of course, at all times there was a generator and a full tank of fuel, so if I had to go anywhere, all I needed to do was jump in the Volt and go.

I’m not saying I had no dislikes, but my observations were minor and had nothing to do with the propulsion. The front spoiler was a bit low and hit driveways everywhere. I thought a car in the Volt’s price class should have a power seat. And there’s no way to preserve battery power, for example if I wanted to drive to LA and save the electric range for when I get there, but that’s being corrected for 2013.

The Volt doesn’t make sense for everyone. Those with a long daily commute or who run long distances on the freeway would be better off with a Cruse Eco or a conventional hybrid. And certainly cost is a factor, as not everyone can budget $39,995 for a base Volt to begin with (although I would be remiss not to mention that tax credits available currently can offset almost $9000 of the purchase price in California, and there’s a very attractive lease deal as well.) But every new technology is more expensive at first, so hopefully we will see the affordability improve over time. Volt owners I have spoken to tell me that it costs them about $35 per month for the electricity to charge it at nights, so there’s a genuine savings there as well. And the freedom from dependency on big oil has a value for many consumers.

I found the Volt to be one heck of an impressive automobile — indeed more than I had expected — that has become a political football for reasons unlrelated to its actual attributes. But I believe that any car should be judged on its own merits and not because of who was President when it was introduced. If you haven’t checked out the Volt in person yet, I highly recommend that you take it for a drive. No gasoline will be needed.

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: the 2012 Chevrolet Volt is an amazing ride.

Haters may gripe about the price (we’ll get to that in a minute), or they can complain about the loans that Chevy’s parent company, General Motors, received from the Bush and Obama administrations in 2008-09 (been there, done that, get over it). But there is absolutely no denying that, in many ways, the Volt is flat-out brilliant.

Perfect? No. But remember this is the first-generation Volt we’re talking about. And the kick-off has been impressive.

Conventional or cutting-edge?

At first glance, the Volt appears to be a straightforward compact sedan. Yes, the blackouts along the base of the side windows give it a distinctive look, and the wraparound tail lights are unique. But if you squint and check out the Volt’s silhouette, its profile isn’t too different from the competition.

And yet, the Volt made more heads turn than almost any other car I’ve driven (with the possible exception of a 1976 Corvette Stingray that my dad bought during his midlife crisis).

In parking lots, people approached me and asked, “Does that run on batteries?” And after I explained the Volt’s ingenious powertrain, they followed up with more questions.

Here’s the dialogue I had with my father, who’s long past that midlife crisis, BTW:

Me: So, technically it’s an electric car.

Dad: But you put gas in it, too?

Me: Yes sir. (Note: I still say “yes sir” and “no sir” to my father. Southern upbringings are hard to overcome.) You can travel about 40 miles just on electricity when the battery’s fully charged. When the battery charge runs out, the gas kicks in.

Dad: Do you have to pull over and re-start it?

Me: No sir, it happens while you’re driving. Unless you’re listening, you probably won’t even notice it. That’s because the gas doesn’t actually power the wheels; the gas powers a generator that juices up the battery. So you’re always, always, always using the electric system, and electric motors are always, always, always moving the wheels. The only thing that changes is that sometimes, those motors are powered by energy stored in the battery pack, and sometimes, those motors are powered by energy sent to the battery pack from the gas generator.

Dad: Oh…. That’s pretty cool.

Which is the reaction I got from most everyone when the lightbulb clicked on.

My dad was far less confused by the interior. The wraparound compartments for driver and passenger are tasteful and sleek. Even the plastic elements look shiny and expensive. In place of a fuel gauge cluster, the Volt has a display screen offering loads of info about battery charge, gas levels, and such. There’s an eco-monitor, too, showing when you’re driving “green” and when you’re not. Just another way of gamifying modern life, I suppose.

My car arrived with the Premium Trim Package, which was $1,395 very well spent. Boasting leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, it was hard to tell the difference between the Volt and a luxury model.

It also came with a high-end entertainment/navigation system ($1,995), Bose speakers ($495), polished aluminum wheels ($595), and the Rear Camera and Park Assist Package ($695), which, frankly, I never used. Then again, I’ve lived most of my life in New Orleans, where parallel parking is a way of life.

New standard equipment for the 2012 model is a passive-entry system that makes getting into the car — even lifting the back hatch — a stone-cold breeze.

The downsides

I don’t want to give the impression that the Volt is entirely without flaws.

For starters, as much as I love the swanky interior — including the rear bucket seats — the exterior design isn’t for everyone. It feels a bit chunky, a bit “American sedan”, but of course, that’s GM’s MO. If Chevy had let me take a stab at it, I’d have done more to connect Volt’s rear end with the rest of the car. As it is, it feels as if everything in front of the C pillar belongs on one model, everything behind it belongs on another.

I’m not entirely sold on the Volt’s infotainment system, either. In lieu of buttons to control the radio, DVD player, a/c and such, the 2012 Volt has a flat, plastic panel with text labels, just as the 2011 model did. That panel controls a lot of stuff, so at first glance, it’s a bit overwhelming. Plus, I was never entirely sure that my touch was registering through the plastic, so I found myself looking up at the telematics screen for verification. In parking lots, that was no big deal, but on the road, it was distracting.

(On the upside, though, the Volt’s touchscreen was very responsive — a huge plus. And the 2012 Volt offers GM’s MyLink, which allows you to stream music from your smartphone via Bluetooth. Score.)

Another ding: I noticed a fair amount of cabin noise while driving. It wasn’t coming from the engine, obviously, nor was it due to the wind whipping by, because on smooth stretches of pavement, the Volt was extremely quiet. But on rougher surfaces, I could definitely hear a big difference. The suspension was great — in fact, the Volt was spectacularly comfortable to drive — but perhaps some acoustic dampening material like that found on the Volt’s cousin, the Cruze, would be in order.

And then there’s the price. The Volt starts at $39,995, which is no small sum. Even with a $7,500 tax credit from the federal government, it’s a fairly pricey car — far pricier than the gas-sipping Toyota Prius to which it’s often compared. That’s not exactly a fair comparison, because the Volt makes for a much more pleasant driving experience, but if you’re the type to dollar-cost-average your fuel economy, I suppose it’s valid.

And of course, keep in mind that Chevy’s pretty adamant that you fill up the Volt with premium unleaded.

All that being said, if you’re in the market for a near-luxury sedan and you enjoy being a bit fashion-forward, put the 2012 Chevy Volt on your short list. You’ll turn heads and save cash in the long run, too.

2012 Chevrolet Volt
Pricing: From $39,995
As-tested price: $45,170 (including destination)
Incentives: $7,500 federal tax credit, subject to eligibility
Fuel economy (gas only): 37 mpg city/hwy
Range: 35 miles (battery only); up to 379 with gasoline
Powertrain: 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack + 1.4 liter gas engine
Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
Gasoline: Premium only
Passenger capacity: four
Charge time: 10-12 hours at 120V; 4 hours at 240V
Comparable cars: None, though the Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf, and Lexus CT 200h are often mentioned 

I’m zipping through the swamps and across the bayous that dot southern Louisiana, and I look across at my husband, nestled snugly in the passenger’s seat, and I say, “Wow.”

I’m not talking about the springtime scenery — which is, in fact, pretty impressive. Nor am I talking about my husband — who is, IMHO, also pretty impressive. I’m talking about the car.

This is unusual because I’m driving a compact sedan, and let’s be honest: compact sedans don’t often evoke wows. Yawns? Frequently. Contented sighs? On occasion. But wows?

On the outside

One look at the Cruze, and you can tell it’s from General Motors. Even if there weren’t gleaming Chevy bowties on the grille and on the trunk, you’d know from the car’s simple, easy silhouette and its beefy stance that you’re looking at GM’s handiwork.

If you’re a fan of the swooping angles and character lines seen on other sedans like, say, the Hyundai Elantra, the Cruze may seem a little plain. But there’s a sturdiness, a robustness in its profile that few others can match.

And to its credit, the 2012 Cruze appears slightly more aggressive than its predecessors thanks to a nicely angled beltline.It still falls on the conservative side of the design spectrum, but we wouldn’t go so far as to call it bland.

On the inside

Things get a whole lot better once you slide behind the wheel.

The Cruze is offered in five trim levels: LS, 1LT, 2LT, Eco, and LTZ. We were given the 2LT, with leather seats, leather accents on the shifter, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Cocooned in what looked like an airplane cockpit, it was stunning how much luxury Chevy had crammed into a car that starts below $22,000.

We found plenty of headroom and legroom in both the front and back seats. (Minds out of the gutter, people.) Due to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had, I put the a/c system right to work and found it more than adequate.

If I had to register two complaints about the Cruze’s interior, they would probably be the sightlines and the infotainment system.

The windows on the Cruze felt a tad on the small side. As I drove, it sometimes felt as if I were straining to peer out the windows. The sides were less of a problem than the windshield, which sat low. I’m around 5’10″, and even after adjusting my seat, I found myself slouching to improve the view.

In Chevy’s defense, this may simply be the way of the future: after all, less glass means more sheetmetal, and more sheetmetal generally means more safety. That helps explain why the 2012 Cruze is an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

As far as the infotainment system goes, it was fine once I got the hang of it. Still, I found the learning curve to be a little steep. The buttons on the center stack that bounced me from radio to navigation and back again were confusing, and even though there’s a touchscreen, I found it not-so-responsive at times.

That said, the car’s Bluetooth paired almost immediately with my phone. And that’s nothing short of miraculous.

On the road

The best thing about the 2012 Cruze — my favorite above all — was the cabin noise. By which I mean there was none.

Thanks to an acoustic insulation package, I felt as if I were driving a much more expensive car. My husband and I could even carry on a conversation without shouting. (Until we got lost on one particularly twisty backroad.)

Also impressive: the fuel economy. The LT’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine earns 24 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. Not too shabby.

However, that turbocharger isn’t perfect.

Turbos can be a little disturbing to drive because they often take a few seconds to kick in after you hit the gas. I found the Cruze’s acceleration to be fairly smooth compared to other turbocharged models I’d driven, but when I let off the gas, I was shocked at how quickly it disengaged. It was almost as if I’d hit the brakes by mistake.

Like the view, though, this may be the way of the future. As we saw in Detroit, engines are being downsized for the sake of fuel economy, and automakers are making up for lost power by adding on turbochargers. It’s probably something we’ll have to learn to live with.

Bottom line

If you were put off by the Cruze’s predecessor, the Cobalt,  you need to let bygones be bygones, because the Cruze is a horse of a different color. It feels much sturdier than the Cobalt, and it offers more luxury bangs for the buck than many of its competitors.

True, it’s not as sporty as some others in its class — like, say, the 2012 Ford Focus — but if you’re looking for a reliable ride suitable for both work and weekends, the Cruze should definitely be on your test-drive list.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze
Powertrains: 138 hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder for LS; 138 hp turbocharged Ecotec 1.4-liter four-cylinder for 1LT, 2LT, ECO, and LTZ; LS and ECO are available with manual 
Pricing: from $17,275 (LS manual) to $22,975 (LTZ auto)
As-tested price: $24,305
As-tested fuel economy (city/hwy): 26/38 mpg
Manufacturing: Lordstown, OH
Comparable cars: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla

Chevy’s Malibu will be “lightly electrified” when re-designed for 2013. “What in batteries does ‘lightly electrified’ mean,” you may ask? Apparently, “hybrid” was too much for the last Malibu to live up to. Its system was expensive and did little to wean the car off fossil fuels. Re-booted and uplifted, the 2013 Malibu ECO with eAssist benefits greatly from junk, err lithium-ion batteries, in the trunk.

The system stores energy during deceleration and through generators in the brakes, then assists the gasoline engine when a little extra power is needed heading up a hill, getting off the line, or to keep the transmission from shifting down and guzzling more fuel. To keep things simple, eAssist can’t run the Malibu only on electricity. Most drivers should expect a 3-year pay-back from these fuel savings.

It’s not all about the electric system. The 182hp 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine under the power dome hood earns its keep, as does the quick-shifting six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. All Malibus will come with four-cylinder engines. eAssist contributes 15hp additional thrust, making it the most powerful Malibu until a turbo debuts later next year. Fuel economy is rated 25/37-MPG city/hwy.

Malibu is a stylish car, familiar in its big cross-bar grille and Camaro-inspired quad taillamps,. There’s also a lot of engineering hidden in the design details. The headlamps and grille greet the wind with smooth curves while sharp creases in the rear help to provide the car with a minimum of drag resistance. Behind the grille are shutters that close to divert airflow when not required for engine cooling. Lightweight alloys and low rolling resistance tires hold the road and earn a modest bump in MPGs.

Careful attention has been paid to airflow (i.e. wind noise) around the mirrors, and extensive insulation provides a quiet cabin in which you can enjoy Chevrolet’s MyLink® system. Voice controls USB-connected MP3 players, CDs, Pandora internet radio, and XM satellite radio. Bluetooth is standard; navigation is optional. Go old-school and tune in your favorite AM or FM station with a big tuning knob – much better than small fiddly buttons.

The cabin’s upscale materials, blue lighting that seeps out of the dashboard, convincing fake wood, and round gauges in square housings could have come from a Cadillac that copulated with a Camaro – it’s elegant and sporty. Rear legroom is a little tight, but shoulder space was increased. Safety is enhanced with 8 airbags: Dual front, front side, side curtains, and front knee airbags.

Hot-shoeing it through Texas hill country, just outside of Austin, the car shows its athletic side. The chassis felt nicely planted as I pushed it through hairpin corners, only once eliciting nanny-genies from the electronic stability program. Although there’s no hydraulic pump assisting the steering, the electric system felt more natural than other’s I’ve tested. Still, if you want a sports car, buy a Camaro.

Families of all types bought the outgoing Malibu, but not so many with a hybrid system. I like the new Malibu much better. Lightly electrified and styled to impress, Malibu ECO sales begin this spring with a base price of $25,995.

2013 Chevy Malibu ECO
Five-passenger, FWD sedan
Powertrain: 197hp (total) 2.4-litre I4, Lithium-ion batteries
Suspension f/r: Ind./Ind.
Wheels: 17”/17” alloy f/r
Brakes: Re-gen disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have feature: Style, MPGs
Manufacturing: Oshawa, ON
Fuel economy (city/hwy.): 25/36 mpg
As tested price: $34,470

Chevy charges ahead with Volt hybrid

“Electric cars are the future, right?”

That question was levied at me by a show-goer during this year’s New York Auto Show, where the fully electric-powered Nissan Leaf had just taken the World Car of the Year award. Worth mentioning is that, only a few months earlier, during the Detroit Auto Show, the North American Car of the Year award had gone to the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt. So score it a tie for EVs and plug-in hybrids (at least in the eyes of the judges).

Unlike the electric-only Leaf, the Chevy Volt uses a 150-horsepower electric powertrain coupled with a small displacement, gasoline-powered engine. When the electrical range is used up – at approximately 40 miles – the 84-hp 1.4-liter engine starts up and powers an onboard generator. This helps extend the driving range of the Volt by 200 miles, more or less. That’s much more than the 100-mile maximum range offered by the Nissan Leaf.

Unfortunately, I picked up my Volt test car in a hurry. Grabbing the keys, I hopped behind the wheel and reached for the…whoa, wait just one minute! The first thing that strikes you about the Volt is that the dashboard is very different from what you’ll find in any Malibu or Cruze. There are displays showing everything from remaining charge left in the lithium-ion battery pack, to the mileage covered while in electric mode.

The center console is covered in white plastic, which is touch sensitive and free of any buttons or toggles. There are cozy bucket seats front and rear (making the Volt a strict 4-seater), and a convenient hatchback, which provides easy loading of the 10.6 cu ft. trunk. But a little time is definitely needed to learn the controls, and Manhattan rush-hour traffic was not the ideal setting for a rapid intro to the Volt cabin.

Yet once on the road, the Volt feels very much like a normal car – albeit a totally silent one when cruising on electric power. A trip to visit my boyfriend’s family in New Jersey had me use up the rest of the Volt’s electric driving range. A light hum and tiny vibration from the front signaled that the gasoline engine had started up and was now powering the electrical motor. In an electric car, I would have been stranded when the battery power ran out. In the Volt, I had range to spare.

The Volt is fairly hefty, with a curbweight of 3,781 lbs. But the ride feels very composed, and the steering offers a good level of feedback and response. My one complaint was with the brakes, which felt overly sensitive at low speeds and a bit too ‘wooden’ when braking on the highway. Maybe the regenerative braking system is the culprit? Whatever the case, the Volt did manage to claw back some electrical power while occasionally coasting on the Garden State Parkway, and as the brakes fed back power while coming to a stop for tolls.

That was enough to give my in-laws a quick demo of the Volt’s electric-only driving mode, even if it was only at parking lot speeds. I decided to plug the car in, though the visit was nowhere near the 10-12 hours needed for a full recharge from a 120-volt outlet. That time is cut in half if you have access to 240 volts. The cord for the Volt is stored in the trunk, with the recharge port located on the front left fender. And yes, I embarrassingly mistook the fuel flap (located on the right rear fender) as the charge port on my first attempt.

An electric vehicle is not going to send your utility bills soaring. Many automakers make the easy-to-understand comparison that plugging in an electric or plug-in hybrid uses as much energy as your average clothes dryer. Budget a couple bucks, depending on your local energy rates, for a full recharge. The process is safe and simple, there are safety systems built into the Volt to prevent you from driving off while still plugged into an outlet.

The Volt is a technologically advanced piece of machinery that, for most people, provides an extra level of convenience by offering much better range than an EV. Today’s electric vehicles serve perfectly well as a second car, useful for short commutes and local errands. However, a plug-in like hybrid like the Volt offers an excellent balance between green engineering and practicality.

The Volt’s high-tech hardware does come with a price. At $41,000 (excluding federal and state rebates) the Volt isn’t cheap. A Nissan Leaf starts at approximately $33,000 (also before rebates). And of course there is the 50-mpg Toyota Prius, whose base price of $23,800 can’t be ignored in this company.

• Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company
• Get a gay-friendly insurance quote

Last week, Joe Tralongo and Nick Kurczewski visited the Derek & Romaine Show on the Sirius network to talk about the highs and lows of the 2011 New York Auto Show. During their visit, they answered a lot of questions from listeners, but they didn’t have the chance to respond to everyone. Here’s one of the late-comers, whose question might be of interest to some of you:

I enjoyed listening to you on Derek & Romaine. I’m in the market to change cars (currently driving a 2007 Jeep Liberty). It was nice to hear you mention the Kia Soul this week on the show. I’m also considering the Jeep Patriot and the Dodge Journey. The Nissan Juke was a possibility, too, but I’ve decided that it’s too small. I’m looking for something that has room for my things and is a little higher-end than a regular car. I’m looking to spend in the $20,000 to $25,000 range. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jim

* * * * *

Hey Jim,

Thanks for listening, I hope we gave you some good ideas, but let’s talk more about your needs.

I like the Dodge Journey, it’s been completely remade for 2011 with a much improved interior and V6 engine. Unfortunately, even the base model nicely equipped starts at about the top of your price range of $25,000. If you want to go the Jeep route, take a look at the new Compass. Jeep grafted the new Grand Cherokee’s front end on it, as well as made significant interior improvements, creating a very attractive package. If all-wheel-drive is important, the Subaru Outback Premium with the CVT automatic is also around $25,000, as is the Ford Escape, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Chevrolet HHR.

We own a 2008 Honda Element and love it. This is the last year for the Element, but you can also consider getting a used model if you can’t find a 2011 model on the lot. The Element is a really versatile vehicle with a huge cargo hold, has great upright seats (good for bad backs) and about seven-inches of ground clearance.

Hope this helps. Happy hunting!
Joe T.

This year at the New York International Auto Show, the theme we repeatedly heard more than any other was fuel economy—or to be more precise, 40 mpg fuel economy. Auto makers, both foreign and domestic, rolled out a number of high-mileage cars that promise to help us all fight the pain of four and five dollar a gallon gasoline. But, there was also excitement in New York with sporty concepts and luxurious land yachts peppering the Javits Center halls. Although we’ve listed a small sampling of our favorites here, you can see all the cars for yourself April 22-May 1 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. For more information, visit www.AutoShowNY.com.

