Drew Dowdell

Bet it started with a 9.

Rather than have a new one of these every month, lets just all pile into this one thread and keep it going. I'll start with a recent RARE spot I made here in Pittsburgh that has gotten super popular on CheersandGears's Facebook Page. I spotted this super rare Saab 9-4x running around Pittsburgh the other day. Built off the same Theta-Premium platform as the 2nd Generation Cadillac SRX, this one seems to be used as a daily driver. It was built in Mexico, and only 814 copies were ever made.

The last few weeks have been awash with reports about huge price increases in the large crossover segment. The 2024 Hyundai Santa will jump over $5,000 on some trims, the 2024 Ford Explorer jumps $4,360, and the sibling to the GMC Acadia, the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse increases, at minimum, $3,580. So it is no real surprise to see a report today from CarsDirect that the order guide is showing some versions of the 2024 GMC Acadia are going up by over $6,600. The GMC, like the Hyundai Santa Fe, likely has the best excuse for such a large price increase, it is sizing up as well. For 2024, the Acadia's wheelbase grows 8.9 inches, overall length grows just over 10 inches, and width and height are both up 4 inches. It is also equipped with a significantly more powerful 2.5 liter turbo 4-cylinder, replacing the aging 3.6-liter V6 and the overworked 2.0 liter base engine. While reports are preliminary, the new starting price of $42,600 is an increase of $5,800, pushing the Acadia base price higher than almost every competitor in the mainstream segment. Only the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Toyota Grand Highlander start higher. The popular AT4 trim, with its rugged good looks and off-road equipment, will start at $50,000, an increase of $6,600. The full-zoot GMC Acadia Denali will set you back $54,300, a $5,700 mark-up, but to be fair, the Denali has dialed up the luxury interior so much, you may feel the price increase is justified. Going with the size increase is a significant tech increase as well. The infotainment system sports a vertically oriented 15-inch diagonal screen with Google built-in, an 11-inch digital gauge cluster, and available SuperCruise. While the GMC Acadia has grown, it has left a gap in the GMC lineup with the next smaller crossover being the compact GMC Terrain. We do expect to see a refreshed GMC Terrain soon following in the tire tracks of the recently released 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, but even with the inevitable price increase for the Terrain, that still leaves a significant gap for GMC to fill. The 2024 GMC Acadia official pricing is due to be released in the near future. View full article

I always liked the way the Ford Edge drove, though the 2.0T could have used more oomph for its size. The interior was the let down for me. It hung onto design elements that way back to the first generation from 2007 and it felt dated.

Yes, that's a spot for the optional wireless phone charger.

Ford unveiled the updated 2025 Ford Explorer today with a simplified engine lineup, trims, and revised exterior and interior. Ford has cut the number of trim options from eight to four, with just the Platinum, ST, ST-Line, and Active trims available. All trims except ST come standard with the 300-horsepower 2.3-liter Ecoboost 4-cylinder mated to a recalibrated 10-speed automatic. Available on the Platinum and standard on the ST is the 400-horsepower 3.0-liter Ecoboost V6. All versions come standard as rear-wheel drive with all-wheel drive optional. The hybrid option was dropped from civilian Explorers after the 2023 model year. Outside, the primary visual difference is an enlarged grille, all-LED headlamp and tail lamp clusters, a front skid plate, and an updated tailgate. Platinum, ST, and ST-Line buyers can select a black-painted roof option. Each trim line will receive a distinct grille. Most of the changes in the 2025 Explorer appear on the inside. A reimagined interior has more soft material in high-touch locations. The large vertically oriented infotainment screen in some 2020-2024 models has been replaced with a more traditional, horizontally mounted unit. The dashboard has been pushed forward to give front-row occupants a more open and spacious cabin. The 2025 Explorer also debuts Ford's new Ford Digital Experience infotainment system. This 5G-enabled system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus has the ability to download select apps from the Google Play Store. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built-in and designed to prioritize voice control over in-vehicle controls such as cabin temperature and entertainment selection. It can also control home automation systems. This new platform allows for over-the-air updates for the first time in Explorer. When parked, Explorer customers can also use YouTube and Prime Video, as well as play select games available on the Google Play store. Surfing the web on the built-in Vivaldi browser app, or Google Chrome coming soon, is made easier with a Bluetooth-connected keyboard. Buyers of ST-Line, ST, and Platinum trim Explorers come equipped with Ford's BlueCruise hardware, enabling hands-free highway driving. Lane Change Assist is included, allowing the driver to pass with the tap of the turn signal when the path is clear. New customers can activate their plan for one year at purchase or select a 90-day free trial. Following the trend of large price jumps in the large crossover market this year (see: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2024 Chevrolet Traverse), the base price of the 2024 Explorer jumps to $41,220, a $4,360 increase over the current model. The 2025 Ford Explorer will be in dealerships in the 2nd quarter this year. View full article

