We’ve driven the Buick LaCrosse a few times, starting way back in 2009 when it was launched. With the LaCrosse, Buick aimed their sites straight for the likes of Lexus, Acura, and Lincoln. We’ve talked plenty in our last two reviews about the impressiveness of the interior quality for the money and how we think that Buick has made good on their goal. So what’s different about this LaCrosse over others we’ve tested? Something called eAssist.

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The eAssist platform was created to make a more fuel efficient version of the LaCrosse. It uses the hybrid system you would have found in the now dead Saturn Aura Green Line with a few more modern tweaks. The engine is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. This is matched up with a small electric motor that allows this car to enable a start/stop function. This is where the engine shuts down when you are stopped at a stoplight and kicks back on, seamlessly, when you are ready to set off again. Doing this allows the eAssist LaCrosse to post pretty impressive fuel economy numbers. This large, luxury sedan is good for 25-city mpg and 36-highway mpg.

Buick has also thrown in GM’s next-generation six-speed automatic transmission. This is supposed to improve on the old transmission by reducing friction losses and improving shift response. They have also fitted the car with low resistance tires, which are supposed to not sacrifice any grip, unlike the ones you would find on a Prius. The fuel tank has been messed with as well. Instead of the 18.4-gallon tank in the normal LaCrosse, you only get 15.7 gallons. This is said to limit the maximum curb weight of the car. In the front grille, much like the Cruze Eco, you get electronically controlled shutters that help with aerodynamics.

So it’s a hybrid? Who wants to be seen rolling around in a flashy hybrid these days? Well, for us, the cool thing about this car is that you won’t find any indication that this is a hybrid car. Besides the battery that takes up a little room in the trunk and a few “eco” phrases on the dash, your friends will be none the wiser.

All of this sounds impressive, and in the case of saving fuel, it works well. In our week of driving the car all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, we averaged around 34 mpg. My biggest issue with the car is with the start/stop feature. I’ve driven other cars, mostly much more expensive ones, that utilize the start/stop feature, and in the LaCrosse, it was much more jerky then I expected. If you are in heavy traffic or doing a lot of rolling stops and starts, the system doesn’t seem to handle it that well. I also have the same gripe about this car as I did in my last review; the power just isn’t there for such a big heavy car. I know the point of this car isn’t to be powerful, but it really felt to be too down on power. The V6, although nowhere near as fuel efficient, is much easier to drive.

When it comes to price point though, the eAssist LaCrosse is undoubtedly in a class of it’s own. You can pick up a base LaCrosse with eAssist for just under $30,000. To me, that’s an immense bargain for such a large and fuel-efficient car, no matter its powertrain woes.

Even our decked out tester only ran up to just over $36,000. This sticker price included navigation, heated seats, backup camera, side mirrors that slid down when the vehicle is put into reverse, comfortable leather, and a great interior feel. It might be the stereotypical “grandpa” car, but it really is perfect for someone that wants to get around in comfort and class while still being fuel efficient.

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Circuit of the Americas - Austin F1

Formula One is coming to Texas. You may have already heard that after some commercial tussle, the US Grand Prix has found it’s new home at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, with the signing of a ten-year agreement last December between COTA owners and the Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Although F1 has never quite captured the place in the hearts of Americans that it has with people elsewhere, it is nonetheless one of the most popular and well supported forms of motorsports in the world, with races not only in Europe, but throughout Asia and the rest of the Americas.

OK, I know all the NASCAR devotees out there are probably issuing a collective sigh of “big deal”, but let’s just agree that while they are different forms of motorsports, F1 and NASCAR are both high octane enough not to qualify for motor trade insurance, and liking one doesn’t preclude you from also enjoying the other. Just because you play poker every Wednesday evening doesn’t mean you can’t play the blackjack table when you hit the casino.

The Grand Prix in The States

The last Grand Prix race held in the US was in 2007, when it was held on a road circuit built inside the oval of the Indianapolis speedway track. Since then, F1 has been absent from our shores. Steve Sexton, President of COTA, was quoted in USA Today as saying that “Formula one is a strong brand and Mr. Ecclestone negotiates accordingly.” So initially at least; Austin might seem an unlikely venue for an operator like Ecclestone to select to host a Grand Prix event. However, with a metro-area population of more than 1.5 million people, and with Houston, Dallas and San Antonio under three hours away, there should be an ample number of local spectators willing to take the trip to the circuit. Added to that, the decision by the COTA team to invest over $300 million in a purpose built track and facilities no doubt played a major part in bringing the F1 circus to town.

