
2019 Drivers' Choice Awards
Season 38 Episode 23 | 26m 48sVideo has Closed Captions
2019 Drivers' Choice Awards
This week we hand out our 2019 Drivers' Choice Awards for cars, trucks and utilities, culminating in our "Best of the Year" honors. Pat Goss shows that careful cleaning can go a long way to reliability. Then, Stephanie Hart takes a look at tomorrow's car tech ready today.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
National corporate funding for MotorWeek is provided by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper (Auto Value & Bumper to Bumper are two brands owned by the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Tire Rack, and Hagerty Insurance, LLC.

2019 Drivers' Choice Awards
Season 38 Episode 23 | 26m 48sVideo has Closed Captions
This week we hand out our 2019 Drivers' Choice Awards for cars, trucks and utilities, culminating in our "Best of the Year" honors. Pat Goss shows that careful cleaning can go a long way to reliability. Then, Stephanie Hart takes a look at tomorrow's car tech ready today.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch MotorWeek
MotorWeek is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Buy Now
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !
JOIN US FOR THE CARS, TRUCKS, AND UTILITIES THAT WE MOST LOVE TO DRIVE, INCLUDING ONE THAT'S AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST... OUR 2019 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS... PAT GOSS SAYS, CAREFUL CLEANING CAN GO A LONG WAY TO RELIABILITY... AND STEPHANIE HART TAKES A LOOK AT TOMORROW'S CAR TECH, READY TODAY!
SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.
* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
Man 1: I DO.
Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND TOOLS TO HELP.
Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.
IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.
Man 1: OH.
Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...
ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.
STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .
WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, CUSTOM FIT VEHICLE FLOOR PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.
WEATHERTECH.
MADE IN AMERICA.
John: IF YOU WATCH THE SHOW YOU KNOW OUR FIRST LOVE HERE AT MOTORWEEK IS THE AUTOMOBILE, BUT SOME WE DESIRE MORE THAN OTHERS.
THOSE WOULD BE THE WINNERS OF OUR ANNUAL DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS.
SO, LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE CARS THAT STOLE OUR HEARTS THIS YEAR.
KICKING OFF THE ACCOLADES IS OUR MOTORWEEK WINNER FOR BEST SMALL CAR, THE KIA FORTE.
KIA'S COMPACT HAS ALWAYS HAD A EUROPEAN FLAVOR TO IT.
BUT THIS YEAR, BETTER TECHNOLOGY, MORE SPACE, AND TRULY DYNAMIC STYLING ARE SPRINKLED INTO THE MIX.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT CHOICES FOR AN EVERYDAY SMALL CAR, BUT NONE MORE ENJOYABLE TO DRIVE EVERYDAY THAN THE KIA FORTE.
DESPITE MIDSIZE SEDAN SALES CONTINUING TO SLUMP, AND SOME BRANDS LEAVING THE SEGMENT; NISSAN HAS DOUBLED DOWN, MAKING A HUGE INVESTMENT IN AN ALL-NEW PLATFORM FOR THE ALTIMA, OUR BEST FAMILY SEDAN WINNER.
BESIDES ROOMY COMFORT, GREAT TECH, AND STYLE, WHAT REALLY WON US OVER WAS A BIG HIT IN PERFORMANCE; BOTH IN SUSPENSION TUNING, AND FROM ITS SEGMENT-FIRST VARIABLE COMPRESSION 2.0 LITER TURBO 4-CYLINDER.
PLUS, THEY'VE EVEN MADE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE OPTIONAL FOR THE FIRST TIME.
OUR BEST CONVERTIBLE WINNER IS THE DELIGHTFUL MAZDA MX-5 MIATA.
FOR MAZDA'S BARGAIN THROWBACK ROADSTER, THIS IS NOTHING NEW; HAVING WON OUR AWARD NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE, INCLUDING LAST YEAR WHEN THEY ADDED THE RF TO THE LINEUP.
THIS YEAR, MAZDA FINALLY GOT SERIOUS ABOUT GIVING US MORE HORSEPOWER.
