Auto News For Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - We're Getting A Better Idea Of What The New Top Gear Will Be Like

Just finished in Venice with this crew. pic.twitter.com/l4gjJCuymu

— Matt LeBlanc (@Matt_LeBlanc) March 22, 2016

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Wednesday, May 11, 2016. 

BUICK
Buick isn't going to renew the Verano. And with Buick about to source an even greater percentage of its sales via utility vehicles thanks to the Envision's arrival, does Buick need to bother with any of its cars in the U.S.? – TTAC

BMW
U.S. sales of the BMW Z4 tumbled 91% between 2003 and 2015. Lest you think there's a reason for BMW to give up on its roadster, there will be a next-gen Z4. Will anybody buy it? – Automobile

FORD
Canadian sales of the Ford F-Series climbed to an all-time monthly record in March. And that record was broken just one month later by the F-Series, which produces 7% of the Canadian auto industry's volume. – Autofocus

FCA
By January 2018, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be building the next-generation Ram P/U. Production of the Chrysler 200 may end before 2016 closes. – Reuters

CASCADA
"If GM had built the Cascada on the Alpha platform (Cadillac ATS), and stuck a proper engine in it, well, we wouldn’t be here now, roasting the product-planning department’s innards over a fire." Wall Street Journal

WATCH
Of course it won't be the same. Stop saying, "It won't be the same." The globally infamous host trio is gone. But that doesn't mean that Top Gear doesn't know how to put a picture together, and it doesn't mean Chris Harris isn't great. Here's the newest new Top Gear extended trailer.

GCBC's The Good 12 For 2016

GCBC's The Good 12 for 2016 includes the vehicles that would be most welcomed as permanent members of the GCBC Towers driveway. Park them out front on Christmas morning. Tie them with a bow. We appreciate your kindness.

None have base prices above USD $67,000. They reflect many different parts of the market, they come from different places, they're powered by very different engines, they're accomplished in different areas. And when any one of them drives by, I want it for myself. 

Click any of the images to be taken to the model's Sales Stats page. Don't forget to check out GCBC's The Bad 8, the cars which we don't want to receive even as gifts. For more on what The Good 12 really is, visit the GCBC Awards page.

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	Chevrolet Suburban Can it ____? Yes. What about ___? Of course. Even ____? Yeah, that too. Fill in the blanks however you want. The Chevrolet Suburban is what you buy when you need one vehicle to meet every potential vehicular need.
	Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Remember the first Dodge Charger SRT-8 with its audacious 425-horsepower V8? That car was an edgy and affordable Detroit riposte to the typical German muscle sedan. This Charger SRT? 707 horsepower. Edgy, indeed.
	Ford Mustang There isn't just one good Mustang. The V6 is fun and affordable. The GT is fast and evocative. The Shelby GT350 is a proper European sports car fighter. They all look terrific. They're all far more modern than Mustangs were just two years ago.
	Honda Odyssey The value quotient with every minivan is unbelievably convincing. The Odyssey separates itself from the people-carrying pack with the sort of steering, ride, and handling that, rather than punishing you, rewards you instead.
	Jeep Wrangler Just ask the politicians who flop because they couldn't pull off the cowboy-boots-at-the-Iowa-state-fair look: authenticity matters. The Wrangler is exactly what the Wrangler is supposed to be.
	Mazda 3 5-Door Mazda's most popular car is the best all-around small car money can buy. It's sufficiently quick and fuel efficient, tackles a corner with aplomb, and marries attractive interior styling to terrific exterior styling.
	Mazda MX-5 Miata You wake up early on a Saturday morning in July. You took care of the day's pressing concerns last night. You own a Miata, so you leave the house to go for a drive. To nowhere in particular.
	Mini Clubman Most Minis are simply too small. The first two big Minis – Countryman and 4-Door – are awkward. So why not a Mini wagon? Mixing great on-road behaviour and a small wagon body at an affordable price produces a winner.
	Porsche Macan S 20 years ago the idea would have sounded foolish. But what's so categorically wrong about a Porsche with Porsche-like dynamics, all-weather appeal, and space for five people and their stuff?
	Ram 1500 EcoDiesel The Ram 1500 is a very good pickup truck, with or without the diesel. Highly regarded handling, true full-size capability, and attractive styling are integral to the equation. But mixing all this torque with so little fuel is a remarkable achievement.
	Volkswagen Golf GTI Before you even spend time with the GTI, you know it will be good. But then it's better than that. More space than you expected. More power. More expertise on a twisty road. And a more mature blend of performance attributes than you thought possible.
	Volvo XC90 Nobody does wagons quite like Volvo. But the modern wagon isn't really a wagon, is it? We want to ride high, climb snowbanks, and see the traffic beneath us. Thus, Volvo presents the second-gen XC90, with one of the best interiors in the current automotive universe and a prototypical Swedish exterior.

