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Repub trucks are bigger. And stronger. You're welcome.

DRIVEN: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2.7 turbo four cylinder Crew Cab Short Box 4-Wheel Drive LT All Star Edition (48k +/- MSRP) This is written from the perspective of someone who is not a truck fan, hasn't owned one, loves cars, not crossovers or trucks. Looking for a daily driver with space and utility. I won't be commenting on 'truck stuff' here. I can't tell you if the four wheel drive system is boss. Or anything about trailering. Or, LOADS. This is about a truck as a transportation device. HIGHS: -Although many may disagree, I love the new design of the Chevy and GMC trucks. (I prefer the more butch GMC front end) -OMG, HUGE INSIDE! NO. LIE. Anyone. Who. Bitches about lack of space inside of this crew cab, just ...go.....now. The back seat in particular, this is the new limousine standard. -Not joking, the dash design feels like a cockpit. Truck style. Command center. All the info, right there in your face, in your crotch. And the touchscreen location is just fine. I like the dash design a lot. -Good storage all over. This particular truck has the column shifter and middle seat folding down. -Nice step in, lower than I anticipated. I don't want to 'step up' into any vehicle, just like I hate bending down to get in. There's a little step up, but get the seat where you need it and come back and check again. -Speaking of seats, well supportive, wide, comfortable. Seat cloth is cheap, like they like to make it, so you up for the leather. But lots of truck drivers spend all day in their perch, and this truck is perfect for those that need to. -So, I'm not used to sitting in trucks, predatory style on the road. But this felt great. And the thing is there is very good visibility to this truck. Large windows, large mirrors, SHORT HOOD (this is a good thing). Not at all intimidating to just get in and drive (over the top of someone ...j/k). Between the cockpit feel and the good visibility, and good seats, and good dash layout. Very easy to feel at home. -THE. BED. IS. HUGE. Again, GM breaks the mold. Wider, so much space utilized well. This one did not have a liner. I would want that. Bet you can haul lots of ass in this truck. -POWER TAILGATE RELEASE. OMG< this is so cool! -Fairly composed ride and handling as a transportation vehicle. I found the steering to be surprisingly responsive and just fine. Trucks when unloaded have a hard time with just riding quietly and not being upset by bad road surfaces; my only real frame of reference is the old trucks we had when i grew up. Obviously this new truck is much better, but more important is that is not disturbed excessively in ride by daily unloaded driving. When you try to hustle the truck around the corners like a sports sedan, you get bob and weave and shimmy and shake...and dance. But you don't typically rail on a truck in such a way (when do you typically want to stand on the throttle for the turbo boost?). -Pretty quiet inside when settled down and speed. You can seriously loaf over the highway all day in this thing. This must be why pickups sell so well. -Wait for it, because what you really want to know about this, is 'how's the engine'. I'll get to that. From my perspective.... completely fine with it, and I actually like it. I'll break it out separately below. LOWS: -A big compliant universally on the Chevy trucks has been 'cheap interior'. Ok, is it? Well, yes, but let's dissect this. I don't think the plastics are any worse than previous GM trucks. And I actually didn't mind them myself. I like the pebble texture, surface are a mix of soft and hard. A lot of this discussion is driven by two things. Can they be better? Yes. "The Ram has a better interior". Well, that I don't know. I look at pictures and I can't say I am universally sure. I don't doubt that many may think the Ram interior is nicer. I need to see it for myself. I highly doubt this interior is any or much worse than the typical junk in Fords, Nissans and Toyotas. One thing with GM is the reliance on interiors being all black death. So here I will concede, there is a lot of black in here, which is probably not helping the opinions here. -TRUCKS. ARE. HUGE. Now i remember why i end up cursing all the douchbags that can't park straight in a parking space. Or they peacock their huge truck by backing in. Well, I remember more why this shit happens. Its probably easier to back in and drive out without reverse, than it is to swing Betsy's WIDE ASS around and on a dime into a 9 foot wide stall. These things have a long wheelbase, and you gotta be dialed in and attentive on where you are going. Folks may laugh and say, well learn how to drive. But that's exactly it....so many driving trucks these days shouldn't be driving trucks. So suburban parking lot ventures are not the best place for trucks...... you get a truck and haven't had one, it's just an adjustment curve. Since the steering is good, a little time and you should learn where all the corners are. Even with Betsy's ass hanging out. -Column shifter, I don't mind having one in a truck...but OMG this one was STIFF. Maybe it needs to be loosened up