NOW, THE ADDITIONAL 26 PONIES MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR SOME, BUT THEY SUITED US JUST FINE; PROVIDING MORE OOMPH, WITHOUT OVERPOWERING THE MIATA'S FANTASTIC CHASSIS.
STILL FRUGAL, STILL FUN, AND STILL A TOP DOWN WINNER.
WELL, THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG.
AFTER LAUNCHING AN OFFICIAL STANDALONE LUXURY DIVISION FOR 2017, IT'S JUST TWO YEARS LATER THAT A GENESIS EARNS OUR BEST LUXURY SEDAN AWARD, WITH THE G70.
SOME MAY FIND THAT A SURPRISE, BUT THOSE THAT KNOW THE G70 SHARES ITS PLATFORM WITH THE KIA STINGER, UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS A NO-BRAINER FOR US.
GENESIS TOOK THAT WONDERFUL CHASSIS, TIDIED UP THE MEASUREMENTS, APPLIED SOME BEAUTIFUL BODYWORK, AND THEN ADDED A GORGEOUS, BUT NOT PRETENTIOUS, INTERIOR WHERE, SHOULD YOU SO CHOOSE, YOU CAN EVEN FIND A CLUTCH PEDAL AND A TERRIFIC MANUAL SHIFTER.
OUR KIND OF LUXURY INDEED.
MOTORWEEK'S BEST SPORT SEDAN MAY BE ANOTHER SHOCKER.
IT'S THE VOLVO S60.
NOW, ITS SPA ARCHITECTURE AND 2.0 LITER MULTI-BOOST POWERTRAIN DIDN'T COME AS A SURPRISE.
BUT WHAT DID AMAZE US, WAS THE SPOT-ON CHASSIS TUNING.
WE WENT INTO DRIVING THE MADE IN AMERICA ALL-WHEEL DRIVE T6 R-DESIGN, EXPECTING A MILDLY SPORTY LUXURY SEDAN.
WE CAME AWAY FINDING A CAR FULLY CAPABLE OF COMPETING WITH EUROPE'S BEST KNOWN SPORTY 4-DOORS.
NOT TO MENTION -- THERE'S A POLESTAR ENGINEERED TWIN ENGINE T8 ON THE WAY.
YOWZA!
OUR BEST SPORT COUPE WINNER IS ALL ABOUT GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND.
HYUNDAI CHOSE THE HUMBLE VELOSTER TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST N-BRAND HIGH-PERFORMANCE MODEL TO THE U.S.
SPEARHEADED BY FORMER BMW M CHIEF ALBERT BIERMANN, N-BRAND ADDRESSES EVERY ASPECT OF THE CAR, TO PUSH PERFORMANCE TO WHERE WE THOUGHT NO HUMBLE HYUNDAI COULD GO.
ALL THIS, AND EVEN WITH AN ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE PACKAGE FOR THE HARDCORE, YOU CAN WALK AWAY WITH ONE FOR UNDER 30 GRAND.
IN FACT, THIS SPORT COUPE DELIVERS SO MUCH; IT EVEN HAS AN EXTRA PASSENGER SIDE DOOR.
LAST YEAR IT WAS HARD NOT TO GIVE OUR BEST PERFORMANCE CAR AWARD TO THE DODGE CHALLENGER SRT DEMON.
COME ON, 840 HORSEPOWER AND 9.0 SECOND QUARTER MILES IS OUR KIND OF PERFORMANCE.
WELL, ALL OF THE DEMONS THAT FCA IS GOING TO BUILD, HAVE BEEN BUILT.
BUT THAT AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR SPIRIT, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ENGINE, LIVES ON IN THIS YEAR'S WINNER, THE DODGE CHALLENGER SRT HELLCAT REDEYE.
YES, YOU GET A SLIGHTLY DETUNED VERSION OF THE DEMON'S SUPERCHARGED HEMI, BUT IT STILL GETS TO 60 IN THE TIME IT TOOK TO SAY THIS SENTENCE.
AND YOU ALSO GET A CAR THAT CAN HANDLE ITS OWN ON A ROAD COURSE AS WELL AS THE QUARTER MILE.
