Another Win for the Impala

            Another top award in the auto industry has gone to Chevrolet’s all new Impala.  This award comes from Consumer Reports and the award is the best large sedan.  This is the first domestic car to have the

highest award from Consumer Reports since they’ve been keeping score in 1992.  During all that time, there were 11 Japanese and 9 European cars taking the top honor.  This year is different with the Impala as it not only got the first domestic car taking the top score in the large sedan category, but it got one of the highest scores Consumer Reports has ever graded on a car.  The only two that beat it was the Tesla Model S and BMW 135i.

            The score the Impala was a 95 out of 100. Consumer Reports says that Impala boasts “agile handling” and “excellent braking.” The interior and fit is made from higher quality parts that look great.  In fact the Impala is so good, it competes directly with cars that are $20,000 more expensive than it and can win against those cars in a head to head competition.  The new Chevy Impala is showing just how good domestic cars really are and how they are just as good if not better than the European and Japanese imports.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

The 2013 Chevy Cruze

            The 2013 Chevy Cruze is becoming the standard for fuel efficiency, comfort and power for the smaller class of cars out there today.  At Handy Chevrolet, we have a variety of different model Cruzes to choose from to suit anyone’s needs.  Approaching 40mpg highway, you won’t have to be filling up the tank once a week, more like once every two weeks.

            The engine in the Chevy Cruze is a 1.4 Liter I-4 with 16 valves and an intercooled turbocharger.  The Turbo 1.4L makes 138hp at 4900RPM and 148 ft-lbs of torque at 1850RPM.  You can also choose from a naturally aspirated I-4 that makes the same 138hp but at 6300RPM.  Torque is down slightly from the turbo 1.4L to 125 ft-lbs at 3800RPM.  Both the turbo and non-turbocharged are electronically fuel injected. Also being offered this year is the 2.0L turbocharged diesel I-4, which makes 151hp at 4000RPM and 264 ft-lbs of torque at 2600RPM.  Both of the non-diesel engines feature electronic fuel injection and the diesel is direct injected. 

            Interior packages come in the LS, 1LT, ECO, 2LT, and LTZ.  The LTZ is the most luxurious of the options, which feature options like leather seats, heated steering wheel, and a premium 9-speaker sound system.  The lower models are still features with 6-speakers as standard.  The LS, 1LT, ECO and 2LT Cruze models can also come with a manual 6-speed transmission if you want.

            What is the starting price for the Chevy Cruze?  $17,170 and the highest price for a new Cruze is in the low $30,000 range.  With the cheap price and the fuel savings you will get driving a Cruze to and from work, it is worth buying.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

100th Anniverary of the Chevrolet Bowtie

            This year marks the 100^th anniversary of one of the most iconic symbols in the automotive world, the Chevrolet bowtie.  William Durant, a co-founder of Chevrolet introduced the signature on the Chevy H-2 Royal Mail and H-4 Baby Grand.  Since that time, Chevy has produced a countless number of vehicles, some better than others, but that bowtie on the front of the car has gone almost unchanged from its first days all those years ago.

            Today, there are over 60 million Chevys on the roads worldwide.  Of the 215 million that have been produced, over ¼ of them are still on the roads today.  This year, Chevy set a sales record of 2.5 million cars sold across the globe in the first six months of this year.  That’s an average of one car every 6.39 seconds according to the Chevrolet media website.  

            The only changes to the bowtie have been subtle ones, or designs around that famous emblem.  For instance, in 1955, there was a special badge put on the hood of the 1955 Chevy Bel Air, and in the middle of the badge was the bowtie.  Today, all Chevy cars and trucks share the same bowtie, which will go relatively unchanged hopefully for the next hundred years.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala has Arrived

            After a long wait, the Chevy Impala has arrived at Handy Chevrolet. After seeing pictures of the car online, I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in person.  This is the first redesign of the Impala since the 2006.  The new redesign is based off the popular Buick Lacrosse. The wheelbase was increased 1.2 inches over the previous generation.  In the interior, Chevy designers found an extra 5.7 inches of legroom across the length of the car, which is a drastic improvement over the previous generation Impala.

            The new Impala at Handy Chevrolet is the LTZ package.  This is a higher end model with more luxurious options.  Some of those options in that are in this Impala are leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, rear camera, rear park assist and much more. 

            GM designer, John Cafaro designed the shapes and lines that grace the exterior of the Chevy Impala.  The car has a more modern look and looks like a big car.  The interior transfers some of those lines from the exterior into more graceful lines along the dashboard and down into the center console.  The steering wheel resembles the Chevy bowtie, which I found to be a neat little touch.  The interior also looks as big as the exterior of the car.  The interior also features an 8 inch MyLink infotainment system exclusive to Chevy only.

            The Impala currently at Handy Chevrolet is powered by a Direct Injected 3.6L V-6.  Chevy also offers a 2.5L ECOTEC I-4.  The V-6 makes an impressive 305 horsepower at 6800RPM with 264 ft-lbs of torque.  The I-4 makes 195 horsepower and 187 ft-lbs of torque.  Both engines are direct injected and feature variable valve timing for optimum fuel efficiency. 

