Automotive Reviews
Archive for July, 2009
2005 Chevrolet SSR
01023 days
Yes, it’s real. The Chevrolet SSR started life as a dream truck that combined 1930s styling cues, 1990s hot-rod modifications, and a modern drivetrain. Thanks to overwhelming public approval, the SSR made the leap from show car to showroom, and now it’s one of Chevy’s halo cars. Is it really a truck? Sort of. Think of it as the coolest El Camino ever, and you’ll be on the right track. In its second year on the market, Chevrolet’s big-boy toy gets a new powertrain to give it some serious go power.
No one is going to mistake an SSR for anything else. As if the retro bodywork wasn’t enough, this is also the only retractable hardtop pickup truck on the market. The extravagant curves of the front fenders and grille sweep into a compact, arch-topped cab. Chevy says the design was inspired by the Advanced Design pickups of 1947-54. The bed has a rigid tonneau cover, and the rounded-off tail has circular taillights in the fenders, just like the old trucks that inspired it. Chevrolet’s signature horizontal chrome bar bisects the line of the headlights up front. The SSR’s fender lines are echoed on other Chevrolet products as well, but nothing else has curves like this. The massive wheels, measuring 19″ in the front and 20″ in the rear, are the most overtly modern aspect of the SSR.
A cozy, “twin cockpit” interior echoes the exterior design with an aluminum-finish horizontal trim panel running from left to right and across the doors. It’s matched by the steering wheel’s crossbar, too, and a cool auxiliary gauge pod rides low in the footwell. The retractable hardtop is a marvel of packaging. Instead of folding clamshell-style, like the hardtops in Mercedes and Lexus roadsters, the SSR’s top stacks vertically behind the passenger compartment. This unique mechanism allows the SSR’s cargo capacity to remain unchanged whether the top’s up or down. It also impresses the heck out of anyone nearby. The tall seats are comfortable, too, and the high seating position makes the SSR surprisingly easy to drive. There’s not much space for anything larger than a cell phone in the cabin, actually. Arguments will rage as to if the bed is really a pickup bed or not–it’s carpeted, but plastic runners make it possible to load slightly dirty or awkward cargo without destroying it. The tonneau cover isn’t removable though, so capacity is limited. We used the SSR to haul carpet, groceries, and several large boxes, and it was happy to act like a small truck.
No American-style hot rod would be complete without a V8 under the hood, and the SSR delivers. After complaints that it was sluggish during its first year on the market, Chevy crammed an LS2 6.0 liter V8 (borrowed from the Corvette) into the engine bay for 2005. With 390 horsepower on tap and rear-wheel drive, the SSR isn’t a disappointment on the road. Unlike other boutique cars like the Plymouth Prowler, the SSR can back up its street-rod looks with serious acceleration and a most satisfying roar. A choice of four-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions is available.
But is it really a truck? Underneath the skin it is. The SSR rides on a hydroformed separate frame. With the SSR’s top down we noticed a fair amount of body jiggle on uneven roads. The double A-arm from suspension and live-axle rear are also there to ensure that this little hot rod can do a bit of work if needed. We’d just as soon use a Corvette to tow a trailer, but Chevy says the SSR will pull up to 2500 pounds. Traction control is included, as well as a limited-slip differential, to help keep the SSR pointed straight in slippery conditions. On the road and during a sudden snowstorm, the SSR proved to be remarkably easy to drive, with excellent balance and predictable handling. The power steering is on the heavy side, but it’s also direct and responsive. It’s a confident enough driver that we found ourselves cruising at freeway speeds even in the snow.
Thanks to Michigan’s crazy winter weather, we had a warm day to drop the SSR’s top and cruise around Detroit, too. The SSR gets attention wherever it goes, and we got the thumbs-up from Mazda RX-8, Chevy pickup and Harley-Davidson drivers. The SSR may be a toy, but it’s a comfortable, easy-to-drive toy that’s not completely useless when it comes to the real world. Pricing starts at $42,430. Our test SSR featured heated seats, a premium sound system and neato-keen color shifting paint, and stickered for $46,685.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2005 Chevrolet SSR, which we tested.
Length: 191.4 in.
Width: 78.6 in.
Height: 64.2 in.
Wheelbase: 116.0 in.
Curb weight: 4760 lb.
Cargo space: 23.7 cu.ft.
Base price: $42,430
Price as tested: 46,685
Engine: 6.0 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 390 @ 5400
Torque: 405 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 25.0 gal.
Est. mileage: 15/19
2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS
01023 days
Because we watch far too much television, we’re tempted to compare the current crop of hot-rod pickup trucks to action movie stars. Ford’s fast and furious F-150 Lightning puts us in mind of Bruce Lee, taking all comers with unbeatable moves and a signature scream. The upcoming Dodge SRT-10 is more of a hulking Arnold Schwarzenegger with its powerful Viper-derived V10 and muscular body. And Chevrolet’s new Silverado SS appears to be the Harrison Ford of the group; a bit frumpy perhaps in comparison, but with a resume that includes more than just chop-socky action and explosions to wow the kids.
Chevy first introduced the “SS” nameplate in 1961 to denote its top-of-the-line performers. No listing of muscle cars is complete without an SS or two, be it an Impala or a Chevelle or a Nova, and Chevy’s using the name’s star power to act as a halo for its future performance products. The Silverado SS is, naturally, Chevrolet’s performance-oriented pickup truck. Unlike the forgettable 454SS of the early 1990s, the new Silverado SS is a full-field performer, with a powerful engine, lowered suspension, all-wheel drive, and full-size truck capacities.