FOR A MUCH MORE GLOBAL KIND OF PERFORMANCE, THE HONDA CLARITY IS OUR PICK AS BEST ECO-FRIENDLY.
WE LOVE HAVING CHOICES AROUND HERE.
THE HONDA CLARITY PHEV DELIVERS AN OUTSTANDING MPGE RATING, ALONG WITH GREAT STYLE, AND CIVIC-BASED INTERIOR PACKAGING, AND DRIVING DEMEANOR.
NEED MORE, THERE'S A FULL-EV CLARITY, WITH 89 MILES OF RANGE, AND EVEN A CLARITY FUEL CELL.
NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU'RE WILLING TO PUSH THE ECO ENVELOPE, HONDA PROVIDES CLARITY.
AHH...THIS YEAR'S MOTORWEEK BEST DREAM MACHINES.
WE'VE ALL LUSTED AFTER CARS AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES, AND THESE ARE THE MOST LUST-WORTHY MACHINES WE DROVE THIS YEAR.
IT'S HARD TO PUT YOUR FINGER ON ONE SPECIFIC THING THAT MAKES THIS 3RD GENERATION BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT, SO SPECTACULAR.
THAT'S BECAUSE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS SO PHENOMENAL.
MEGA PERFORMANCE, MEGA LUXURY, WITH DROP DEAD LOOKS.
WHEN YOU ACTUALLY NAME YOUR CAR SUPERFAST, YOU'RE GOING TO GET OUR ATTENTION.
AND ONCE YOU START DRIVING THIS FERRARI 812 SUPERFAST, YOU'LL GET EVERYONE ELSE'S AS WELL.
FORTUNATELY, IT'S GOT THE PERFORMANCE TO BACK UP ITS RACE CAR LOOKS.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE PORSCHE PANAMERA.
RACE CAR WORTHY PERFORMANCE IN A LUXURIOUS, TECH-FILLED, DAILY-DRIVER SEDAN; DELIVERING IT ALL IN A WAY THAT ONLY PORSCHE CAN.
WELL, THAT'S THE CAR SIDE.
BUT STAY TUNED, OUR 2019 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE PICKS FOR BEST TRUCKS AND UTILITIES ARE UP NEXT.
* MOTORWEEK WAS RECENTLY IN LAS VEGAS FOR THIS YEAR'S CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW.
AS USUAL, IT WAS THE FIRST OUTING FOR CUTTING EDGE TVS, CELL PHONES, TABLETS, AND EVERYTHING HIGH TECH.
BUT, IN RECENT YEARS AUTOMAKERS HAVE ALSO BEEN SWARMING THE EVENT TO SHOW OFF AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY, EV POWERTRAINS, AND THEIR MOST ADVANCED MODELS.
AS OUR STEPHANIE HART SHOWS US, CES 2019 WAS OUTRAGEOUS, OVERWHELMING, AND EYE POPPING FUN!
* Stephanie Hart: CES IT'S THE GO TO PLACE, TO REVEAL THE LATEST INNOVATIONS, TO THE GLOBAL MARKET.
ANYONE WHO IS ANYONE IS HERE.
FROM TECH POWERHOUSES TO INNOVATIVE START-UPS, TO AUTOMAKERS.
SO OF COURSE, WE HAD TO BE THERE...
ALONG WITH 188,000 OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS.
CAR MAKERS CONTINUE TO EXPAND THEIR PRESENCE AT CES, WITH MORE DEBUTS OF BOTH THEIR LATEST CARS AND TECH.
NISSAN HAD A POWERFUL PRESENCE AT CES.
DEBUTING THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED LEAF E + TO THE WORLD.
THIS TIME AROUND, IT HAS MORE RANGE AND POWER.
IT CLAIMS A 226 MILE RANGE, UP 40% FROM 150.
HORSEPOWER GETS A BOOST TOO, FROM 147 TO NOW 214... THAT'S 67 MORE!
