Sketchy Forest Roads

Jaguar F-Pace

The Test: After throttling across frozen lakes in Scan颅dinavia and over 11,000-foot passes in the Colorado Rockies, our opinion of the 340-颅horsepower V-6 F-Pace boiled down to this: it鈥檚 a riot. The 18-inch wheels rolled over uneven terrain with verve. Our con颅fidence was further boosted by an on-demand all-wheel-drive system that sends power to the rear by default, engaging AWD only when needed. Interior space is enough for two mountain bikes with the seats folded down. All that, and this cat can still ferry four adults.

What鈥檚 Missing: Despite the F-Pace鈥檚 ample thrust, it鈥檚 a heavy, thirsty beast.

The Verdict: If you鈥檙e a skier, biker, or dog lover looking for a rig with sex appeal, this is your new ride. $41,985; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Porsche Cayenne

The Test: is that it鈥檚 the most capable SUV that 颅almost none of its owners take beyond the pavement. Back in 2003, when it debuted in North America, we drove one through nearly hood-deep standing water, what felt like bottomless mudholes, and even up steep, root-strewn rocky slopes. The Cayenne only got better in 2011, when Porsche added center differential locks, which make all the wheels turn at once鈥攗seful for getting unstuck. Although the Cayenne defaults to rear-wheel drive on tarmac, it can send nearly all its power to either axle depending on which tire has the most grip. Switching to off-road mode lifts the chassis to 10.7 inches, besting the ground clearance of some otherwise hardier pickup trucks. What truly continues to distinguish a Cayenne from, say, a Jeep Grand Cher颅okee is that it handles like a sports sedan during regular driving, with some of the best braking of any car on the road and corner颅ing grip even at super颅car speeds.

What鈥檚 Missing: Not much. But this summer, Porsche will retool the Cayenne, which could cost the SUV some of its notorious capability.

The Verdict: A tank that handles like a sports car. $60,650; 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

The Test: This 鈥攖hrive in the rough. As we learned over 120 miles of tooling around town, the truck鈥檚 ride is unapologetically stiff, and the 3.5-liter V-6, while plenty powerful, is geared for dirty duty rather than interstate cruising. But once we ventured into the rough, the Tacoma鈥檚 burly Fox shocks, wide stance, and 9.4-inch ground clearance gave us every excuse to 颅explore. For 颅novices, the Pro model鈥檚 six-颅speed 颅automatic transmission affords superpowers in the form of its . Basically cruise control for off-roading, Crawl Control propels the truck up and over the gnarliest terrain, automatically modulating braking and power between all four wheels. The driver only has to steer.

What鈥檚 Missing: The Tacoma can take you almost anywhere, but good luck seeing the vistas out of the squat windshield.

The Verdict: An unabashed, user-颅friendly 4×4 hero. $43,700; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

The Test: With the Trailhawk, from its traditional center of burly SUV-cum-颅comfort stud and invests heavily in the rough-and-tumble game. Its signature feature is Jeep鈥檚 , which jacks up the ground clearance from 8.2 to 10.8 inches with the push of a button. Rumbling on 20 miles of washboard Forest Service roads along Colorado鈥檚 Front Range, it turned an otherwise teeth-颅chattering 40 minutes of miserable driving into something tolerable. In addition to four-wheel drive and its terrain-select system, the Trailhawk comes with an armored underside, as well as red hooks up front for pulling lesser vehicles out of a jam. Jeep also includes massive Goodyear All-Terrain 国产吃瓜黑料 tires, and they conquer almost everything. Even with plenty of trail moxie, the interior is plush鈥攁lmost too nice for the dusty, muddy, sloppy conditions the Trailhawk is made for.

What鈥檚 Missing: A bare-bones version with all the confidence, fewer tech flourishes, and none of the luxury.

The Verdict: That same sweet Grand Cherokee ride but with hardcore cred. $44,090; 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Honda Ridgeline

The Test: It may look and act like a truck, but at its heart, the . On a 920-mile road trip between Colorado and New Mexico, the 3.5-liter V6 engine in the AWD version clocked a respectable 24.5 miles per gallon even while hauling a family of four, plus all their gear and a cooler, which stowed neatly in the truck鈥檚 clever locking waterproof trunk located under the bed behind the rear axle.

Getting into the trunk was made easier by the Ridgeline鈥檚 rear gate, which can swing either open or down, like a traditional pickup truck, making a bigger platform for hauling boats or bikes.

The fun continues with six speakers in the lighted truck bed, which can double as a sleeping platform with the rear gate down. Honda even sells a tent that fits inside the bed. As a ski truck, it鈥檚 a dream machine: plenty of room in the bed for boards and sticks or for ferrying backcountry bros back up to the top of the pass, while still being a cushy interstate cruiser for everyday needs.

What鈥檚 Missing: While Honda doesn鈥檛 claim that the Ridgeline is an off-roading champ, and its AWD system will get it through more muck and mud than you鈥檇 think, we鈥檇 have liked a little more giddyup.

The Verdict: Call it the anti-truck for those who want utility without a harsh ride and dismal fuel economy. $32,175 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Smooth City Pavement

Cadillac XT5 AWD Luxury

The Test: Whether meandering through San Francisco鈥檚 tight, traffic-clogged streets or coasting along open stretches of Highway 1 south to Santa Cruz, is, in a word, easy. Easy to maneuver, easy to spend all day in, easy to get in and out of, and easy to throw stuff into and retrieve. It鈥檚 like the Goldilocks of midsize crossovers. While that doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean exciting, it鈥檚 a key selling point for a premium rig. On a cross-continent blitz, the XT5 would be a welcome cruise liner compared with the stiffer, more aggressive ride of the Jaguar F-Pace. Cadillac also gave rear 颅passengers 39.5 inches of leg颅room and seats that recline for snoozing. The 310-horsepower V-6 with all-wheel drive spends most of its time judiciously powering the front axle, shutting off half its cylinders when turning all four wheels is fuel-sucking overkill.