Under Construction

Still under construction, the new purpose built track will consist of a 3.4 mile (5.5 kilometers) circuit suitable for most motorsports and state of the art race facilities for the teams. Like almost all such developments, COTA cannot rely exclusively on revenue from spectators, so additionally there will be a fully equipped medical facility and space for education, business, and entertainment purposes. These will include a conference center, executive meeting rooms, a banqueting hall, and an outdoor music venue. There are also plans to build a plaza event center and tower, and to develop track related activities such as a drivers club, driving experience business, and separate Kart track.

That’s quite a sizable investment. Skeptics will ask if it’s a worthwhile investment, but it’s quite certain that the people at COTA have done their figures. They will be well aware that the average global television audience for an F1 race is in excess of 600 million people, almost twice the current population of the United States, and so financially, the figures should stack up. It will also provide a boost to the economy of Austin in particular, and Texas more widely. An Ernst and Young Report commissioned by the state of Victoria to assess the impact of the 2011 Australian F1 Grand Prix found that the total impact of hosting the event was AUS $42 million, with AUS $15.5 million of that sum coming from overseas. They asserted that if the Grand Prix had been held in another country, the economy would have been poorer to the tune of AUS $25.4 million. They also concluded that the likelihood of overseas spectators returning to visit the state again was 89.1%, and 93.8% would recommend it as a destination to friends and family.

Bringing New Business to Texas

Business wise, it’s a complete “no brainer”; so much so that New Jersey will be hosting a second Grand Prix in the US from 2013 onwards. Yes, but what about the sport I hear you ask. The usual complaint about F1 is that you sit for several hours watching the cars go past your particular spot every few minutes, and that very little ever happens. Well, aficionados would say that sometimes a race is more akin to a game of chess than an out and out speed fest, and would tell you that in recent years, there have been changes made to make the sport less reliant on technology. The FIA, the governing body for the sport, is introducing more changes next season that should help inject more excitement. Some are purely technical, but others such as limiting the race to four hours in total regardless of stoppages, and changes to the restart procedures, should give a greater sense of urgency amongst drivers get to the front. It may be well worth checking out if they’re right, and if you decide, put a note in your diary because the 2012 US Grand Prix will take place at the Circuit of the Americas on November 18th.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ reviewed by txGarage

Driving a big, 3-row SUV is usually a telling sign that the driver has a larger family and needs the extra seating to pack everyone in one vehicle. This isn’t always true in Texas, as you’ll see many people driving Tahoe’s or Expedition’s and never carry more than 3 or 4 people at a time, but this is no Tahoe. The car we are reviewing this week is the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. It’s built as a crossover SUV, and not an all out big SUV built on the frame of a truck.

All this space comes at a price though. The Suzuki XL-7 I owned was loaded with leather seats, a sunroof, a built in DVD player, and more. It cost me $28,000. The Mitsubishi Outlander GT we reviewed was also packed full of goodies, but had a MSRP of just over $32,000. Our fully decked out Traverse will hit your pocketbook at $43,895. That seems like a lot, and quite frankly, it is. You could pick up the GMC Acadia for the same kind of money. To be fair though, the Ford Explorer we reviewed, that was a 3-row and decked out, cost even more! The more cramped Explorer’s MSRP was just over $45,000. So for the size of this thing and the amenities we got, it’s not a horrible price compared to the market.

Even though this was a top of the line Traverse with leather, heated seats, rear DVD entertainment system, navigation, and the works, it never really felt premium. The leather was nice, and better than that which was in the Suzuki XL-7 I owned, but much of the other items in the car seemed to still be lifted straight from the 2007 model. The dash and steering wheel controls were laid out almost the exact same as my 07 Suzuki. I’d have to say that the interior in the $23k Chevrolet Cruze was much nicer and a more premium feel than this almost $44k SUV.

So what about the looks? The Traverse looks pretty good. It looks big, and it is big. It’s got stylish lines and the now unmistakable Chevrolet front grille. But when it comes down to it, it still has a more “mini-van-ish” look. This is a great look for the true “soccer mom” looking to haul her kids back and forth, but as a man, I’d probably look at the GMC Acadia.

We’ve established that I have a big family, and I’m actually in the market for this type of vehicle as I reviewed it, so here are my final thoughts. I do like this SUV; it rides good, it has plenty of room, it’s easy to get in and out of, and even though the interior isn’t as premium as I’d want for the price, it’s something I could easily deal with. After driving this Traverse, it’s helped me move another vehicle up on my list. Not the Traverse, but the GMC Acadia. The Acadia is built on the same platform and has the same seating arrangement and the same quality of interior, but for a man driving an SUV in Texas, I like the looks of the Acadia more.