AND IN A MERCEDES-BENZ FIRST, THE GERMAN AUTOMAKER CHOSE CES FOR A GLOBAL DEBUT OF ITS 2020 CLA-COUPE.
IT'S STRIKING, HAS A BIT MORE POWER AND IS FULL OF TECH.
Ola Kallenius: THE NEW CLA TAKES MBUX OUR CONNECTED CAR OPERATIVE SYSTEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH NEW FEATURES LIKE THE ENERGIZING COACH, LIKE AN INTUITIVE GESTURE CONTROL.
Stephanie: MERCEDES ALSO USED CES FOR ITS U.S.
PREMIERE OF ITS FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC SUV, THE EQC.
IT HAS RANGE OF ABOUT 280 MILES BETWEEN CHARGES.
IT IS THE FIRST MODEL UNDER THE GERMAN AUTOMAKER'S NEW PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY BRAND EQ.
DESPITE BIG CHANGES IN HOW CARS WILL BE POWERED, OR IF WE'LL EVEN DRIVE THEM OURSELVES, CLEARLY AUTOMAKERS THINK THEIR FUTURE IS BRIGHT.
SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES OR IN THIS CASE, VIRTUAL REALITY GOGGLES.
ALRIGHT, I'M HERE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND THESE ARE PRETTY COOL GLOVES THEY'RE SENSORS.
THIS IS NISSAN'S INVISIBLE TO VISIBLE TECHNOLOGY DEMO.
Voice: FOR THE BEST ROUTE CONSIDERING THE CURRENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS... Stephanie: IT MERGES THE REAL WORLD WITH THE DATA WORLD.
Voice 2: STRAIGHTEN MORE OUT, YOU DID IT, GOOD JOB... Stephanie: THIS FEELS SO REAL, YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
ESSENTIALLY GIVING DRIVERS, LIKE ME, LOADS OF INFORMATION.
Chad Fishburne: SO, YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND LET'S SAY, IT'S RAINY OUTSIDE, THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO GIVE YOU A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU AS OPPOSED TO YOU HAVING TO KIND OF SEE THROUGH THE RAIN AND HAVE THOSE CHALLENGES.
YEAH, ISN'T IT COOL.
Stephanie: BUT I FELT A LITTLE WHOOSY AFTER THAT TRIP THROUGH THE VIRTUAL WORLD.
TO HELP BRING ME BACK TO EARTH, COFFEE.
MY CAFFEINE BUZZ COURTESY OF THIS NISSAN LEAF, POWERING PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE.
MY PORTRAIT WAS EVEN PUT ON MY DRINK.
COOL, YET STARTLING, BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT CES IS ALL ABOUT!
MOVIE BUFFS AND TECH GEEKS ALIKE GOT THEIR FIX OVER HERE AT THIS AUDI DEMO.
I TOOK THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO SEE FOR MYSELF WHAT ALL THE HYPE WAS ABOUT.
AS I SOON FOUND OUT, THE CAR BOUNCES UP AND DOWN ON ITS SUSPENSION TO THE BEST PARTS OF THE MOVIE.
THROW IN SPECIAL EFFECTS AND YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER.
THE ONLY THING MISSING?
THE POPCORN.
Stefan Grillneder: THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BROUGHT TO CES AND OF COURSE, IT'S ABOUT SHOWING WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
Stephanie: PERHAPS YOUR ONLY LIMITATION YOUR MIND.
THIS KIA DEMO ANALYSES BIO-SIGNALS LIKE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.
THE CAR THEN TRIES TO CHANGE YOUR MOOD.
IN MY CASE, THE CAR SENSED I WAS OVER EXCITED, SO SURROUNDED ME WITH AN OCEAN SCENE TO RELAX ME.
FROM TRADITIONAL CAR REVEALS... TO FLYING CARS...
YES, YOU HEARD IT RIGHT.
BELL HELICOPTER UNVEILED ITS PROTOTYPE AT CES.
IT DOESN'T FLY, WELL...NOT YET, THAT IS.
SKEPTICAL?
SO ARE WE.