What鈥檚 Missing: The eight-speed automatic transmission helps with fuel economy but can make passing 颅maneuvers frustrating since it can take a while to find the optimal gear.

The Verdict: The luxury crossover for those who want a happy medium between a Euro sports car and an American truck. $48,790 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/ 26 mpg highway.

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BMW 330e

The Test: The 330e is the latest step toward to power the bulk of its cars electrically by 2026. While it鈥檚 not a full-on EV, the 330e can range 14 miles in pure electric mode. Unlike past BMW hybrids, it鈥檒l truly hustle (up to 75 miles per hour) without burning a drop of gas. Then there鈥檚 Auto eDrive, where the transmission passes seam颅lessly between electric and gas, staying in EV mode if you鈥檙e light on the throttle. The surprising part is that the 330e has better acceleration than the gas-only 3 Series, because it combines propulsion from a 180-颅horsepower, two-liter, four-颅cylinder 颅engine and an 87-horsepower electric motor. Handling is ultra-crisp and tactile, inspiring confidence no matter how hard you push. And yep, BMW kept trunk-to-cockpit fold-down rear seats from pre颅vious versions, so there鈥檚 room aboard for everything from backpacks to bikes.

What鈥檚 Missing: Greater range in electric-only mode.

The Verdict: A (nearly) no-颅sacrifices sports sedan that happens to be a hybrid. $44,695; 72 MPGe, 30 mpg 颅combined.

Nissan Pathfinder

The Test: It may look like the same old Pathfinder, but a peek under the hood proves otherwise. to pump out 284 horsepower and tow up to 6,000 pounds (e.g., a 27-foot Airstream). The suspension is better, too鈥攕tiffer and more capable. On a hilly drive near Big Sur, California, the smooth continuously variable transmission (CVT) was well mated to the engine, with little of the whining drone found in other CVT setups. While it鈥檚 primarily built for the asphalt, the Pathfinder has adventure chops. We locked the transmission into four-wheel drive to power up a sandy lane in the mountains, and descent control stopped us from sliding on the way down. Nissan鈥檚 provides a 360-degree image of the terrain, so we could skirt around boulders and $100,000 Benzes in the Trader Joe鈥檚 parking lot. Think of the Pathfinder as a bigger Subaru Outback with a more refined on-road ride and twice as much towing capacity.

What鈥檚 Missing: While three rows of seats make the Pathfinder seem capacious, there鈥檚 not enough headroom in back for an adult to sit up straight.

The Verdict: A suburban cruiser with an active-lifestyle soul hidden under sheet metal and leather. $32,920 (with 4WD); 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

Toyota Prius Prime

The Test: An edgy hybrid? With this , yes. Just stare at the Tron-esque rear lights and aggressive front end. A sports car it isn鈥檛, but the Prime is a spry daily driver that lives up to the Prius enviro heritage. Toyota tweaked the handling, affording more predictable cornering, and the Prime can run entirely without gasoline for 25 miles (farther than the average office commute). Even if you floor it, the car stays in EV mode until its cells are depleted and can cruise up to 640 miles when using both the gas engine and electric motor. Getting to a distant trailhead and back is no sweat.

What鈥檚 Missing: The rear hatch gives the impression of storage space, but only that.

The Verdict: The archetypal hybrid bares its teeth. $27,965; 133 MPGe, 55 mpg city/53 mpg highway.

Volvo V90 Cross Country

The Test: Driving near dusk on ice-coated roads near Are, Sweden, we couldn鈥檛 help but marvel at the amenities on offer. Sure, it was bitterly cold outside, but inside, ten-way-adjustable leather heated seats and a heated steering wheel kept everything as cozy as a Swedish sauna. Every piece of glass in the car is laminated, cutting ambient noise to a murmur, even though we were driving on studded tires that would ordinarily create an unholy din.

Volvo gifted the V90 with AWD and more than eight inches of ground clearance鈥攂esting the off-road chops of many tall-riding SUVs in this realm. And yet it handles like its S90 sedan cousin, with the poise of a fast performance car, not a bloated box. Plus, this is Volvo, meaning de facto safety, from active-cornering head- and fog lamps (which make it easier to see around sharp bends) to crash protection that overrides the steering and braking to yank the V90 CC back onto the road in case the driver doesn鈥檛 realize the car has drifted onto the shoulder.

What鈥檚 Missing: The great ground clearance doesn鈥檛 include armored undercarriage protection.

The Verdict: A ridiculously gorgeous alternative to the default luxury SUV. $55,300; estimated 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Winding Mountain Passes

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

The Test: As soon as we hit snaking blacktop in the shadow of Washington鈥檚 Olympic Mountains, it was clear that . It鈥檚 lighter, it steers more sharply, and it feels sportier than any SUV-like creature in its class. A 1.8-liter engine paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission keeps torque right in the sweet spot when climbing steep grades in sport mode. The Alltrack has 4WD as well and comes standard with an off-road setting that allows more wheel churn before the traction control kicks in鈥攁 huge help if you鈥檙e trying to power out of mud or snow. Shift back to D on the interstate, and the Alltrack defaults to luxe-sedan quiet, with superb sound deadening. The seats are plenty supportive for long hauls, and stock amenities include fog lamps and smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

What鈥檚 Missing: The maximum 66.5 cubic feet of stowage doesn鈥檛 quite match a Honda CR-V.