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The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT reviewed by txGarage

We’ve been looking to get into the Chevrolet Cruze for a full week review for a while now. We’ve actually driven a few different models of the Cruze at some events, but have never had the time to really check out the details. Well, we finally got our hands on one, so what’d we think?

The last two times I was behind the wheel of a Cruze, one was a base and one was an eco model. Both had cloth seats and a lackluster performance. Our tester was a 2012 Cruze 2LT. This afforded us leather seats, navigation, 17” alloy wheels, remote start, and a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine matched up to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This decked out Cruze has a window-sticker of just under $24k (23,980) and is spec’d out the exact way I’d want one if I was dropping the money. But would I drop my own money for this car? Let’s get more into the driving, looks, and feel and find out.

Driving:

You can have the Cruze in a few different engine choices. You can have a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. This combination will be good for 138 horsepower and 125 ft-lbs of torque. If you opt for the 1.8, you’ll be looking at fuel economy numbers around 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. As I said earlier, we had the 1.4 liter turbocharged engine, the same as the Sonic we reviewed last week, that pushes out the same horsepower (138 hp) but ups the torque to 148 ft-lbs. This car is said to get 24 city and 36 highway miles and we easily averaged in the lower 30’s during our week with the car. If you are looking at the Eco model, you get the 1.4 liter engine with a 6-speed manual transmission that should be good for 28 mpg city and a whopping 42 mpg highway.

The extra torque from the small turbocharged engine helped push the small Chevy Sonic out of the corners well, but how did it fair in this heavier family sedan?

Well the power just wasn’t there to make this car feel real sporty or responsive. If you’re going for a fun and sporty ride, you might want to keep the Sonic on your test-drive list. Although it wasn’t as sporty, it was still enough power for trolling around town and merging onto highways. Also, because this is a European car, the handling and steering feel were “bang on”.

Looks:

If you pay attention to the European car market, this look might already be growing old as the Cruze was being sold overseas there a full year before it hit American showroom floors. If you’re seeing one for the first time, it’s intently recognizable as a Chevrolet with it’s big two tier front grille. The headlights and lines down the side give it a swooping and sporty look and the 17” alloys we had continued that theme well.

Unlike the Sonic, the Cruze doesn’t really have any radical styling. It’s more of a basic style that looks good but won’t really put anyone off either. The looks outside and the ride were not really the party piece of this ride though. In our tester, the real surprise is the interior. The leather seats and quality material used is very European like. The interior isn’t just good for its segment, it was even better than some Cadillacs I’ve driven and it’s what stood out to everyone that got into this car.

Feel:

Comparing this car to it’s predecessor, the Cobalt, just isn’t fair. Just like the Sonic we drove last week, it’s not just better than the car that came before, it’s a giant step forward for Chevrolet. You can actually buy a smaller family sedan without sacrificing quality and comfort. Compare that to the competition and there is really only one car that can compete. This Cruze sets it’s sites on the likes of the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus, and the Hyundai Elantra.

I can tell you right now that the interior quality of the Cruze outshines that of the Civic and Corolla easily. It is also a much more enjoyable drive than either while costing less than an equivalent Civic. The Corolla is a little cheaper than the Cruze, but can’t stack up to the options you get. Also, the Corolla only has one engine option, a 1.8, and comes with a 4-speed automatic.

The Elantra is a nice car that has improved in quality over the years. I like the exterior design and what Hyundai is doing with their products. The interior quality is very good as well, but it doesn’t quite hold up to what we got in the Cruze.

The biggest competition for the Cruze is now the Ford Focus. We really like the Focus we reviewed last year, and it was also an all around good car. The interior is nice and put together well, the looks are great, it’s priced well, and it gets good fuel economy. Choosing between these two really comes down to what you personally think looks better. The Focus is probably the better to drive enthusiastically, but the Cruze isn’t bad.

Overall, we’ve been real impressed with the Cruze after our week long test. We’re impressed with the car, but also the attention that GM is giving it’s lineup. The only thing we really see lacking is a real sporty model. In Europe, they race the Cruze in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). I think GM would do good to make an RS model with a powerful 2.0 liter engine that’s not focused on fuel economy. Then enter that car into some racing series within the U.S.; maybe Grand-Am racing against the likes of the Mazda 3, Honda Civic, and Volkswagen Golf.

