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With all of the hoopla surrounding the Lane Bryant Lingerie commercial there couldn’t be a better time to talk about the 2010 Chrysler 300C. Yes, the 300C is the plus-size beauty queen. Rubenesque in shape and full of cushion, this car is built for comfort. And after weeks in smaller offerings from different manufactures’, I can tell you comfort is not overrated.

Cars like the Corvette make you feel like you’re placed in the cockpit of a fighter jet. And for the record that’s the coolest feeling in the world. But, if you’re over forty and led any kind of active life, you’ll get tired of climbing into the cockpit soon enough. That’s the beauty of the 300C. Sure the styling is a bit dated. A complete re-styling is expected for 2011. But it’s not all about style…always. Sometimes it’s about ease of use and relaxation. Let’s face it every car can’t make you feel like Jimmy Johnson. But the 300C can make you feel like Rick Hendricks’s personal driver. That’s what I felt like when I drove the 300C, a professional chauffeur.

Whether it was a trip to the youth soccer fields or moving friends from one watering hole to the next, the 300C offered more peaceful moments than a retirement home quilting session. The 300C is equally comfortable in the city or on the open road. The suspension puts comfort ahead of performance. However, that’s not to say the 300C doesn’t handle well. For a car of this size it handles very well. I tried to push the 300C a little and found it was not terribly far removed from the SRT-8 stuff. Body roll was minor for a larger car, and the seats offered more than enough support in tight corners. Obviously no one buying the 300C is expecting to even attempt anything that produces body roll but, it’s nice to know if you need the car to handle well in adverse conditions it will.

I took the 300C on several trips around East Texas and the most surprising thing I encountered was the fuel mileage. In Fuel Saver Mode this portly ride achieved close to thirty miles per gallon. That’s with the Hemi. The stated numbers are 17/25mpg but I managed to coax a bit more out of the girl by just keeping my foot out of the power band and frequent use of cruise control. It was easy to relax and enjoy the ride with the 276 watt stereo and six Boston Acoustics speakers keeping the dull noise of the passing tea party rallies beyond my hearing range. Thank you for that Chrysler.
Now for the price, starting at $38,760.00 the Chrysler 300C will price some out of the market. There are just so many choices around the forty grand mark. Competition is tough but so is the brawny 300C and if you’re in the market for a large, soft, and loveable car the 300C is just right for your plus-size taste.

Listen to the 2010 Corvette Grand Sport Review
Why didn’t Tiger just go buy a Grand sport? Seriously, do you have any idea how much of our time and his lifestyle could have been saved if he just would’ve elected to turn into car buff instead of a well…caged tiger. And Jesse, really Jesse, you are a car guy. You possess some of the nastiest rides out there. Don’t you think a ride in a Grand Sport would have put a ride with “Bombshell McGee to shame? I have to mention the paint job on the Grand Sport just puts the ink on Ms. McGee to shame. Plus, a new Grand Sport just has to have less miles than the Bombshell herself.

Now, I know I can’t compare flesh to fiberglass but just suspend reality for a moment. There were people fighting over the opportunity to spend serious seat time in the all-new 2010 Corvette Grand Sport. Grown men, ex racers, dealership owners, crazy automotive techs, all of whom are automotive experts in one capacity or another wanted to spend un-interrupted time with my new girlfriend…ah, Corvette.

When your butt hits the seat in the Grand Sport all other interests take a back seat. Well actually, there is no backseat. Look at it as suspensional therapy. The Grand Sport’s suspension is everything in this car. The power-maker is the same LS-3 in the base Vette with some additional flow which increases horsepower and torque numbers slightly (436 HP). Most of this is due to the two-mode exhaust flaps that allow the beast to breathe better at wide open throttle. It sounds great too.

But, here’s the deal, the Grand Sport gives enthusiast what they need, more grip. After all, I’ve never gotten out of a Corvette and said, “this thing needs more power”. However, many times I’ve wished for a bit more grip. The grand Sport has better grip on the road than any of Tiger’s chicks had on his…cell phone. Without grip, power is wasted. Wasted power equals lost potential. Lost potential equals Bombshell McGee. Man, I could go all day with this stuff. The Grand Sport can pull .98g’s in the corners and can brake from 60-0 mph in 110 feet. And it’s not just the stopping that’s impressive. Anyone who races from stop light to stop light or down the quarter mile track knows “Spinin’ ain’t winin’”. What good is a thousand horsepower if you can’t hook it up? The Grand Sport takes care of this worry with three suspension options from street mode to track mode one and two, two being the stiffest.

