Merry Christmas! Look at what I saw today: Anyone looking for a baby Jeep? It doesn’t look (too) out of place next to these larger cars I guess at this dealer... Lol! Hey, a sale is a sale.
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Friday, December 23, 2022
Wasp Spray: Say Goodbye to the Kia Stinger After 2023
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| The Kia Stinger was introduced for the 2018 model year. 2023 will be its last. |
It’s been rumored for some time, but now the inevitable is confirmed and the 'sedanapocalypse' rolls on.
The Kia Stinger is no more after the 2023 model year - its sales have always been lukewarm, but Kia's new EV6 and other popular SUV options likely put the nail in the coffin more than this car having a "Kia" badge on the front did. Still, the Kia Stinger has been a really key model for brand in their quest to turn around their market image since it was introduced for the 2018 model year. The Stinger is positioned as a sporty, upscale, entry-level luxury sedan competitor to the likes of the BMW 3 and 4-series, Audi A4 and A5 Sportback, Volkswagen Arteon and the Cadillac CT5. I’ve also seen some people cross-shop the Stinger with the Dodge Charger, ironically. Its sibling vehicle is the Genesis G70 and it will live on.
To commemorate the Stinger, Kia will release the “Stinger Tribute Edition”, which will feature special interior and black exterior treatments. Only 1,000 units of these special edition Stingers will be built for the GLOBAL market, making it all the more exclusive. Only the 3.3TT V6 with 368 HP will be offered in the Tribute Edition and two colors will be offered – Ascot Green and a new hue called Moonscape matte grey. For the interior, the Stinger’s dashboard and door trim has new carbon-fiber accents and a Terracotta-colored leather seat is standard. On the seats, you will find a new wasp-shaped logo, meant to go hand-in-hand with the “Stinger” name.
Are you sad to see the Stinger go? I have put the link to Kia’s press release on the Stinger Tribute Edition below. I’ll be honest: The Stinger has personally never been my favorite Kia model – that honor belongs to the Optima/K5. But I’ve had several chances to get up close and personal with the Stinger during its run, since I worked in product planning at Hyundai/Kia during its development. I had a chance to drive the Stinger at SEMA 2017 around a quick test track and found it to be quick, but handling was a little ungainly for a ”sports car”. The interior is also more cramped than I expected for such a large car, but with the 3.3TT engine, the Stinger is fast and the Brembo brakes do their job to stop the car effectively. The Stinger rides smoothly due to its long wheelbase, as I learned riding in by boss’ Stinger to lunch, and it also can be a drift machine. I will upload videos soon to YouTube highlighting my experiences with the Stinger and in the drift event that was held at SEMA 2017 as well. (Check back for links soon)
Pour one out for the Stinger! While it might not have *personally* lit my soul on fire, it holds a special place in performance car history and in the evolving identity of modern Kia – which now has no “luxury” sedans left in the U.S. market with the pending demise of the Stinger. The Cadenza and K900 exited the U.S. market a couple years back with no replacements introduced here (Korea got the new K8 and a facelifted K9, however). If you still desire a high-performance Kia, they will still gladly sell you a K5 GT or a new EV6 GT as well – the latter of which essentially takes over the Kia performance crown.
Official Kia Press Release: https://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/media/pressreleases/19754/exclusive-stinger-tribute-edition-celebrates-kias-high-performance-vision
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Monday, December 19, 2022
2013 Buick Regal Taillight Change Video and Other YouTube Videos
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| Note: We no longer have this car. It was traded on my 2022 Kia K5 AWD. |
I have uploaded several new videos on YouTube: a video of a walkaround of the Cadillac Lyriq and a Lyriq short, a short doing winter snow drifts and backroad driving in my Oldsmobile Bravada, and also a video explaining how to change the rear taillights on a 2011-2017 Buick Regal Turbo. The process to change the taillight was easy, as you only have to pull back some sound deadening materials in the trunk behind the light and unscrew a clamp. This process is also similar for the 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne as well - another car which both my mother and grandparents also had.
As for the winter powerslides and drifts, just remember when you do them to avoid being in high traffic areas so you don't hurt anybody else and also that you come off the gas in enough tine in your drift to regain control and slide into your next turn.
Below are the links to the videos. Remember to like, comment and subscribe! Thanks as always!