The Verdict: A European SUV 颅alter颅native without the sticker shock. $27,770; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Coupe

The Test: It鈥檚 better to think of as a taller, roomier sedan than as an SUV. With 6.3 inches of ground clearance, the GLC300 Coupe rides a few inches higher than a normal about-town car, but that鈥檚 not quite enough lift for barreling over rutted forest two-track. Still, it鈥檚 plenty capable of shuttling you and your crew to where pavement ends and trail begins. Its max 56.5 cubic feet of storage bests the 颅Volvo V60, its nine-speed transmission is smooth, and its center of gravity is low, so you never get that high-riding car sickness on mountain hairpins. Plus, the two-颅liter turbo颅charged four-cylinder engine delivers a gutsy 273 pound-feet of torque. Inside, every surface, from vent knobs to window levers, feels tailor-made.

What鈥檚 Missing: The price of fashion is function, and the GLC300 Coupe鈥檚 sexy roofline chops six cubic feet from the standard GLC鈥檚 total cargo capacity.

The Verdict: A sedan-crossover mashup that鈥檚 fun and fairly pragmatic. $45,950; 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country

The Test: Credit the Swedish carmaker for knowing how to handle winter. This V60 has heated every颅thing: seats, windshield-washer nozzles, and side mirrors. Plus, there鈥檚 a transparent electrical defroster embedded in the windshield. Skiers will dig the second-row pass-through, which is wide enough for powder sticks. While the (44 cubic feet with the rear seats folded), this wagon is superior to any 颅sedan when it comes to hauling gear, and with standard AWD and ground clearance at an impressive 7.9 inches, you鈥檙e getting reasonable wherewithal that actually bests some crossovers. Handling is nimble, if not quite as firm as the Volks颅wagen Alltrack, but the Volvo is quick, with 240 horsepower on tap from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

What鈥檚 Missing: The rear seats aren鈥檛 roomy enough for anyone bigger than a teenager.

The Verdict: The ideal chariot to chase first tracks. $42,695; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Subaru Impreza

The Test: Once we hit 100 mph on an empty stretch of mountain highway close to the Mexican border in Southern California, we were . Subaru made the hatchback roughly 1.5 inches longer and wider, not to mention stiffer. The decidedly higher fuel economy belies its sports-car handling. Credit the brand-new chassis, sport-tuned steering, all-wheel drive, and more than half an inch less ground clearance, which affords it glue-like grip on the road. Beyond the frame, the 颅Impreza impresses with a spacious inter颅ior. Subaru also dropped the roofline for improved aerodynamics and easier roof-rack access.

What鈥檚 Missing: Guts. The Impreza鈥檚 152-horsepower engine and CVT transmission are geared for fuel economy, not oomph.

The Verdict: The value-pick AWD star just became a joy to drive as well. $19,215; 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Kia Sportage SX Turbo AWD

The Test: With each mile we ascended up the snow-packed road to St. Mary鈥檚 Glacier, outside Denver at 10,400-feet of elevation, . Ten miles later, at the trail, with four inches of snow covering the iced-over tarmac, we locked the center differential to turn the spritely 240-horsepower, two-liter turbo crossover into a full-time 4WD tank. Foot-high snowdrifts were no match.

Inside, we were coddled with a heated steering wheel, heated seats, tunes via Android Auto, and enough leg- and headroom for four six foot adults to sit comfortably. Behind all that was a cargo area big enough for backcountry snowshoes and winter gear for four. On our 120-mile winter mountain adventure, our fuel economy far exceeded the EPA鈥檚 numbers鈥攚e notched 26.8 miles per gallon on highways and slow mountain roads. Overall, it was hard to find anything the angular Sportage SX didn鈥檛 have in terms of features and options.

What鈥檚 Missing: A bare-bones version of the turbo AWD vehicle for a lot less money. And true snow tires for icy roads; AWD and traction control don鈥檛 do anything to help this Kia鈥檚 stock rubber stop on ice.

The Verdict: The top-shelf, feature- and option-packed SX Turbo version looks and drives all city, but will handle more country than you鈥檇 expect. $34,895; 20 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL 4

The Test: Charging around muddy two-tracks in England in in the brand鈥檚 history, it occurred to us that the brand has addressed some of the size complaints while staying true to what makes the car, well, mini. It sits higher than any other hatchback on the market, with 6.5 inches of ground clearance, offers more cargo space than almost any other hatchback, and is finally the first Mini that鈥檚 genuinely comfortable for full six-footers in the second row. And as the name implies, the ALL 4 edition has AWD. Would we take one rock-crawling? Nope. But for snow-caked or gravel-strewn fire roads, it鈥檚 perfect, and even though it matches or bests many compact SUVs for roominess, precise steering and quick acceleration from a 189-horsepower inline, turbocharged four-cylinder engine make it far more of a joy to dart through traffic.

What鈥檚 Missing: More off-road prowess, since the Mini lacks features like hill-descent control or an off-road transmission mode you can find in rivals like the VW Alltrack.

The Verdict: The biggest, most pragmatic Mini for adventure. $31,950; estimated 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway.

The post The 16 Best Cars for 国产吃瓜黑料 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For decades, hydrogen has been considered the next big fuel source for vehicles. It is, after all, the most abundant element in the universe, and when used in a combustion engine, hydrogen emits purified water, not a noxious smoggy stew. It鈥檚 taking time to gain traction, but hydrogen might very well be the future.听

Is hydrogen efficient? Extremely. The U.S. Department of Energy points out that a gas engine converts less than 20 per颅cent of fuel into actual energy to power a car, whereas with hydrogen, that number is as high as 60 percent.

OK, but how expensive is it? There鈥檚 the rub. After driving a 100-mile loop in Lake Tahoe aboard Toyota鈥檚 hydrogen-powered Mirai, we spent more than $31 to replenish the tank. Comparatively, a 28 mpg Camry would have cost merely $12 to top off after motoring the same distance.