over time. A bit clunky too. Do i really need to replicate the motions of using a citrus press to shift my truck into gear? Smooth it up, and it will be fine. -Hinted above....lots of shimmy and shake in aggressive driving. (UM IT'S NOT A SPORT SEDAN). Yes, but as a daily driver, those choosing between a pickup and even some of the more trucky SUV / crossovers, you may want to lean to the SUV's if the way trucks drive isn't what you are used to. OK< HERE IT IS< ENGINE AND POWERTRAIN So the thing here is ultimately a review on this new FOUR CYLINDER Silverado engine. OH THE HORROR! Well, hey it's good! But some disclaimers first.. I typically don't care much for the big v8 rumble of the GM pushrod engines. I don't care for the sound, sorry. I do like 'cammy' sounding engines. And i have no idea what expected behavior for truck engines is these days. Whether it is the Ford Ecoboost v6, or the GM pushrod v8's. I have no measuring stick as to how smooth they are, how they feel, and what their power delivery is like. I wish i had gotten more time at the 70+ mph range, but in every other way I liked the 4 cylinder. Let me start out with the sound. I have driven the new 2.0t in the XT4, which is a smooth engine but it's raspy snarl has offput some Cadillac fans. It's a cammy engine that makes itself heard when you lean on the gas. And this 2.7t, even if it is uniquely designed for truck use with a long stroke and all that.....has a similar feel. And sound. You can tell the engines are related. What is good here on the 2.7 is the throttle response. The throttle response is so good. And no turbo lag. You lean on the gas HARD, and the tranny works quickly in concert with the boost and a snarl, and it muscles you through in quick fashion. So it's responsive. When being softer with the throttle, it may feel less responsive, and there is a lot of gears it is thinking about. But it's not 'hunting'. The trans always seemed to settle into the right gear quickly. With small displacement, the power and torque sometimes merely seem 'good'....good enough for my butt. I don't know how it compared to the sometimes maligned 5.3, which is what this is supposed to be comparable to. I do know GM fans diss the 5.3 a lot. All i know is when i really kicked ass with the throttle foot, the response was right now with boost and torque. Now, how much torque is the question. But ultimately for my daily driving and i don't tow and haul anything. For what i do, it's a darn snappy truck. The response is surprising considering the small displacement and long stroke of the motor. It revs very happily, smooth and not coarse. It can just get loud and cammy for those not used to it, and those that don't like that. And again, it sounds a lot like the cousin 2.0 in the XT4. You have to decide if that's what you want in a truck or if you prefer the v8. GM did a smart thing and decided to forego a turbo v6. Why? Because Ford is doing it, and has claimed that space. Using four cylinders is Chevy's opportunity to innovate. And if we are honest with ourselves.....we'll end up in four cylinder territory eventually anyways. Out of the gate, if this is reliable, I say this engine is a win. I think the lesser than expected fuel economy is a problem. But I haven't done an interstate trip with the cruise set to see the numbers myself. Really this engine is an engine for the future, now put in some high volume models to beta test it in the real world before they put it in a bunch of other vehicles. Colorado / Canyon I am talking about you. This would be a perfect engine for those pickups. Some of the crossovers and SUV's would benefit from this engine also (Acadia, Traverse, Enclave, XT6, Tahoe). And could they even retune it and put it in a CT5 or CT6? Methinks it would do just fine in either of those Cadillac sedans. Look at how Ford, when they rolled out the Ecoboost v6's, put it in every vehicle they could think of, to test it out and amortize it. ANd now it's typical and expected in their trucks. Just think, maybe there will be an inline six derivitive of it. Or maybe they will make a 5.4 litre v8 version of it with 600 hp and 600 lb ft. SUMMARY So for the non truck guy, this was a fun ride. I think the 4 cylinder for me in this truck is just fine. I say that without trailering anything with it, or hauling anything. For me the actual hurdle is can i live with the size and handling and ride of a truck. And in some ways I could. In other ways, I love my responsive sedans. The space, comfort, and utility of this thing cannot be ignored. In that regard, I am a huge truck fan and love these new GM trucks. I honor and respect those that have issues with the interiors on these but for me I never expected much out of a truck inside anyways. The benefits of the room and space far outweigh how erotic a particular dashboard surface may feel here when i touch it. Love these new trucks, and I should drive a Ram for a real comparison. But if forced to have a truck I could surely enjoy this, and I WOULD be fine to get one with the 4 cylinder if you asked me with a gun to my head (and would need to also be thinking about price and resale). Partially because I like the SNARL and a well dialed in powertrain.