Buick Regal Taillight Change Video: https://youtu.be/GgBBIfDTvGU
Cadillac Lyriq Walkaround Video: https://youtu.be/ueTJodLn7Ps
Adam's Autos on YouTube general link: https://www.youtube.com/@AdamRichardsonAdamsAutosBlog/videos
Adam's Autos YouTube Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@AdamRichardsonAdamsAutosBlog/shorts
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
2023/2024 Cadillac Lyriq Overview and Walkaround
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| The Lyriq is an important model for GM and Cadillac, as its one of the first to ride on the Ultium platform, which will underpin all future GM EVs. I recently had a chance to view the Lyriq up close at my local Cadillac dealer. |
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| Love these rims! |
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| Lyriq's interior is very luxurious! |
I uploaded a YouTube short and video of me doing a walkaround at the dealer of the Lyriq, a product analysis video, and I have also uploaded pictures of the Ultium battery stacks from the 2021 Motor Bella auto show and of the Lyriq from the 2022 Detroit Auto Show. If you are interested in seeing these, the link to the Adam’s Autos YouTube page is below. And don’t forget – Cadillac has also recently shown their flagship Rolls-Royce sedan EV competitor, the Celestiq, as well. It will have a base price of $300,000 and will be hand-built! The Lyriq, however, starts at $62,990 and under new guidelines from the Inflation Reduction Act, it should qualify for at least a portion of federal EV incentives since its built in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Lyriq YouTube video: https://youtu.be/ueTJodLn7Ps
The cell packs in the Ultium platform are arranged differently for various configurations of vehicles. Large vehicles, such as the GMC HUMMER EV, are double stacked (second picture). In the Lyriq, there will be a single stack of Ultium cells. Ultium Cells LLC is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions.
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| Do you think that the Lyriq will be the XT5's replacement? This SUV has been around for 7 model years now. |
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, December 17, 2022
2024 Ford Mustang Power Figures and Changes
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| The 2024 Mustang is a tribute to both tech and old school power at the same time. |
We still don’t know pricing, but power figures for the 2024 Mustang have been released. The EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine will make 315 HP and 350 lb.-ft. of torque paired exclusively to a 10-speed automatic transmission – it features a new fuel delivery system and an updated turbocharger. The Coyote 5.0L V8 will produce between 480 HP and 500 HP – the 500 HP rating is reserved for the Dark Horse model, which is more performance-oriented than other Mustang offerings. The updated 5.0L V8 features dual throttle bodies and dual air intakes among other enhancements. On the GT trim, a six-speed manual transmission is standard, and the 10-speed automatic will be optional. Both engines make more power than previous versions (5 more horsepower for the EcoBoost, and between 30 and 50 more horsepower for the GT, depending on how your Mustang is configured).
First unveiled at the 2022 Detroit Auto Show, other changes for the seventh generation Mustang include more aggressive, yet aerodynamic body work on the outside with shorter overhangs, a more driver-focused interior with digital displays and a 13.2-inch touchscreen with over-the-air (OTA) updates, and a new feature called “Remote Rev” on models with the active exhaust system. Remote Rev allows the owner to remotely rev up the Mustang using their key fob. The steering system has also been revised and the new Mustang has updated spring rates and shocks for performance driving scenarios.
Overall, the 2024 Mustang is sounding like a real stallion! Do you like it? Get your horses ready for some more pony power from Ford.
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Friday, December 16, 2022
Goodbye to the BMW Alpina B7
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| The 2022 BMW Alpina B7 |
An all-new BMW 7-Series has been released for the 2023 model year. But the Alpina B7 won’t come back for this generation. Its worth noting, however, that BMW is planning its own high performance 7-Series. The plug-in hybrid 7-Series and i7 M70 EV both have impressive power numbers – 563 HP and 600+ HP respectively.
Will you miss the B7? I would love to have a B8 personally. I’ve always loved the performance and luxury of the Alpina lines. The first Alpina B7 was released in 2001. Future Alpinas will be built in BMW factories.
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| This is the new electric 2023 BMW i7, and its reported that there will be an M-performance version of this - essentially making a new Alpina B7 a little obsolete. At least the Alpina B8 still exists. |
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
YouTube Metrics - Thanks for the Continued Support! #Growth
I wanted to take a moment to share some 2022 viewer data metrics gathered from my YouTube this year. I appreciate the support and comments! Stay tuned for more posts both on the Adam's Autos website and YouTube pages - its onward an upward from here.
Like, comment and subscribe! Roll on!
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Know a Good Deal vs. a Bad One!
Below, we have an example of what is a not a good deal on a nice old car. There is no way this 1998 Chevy Malibu with 87,000 miles, as clean as it looks (and I LOVE a well maintained older car) should cost $6,500! We had a 2005 Malibu Classic and it was a very "meh" vehicle at best. I always recommend researching prices and interest rates before you go to purchase ANY vehicle so you don't get ripped off.
For comparison sake: I paid less than this for my 2004 Bravada a few years back, and it had similar mileage on it at the time.
Scroll down to see more of my thoughts I wrote on this.
My Olds Bravada for $3,700 when it only had 88,000 miles on it was a far better deal. Research Kelley Blue Book (KBB) values before you purchase a vehicle as well so you know if you're buying it for far more than its worth, as well as a glimpse at what average prices and resale values are. And remember: in today’s increasingly virtual world, nothing is a full replacement for a test drive and getting an in-person understanding for the vehicle yourself!