Is anyone selling hydrogen cars? You can lease a or buy a Mirai. The latter went on sale in 2015. It鈥檚 pricey, at $58,365, for what鈥檚 osten颅si颅bly a slow Camry, but with tax credits and $15,000 worth of hydrogen fuel included, it becomes a more reasonable proposition.

Great, where can I get one? California. Right now, the for hydro颅gen is mostly limited to the Golden State, where drivers can fill up their tanks using a modified gas coupling.

The post Are Hydrogen Cars the Future? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you pulled into a Whole Foods parking lot anywhere in Colorado last year you would have thought听the Subaru Outback was the state鈥檚 most popular car. And you would have been听wrong. truck was king.听To find out why, I called Jack Nerad, an executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

鈥淢ost of what makes a particular vehicle number one in a state has to do with distribution and the number of dealers in a state,鈥� Nerad says. Or put another way, if there are more Ford dealers in a state than Subaru dealers, Ford has a better chance of winning. The Outback was Colorado鈥檚 best-selling car in 2014 (according to , the research firm that听conducts the nationwide study each year), but听Ford appears to have done a better job of blanketing the state last year.

Nerad says the back-and-forth leaderboard is also influenced by the lifecycle of particular models. In 2014, Subaru came out with an all-new Outback mid-way through the year, which helps explain its rise to the top spot. In 2015, Ford鈥檚 all-new F-150 rolled out, plus the company slashed prices on older models, driving it to the top.

This isn鈥檛 to say Subaru fell off the map. Mike Campbell, Subaru of America鈥檚 vice president of field and distributor operations, says that, in 2015, Subaru Outback sales actually increased in Colorado.

It鈥檚 no surprise that Subaru and Ford are at the top in Colorado. Both have the kind of off-road prowess drivers want in mountainous and snowy state. It鈥檚 also no surprise that Ford and Chevy trucks dominate farm country and the Midwest, and that a fuel-efficient car like Honda Civic was the most popular car in California.

One anomaly that I wanted to check was Connecticut. Back in 2014 the Forester was the most popular car there. It was the only state where this Subaru model beat out the Outback. Even right next door in Vermont, drivers preferred the Outback. Michael McHale, Subaru of America鈥檚 corporate communications director, says it likely has to do with how each vehicle is marketed.

鈥淭he Forester is marketed as more of a suburban family vehicle鈥攕omething perfect for Connecticut. Whereas the Outback is sold more as a tough, adventure vehicle, and it鈥檚 a story that plays听well in more mountainous states like Vermont and Colorado,鈥� he says.听The data would seem to bear this out. The following year, Connecticut drivers flocked to the all-new, family-oriented Honda CR-V, while Vermonters decided to buy a ton of new GMC Sierra pickups.

New data for 2016 sales will land from IHS听early next spring, and we'll watch to听see which companies continue to do the best jobs in dealer distribution, car development, and marketing.

The post Why the F-150 Beat the Outback as Colorado鈥檚 Most Popular Car appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A very small percentage of people will actually want this version of the Land Cruiser. Here鈥檚 why.

The Takeaway

The Good:听After clocking 950 miles and traveling over nine听high-altitude mountain passes (on听and off-road) during a car-camping road trip from Denver to Mesa Verde National Park, we aren鈥檛 surprised the Land Cruiser is the go-to choice for NGOs, governments, and global companies doing business in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and regions where smooth roads are few and far between. The Land Cruiser is a reliable, rock-solid, go-anywhere, pull-most-anything beast.

鈥婽he Bad:听At almost two tons, it鈥檚 not nimble. And its gas-guzzling V8 engine puts up atrocious numbers in city and suburban traffic (12 to听13 mpg). Our model was packed with a lot of superfluous gadgets (like a DVD player and听LCD screen in the second row) that only drove up the price.

The Verdict:听If you can afford $90,000,听tax and license included, plan on driving it for 20听years both on听and off-road, and if you like all the creature comforts you can buy, this eight-passenger Land Cruiser is a solid bet. It听will take you anywhere and should run for hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles. If you don鈥檛 meet all that criteria (and few of us do),听look elsewhere.

Specs

笔谤颈肠别:听$84,820 (base, as tested)

鈥婨苍驳颈苍别:听5.7-liter V8

鈥妇谤颈惫别迟谤补颈苍:听8-speed automatic;听4WD with听4WD-Low

鈥婩uel Economy:听13 mpg combined; 18 mpg city/15 mpg highway; 18.6 mpg observed

The Engine

A 381-horsepower听gas engine with full-time 4WD powers this giant rig. That鈥檚 plenty to pull the Land Cruiser out of deep sand and听mud and up mountains鈥攖ire traction permitting鈥攐r pull a trailer weighing up to 8,100 pounds. On the highway, all that power translates into a smooth cruise at 80 miles per hour. On our trip, we saw fuel economy top 19 mpg while rolling along two-lane highways between Durango and Crested Butte at 65 mph.听

During an off-road jaunt over the 11,250-foot Paradise Divide above Crested Butte, we put the Toyota into 4WD-low, using the low gears for torque on the climb and to slow our speed when rolling downhill. We also took advantage of the Multi-Terrain Select dial, choosing the mud/sand setting to reset the traction control and automatic transmission to best suit the terrain. It was here that we finally felt like the Land Cruiser was in its natural habitat: fording creeks听and crawling over rocks, deep gravel, and mud. It was also here where our gripes about the sticker price melted away.