2012 Subaru Impreza
A reworked Subaru Impreza Sedan and Hatchback receive more angular sheetmetal, a much needed interior upgrade including more front and rear-seat legroom, and a new 2.0-liter boxer engine teamed to either a manual or CVT automatic transmission. That last bit of information is crucial to the Impreza’s story, as Subaru is promising cars equipped with the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) will see 36 miles-per-gallon, making the 2012 Impreza the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive car in America.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle
The new 2012 Beetle is set to hit VW showrooms this fall, and what a splash it will make! While still recognizable as the iconic VW coupe, the 2012 VW Beetle is a bit longer and less rounded than the last model; it’s also much more athletic and muscular. Beetle fans can choose between three engines: a 2.5-liter normally aspirated engine, a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, or a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine (the same found in the sporty GTI.) Both manual and automatic transmissions, including VW’s DSG dual-clutch automatic, will be available. Pricing has not yet been announced, but rumor has it that the 2012 Beetle will start under $20,000.

2012 Audi A7 Sportback
Joining the small but steady proliferation of what are being dubbed “four-door coupes”, the A7 also incorporates the best attributes of a wagon as well. Surprise guest Stephen Colbert appeared on stage, partially to help launch the new car and partially to announce his collaboration with Audi in the Charleston Bermuda sailing race. All jokes aside, the A7 is a stunning car with a fastback like rear end that, though not quite as obvious as the BMW 5GT’s rear, is certainly more handsome than the Porsche Panamera. Models will include gasoline and diesel engines, as well as Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel drive.

2013 Ford Taurus
Ford continues to make small but significant improvements to its biggest sedan, proving that the company is no longer content to sit by and watch foreign competitors overtake its newest models. In addition to its standard 3.5-liter V6, the 2013 Ford Taurus will offer an available 237-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine that will deliver V6-like power with impressive fuel efficiency. The addition of the 2.0-liter turbo marks the second EcoBoost engine offered in the Taurus line, the other being the 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 in the Taurus SHO. Other changes in store for the 2012 Taurus include a new front fascia with electrically operated grille slats that help reduce aerodynamic drag when closed, LED tail lights, and the addition of Ford’s MyTouch configurable gauge cluster.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is treated to a sporty new makeover that, when viewed from behind, makes the sedan appear almost like a four-door Camaro. While more curves have been added to the Malibu’s sheetmetal, dash and wheel arches, the front end seems to have missed the boat, retaining a more angular appearance with strong ties to the previous model. Inside, a new instrument panel includes cool grooved bars that mimic the flamboyant old dashes from the 50s and 60s, as well as more interior room and a stunning attention to detail. We flat out love this interior. The biggest news, however, is the addition of the Malibu ECO, which uses GM’s eAssist electric motor generator to assist the gasoline engine, returning an estimated 26 mpg city and 38 mpg highway.

2012 Hyundai Accent
Hyundai has been on a tear lately, and the new Accent is proof the Korean car company is showing no signs of slowing down. The lightweight Accent looks great, comes loaded with features, yet will probably barely reach the $17,000 mark with all the bells and whistles. Better yet, Hyundai is promising 40 mpg highway when either the manual or automatic transmission is paired with the 138-horsepower gasoline direct injection (a first in this segment) 2.0-liter engine; figures like these also mean the Accent bests the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Mazda Mazda2 in both horsepower and fuel economy.

2012 Honda Civic
The previous Civic ran for five years with only minor changes and still looks as fresh and modern as the day it was launched. Not wanting to tempt fate, the all-new 2012 Honda Civic doesn’t venture too far from the successful formula that helped make the last Civic a perennial best seller. While the basic size and shape are familiar, the exterior is now a bit more vivid, with added dimensional sculpting on the hood, trunk and sides. There are a total of seven Civic models, including the sporty Si, Eco-friendly Hybrid, and the luxurious EX; this year also marks the return of the fuel-efficient HF trim. Our own Nick Kurczewski will have a full write up on the new Civic soon, so check back for his in-depth review.

2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8
Hot on the heels of the new 300 sedan comes its sinister alter-ego, the SRT8. Still smooth and stylish, the Chrysler 300 SRT8’s massive HEMI V8 engine, which is good for 465 horsepower, can rocket this big sedan from 0-60 mph in the four second range. Talk about your ticket magnet! Also debuted were two new 300 trims: the S trim is endowed with a more urban, youthful appearance, while the C Executive line is designed to be the must luxurious 300 model ever.

Favorite Concepts
Concept cars are only dreams formed in metal and plastic (and sometimes clay). But, dreams do come true, which is why we have our fingers crossed for these two concept beauties

Scion FR-S
This car finally delivers on Scion’s promise of a youthful, aggressive and fun-to-drive coupe that anyone can afford. The FR-S features a 2.0-liter boxer engine, rear-wheel drive and a lightweight body with a nearly 50/50 front to rear weight distribution. But it’s the styling that really gets us. WOW.

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class
Fun, smart and small are not adjectives normally attributed to Mercedes-Benz cars, but this little concept could very well change all that. If MB does it right (and prices it right), the A-Class Concept could be the car that finally pulls in the super cool, super young buyers that have long alluded the German luxury car giant.

It’s another one of those frigid winter days, wind blowin’, ice crackling powerlines to the ground. Nostrils are freezin’, cats are snuggling, and even your neighbor’s husky pugs up his nose at going outside to lift a leg. Winter is cruel in the way it causes convertibles to hibernate in dark corners of the garage, batteries all run down, waiting for the cherry blossoms. It makes me sad – cannot freakin’ wait for spring! Of course, and it didn’t take long to hop a plane when this thought fired across, one could fly to San Diego for a drive in the all-new Camaro Convertible. Better still, land in L.A. and drive to San Diego in the hyper-efficient Chevy Cruze. Winter can kiss my ass, I’m outta here!

Haulin’ it down the coast, the Cruze Eco averaged over 43-MPG, running nearly 80 mph. That’s a serious challenge to hybrids like the Honda Insight and diesel compacts from The Fatherland. This magic is conjured from front grille air shutters that improve aerodynamics at speed, 5-lb. lighter forged aluminum wheels, tire spats, finessed facias, spoiler, low rolling resistance Goodyear tires, and underbelly pan to gentlemanly part ways with the wind. Motivation comes from a 138-HP 1.4-litre turbo engine, driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Overdrive fifth and sixth gears turn in clean green, but sometimes require a shift down of a couple cogs to steam through fast mountains.

The Cruze is tomb quiet on the highway, but poses no threat to the euphoric symphony of wind whipping by your ears in a Camaro Convertible. Easing through the portico at our hotel in San Diego around Noon, our Chevrolet minder had an array of freshly-washed Camaros.

“Which one do you want,” he asked?

“A red V6,” I responded.

He handed me the keys, “Be back by 5:00 for dinner.”

No problem, my friend. I could use five hours with nothing to do but drive and 76-degrees to enjoy. I headed to Mission Beach, advancing the heads-up display to an even 70 mph. For me, Camaros with the 312-HP 3.6-litre V6 are the ones to marry. A quick clonk removes any doubt there is enough power to dispense with traffic while reserving the right to turn in nearly 30-MPG. The SS’ 426-HP 6.2-litre V8 is borderline obnoxious for everyday use, but all of that torque and power humble mountains – especially when rowed through the six-speed manual transmission.

That power is girded by a fortified body structure. Engineers installed a tower-to-tower link under the hood, reinforced the transmission support, and added front and rear underbody “V” bracesin a bid to keep the roofless body from shaking and creaking above the four-wheel independent suspension system. This maneuvering of steel allowed the chassis to be tuned exactly like the coupe’s. In other words, the convertible handles brilliantly. According to Chevrolet, the Camaro’s body equals the stiffness of a BMW 3-Series convertible. Very good.

Camaro is a car born to have its steel top sacrificed to the sun gods.Its sexy Coke bottle shape starts with a long sculpted hood and ends in bulging fenders followed by quad taillamps. Everything portrays a current-century ’69 Camaro. Engineers worked with the Corvette supplier to create a power top that is as taut as a Bentley’s when up and perfectly concealed under a folding one-piece tonneau when deployed. Up to down flicks off a power button in under 20s – less than a stoplight. To keep things smooth, the radio antenna is embedded in the rear spoiler while XM and OnStar are signaled through a body color shark fin on the decklid.

Big round gauges in square tunnels, classic quad auxiliary gauges in the center console, and simple audio display love livin’ in the Camaro’s interior. Cloth seats and dash trim are standard, but there are multiple interior packages to add heated leather, contrasting color seats, backlit dash/door inserts, and uplevel USB-injected audio. There’s everything you need to soak up waning warmth via hefty comfy.

It’s morning in California and time to try out the SS. Exchanging the V6 for a 6.2-litre V8 amps up the scare factor by a couple levels of Hell. Upon reaching open highway, I kicked the gas and chucked off into the distance.Stupid power comes in handy when ripping around piggy trucks on trail-thin two lanes threading up through the mountains. While it is good to remember the Camaro is a heavy four-seat muscle car and not a Porsche Boxster, its tight suspension and body structure pay their dues, plastering a smile on your cheeks through every hairpin curve and straight-away.

I’ll get on a plane tomorrow and fly home where I’m sure, after a warming spell, it will be a balmy 35 degrees. Can’t freakin’ wait! Ah, but the night is still young, the stars are out, I can hear the ocean, and I’m going to spend a little more time Camaro Cruzin’. Winter can just wait to freeze my ass! I’m rocking my sunburn.

Prices for CruzeEco starts just over $18,000; Camaro Convertibles begin at $30,000.Pick one up today or wait until May 29 to see the white and orange Camaro Convertible pacing the Indianapolis 500 in tribute to both Chevrolet’s and Indy’s 100th Anniversaries.I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the coming of summer!

• Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company
• Get a gay-friendly insurance quote
• Get a free price quote for a 2011 Camaro or 2011 Cruze
• Find a Chevrolet dealer near you

Taking the re-engineered 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD to pick up a credenza at IKEA is like commissioning a stealth bomber to extinguish a tent camp. The big Chevy is capable of pulling insane loads through prairie and mountains with five aboard. However, my partner wanted a credenza — with wood striped doors and a metal base to complete the mid-century look he was slaving over in our living room. His mother and nieces went along on the four-hour drive just for “fun”.

The last time we made an IKEA run, it was in a Ford Focus two-door. We came home with an entire shelving unit, packed in about 10 boxes, for our den. You should have seen that carcacha slumping down the Interstate. This was going to be a lot easier, even if it was an insult to the Silverado’s ample truckhood.

To be honest, I was more than willing to entertain his decorative whimsy because I really wanted to drive the truck somewhere. Anywhere. The thought of powering up the 6.6-litre Duramax V8 turbo diesel kept me vibrating all night like a pubescent homo near a college natatorium. The beast stomps out 397 horsepower and an earth-tugging 765 lb.-ft. of torque! And what’s not to love about its stout Allison-built six-speed automatic transmission? More astounding, the heavy duty truck achieved over 18 mpg in a combination of city and highway driving — blindingly brilliant for a truck with this capability. Seventies sedans guzzled more fossils and could barely haul home macramé for your rumpus room.

Constant torque and a spinning turbo are more akin to a Gulfstream jet than your image of a pickup truck. I drove nearly two hours at speeds that more than once tapped the rev limiter just under 100 mph without either niece looking up from her texting. Step down at 80 and the truck surges ahead with the smoothness of an airliner at takeoff, but with the determination of a GE Dash 9 locomotive pulverizing the Rockies. Perhaps because of its size, speed just doesn’t mean anything — like the Queen Mary 2 kickin’ it across the Atlantic at record pace. It is also a testament to the Silverado’s aerodynamics, insulation, and thick side glass that nobody is alerted to growing velocities by wind noise. It would only be slightly less energetic with a 36-foot. Chris Craft out back.

Even on a day warm enough to scare Texans back under mesquite trees, the dual zone automatic climate control froze five of us solid while not even causing a flinch in the dashboard temperature gauge. Unlike wimp wagons, this feat was even achieved while parked. Comfy leather seats, cruise control, tilt wheel, and adjustable pedals gave a snuggle-worthy embrace. When not tranced into their phones, the nieces jammed to XM Satellite Radio and their MP3s through the USB port. Bluetooth connected phones seamlessly to steering wheel controls.

All ensconced in vile luxury, it’s easy to forget the Silverado HD earns its living through hard work. To that end, the cabin is equipped with an integrated brake controller that fits in the dash as naturally as a wood storage door in a ‘Benz S-Class. A backing camera, dual glove boxes, large center console, and a flip-up rear seat cushion make the most of available space. Safety is enhanced by dual front, front side, and two-row side curtain airbags. If your momma or boyfriend needs it, there’s an illuminated vanity mirror on the sunvisor to check makeup and eyeliner.

The Silverado’s exterior needs no such embellishment. It is clean, streamlined, and as tough as a sledgehammer. Your only clues to its capability are the Duesenberg-high chrome grille, 20″ forged chrome aluminum wheels, and power-adjustable camper mirrors that you swear are going to knock Kias into the brush as you pass.

The credenza looks great, placed near my favorite Eames lounge chair that has been colonized by my mother-in-law, whom I’m sure doesn’t appreciate the full value of the artwork in which she sleeps. Leather, wood, constructed of perfection. It is far more than anyone deserves for watching movies (although, it’s a perfect place to watch Mad Men with bourbon in hand). It’s kinda like the Silverado HD hauling home goods from IKEA – it is certainly capable of doing so, but what a waste of an incredible piece of design and engineering. Price as tested came to $55,200.

2011 Chevy Silverado HD
Five-passenger, 4×4 Pickup
Powertrain:397-HP, 765 lb.-ft. torque, 6.6-litre V8 turbo diesel, 6-speed Allison automatic transmission
Suspension f/r: Ind./Solid axle
Wheels: 20″/20″ f/r.
Brakes: Disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have feature: Power, comfort.
Tow capacity: Up to 21,700 lbs.
Fuel economy:18 mpg combined
Assembly: Flint, MI
As tested price: $55,200

• Chevrolet is a gay-friendly
  company
• Get a gay-friendly
  insurance quote
• Get a free price quote
  for a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD
• Find a Chevrolet dealer
  near you

By Jeff Stork

I spent some time last week in Washington, D.C. with an all new Chevy
compact sedan. No, not the Volt — the other one. The Cruze. C-r-u-z-e. Yes, I know you haven’t heard of it. It’s new. In fact, It’s an all-new model that will be sold globally under the Cruze name, replacing
a patchwork of different nameplates.

It’s based on the front-drive GM Delta II platform (also used by that
attention-grabbing Volt) and will be produced in several countries, with
the North American Chevrolet version coming from the retooled
Lordstown, Ohio plant. The Cruze will go on sale in the third quarter of
2010.

The Cruze will offer many choices — perhaps too many. Five different
models? One more and they’d tie the Brady Bunch. And there really is a
sixth because the much touted Volt is based on the same Delta II
platform, which makes the whole Brady analogy fit. The Cruze is
the Jan Brady of Chevy.

And it all makes sense. With the Volt wearing the Marcia-Marcia-Marcia
“Look at Me” crown, the capable and competent Cruze is Jan — second
fiddle to her more newsworthy and headline grabbing sister, but for
many, many people a much better choice based on sound technology and
superior affordability. And while the Doug Simpsons of the world may
line up to spend $35,000-plus for the Volt, the George Glasses will
probably be getting the better deal. I suspect in the long run, Jan will
eclipse Marcia’s popularity.

Cruze trim levels range from the Cruze LS at $16,995 base, up to the slightly more stylish Cruze LT with the 1.4T and alloys at
$18,895. Moving up the line, the LT2 adds leather, bluetooth, USB and more at $21,395,
and for those who demand it all, the Diana Ross of Cruze is the LTZ
with auto climate control, parking assist, 18″ alloys and four-wheel
discs at $22,695. Need to channel your inner performance diva? The RS appearance adds lower body fascia wrap, fog lamps and
spoiler to any LT or LTZ for $695. And for Al Gore supporters,
there’s the $18,895 ECO with a standard six-speed stick and expected 40
mpg EPA highway fuel economy.
 
I wouldn’t say that the styling screams “Chevrolet!”, keeping in
mind the global intentions, but it is clean and contemporary, with the
signature bisected Chevrolet grill up front and gold bowtie badge
flanked by jeweled headlamps. The sides are clean, and the roofline
tapers smoothly rearward. The car features a wide stance, and the wheels fill up the wheel wells nicely (standard size is 16″),
especially with the optional 17″s and 18″s. After all, bigger is better, up to a point. (Wheels, people — we’re talking wheels here.)

Stylistically, the rear seems the
least distinctive part of the Cruze — again cleanly styled but lacking any specific brand character. However, one must note that
the styling of its Cobalt predecessor screamed “rental”, so please don’t
think I’m displeased with the new look at all. Clean and
contemporary, and light years ahead of some of the entries of the recent
past. Besides, Jan looked nice but Marcia was the glamor girl.

I didn’t notice the biggest change until I climbed inside. Gone was the one-piece molded
door panel and black plastic everything-you-touch. The interior has a
two-tone theme on the dash and door panels, the materials are a HUGE
(that word again!) improvement with soft-touch dash facing and the
current GM HVAC and audio controls, which are very nice and tactile. The
optional navigation system (which I did sample) integrates nicely into
the display, although I found the map a bit small. Still this is a Cavalier
successor, and we’re discussing the navigation screen. That’s
called progress.

Speaking of progress, you’ll be pleased to note the Cruze’s comfortable and well-tailored
seats. Ahhhh. Much nicer than the Chevy compacts I remember. Overall
impression is very comparable to the Buick Regal I drove last month (and
liked), though slightly smaller in scale.

Power for most Cruze models comes from the new Ecotec 1.4-liter turbo with variable valve timing, which produces 138 hp and 148 lb/ft of
torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic
transmission. In the ECO variant, the car is expected to deliver
40 mpg highway, with other versions likely achieving mid-30s.  The
1.4 turbo is fitted to LT, LTZ and ECO models. The base LS utilizes a
1.8-liter conventionally aspirated engine developing 136 hp, and 123
lb/ft of torque. We did not drive that particular configuration.

The Chevy folks took time to point out the many safety features of
their newest compact, including ten air bags (two front, two head
curtain, four seat mounted side impact, and two front knee bags) along
with collapsible pedals (yay!), StabiliTrak electronic stability control,
and a bunch of GM favorites like tire pressure monitoring, daytime running lamps, and
automatic headlamps. Additionally, about 65% of the body is made of high-strength steel, and GM anticipates that the car will achieve five star
crash ratings in every country in which it is sold, so it should be up
to the rigors of Jan’s paper route.

Driving impressions come from a day on twisty rural roads in
suburban Virginia. I drove a targeted variety of Cruze models — one being an LTZ with navigation and one without. So I’m an Option Queen. I admit
it. But at least I mixed up the colors.

The 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder is silky smooth at idle and pairs
well with the six-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is smart,
and shifts are smooth. We’re light years ahead of the Cobalt and
Cavalier here. The ride is smooth and controlled, and I far preferred it to
the Corolla S, which was provided for comparison. Interior materials were
much nicer as well. I especially liked the soft touch dash and the door
panels, which are much more substantial feeling than the Toyota or the
Cobalt. We were also provided with a Civic sedan for comparison; it
had a ride and handling more on par with the Cruze, but I can’t get used
to the Star Wars instrument panel and the A-pillars that seem
modeled after the old GM Dustbuster minivans. The little Chevy held its
head high against the gold standard of the compact class, and that’s something I’ve never been able to say before.

Jan Brady for Class President! Now what will they do for Cindy?