I just hate the proportions on the XTS so damn much. I don't even consider that a vehicle. I don't care how great it might be. It's on top of my sh!t list with the Impala and MKT. ?

Sat in this car last week in NYC. Overall look and interior are definitely an improvement over the ATS/CTS. Rear seat packaging is most improved and actually adult habitable now, unlike the sometimes "can I even put human legs back there?" of the ATS/CTS. The talk of their work to get the same dynamics but soften and refine out the ragged, harsh impact edges of the ATS/CTS to be a more refined day to day package sounds good too... Cars are cars. No one cares, and it won't be a big market. So making 1 good one vs. 2 confusing ones is better than nothing.

If they can get an N sport with the 1.6 turbo for under $25k they could have something going there. I think it looks clever, people like crossovers and like cheap so it should sell. I like the 2 tone interior and my guess is blue and tan plastic doesn’t cost any more than gray plastic. So smart move to put some color in the interior rather than just a sea of gray and black.

It is overused but an Alpha chassis sedan is pretty much the definition of a sport sedan.

Yep. Be Lincoln. Don't try and be anybody else. They're known for big and luxurious.

i tried looking for the Silverado's meat curtains and i don't think i found them. er, i mean, air curtains with as small as that lil' turbo looks under the hood there, you'd swear when showing your friends that maybe there's un alectic mootor under the hood of that thing. You could tell your friends you got the first electric pickup truck, they wouldn't be the wiser, and you could stun all your friends.

Wow, rear seat cushions are about as thick as cork drink coasters. I hope the foam is plenty dense... chintzy.

shame they spent money on the interior this time because nobody's gonna be caught dead inside that fugly thing

@regfootball you're right, I'm not awestruck by this car. I have pictures of the ct6 on my wall in my home office. I'd never with the Ct5

I like the write up. It’s brutally honest. And I do like the holla. (Repurposing trim pieces) so thanks. I agree with a lot of what you said. I get the feeling you’re not awestruck by this car. And I’d bet almost no one else is either. I like the strategy of selling a larger car than the 3 series etc. this is an advantage that caddy fans would take to like you pointed out. I have a hard time believing this car will sticker at 35 for starters. Like Tesla would either. My reasoning. The XT4 is mostly all above 35k. And the CT5 should price higher. And GM never keeps prices attractively low. The current CTs if you look at the actual units at dealers they sticker 55k and up. I don’t doubt the CT5 May have a lot on the lot that is less than that.... I am guessing they will start CT5 at about 42k and up. Most xt4’s on the lot are mid forties for starters so I imagine most ct5’s on the lot will be 46-50k for starters. Maybe the ct4 is what will be 35k. And will the ct4 have the same 2.0 engine? Why two models? Styling and interiors is what Cadillac needed to solve to have high hopes with this model release and for their brand. And I don’t think they have got it done here. It’s not a knockout or even a solid double inside and out. In the end I think it will drive well but I think this will be a market wallflower. Sad to say. Needs a bit more base engine. Needed styling outside. Needed awesome interior (although the GM picture album you posted it looks awesome in those pics inside ). Needs low price now just to hope to move these I think. Unless the 3.0 is cheap and popular. My advice for Cadillac is get the incentivized lease programs going otherwise not a lot to go on. Give me a ct6 or another brand.