The Ride

With a rigid, body-on-frame construction (think pickup truck), the Land Cruiser is built for abuse and longevity, not comfort. Still, thanks to its heft and supportive front seats, it drives relatively smooth. Off-road, those features lessen the jolts and jarring one would experience in a stiffer and lighter vehicle like a Tacoma pickup. Nine inches of ground听clearance and a relatively clean underbody mean you can take the Land Cruiser into rocky and uneven terrain.听(For听comparison, a Jeep Wrangler鈥檚 ground clearance is 8.3 inches.) The commanding view from the front seats is also a welcome throwback to the days before auto designers started squashing front window height听for the sake of a sleeker design.听

Cargo

With the seats folded down, there isn鈥檛 nearly听as much floor space as we鈥檇 like. Latches, sloping floors, and hinges also muck up the surface area, so it鈥檚 hard to stack your gear neatly. There is, however, a lot of vertical space. I was able to stand a bike in the rear with the front wheel removed. Another inexplicable problem in today鈥檚 world of gadget-packed vehicles: the Land Cruiser has only one USB听port for charging.

The Big Picture

We get a raw deal in the United States when it comes to the Land Cruiser,听because Toyota offers only听the ultrapremium version packed with expensive gadgets we don鈥檛 need. The company already sells a Lexus version of the Land Cruiser here in the States; we think that should be the go-to for anyone who wants 4WD and DVD players in the same car.

What we鈥檇 really like to see is Toyota offer a bare-bones and middle-tier version of the Land Cruiser that offers dependability and toughness听and a more digestible price tag.

The post Tested: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Nissan moved in the right direction with this redesign, but there鈥檚 still room to improve.

The Takeaway

The Good:听For 13 years, Nissan pumped out an Armada based on the original Titan pickup truck platform. As a vehicle, it registered a 鈥渕eh.鈥澨�, a worthy competitor to the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser sold outside North America. This new Armada features the same frame, transmission, engine,听and chassis as the Patrol,听which has long been used as a workhorse in Africa, Asia, Australia,听and the Middle East. Read: It鈥檚 tough. It鈥檚 also priced almost $40,000听less than the听Land Cruiser offered here in the United听States.听

The Bad:听Despite the Patrol鈥檚 adventure听DNA, Nissan prepped the Armada more for family-hauling duty. Despite the availability of听4WD-low听gearing for serious hill climbing and terrain-crawling duty, the Armada lacks the Patrol鈥檚听descent control, a locking rear differential, and a surface selector that optimizes the suspension and gearing for sand, snow, or rock. For serious听off-roaders听in need of a V8 for towing (or those who want to turn the Armada into an overland/round-the-world vehicle), Nissan would rather have you cast your eyes at its new Titan, a听full-size pickup spec鈥檇 out in its听Pro听off-road package.

The Verdict:听On the hills and highways around Carmel, California, the Nissan Armada proved itself a smooth driver. On a closed, mini-golf-sized off-road course, the听stiff frame performed admirably despite its three-ton heft. For the money and the list of standard features (three rows of seats for eight adults, 9.1听inches of ground clearance, 8,500-pound towing capability), the Armada is a good buy. Still, this Armada is positioned to go up against the Ford Expeditions and Chevy听Tahoes听of the world, not the Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. And that鈥檚 a shame.

The Specs

• 笔谤颈肠别:听$45,395 (base)
• 贰苍驳颈苍别:听5.6-liter V8
• 顿谤颈惫别迟谤补颈苍:听7-speed automatic;听4WD with听4WD-low
• Fuel Economy:听12听mpg city*; 18 mpg听hwy (4×4); 17.1 mpg observed

The Engine

Nissan鈥檚 5.6-liter V8 is new for the company. It pumps听out 390 horsepower听and 394 pound-feet of torque鈥攅nough power to tow 8,500 pounds. To put that in Airstream terms, that鈥檚 enough for a 28-footer. The price of all that grunt and power is fuel economy in the meager 16 to听17 mpg听range. Fortunately, the seven-speed transmission works smoothly with the engine听to provide听low-end torque and easy high-speed cruising.

The Ride

Hop听into the driver鈥檚 seat of the Armada听and you realize this thing is huge. From up there, you have a commanding view of the road ahead, thanks to the old-school body-on-frame construction, which the Armada shares with Nissan鈥檚 pickup trucks. This helps make the Armada stiff听but not pickup truck stiff. Its heft and suspension make for a pleasant interstate hauler.

Cargo

Third-row seats eat into cargo capacity in the rear and reaffirm the Armada鈥檚 prime role as a people hauler. To wit: Its second-row seats are some of the most spacious in the vehicle鈥檚 class, a nod to the Armada鈥檚 potential as a go-to livery vehicle (think of all the black Chevy Tahoes ferrying听pols in Washington, DC).

The Big Picture

Since 2010, the only way U.S. buyers could tap into the Patrol legend was to buy an Infiniti QX80, which is built on the same frame and comes with the same engine听but is more soft leather and bling than overland legend. Now Americans can get their Patrol fix (sorta) for $20,000听less than the Infiniti version鈥攁nd not worry so much about getting it filthy.

Those who want a competitive option in the full-size SUV market will like the Armada. Its fit听and听finish, plus its generously well-equipped standard options,听shouldn鈥檛 be overlooked. Yes, this Armada comes across as a castrated Patrol, but it still shares the toughness of a Patrol underneath its Americanized sheen鈥攕omething its competitors can鈥檛 touch.

*These numbers have been corrected

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The is an important addition to the mid-size truck market. Here's why.

The Takeaways

The Good:听The diesel version of Chevy鈥檚 best-selling Colorado mid-size pickup truck, outfitted with Chevy鈥檚 Z71 off-road package, gets you the best of nearly all worlds: stellar fuel economy for a relatively big truck, gobs of recreational RV/trailer-towing power (max. towing capacity: 7,000 pounds) and low-end torque that will plow through, up, and over almost anything. Plus, the听truck fits inside most garages.