            The next generation of the Chevy Impala has arrived and with it some exciting cues from generations past have helped revive the car with a storied history.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

More details emerge about the SS

            Chevy just recently announced more details about the SS set to hit showroom floors this fall.  For the first time in almost 20 years, Chevy is returning to the rear wheel drive performance sedan.  The SS will be powered by a 415hp, 6.2L V-8.  Performance with that motor and car will put 0-60 in
the five second range.  The transmission will only be an automatic, but it can be shifted thanks to shifting paddles on the steering wheel. Chevy does promise near 50/50 weight distribution so driving the new car should be a lot of fun and handle well.  The SS will be available in five colors, Mystic Green, Silver Ice Metallic, Red Hot 2, Phantom Black Metallic, and Heron White and the interior will only be offered in jet black.

            Only one model of the SS will be offered but it will come standard with features such as MyLink, touch screen panel, a Bose premium audio system with satellite radio, a color head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats, a rearview camera with rear-park assist, blind-spot alert and lane-departure warning, and keyless entry with push-button start. The only two options that will be available for the car is a power sunroof for $900 and a full-size spare tire for $500.

            What will the Chevy SS cost with the big motor in it, and all the features that come with it? A modest $44,470.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

St. Albans, VT

Chevy Cruze Diesel

            During the fuel and energy crisis in the 1970s and 80s, automakers began introducing diesel powered cars. Diesel engines are more efficient than cars that run on regular 87 octane gasoline.  Part of this that is because diesel engines have a much higher compression ratio than a typical gasoline powered engine.  With

the higher compression, diesel engines don’t need spark plugs to ignite the fuel/air mixture; it is done on its own.  Since diesel is a more efficient way to run an engine, why hasn’t it caught on with the American public?

            Back in the 1980s, diesel engines were rushed into public to provide a more efficient alternative to regular gasoline. However, these cars were noisy, smelled weird and were unreliable. Those cars also tended to shake due to the vibration of the diesel engine.  This left a bad taste in the public’s mouth and diesel powered cars soon began disappearing from the streets. 

            Thanks to technological advances, the diesel engine is beginning to make a comeback and this is evident with Chevrolet introducing a diesel version of the popular Cruze.  This is not the old diesel from the 1980s, this is an all new animal based on its much larger cousin, the Duramax diesel.  Chevy is using a steel crankshaft with aluminum pistons and aluminum heads.  All of this brings in a compression ratio of 16.5:1; compared to the standard 1.8L I4’s 10.5:1.

            Diesel engines run at lower RPM than their gasoline engine counterparts, so they’ll make more torque than horsepower.  The Cruze diesel makes an impressive 264 ft-lbs of torque compared to 125 for the 1.8L. The diesel can make up to 280 ft-lbs of overboost torque for a maximum of 10 seconds.

            The real eye opener with the Cruze diesel is the fuel economy.  Car and Driver reported at 55mph, a fuel economy of 58.4mpg. The EPA rated the fuel economy at 46mpg highway and 27mpg city.  This is better than the Cruze diesel’s competitor, the Volkswagen Jetta.  The Jetta is rated at 42mpg highway.  The Cruze also makes more horsepower at 151 compared to the Jetta’s 140.  Torque also goes to the Cruze at 264 ft-lbs compared to the Jetta’s 236. The Cruze also has a better warranty at five years/100,000 miles.  The Jetta is five year/60,000 miles.

            It’s clear that Chevy is developing a formidable diesel automobile, and changing the public’s opinion on diesel engines from their bad experiences in the 1980s.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

2014 Chevy Malibu

            After the introduction of the all-new 2013 Chevy Malibu, Chevrolet sought out to try and improve on the car for the 2014 model year.  The new car was unveiled at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix late last week. 

           The styling of the car was changed slightly with more aggressive headlights and grille.  There was nothing wrong with the 2013 styling, but GM just sought out to refine the looks a little bit.  The bigger improvements were made in the interior and under the hood of the car.

            Customers will enjoy the increase in legroom over the 2013 Malibu.  GM designers were able to squeeze out an additional 1.25” of legroom to sitting in the back a little easier on the knees.  While it doesn’t sound like much, 1.25” is enough to keep your legs from hitting the seat in front of you and give you just a little more room to stretch out. The interior was also improved in the center console area of the car.  Chevy replaced the storage area with cup holders and cell phone bins. The Malibu will also come with Chevy’s version of infotainment, MyLink.

            Under the hood, Malibu customers will have a choice of either the naturally aspirated 2.5L Direct Injected four-cylinder, or the 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder engine. Engineers were able to squeeze out more performance with the engines that are available in the Malibu.  The 2.5L features variable valve timing and Intake Valve Lift Control, which is said to enhance low end torque. However, with the new technology, the engine loses one horsepower to 196 and also loses five ft-lbs of torque to 186.  If people want an increase in performance, the turbocharged 2.0L saw a boost in power.  The horsepower rating stays the same at 259, but torque went up an impressive 35 ft-lbs to 295.  Fuel economy improved slightly to 35mpg highway.