CES 2019 WAS EVERYTHING WE EXPECTED AND MORE, DARING US TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE AND BLUR THE LINES BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY.
John: SUVS, CROSSOVERS, AND TRUCKS CONTINUE TO GOBBLE UP MARKET SHARE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE STATES.
SO, WHETHER YOU NEED A BIG ONE, SMALL ONE, OR ONE IN BETWEEN; HERE ARE OUR DRIVERS' CHOICE PICKS FOR THE BEST OF THE BUNCH.
* WITH CONSUMERS SHOWING NO SIGN OF HAVING THEIR APPETITE FOR UTILITIES AND TRUCKS FULFILLED, WE'VE EXPANDED OUR AWARD MENU THIS YEAR TO ANSWER THE CALL.
MOTORWEEK'S BEST SMALL UTILITY WINNER, THE TOYOTA RAV4, IS NO STRANGER TO OUR ACCOLADES.
IT WON, WHAT WE CALLED BACK IN 1996, OUR BEST MINI-SUV AWARD, AS IT ESSENTIALLY INVENTED THE SMALL, CAR-BASED CROSSOVER UTILITY SEGMENT.
NOW FOR 2019, THE RAV4 HAS LEAPFROGGED ALL OF ITS EVER-INCREASING COMPETITION BY DOING A LITTLE BIT OF BACK TO BASICS.
WEARING A MORE RUGGED DESIGN, AND GAINING A MORE SUBSTANTIAL RIDE; YET, RETAINING ALL OF ITS CAR-LIKE FRIENDLINESS.
HERE, AT LEAST, HISTORY DOES REPEAT ITSELF.
WITH UTILITIES NOW MAKING UP ALMOST HALF OF SALES, WE DECIDED TO MAKE ROOM FOR ANOTHER CATEGORY BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL SMALL AND LARGE, AND THAT IS OF COURSE, MIDSIZE.
AND WHILE, THE LINES MAY GET BLURRY BETWEEN THEM ALL, THE FORD EDGE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE THINK OF, EARNING OUR BEST MIDSIZE UTILITY AWARD.
THE EDGE GOT QUITE A SIGNIFICANT MAKEOVER FOR '19, BUT WHAT REALLY DID IT FOR US, IS THEIR FIRST ST PERFORMANCE VERSION.
A TRUE EUROPEAN-STYLE "SPORT" UTILITY, THE EDGE ST DELIVERS POWER, HANDLING, AND BRAKING...NOTHING ELSE IN ITS TWO-ROW PRICE CLASS CAN TOUCH.
WITH ALL OF THE LARGE 3-ROW UTILITIES WE DROVE THIS PAST YEAR, YOU'D THINK SOMETHING NEW WOULD TAKE THE CROWN FROM LAST YEAR'S WINNER, THE VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS.
BUT, THAT'S NOT THE CASE; ATLAS IS ONCE AGAIN OUR BEST LARGE UTILITY.
SOME MAY BE BIGGER, SOME MORE RUGGED, AND SOME MAY EVEN BE MORE LUXURIOUS; BUT NONE OFFER THE TOTAL, ROOMY, EASY TO DRIVE PACKAGE FOR GROWING FAMILIES QUITE LIKE THE ATLAS.
IT TOOK A WHILE FOR VOLKSWAGEN TO JOIN THE 3-ROW CLASS, BUT THEY'VE CLEARLY DONE THEIR HOMEWORK.
ATLAS IS JUST WHAT AMERICANS ARE LOOKING FOR IN A FAMILY UTILITY.
MOTORWEEK'S BEST LUXURY UTILITY IS A REAL GAME CHANGER, THE JAGUAR I-PACE.
IT'S NOT THE FIRST FULLY-ELECTRIC UTILITY, BUT IT IS THE FIRST TO COME FROM AN ESTABLISHED CAR BRAND.
A MOTOR FOR EACH AXLE PROVIDES THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AS WELL AS CLOSE TO 400 HORSEPOWER; WHILE BEAUTIFUL JAGUAR STYLE OUTSIDE, EXQUISITE LUXURY INSIDE, A FAMILIAR JAGUAR DRIVING PROWESS, PROVIDE THE REAL APPEAL.