The Bad:听The Z71 is already a pricey truck at more than $35,000. The diesel engine adds another $3,905.听And while it鈥檚 technically not a full-size pickup, it鈥檚 still a long, large truck, which can make it a pain to maneuver around the city and parking lots. Chevy put a plastic air deflector on the bottom of the front bumper to boost fuel-economy, but there鈥檚 no easy way to remove it for off-roading鈥攁nd no instructions in the owner鈥檚 manual on how to do so. It听needs to be removable because it鈥檒l get ripped off by the first big drainage ditch you have to cross (like it did during our test).

The Verdict:听After putting 366 miles on the Chevy on Denver city streets, crossing the Continental Divide twice, and going off road in the high-alpine terrain of the Arapahoe National Forest outside Winter Park, Colorado, we were blown away by the diesel engine鈥檚 fuel economy and near-unstoppable torque at low speeds. Driving it made us realize that,听when it comes to听off-roading, diesel is the way to go.

The Specs

• 笔谤颈肠别:听$39,440 (base)/$41,905 (as tested)
• 贰苍驳颈苍别:听2.8-liter听turbocharged听4-cyl. diesel
• 顿谤颈惫别迟谤补颈苍:听6-speed auto. 4WD w/听4WD-Low
• EPA Fuel Economy:听23 mpg combined; 20 mpg city/29 mpg hwy; 25.5 mpg observed

The Engine

The 2.8-liter turbocharged engine pumps out an unimpressive 181听horsepower, but it more than makes up for that lack of power听with 369 pound-feet听of torque. (For comparison, the 5.0-liter V8 in a Ford F150 has 387 pound feet听of torque.) On a gnarly Forest Service double-track in Colorado that featured rock, sand, deep ruts, and mud, and听where traveling any faster than 5 miles per hour felt like reckless speeding, I left the truck in 4-wheel low and crawled along, barely needing to touch the gas pedal. Even at that pedestrian pace, the diesel had all the grunt it needed to pull me through obstacles. And when going up and over the Continental Divide with the truck full of people and gear for a long weekend, we average 27 miles per gallon on the highway. With a 21-gallon fuel tank, that works out to a 567-mile range.听

The Ride

The Colorado is听three-quarters听the size of a full听pickup, but it rides like a big truck. On chassis-torqueing terrain, the truck felt solid,听there were no squeaks or groans from the chassis flexing,听and even on washboard听dirt roads, the cabin remained听remarkably rattle-free. It鈥檚 still a truck though, so it rides stiffer than a car, but in this case, that鈥檚听reassuring.听

Cargo

The cabin鈥檚 interior was comfortably sized with plenty of room to seat four adults for an extended trip (it fits five in a squeeze). We drove the short box version, which made for a much better off-roader, but we missed the extra length for our bikes and gear. One place the Colorado makes up for the lack of length is in the height of the truckbed鈥檚 walls. They鈥檙e noticeably higher than those of the new Tacoma.

The Big Picture

If your idea of a casual Saturday morning is to drive 150 miles to a favorite fishing hole or ski area, or you鈥檙e pulling an Airstream or drift boat, the Colorado with the Duramax diesel is a worth a look. You鈥檒l pay a premium for the engine, but over the 10-plus years you drive it, the diesel鈥檚 fuel economy鈥攂oth in mile per gallon听and at the pump鈥攕hould make up for the cost. Plus, this Colorado will likely be the only truck you鈥檒l ever need,听as it ticks more boxes than most trucks in its class and many full-size trucks as well.

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If you like to play outside,听you should probably drive a car with either 4WD or AWD.听But here鈥檚 the question: How to choose between the two? To help you understand the advantages of each, we鈥檝e broken down the technologies and explained where they excel.

4WD

Pros: This is the simplest system听and it鈥檚 been around more for than 125 years. In most vehicles, drivers can turn 4WD on and off, locking the front axle to the drivetrain to spin all four wheels simultaneously. Historically, 4WD comes with a lower set of gears (4-Wheel Low) that allow the vehicle to muscle up and over most anything. This feature has made 4WD the go-to choice for serious off-roaders for decades.

Cons: When 4WD is engaged, a vehicle will behave differently since there鈥檚 now power going to the front wheels鈥攁nd it slurps听down more fuel. 4WD is usually limited to trucks and big SUVs.

Best for: True off-roading, mud, deep snow, sand, rock-crawling (like those Jeeps you see in Moab).

What is part-time 4WD?

Most trucks employ part-time 4WD so the vehicle can stay in fuel-saving 2WD mode. This also makes the truck easier to steer since there鈥檚 no torque going to the front wheels. You'll see this in pretty听much any 4×4 pickup truck,听such as the Toyota Tacoma and Ford F-150, the truck-based Chevy Tahoe, and the Jeep Wrangler.

What is full-time 4WD?

There are many similarities between full-time 4WD and AWD:听both power the front and rear axles all the time. However, many full-time 4WD vehicles still give drivers the option of a 4-Wheel Low range of gears to enable the driver to have more control. And if you need to haul a trailer all the time, it provides more pulling power since torque is driving the grip on all four tires, not just two.听You'll see it in Land Rovers and Range Rovers

What is a locking rear听differential?

In a 4WD car, power travels from the engine to the transmission to the driveshaft through the rear differential to the听rear听axle. Locking it, either manually or automatically, depending on the vehicle, turns both wheels on the rear axle simultaneously at the same speed. This technique is used to overcome diverse terrain challenges鈥攖hink one wheel stuck in mud or sand or deep snow while the other is on firmer dirt, rock, etc.听However, not all 4WD systems feature this capability. Most have a limited slip differential system which senses which wheel is turning the slowest and sends power to it.听The system assumes that the slower moving wheel is the one with traction (as opposed to the spinning one which doesn't).听

What is a center locking differential? 听

Instead of just locking the rear axle, a center diff locks all four wheels together in unison.