• Chevrolet is a gay-friendly
  company
• Get a gay-friendly
  insurance quote
• Get a free price quote
  for a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
• Find a Chevrolet dealer
  near you

IMMORTAL CORVETTE GRAND SPORT

By Casey Williams

A car like the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport can make even amateurs immortal. Maneuvers that take great skill in lesser automobiles are executed with such ease and precision as to seem unchallenging. And what beauty! You can really get a complex with everybody popping flash bulbs in your eyes – friends, family, co-workers, delivery guy, neighbor standing alone in my driveway. To really cause drama, choose a GS Convertible in bright yellow with white hash marks on the front fenders. Lady GaGa riding horseback upside-down through Central Park would not draw so many pa-pa-razzi.

Grand Sports were originally built for a race series that included the 24 Hours of LeMans and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1963. Engineers removed 1,000 lbs. from standard Stingrays, installed aluminum engines, Plexiglas windows, fender flares, and bathed them in a blue and white paint scheme. Chevrolet planned 125 units, but built only three coupes and two roadsters. Another GS was offered as a farewell for the C4 generation in 1996, painted blue with white stripes and red fender hashes.

It’s easy to be seduced by the Vette’s beauty and power. Hit the Zeus pedal and you’ll defy gravity like your favorite Greek deity while cackling in five registers. Nothing is more heavenly than letting a mom in her porked-out SUV ride your bumper at 70 mph, then tap down and tap her out as a blur of numbers rips across the heads-up display. The ethereal sound that comes out of the GS’s pipes when the second mode opens shakes the rafters like Celine Dion on testosterone.

It is hard to believe this is the base Corvette’s 6.2-liter V8 engine, producing 436 hp — far less powerful than the Z06′s 505 hp or the ZR-1′s 638 hp. Further keeping this in perspective, the Grand Sport produces 61 hp more than the vaunted ’90 ZR-1. The Grand Sport can do the naught to 60 strut in 3.98s and top out at 190 mph. It will also pull 1.0g on the skidpad and achieve 15/25 mpg city/hwy. Vented and cross-drilled brake rotors, four-wheel ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, and mama’s largest rubber sneakers keep this toboggan gliding mostly straight.

You expect unrivaled performance, however Corvettes are also some of the easiest cars to drive. Wind, semi-wake, and long days just don’t affect you in a Corvette cockpit as they would in other vehicles; it is wide, planted like a steamroller, and if the trip is getting a little long, a slight twitch of your big toe can move things along. Skip the Magneride adjustable suspension — the base chassis is nearly perfect.

On a short drive around town with her hair blowing about, my four-year-old niece whispers to me, “My daddy said to talk you into getting ice cream.” I figure nothing goes better with a convertible and a niece better than ice cream. Besides, how was I going to resist that cute face? I also had to usher each of my two nephews through the same drive-up window. The little gremlins were wearing as much twist cone on their clothes as was smushed on their lips, nose, cheeks, and leather bucket seats. The fact that my sister suggested I limit them to milkshakes with straws is beside the point — not the first time I did something controversial.

Kids love Corvettes, and this big kid went absolutely drooly over the Grand Sport Convertible. Check the exterior. Exposed projector beam headlamps look good in the car’s long, sloping hood with bulging fenders. A low cowl lets drivers have a great view of the road or track. The bulge that starts in the doors and flows back into the rear fenders is taken from the 1963-67 C3 generation Vettes.

The power top goes from 0 to sunshine in 18 seconds to reveal an available stitched leather dash, heads-up display, shift paddles, navigation, Bose audio with CD, XM Satellite Radio, and heated leather seats with power-adjustable lumbar. Corvettes should immediately receive a USB port for full iPod compatibility, higher-grade trim leather (like Porsche or the Escalade Platinum), and removal of the generic steering wheel (I recommend installation of the Camaro’s deep-dish wheel). Nobody should complain about the roadster’s basketball star legroom or generous luggage locker.

Unlike many over-hyped, under-satisfying products, Corvettes surpass your wildest imagination, causing you to praise your savior of choice each and every time you hit the throttle. Whatever you dreamed as a little boy, the real thing is better as a man (or woman).
After your time in a Vette, there is an eerie silence around you as your celebrity wanes. All of the photos have been taken, obscene amounts of gas were burned, and you’re mortal again. Even more than an American icon, directly tracing its pedigree to the exuberant 1950s, the Corvette defies the grim reaper’s swath to plant its flag around the world. GS Convertibles start at $58,580; ours came to $75,740.

2010 Chevy Corvette GS
Two-passenger, RWD Roadster
Powertrain: 436-HP 6.2-litre V8, 6-speed automatic transmission
Suspension f/r: Ind./Ind.
Wheels: 18″/19″ alloy f/r.
Brakes: Disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have feature: Performance, style
Fuel economy (city/hwy): 15/25-MPG (T4)
0-60 mph: 3.98s
Top speed: 190 mph
Manufacturing: Bowling Green, KY
As-tested price: $75,740

• Chevrolet is a gay-friendly
  company
• Get a gay-friendly
  insurance quote
• Get a free price
  quote for a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
  
• Find a Chevrolet dealer
  near you

Our dealer locator is one of our most valuable tools on Gaywheels.com and we are going to begin featuring dealers as they become listed as Premium Gaywheels.com Dealers on the site. Remember, if you see a dealer listing that is activated with hyperlinks, mapping functionality and an email address, that dealer is actively supporting your community by advertising with us.

It is very important that we as a community support the businesses that support us. LGBT media sites like this one are supported by advertising and without it we cannot continue to provide information to our users.

Even if you aren’t in the market for a car, call or email these dealers and thank them for supporting the community.

This month’s featured dealer is in Winston Salem, NC

Previous featured Dealers:

Take a look at the new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado heavy-duty pickups. Go ahead. See if you can spot the differences. No, not there. Crawl underneath. Ah, there it is.
Competition in heavy-duty trucks doesn’t really happen with freshened grilles and bulging fenders anyway. The Silverado is handsome with its big chrome crossbar grille, enough chrome to occupy a truck stop service shop, large trailering mirrors, and fast windshield. But what matters to buyers is a 20,000-lb. towing capacity and a payload capability of 6,335 lbs (properly equipped, of course).

Engineers strengthened the boxed frame, increased front axle rating by 25%, added an adjustable bumper section for snow plow installation, and adjusted the rear suspension’s leaf springs. Trailer sway control, hill start assist, and exhaust braking will help those wanting to tow very heavy loads.
So will the 6.6-litre Duramax diesel engine connected to one of Allison’s renowned six-speed automatic transmission. GM is still sorting out horsepower and torque ratings, but they will be improved from the 2010 model’s already-grunting 365 HP and 660 lb.-ft. of torque. You can also choose a 360-HP/380 lb.-ft. 6.0-litre V8 gasoline engine, but I wouldn’t. Go for the diesel, tug your load, and scare the be-jesus out of your nieces.

Here are our picks for the Top Five new models from the show. Click on a photo below.

Contact: Jarrod Holland
HHPR
910.395.9109
jarrod@hhpr.biz

Winners Announced at Chicago Auto Show – Automotive Journalist of the Year Named

Chicago (February 10, 2010)–The Internet Car and Truck of the Year website, an online venue not dependent on OEM advertising, held its inaugural Internet Pros and Average Joes vote for their favorite new cars.
The Internet Pros are comprised of a select team of 12 online writers from some of the leading automotive Internet sites, while the Average Joes consisted of more than 50,000 votes from the motoring public.
The winners, announced from the Chicago Auto Show today, are:

Internet Pros:
Car of the Year: 2010 Mazda3
Truck of the Year: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

Average Joes:
Car of the Year: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
Truck of the Year: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
Automotive Analyst Lauren Fix, one of the 12-member jury for the Internet Pros, had this to say about the Mazda3: “It’s just the right size and has great performance. It comes standard with all the available bells and whistles and it’s really edgy looking. I just wanted to take it to the track because it handled tightly, has great throttle response, and it’s a blast to drive.”
Another juror, Dan Roth from Autoblog.com, said he voted for the Chevrolet Equinox because
“”…it’s a clear signal of General Motors newfound realization that it not only needs great products, it needs the *right* great products. Cars like the Camaro, Cadillac CTS-V, and of course the Corvette – we all expect those to be great, and they are. Greatness in a niche is fine, but what’s really going to breathe new life into the stumbling behemoth are the bread-and-butter cars.”
So while the Internet Pros and Average Joes agree on the Truck of the Year they have very differing opinions when it comes to their favorite car. The Pros opted for practicality while the Joes chose power. However, both demonstrated their respect for American Sheet metal with the Equinox.
Between the semi-finals and finals rounds, more than 50,000 votes were cast for the Consumer Internet Car and Truck of the Year. Percent of males vs. females was 79 to 21 percent. Forty-seven percent of the voters were between the ages of 40-55.
College graduates made up 39 percent of the voters, with 30 percent having a graduate degree. Thirty percent of voters reported household income between $100-$149,000. The next largest group at 20 percent was $80,000 to $99,999.
Also announced was the selection of John Neff as Internet Automotive Journalist of the Year. Neff, editor-in-chief of Autoblog.com, was selected for his talented stewardship of the Internet’s largest automotive news site and his advocacy for Internet automotive journalists.
The Internet Car and Truck of the Year awards were created by Keith Griffin, the Guide to Used Cars for About.com, and the Hartford (CT) Auto Examiner for Examiner.com, as well as a print automotive journalist and vice president of the New England Motor Press Association.
For more information on Internet Car and Truck of the Year, email Keith Griffin at
keith@internetcarandtruckoftheyear.com or call (860) 292-0618.

CAMARO EXPRESSES OUR MOMENT

By Casey Williams

“Design is an expression of the moment we live in, purposefully or subconsciously moving in step with political order, societal disposition, popular culture, and technological improvement,” wrote Sam Grawe, Editor-in-Chief of Dwell Magazine in the Dec/Jan 2010 issue. He could have been writing about the 2010 Chevy Camaro that is advertised on pages 16 and 17.

GM V.P. of Design, Ed Wellburn, must be pleased with the Camaro. I have to admit I was not impressed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show debut. The latest Mustang had just hit pavement and the Dodge Challenger was on the horizon. Camaro was recognizable, but not retro. Four years later, after the Ford and Dodge designs have nearly passed a generation, the car from Wellburn’s team is dead-on for the start of the next decade.

Traditional features like the Coke bottle curves, quad taillamps, grille, and roofline are reinterpreted for the digital and Gen-Y without offending baby boomers. Wide exotic rear fenders fill the rearview mirrors and the long hood is clearly visible from the driver’s seat. You have to love the 20″ alloy wheels, low roofline, pouncing stance, and thin decklid spoiler. Our test car was painted metallic orange with black stripes. It looked great – like a ’69 Camaro had evolved over 40 years without a crazy trip through the ’70s.

Designers spent as much time on the interior as the jewel of an exterior. Round instruments in square pods and available console-mounted auxiliary gauges take you back to another era while body color inserts on the dash and doors, lit at the top with light tubes, bring you into this time. A configurable LCD display between the tach and speedometer shows speed in big digits, fuel usage, range, or directions from OnStar. Thick, comfy leather sport seats are heated, power-adjusted, and can be accented with body color inserts. Huge knobs for the climate control and radio, and a USB jack for iPODs, couldn’t be easier to use. Rear parking sensors come in handy when negotiating obstacles with those big fenders in your view. Back seats are for children only, but at least the cushions fold down to enlarge the tiny trunk. In cold weather, you’ll freakin’ roast your chestnuts with the hot air from the vents and bun-burning seats.

Despite what your daddy told you, this is the golden age of muscle cars. It is not just about being fluffed and buffed – the coupe also comes stoked to run like no Camaro before. SS models harbor a 426-horsepower Corvette-derived 6.2-litre V8 engine, connected to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Power that comes in a flood with no end is best worked through the manual shifter that feels great and positively engages every gear. Clutch motions are stiff, but direct enough torque that you can pretty much put the car in any gear and leave it there.

I love the SS, but would probably choose the 304-HP 3.6-litre direct injection V6 (shared with Cadillac CTS) for everyday use. The SS’ clutch can wear you out in traffic and 304 HP is more than adequate. That powertrain comes in a car that starts at $22,680 and achieves 29-MPG hwy!

Finally, Camaro gets a chassis that can keep up with its powertrain. Developed by GM’s Holden division in Australia, and sharing a basic architecture with the outbound Pontiac G8, the four-wheel independent suspension is stiff, but can handle mid-corner bumps without drama. There’s also no rear wheel hop as in the old days; nothing you can do to a solid rear axle matches the Camaro’s chassis refinement. Much of the final tuning was done with the help of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

My dad equates power with spinning tires as on the ’64 and ’69 Chevelle SS models he drove in high school. That’s all I heard when we went for a ride in the Camaro. What he doesn’t understand is that while a Chevelle SS sits and spins, the Camaro just goes. Zero to sixty mph rolls up under 5 seconds; top speed is north of 155 – all with a chassis that can also flip through the corners.

Several months ago, there was a story about a modern house in Dwell with a bright yellow vintage Camaro in the garage. The car looked timeless and the new one has the same feeling. It is a new, but familiar, design that embodies our time of flat screen TVs, and iPhones, but roars off with responsible amounts of obscene power. It is a car ready for the children and grandchildren of those who first fell in love – a car for this moment.

As tested price: $35,860.

Photos Courtesy of Chevrolet

I am a guest of GM at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Chevrolet will be revealing some great new product here. Watch the press conference live on Gaywheels!
Chevrolet Press Conference (January 11, 2010 3:55-4:20 p.m. Eastern)

January 6, 2009 – Chevrolet and GM’s OnStar revealed a slick new application for mobile phones at the Consumer Electronics Show last night. Designed to work on the iPhone, Droid and Blackberry Storm, the application will allow owners of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt to interact with their vehicle from their mobile device.
The Chevrolet Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle that most owners will plug in at night. Owners will be able manage recharging times via an in-vehicle interface to maximize off-peak electricity usage and minimize cost. Will the launch of this mobile app, owners can now manage the vehicle remotely.
In addition to adjusting charging schedule, owners will able to communicate with their Volt and do the following:
· display charge status – plugged in or not, and voltage (120V or 240V)
· tell the vehicle to “Charge Now” or schedule charge timing
· display percentage of battery charge level, electric and total ranges
· receive text or email notifications from the vehicle for charge reminders, interruptions and full charge
· see miles per gallon, electric only miles, and odometer readings
· see miles per gallon, EV miles and miles driven for last trip and lifetime
· remotely start the vehicle to pre-condition the interior temperature
In addition to the above, the application allows owners to lock and unlock their vehicle via their mobile device. Imagine this scenario: you are on a business trip in another city and your partner has left his/her sunglasses in your Volt. Instead of dealing with the burning of their retinas by going without their Guccis, you can now simply hit a few buttons and unlock the vehicle remotely. Drama averted. OnStar saves the day. Slick.

Joe Tralongo – Chevrolet Camaro

While some may debate whether the Camaro qualifies as a new car or a makeover, very few will deny the new Camaro is the hottest car on Chevrolet’s lot! Not only does the Camaro score big on numerous levels, it has quickly become a much-needed halo car for an automaker still in dire straights. With power to spare, a design that leaves the Mustang and Challenger in the dust and a level of refinement that–well, I can be happy with two out of three–a nicely loaded SS version, even with the balky six-speed manual, is a thrill to drive and true jaw dropper.

Nick Kurczewski – Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Since when did Mercedes-Benz add all this sex appeal to the E-Class sedan and coupe? The 2010 E-Class is impressive for its high-tech features and incredible engine lineup. But it’s the seductive shape – complete with sculpted sides and get-outta-the-way grill and headlights – that’ll earn this beauty a prime spot in front of the club when you toss the keys to the valet. You can choose from the 268-horsepower E350, 382-horsepower E550 (probably the best mix of power, price and prestige), or tire-melting 518-horsepower E63 AMG. There is even a fuel sipping diesel in the mix too.

Casey Williams – Buick LaCrosse

Ten years from now, when we look back at the success Buick has become, we will point to the LaCrosse as the car that moved GM’s storied brand back into the realm. Designed at GM’s studios in Shanghai, engineered by the good Germans at Opel, and wearing six ventiports, this is a good car. An interior customized to the twelves, electronic suspension system, 280-HP 3.6-litre V6, and near-silent comfort for five make it great. Young or old, gay or straight, LaCrosse is a fab way to roll.

Joe LaMuraglia – Chevrolet Equinox

Picking the best new car is always a challenge. When considering this category, I think about now only how “good” a vehicle is but also its impact on the segment it competes in as well as the number of people it has the ability to touch. With that in mind, I chose the Chevrolet Equinox for Best New Car. It is light years ahead of the vehicle it replaces and as a player in the rapidly growing small crossover segment, it is not only competitive, it redefines what a non-luxury crossover should be. With that choice of a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine and FWD or AWD, the new Chevrolet Equinox hits a large sweet spot in the market and as a result has the ability to reintroduce Chevrolet to a large population.

Click on the icons below to read each editors picks by category:

Chevrolet will debut the production Volt and Cruze on Wednesday, December 2nd at 12:35 PM EST. Both are pivotal products for Chevrolet and will be an integral part of their “from gas-friendly to gas-free” campaign.

CHEVROLET PRESS CONFERENCE (Cruze & Volt)
Wed Dec. 2, 2009 12:35 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST (9:35 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PST):

And here is a YouTube Video of the new Chevrolet Cruze.

I am a guest of GM at the 2009 LA Auto Show and will be reporting live from the event on Wednesday, December 2nd and Thursday, December 3rd.
GM has kindly supplied code so that people can watch their press events live from their computers and it they will be available for replay soon after they occur. You can see those by clicking on their respective descriptions below.
Also, I’ll be using Twitter to update the site during the day. You can see the compilation of my Tweets by clicking HERE
Keynote Address by Bob Lutz
Wed. Dec 2, 2009 11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. EST, (8:30 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. PST)

CHEVROLET PRESS CONFERENCE (Cruze & Volt)
Wed Dec. 2, 2009 12:35 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST (9:35 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PST):

BUICK PRESS CONFERENCE (Regal)
Thursday Dec 3, 2009 1:25 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. EST

CHEVY SHAKES UP CROSSOVERS

by Casey Williams
Comparing the new 2010 Chevy Equinox to its predecessor is like putting on your first pair of Gucci loafers after wearing boat shoes your entire life. Your perception of what a crossover can and should be will change with the first tap of the throttle and roll of the wheels. Where the first-generation model, which replaced the hideous Chevy Tracker, had an overwhelming sense of plastic and the turning radius of a school bus, the new Equinox ranks with the best Japanese and German mid-size crossovers. It also posts impressive fuel economy ratings. This is going to shake things up.

If you didn’t see the bold Chevy grille on the front, you’d probably guess the Equinox is a Lexus or Acura – GM’s entry-level brand would never cross your mind. Equinox’ strong fender forms, sculpted body lines, chrome window surrounds, 17” aluminum wheels, and upturned side glass are at once elegant and rugged. Look close, and you will see details like the chrome luggage rack with honeycomb pattern in its base shroud. It is a little thing, but shows a surprising attention to detail.
Designers also worked over the interior. Five people fit very comfortably in optional heated leather seats with contrasting color inserts. Like the Malibu and Traverse, Equinox receives a Corvette-inspired dual dash design that is also available with contrasting colors. Large analog gauges go perfectly with the small diameter leather-wrapped steering wheel that feels perfect in one’s hands. A glovebox that can hold a netbook, rear seat center armrest, and door cubbies are nice. There is a lot of hard plastic on the dash and doors, but at some point, Chevy has to design for a price. All of it looks good with refined textures. Blue lighting seeps out from around the center controls and door handles to bathe passengers in a fog of illumination.

Our test model was loaded to the power sunroof with in-dash navigation, backing camera, bluetooth phone connectivity, USB port for MP3 players (gives full control of the portable unit over to the dash knobs), tilt/telescoping steering wheel, XM Satellite Radio, and CD player. Kids will enjoy the twin rear seat displays for movies or video games. Pioneer’s 8-speaker audio system will thump you stupid. Safety is enhanced with head curtain airbags.
Like its siblings, the GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX, Equinox rides on an athletic four-wheel independent suspension system that is connected to a car-like body structure. Not only does this provide excellent handling on curvy roads, but also absorbs rough pavement with nary a shudder. The wagon always feels solid, well-planted, and ready for a hard run. Electronic stability control and four-wheel ABS brakes are standard. One has to keep reminding himself that this is not a sport sedan.

