chrysler

Why Did Honda Put a Vacuum in the Odyssey Instead of a Diesel Engine?

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Suffice to say, I don’t usually sit back, watch the press releases roll over the wire and shovel out posts. But when I saw that Honda was showing an integrated vacuum cleaner in the new 2014 Odyssey at a New York Auto Show media preview, I got a bit steamed. Not to suggest that they should have added a steamer as well (who wants to arrive at their destination covered in crumbs and wrinkles), but it all seems a bit supliferous, considering the shape we’re in (lay off the out of shape jokes, kids). It’s just hard to understand why Honda continues to withhold their excellent clean diesel engines from America, knowing that they could provide a thirty percent improvement in fuel economy.

Would an integrated vacuum cleaner convince Mom that she had to have the Odyssey over the Town and Country?

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How Many Times Has Bruce Springsteen Mentioned Car Brands in His Songs?

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While it’s slow going, the revival of the American economy can be clearly linked to the renewed strength of our domestic automobile industry. At a rally yesterday at Cuyahoga County Community College in Ohio supporting President Obama, Bruce Springsteen gave thanks that General Motors is still making cars, remarking ”What else would I write about?”

That quote got me thinking about the wealth of automotive imagery in Bruce’s songs over the years, dating all the way back to his very first album, Greetings From Asbury Park. There’s The Angel’s mention of VW – “The interstate’s choked with nomadic hordes in Volkswagen vans with full running boards dragging great anchors,” and the pure American brother in Lost in the Flood, “dull-eyed and empty-faced, race(ing) Sundays in Jersey in a Chevy stock super eight.”

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2010 Chrysler 300C AWD Review

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MPG-o-Matic 2010 Chrysler 300C AWD Review Summary: If you need to transport your entourage with a high level of comfort in distinctive style and under adverse weather conditions, the 2010 Chrysler 300C AWD presents an intriguing alternative to a conventional SUV or crossover. The 300C AWD’s powerful 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine uses Multi-Displacement technology to shut off half its cylinders to conserve fuel under light loads, for a stated fuel economy increase of up to 20 percent.

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Chrysler 300 Gas Mileage

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Reintroduced with great fanfare as a 2005 model, the venerable Chrysler 300 continues to roll in style. Available with a range of engines and in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, the domestically-available 2012 Chrysler 300’s best gas mileage results come with the the new Pentastar V6 engine achieving a highway rating of 31 miles per gallon (MPG) in rear-wheel-drive form. On the flip side of the coin, the thirsty Hemi-powered 300/SRT-8’s gas mileage earns it an official status of gas guzzler (complete with federal tax).

A highly fuel-efficient version of the 300 is available in Europe, equipped with a Mercedes-Benz 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 engine. While Jeep sold the Grand Cherokee CRD with the same engine here in the States for a brief time, Chrysler has never sold a diesel-engined Chrysler 300 domestically. This is truly unfortunate, as the turbo-diesel 300 is capable of highway mileage in the mid-thirties, with an abundance of torque.

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Chevy Volt & Dodge EV on Capitol Hill

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When I woke up too late to catch the first session on the last day of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) conference in Washington DC yesterday, I decided to play the hand that I was dealt. After checking out of my hotel, I headed over to the show hall with the hopes of being able to catch some of the Senate testimony on a large screen, before the second session.

Not finding the elusive big screen, I trekked down to the show floor only to find an empty space where the Chevy Volt prototype had sat the previous day. With the coffee kicking in, I recalled an email tip. The Volt was over on Capitol Hill, waiting for the cameras and throngs.

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