Then don't buy the base engine. If the CT5 is priced under $40k to start I don't know that a C300 or ES350 are all that fast, probably quicker than the base CT5, but I don't think those buyers care. CT6's base engine is too weak, I agree with you there. I think the CT5 V6 needs some quickness as it is then competing with some quick cars to capture buyers that do care more about performance. I would argue Cadillac might be better served not trying to "sell" a sports sedan. They should be promoting luxury and other attributes. Obviously you don't want a car with sloppy handling that body rolls all over the place like an 80s Town Car, but pushing sport has got them no where over the past 15 years.

Just got back from NYIAS 2019. NICE

I'm getting an XC40 vibe from it... I have a feeling my mom will flip over this thing. Interested in seeing pricing and equipment level for the base model. IF they offer a decent lease deal, maybe I'll be able to help her get in one of these next time around.

This is Mary Barra's GM. I doubt the CT5 will start much lower than $39,995. The CT5 competes with the E Class and the 5 Series, so pricing will matter but Cadillac does not quite have the brand equity of the E and the 5 to price above those two. Now a Lexus GS should be the main price target of the CT5.

??? There's not going to be an EV Traverse any time soon.

No, that was my point and why I included the XTS-VSport. Most people don't consider any XTS to be a sport sedan.

One of the most anticipated releases of the New York International Auto Show was the 2020 Lincoln Corsair. The Corsair is the replacement for the Lincoln MKC, and with that, Lincoln has only two MK vehicles left in production, the MKT which is surprisingly still in production, and the MKZ which may go away once the Ford Fusion dies out. Lincoln upgraded the MKX to Nautilus for 2019. That same year, the MKC got a refresh to look more like the rest of the Lincoln lineup for the 2019 model year only and that was an evolutionary step to the Corsair we see today. To say that the Corsair is a step up from the MKC is probably an understatement. Though similar in exterior form, the Corsair wears its styling in a much more confident fashion. It is more upright and assertive a look than the outgoing MKC. While the Corsair shares a platform with the 2020 Ford Escape (My first impressions of the 2020 Escape here), this isn’t a simple badge job as all the sheet metal is different, and though they share the same wheelbase, the Lincoln is longer and wider than the Ford. While originally derided as derivative, the big Lincoln grille is really coming into its own as a signature look. I’m glad that Lincoln has kept at it and not listened to critics of the look. The full-width tail lamps also are a continued improvement, this time reminding me of the Lincoln Continental. The overall look is a much more cohesive design than the MKC which could look like a design compromise from some angles. The Corsair deserves the award for “Most Improved Interior”. While the MKC was never a bad design, it hasn't aged well and still had some recession-era components. This new interior looks well above its class. While I detected some areas of cost-cutting on door panels and lower trim, nothing seemed out of line for the class and the excellence of the styling will let most people overlook it. I am a big fan of Lincoln’s interior styling direction and they are greatly outpacing crosstown rival Cadillac in that department. There is the “stuck on iPad” look of the infotainment system, but such is life in most vehicles these days. The infotainment system runs Sync3 which I’ve had good experiences with in the past. Lincoln’s toggle button shift control and the pod of buttons that reaches out from the dash feels almost like a 1950’s steampunk spaceship (that is a compliment). Front seating position seems just right and the leg room in the 2nd row is what I would expect from this class. It’s adjustable too, as the second row can slide 6 inches fore and aft to give more cargo room or more legroom as needed. I clock in at 5’10” and found there to be more than enough headroom. Lincoln’s 24-way adjustable seats take a while to get set up, but once you do, they feel great. Both the 2.0T and 2.3T from the MKC carry over, though the 2.3 has been tweaked slightly to add a bit more torque (Now 280 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque) and both come with an 8-speed automatic. Neither engine is a bad choice and should move the Corsair along with zest. A plug-in hybrid variant is coming. All-Wheel drive is optional on the 2.0 and standard on the 2.3. The AWD system is able to decouple the rear axle in order to save fuel and recouple it when traction is needed. Up to 100% of the torque can be directed to the rear. Hopefully, the 8-speed automatic and decoupling AWD will improve the only average fuel economy of 20/27 city/highway that the MKC gets, but if not, at least there will be better performance. Corsair will likely start around $35,000, which makes it a better value than the smaller and less powerful Cadillac XT4 that starts around the same price. It will also likely be a better value than anything coming from Europe. The most direct competition, in both size and price, will come from the Acura RDX, Infiniti QX50, and Lexus NX. I expect the Corsair to do well against them. The Corsair will be in dealerships by the Fall. The Lincoln Corsair Gallery has been updated with shots from the show floor. View full article