The same feelings will come when accelerating onto a freeway or on the open road. Base models come with a 2.4-litre direct injection DOHC four-cylinder engine that generates 182 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque – connected to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission that always finds the right gear on the highway. That’s more than enough power to move the Equinox off the line quickly and at any sane speed. It is also the only way you’ll get class-leading 22/32-MPG city/highway – better than some compact cars. If your inner demon demands speed, or you have a boat to tow, step up to the 3.0-litre direct injection V6 and its 264 horsepower and 222 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines are available with front- or all-wheel-drive.
Numbers don’t tell the entire story. Before I could even get behind the wheel, my partner had driven the Equinox and told me how much he liked it. This is a guy who owns a Volkswagen, is no fan of American cars, and would only drive a Chevrolet if the brand were followed by Camaro. My 54-yr. old mother also couldn’t wait to see it. After a weekend drive, she decided there was nothing she didn’t like. There’s a good chance an Equinox will soon replace her Chevy mini-van.
Before the Equinox, I spent a week driving around Southern California in a bright red Mercedes GLK. As you would expect, the Mercedes is a fine automobile with plenty of cargo space. Although the Equinox is no pimp Mercedes, it is not much of a compromise either. Interior quietness, handling, solid feel, and a full load of options were on par with Germany’s finest. Prices for the Equinox start at a very affordable $23,185, but came to $33,025 for our loaded four-cylinder front-drive test model. Compare it to similar competitors and you’ll be surprised.
2010 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ
Five-passenger, FWD Crossover
Powertrain: 182-HP 2.4-litre I4, 6-spd. auto. trans.
Must-have features: Style, economy.
Fuel economy: 22/32-MPG city/hwy.
As tested price: $33,025.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2010 Chevy Equinox
Find a Chevrolet dealer near you!
Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Photos Courtesy of GM

This listing is proof that there are gay-friendly businesses in places you least expect it. Rasmusssen-Stewart Auto group in Crete, Nebraska understands the value of reaching out to the LGBT car and truck buyer and welcomes anyone in their area looking for a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevrolet or Buick. You can visit their site by clicking on their logo above.
Consider making the trip if you are visiting Iowa to get married. Remember, we have to support those that support us!
Name of Dealership: Rasmussen-Stewart Auto Group
Brands Sold: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevrolet Buick
City, State and Zip: Crete, NE
Contact Name: Tom Rasmussen
Website: Rasmussen Stewart Automotive Group

Live from Detroit, It is the New GM!

by Joe LaMuraglia
Monday, August 10, 2009 – I am in Detroit as a guest of GM to attend a product preview tomorrow. This event is subsequent to the consumer-facing event put on today by GM where consumers and some lifestyle media got a sneak peak at upcoming product. Click HERE for a synopsis of of the Tweets from attendees during today’s event.
We will be privy to some new information in addition to the news that was shared today. I’ve embedded a link to the official GM video feed for a webcast featuring GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson. The webcast will run from 8:00 until 8:45 a.m. EDT. If you miss it, it will be available to play at your leisure beginning at 12 noon EDT on August 11.
I’ll also be using Twitter to update the site during the day. The live feed is available after the video. Enjoy.

by Joe LaMuraglia and Donny Nordlicht

If you are a regular reader of this site, you’ve noticed a new contributor has made his presence known. Donny Nordlicht, recently featured in our HEADLIGHTS section, has been helping keep my life in order and as a result, the site on track. He’s also been writing reviews for the us and brings a more youthful point of view to our content.
It doesn’t happen very often but Donny and I both spent time in a 2009 Chevy Traverse and decided to share our opinions of it in a very “new media” way – via a chat conversation.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.
Get a free insurance quote for a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
Find a Chevorelt Dealer Near You
Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

by Joe LaMuraglia
Friday, June 12, 2009 - GM has just begun restructuring their business to better compete in the current global economic climate. While all the lawyers, accountants and congressmen push paper and argue over the particulars what will ultimately redefine GM is product. Luckily for them (and the consumer!) they have a long line of promising new cars and trucks coming down the pipeline.
The first to launch post “realignment” is the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox – a very important vehicle for GM in a hot segment that has been dominated by the Japanese. I am in Michigan today to drive the Equinox and will be using Twitter to share my observations and ultimately feed the posting.
I’m trying something new today. As before, the box below will feed all my tweets during the day but it now also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and post to the discussion. I’ll do my best to answer them, if not immediately, definitely at the end of the day. If you aren’t following me on Twitter and would like to do so, please click HERE.

Video and Images Courtesy of GM

Smooth Operator

by Joe LaMuraglia
When GM told me that they were going to schedule me for a week with a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD Crew Cab Hybrid , I immediately thought of all the “pick-upy” thinks I could do with it. I was eager to test the 6,100-lbs towing capacity but my friend had already put his boat in the water. Strike one. I was confident that my brother-in-law would have something to haul to the dump but no, he had already taken care of his Spring yard duties. Strike two. I live 6 miles from NYC in Northern NJ so going off-roading isn’t an option. Strike three.
So what did I do to test the capabilities of they only hybrid half-ton pickup on the market? I drove it from NJ to NYC and back multiple times acting as a tour guide for my niece and her boyfriend – which, I realized later, is how most people that would purchase this truck will use it. It performed flawlessly in its duty gaining potential pickup truck converts from family and friends alike. The question that remains; is this smooth operator worth the price premium over a similarly equipped gasoline-only Silverado?

The 2009 Silverado Hybrid is difficult to discern from its more mundane siblings in the Silverado lineup. Outside the large Hybrid badges on either side of the truck, a non-enthusiast would have a very difficult time telling it apart from a non-Hybrid truck. It has special low-resistance tires and the front end has been modified to maximize airflow and minimize drag but other than those differences, living with the hybrid Silverado has been designed to be a no-compromise experience.
Driving the Silverado Hybrid is akin to that of a gasoline engine – with a few notable differences. Like all other hybrids, it is possible to drive the Silverado Hybrid up to 30 MPH on battery power alone (I like to call it “sneak out mode”). Once that speed is achieved, the 6.0 liter V-8 comes to life and begins to propel the vehicle. Once moving and depending on speed, battery charge and throttle input, the Silverado Hybrid will propel itself via engine power or a combination of engine and electric motor. All of this happens seamlessly with nothing additional required from the driver and the end result is a overall 25% improvement in fuel economy over a gasoline-only Silverado with the biggest improvement (40%) coming in city driving.

The truck I drove averaged 20 MPG during the week I drove it which matches its EPA rating. At one point, on a drive to CT, the computer indicated 22 MPG. All that sounds fantastic but when you consider a Chevrolet Silverado XFE gets 21 MPG on the highway, you have to wonder if this technology makes sense, especially since it costs considerably more than a non-hybrid Silverado.
Where all the electronic wizardry comes into play is in stop-and-go traffic. The gasoline engine spends a lot of time in “Auto-Stop” mode and the truck can creep forward using the battery power alone. The system allows the Silverado Hybrid to be rated at 20 MPG in the city. Compared to 14 MPG for a gasoline-only Silverado, you can see where the bulk of the fuel savings are achieved.

I was impressed with how GM has been able to integrate a technology so associated with small economy cars into a large, very capable vehicle. Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. They have been developing a similar system for mass-transit buses around the U.S. and in Europe. I was also impressed with how easy the Silverado Hybrid was to pilot through the streets of Manhattan during our many trips to and fro. The suspension came in handy on the notoriously atrocious streets of Gotham and the visibility made planning my attack on the swarming yellow taxis much easier. The commodious interior hauled five of us in comfort and the rear seat passengers complimented the room afforded them multiple times. But what, other than a few more MPG in the city, did the very expensive hybrid system do compared to a “regular” Silverado? The answer: not much.
The fact that it is a hybrid may make owners feel better about driving such a large truck but if the bottom line is important to you, and these days it is to just about everyone, the hybrid technology simply doesn’t pencil out.
GM should be commended for two things; first, making such an advanced dual-mode hybrid system available to customers who want it and second, making their non-hybrid trucks so good that it doesn’t make economic sense to pay the premium for the hybrid technology.
Likes:
- Very quiet and smooth
- Not over-badged like other GM hybrids
- VERY roomy
Dislikes:
- Expensive! As tested $49,275
- Slightly reduced room when rear seats raised. Battery pack resides there.
- Disappointing stereo quality

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

by Colin Mathews

Every parade needs a leader, every movement a hero. Especially when public opinion has turned sour, it takes an exemplary, energetic, and confident leader to turn the tide back to the positive. Harvey Milk was that person for the gay rights movement in the 1970s, pushing through ignorance and past Anita Bryant to bring newfound respect and dignity to a community. After spending two days in a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro in New York City, I’m convinced that this vehicle possesses a similarly tireless spirit and an uncanny ability to inspire. It’s the perfect candidate for GM’s own pride parade.

General Motors has its fair share of detractors right now. The buying public has increasingly shunned their products and as a result the company’s market share hasn’t stopped plunging since the 1980s. Autoworkers have been laid off en masse to adjust to these realities, creating financial struggles for numerous American families. Even Obama’s Auto Task Force, while sustaining the company with huge cash infusions, has had sharp words for GM’s management team and proposed viability plans. Is it possible for one product to help GM rise from its struggles and restore the public’s confidence, faith, and pride in one of the biggest American companies of all time?
These questions circled in my mind as I accepted an invitation to drive a V-6 Camaro after spending two days at the New York Auto Show. Would the denizens of Manhattan – with their impressive public transportation infrastructure, embrace of CO2-friendly living, and sea of hybrid taxicabs – simply hurl insults and disdain at this rough-and-tumble athlete?

As the Camaro’s broad shoulders emerged from the subterranean parking garage on 49th Street, a mellow V-6 snarl trailing behind, I noticed that all the sinew and testosterone were bathed in…um…bright yellow. Would I really enjoy a date out in public with a stunning guy whose herculean physique was wrapped in a tight tanktop and form-fitting jeans?
So much for subtlety and restraint. Climbing into this beast, which was already attracting gawkers, I felt an interesting mix of awe and awkward. I’d already gotten up close to the Camaro once, but at the time he was understated and elegant in black, bathed in the soft lighting of a gallery in the West Village. I was afraid that clomping down city streets in bright workout gear might prove a less enjoyable experience.

Open windows let in the breeze from a mellow spring day. They also let in the screeching brakes of an MTA bus that pulled up dangerously close to my window and flung open its doors. Yelled the driver in a delightfully local accent, “YO! Is that the new Camaro!? That’s hot! You do you like it?” Annoyed drivers leaned on their horns and careened around the bus, but the driver was far more interested in taking in the Camaro’s silhouette than he was about observing schedules or traffic flow.
Never having driven with New York City traffic in my life, I kept a tight grip on the meaty steering wheel and was pleased to note great road feel, impressive composure over horrible streets, and quick reflexes without a punishing ride. Learning to tango with New York cabbies was no small task (lanes are more suggestions than rules), but despite being in an extremely low slung car I had no trouble keeping the coupe scratch-free due to clear views out the front and side windows. The thick C-pillars definitely hamper rear-quarter visibility, but I found that planning well and adjusting the side view mirrors accordingly were a small price to pay for the arresting styling.

I hit rush hour traffic going uptown, got stuck in a long line behind road construction and a red light, and defaulted to what we do in Atlanta: opening the cell phone and blabbing to fight boredom. One of New York’s finest found this quite amusing, sauntered up to the window, and announced evenly: “you know that’s a $150 ticket and two points on your license, don’t you?” It struck me a second later that, oh yeah, cell phone use while driving in NYC is verboten. I winced, snapped the phone shut and threw it onto the passenger seat. The cop smiled wryly, asked me how I liked the Camaro, and waved me on without a citation.
A beaming Haitian cab driver (in a well-worn Caprice from the 90s) pulled up alongside me a bit later and proceeded to deliver a rapturous soliloquy on Chevrolet. “THIS IS THE NEW CAMARO! YES! I LOVE CHEVROLET! CHEVY IS THE BEST MAN!!”
A big-haired girl in an X5 from Jersey suddenly decided she wanted to go left from the middle lane of a swollen one-way avenue. I happened to be square in her intended path, but jockeying with the cabbies all day had prepared me: horn, mirror, gas, sharp left. The 304 hp V-6 rocketed me to safety, working in concert with a six-speed auto that dropped down two ratios in a blink. Disaster was averted by inches and I got to pepper the X5 with some nice V-6 wail, barking my displeasure with her driving. That was enough adrenaline for one day, so I put the 2010 Camaro safely into a parking garage and a stiff martini up to my lips.

The last performance on this Camaro Goodwill Tour took place on a side street adjacent to the Police Academy near Gramercy Park. I was on my way to return the car to the garage where the GM folks were likely paying a small fortune to keep it housed and prepped for the next journalist. I asked a policeman driving a Ford E-250 service van for directions. He obliged and then wanted to gab about the Camaro at length. The line of traffic ultimately stretched an entire block behind us, cabbies and delivery truck drivers fuming but not daring to make a peep. Now that’s power.
Who wouldn’t love a car that stops traffic, evades tickets, and forces smiles to the faces of even the most jaded New Yorkers? It draws you in with a ripped body, delivers a Germanic mix of ride and handling, offers impressive ergonomics, and generally feels like an athlete even in base form ($22,995). The Camaro laughs and tells everyone what a great time you’re having. So powerful is this car’s charm it even makes yellow spandex seem suddenly compelling.
The 2010 Camaro is here to recruit you…back into the GM fold.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

All photos courtesy of GM

by Colin Mathews

Last Tuesday night, we gaped at the ripped-up, muscular silhouette of a hot guy in New York’s West Village. Even from outside the windows, it was clear he’d moved beyond the Chelsea muscle boy phase, looking svelte and serious among the sophisticated milieu at Cooper Classics gallery. The view was so great from outside that we couldn’t resist ducking in for a closer inspection…
With the re-introduction of its Chevrolet Camaro muscle car, GM again has a weapon for duty in the pony car wars. You’ve probably read about it, you’ve most definitely seen shots of it, and we finally got up close and personal with the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro during a hip, family-focused gathering in a West Village art gallery. Two Camaros resided inside; a black, 2010 6.2-liter V-8 Camaro SS and a pristine 1968 Camaro convertible.

With each successive new product, GM proves that it can design fresh, compelling, quality products. Still, they have oddities like the Chevy Colorado and the Hummer H3T lurking in the ranks, so we arrived at the event full of curiosity. Had GM yet again trolled its parts bin too deeply, fitting a dynamite chassis and engine with a sea of dreary details and mediocre pieces?

We scored a weekend date with the 2010 Camaro, so follow our tweets as we give you up-to-the-minute details. Until then, here’s our impression after some serious cruising and a few cocktails:
Closer inspection of the Camaro’s physique reveals nothing but hard work and good design. No silicone, no tricks. We think this thing’s hot from far and near. You can judge for yourself, but here are a few details that became more apparent on Wednesday:

• This car has wonderfully short front and rear overhangs. Just like a German sports sedan, this connotes athleticism and control.
• The treatment below the rear bumper is great, from the huge dual exhaust pipes to the five vertical strakes that enticingly mimic exotic-car aerodynamic underbody fairings. Not to mention the killer ribbed rectangular stainless-steel mufflers underneath (yeah, ok, I got on my back and looked).
• Surrounding the optional Xenon HID headlights are arresting, cool blue LED surrounds (more intense and mechanical-looking than BMW’s units).
• A deep, highly detailed front grille adds lots of swagger.
• Extremely precise panel fits from nose to tail, speaking to great quality control and tight manufacturing tolerances.
• The tight, bulging posterior of someone who does squats religiously.
The good story continues on the interior. Actually, it gets even better from behind the wheel:

• Tilt/telescope wheel FINALLY as good as a German brand. Rejoice.
• USB port in center console for your iPod: check. Oh, and the radio that it connects to is quite the bespoke unit. It looks like nothing that ever lived in a GM parts bin, with its beveled panel and cool backlit blue LED screen. The only awkward moment I had with the radio was the “Tone” button, an amusing throwback to old GM-speak. You have to hit that if you want to adjust the EQ or fade/balance equilibrium.
• On the subject of dash…damn. GM finally got the interface right from a tactile standpoint. The fan-speed isn’t a fussy undersized toggle, but rather a nice big dial that clicks elegantly through about 19 soft detents for your preferred airflow volume.
• Alas, the two housed analog gauges, speedo and tach, are just small in diameter and have needles that look just a bit more than an inch long.
• The cruise control function, residing within the left spoke of the meaty steering wheel, is light years beyond the old broken chicken wing multi-function stalk that lived in the last Camaro.
• A small ergonomic puzzler can be found in the paddle shifters for the 6-speed auto; the paddles are merely symbols alerting the driver to the buttons on the back of the wheel that actually perform up- and down-shifting duty.
• Central dash-mounted door lock: very BMW. Not to mention the door pulls/doorlock interplay, which again is very Germanic. With the doors locked, operate the door pull once and the lock opens. Pull again, and the door swings open. Mechanical, precise, simple, and elegant.
• The rear seatback folds down, a testament to the solidity of the Zeta platform and a great convenience for owners with big or bulky items to tote. However, the trunk opening is quite small in order to make way for those wide, stylish haunches, and the trunk itself is wide but shallow.
The fetching Brian Fichtner, design critic from site Coolhunting.com, gave me a quick interior critique. He found plenty to admire inside, and made special note of the cloth swoosh that runs from door to door and across the dash. He also liked that the central HVAC and radio controls that are pushed forward, not set flush with the dash as in most vehicles. But he felt that the rectangular center vents were rather plain and didn’t fit with the rest of the design. A trip over to the 1968 Camaro revealed that central vents simply didn’t exist on that model.
Other family reactions ran the gamut from erotic to nonplussed. Vanity Fair had one of their Stick Shift gay car blog ladies there, and she was nearly vibrating while caressing the Camaro’s meaty auto trans shift lever. Flaunt magazine’s sophisticated New York bureau seemed put off by the Camaro’s overt masculinity and considerable size, but once I explained to them just what a muscle car is, and the Camaro’s historic role in the segment, they became more positive. Nonetheless, one Flaunt editor finds the Mustang tidier, more appealing package, likely due to its more upright windshield and taller stance.

Photos courtesy of GM:

by Joe LaMuraglia

I attended the 2009 North American International Auto Show last week and as is custom, I chose the Top 10 vehicles from the show. Our criteria is that they have to be production vehicles from gay-friendly manufacturers in order to qualify. While some of the concepts introduced were HOT (Cadillac Converj anyone?), we stuck to our guns and picked vehicles that you’ll be able to drive in the near future.

2009 BMW Z4- There are very few mainstream cars that elicit jaw-drop stares and unintelligible utterances from me. That all changed when I walked up to the BMW stand at the Detroit show. All I could say was “wow, wow, WOW” over and over again. The new BMW Z4 has been totally redesigned and skillfully incorporates design cues from the past (Think 503 and Z8) in a beautifully modern form. It features a retractable hard-top that retreats to its proper place in 20 seconds – a first for the Z-series. Engines are the wonderfully familiar inline-6s: the 255 hp in the BMW Z4 sDrive30i and the 300 hp BMW Z4 sDrive35i. On sale this spring.

2010 Ford Taurus It is always fun to talk about sexy, exotic cars but the fact of the matter is the most significant vehicles are the one’s that sell the most and one of the biggest segments is the mid-size sedan segment. Ford launched their entry, the new 2010 Taurus, at the show and for a four-door sedan starting at $25,995, it is a stunner. It’s new look is less box more missile but without a compromise on utility. Ford has packed it full of technology that is usually reserved for the luxury segment and they claim to have the quality to match that segment as well. The 2010 Ford Taurus is available in Summer 2009.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze - Yes, you read it correctly, this is a 2011 model that was introduced at the 2009 auto show. In light of all the criticism of the Detroit-based automakers, GM probably wanted to show the world that they can indeed produce world-class product. The 2011 Cruze is fantastic-looking sedan that will replace the Cobalt in Chevrolet’s lineup. Forget everything you know about small cars from GM because the Cruze is finally going to give them something to go head-to-head with best from Europe and Japan. Available with either a 1.4L or 1.8L four-cylinder engine and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, the Cruze can get up to 40 MPG on the highway. Available in mid-2010.