ALL WHILE DELIVERING 234 MILES OF BATTERY RANGE.
WE KNOW THERE ARE PLENTY MORE FULL-ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN THE PIPELINE FROM A HOST OF BRANDS.
WE ALSO KNOW MOST WON'T IMPRESS AS MUCH AS THE JAGUAR I-PACE.
IT'S A FANTASTIC MODERN JAGUAR THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE AN EV.
THIS WAS TRULY A TOUGH YEAR FOR PICKING A PICKUP TRUCK; AS IN THE FULL-SIZE RANKS, AN UPDATED F150 WENT UP AGAINST ALL-NEW DESIGNS FROM BOTH CHEVROLET AND RAM.
THERE'S REALLY NO LOSER HERE, BUT FOR US, IT WAS RAM 1500 THAT PROVED BEST OF THE BUNCH.
RAM HAS THE BEST OVERALL MIX OF CAPABILITY, COMFORT, AND FEATURES FOR TODAY'S PERSONAL-USE TRUCK BUYERS.
BUT THERE'S MUCH MORE TO THIS RAM THAN JUST A HUGE TABLET IN THE DASH.
COMFORT FEATURES ARE BORDERLINE OVER THE TOP, AND THANKS TO WHAT IS STILL THE ONLY REAR COIL SPRING SUSPENSION IN THE FULL-SIZE RANKS, RIDE QUALITY IS UNPARALLELED.
SO THAT'S ALL FOR TRUCKS AND UTILITIES, BUT DON'T GO AWAY, WE STILL HAVE THE BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT...THE 2019 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST OF THE YEAR!
MOST PEOPLE TRY AND TAKE CARE OF HOW THEIR CAR LOOKS ON THE OUTSIDE.
BUT PAT GOSS SAYS THERE ARE MAJOR PARTS YOU CAN'T SEE THAT ALSO NEED A LITTLE T.L.C.
Pat Goss: I'VE HEARD IT SAID THAT A CLEAN ENGINE LIKE THIS IS A HAPPY ENGINE.
MAYBE THAT MEANS A DIRTY ONE IS A SAD ENGINE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THE ENGINES THAT WE SEE COMING INTO THE REPAIR SHOPS, WELL...THE ONES THAT ARE KEPT CLEAN OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, THEY USUALLY HAVE FEWER PROBLEMS.
NOW, THAT'S BECAUSE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THE PRIMARY TO THE NUMBER ONE, GREASE AND DIRT.
THE GREASE ESPECIALLY, LIKES TO MIGRATE INTO WIRE CONNECTORS, AND SENSORS, AND SO ON OVER TIME.
AND THAT LEADS TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT GREASE, AND DIRT ACTS AS AN INSULATOR, AND THAT MAKES THE ENGINE RUN HOTTER, WHICH CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THAT ENGINE.
ALRIGHT, HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO IT, WELL...ABOUT ONCE A YEAR FOR MOST PEOPLE.
AND THAT MEANS YOU ARE GOING TO HEAD OFF TO THE PARTS STORE AND BUY THE CHEMICALS THAT YOU NEED.
NOW HERE'S A BIG CAUTION.
ANY CHEMICAL THAT YOU SPRAY UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR, MUST NOT CONTAIN SILICONE.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS THAT SILICONE IS VERY DURABLE, AND CAN ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE INTAKE, AND OUT THROUGH THE EXHAUST, AND CONTAMINATE THE OXYGEN SENSORS.
READ AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE LABEL DIRECTIONS ON THE CONTAINER, AND YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE COVERED UP TO PROTECT THEM FROM WATER.
THAT MEANS THAT YOU REALLY DON'T WANT PLASTIC WRAP, YOU WANT BAGGIES, SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER AND RUBBER BANDS TO HOLD THEM IN PLACE THAT DOES A GOOD JOB.
NOW HERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DO NOT DO, YOU DO NOT USE STEAM TO CLEAN AN ENGINE.