AWD

Pros: AWD allows normal cars (instead of just trucks and SUVs) to travel more confidently through and over snow, ice, gravel, and packed dirt, and it doesn鈥檛 force the driver to do any thinking. Many AWD systems automatically route power between axles and modulate the power to individual wheels to ensure the best traction possible. As these systems have become more sophisticated, they鈥檝e lessened the fuel-economy penalty that was often present in 4WD vehicles. Some will even let you manually lock the differential so that power flows to both axles, no matter what鈥攁 sort of soft 4WD feature.

Cons: Few cars and SUVs that say they have AWD are actually in AWD when on the road. Instead they stay in front-wheel-drive the vast majority of the time to save fuel and only switch to AWD when the car鈥檚 computers sense the vehicle losing traction. And most AWD cars lack four-wheel-low gearing鈥攖he secret sauce behind a vehicle鈥檚 rock-crawling ability.

Best for: Daily drivers who want a vehicle that drives well on the freeway but also does just fine in the snow and on normal dirt roads.

What is full-time AWD?

Unlike the AWD vehicles that only kick the system in when you need it, full-time AWD vehicles are always sending power to all the wheels and monitoring which ones might need a little boost for better traction over variable terrain.听As seen in听AWD Subarus.听

The post Which Is Better: 4WD or AWD? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Toyota Tacoma has a reputation for lasting approximately forever. But what other adventuremobiles are also regularly going the distance?

To find out, we mined the data looking for models that can handle dirt roads and that regularly make it past the 200,000-mile mark鈥攁 pretty clear indication of reliability. Our first batch of information came from the ' annual vehicle satisfaction survey. That survey reaches hundreds of thousands of members, and one question asks whether their vehicles have clocked more than 200,000 miles. We also went through annual data scrape of every vehicle sold in the U.S. last year. From there, we were able to determine which cars and trucks were most often purchased with more than 200,000 miles.

Three notes: we know that longevity depends on the owner. Those who take better care of their cars by sticking to maintenance schedules and replacing worn out parts get better results. Also, there are several newer cars on the market designed to go 200,000 miles that haven鈥檛 had the time to make it that far, so this list will change in five years. Finally, we know some vehicles that you might expect to see on this list, such as the Subaru Outback, are missing from the data. ;We also want to know what vehicles you鈥檇 add. Leave us your suggestions in the comments.

Honda CR-V (From $23,745, pictured above)

Consumer Reports listed the CR-V as one of the only two SUVs to make its list (the 4Runner was the other). From a daily-driver鈥檚 point of view, it鈥檚 the smoothest-riding, most car-like option on our list, with AWD, ground-clearance, and lots of room for gear.

Ford F-150 (From $26,540)

This truck comes in six different models, three different size configurations, and offers four different engines. Its new aluminum body (no rust!), introduced last year, will likely outlast the engine.

Ford Expedition (From $45,450)

It鈥檚 big and it hasn鈥檛 changed much in years, which means Ford has had time to perfect its construction.

Chevrolet Suburban/Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL (From $47,000)

These SUVs use the same engines and underpinnings that go into Chevy/GMC鈥檚 best-selling pickups鈥攖he ones that are built to survive years of hard, no-nonsense commercial duty.

Toyota Tacoma (From $23,660)

Surprise! Light and nimble for a small pick-up, the Tacoma shares some DNA with its Toyota Hilux brother, the rough-around-the-edges and nearly indestructible version of the Tacoma sold everywhere but North America.

Toyota 4Runner (From $34,000)

The truck-frame based SUV has long sacrificed ride-quality and power for near-bombproof reliability.

Toyota Sequoia (From $45,325)

This is basically the SUV version of Toyota鈥檚 full-size pick-up, the Tundra, which was designed to compete against Ford and Chevy鈥檚 long-lasting full-size trucks.

听

The post The 7 Most Reliable 国产吃瓜黑料 Vehicles appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Over two days in Moab, Utah, we put a couple hundred miles on the . Day one was a mix of mountain and canyon roads and high-speed interstate on bikes wearing their factory-spec鈥檇 street tires. Day two was spent traversing BLM land in the high desert on the same bikes outfitted with knobby tires.

The Takeaway

The Good:听If you haven鈥檛 ridden a big adventure bike in years鈥攐r never鈥攖he Africa Twin, with its revolutionary automatic transmission (Honda听calls it the听DCT, or dual-clutch transmission), is what you want, because it does away with the need to feather the clutch and throttle on technical terrain.

The Bad:听The various modes available on the transmission (four听different torque settings, a gravel setting) are overkill and finicky to access via push buttons.

The Verdict:听This bike will make any rider look better and feel more confident in almost any condition. Bonus: It costs thousands less than the competition, and Honda service is usually less expensive as well.

The Specs

笔谤颈肠别:听$13,699 as tested

贰苍驳颈苍别:听998cc听liquid-cooled four-stroke parallel twin

Transmission:听Six-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT) with on- and off-road modes

The Ride

Honda has a legendary heritage in the motocross world for its reliable machines, and it brought that know-how to the Africa Twin. As a result, the bike is engineered to appeal to dirt riders: It鈥檚 well balanced, and the engine was designed to be as narrow as possible to make it more nimble to maneuver. That translates into a bike that rides smaller than it looks.

The six-speed DCT transmission makes the ride even better. It has three different sport settings that modulate the automatic transmission鈥檚 shifts. There鈥檚 even an optional gravel setting for experienced听riders who are used to spinning the rear wheel to help the bike complete a turn鈥攁 feature that solidifies this machine鈥檚 dirt-bike connection.