2010 Toyota Prius – If there is one name that is synonymous with the term hybrid, it is Prius. Toyota started it all two generations ago and launched their latest iteration at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. With a slew of new technologies to keep it ahead of the pack and a refreshed but not unfamiliar design to keep consumers interested, the new Toyota Prius should have no problems continuing their sales success. Toyota claims a combined fuel economy number of 50 MPG. The 2010 Toyota Prius will be available in late Spring 2009.

2010 Lexus HS250h - Lexus debuted their first dedicated hybrid vehicle – the 2010 Lexus HS250h. While many assume it is a Lexus-bodied Toyota Prius (and who could blame them?), Lexus assures us that it is a new platform unique from the Prius that builds on the technology introduced by that car. The HS250h has a larger four-cylinder engine than its cousin from Toyota and doesn’t look much like the Prius either. Lexus claims the new Hs250h will get 30% better fuel economy than the most fuel-efficient vehicle in their lineup now. Available in late Summer 2009.

2010 Cadillac SRX – Replacing the much-loved but slow selling Cadillac crossover is the new 2010 Cadillac SRX. The last SRX impressed journalists with its driving dynamics but never got high points in the looks department. The new 2010 SRX promises to win in both categories (and maybe even the swimsuit competition!). The designs builds on the success of the CTS and is the best interpretation of the Art & Science theme to date. Powering the new SRX will be a standard 3.0 direct-injected V-6 and a new 2.8L turbo V-6 as an option. Both promise V8 fun with V6 fuel economy. The SRX goes on sale Summer 2009.

2009 MINI Convertible - MINI launched their redesigned MINI Cooper last year but the drop top soldiered on with the old body and power plants. The new 2009 MINI Convertible, like the hard top, doesn’t look much different but enters this model year with improvements across the board. You can get your hands on this epitome of adorable starting on March 28, 2009. The suggested retail price for the MINI Cooper Convertible is $24,550, and for the MINI Cooper S Convertible, $27,450 including $650 destination and handling charge.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox – GM has come a long way in what they call “perceptual quality” – you know, the feeling you get when you sit down in a vehicle and start touching a feeling the materials. While past GMs have had good quality in terms of things not breaking, things like switchgear felt cheap and flimsy. The new quality “gurus” around the world are out to remedy that and a perfect example of this new focus is the new 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. This new small crossover will compete in a fiercely competitive segment and does so with a new bodystyle, new engines and yes, a new attitude. With great looks, high quality materials, a class-leading 30 MPG with the base engine and standard technology like OnStar and XM Satellite radio, the 2010 Chevy Equinox should do just fine. Available mid-2009.

2010 Jaguar XFR – There is a certain point when purchasing an automobile when rational thought goes out the window and is replacement by pure unadulterated lust. The new XFR is considerably north of that point and not just because it looks like bad little kitty on wheels. The new supercharged V8 pumps out 510 hp and a lightly modified version of the XFR hit over 255 MPH on the Bonneville salt flats. Rational? Hell no. Do I want one? Oh hells to the yeah! Here kitty, kitty.

2010 Buick LaCrosse – You are going to see a lot from Buick in the coming years. It started with the sexy Enclave last year and the next iteration of their revival is the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Yes, Buick has claimed to take on Lexus in the past but this time they are serious. The sculpted exterior looks European and the gorgeous interior is simultaneously classic and modern at the same time. Most of you reading this wouldn’t be caught dead considering a Buick. Take my word, the 2010 LaCrosse is the first sedan worthy of your attention. Available late Summer 2009.

Each year, the editors of Gaywheels.com drive hundreds of new cars to find the best new vehicles for you, your partner, your family, and sometimes for ourselves too.
We published our inaugural Favorite Vehicles list in 2007 and are continuing the tradition for 2008. The field of best-ofs includes some 2008, 2009 and even a 2010 model. The list includes vehicles perfect for us, for families, for dates and clubbing, and cars and trucks notable for their new looks, new hardware and new attitude.
The winners for Gaywheels.com’s Best of 2008, in order of seniority, are:
Joe LaMuraglia-Founder, Gaywheels.com

Best New Car: 2009 Mazda6

The newly designed Mazda6 is a bigger, badder and more beautiful entry in the midsize segment from Mazda. With a choice of two engines and the availability of a manual transmission, this car is the epitome of “Zoom-Zoom” for the driver that needs to carry clients or kids as well. I say the Mazda6 is the new 10 for sedans.
Best Makeover: Mercedes-Benz BlueTec Equipped Vehicles

It is more of a transplant than a makeover but the idea is the same. Mercedes-Benz launched their amazing Clean Diesel technology a.k.a. Bluetec in their SUVs and gave Americans a reason to fall in love with them all over again. They are clean, quiet, efficient and they get my vote for best makeover for 2008.
Best Date Car: BMW 1-Series

This the second time I’ve picked a convertible as the best date car. A drop top says you are fun-loving with few responsibilities (a.k.a. single) and the new 1-Series from BMW says all that and more. It is a no-nonsense convertible that gets back to the basics of looking good and driving fun. Enjoy it while you can because once you find your mate, the car in the next category will be more your speed.
Best Family Car: Ford Flex

Just because you have responsibilities doesn’t mean your car has to be boring. The Ford Flex seats up to 7 and looks like nothing else on the road. Stylish inside and out, you may consider it even if you don’t have kids to haul around. Cool features include Sirius Travel Link, Ford’s Sync and an available refrigerator! We called it “Flexalicious”.
Best Club Car: Maserati GranTurismo

You’ve seen it in the movies; two hotties roll up to a club in a sexy car, a valet appears out of nowhere to take their keys and they alight from the car right as the velvet rope is unhooked allowing them direct entry into the club while hundreds of less fortunate wait in the cold. The Maserati might not make you as pretty as the actors in the movie, this gorgeous coupe might just get you to the front of the line at the club. That’s worth $114K+ isn’t it?
Best Car For Me: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen

History repeats itself, in bodystyle choices at least. Two years and two wagons as choices of my Best Car for Me. The new VW Jetta Sportwagen is good looking, roomy and with the TDI clean diesel engine, one of the most efficient vehicles on the road today. We called it the “Vehicular Version of Comfortable Shoes”.
Joe Tralongo-Montana Editor
Best New Car: Nissan GT-R
40 years of automotive foreplay came to an end this year when Nissan finally brought its screaming Skyline GT-R stateside. Known here as just the GT-R, this car has been taunting enthusiasts from afar since 1969. The 480 horsepower twin-turbo coupe costs a pretty penny, and a limited production run is bound to push the price even higher, but it’s worth it to own a little piece of automotive history. Good job, Nissan.
Best Makeover: 2010 Mazda MAZDA3

Due out this summer, the all-new Mazda MAZDA3 is going to shatter all preconceived notions of what an economy car should be. With styling that is more exotic and economical, and such cool features as keyless entry and start, the MAZDA3 is the stylish solution to a new fiscal reality.
Best Date Car: Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
If he doesn’t swoon when you pull up to his condo complex, just show him the $301,000 price tag. With only 350 cars being produced world wide this car is sure to grab attention, and its fuel thirsty V12 engine makes the old “Uh-oh, we’re out of gas” line utterly believable.

Best Family Car: Chevrolet Traverse

If you’ve got kids and cargo, you need a three-row SUV. The Chevrolet Traverse provides all the room of a full-size SUV in a midsize package that is stylish, safe and economical. Loaded with standard goodies, the V6-powered Traverse can shuttle up to eight passengers and still pull down 24 mpg on the highway.
Best Club Car: Cadillac CTS-V
Cadillac’s V-Series treatment is to the stunning CTS what Human Growth Hormone is to Major League Baseball. With 556-horsepower and standard all-wheel drive, you might want to bypass the club and head straight for Mulholland Drive.
Best Car for Me: Subaru WRX
OK, last year my perfect car as the VW GTI, and in truth it’s still my favorite. But after experiencing my fourth Montana winter, I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom of Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. With the WRX, I get all the fun of the GTI but in a package I can live with year round.

Josee Valcourt-NY Editor
Best New Car: Volkswagen CC

It’s the exterior coupe action combined with a competitive price point that does it for me. This Mercedes Benz CLS look-alike starts nearly at $27,000. The VW midsize newbie looks great in city drives, and I’d assume, it’s just as striking along a winding mountainside road. Its handling is responsive and ride comfortable.
Best Makeover: Infiniti G37
The defunct Infiniti G35 coupe was one good looking car. The G37, its replacement, looks even better. It’s exterior appearance speaks to the Infiniti brand’s design strength. The engine is quiet and fast, propelling the car like a slinky panther.
Best Date Car: Lexus GS350
This a sweet looking car, and in my view, especially in the iridescent pearly white hue. It looks good from dawn till dusk, meaning you’ll be sure to impress your date at any hour. The sporty vehicle has all the necessities one would expect in a luxury brand including a booming sound system that can drown out the awkward first-date silence or weird conversation if needed. It’s also available in all-wheel drive for added traction.

Best Family Car: Volvo XC70
First things first, the Volvo XC70 is a station wagon. Now that we’ve gotta that out of the way, here’s the skinny: the vehicle is also a pretty cool ride for carting the fam in luxury. The XC70 offers a smooth ride and grips curves – a must-have when it comes to hauling your precious bunch from point A to point B. The vehicle is spacious, providing comfortable seating and a roomy cargo. There’s also the whole added safety thing that’s synonymous with a Volvo.
Best Club Car: Nissan 370Z
The new 370Z from Nissan is an attention grabber, for sure. Heads will turn when you pull up in front of your destined swanky club spot of choice. It’s the slick design that gives it a “Bond, James Bond” flair or “Sex and the City” edge. Whether you’re stepping out in a hot LBD (little black dress) or rocking your GQ look, you’ll look good emerging from the 370Z.
Best Car for Me: BMW 335i Convertible
This Beamer hard top is a beast, pumping out 300 horsepower from its twin turbo-charged six-cylinder engine. You may find yourself fighting the urge to scream “woo hoo!” while in motion. The vehicle reacts nicely on roads, hugging curves all the while looking fabulous with its top down.

Bridging the Gap Between Car and SUV
by Joe Tralongo

In the heyday of the station wagon, Chevrolet reigned supreme. With regal names like Kingswood and Caprice Estate, it was the full size wagon that served as both the family shuttle and, for many teen drivers, the ideal vehicle in which to take a date “Parking.” Chevrolet has long since abandoned the Caprice nameplate, but the idea of a full size wagon based on car, not a truck, platform lives on in the all-new Chevrolet Traverse. Actually, as the Traverse shares its engine and chassis with three other GM juggernauts, namely the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, it’s really not completely new. Yet with the exception of the seductive Enclave, the Traverse may be the most attractive of the bunch. Priced similarly to the Saturn Outlook the Traverse offers a look more European-inspired than Detroit. Once you get around to the front, however, the image quickly changes. Here resides the new face of Chevrolet, boldly announced by a handsome split mesh grille and large gold bowtie emblem.

Like its brothers and sisters, the Traverse is a crossover SUV riding on a single unit body platform that adds both strength and lightness to the design. With seating for up to eight people, the Traverse can definitely fill the roll of full-size SUV. It can even tow up to 5,200 pounds. And with its front and available all-wheel drive, the Traverse is well suited to foul-weather excursions. But it’s what’s under the hood that truly separates the Traverse from larger SUVs such as the Tahoe and Suburban. In place a fuel thirsty V8, Chevrolet offers a potent yet fuel-efficient 3.6-liter V6 engine. The Traverse is the first of the four siblings to be fitted with gasoline direct injection, a revolutionary way to get fuel into the combustion chamber that results in better fuel economy and more horsepower. In front wheel drive from, the Traverse earns an EPA rating of 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg highway. That’s pretty impressive for a vehicle that can comfortably hold six people and their luggage.Chevrolet, boldly announced by a handsome split mesh grille and large gold bowtie emblem.

Available in LS, LT and LTZ trims, the Traverse runs the gamut from basic transport to near-luxury cruiser. Even the base LS includes such features as power windows, door locks and mirrors, as well as air conditioning, cruise control and an AM/FM stereo with MP3 compatible CD player. You also get a one year subscription to OnStar with Turn-by-Turn navigation. A fully-loaded LTZ find such features as a power rear liftgate, heated and cooled front seats, ultrasonic rear park assist and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity.

Climb inside the Traverse and you’re greeted by a contemporary interior loaded with usable space and efficient design. Gone are the bad plastics and Fisher Price switchgear that once haunted GM SUVs. In there place is a handsome dash with well placed instruments backlit in cool blue lighting and a plethora of available features the run the gamut from onboard navigation to a Side Blind Zone Alert system to a dual pane glass moonroof. Comfortable seats in all three rows are a plus, as it a third-row seat that can actually accommodate two adults. And unlike many of its competitors, the Traverse’s third-row seat doesn’t back right up to rear hatch; there’s still a good amount of usable cargo room behind it. When not in use, the Traverse’s seats fold flush to create a huge flat cargo floor measuring a massive 116.4 cubic feet. The Traverse is also loaded with standard safety features, including front side impact and three-row side curtain airbags, traction and roll stability control and anti-lock disc brakes.
In short, if you need a big SUV like vehicle to do the things big SUVs do, but you have a need for best in class safety, fuel economy and resale, the Traverse should defiantly be at the top of your test drive list. Perhaps they should have named it the Traverse Estate.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.
Get a free insurance quote for a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
Find a Chevorelt Dealer Near You
Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers
Get gay-friendly financing

Detroit, MI – GM rolled out the production version of the Chevy Volt Electric vehicle during the 100-year anniversary at their world HQ in downtown Detroit. The widely anticipated vehicle has been the subject of much media coverage and equal amount of doubt that GM could pull off what amounts to a revolution in personal propulsion.

We covered the Volts progress earlier this year and showed you a leaked photo in yesterday’s post. The real photos, courtesy of GM, are below and the Volt looks much better in person. I’ll report more opinions after I spend some time with the car in person (and after the thousand journalists stop hoarding the space around it).

7:30 PM, Monday, September 15, 2008 – Ok, we got clarification from the GM PR team. You will be able to watch the events celebrating GM’s 100th birthday right here on Gaywheels.com. It all starts at 8:25 AM Eastern time Tuesday, September 16th and as I am typing this, I realize that I know two of the people that will be presenting tomorrow. The local Channel 7 news just reported that Nekeidra Shegog from the Atlanta regional office and Vijay Iyer from GM’s European design center in Germany will be two of the key presenters. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Nekeidra for the past few years in Atlanta and Vijay has had to deal with my incorrigible self at a few auto shows. Both are young, good looking and should do GM proud.
For those of you that can’t watch it live, a recorded version will be available here or at www.gmnext.com at the end of the day.
Video player just below my initial entry from this morning.
7:00 AM, NWA Lounge, LaGuardia Airport – I am on my way to Detroit to take part in the celebration of GM’s 100th anniversary tomorrow, Tuesday, September 16th. We’ll be up front and center for all of the festivities and thanks to the miracle of the internet, you can watch live here on Gaywheels.com. Watch the video below. More after the video.

I’m not sure that we’ll be able to broadcast live here on Gaywheels.com but I’ll update this as soon as I land in Detroit and get all the details.

Important Details:
- GMnext Global Broadcast 8:30 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time
- “Future of Transportation: The Next 100 Years” Roundtable 1:30 – 2:30 PM Eastern Time. This will be broadcast as well.
The big surprise, which was leaked last week, is the official debut of the Chevy Volt (photo at the top of this post). While the photos were leaked “accidentally”, we don’t have all the specifics and expect GM to fill us in tomorrow.
Check back in tonight for more details.

No Mullet Required

by Joe LaMuraglia
Monday, July 21, 2008 – Detroit, MI – I am in Detroit today as a guest of GM to attend the official unveiling of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro at 4 PM EST. Many of you may be asking “Why should I care about the Camaro? I don’t have a mullet and my last name doesn’t end in a vowel”. According to Travis Parman, GM’s LGBT media relations manager, “the Camaro – like its expected buyer – has evolved and become more sophisticated over the years”. While it sounds like Travis might be drinking the PR Kool-Aid, our initial viewings of the concept cars support his comments. The 2010 Camaro will certainly appeal to a wider audience than the last iterations of the nameplate.
GM is billing the Camaro as the “fun, efficient sports car for the 21st Century”. There has been a lot of speculation about the engines that will be available; including bets that the 260 HP turbo 2.0L four cylinder from the Cobalt SS will make an appearance. High-output V6 and a V8 engines are a sure bet. Fuel-efficient may be a stretch but will find out more in a few hours.
We’ll get photos and information up as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can watch the unveiling live here on Gaywheels.com! Who loves ya baby?

Photos courtesy of GM:

I was able to get some cool video as well. It should be up by the end of the week.

By Joe LaMuraglia
With gas prices rising and oil supplies dwindling, automakers are hard at work on “green” cars, most of which promise guilt-free driving in the form of emissions-free vehicles. But what about vehicles that you can buy now that leave less of a mess behind? Here are five cars on the market that will have a lower impact on the environment as well as on your wallet.
smart fortwo

The name says it all – “for two” – and that’s all the smart can hold. The smart is a space-efficient alternative to driving around with 3-4 empty seats and gets up to 41 MPG on the highway. Add to that the ability to recycle many of its parts and you have a cute-as-hell way to reduce your impact on the environment.
- Read our review of the smart fortwo
- Get more detailed information in our New Car Section
Ford Focus

The 2008 Ford Focus has an optional engine that qualifies it as PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle). That means it is cleaner driving down the road than a car from the ‘70s was sitting in the driveway with a full tank of gas! Available with the cool Sync audio system and with a 35-MPG rating, the Ford Focus makes going green fun and affordable.
- Get more detailed information in our New Car Section
VW Jetta TDI

The VW Jetta Sedan and SportWagen will be among the first vehicles in the U.S. featuring VW’s fun-to-drive and uber-efficient TDI “Clean Diesel” engine. Rumors indicate that the SportWagen will get up to 55 MPG on the highway. Fun, low emissions, efficient and available later this year.
- Read our review of the Jetta SportWagen
- Get more detailed information in our New Car Section
Lexus RX400h

Toyota started the hybrid craze with its Prius so it makes sense that their luxury division should benefit from that technology. The Lexus RX400h was the first luxury hybrid vehicle, and the first to equate the hybrid moniker with speed. Mated to a V-6 engine, the batteries in the RX400h can be as delicate as a lamb around town and fast as a leopard when merging onto the highway. Fuel economy isn’t breathtaking, but it’s doing its part–and how many $40,000 trucks can say that?
- Get more detailed information in our New Car Section
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

Some people really need a large SUV. Just ask any active family with 3 or more children and their gear. Chevrolet now gives these consumers a more fuel-efficient option with their 2008 Tahoe Hybrid. It’s a full-size SUV that gets 21 MPG in the city and doesn’t compromise on towing or payload capacity. If you just have to be different, GMC’s Yukon also comes in hybrid form, as does the swanky Cadillac Escalade.
- Get more detailed information in our New Car Section

As fuel prices creep higher and higher, consumers are becoming more educated on alternative modes of transportation and alternative fuels. One you may have heard a lot about but think you’ll never see is hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. They are a long way off but a few manufacturers have fleets of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and GM in particular is actively recruiting members of the LGBT community to test them out.

Chevrolet’s “Project Driveway” is encouraging LGBT residents in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. to apply for a free, three-month test drive of a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle.
“More than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles will be loaned out to be test driven for up to three months in key cities where hydrogen fueling stations are currently available,” said Travis Parman, LGBT media relations manager at General Motors. “Our goal is to get Equinox Fuel Cell test drivers that are as diverse as America. And since the LGBT community tends to have a lot of early adopters, we wanted to reach out and encourage LGBT residents to apply.”