            With the small tweaks made to an already fine motor vehicle, The Malibu should sell even better than it did in 2012.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

Throwback Thursday

            The Stingray became synonymous with the Chevrolet Corvette when it entered production in 1963.  This was a car that Car and Driver described as, “At long last America has a formidable weapon to challenge Europe’s fastest grand touring cars on their home ground.”  The Stingray Corvette stayed in production until 1968 when the next year the C3 was debuted.  Since then, the Stingray nameplate on the Corvette has laid dormant until the all new C7 Corvette debuted at the Detroit auto show. At the reveal, it was announced that they were bringing back the Stingray with the new Corvette.

            The base engine in the 1963 Corvette produced only 250 horsepower.  On May 28^th, Chevrolet released some of the performance numbers for the 2014 Corvette. The base engine in the new Stingray makes heart pumping 455 horsepower. This makes the new Corvette the most powerful base model ever. Back in the 1960s, such options like power steering, air conditioning, and electric window cranks were an option. All of these features will be standard equipment in the new 2014 Stingray.  Such engine features like direct fuel injection and active fuel management weren’t a thought in 1963 with the first generation Stingray.  The new Corvette will have both features in their small block V-8. Direct fuel injection means that the fuel is directly injected into the combustion chamber of each cylinder, which makes the engine more fuel efficient since there is now a more precise amount of fuel being injected into each cylinder.  Active fuel management means that when the driver isn’t demanding a huge amount of power from the engine, it will deactivate four cylinders to be more fuel efficient. When power is required again, the engine will reactivate those cylinders and bring the 455 horsepower V-8 to life.

            Now the question has to be asked, which Corvette do you think is the best ever? The original Stingray, built from 1963-1967 that many consider the best Corvette ever, or the brand new 7^th generation Corvette Stingray beginning production this year.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

The 2014 cars from Chevrolet

The summer of 2013 is fast approaching and soon the new 2014 model Chevrolets will start showing up at car lots around the country.  Some of the newly redesigned models that are being put into production are the Chevy Silverado, Impala, and probably the most anticipated release by Chevy, the C7 edition of the Corvette.  Chevy is also coming out with an all new design, the SS. 

The Silverado will have its first facelift since 2007. Customers will be able to choose between the 4.3L V-6 Ectotec engine, as well as the 5.3 and 6.2L V-8 Ecotec.  The ecotec engine offers an advantage in fuel

economy because it uses active fuel management (AFM).  When the engine isn’t needed for high demand situations, AFM will deactivate half of the cylinders and run on four cylinders, thus increasing the fuel efficiency of the truck.  When more power is needed, those cylinders will be reactivated and the power of the V-6 or V-8 will return to climb those hills towing your trailer. Fuel economy is rated at 16 city and 22-23 highway MPG.

One advantage the Silverado possesses over the competitors, Ford and Dodge is the V-6 is tailor made for trucks.  The V-6 in the Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram can also be found in cars and SUVs of each company.  You won’t find the Ecotec V-6 in a car or SUV made by Chevy.  (Tingwall)

With a name dating back to the 1950s, the Impala is on its 10^th generation model.  This one is sure to please.  The look of the Impala was redesigned by GM designer John Cafaro.  John gave the Impala an aesthetically pleasing look with curves that blend nicely into the aerodynamics of the car. The two engines that are offered with the new Impala will be the 2.5L Ecotec V-4 and the 3.6L Ecotec V-6.  Depending on what engine is in your Impala, fuel economy will range from 19-25 city and 29-35 highway MPG. The 2013 Impala is equipped with a 3.6L V-6 engine.  

The interior of the Impala will have the all new Mylink infotainment system found only on Chevy models.  This is a hands off system with voice recognition, which also has the ability to link up to 10 mobile devices to the car.  This system will be installed in other 2014 Chevy models as well like the Silverado and Corvette. More detailed information can be found at Chevy’s website, www.chevrolet.com

Speaking of Corvettes, the 2014 model year will be the first year for the new 7^th generation Corvette.  With the new Corvette, they also brought back the iconic name that hasn’t been on the Corvette since the 1970s; the Stingray. Starting off with a coupe and

convertible, the Stingray will be equipped with a 6.2L V-8, which will produce 450 horsepower and 450 ft-lbs of torque.  All of this, along with a lighter frame than the C6 edition Corvette delivers a 0-60mph times under four seconds. For more info on this great new machine developed by Chevy, visit http://www.chevrolet.com/new-2014-corvette/

If anyone has watched NASCAR, you have seen the body of Chevy’s all new vehicle, the SS. The Chevy SS is due in the fall and it is a replacement of the Pontiac G8.  The SS rides on the same wheelbase as the G8, but has received a good amount of updates from the old frame.  The car will have a 6.2L V-8 under the hood pushing the 0-60mph time to the five second range.

For GM, the future seems bright for the 2014 model year.  Don’t forget that there are still plenty of high quality 2013 Chevy’s for sale at Handy Chevrolet, just waiting for you to take it for a test drive and call it your own.

Source:

Tingwall, Eric. "2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500." Car and Driver. N.p., Apr. 2013. Web. 23 May 2013.