Drew Dowdell

Automotive News is reporting that internal sources have indicated that Hyundai will not develop a new generation of the Sonata once the current model run has complete. Similar reports regarding the fate of the Kia K5, the replacement for the Kia Optima, seem to confirm this as both vehicle share a common platform. The current Sonata went on sale in 2019 as a 2020 model while the K5 started production in 2019 in overseas markets and went on sale in the U.S. as a 2021 model. Sales of both sedans has dropped dramatically with the Sonata reaching a peak of around 230,000 U.S, sales in 2012 and the K5/Optima reaching almost 160,000 U.S. sales in 2015. Sales were around 93,000 of each model in 2021, rebounding slightly after the 2020 pandemic. Meanwhile, in its home market the Sonata has fallen from the best selling vehicle to the sixth. Both Hyundai and Kia have issued denials of the impending cancelation stating that both vehicles remain important parts of their respective lineups. Hyundai and Kia are said to be preparing a mild facelift for 2025, however it remains to be seen if the Sonata and K5 make it that far. Hyundai and Kia are busy making room to build more EVs at their plants. Kia, for their part, is building a $5.5 billion EV and battery plant in Georgia starting in 2023 that is expected to have the capacity to produce 300,000 units a year. View full article

Yeah, I can definitely see that.

Love to have you back Cort.

Is it that far away from you that it counts as a road trip?

Welcome back! Post them both or go out for a visit!

Given the condition of Pittsburgh (and NJ/NYC for that matter) roads, true off-road tires would be the most appropriate. ? But yea, if I had the R nineT Original I'd have gone with a typical street tire. I've just really liked the Scrambler style from any manufacturer. While I'll never take this true off-roading because it's too heavy for that, I like that I can take it down some dirt/gravel trails that are well compacted.

Matches the look and intent of the Scrambler style. These are very much "for the looks" rather than being true adventure tires. I'm quite happy with them. The rear tire of the original set was very much gone and I had a couple of scares on it.

When did you all move into your nursing homes? Can't sit down in a car now? Too hard to stand up? Do you all need artificial knees? Oh look... your apple sauce is here for dinner.

Top Picture: Hoboken, NJ across the river from Manhattan - taken a week ago today Bottom Picture: Key Largo, FL at Gilbert's Resort - taken over the winter holidays Below, got some new shoes.

GV60 went on sale (as “available to order”) yesterday. It’s likely very few if any dealer have them.

With regards to the size, while it is similar exterior dimensions to the ICEs, the interior is likely to feel substantially larger, potentially like a low-roof Tahoe in size. Yesterday I drove the Genesis GV60, my review will be coming, but this externally pretty small crossover felt very roomy inside... and @David, you'd probably fit in the back seat.

Linux is far more reliable than windows, faster too.

Gonna disagree with you, but only on the Sonic/Sonic Hatch. The Spark was abysmal to drive, but the Sonic in RS form was very fun for no significant money over a regular Sonic LT/LTZ. They put a shorter final drive ratio in it so the 1.4T + Manual was really in its prime. It was no Fiesta ST, but it was a good $3k - $4k less and more roomy to boot. You know my penchant for large vehicles, but there was a time when the RS was new that I had seriously considered one.

I can't buy a vehicle with enough of a lower curb weight that still does what I need it to do. But the AFM in my Avalanche doesn't bother me at all. Never even notice it. It is most effective on a highway cruise from 55 - 65 mph. I can be in 4-cylinder mode and get into the upper mid-20s. Not too bad for something Suburban sized.

That’s mostly important in high rpm engines. In 5 or 6 liter V8s there’s no real benefit on that part.

Why bother with the camo when I can wander to nearly any Chevy dealer in the US to see what it looks like? There may be a new vent or filler door here or there, but it largely looks the same. Still exciting though.

We're talking SUVs.

He'd be right on Benz. Not on BMW or Audi. The GLS has a really old-school transmission hump in the 2nd row.

Even my '13 Avalanche has just a very minor hump in the center. Nothing an adult sitting there would complain about.

Well... no one here has compensation vehicles... so I'm sure we're all above average in that department too. But I was referring to how we take care of our cars.

Huh? no they don't, not on the larger ones. Canyonado has a small one. 2021 Tahoe. 2021 Blazer Or are we talking a different location? But even the third rows and cargo areas are flat.

If anything, the advancements of modern synthetics has been one of the largest enablers of turbos in mundane consumer vehicles. Prior to that they were only put into vehicles with performance characteristics that would be attractive to the demographic that actually takes care of their vehicles. GM and Ford took a big risk when they started putting the turbo-4s into their mundane cars like the Cobalt, Cruze, Fusion, and Fiesta (turbo-3). But they simultaneously had started requiring full-synthetic on their oil fills.

All of us here at C&G are well above average.

The AFM in Chevy V8s does not take well to deferred maintenance, but if changed on time with proper spec oil (that means full synthetic) they run fine. The Turbos should have shorter oil change intervals but GM has kept them about the same when using the oil life monitor. And that’s where the difference is. You can run a 5.3 down to 0% but I wouldn’t run a 2.7 below 20% Even the older 5.3 in my Avalanche is plenty sufficient for me. I wouldn’t mine the extra litre, but it isn’t necessary.