Here is the genius of The Chevy Guys. Most of us can’t handle a Corvette ZR1, in any capacity. The price tag of $100,000.00 or the monster power (600+ Hp). The Grand Sport offers for the first time, a great balance between the base Corvette and the ridiculous, but coveted ZR1 and the somewhat less crazy and still coveted Z06. You can actually enjoy the grand Sport, putting your foot in it knowing you’re in control. It’s the best feeling in the world to have total control. Just ask Tiger.

All jokes aside. This car effected me like no other car I’ve tested to date. Just pure performance, sexy lines and an interior that makes you feel encapsulated in a controlled anger management class.

So, it’s your choice. You can give away half your fortune to have a few dates with the Tiger’s den divas or Bombshell McGee, or you can separate yourself from $55,750.00 for the Corvette Grand Sport. Wait, that is half my fortune. Oh well, at least I can take the Grand Sport home.
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Listen to the Review – 2010 Acadia

When it comes to moving a family, Crossovers offer the most comfortable stable ride. Look at any of the offerings from any of the manufactures. Almost all of them offer some form of a crossover.

As far as I’m concerned, a crossover is a higher, more flexible vehicle than the standard four-door sedan. For instance, maybe you are a parent who wants to take the family camping. A crossover is great for that. No, they’re not nearly as tough as a truck or even some SUV’s. Fact is, unless you order all-wheel drive, you can’t go anywhere an SUV can. The biggest advantage the crossover has over a car off-road is that you can drive it through a grass field without fear of your catalytic converter starting a fire. The extra ground clearance is also crucial on washed-out dirt roads.

Here’s the charm to the crossover. Most crossovers handle as well as sedans. The interior room is ample and there is more room for storage. Both of these things are extremely important to families.

I meet an old friend in Dallas some time ago and his wife asked what kind of car she should purchase. I asked her about their family’s needs and came to the conclusion that a Crossover was the way to go. So far the only cars to grab her attention have been Crossovers.

Enter the 2010 GMC Acadia. The complete family car, err…crossover. With blockish good looks and an interior that is softer and roomier than a bouncy house, the Acadia is at home in a pasture or pulling up to your favorite chop house, sans the ozone killing bovine waste, of course.

The Acadia that was delivered this week was the “old lady” red that automakers seem to think everyone loves. Truth is, most people do like this color. It’s the most non-offensive color since light blue. It’s not an attention getter, but neither are you in a crossover. Crossovers tend to resemble one another at first glance. That’s why I concentrate on the interior, where my family and I will be spending the lion’s share of our time.

The interior of the Acadia is plush. The SLT1 option offers anything and everything you could want. A perfectly quiet ride, Roger Clements quiet. The seats offer the driver and passenger’s heat and support where you need it most. The audio controls on the steering wheel actually make sense. Bose takes care of the sound system, which makes long trips seem easier and commutes seem less stressful. And speaking of commutes, the power-plant is a 3.6 SIDI V-6 putting down 288HP and 270lbft of torque. That’s enough power to get you from A to B quickly. The only power drawback is the overabundance of torque-steer. That’s one thing that continues to amaze me. Why can’t someone figure out how to improve this problem?

Fuel mileage is a respectable 17/24 for the FWD and 16/23 for the AWD. Here’s my advice, if you can afford it, get the AWD. It feels more stable than a fifty year marriage. And since East Texas now boast the possibility of 6-10 inches of snow, maybe now you could make the argument to the wife that you may need AWD at least once in the lifetime of the car.

That’s it. I loved driving the 2010 GMC Acadia. Not crazy about the styling but, again, no crossover stands out in the crowd if you ask me.

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Bigger is better, right? Just ask Bob. Seems to me everything gets bigger with each passing year. Ears, nose, knuckles, and prostates enlarge and become more noticeable. Well, it seems the automakers grow their trucks in size each year also. Take the all-new 2010 Dodge Ram 2500Mega-Cab 4X4 6.7 liter Laramie pickup. Hell, even the name is big.

In the space below I’ll cover just how useful size is…to the best of my ability. You see, I’m not exactly a size king when it comes to trucks. I like to be able to park them in the tight spaces afforded to you at local watering holes. I like to enter the truck without having to grab onto something. I like to not look like tattoo jumping down from the dinner table when I arrive at my destination. All of these tasks are difficult for me in the new BIG Dodge. You see I’m a man of average size, well, for someone born in the late sixties anyway. It seems people, like trucks, get bigger each year. If only people could improve themselves as well as the automakers improve their cars we could actually send some bright people to Washington someday.