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2012 Chevrolet Sonic turbo - reviewed by txGarage

First and foremost, let’s do some house cleaning. The Sonic is a replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo. Don’t look on this site for an Aveo review, because there isn’t one. I have driven a few versions of the Aveo. Back when running a small local dealership in Dallas we would stumble across an Aveo or two. This was always a tough sell as there was nothing particularly good about these cars, except maybe it’s price. I could never recommend it to anyone; not as a teenager’s first car or a cheap family car. There were just too many other products you could get that were much better.

Now we have the Sonic and GM says that it’s not really replacing the Aveo because it’s a whole new car. You see the Aveo was a car built by Daewoo and badged in the U.S. as a Chevrolet. The Sonic on the other hand is all Chevy and assembled in Michigan. So did Chevy do it right this time? Can I finally recommend a Chevrolet, compact hatchback, to friends and readers?

Let’s start with the looks. The Sonic’s design was given high priority. With manufactures like Ford and Hyundai making not just good products but great designed compact cars, GM couldn’t afford getting it wrong. They haven’t disappointed either. The design is supposed to inspire sportiness and it’s said to be taken direction from motorcycles. I’ll have to say I really like the headlight and front fascia design. Looking from the side you can tell the car leans aggressively forward. This is no mistake as it’s given two character lines running from wheel to wheel showing off it’s aggressive stance.

Step inside and you’ll notice that this is a budget car. Unlike the Hyundai Veloster that offers a big touchscreen with navigation on even it’s base model, the Sonic doesn’t even offer one on it’s top-of-the-line LTZ trim. No matter though, what you really want to be looking at is the gauge cluster. This is more styling taking from “sport-bikes” with a large tachometer showing your 6500 rpm redline. Beside the large tachometer is every other output displayed onto a LCD display.

The rest of the interior is designed well and you don’t automatically notice its cheapness. There are a lot of plastics used but GM did a good job of breaking up the interior and keeping the driver focused on driving. In our tester we had cloth seats that were comfortable and supportive. There were a few times that I longed for leather/heated seats but after seeing the leather seats in the LTZ trim, I’ll stick with the cloth on this car.

The Sonic comes with two different engine options. You can get a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder that pushes 138 horsepower matched up with either a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. You can also get a 1.4 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine with the same 138 horsepower but torque is bumped from 125 lb-ft to 148. This engine can be matched to a 6-speed auto or a 6-speed manual. Our tester was equipped with the 1.4 turbo and a 6-speed manual, so we’re expecting some fun driving!

Ride:

Driving a car with a turbocharged, small displacement engine is a lot different than what I’m used to. Living in Texas our sports cars are equipped with big V8’s or V6’s with lots of low down power. The Sonic’s 1.4 turbo doesn’t have that kind of lowdown power on tap. Cruising down the highway in 6th gear at 70 mph is smooth and fine, but what if someone pulls out in front of you and you need to slow down a little. Slow from 70 to 55 mph and then put the peddle to the floor and you get nothing. No power. Drop a gear to 5th and you get the same result, now people behind you are getting frustrated. Drop it another gear and finally that turbo is spoiling and you can use that 138 hp. It’s the same story around town. Corners I’d normally take in 3rd gear in my car require 2nd in the Sonic.

You might be thinking that this is a slow and un-fun car to drive then. Well you’d be wrong. You just need to adjust your driving style to get the most power of the small engine. Keep the rpm’s above 2500 or 3000 and you’re good. Keep them at the top of 5000 rpm and you’re having a blast! I know 138 horsepower isn’t that much but the suspension and the chassis are tuned for cornering. You can toss this car into corners at speed and you don’t get wobbling body roll. You get decent grip and balanced, level cornering. The steering has good feel as well so it’s easy to predict the amount of lock needed to attack a corner. This would be a great weekend time-attack car.

Economy:

This is a small hatchback and many will buy it not just for the price or utility but also for its economy. Our tester with the 1.4 turbo engine and 6-speed manual transmission is ratted at 40 mpg highway and 29 mpg in the city. Overall, with our fun spirited driving style, we averaged 32.8 mpg.

The Sonic is light and small but feels more spacious inside. I can easily get out of the driver seat and sit in the back without having to adjust the seat and I’m 6’ 1”. The hatch has decent space too and it helps that the seats fold down. The biggest thing that bothered me was the size of the fuel tank. Although you get great fuel economy the tank is so small you’ll be filling up ever few days if you drive a decent amount a day.

Comparison:

So the Sonic is giant leap above the outgoing Aveo and that’s great for GM, but how does it stack up to all the great compact hatches in the American market today? We really like the new Ford Fiesta and the hot new Hyundai Veloster. Not just that but the Mazda 2, Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent are all decent cars.