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RECOMMENDED READING
2015's The Good 12
2014's The Good 12
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2015 YTD U.S. Sales
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2015 Canadian Sales
2016's The Bad 8

Review: 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Outdoorsman 4x4 Quad Cab - How Much Money Can You Save On Fuel In A Full-Size Truck?

You want a full-size pickup truck.

But there's one thing holding you back from pulling the trigger, from signing on the dotted line, from explaining to your friends that you need a pickup truck because you're "renovating" your condo.

It's not the MSRPs of modern pickup trucks – you know the steep discounts and low interest rates will make it doable if you avoid the options sheet. 

It's not the modern prettification of pickup trucks – black wheels, not chrome, will make your truck look tougher than Tonka. 

And it's not the loss of flexibility – modern four-door pickups can be family haulers.

THE GOOD • Incredible fuel economy • Plenty of power • Terrific 8-speed automatic • Impressive dynamics for a full-size truck • Stand-out styling

THE BAD • Huge diesel price premium • Not all interior bits up to snuff • Quad Cab not an ideal family layout • Lack of air suspension noticeable • Chrome bumper/black wheels/blue body?

No, it's the fuel bills that have you worried. That's why you're considering this 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Sure, our Outdoorsman tester was fitted with $6,925 in options besides the $5,700 cost of the 3.0L EcoDiesel/8-speed automatic powertrain. But you don't need that stuff, right? You just need four doors, a bed, and reasonable fuel consumption.

But how much money can you really save? To what degree can a 5,400-pound full-size pickup truck's consumption truly be reduced? Can you buy a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and feel comfortable taking pointless drives along the coast on a summer's evening, safe in the knowledge that you're not breaking the bank?

We have answers to these questions. Based on back-to-back week-long tests of the 2015 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Quad Cab 4x4 EcoDiesel and the 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew 4x4 EcoBoost, we've determined just how much more Eco the EcoDiesel really is.

There are, of course, a number of qualifiers we must get out of the way. These trucks aren't perfectly comparable. The Ram's Quad Cab format is a truck that competes somewhat indirectly with both Ford's SuperCab and SuperCrew. For a true SuperCrew competitor, you'd need the Ram 1500 Crew Cab, which we've tested twice before. The trucks aren't equipped all that similarly, either, with the Ford lopping an additional $20,000 onto the sticker. 

2015 RAM 1500 OUTDOORSMAN QUAD CAB 4x4 ECODIESEL Base Price: $44,990 * As-Tested Price: $57,615 * Drive Type: four-wheel-drive Transmission: 8-speed automatic Engine: 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V6 turbocharged diesel Horsepower: 240 @ 3600 rpm Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Curb Weight: 5406 pounds Length: 229.0 inches Width: 79.4 inches Height: 78.4 inches Wheelbase: 140.0 inches Tires: Goodyear Wrangler SR-A Tire Size: 275/60R20 Passenger Volume: 3302 litres Cargo Volume: 1628 litres EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 27 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.1 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.8 L/100km Observed: 24.2 mpg Observed: 9.7 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

Rather obviously, the Ford's 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost isn't a diesel engine; the Ram's EcoDiesel is. Both are the most expensive engines in their respective lineups. (Ford also offers a more efficient EcoBoost, the 2.7L V6, which still makes plenty of power.) 

Although we didn't drive the two trucks on all the same roads with the same pedal pressure all the time, the trucks were driven by the same driver in the same environs – a mix of Halifax city driving, urban Dartmouth driving, and very little highway time – with similar prevailing temperatures over the course of two weeks.

The Quad Cab isn't nearly the family truck that the SuperCrew is. Rear seat legroom is tight, and rear-facing child seats are likely to be a pain. In terms of capability, the new F-150 is also a class-topper in terms of payload and towing capacity. 

There remain some bits in the eminently useable and straightforward Ram 1500 interior that don't feel up to snuff when the price stretches past $35,000, let alone to $57,615. The Ram's UConnect operates like it's many generations newer than the F-150's MyFordTouch, which it essentially is. Though the coil spring rear suspension of this Ram doesn't offer the luxury-like ride quality of the two air-suspension-equipped Rams we've driven over the last couple years, ride quality was still better in this Ram than it was in the accompanying F-150 FX4. Both trucks ride on 20-inch wheels. The Ram steers more precisely, handles with greater alacrity, shifts up and down through the wide array of gears with more intelligence and smoothness, and never feels underpowered. 

The F-150 Platinum looks like a very premium truck and draws ogling eyes everywhere. The bed side steps and tailgate ladder are nice touches. EcoBoost power is jaw-droppingly impressive. We trust that the truck is lighter than F-150s were because of this new aluminum body, but it still feels like the heftier machine on the road: less nimble, more difficult to see out of, less structurally rigid.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain & Steffani Cain
 ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net- Click Any Image For A Larger View
Ram Photos Shot At Fisherman's Cove In Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia
F-150 Photo Shot in Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia 

In such a thoroughly modernized pickup truck arena, the differentiation which causes the Ram, Ford, and GM's trucks to feel like individualized specimens is quite a welcome turn of events. This isn't a game of samesies.