The amazing thing to me is how nice the living room, err…the cab is. Absolute luxury. Plush leather, electric everything…everything, the best sound system and every conceivable work assist gadget you could hope for. There is even a button for hauling “small loads”. Are you kidding me? A truck so powerful you need to push a button to tone it down a bit to haul a motorcycle or, bar-b-que pit. Sounds like a hard worker indeed. And there’s the key to the all new torque monster hauler. It can pull anything. Well, anything just shy of twenty thousand pounds! I wonder how much a house weighs?

Here’s how the Dodge boys “pulled” this off. They gave this tyrannosaurus rex of trucks 650lbft of torque. No, you can’t imagine it. You’ve got to experience it. You can even stuff five thousand pounds into the bed. The new motor is designed to meet 2010’s more stringent emissions standards. The new 6.7 liter emits 30 percent less emissions than in 2006. Dodge even included an exhaust brake. Fine with me, I’ll always take more braking help in stopping a beast towing twenty thousand pounds (with a fifth wheel).

Although the truck is larger than Rush Limbaugh’s ego, it drives as easy as my family sedan. It’s just amazing how in control you feel with a big truck and an engine brake.

Even though Dodge still hasn’t called me for input on their new vehicle line up…waiting, I have a suggestion. I would love to see a mega-cab Dakota. Dodge is killing the Dakota soon and it’s a shame. There are a lot of us out there who love the act of riding around in a truck with such a spacious, leathered-up, sound proofed interior. We just want to be able to park it when we arrive.

So here’s the deal, you boys and girls who need size (payload) and want to bathe in leather appointed luxury while towing well, the all new 2010 Dodge Laramie Mega-Cab 4X4 is just the right size for you. I bet you’ll be the best looking fifth wheel driver on the Ponderosa.

Jump over to Allen Samuel’s East Texas Dodge today and see one for yourself.

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Can you define “fun to drive”? I can. It’s a driving experience that involves most of your senses but not all of your attention. Very fast cars are enjoyable and exciting, However, at times, they require more attention than the average bear intends to give to the driving experience. At any moment, under WOT (wide open throttle), a very fast car can go sideways into a curb or offer too much power for most drivers to control. This usually results in mechanical and body repairs. Check out how many rear-wheel drive muscle cars wind up with broken wheels from inexperienced drivers going a little too nuts.
There should be at all times a heavy supply of “trainer” cars for the speed enthusiasts. Cars that are quick and fun but very manageable under hard acceleration or cornering are a blast to drive. I’ve said for years now on the show that I feel if you purchase a car that weighs under 3500lbs. and has more than 400 bhp you should be required to attend a training course or driving school. There is just too much power for most people to control in a Mustang GT500, Chevrolet Camaro Z28, or any Viper or SRT product for most people to manage responsibly.
Enter the all new Camaro RS with a 305hp V-6 and equipped for the first time in years with a six-speed transmission. I fell in love with this car. I actually prefer it to the SS with the nasty V-8 under the hood. If you listen to the show or read this blog, you know I appreciate performance in many differ forms. The Camaro RS six-speed is in the top three of fun to drive cars on my list. Subaru STI, Saturn Redline and the RS. Those are my three. They all share completely different drive trains and offer driver feedback that is more varied than Tiger’s mistresses. In the end game, however, they are all easy to re-gain control once you’ve made a bad driving decision.
At this year’s Crisis Center Show, the RS was placed near an SS that was the same very attractive “Inferno Orange” with SS striping and twenty-inch wheels. There is almost no difference in appearance in the two. So, you would still get all of the looks going down the road. It just cost you about ten grand less for the RS. That’s ten grand a person could use for college or an aftermarket turbo system.
The 2010 Camaro RS also boasts almost 30mpg on the highway. With the six-speed, the engine purrs around 1800rpm at 70mph. That’s an extremely easy gait.
Here are my gripes. The dash still looks goofy to me. I’m just not a fan of the instrument cluster’s retro look or those way oversized climate control buttons in the center of the dash. Looks like Pamela Anderson is sitting on the console. But, that’s it. I love every other thing about the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS-LT six-speed.
An exhilarating ride that keeps your heart beating responsibly, the all new RS-LT can be had for a song, if that song starts out at $24,000.00. I’m not sure there is a better “performance value” out there.
Visit the Peltier Showroom today and test drive one for yourself. Just don’t curb it!