I think the Sonic can be thrown right up there with in the top 3. It’s got good looks, a good engine, and it’s great to drive. This could easily be a weekend time-attack car and still produce good economy on day-to-day runs. My only slight reservation is on the price. When you’re comparing it to the likes of the Fiesta and the Veloster it’s priced similarly, but offers a little less as far as standard equipment. When you start looking at some of the others though, like the Mazda 2, you can find an economical and fun car for a lot cheaper.

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Team Hall n' Nass on the Bullrun Rally 2011

Berry Lowman – a good friend and fellow Texas car enthusiast – with Team Hall n’ Nass and Motorama Live had the opportunity to join in the Bullrun Rally last year and he got some pretty good video of some of the craziness that goes on.

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It’s a new year and here at txGarage we’ve got a new look, a new logo, lots of new reviews coming your way and a new website!

-We are all real executed for all the changes and updates and it’s thanks to the support of all of you guys who watch our videos and read our reviews.

-We’re already kicking off the year well and this month we’ll be bringing you reviews of the 2012 chevy Sonic Turbo and the 2012 Chevy Cruze. Plus we’ll be heading to Houston for the firs big auto show in Texas for 2012. We’ll be tweeting and updating our social pages so make sure to follow us on twitter @txgarage and like us on Facebook. We’re even on Google+.

-Also please subscribe to us on YouTube! We’re looking to post up lots of cool videos this year and the more subscribers we get, the better!

txGarage 2012 Detroit Auto Show Roundup NAIAS

We didn’t make it to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last week, but we can still jump on the bandwagon and tell you what we thought. There were lots of cars revealed in Detroit, and even if we could post about all of them, you would never read it all. So we are narrowing it down to what we thought were the biggest surprises, biggest successes, what we’re most looking forward to driving, and maybe throw in some fails.

Check out our next 4 posts that outline our thoughts on the NAIAS.

• biggest surprises
• biggest successes
• most looking forward to driving
• some fails

2013 Ford Fusion at the Detroit Auto Show - NAIAS

Coming into the NAIAS, like most people, we were not expecting too much, and for sure not too much that we haven’t already seen spy shots of on the interwebs. That was true for most cars, but there were a few really good surprises.

2013 Ford Fusion:
I did hear that Ford would be bringing the new Fusion to the Detroit Auto Show, and was looking forward to a boring redesign that added accent lines and changed the headlight and taillight design a little. The Fusion is a decent car and last year was one of the best selling years for the Fusion, so why would they bother to change it that much?

Oh, how naive I am. The new Fusion is a complete redesign that merges their European design language into the family sedan. I personally think it looks great for a non-premium mid-sized sedan. It has an Audi-ish profile, a European Ford Mondeo rear, and an almost Aston Martin like front fascia.

It’s not just the looks, but this new Fusion will be offered in many models. Ford will let you chose from a plug-in hybrid, an eco-model achieving 47-mpg, and the standard. The standard car will offer a choice of powertrains starting with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder pushing 170 hp and 170 ft-lbs of torque. You can also choose from 2 different EcoBoost engines including the 1.6 EcoBoost with 179 hp and 172 ft-lbs of torque and the 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 237 hp and 250 ft-bls of torque. No word on manual or auto transmissions as of yet, but I can say I’m really looking forward to testing out this new ride!

The Chevrolet Code 130R and Tru 140S Concepts:

Chevrolet introduced two concept coupes at the 2012 North American International Auto Show aimed at inspiring next-generation buyers to take the wheel and suggest ideas for a car they can co-create.

These two concepts have been talked about a lot this past week after the reveal at NAIAS, but we had no hit of these before hand. Chevrolet knows they need to focus on the youth market, and what’s more youthful than small and sporty coupes?

The Code 130R, which is a name that confuses us all, is a rear-wheel-drive, small coupe that could take on the likes of the new Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The styling is a little quirky, but you can see the Chevrolet heritage bulging out and it’s even sporting some Corvette “cross-flag” emblems on the fenders. Under the hood look for a turbo’d 1.4 liter engine pushing 150 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque matched up to either a 6-speed auto or 6-speed manual transmission.

Personally, I think GM needs this car. Not just Chevrolet, but even as a sleek Buick. I hope they continue to develop on this platform, but take more styling cues from the Tru 140S.

So what is the Tru 140S? Another confusing name fore sure. Unlike the 130R, the 140S is a front-wheel-drive coupe design. It’s said to have the same engine and transmission setup as the 130R. I’ve heard this design being compared to an Eclipse and I think that fits well, but I’d really like to see this in a RWD platform. The design is really stunning and would make some waves for sure in the compact coupe market.