Drew Dowdell

After the sudden departure of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares on December 1st, Stellantis brands are making quick work of reversing some of the embattled CEO's decisions. One such decision was the removal of the 8-Speed Torqueflite automatic transmission from V6 powered Wranglers for the 2025 model year making the manual transmission the only option for buyers wanting the V6. Those needing an automatic could only choose the 4-cylinder turbo, the 4xe Plug-in Hybrid, or the final year offering of the V8 powered Rubicon 392 Final Edition.  Due to enthusiast and dealer outcry, on December 18th, Jeep announced that the 8-speed automatic would be rejoining the options sheet when paired with a V6 for $4,500, the same up-charge as in 2024. According to one report from CNBC, Tavares was the sole reason Stellantis also canceled the Hemi V8 across the board. View full article

Doing what it's built to do. Chew up interstate.

I have an older HP that has been my workhorse since 2016. It technically didn't meet the requirements because it was an older generation intel, but just on the cusp. It still has TPM 2.0 and must have been one of the transitional machines with that generation of processor to get it. I used one of the registry hacks to install Win 11 a few months ago and it works great. It's no longer powerful enough to play games, but it's a great, lightweight business machine for the web and e-mail. I have my newer Alienware laptop for the more powerful needs, but even though it is the same screen size, it's too big to lug around at car shows and such. The HP is perfect for that.

Beautiful and of course the boxer engine is sublime for those of us who like low-end torque.

And I failed 😞 I need brakes at all four corners. I thought I had "just done them" but when I looked at my records, the fronts were done 35k miles ago and the rears 20k miles ago.... so yeah, I guess that's right. Funny how time flies. Got a full set of Bosch ceramic pads and rotors for like $300 on Amazon https://amzn.to/4g3srb9 https://amzn.to/3ZcIJHy https://amzn.to/41o4veh https://amzn.to/3Zn3sIQ The last time I went with AC Delco Pro from Rock Auto, but I was never happy with the front rotors, and in 35k miles they were all toast. I should have gotten at least one pad change before needing to replace the rotors. The rears are really badly corroded a while ago but are officially out of spec at 20k miles.

I don't think so. Who replaces him when the old man croaks, quite possible in the next 4 years by his own poor health? His VP doesn't have anywhere near the charisma or cult following. In 4 years or less, MAGA gets fractured because their leader will be no more either constitutionally or physically.

I"m getting the Avalanche inspected today at the dealer where @HoLottaBuicks works and he let me test drive the Denali EV on a short jaunt. I came away very impressed... as I should since the sticker is $102k. But beyond all the stats we know of about the EV drivetrain, the interior was very nicely made with nice materials and finishes. The exception being parts of the door panels felt a bit plasticy. It rides like a luxury sedan, though I didn't put it into sport mode or anything to see if the suspension firms up. I would need more time to explore the screens. It's a bit hard to navigate the main screen because a lot of the icons are the same color, so you have to actually read what the app does. The back seat is much roomier than my truck. I still object to having to buy a separate data plan just to use the apps I already use on my phone. Overall it is a great truck, but $102k is a bit steep.

Just 4" shorter than a new Traverse, yet the interior legroom and cargo room looks to be the same.

A weird enough interior that it might appeal to Tesla enthusiasts who can no longer stomach buying from Elon. I don't think I'm a fan, I like the EV9 better.

Not handsome, not ugly. Perfectly fine little boxes that Americans should love. They don't move the needle much but should be good for people who want a CR-V but don't like that Honda doesn't really negotiate on them.