2010s is what I was referring to...

Would you say the same about the C-Class with the base 4-cylinder? 241hp at 5500 RPM. The Q60, with a 208 hp Turbo-4? The XTS V-Sport with 410hp and AWD? Just because they're rear-wheel drive doesn't make them a sport sedan. The Maxima is faster and has FWD and a CVT. The K900 is rear wheel drive and is a boat. So I guess what I'm asking is... what about the Alpha makes it a sport sedan? (I'm not taking Dfelt's side here on the application of it on the CT5, I haven't driven it yet). Suspension tuning is changeable and not platform specific.

Another spotting of sorts...for Easter Brunch we took Uber, and the driver going downtown was driving a silver Saab 9-5 Sportcombi. It was in really clean condition for something 10+ years old. Felt smooth on the freeway and over potholed Cleveland streets from the backseat...driver coming back had a Pacifica w/ the power sliding doors.. nice inside.

Have to look at these things with price in mind, it's an adjustment I have to make when I literally step out of a Corsair and then into a Venue. Compared to the Kicks and Ecosport, this has a superior interior. The Soul and Renegade (which is meant to get muddy) are about on the same level. The Renegade has some better engine choices and AWD available. The Ecosport... well... here's how a conversation with my Aunt who was renting one went: "I see you got an Ecosport as your rental. How do you like it?".... "Well.... I don't". Her daily is a '16 Outback. The 90s shifter looks very Saab-like.

Lots of things are called sport sedans that aren't. Toyota has been referring to the Avalon as a sport sedan for a number of years now. The term gets over-used.

I've been on board with a lot of what Hyundai has done recently but I do not like the grille on this along with those grey lower front fascia inserts. I also am not a fan of whatever situation is going on inside the headlight housing. The rear looks really sharp, the interior looks "okay". That 1990's shifter area looks pretty rough but other than that it looks class competitive. I also really like the piping on the seats.

Recession-era design.

As soon as the Edge moves to the new Explorer platform, so maybe not for another year or so. MKC got a one year only makeover, so if Ford really wants to push the models out, they could have the new Edge and Nautilus waiting in the wings (cough) already.

Yes, ditch the mediocre FWD platform, move to the Explorer/Aviator RWD/AWD platform and make some serious sedans that are CT5 and CT6 sized or larger..

Ahh here it is. Lincoln Zephyr

For obvious reasons, I'm a pretty big fan of this. The slightly larger footprint and space would be welcoming. I haven't come across needing additional space yet but I know there will be a time. I like the integrated infotainment screen on the current gen more but that's about it. Everything else looks pretty awesome. Plus, that blue/teal leather looks freakin' hot. I don't think there has been a new vehicle in which you did not say the dash was dated. Probably a bit of time as the Edge was all new for 2019, right? It did already get the new body panels to look like the Continental, Navigator, Aviator, and Corsair/MKC(MKC got a facelift last year to the new styling).