STEAM IS A VAPOR, AND WHAT YOU SEE IS SOMETHING VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
THAT STEAM UNDER HIGH PRESSURE CAN BE FORCED INTO WIRE CONNECTORS AND WIRE HARNESSES.
IT LATER CONDENSES BACK INTO WATER AND LEADS TO CORROSION.
NEVER USE STEAM.
NOW, PRESSURE WASHERS, YES, YOU CAN USE THEM BUT CUT THE PRESSURE WAY BACK.
FOR THE SAME REASONS, WE DON'T WANT TO FORCE WATER INTO SENSORS AND PLACES WHERE WATER SHOULD NEVER BE.
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, THE IDEAL IS WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND AN ADJUSTABLE SPRAY NOZZLE.
NOW FROM THERE, THE NEXT THING, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GO AFOUL OF LOCAL, OR STATE LAWS, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WHICH MEANS YOU MAY HAVE TO HAVE A WATERPROOF TARP UNDER THE CAR TO COLLECT DIRT, GREASE, AND SO ON, SO THAT YOU DON'T CONTAMINATE THE ENVIRONMENT.
DO IT RIGHT AND YOU JUST MAY HAVE FEWER PROBLEMS WITH YOUR CAR THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .
John: IF THERE'S ONE THING YOU CAN COUNT ON IN THE AUTO BIZ, IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.
SO HERE'S YOLANDA VAZQUEZ WITH THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
Yolanda Vazquez: PORSCHE ENGINEERS HAVE A BIT OF A DILEMMA ON THEIR HANDS.
AS THEY DEVELOP A SPORTS CAR THAT DOMINATES THE TRACK AND SUCCESSFULLY HANDLES RAINY WEATHER.
THE 8TH GENERATION OF THE PORSCHE 911 COMES STANDARD WITH AN INDUSTRY-FIRST "WET MODE" FEATURE.
SENSORS INSIDE THE FRONT "WHEEL WELL" CAN DETECT WATER ON THE ROAD.
THEN, IT AUTOMATICALLY SETS UP THE CAR TO HELP PREVENT HYDROPLANING...
ADJUSTING STABILITY, AND TRACTION CONTROLS, BRAKING, AND THROTTLE RESPONSE.
BUT HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART... A WARNING APPEARS IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER THAT "WET MODE" IS READY...
SO, IT'S STILL UP TO THE DRIVER TO ACTIVATE IT.
HYUNDAI IS TAKING SAFETY TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL...
BUT IN THIS CASE... "AFTER" AN UNEXPECTED STOP.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING A MULTI-COLLISION AIRBAG SYSTEM.
AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY DURING AN INITIAL CRASH.
BUT IF THAT FIRST IMPACT ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH, OR IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO TRIGGER THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS, THIS SYSTEM COULD ACTIVATE THEM IF THERE'S ANOTHER COLLISION... SAY WITH A CAR OR TREE.
HYUNDAI SAYS, "THEIR SYSTEM COULD CALIBRATE THE FORCE NEEDED TO INFLATE THE AIRBAGS, AND ALSO DETERMINE HOW A PERSON'S SEATING POSITION HAS CHANGED AFTER THE FIRST CRASH."
NO WORD YET, ON WHEN IT WILL APPEAR IN PRODUCTION MODELS.
AS WE RACE TOWARDS THE FUTURE, MORE AND MORE COMPETITORS ARE BECOMING COLLABORATORS.
THIS TIME, IT'S DAIMLER AG AND BMW GROUP FORMING A JOINT MOBILITY COMPANY.
THEIR IDEA IS TO BUNDLE A VARIETY OF SERVICES IN ONE NETWORK.
THIS INCLUDES CAR-SHARING, RIDE-HAILING, PARKING, AND FINDING CHARGING STATIONS.
REGULATORS IN EUROPE AND THE U.S. HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE DEAL.
THIS FOLLOWS FORD AND VW'S RECENT PARTNERSHIP ON ADVANCED AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.