This is the first large-scale market test of fuel cell electric vehicles anywhere and gives lucky residents a chance to brag to their friends that they drive a zero-gas, zero-emissions vehicle. And the Equinox makes no compromises in performance either – achieving 0 to 60 mph in 12 seconds, 236 lb.-ft. (320 Nm) of instant torque and a top speed of about 100 miles per hour. It seats four, sports 32 cubic feet of cargo volume for everybody’s gear, and has a range of approximately 150 miles per fill-up.

To apply to participate in “Project Driveway,” drivers must live in the appropriate zip codes (near hydrogen fueling stations) and must fill out an online application.
To apply for “Project Driveway,” check your zip code and sign up by clicking HERE or cut and paste the following URL into your browser (http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelcell/checkzipcode/)
A variety of drivers – from diverse families to celebrities – will have free use of an Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle and the hydrogen fuel it needs to make electricity on board. The average family will get one of the vehicles for three months and be required to report their experience to Chevrolet via a blog.

Some highlights of “Project Driveway”:
· Eligibility is based on locations of hydrogen fueling stations in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. and selection of participants is at the sole discretion of General Motors
· When it’s time for a Project Driveway test driver to get a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, he or she gets a visit from a specially trained Chevy Driver Relationship Manager (DRM), who provides concierge-level services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DRM takes the Project Driveway test driver to the local Chevrolet dealership to pick up the car and receive a lesson on operating the vehicle, then to the hydrogen station for a tutorial on fueling.
· Once drivers have been selected, they will be required to provide regular, candid feedback via a blog about their use of the vehicle in their daily lives, the vehicle’s performance and their personal preferences.

We encourage everyone that is interested to take part in this program. Even if you don’t get chosen for the program, you can interact on the blog and learn about how GM is working towards alternative fuel solutions.
To learn more about how Chevrolet is working on fuel solutions to offer products that range from “gas-friendly to gas-free” visit http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelsolutions/

It’s electric! Well, half of its powertrain is — and it’s good for 32 mpg.

by Dan Weil

Chevrolet may be late to the hybrid race, but with the new Malibu Hybrid they’re ready to take their share of green-minded family-sedan shoppers.

The Malibu Hybrid starts life on the outside as a standard Malibu sedan. But instead of the more usual V-6 engine, there’s a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and battery pack. The Malibu’s mild-hybrid system improves mileage by shutting off the engine when the vehicle stops and enables early fuel shut-off during deceleration, leaving the car to run on its batteries. Computer wizardry and that big battery pack keeps all the systems running, including your heating and air conditioning. The system operates like the Honda Insight used to — it’s not capable of running on batteries alone, but the extra juice helps boost fuel economy, particularly in commuting.
The best mileage comparison is of course, against the non-hybrid four-cylinder Malibu. EPA estimated fuel economy using 2008 standards show the non-hybrid at 22/30 mpg, pretty good for a medium-sized car. With the mild-hybrid system, the Malibu improves to 24/32 mpg — not a huge boost, but then again, the Malibu Hybrid’s sticker price isn’t all that much higher than the gas-only car.

The hybrid system works nearly invisibly. Acceleration from a stop is smooth and, well efficient. Planting your foot on the accelerator inspires the Malibu to move at a decent pace; tapping on the brakes triggers the system to capture braking power and to use it to charge the batteries. Out on the highway, cruising speed is comfortable. Stealing glances at the dash, you begin to learn when the hybrid system is likely to charge the batteries, or provide a little power assistance to the four-cylinder motor.
Zipping down the California coast felt as breezy as the wind coming in off the ocean. I found the ride comfortable and pleasing. The Malibu’s ride is smooth while maintaining very good handling characteristics. Unlike Detroit cars of not so long ago, the Malibu can change lanes quickly without tumbling over itself.

Chevy has managed to take a simple design approach, add dashes of both elegance and attitude that translate well to a strong package. On the outside, Malibu looks well-tailored and it looks larger than the rival Camry and Accord, though it’s fractionally smaller in some ways. Inside, the interior design is pleasing and well-executed. The sweeping curves, multiple color tones, varied surface materials with just the right accents, somehow create a calming environment. That is all really good for big city driving environments.
Clearly a good family cruiser or commuter, our hometown Malibu’s overall design and excellent build quality competes very well against its rivals from across the Pacific. Winning the North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit Auto Show was no mistake. This car is well put together, and destined to be on the list of the better cars to come from Detroit over the past few years.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.
Get a free insurance quote for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Find a Chevorelt Dealer Near You
Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers
Get gay-friendly financing

by Joe LaMuraglia

I just returned from one of the most fascinating trips of my career to date – an in-depth briefing on the upcoming Chevrolet Volt by the team responsible for the vehicle. It was an interesting two days not only for the information and insight provided by the E-Flex team but also for the fact that the event occurred in the first place.

Two years ago, GM shocked the world at the North American International Auto show when it revealed its Volt Concept. GM’s Bob Lutz publicly announced that it was the showcase for the company’s new platform that would allow the majority of commuters drive to and from world on electricity alone (read Gaywheels.com coverage of the Volt here). If you want to witness shock and awe, you should have been at that event. He was essentially saying that GM was not only back in the game but instantly changed the rules. The press and competitors reacted with both excitement and incredulity. Few believed that GM could be far enough ahead of its competitors to actually debut an extended-range electric vehicle.
Even after the Chicago and New York auto shows with countless press releases, photo ops and a promise to produce the Volt by the end of 2010, the detractors continued with their doubt. Either GM’s reputation is that bad or their competitors are getting nervous. Methinks it is a bit of both with the latter getting more weight.
In an effort to prove to the world that they are serious about the Volt, GM’s PR team invited a group of 80 journalists from around the world to see first-hand the progress being made on the Chevrolet Volt program. Gaywheels.com was among the invitees.
We spent an entire day meeting with the E-Flex team – the engineers, designers and product managers that are working day and night to make the Chevrolet Volt a reality. We had unprecedented access to them and the facilities that are the nerve center for the Volt program and I can say without a doubt that they are working on an actual vehicle that will change the global automotive landscape. More after the side show.

It’s the Batteries, Stupid

The biggest challenge that the E-Flex team is faced with involves the battery pack required to meet the Volt’s stated performance – 40 miles on electric power, 0-60 MPH in 8.5 sec and 10 years of real-world driving which equates to 150,000 miles. Working with suppliers, the GM engineers have developed a new computer algorithm to accelerate durability testing of the advanced lithium-ion batteries needed. The battery cycling equipment is used around the clock in GM test facilities in Warren, Mich. and Mainz-Kastel, Germany. It charges and discharges power from the prototype batteries based on the Volt’s approximately 40-mile electric-only drive cycle.
We witnessed this testing at the Battery lab at the GM Design center and while they were reluctant to share results, they wore their pride openly. We were also reminded that GM has extensive experience in electric propulsion based on the development of the EV-1- the first commercially available all-electric vehicle (since discontinued). Without the learnings from the EV-1, GM’s engineers admit that they wouldn’t be as far along as they are with the E-Flex platform. A simple juxtaposition of the battery pack from the EV-1 with that of the Volt shows how far they’ve come. They have the same output but the new t-shaped battery system is smaller and a full 800 lbs lighter than that from the EV-1. Progress indeed.

Blowing in the Wind

It is one thing to have an advanced propulsion system like the E-Flex platform but if it has to push a brick through the air it will never reach its full efficiency potential. Unfortunately, the stunning Volt concept was rather brick-like when tested in the wind tunnel at GM’s Design Center. At a dinner in the recent past with Bob Lutz, he joked that it had a better aerodynamics when it was going backwards! Enter the designers and engineers to make the shape of the Volt both slippery and symbolic of the concept.
While we didn’t get to see a full-scale model of the design, we were privy to a 1/3 scale model in the wind tunnel as well as sneak peaks at the front and tail of the vehicle. Take a long hard look at the photos of the Volt concept above and then promptly forget them. The Volt will be considerably taller and less distinctive than the concept. The tail of the car will carry over most of the design language while the front required considerable reworking to keep the coefficient of drag in concert with the purpose of the vehicle. All this from studying a tiny model on the floor of a massive wind tunnel and a few sneak peaks under a car cover in the design studio. I may be very wrong on the design but one thing is for sure, they are building this car.

It’s What’s Inside that Counts

The most revealing part of the tour was the interior buck. Designers use foam and clay to experiment with various design themes for seats, doors and full interiors in addition to the exterior design. We were shown a close-to-final version of the interior for the Chevrolet Volt. Remember what I said about the photos above? The same applies to the interior design. Where the concept is futuristic, the working design is feasible and quite attractive. The designers’ challenge is to make it familiar and functional while at the same time reminding the user that they are driving the future of personal transportation. It is difficult to pass judgment based on the prototypes we saw but it shows a lot of promise.

Plugging Into the Future

The purpose of the event was to lay to rest any doubts that the press may have about the E-Flex platform and more specifically, the Chevrolet Volt. Having spent 10+ years working “on the other side” at various manufacturers, I feel comfortable saying that this program is well underway. If they pull it off by the fall of 2010, not only will they have developed an all-new vehicle in record time but they should be able to (finally) put to rest any doubts that GM has the ability and desire to radically influence the way we live and drive.
Read our other article about the Chevrolet Volt HERE.

SSuper SSpecial, thanks for asking

by Joe LaMuraglia

We’re all too familiar with stereotypes: all gay men can decorate, lesbians are good with power tools and 0-60 times under 6 seconds only come with cars costing $30,000 or more. People who don’t know better assume stereotypes are universally true. May the innocent throw the first tie rod….Um, that’s what I thought.
As a power-tool loving, non-decorating, Gap-wearing gay man, I can tell you that breaking stereotypes is a daily occurrence. So I was surprised when I realized that I had arrived to drive the Chevrolet Cobalt SS with preconceived notions of what the car could (and couldn’t) do. Did I mention that I am human?
I assumed that the SS treatment on the Cobalt would be akin “puttin’ lipstick on a pig.” I arrived to that conclusion based on previous experiences with high-horsepower front-wheel-drive econo-turned-boy-racer vehicles; Neon STR4 anyone? They start out as inexpensive people movers and get the steroid treatment via an engine that the chassis simply can’t keep up with. Think the top-heavy boys in the gym; their arms and chest are huge but their legs can barely support their weight.
Chevrolet went for the full-body workout with the Cobalt SS and the result is fitness-model worthy – perfectly balanced performance, albeit not pretty enough for the cover.

Chevy Cobalt: The Muscle Treatment

Chevrolet started out with the fantastic 2.0 liter turbo four-cylinder found in the Saturn Sky Turbo and Pontiac Solstice GXP. It pumps out 260 horsepower and mated to a short-throw five-speed manual transmission launches the Cobalt SS to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The horsepower is just one part of the equation, though. Chevrolet redesigned the front end to improve handling and reduce torque-steer as well as incorporated some sophisticated technology to get optimal traction at launch. Watch the video to the right: The driver puts the traction control system into “competition mode” and at a full stop, it automatically goes into launch control. He hammers the throttle and holds it to the floor, the engine sings up to 5,100 rpm and stays there until the clutch is released. Once engaged, the algorithm in the engine management computer launches the vehicle for maximum acceleration. The driver keeps the throttle to the floor the entire time and when you hit 6,000 RPM, you keep the gas pedal on the floor, nail the clutch and slam it into the next gear. The computer keeps the boost up, doesn’t over-rev the engine and when done properly, you feel like a race-car driver. Best part, this behavior is condoned by GM and doesn’t void the 100,000-mile warranty! The car was designed for it–and I swear, I heard it begging for more.

On the road and the track, the hard work of the GM suspension engineers is clearly evident. Body roll is minimal and the little Cobalt SS sticks to corners like cars costing twice as much. I consider myself a good driver but compared to my colleagues on the event, I was out for a Sunday drive. They were able to push the Cobalt SS on the mountain roads outside of Bakersfield, Calif., and gave rave reviews on the handling and predictability of the suspension tuning – and these boys don’t give praise easily. It comes as no surprise then that the Cobalt SS beat the track record for its class at the famed Nürburgring racing circuit – a winding, undulated road course that is considered by many professional racers and auto manufacturers as the ultimate test of a car’s mettle.

The Chevy cover boy

Clearly the Cobalt SS has the muscles to compete. But what keeps it from being a cover boy? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but nobody will argue that that the base Cobalt is no A&F model. Its design is a bit mundane and while a solid performer, it is overshadowed by more genetically gifted vehicles. Go-fast touches like Chevy’s FE5 sport suspension, quicker-ratio steering, Brembo fixed-caliper front disc brakes, sport seats, eighteen-inch wheels with performance tires, rear spoiler and an available limited-slip differential give it a buff appearance and capabilities but clothes and muscles do not a model make.
If you’re looking for a more aesthetically pleasing package, the Civic Si or Mazdaspeed3 should be on your shopping list. Both have higher-quality interiors and offer similar straight-line performance. If you aren’t that shallow want superior handling and enjoy breaking stereotypes, the 2008 Cobalt SS deserves a long look.
The Chevy Cobalt SS has a MSRP of $22,995, including a $660 destination charge. The Cobalt SS is well equipped at that price, including standard air conditioning, Pioneer premium sound system, remote keyless entry, StabiliTrak electronic stability control system, OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.
Major options include a sunroof ($750), high-wing rear spoiler ($150) and a limited-slip differential ($495).

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free insurance quote for a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

Thursday, March 6th – I just spent the day driving the latest high-performance car to come from Chevrolet – the 2008 Cobalt SS. The first part of the morning consisted of mountain roads outside of Bakersfield, CA and the afternoon was spent on the track at Buttonwillow just outside of Bakersfield. I wanted to make sure we got some photos and video up and I’ll follow up with a more complete review in a day or two.
The first video is a clip is an example of launch control and the no-lift shift features that are new to this vehicle. Watch and listen closely. The driver puts the traction control system into “competition mode” and at a full stop, it automatically goes into launch control. He hammers the throttle and holds it to the floor, the engine sings up to 5,100 RPM and stays there until the clutch is released. Once engaged, the algorithm in the engine management computer launches the vehicle for maximum acceleration. The driver keeps the throttle to the floor the entire time and when you hit 6,000 RPM, you keep the gas pedal on the floor, nail the clutch and slam it into the next gear. The computer keeps the boost up, doesn’t over-rev the engine and when done properly, you feel like a race-car driver. Best part, this behavior is condoned by GM and doesn’t void the 100,000 mile warranty! The car was designed for it and I swear I heard it begging for more.

The second video is a montage of professional running footage from GM. Enjoy!

Chicago’s auto show may play a distant second to Detroit when it comes to new cars and trucks. But in the Windy City this year, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler brought new family haulers–and one ass-hauler–while Volkswagen finally rejoined the minivan market after years of absence. The highlights from this year’s Chicago show, in no particular order:
Chevrolet Traverse

Chevrolet is the last of GM’s mass-market car brands to get a big crossover vehicle. But with the Traverse, Chevy might have one of the best-looking of GM’s foursome, which includes the Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. The Traverse shares some styling cues with the new Chevy Malibu, inside and out, with a smart front end and smallish taillamps giving it a distinct style. Under the hood there’s a 3.6-liter V-6 with 281 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the sole transmission. Standard safety features include six airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction and stability control. All-wheel drive will be an option, as will 20-inch rims and Bluetooth.
Ford Transit Connect

It’s taken a long time for any car company to take on Dodge’s commercial Sprinter van, but Ford is doing it now with the Turkish-build Transit Connect. Think of it as a Honda Element with even more utility; the Transit stands 6’ 8”, and its customizable cargo area means it’s a perfect work/play vehicle for dog walkers to caterers to locksmiths. Available with a four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission, the Transit promises to be a fuel-efficient trailblazer that can also double as a mobile billboard. Ford says for now it will import the vehicle from Europe, but it might eventually build the Transit Connect in the United States, if enough entrepreneurs step forward for its practical package.
Dodge Challenger

Musclecars might seem odd in the days of the Toyota Prius, but Dodge’s HEMI-powered, tire-shredding Challenger SRT8 couldn’t care less about what the Prius thinks. Not with a 425-hp V-8 under the hood, big 20-inch tires in its wheel wells, and a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. Top speed for the reborn musclecar is 170 miles per hour, Dodge says, and the Challenger grips the road on massive Goodyear tires. A five-speed automatic is the only reminder that this is 2008, not 1970. The Challenger SRT8 is the high-powered version on display now; Chrysler will eventually offer a V-6 version of the big two-door coupe as well, and a convertible has been rumored but not confirmed.
Volkswagen Routan

Volkswagen’s been missing a real minivan since the Microbus left in a hazy green cloud in the early 1970s. But everything about the new Routan minivan is modern, because under its lightly reskinned exterior, it’s a rebadged Chrysler minivan sold under a new agreement between the two companies. The Routan gets a unique interior too, with seating for seven and an available power third-row bench. Chrysler’s 3.8-liter, 197-horsepower V-6 is the standard engine in the Routan. A six-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox offered. Volkswagen also will offer Chrysler’s 4.0-liter V-6, with 251 horsepower and 259 pound-feet, as an option. Standard safety gear will include revised suspension tuning, stability and traction control, and curtain airbags. Other features included in all Routans are a conversation mirror; a rear-seat DVD entertainment system; dual power sliding doors; a touchscreen navigation system with a 20GB music hard drive; a power liftgate; and 13 cupholders.
HUMMER H3T

HUMMER’s future seems to be getting smaller: first the GM brand dropped the military-derived H1, then it introduced the compact H3 off-roader. Now the H3 loses its cargo cover in favor of a real cargo bed as it becomes the H3T, T for truck. The almost five-foot bed gets an accessory mounting system and a removeable tailgate, giving it flexibility if not a huge amount of cargo carrying room. Powertrains include the standard 3.7-liter in-line five-cylinder that produces 242 horsepower with either a five-speed manual or an old-school four-speed automatic. The Alpha-level 5.3-liter V-8 with 300 horsepower is optional.

Saturday, January 19, 2008 Our Top 10 Moments from the Detroit Auto Show article is live. Trust me, you won’t read a Top 10 list like this anywhere else. It contains the 10 hottest new vehicle introductions from gay-friendly manufacturers described in ways only a gay man could. Enjoy.
Final note: While we’ve reviewed the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu before, it is always nice to spend some “real world” time in any given vehicle. I am happy to say that the 2008 Malibu deserves every kind word that has been written by us and seemingly everyone else. Our “‘Bu” performed flawlessly delivering an indicated 27 MPG on the highway during the trip from Nashville to Detroit and back. It was comfortable, quiet and had all the features of a luxury car, for a fraction of the price. No wonder it won the North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show. Congratulations Chevrolet!
We’ll be sharing out experiences from the Chicago show in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
Thursday, January 17, 2008 – I made it back to Nashville today after 8 hours in the 2008 Malibu. While I am excited to sleep in my own bed tonight, I am a little sad the 2008 NAIAS is over. The cars were amazing, the parties full of booze and friends – new and old – were abundant. We’ll be posting our Top 10 New Vehicle introductions soon. I’ll add a link here. In the meantime, check out our coverage below. Note: It is in reverse chronological order.
Monday, January 14, 2008 – Ok, I totally missed the CTS-V this morning. Oddly enough, I called the CTS Coupe which was the “secret” but forgot to mention the CTS-V which everyone knew about! Watch the video a bit down the page. The video immediately below is for the Saturn press conference at 12:35 PM ET today. Watch it live or catch it in replay.
Monday Night – Saturn added to their “green” message by launching their 2009 Saturn Vue 2-mode Hybrid. Now they have a Hybrid option for multiple price points beginning with a $2,000 partial Hybrid option on the Vue. Pricing for the 2-mode Hybrid has not been announced. Also of note, they are promising a plug-in Hybrid by 2010. Watch the video for all the details.