I should have taken a pic...couldn't find it on the ICMDB.

Yep, noticed that on my first trek with the Equinox as well. Even driving it times, it would creep to 35mpg. Threw on the air on our first warm day, and it dropped all the way down to 28. The only other car I saw a decent drop with the AC on was my old S10......

Good write up. My first impressions based on pictures was that the interior was outstanding, but I saw a video from the show that showed it close up and you can see the Ford Fusion grade plastics and rubber on some of the door panels and lower parts. But you see that sort on other cars in this class. This still seems among the best interiors at it’s price point so kudos to Lincoln for that. At least these guys are trying and doing the best they can with styling, names and interiors, and they have pretty decent power in these cars too. I thought 5 years ago Lincoln would be dead by 2020.

Rumor has it the Baby Bronco will be named Bronco Scout.

Beautiful, aspirational, powerful, serene, assertive. What a luxury car was... and should always be. Cadillac needs to take a long hard look at the direction they've chosen... Lincoln is eating their lunch, 100%.

Saw a gray Chevy Bolt at the grocery yesterday, one of a very few I've seen around here. This afternoon in a food coma from Easter Brunch, lying on the sofa watching an old movie about WW II in the Philippines saw an unusual truck in the movie...had a squared off cab w/ a C-shaped door opening like a mid 20s Model T, but a late 30s Ford truck front end w/ oval grille.

that reminds of the time a few years ago when a bunch of folks here were saying that Cadillac didn't need to offer all wheel drive as an option on their rear wheel drive cars which weren't selling. and then finally cadillac gets that all wheel drive matters and that took away the impediment to the sale. luxury car buyers want a quick car and if the buff books or their butt in the seat tells them the car is slow, that is a big impediment to the car being purchased. impediments that don't exist in the competition. Cadillac had / has a chance to sell many CTS if -Cadillac improved the quaility of their interiors and leather. (not sure in this case) -if it has sexy styling (not sure it got that in this case, especially with the divergence from Caddy style and the wishbone / awkward c pillar treatment that is being universally commented on unfavorably on social media and web sites in many places. -if the car leases cheap like the competition, which cadillac still doesn't get....how do they plan to move any. -if the car has dynamic advantage or is not up to class average in either ride, handling or power. the car should ride and handle well because Cadillac did finally condition buyers to expect that but if the luxury car buyer is not getting the same power in the entry model that the competition is then, see ya. Caddy will way overprice the twin turbo six out of the market as well. if it were a standalone option for not a ton more, the 6 vs. 4 choice would help them. But they will bury the six cylinder option in a super expensive package i bet. For the CT5 the issue is solved by simply tuning up the motor to more horsepower. But for whatever reason GM screws up their new motor launches. It should have specced out with at least the same or more power and torque than the motor it replaces. They probably detuned it for CAFE reasons, which should not be a thing in a luxury marque.

New BMW 330 does a 5.2 0-60 with a 2.0 liter motor and a sub 14 1/4 mile time. CT5 with its new downgraded 2.0 which has clocked out at 7.5 0-60 on a couple different tests of its similar weight Cadillac mates, no reason to expect much better than a 7.2 or 7.3 0-60 in a CT5. How do you win in the sales marketplace when you are 2 seconds behind.

Tobias Moers is awesome. He gets all the performance stuff built that most bean counters at other car companies would not let see the light of day. Yeah needs the 48 volt battery with the electric compressor. But we are also talking lag on a fast car, it isn’t like a 90s Volvo that even with the turbo is like 8 seconds 0-60.

Yeah I heard the interior of the Escalade is supposed to be magnificent and no compromises. And yeah.. when I get the CT6-V.. cool.. U buying. Lagavulin 16 is my new thing

Just because something has the same chassis, a sport sedan it is not. Yes, outside of the V models, the CT5 is just a sedan. I feel this way about everything out there. Mercedes and BMW outside of the AMG or M series are just sedans.