Do also note that if you plan to keep and fix up the car for a longer period of time, like I tend to do, then its less of a big deal what the resale value is. Especially if its a significantly older car.
KBB Website: https://www.kbb.com/
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Monday, December 12, 2022
2022 Is the Final Model Year for the Toyota C-HR in the U.S.
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| The funky Toyota C-HR will be discontinued in North America after the 2022 model year. However, there will be a next generation in Europe, as previewed by a recent concept car released by Toyota (bottom picture). |
If you want a Toyota C-HR, you better act fast. The subcompact SUV will exit the North American market and will be a European exclusive model from the 2023 model onwards. For 2023, the C-HR will be fully redesigned with styling based on the C-HR Prologue Concept. The reason for the discontinuation of this model was noted by Toyota themselves: the new Toyota Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid and the RAV4 all offer a great package at a similar price point to the C-HR. As a matter of fact, the aforementioned Toyota crossovers likely all make more sense than the C-HR, as when you start looking at the specs, the RAV4 offers more space on the interior and the Corolla Cross costs less than the C-HR. So, unless you just want a funky styled small SUV WITHOUT AWD, there’s less of a reason to pick the C-HR vs. its Toyota sibling vehicles. And over the past decade, we’ve seen these funky styled SUVs all fall by the wayside for slightly larger/more conventional options: the Nissan Juke, the Nissan Cube, Chevy’s HHR, the entire Scion brand (which I recall reading somewhere that the C-HR was supposed to be a Scion at some point – who knows) etc. etc.
Competitors for the C-HR include all of the SUVs in the subcompact category, such as the Honda HR-V, Chevy Trax, Ford EcoSport (also now discontinued), Jeep Renegade, Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul and Seltos, and more. This is a crowded and competitive segment. But while the styling of the C-HR is unique, I find most of these vehicles from my experience to be rather basic in their execution unlike a larger SUV.
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| Ugly duckling no more! The 2023 Prius goes on sale next year. |
For those of you in Europe, you can look forward to the next C-HR coming with a plug-in hybrid powertrain sourced from the new Prius Prime. And speaking of the new Prius – what do you think of it? I can’t believe it looks so good now! In addition to striking styling, the new Prius will offer a hands-free driving system, more power (between 194 and 220 HP), and available AWD with 0-60 times in the 6.5 to low-7 second range - much faster than the current Prius. The Prius Prime’s 220 HP will make it the “sportiest” Prius, so we can expect similar driving feel from the new C-HR I’d guess.
Will you miss the C-HR? With a very differentiated crossover lineup, I don’t think too many people will cry over the loss of one Toyota SUV.
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Stellantis Will Idle the Jeep Cherokee Plant Indefinitely
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| The Jeep Cherokee is still pretty nice, but it appears to be on borrowed time. The plant its produced at has been idled multiple times the last few years. Partially due to the pandemic-related supply chain shortages, and partially because its an old model now and its sales are sliding. |
Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), has announced that they will idle the Jeep Cherokee plant in Illinois as of February 28th, 2023. This means that 1,200 workers at the plant will be laid off indefinitely laid off as a result. The automaker says that they will focus on investments into electric vehicles. The Cherokee plant has already shut down several times and gone through layoffs throughout the pandemic from what I recall. So, it appears that ongoing supply chain issues as well as sliding Cherokee sales have finally taken their toll along with other market factors.
In my opinion, the Cherokee isn’t a bad looking SUV, but its design is very, very old now. Originally released for the 2014 model year, the Jeep Cherokee (KL) has had up and down bouts with its reliability as well, particularly with the ZF 9-speed automatic transmission proving very problematic for several model years (as well as in other Jeep products its used in, such as the Renegade and Compass). While the Cherokee did receive a facelift for the 2019 model year, in that time, most competitors have undergone full redesigns that have made them a significantly better pick that the Cherokee (Chevrolet Equinox/GMC Terrain, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Bronco Sport, and many more). I believe that the current Cherokee is likely near the end of its product cycle, and we’ll likely see an electrified 4xe version for the next generation – which speaking of that, Jeep claims another Cherokee is on the way from what I’ve researched.
In the meantime, being laid off is never fun, so my thoughts are with those at the Cherokee factory that will be affected by this indefinite shutdown starting next year. Would you consider a Cherokee? Or would you wait for the next generation model, upgrade to the larger, newer design Grand Cherokee (WL), OR shop the Cherokee’s competitors?
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
Friday, December 9, 2022
Year ‘Round Care
Time for some TLC! Make sure you winterize your car if you haven't already (and a little rim shining never hurt either). Its about time I get brakes and a new battery on this Bravada as well - the tires are still good.
Copyright © 2022 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
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