Monday, January 14, 2008 – It was another jam-packed day yesterday here in Detroit and today promises to be the same. Cadillac is about to announce their latest addition to the CTS lineup; the CTS coupe. From what I hear, it is simply stunning. We are about to find out! Watch it live here on Gaywheels.com or catch it in replay mode below.

Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Your very own Mo in Motown here reporting live from the Detroit Auto Show. The GM Style event was incredible and Mary J. Blige, Maroon 5 and Kid Rock put on a killer show. If my wicked headache is any indication, the party and after party were quite fun as well.
GM featured some amazing concept cars and the new Corvette ZR1 featuring a 620 HP, 6.2L, supercharged V8 made it’s first official appearance to the music of Detroit’s own Kid Rock. I’m running off to another interview but we were able to get this video up courtesy of GM. It is their press conference from this morning where they announced two new alternative fuel vehicles – the Hummer Hx and the Saab 9-4 BioPower crossover. Check back tomorrow for more photos and updates.

Saturday, January 12, 2008 – Tonight is the big night – GM is kicking off the 2008 NAIAS with their second annual GM Style event. I’ll be there getting the scoop first hand but through the magic of the internet and the technical department at GM, you can watch it live right here on Gaywheels.com. See video below and make sure to check back tomorrow for updates and with luck, celebrity photos! (and maybe even a car or two!!!!)

Note: The GM Style event was broadcast live here on Gaywheels.com via a feed from GM. It has since been taken off their servers but we were able to replace it with this great video from IGotShotGun.com. Enjoy!

Friday, January 11, 2008 – I spent the day at the gorgeous GM Design center just North of Detroit observing fittings and chatting with designers. (Did I mention that Iove my job?). It was the final fitting for big GM Style event that will take place on Saturday evening. It will feature the newest styles from both GM and a cadre of hot designers that are working with GM to put on this unique fashion show that is quickly becoming the unofficial kickoff of the Detroit Auto Show. Here are some photos from today. I’ll be uploading a video our interview with Mary J. Blige as soon as I can get it loaded. Enjoy!

Ok, here is the video that I filmed today of Mary J. Blige being interviewed by a mob of media. She’ll be one of the acts featured in the GM Style event tomorrow night. Check back tomorrow for a live feed of the event and photo and video highlights. The video is a little long but I wanted to make sure you heard Mary J.’s comments about being featured on the cover of The Advocate. It is near the end, right before we sing her Happy Birthday!

by: Gaywheelsdotcom
Thursday, January 10, 2008 –

It is that time of year again, the beginning of the Auto Show season. I am here in Detroit as guest of GM and will be providing you daily updates – assuming I am sober enough to do so when I get back to my room! Yes, we auto journalists suffer through the debuts, the lunches, the cocktail parties so that we can report on what will be hot in the coming year. Cue the violins……
The trip began today with an 8+ hour drive from Music City to Motown in a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ. The vehicle performed flawlessly and provided a real sense of safety during the incessant downpours experienced for most of the ride. I’ll give you our final impressions on the car after our return trip next week. In the meantime, you can watch this video from GM for some more insight on the new Malibu”

Check back to this posting for daily updates, photos, gossip and whatever else we feel the urge to share with you. I am off now to the GM Design Center for a day of dress rehearsals and makeovers for the big GM Style event tomorrow night. I have to hurry because the male models get fitted at 9 AM! With luck I’ll have photos and some good stories to tell tonight. Rumor has it that Mary J. Blige, Maroon 5 and Kid Rock may be in the house………

A new plug-in concept heads closer to the showroom.

by Scott Corlett

We may never know who really killed the electric car–maybe it was Mr. Mustard in the library with a copy of Mame on DVD? But we do know who is trying to resurrect it.
Oh, you say, that must be Toyota, the maker of the egg-shaped Prius and current gold standard in automotive eco-friendliness. Well, hold on to your Sierra Club cards, because the actual leader of the push for the return of mass-production electric vehicles is none other than Detroit’s General Motors.

Chevrolet first showed off its Volt concept car at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. On the surface, the Volt is a super-slick, futuristic sedan, with four doors and a coupe-style body. Sure, the Volt’s design is dreamy gorgeous and makes me want to throw my jetpack in the back, as I head off to work at Spacely Sprockets. But futuristic concept cars at auto shows are more common than Britney’s breakdowns.
So what makes the Chevy Volt so special? The Volt is powered by a hulking, 400-pound lithium-ion battery. GM claims that after a six-hour charge from a standard, 110-volt outlet, this battery can power the Volt’s electric motor for 40 miles of petroleum-free driving. After 40 miles, the Volt’s three-cylinder, “EV-extender” gasoline engine takes over, not by directly powering the wheels, but by generating current for the electric motor and battery.
You say the Volt sounds more like a plug-in hybrid vehicle than an electric car? Well, that depends on your daily driving patterns. If you drive less than 40 miles a day, then the gasoline engine never starts, and the Chevy Volt is in fact an electric car that solely relies on a wall socket for its nightly juice.

But what if your commute is longer, let’s say 70 miles per day, then what kind of mileage will the Volt offer? Based on GM’s claim of 50 mpg for the three-cylinder engine, you will use 0.6 gallons of gasoline to travel your 70 miles (40 “free” miles plus 30 miles at 50 mpg). This equates to an astounding 117 mpg for your daily commute.
The Volt’s mileage numbers are fab, but what’s revolutionary about this Chevy is its E-Flex System. E-Flex is the Volt’s clever powertrain architecture, which allows future EV-extenders—such as diesel or E85-ethanol engines, or even hydrogen fuel cells—to easily replace the current gasoline plant.
Just imagine the petroleum savings using the simplest of these alternatives, the E85-ethanol engine. E85 fuel is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Now, your 70-mile commute consumes almost entirely only American-made electricity and ethanol. Plus a measly 0.1 gallons of old-fashioned gasoline, which works out to something like 700 m.p.g. That thud that you just heard? That was Al Gore running to sign up for the Volt’s waiting list.

Well, not so fast, former Vice President. GM says there’s one little bump on the road to independence from foreign oil. The Volt’s huge lithium-ion batteries won’t be ready for production until sometime between 2010 and 2012. But if GM can deliver on the Chevy Volt, then what’s good for General Motors will once again be good for America.

The Car, the Town and the Doll Finally Reach Parity

By Ms. Cocoa Efficient

Spare me the feigned incredulity and the “I don’t do American” routine, because like so much of what’s rolling out of the newly reborn GM, Chevy’s mid-size Malibu sedan truly has undergone a miraculous rebirth. Playing in the same league as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry can be as risky as wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo pumps to a Tickle Me Elmo Christmas sale, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Domestically, the new Malibu handily trumps its rivals from Ford and Dodge, but is it really good enough to take on the best from the Land of the Rising Sun?

I was introduced to the Malibu in Memphis, Tennessee. Home of the Gibson guitar, Elvis and desserts the size of small island nations. A row of new Malibus was lined up outside my hotel and gleamed like shiny baubles begging to be pocketed. The sleek, mature lines, the stylish wheels, the attention to details; could this really be a sub-$20,000 automobile? The answer came from GM Vehicle Performance Manager and ride-along guide Martin Hayes: Yes. Martin, by the way, also shone like a shiny bauble, blessed with the kind of striking good looks that could easily have taken him to Hollywood, had he also not had a brain in his head. It was going to be a good day.

Editor Joe LaMuraglia joined along, he riding shotgun, Martin in back and me behind the wheel. Sliding inside the Malibu brought another gasp of “Oh, my.” The interior is not only intelligently designed and comfortable beyond measure, it also has—hold onto your pony tails—COLOR. Yes, finally a reprieve from the drab world of black, grey and tan. Lovely two-tone shades, some subtle some obvious, comprise the dash, console, door panels and seats. French seam stitching and fabrics reminiscent of Gucci and Prada gather here, along with so many standard features one might be perfectly happy with no more than the entry level car. Overall quality, however, is not yet Toyota tight. Along the way I discovered the power mirror switch housing had come loose, and some of the hard plastic door panels seemed to lack the tactile feeling promised by the press photos.
Chevrolet offers the Malibu in five trims: LS, 1LT, 2LT, LTZ and Hybrid. Engine choices include a frugal 169-horsepower 2.4-liter in-line four, a powerful 252-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and a 164-horsepower hybrid model (go green!). While no manual transmission is offered, buyers are given a choice of four- or six-speed automatics, and Chevrolet offers the miserly 2.4-liter engine in any trim level, even the LTZ!

As we carved our way through the Mississippi back country, I was taken by how well this car drives. The cabin is Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte quiet, the engine pulls willingly and without commotion and the steering, brakes and driving attitude feel more in line with German performance cars than most family sedans. With one eye on Martin in the rear view mirror and the other on the handsome two-tone dash, I charged into an unexpected hairpin turn. Thank God the optional stability control was there to save me from myself, and we all emerged none the worse for wear. As good as the new V6 with the six-speed automatic is (and it is really good), the sleeping secret of the group is the four-cylinder engine with the four-speed transmission. I found this economical combination more than livable, with sprite acceleration, quiet and smooth operation and a bit less gear hunting than I experienced with the six-speed.

As I pride myself for being a girl with an eye for a bargain, I count the new Malibu as one of this year’s best values! Even the most basic Malibu includes six-airbags (front, front side and front and rear side curtain), traction control, ABS, air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, AM/FM stereo with MP3-compatible CD player and auxiliary audio input jack and power driver’s seat height adjustment. Pony up a bit more cash and you can have heated leather seats, a 210-watt stereo with eight speakers, remote start, a three-prong, 110-volt outlet, 17- or 18-inch wheels and power adjustable pedals. Absent from the list are rear park assist and DVD navigation, but in truth you’re better off buying a Tom Tom or Garmin unit rather than a pricy DVD-based system, which can quickly become outdated. Besides, the standard OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn navigation can get you anywhere you need to go without the hassle of inputting data (sorry, love, my nails are still wet) and having to read a navigation screen while driving.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free insurance quote for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

By Joe Tralongo
With more lesbian and gay couples raising families, the community’s car-buying habits have altered radically. The safety-conscious kid hauler is quickly replacing the flashy sports car. Below is a small sampling of some family-friendly vehicles assembled by the good folks at Gaywheels.com. Each carries at least six-passengers, is priced within reach of most middle-class households and is built by a gay-friendly company (gay-friendly status is determined by whether or not a company offers domestic partner benefits to both its corporate and factory employees here in the United States).
Subaru Tribeca

From both a social and utilitarian standpoint, Subaru has served the lesbian and gay community extremely well. Their newest offering, the Tribeca, is a crossover SUV built from a car-like platform and capable of seating up to seven passengers. Although this description fits any number of crossover vehicles, the Tribeca’s artful interior, numerous standard features and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive make it somewhat unique. It should be noted that the Tribeca’s optional third-row seat is best utilized by pre-teen-sized occupants, and when in place eats up a substantial chunk of the cargo bay. And although priced at the higher end of the crossover spectrum, the Tribeca’s strong safety rating, good resale values and excellent repair history make it a smart investment.
Price Range (includes destination): $30,640-$37,000
Engine: 3.6-liter boxer engine, 256 horsepower, 247 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 city/21 highway

Read a full review of the Subaru Tribeca here
Find a Subaru Dealer Near You
Toyota Highlander

Toyota offers two family hauling vehicles, the Sienna minivan and the all-new Highlander crossover SUV. We like the Highlander for a number of reasons, the most obvious being the removal of the “minivan mom” stigma. Like the Tribeca, the Highlander provides three-row seating and all-wheel drive. Unlike the Tribeca, the Highlander’s standard front-wheel drive allows for a significantly lower starting price. Toyota also offers a hybrid gas-electric version. Cool features, such as a removable second-row center section that permits easy access to the third-row seat, help keep the Highlander near the top of our recommended list.
Price Range (includes destination): $27,985-$42,000
Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 270 horsepower, 248 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 18 city/24 highway (2WD), 17 city/23 highway (4WD)
Get more detailed information on the Toyota Highlander in our New Car Section
Find a Toyota Dealer Near You
Ford Taurus X

Formerly known as the Freestyle, Ford’s Taurus X crossover SUV gains more than just a new name. It receives a number of upgrades aimed at quieting the interior and improving ride and handling as well as a more powerful V6 engine. Despite its rental-car name, the Taurus X’s offers conservative yet handsome styling, a commanding view from the driver’s seat and a reasonably good cargo area behind the third-row seat. One of our favorite features is the optional remote keypad locking/unlocking system, which is ideal for those times when it’s not convenient to carry a key fob. Another plus in the Taurus X’s favor, both the Department of Transportation (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) give the Taurus X high marks for its crash test worthiness and excellent safety ratings.
Price Range (includes destination): $27,365-$38,000
Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 263 horsepower, 247 lb.-ft of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 city/24 highway (FWD), 15 city/22 highway (AWD)
Get more detailed information on the Ford Taurus X in our New Car Section
Find a Ford Dealer Near You
GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave

The GMC Acadia (and its sister vehicles the Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave) represents a huge leap forward for GM. About the size of an Acura MDX, the Acadia demonstrates an attention to design not seen in an American vehicle in quite some time. Interior space is excellent, with an adult-accommodating third-row seat, big cargo hold and a full compliment of safety and security features. Fit and finish is first rate and the materials used to create the interior could easily have come from a high-end luxury model. As with the Tribeca, Highlander and Taurus X, the Acadia offers such must have features as all-wheel drive, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, GPS navigation and premium audio. Those uncomfortable with high-tech gadgetry will appreciate the optional Turn-by-turn navigation. After giving your intended destination to an OnStar operator, directions are uploaded to the vehicle’s voice navigation system which then talks you through the route. The Acadia’s V6 engine also offers the most horsepower, most torque and the best fuel economy of the bunch.

Price Range (includes destination): $29,845-$43,000
Engine: 3.6-liter V6, 275 horsepower, 251 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 city/24 highway (FWD), 16 city/ 22 highway (AWD)
Read a full review of the Saturn Outlook here
Read a full review of the Buick Enclave here
Find a Saturn, Buick or GMC Dealer Near You
Volvo XC90

Volvo’s well-known reputation for safety is why we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the XC90 in our picks. While a nicely loaded V8 model pushes well past $50,000 the front-wheel-drive XC90 3.2 V6 model starts in the mid-$30,000 range and comes nicely equipped. Fuel economy for both the V6 and V8 is far from impressive and, as with others in this grouping, the third-row seat in place leaves little cargo space. But if it’s just you, the spouse and two passengers, the XC90 makes a fine family hauler. And unlike most crossovers, you can actually take the XC90 across some serious off-road obstacles, which makes it ideal for those who prefer family vacations far from civilization.
Price Range (includes destination): $36,955-$60,000
Engine: 3.2-liter V6, 235 horsepower, 236 lb.-ft of torque or 4.4-liter V8, 311 horsepower, 325 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 14 city/20 highway or 13 city/19 highway (V8)
Get more detailed information on the Volvo XC90 in our New Car Section
Find a Volvo Dealer Near You
Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Caravan

Let’s face it. Despite the image it projects, the minivan still proves the most logical choice for a family on the go. Chrysler makes the obvious a bit less painful with its full-size Town and Country/Dodge Grand Caravan twins. Completely new from the ground up, the largest Chrysler vans to date offer a cavernous passenger cabin and a host of useful features not found in any crossover SUV. One such item is the “Swivel ‘n Go” seating, which allows the second-row captain’s chairs to swivel a full 180 degrees to face the third-row seat. A folding table also pops in place to create a portable dinning area. Other features such as the MyGiG audio system with built in 20-gigabyte hard drive for storing music and photos, one-touch power-folding third-row seat and SIRIUS Backseat TV put a modicum of cool back into owning a minivan.
Price Range (includes destination): $22,470 – $42,000
Engine: 3.3-liter V6, 175 horsepower, 205 lb.-ft of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 19 city/26 highway
Engine: 3.8-liter V6, 197 horsepower, 230 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 city/23 highway
Engine: 4.0-liter V6, 240 horsepower, 253 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 16 city/23 highway
Get more detailed information on the Dodge and Chrysler Minivans in our New Car Section
Find a Dodge or Chrysler Dealer Near You
Mitsubishi Outlander

Big things sometimes come in small packages. Take, for example, the Mitsubishi Outlander. Sitting somewhere between a compact and mid-size SUV, the little Outlander offers a plethora of features, has a small but usable third-row seat and starts in the low $20,000 range. With sporty good looks, a clever split-folding rear hatch door and fuel-efficient, yet potent 220-horsepower V6 engine, it’s hard to argue against the Outlander. Such options as Bluetooth connectivity, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and FASTKEY keyless entry system (with fob in pocket, you need only touch the door handle to unlock the car) rounds off an impressive list that makes the Outlander an unbeatable combination of features, looks and affordability.

MSRP (includes destination): $22,000-$33,000
Engine: 3.0-liter V6, 220 horsepower, 204 lb.-ft of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 17 city/25 highway (FWD), 17 city/23 highway (4WD)
Read a full review here
Find a Mitsubishi Dealer Near You
Chevrolet Suburban/Chevrolet Tahoe

OK, the Chevrolet Suburban (and its slightly shorter sibling the Chevrolet Tahoe) is one of the biggest beasts on the road. Employing such earth-friendly advances as Active Fuel Management (designed to cut fuel to four of the eight cylinders when not needed) and FlexFuel E85 capability somewhat helps to reduce operating costs. The big Chevy is not without its detractors, yet for many the Suburban a necessary and invaluable tool. With seating for up to eight passengers, a cavernous cargo hold and a 9,700-pound tow rating (2500 model with 2WD), the Suburban remains the ultimate family hauler. Features such as StabiliTrak electronic stability control have made great inroads toward bettering safety by adding stability and accident avoidance capabilities once considered the Achilles’ heel of the large SUV. Three-row side-curtain airbags should also add a measure of comfort, which you’ll probably need once you see the bill to fill the Suburban’s 31-gallon fuel tanks (39-gallons in the 2500).
MSRP (includes destination): $38,185-$60,000
Engine: 5.3-liter V8, 320 horsepower, 335 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 14 city/20 highway (2WD), 11 city/15 highway (2WD, E85), 14 city/19 highway (4WD), 11 city/14 highway (4WD, E85)
Engine: 6.0-liter V8, 352 horsepower, 383 lb.-ft. of torque
EPA Fuel Economy: 12 city/17 highway (2WD),
Read a full review here
Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

“Butch, Party of One”

By Joe LaMuraglia

If you are a regular reader of Gaywheels.com, you may have noticed that I’ve been writing my reviews in blog format lately. It helps me stay on top of the vehicle review to-do list and, I hope, it gives our readers a more personal connection to the vehicles we are reviewing.

Occasionally, time is of short supply and I am not able to keep up with the demands of a daily blog. Ok, who am I kidding? That happens most of the time. In the case of the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado that graced my driveway for a week recently, I was too busy USING the truck and driving back and forth TN to stay on top of a daily diary.

Our Silverado was a bright red, 2WD Crew Cab with the Z71 package. The interior was clearly designed for comfort with leather bucket seats, sunroof, power rear sliding window and XM radio on top of all the other standard goodies. The first think you notice when climbing behind the wheel is the sheer presence that the Silverado has. Even though it shares a lot with other GM products, this package seemed to instill a lot more confidence and bravado. Perhaps it was the red paint that got my inner bull boiling.

I took the truck on the normal Atlanta to Nashville route and it performed like a champ. It rode like a sedan, essentially ignored the steep grades and made the drive as easy as any other vehicle I’ve driven to date.

You’ll read a lot of criticism of GM’s trucks because they only have a 4-speed automatic. I am here to tell you that it performs flawlessly, was matched perfectly to the engine and combined with GM’s Active Fuel Management, delivered 20 MPG on the highway. According to GM, that is better than any of its competitors. They’ll be offering a 6-speed in the future but if you need a truck now, there’s no need to wait.