WE EXPECT OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
AND THAT'S THE LATEST FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
John: WE'VE HANDED OUT A LOT OF OUR AWARDS SO FAR, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ONE VEHICLE THAT STANDS ABOVE THE REST; IT'S OUR DRIVERS' CHOICE BEST OF THE YEAR.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... * AND THE WINNER IS, THE JAGUAR I-PACE AS THE 2019 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE FOR BEST OF THE YEAR!
UP UNTIL THIS POINT, IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A FULLY-ELECTRIC SUV, YOUR ONLY OPTION WAS THE TESLA MODEL X.
WELL, LEAVE IT TO JAGUAR TO BECOME THE FIRST ESTABLISHED LUXURY BRAND TO BRING A FULL-EV SUV TO MARKET.
GRANTED, AS IS THE CASE WITH MANY UTILITIES THESE DAYS, WE ADMIT IT IS A BIT OF A STRETCH TO CALL IT AN SUV, AS ITS SHAPE IS MORE AKIN TO A TALL, SLICK HATCHBACK.
BUT, THAT'S THE MODERN SUV MARKET.
AND IT DOES ACTUALLY HAVE CREDENTIALS, 5.6 INCHES OF GROUND CLEARANCE, AND ROOM FOR FIVE WITH 25.3 CUBIC-FEET OF REAR CARGO SPACE.
BATTERY HARDWARE CONSISTS OF A 90 KWH PACK THAT STRETCHES BETWEEN THE 117.7 INCH WHEELBASE.
TOTAL OUTPUT IS 394 HORSEPOWER AND 512 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO 60 IN 4.2 SECONDS.
RANGE...A VERY USEFUL 234 MILES.
AND, IT'S COOL TO BE SEEN IN.
I-PACE IS ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE SUVS, OR FOR THAT MATTER AUTOMOBILES, ON THE PLANET.
WE LOVE THE FACT THAT IT IS INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE AS A JAGUAR, WITH PLENTY OF BRAND HALLMARKS.
THEY EVEN KEPT THE FAMILY GRILLE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED.
LIKEWISE, THE INTERIOR IS ALSO A FANTASTIC BLENDING OF MODERN WITH JAGUAR LUXURY.
PLENTY OF HIGH-TECH TOO, BUT AGAIN, ALL DELIVERED IN A SUBTLE, NON-JARRING FASHION.
AS FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT DRIVING ASPECTS, WELL...THE I-PACE DOESN'T DISAPPOINT HERE EITHER.
SOLID ROAD FEEL, LINEAR POWER DELIVERY, NICELY-WEIGHTED STEERING, AND NEAR PERFECT BALANCE.
A HIGHLY CONFIGURABLE SETUP ALLOWS FOR EASY DRIVER FINE-TUNING TO DELIVER THE EXACT EXPERIENCE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
TRUTH IS, THE JAGUAR I-PACE IS SUCH A FANTASTIC VEHICLE, IT MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE WON AN AWARD EVEN IF THERE WAS AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD.
SO, CONSIDERING THAT IT'S A FULL-EV, ON TOP OF BEING SPACIOUS, DYNAMIC, LUXURIOUS, AND HIGHLY CAPABLE; IT'S EASILY OUR MOTORWEEK 2019 DRIVERS' CHOICE BEST OF THE YEAR!
WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.
NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...
WHEN WE'LL HAVE THE DETAILS ON WHY THE ALL-NEW TOYOTA RAV4 IS SUCH A WINNER.
THEN, ITS LIGHTNING FAST LAPS IN THE PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS.
PAT GOSS HELPS YOUR CAR BREATHE EASIER.
ZACH MASKELL GOES OVER THE EDGE FOR STAND OUT STYLE.
PLUS, A BRAND NEW QUICK SPIN.
UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .
Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
Man 1: I DO.
Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.
Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.
IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.
Man 1: OH.
Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...
WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.
WEATHERTECH.
MADE IN AMERICA.
ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.
STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .
* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.
[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *
Support for PBS provided by:
National corporate funding for MotorWeek is provided by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper (Auto Value & Bumper to Bumper are two brands owned by the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Tire Rack, and Hagerty Insurance, LLC.