On-Road

Winding up into the aspens on the La Sal Mountain Loop Road, the Africa Twin made short work of the relentless corkscrew turns and crumbling, potholed tarmac. I found that leaving the transmission in Sport-3, the bike鈥檚 most aggressive setting, provided a sweet mix of on-demand power that I could tap when rolling out of a turn or passing a slower vehicle. By the end of the day, I kept the bike in Sport-3 anytime I was on pavement, even when I was doing 85 mph on the interstate or 10 mph in town. It best matched the way I ride a bike with manual shift.

Off-Road听

When we left the highway and jumped onto the Kokopelli Trail, the Africa Twin blew my mind. I switched the DCT from Sport-3 to Drive鈥攖he setting with the least amount of tire-spitting torque鈥攁nd enjoyed the ride. There was no need to exhaust myself doing mental calculations of whether I was in the right gear for a particular grade or road surface (sand, gravel, rock, slickrock, dirt). I just turned the throttle and went, trusting the DCT to leave me with enough power and torque to scramble out of a sandy wash, but not enough to send me flying off the trail.

The antilock brakes ensured that I didn鈥檛 lock up the rear tire and start sliding sideways down an off-camber stretch, while the eight inches of travel on the front shock and 8.7 inches in the rear had no problem soaking up the bumps.

Gas Mileage

After two days of riding on- and off-road, crawling along dirt tracks, and topping 90 mph on the interstate (I was passing a semi where the posted speed limit was 80), I averaged roughly 41 mpg, which translates into a range of roughly 200 miles for this Honda鈥檚 4.97-gallon tank. That鈥檚 plenty far enough to take someone deep into the backcountry or the 鈥渟cenic route鈥� across deserted BLM land.

Buying Advice

The Africa Twin comes with a manual six-speed transmission that鈥檚 $700 less expensive and results in a 20-pound lighter bike. But trust me, you want the one with the DCT, which should result in a more reliable bike as it removes the human element鈥攖hat is,听the chance that you鈥檒l be in the wrong gear at the wrong time and damage the engine. It also means you can鈥檛 burn the clutch in stop-and-go traffic.

Other tips: Any rider pushing six feet tall should opt for the higher windshield. Also, invest in an aftermarket skid听plate that wraps around the sides of the engine case (the stock skid听plate protects the front and bottom of the engine). The magnesium engine case is lighter but more fragile than you鈥檇 expect on a bike that can be expected to end up on its side repeatedly when you鈥檙e out adventuring.

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There鈥檚 been a lot of news about fuel-efficient cars lately. Last month,听Tesla announced the Model 3,听then promptly took more than 325,000 pre-orders. Meanwhile听Volkswagen continues to mop up after its 鈥渃lean diesel鈥� ruse. All this commotion got us thinking about green cars and we started to wonder what the greenest option really is. To find out, we called Wayne Gerdes, the guy behind . He鈥檚 been testing fuel efficiency claims for more than a decade听and easily ranked our options.听听

#1:听Hybrids (pictured above)

Pros: 鈥淚n general, hybrids have the lowest overall carbon footprint, and the Toyota hybrids, in particular, are some of the most reliable vehicles on the road today. They鈥檙e built to go 200,000 miles.鈥�

Cons: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a hybrid premium buyers have to pay for upfront. But over time they鈥檒l make up for it in fuel costs and resale.鈥�

Top Pick:听Toyota Plug-in Prius

Buyer's Tip: 鈥淲ith gas prices as low as they are right now, there鈥檚 never been a better time to buy a hybrid. You should be able to get more than $2,000鈥�$7,000 off the sticker price.鈥�

#2:听Diesel

Pros: 鈥淎s a fuel, diesel has a lower carbon footprint than gasoline,diesel engines听are 50-percent more efficient than a gasoline one, and they鈥檙e also better in heavy traffic. West of the Rockies,听diesel is often听cheaper by the gallon than gasoline. The newer engines are cleaning up the NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions, and they鈥檙e getting better at trapping the particulates, too (VW's TDI diesels notwithstanding). And if you need to tow anything, it鈥檚 no contest鈥攄iesels win.鈥�

Cons: 鈥淭here can be a $2,500鈥�$7,500 premium for a听diesel engine听over a gasoline one, and they can be expensive to fix鈥攔eplacing a fuel injector in some of the newer diesel truck engines can run up to $1,000 each. However, diesels hold their value better than gas vehicles, so the total cost of ownership听should be lower.鈥�

Top Pick: Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Pick-up

Buyer's Tip: 鈥淒iesels become more economical to own听the more you drive them. A good rule of thumb: consider a diesel if you drive more than 30 miles per day. Drive less than 30? Consider a hybrid.鈥�

#3:听Electric

Pros: 鈥淟ow CO2 emissions鈥nd that鈥檚 pretty much it.鈥�

Cons: 鈥淚n my book, here鈥檚 where electrics fall short: a听gallon of unleaded in a Prius takes 20 second to put into the tank and will take me 50 miles. To go 50 miles in an electric car means adding a 250-pound battery pack to the vehicle,听which then requires 3.5 hours of charging time, even with a more efficient Level II charger. In short, adding range adds hundreds of pounds to an electric vehicle, which means it uses more juice, significantly increasing its carbon footprint. In fact, the carbon footprint of a Tesla Model S听is greater than that of a Toyota Prius.鈥�

Top Pick: None yet.

Buyer's Tip: 鈥淏efore you buy an electric vehicle, check with your utility company. You may be shocked at how much more your electric bill goes up when charging a car every night. Some utilities even require you to pay for and install a separate meter for the vehicle and will charge you the equivalent of $5 to听$6/gallon to charge it.鈥�

Caveat: If you charge your electric exclusively off a solar panel, then it's the greenest vehicle to drive.

The post What’s the Most Eco-Friendly Car I Can Buy? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.