Very soon after arriving in Nashville, we put the Silverado to work. My other half ordered furniture from the Pottery Barn outlet and we had to pick it up at the distribution center. Driving through rural TN in a big new Chevrolet pickup made me feel right at home and the admiring glances, I had to keep reminding myself, were for the truck not the driver. When they came out of the warehouse with a pallet full of furniture shrink-wrapped beyond recognition, I got a bit worried that it would fit, let alone how I’d explain the scratches in the bed to GM. My energy was wasted as the pallet was placed gently into the bed and it fit perfectly. We used the optional adjustable tie-down points to secure our cargo and were off. At that point, I realized why people buy pickups. Having never owned a vehicle that could achieve a feat close to this, it made me feel really capable and dare I say…masculine……Ok, it made me feel BUTCH.

The Silverado handled that pallet without even breaking a sweat and was our transportation choice for the remainder of the weekend as we continued the hunt for deals in our quest to furnish the new abode. The big truck was generally easy to drive around town with excellent visability and always plenty of power…size only becoming an issue when parking in the tight spots at Targay…I mean Target.

The Silverado has a choice of two interiors – a luxury-oriented setup and what GM calls the “pure pickup” interior. Ours was equipped with the latter interior and was solid, and made of high quality materials except for the glove box. It is a minor complaint for sure but it simply felt flimsy. We predict a re-design in the near future. The seats passed our resident seat critic whom shall henceforth be called Pia (Pain In the A**). She is unbelievably critical of automotive seating and it is rare when she gives her approval. Kudos to the seat engineers.

The Silverado ushered me back home and around Atlanta a few days later. As I reflect on the time spent with the truck, I can understand why it was awarded North American Truck of the Year. It is great looking, solid, and with a choice of 8 engines, three cab configurations, 2WD or 4WD and two bed lengths – it would be hard not to find a combination that suits your needs. For guys and gals who really use their trucks, this is a no brainer. For someone like me, it would be a case of emotion overriding rationale. I don’t need anything this big or with this much capability but I’d seriously consider it if I was in the market for a vehicle. I can hear the gay valet now calling out the arrival of my truck – “Butch, party of one”.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

Daily Aveo

by Joe LaMuraglia

We are always up for new things here at Gaywheels.com. Whether it be chat reviews or writing a review as a personal ad (yeah, we’ve done it), we are always looking for new ways to share our vehicular experiences with our readers. Being a very busy small business owners, we don’t always have time to write timely reviews on the cars we drive. We do our best but it may be a month before we can post an article. So, we are trying to a new format. A daily blog on the vehicle we are driving that week.

Friday, January 26, 2007 - This week I am crusing around in a very blue 2007 Chevy Aveo LT Sedan. It looks very much like the photo you see above. While I am a fan of the Aveo hatchback, the sedan isn’t really doing it for me aesthetically. It looks like they are trying too hard to make an inexpensive car look sporty. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

We got delivery of the car on Wednesday of this week and have driven about 20 miles around Atlanta. Initial impressions? Not so great. It is really slow and there is a lot of fake wood on the inside. Positives? It is loaded with a sunroof, nice stereo, steering wheel controls, power everything. Getting ready to drive it from Atlanta to Nashville to see my boyfriend. I’ll update this when I get there.

Saturday, January 27, 2007 - Well, I wasn’t able to log on last night but I am happy to report that the 4-hour trip was uneventful. I make this trip quite often and it is nice to be able to compare the various vehicles on the same stretch of highway. The trek includes long stretches of highway and two uphil climbs that to be honest, I was worried the little Aveo would have trouble with. While no sports car, the Aveo tackled it all with aplomb. I was especially impressed with how the 4-speed transmission shifted during the uphill climb. When it dropped into third gear, it would hold it for just the right amount of time rather than hunting up and down like other vehicles I’ve driven. Not bad for a entry-level car.

A few things that I noticed during the drive: the car is very susceptible to cross winds – not surprising for a tall vehicle. I also kept inadvertantly turning off the radio via the steering-wheel-mounted controls. They seem to a bit of an afterthought rather than desgined from the get go. I did a quick MPG calculation when I filled up. First tank was only 28 MPG. That may be a factor of me averaging 75 – 80 MPH. I’ll do another calculation on my way home.

My lesbian friend is sitting next to me and insists that I tell you how large the trunk is. She’s right, it is huge – plenty for those in overpackers anonymous. She also commented on how roomy the interior felt. That’s all for today. I’ll give an update when I get back to the Atlanta.

Sunday, January 28, 2007- Had a great night in Nashville. Getting ready to head back to the ATL. Ran a few errands this morning in the Aveo and wanted to mention how easy it is to drive. The small size allows for easy parking and the more time I spend in it around town, the more I appreciate its zippy nature. One glaring shortfall, for me at least – the cupholders are NOT Starbucks friendly. They aren’t easy to use and don’t hold my daily tall coffee very well. When you drive as much as I do, this is vitally important. More after the drive.

Monday, January 29, 2007- The drive back to Atlanta was uneventful. My very sick bf slept the entire way so I wasn’t able to crank the stereo like I do when I am alone in the car. Did I mention it had the optional 6-disc changer with iPod input? If you are into music, this is a must have. It is a $250 upgrade on the LT trim and well worth it. Speaking of price, our Aveo topped out at over $16K. That is getting into “I can buy a really nice used car for the same price” territory. It is absolutely loaded with every option available and GM has a killer new warranty but $16K feels like a lot for this car. Then again, I just did a few comparisons to the Nissan Versa and the Hyundai Accent. It is actually competitively priced feature for feature. You can’t get some of the high-tech features like Bluetooth that the Versa offers but it is actually a bit less expensive and has a better warranty.

Verdict

I was pleasantly surprised by this car. I didn’t like it at first but it grew on me. If you need an affordable entry-level car, I’d say definitely take a look at an Aveo in addition to the Nissan Versa and the Toyota Yaris I wouldn’t advise it for cross-country treks but for the day-to-day commute and the occasional road trip, it will do just fine.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by GayWheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

As Good As it Gets

By Cocoa Efficient

We American’s are obsessed with our SUVs. Big, heavy and infinitely versatile, not even the specter of $3 a gallon gasoline can severe the ties that bind. We can’t help it after all, it’s a generational thing. Despite our protest to the contrary, we really do drive the same cars as our parents, albeit with few modern updates. Don’t think so? Go and dig up those old family vacation photos from 1974 when your father jammed the entire family into the car and pointed it toward such great American destinations as the Grand Canyon, Disneyland or “the shore.” There, wedged between you, your parents and your screaming brat little sister is the family wagon, easily as long as any SUV, clad in peel and stick wood grain siding, an overburdened roof rack and shiny, saucer-shaped hubcaps. Now picture that Ford Country Squire, Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser or Buick Estate wagon a foot or two higher off the ground and my point becomes as clear as Britney Spears’ transformation into Tanya Harding. While the old names may have given way to more rugged, manly nomenclature such as the Expedition, the Durango and the subject of this review, the Tahoe, other than a taller ride height and a four-wheel drive setup, yesterday’s station wagon and today’s SUV are practically family; and you thought your gay self had absolutely nothing in common with your beer-bellied, plaid-shirted, heterosexual father!

One of the most popular SUVs on the road is Chevrolet’s Tahoe, a near mirror image of the mammoth Chevrolet Suburban, only with a bit less junk in the trunk and a less powerful V8 engine. As anyone who has driven a Tahoe in the past can attest, Chevy’s do-it-all SUV is roomy, practical and powerful; it’s also about as appealing to gay fashion sensibility as a lime green polyester leisure suit. We’re all about Land Rovers and Mercedes-Benz, right? Well, up until I drove the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe I would have said yes. But after just a day-long fling with the new Tahoe, I must declare the new Tahoe is the automotive equivalent of Cinderella, the Ugly Duckling and Pam Anderson’s boob job all rolled into one! An extreme makeover of epic proportions has occurred in Detroit and the fashion conscious gay community needs to sit up and take notice.

From the outside, the changes are not so apparent. The Tahoe’s now less curvaceous sheetmetal makes it look somewhat Ford-like when viewed from the side. The front grill and hood, however, are unmistakably Chevrolet, cast in the clean, streamlined style that has come to define the Impala, Silverado and HHR. My test vehicle rode on huge 20-inch wheels and tires. Handsome yes, but no doubt costly when it comes time for replacement. For the record, the standard wheel and tire size is 17-inches, which is more than adequate in my opinion. The optional power liftgate is a God send; no more balancing shoe boxes on one arm while grappling to find the release lever with the other.

The really big story, however, is inside the cabin, where a newfound sense of style has bloomed. From the elegant and upscale materials to the clean fonts and logically arranged switches, the Tahoe’s dash, door panels and seats move from the realm of Fisher-Price play toy to a new standard in classic American design. There are lots of little surprises too, and you know how a girl loves surprises. The second-row seats, for example, feature a power-operated mechanism that folds and flips them forward. Unfortunately, the reverse is not true, requiring Joan Crawford sized shoulders to force the seats back into position. SURPRISE! There’s also the lovely optional backup camera that displays an image of whatever is about to be crushed as you propel the two-ton Tahoe reward.

Although the Tahoe does feature a third-row seat, its doesn’t offer much in the way of legroom and when in place, the cargo hold shrinks considerably. In fairness, the same can be said of just about all three-row SUVs, excluding of course the Suburban. First and second-row seating is more than adequate for long legged individuals and the driver and front passenger seats are marvelously comfortable, especially when equipped with the optional multi-adjustable power lumbar support. Occupant safety is another area in which the Tahoe excels, offering the option of a full-length head-curtain airbag covering all three rows. The side airbags, along with the front seatbelt pretensioners, are linked to the vehicle’s rollover and rear-end collision detection system. Should a rollover appear eminent, the head-curtain airbags deploy and the seat belts tighten to keep occupants in place. Having been alerted to the situation by the airbag’s deployment, the soothing voice of an OnStar technician soon asks if you need medical assistance or helps pass the time as you dangle upside down like some ancient sea turtle in need of flip. How very thoughtful.

According to Chevrolet, the biggest improvements made to the country’s best selling full-size SUV are found in its ride, handling and powertrain. After a few minutes winding through the twisting back roads of Washington State, I can attest to the validity of Chevrolet’s claims. The Tahoe’s steering is firm and taut and the heavily-weighted steering wheel displays no sign of play or vagueness. Body lean and roll are also improved. Although the Tahoe does not exactly inspire one to charge full speed into winding S-curves, its litany of stability, traction control and roll-over sensing hardware do inspire an air of confidence not recalled with previous Tahoe models. Short of chopping off a thousand pounds or lowering the vehicles high center of gravity (or pitching out that fat-ass boyfriend), the new Tahoe is about as good as it gets, meaning Chevrolet has done all it can with the rudimentary body-on-frame platform. A Corvette the Tahoe is never going to be, but as a controllable giant it works pretty well.

The big 5.3-liter V8 now pumps out an impressive 320 horsepower and baby can this big girl move! The last time I felt this much power underfoot was my brief but brilliant appearance at the 2004 Dominatrix, Slave and Small Appliance Convention (I was the one in pink leather standing atop the Fox news logo). Despite the overt display of muscle, the EPA says the Tahoe can travel 16 miles on a gallon of gasoline in the city and some 22 miles on the highway. Hmmm, I didn’t quite see the rosy highway figure, but my combined city/highway mileage bumped around 18 mile-per-gallon, and that’s with my foot to the floor a good portion of the ride. The new Vortec engine features a fuel-saving technology known as Active Fuel Management (remember Cadillac’s disastrous 4-6-8? Same idea, only this one works). The system cuts fuel to four of the eight cylinders when not under load, thus allowing the engine to run more efficiently. The instant the throttle is depressed, the system reactivates all eight cylinders to provide a seamless transition. Later in the year, a 290-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 will become the standard engine on all two-wheel-drive models.

Now for the hard part: the price. You never get something for nothing, and if you do, keep it under your wig or everyone will want some. The all-new Tahoe LS carries a starting sticker price of $33,990, while the four-wheel-drive model lists for $37,790. The four-wheel-drive LT lists for $38,540 and a fully-loaded LTZ four-wheel-drive, including power sunroof, 4.10 rear axle, rear seat DVD entertainment system and DVD navigation/mp3 audio system tops out at $51,445. That’s not chump change, even in the land of tinsel and glitter (the sparkly stuff, not the movie). Still, if you need a big SUV and it’s got to have class, class, class, for the time being, the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe is the pick of litter.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

By Kate McLeod

Before the Malibu Maxx had the SS (stands for Super Sport) designation, it was a just a normal happy hatchback.

“I love hatchbacks,” says Jack Comerford, musical comedy and random acts of kindness expert who lives with his partner, Ray in San Francisco. “I had a 1987 Nissan Sentra wagon. I loved that car. There were big windows that wrapped around the car and you could see.  You know when you look behind you to see if anyone’s coming?  You have to see.  I don’t know what’s going on with those cars with hump in the back.  What is that? It’s all puffed up like a breast implant in the wrong place. You can’t see d**k out of those cars. Another thing: You never have to think about borrowing a truck. I hauled couches in that car. Hatchbacks are handy.”

So there. Not everyone in America is anti-hatchback. Some people, like Comerford, love hatchbacks. I love hatchbacks.  In fact, hatchbacks are coming back. (I just drove Toyota’s teensiest hatchback called the Yaris (pronounced Yar-ees), which is named after a Greek god so minor I couldn’t find him on the Internet. It’s coming in the spring and will sell for around $13,000.)

 Chevy, in order to avoid any mention of the words hatchback or wagon, calls this car a five-door extended sedan. Call it what you want; wagon, crossover, hatchback, the Maxx is seriously practical and now, with the SS version, performance has been added for when you don’t have to move couches––like most of the time. With the second row of seats folded down, the cargo area has a hauling capacity of 41 cubic feet, which is about 50 percent larger than that of a mid-size sedan.

The Maxx is based on the Epsilon platform, shared by several GM compact and midsize vehicles including the Saab 9-3.  It has a wheelbase that is 6” longer than the sedan but it is one half inch shorter­­ because the trunk doesn’t extend beyond the rear wheels. The SS front-end is dominated by big projector beam headlamps, a large black, crosshatched grille and fog lamps.  Rear spoilers, dual chrome-tipped 3.5 inch exhaust outlets, 18” performance tires, aluminum alloy wheels and monochromatic moldings and trim identify this as the SS model.  And it comes in purple, which in this case is a plus.

Inside the SS wears well-bolstered sport seats, a three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather covered shifter knob.  Another luxury-only feature you’ll find is rear seats on tracks that move back or forward about seven inches and fold flat.

Maxx SS is powered by a 3.9 liter V6 fuel-injection engine that delivers 240 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque––plenty of spirited energy for the road with fuel economy rated at 18 city/26 highway.  It has a 4-speed automatic front wheel drive with overdrive transmission and a tap-up/tap-down manual shift mode. The fully independent suspension is sport tuned and lowered for the SS; standard anti-lock power-assisted front and rear disc brakes with traction control give the vehicle a solid feel. The handling, especially through the mountainous corners was energetic and capable. You could say this is the best six from GM I’ve driven in quite a while—yes, you could definitely say that.

Safety features include high-strength steel; energy-absorbing front and rear crush zones; front side impact airbags and head curtain side impact airbags; three point safety belts with pretensioners for front seat passengers.

What the Maxx is not: a Bavarian intender or a Japanese technological wonder.  It isn’t meant to be.  But hear this:  the Maxx receives top honors in J.D. Powers 2005 Initial Quality Study (measures problems in the first 90 days) in the entry midsize car segment.  And its sedan sister captured top honors in the vehicle dependability study, which measure long term durability.

Maxx is equipped with electric power steering, power adjustable brakes and accelerator pedals, a tilt/telescopic steering column and a power seat height adjuster. A remote engine start option will appeal to those of us who live in cold climates.

Rumor has it the Maxx is getting the ax probably in the 2007 model year so look for a good deal on it. That’s important because the car as we drove it was $25,000 with a $325 XM satellite option, which is a lot.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

h2>From Cavalier to Cool

By Fleetwood Brougham

You remember the Cavalier, right? It’s the car you learned to drive on some 20 years ago. Yep, that’s the one. Well, the old girl has finally gone to that big wrecking yard in the sky, the victim of one too many facelifts. Its replacement is all-new from the ground up. Even the name has changed:  Enter the Cobalt.

Available in sedan and coupe with a wide range of engines, transmission and optional equipment, the Cobalt offers a few surprises. Being the debutant I am, I worried what my friends would think should they see me driving around in such a car. But I really didn’t get many negative comments. Not that the new Cobalt is going to replace the BMW 3 Series as the new sweetheart of West Hollywood, but all things being equal, it’s a pretty nice looking compact sedan. Chevrolet wraps the Cobalt in big sheetmetal, with taut fenders and huge wrap-around headlamps. My Cobalt LT included the optional Sport package, adding 16-inch alloy wheels, white-faced gauges and a rear spoiler. Nice touch.

Inside, Chevrolet has taken a few cues from the VW playbook by using richly textured vinyl, a clean dash design and contrasting two-tone color schemes in either gray or beige. The faux wood trim on the LT’s dash is convincing enough, but for this class, I think a nice aluminum strip would look better. I was not too happy with the shallow cup holders. Don’t American designers know Americans drink Big Gulps and Super Sized soft drinks? Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls allowed me to override both the volume and song selection of my passenger, a feature sure to fuel the fire of feuding couples. I loved the standard Pioneer audio system with its seven speakers, rear subwoofer and MP3/CD capability. Bumping.

The Cobalt’s front bucket seats are as firm as any I’ve tested. The driver gets adjustable height and lumbar support, but the poor passenger must do without either. Rear seat passengers will find a snug fit for their legs and head, a definite drawback for the Cobalt when compared to the roomy rear seats found in the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra. The Cobalt’s trunk measures some 13.9 cubic feet, which is pretty big in this class. A 60/40 split-folding rear seat allows longer items to be passed through the trunk and you don’t have to wrestle removing the headrests to fold the seat down.

Once on the road, I’m pleasantly surprised at the Cobalt’s lack of vibration and interior noise. Chevrolet uses a good number of sound deadening tactics that pay off handsomely. The standard 2.2-liter Ecotec engine pumps out 145 horsepower and feels plenty peppy, even with the four-speed automatic sapping the fun from the drive. In tight turns, I notice the Cobalt leaning and heaving. I never felt I had to back off the throttle when testing the Ford Focus and Dodge Neon in these same turns. After a day of driving, I am overjoyed to discover my little Cobalt averages close to 28 miles per gallon, even with my heavy right pump mashing the accelerator.

Now comes the buzz kill. Although Chevrolet has built a competitive compact sedan, with all the safety, performance and creature comforts found on its competition, the price tag will come as a real shocker. The base Cobalt starts at $14,190 and my test car pushed well past the $18K mark. Considering a loaded Hyundai Elantra sells for $16,232, you can see the dilemma facing the Cobalt. To make things even more confusing, General Motors continues to offer special discounting and rebate programs, meaning at certain times of the year, a Cobalt buyer may actually pay less than invoice.  Money matters in this class, so be sure to contact a Chevrolet dealer near you to get the latest pricing.

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing

By Joe Thewall

What’s old is new again at Chevrolet.  Their designers went back to the 1946 Suburban, dubbed the original utility vehicle, to get inspiration for Chevy’s newest trucklet – the HHR.  Clearly aimed at the successful Chrysler PT Cruiser, the HHR is a retro-styled compact utility vehicle that offers versatility, style and driving pleasure in a unique package.  The interior flips, folds, slides and hides in more ways than a drag queen at a beauty pageant. Starts at $15,990 for the base LS with 143 HP 4-cyliner up to $18,790 for LT with the 172 HP 4-cylinder engine.  We hope to have a full review of the HHR up soon.

Likes

• · Love it or hate it styling
• · High quality interior
• · Unique and easy-to-read instrument panel
• · Versatility
• · Fun to drive

Dislikes

• · Love it or hate it styling
• · Very short front windshield
• · Big gold Chevy emblem – Gold packages should be banned on cars!
• · Could be mistaken for a PT Cruiser

Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

Get a free gay-friendly insurance quote for a 2006 Chevrolet HHR

Find a Chevrolet Dealer Near You

Read other Chevrolet reviews by Gaywheels.com’s writers

Get gay-friendly financing