These two trucks do, however, share one thing in common. Both the 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and the 2015 Ford F-150 EcoBoost make forward progress by consuming non-renewable fossil fuels. In real-world driving, here's how the math breaks down.

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Our 2015 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman EcoDiesel test vehicle consumed diesel at a rate of 9.7 litres per 100km, or 24.2 miles per gallon on the U.S. scale. The 3.5L 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum EcoBoost consumed regular gasoline at a rate of 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres. This means that for every 100 kilometres of mixed driving, the Ram drinks 3.5 fewer litres of fuel.

But the fuel consumed by the Ram is more expensive than the F-150's regular gasoline. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, regular gasoline costs $1.01 per litre; diesel costs $1.05. (That's a per gallon difference of $0.15.)

As a result, over the course of 15,000 kilometres of annual driving, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel requires 1,455 litres of diesel fuel, or $1,527.75. The Ford F-150 EcoBoost requires 1,980 litres of slightly less expensive regular gasoline, or $1,999.80. On a monthly basis, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel driver saves $39.34.

Over the course of five years and 75,000 kilometres, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel driver saves $2,360.25.

On a weekly basis, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel's $29.38 fuel cost compares with the F-150 EcoBoost's $38.46 figure for a $9.08 savings, or enough for a medium cup of Tim Hortons coffee every morning on the way to work.

There are greater financial issues to consider. At Ford, the least expensive 2016 F-150 XLT SuperCrew EcoBoost 4x4 costs CAD $47,449 before discounts. In a Ram dealer, the least costly Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab EcoDiesel 4x4 currently costs $52,290. 

That's not the end of the money story, however. Ford Canada currently shows just $3,250 in discounts for that specific F-150, but the Ram is discounted by $8,500, changing the F-150's price to $44,199 and the Ram's to $43,790. 

That's not the end, either, because Ford offers 1.99% financing over five years for a taxes-included monthly payment of $891. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' current 0% interest rate over five years generates a taxes-included monthly payment of $839.

This isn't to suggest that these are the prices you'll encounter at your local dealers, with your deal subject to whether you remembered to buy on the last day of the month, the level of interest one dealer may have in your trade-in that the other dealer won't, and ever-evolving incentive schemes. But one thing is clear: the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel's frightening $5700 upgrade cost probably shouldn't be quite so frightening, washed away as it is by attractive offers from FCA Canada's accounting department.

Better yet, after an introduction phase that made it difficult to find Ram 1500 EcoDiesels on dealer lots, availability has dramatically ramped up. At Halifax's two Chrysler dealers, 29 of the 89 Ram 1500s available are equipped with the 3.0L EcoDiesel.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Ram was supplied by FCA Canada's press office; the yet-to-be-reviewed F-150 by Ford Canada.

Auto News For Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback On Its Way

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Although GM's latest compact car, the Chevrolet Cruze, was a massive leap over the Cobalt, which was itself a massive leap over the Cavalier, it's somewhat small lineup has limited its appeal. While Toyota can make the Corolla succeed with a sedan only, many rival small cars need more than one body style. For the next generation of the Chevrolet Cruze, GM will begin selling the hatchback version seen in so much of the world in North America, as well.

INSIDE THE PICKUP TRUCK INDUSTRY
Perhaps V8s are overrated. The turbocharged diesel in Ram's heavy duty pickup trucks uses only six cylinders. But the Cummins inline-six – it's not a V – now makes 900 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque. In Canada, the overall Ram lineup set a sales record in 2014. U.S. sales rose to the highest level since 2003.

INSIDE AUTO CEO SALARIES
Nissan paid its CEO, Carlos Ghosn, $8.4 million in 2014. Still working the counter at Burger King? You're in the wrong line of work. Ghost is also the company's largest shareholder. Yet he could possibly expect a bigger raise. His pay went up 4% as Nissan's profits jumped 18%. Nissan/Infiniti now own 8.7% of the U.S. market.

REVIEW
The Tiguan lives, so why not drive it? Car & Driver recently spent time in the 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line, a front-wheel-drive model. While U.S. interest in the aged Tiguan has waned over time, Canadian price cuts have made the fun-to-drive Tiguan more appealing, and it's selling better than ever north of the border.

RECALL
It's a LaFerrari recall! Ferrari is recalling 85 LaFerrari supercars because, "The affected vehicles have L32 seats as standard equipment for the passenger seat and as optional equipment for the driver seat. In a crash, the headrests of L32 seats may not absorb the required amount of energy." A separate LaFerrari recall covers tire pressure monitoring troubles.

INSIDE THE AUTO PRESS ROOM
Because Chevrolet is excited to be finishing eighth grade at a private girls school, they've issued a press release purely in emojis. Jalopnik's Jason Torchinsky attempts to translate.

WATCH
Asks Chris Harris: "Do you need anything more than a BMW 320d?" He drives it to the Nürburgring to find out. And to race an Aston Martin.