The first year the 1.5T was out it was burning up cylinder heads in the Malibu and Equinox, sometimes requiring complete engine replacement. GM addressed the issue pretty quickly and I think it's been put to bed. Other than that, they are just as needy about on-time oil changes as any small displacement turbo trying to move 3800lbs vehicles, but seem fairly reliable.

It's not really the same class of vehicle. Kia wants to call it a crossover, but its a sporty hatch.

The inline-6 is about smoothness and luxury feel. 280 horsepower is plenty for the class. They feel like butter. No one is counting 0-60 times running to the Real Estate Brokerage and back, but they want the experience to be nice.

Compass sales have cratered because they've jacked the price way up. Pick any options on the base model besides color, and you're instantly catapulted into a Latitude and to about $32k. Another thousand dollars gets you into a vastly superior Honda CR-V EX AWD. The Compass isn't a bad vehicle, but it doesn't have the room or interior to go up against the big players in the segment. They also lease horribly. Who's paying $548 a month for a 48-month lease on a Compass with $3k down? They'll use the poor sales as an excuse to cancel it. An EV replacement for the Cherokee is coming, but it will get a new name and, I'm sure, a hefty new price tag.

No one cares about 0-60 anymore. Fast enough is fast enough. If you want speed, trade in the horse and buggy and get an EV.

I cannot figure out what they are doing with the Wagoneer brand. They make the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer "not Jeep", but style them like Jeeps. Seriously, go to the Jeep page, and Wagoneer is treated as a separate brand. And now the new EV (which looks great) is a Jeep Wagoneer S. So my suspicion is that Jeep has some weird crush on Land Rover / Range Rover, and now we're going to get these weird brand mashups that happened before the JLR consolidation where you'd buy a Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Range Rover Velar, and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

I dunno if I'd call open-pore wood "exciting", but for the price difference between the X3 and what this will likely come in at, I could overlook that anyway. The instrument cluster is fully digital and reconfigurable.

Jeep shared some more details of the upcoming Jeep Wagoneer S today. While it shares its name with the Ram 1500-sized Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, Jeep is billing this new entry to its lineup as a mid-size. Looking roughly similar to the Grand Cherokee in size, the Wagoneer S cuts a more athletic profile. While no performance specs were released with this announcement, Jeep has previously said it is targeting 600 horsepower, a 3.5-second 0-60 time, and up to a 400-mile range. We will have to wait and see if those numbers hold up. The Wagoneer S will maintain some off-road prowess in spite of its city looks with a Selec-Terrain dial to adjust the S for various surface conditions. Standard features will include a dual-pane panoramic sunroof and a McIntosh 19-speaker, premium flagship audio system. Interestingly, as the Jeep Wagoneer S is built on the Stellantis STLA-Large platform, Jeep could also offer this as a gasoline hybrid as well, though no hints of that have been made. The 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S goes into production this summer for a late Fall 2024 launch View full article