The monochromatic styling suits the Silverado’s angular family look well. Grille and bumpers are body-color, and subtle skirting around the lower body enhances the lowered look. The bodywork enhances the aggressive cut of the hood and headlights nicely. The grille is filled with diamond-pattern mesh, and a big gold Chevrolet bowtie rides out front. The colors are limited to black, blue and red, so every Silverado SS on the road makes a bold statement. The massive 20″ x 8.5″ five-spoke wheels got lots of appreciative looks from passersby as well. Every Silverado SS is a short-bed, extended cab truck.
Inside, leather and special “SS” badging complement a comfortable interior that’s otherwise borrowed from GM’s other luxury trucks. The only letdown is a dash whose rigid plastic upper surfaces feel cheap. The dash is backlit in white, but is otherwise the same comprehensive and easy to read setup as in its stablemates. Standard equipment in the SS includes a Bose sound system and dual-zone climate control.
The heart of this ground-pounder is its 345-horsepower engine. It’s a high-output Vortec 6000 V8, similar to the one under the hood of the Cadillac Escalade, and a four-speed automatic is the only tranny offered. The Silverado SS goes one better than the other sport trucks, with its full-time all-wheel drive system. Torque is split front to rear 38/62 under normal driving conditions, and can be transferred to slipping wheels automatically, at any time. A locking rear differential is also included. The big V8′s throttle response is a bit twitchy at low speeds, which can be annoying when stuck in heavy traffic or backing a trailer. There’s no arguing with the power, though; the Silverado SS will accelerate hard well past the speed limit (you didn’t hear that from us, of course). From a standstill, the transmission is slow to shift, and at lower speeds it lacks the “sporty” feel of the Lightning. It takes a fairly serious stomp of the gas pedal to provoke a downshift. On the other hand, the Silverado SS can tow a 7500-pound trailer.
The ride is good (for a truck) but the Silverado SS’ handling falls short of the Lightning’s razor-quick and very un-truckish responsiveness. It’s lowered 20mm up front and 50mm at the rear, and the wide tires increase the track for vastly improved roadholding. The Silverado SS has a surprisingly compliant ride, considering its performance bent. That it’s got four-wheel disc brakes and ABS is a no-brainer.
Now for the ugly part; as with many special pickup trucks, the bottom line is not for the faint. Our Silverado SS stickered for $40,620, which puts it right up in GMC Sierra Denali territory–except that Quadrasteer, standard on the Denali, isn’t available on the Silverado SS. On one hand, this truck is a real truck in addition to being a hot rod–it can haul or tow right with the rest of the Silverado lineup. Ford’s Lightning, by comparison, is a one-trick pony. On the other hand, the Lightning’s got a really, really good trick, and that sense of “vavoom!” is lacking in the Silverado SS.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS, which we tested.
Length: 227.6 in.
Width: 93.1 in.
Height: 72.2 in.
Wheelbase: 143.5 in.
Curb weight: 5298 lb.
Payload: 1490 lb.
Towing capacity: 7500 lb.
Base price: $39,205
Price as tested: $40,620
Engine: 6.0 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 345 @ 5200
Torque: 380 @ 4000
Fuel capacity: 26.0 gal.
Est. mileage: 12/16
2004 Chevrolet Malibu
01023 days
Sometimes when a car’s redesigned, the engineers and product planners take the opportunity to rethink it from the ground up, resulting in an entirely new concept that bears nothing but the name of the previous car. The whole personality of the car is changed, for better or for worse.
The 2004 Chevrolet Malibu is not an example of this. Although it’s completely new, with a global platform that injects a dose of European engineering into this most American of nameplates, we predict that very few onlookers will have trouble recognizing the new Malibu the first time they see one.
Chevy’s family sedan hasn’t changed much from a design standpoint; Chevy likens the Malibu’s styling to a gray business suit or a black cocktail dress. The Malibu was always something of a wallflower styling-wise, and it still is. The conservative lines have been updated with slightly sharper edges and distinctive character lines over the wheel wells, similar to those found on other current Chevrolet products. There’s a notable lack of chrome, as well; the only brightwork on the Malibu is found in Chevy’s signature chrome crossbars front and rear. New quad-style headlamps ride higher in the fascia for a slightly froggy look. In December, a somewhat more radical Malibu arrives in the form of the five-door Malibu Maxx. The Malibu Maxx features a six-inch longer wheelbase and shorter rear overhang that give it a somewhat racier look. The stubby tail of the Maxx hides a hatchback tailgage. It’s not quite a station wagon, but definitely more than a sedan.
Inside, the new interior is a great jump forward for Chevrolet. The Malibu no longer feels like a rental car that stumbled into a showroom. It’s still a bit monochromatic, but the materials and design are thoroughly modern. Chevy has selected more refined plastics for the dash and other touchable surfaces, and the improvement is welcome. Long trips are easy thanks to supportive, comfortable seats front and rear. The front passenger seat folds flat, to help in carrying long loads. Upmarket options like heated seats, XM satellite radio and OnStar emergency service are no longer the exclusive domain of Cadillac, either; the Malibu offers all of these features. Adjustable pedals are also available for the first time. The Malibu Maxx offers additional legroom for rear-seat passengers, reclining rear seats and a cool DVD entertainment system whose screen is mounted in the center console instead of the roof. Side-curtain airbags are available.
The greatest departures from Malibus past are underneath the skin. The Malibu rides on GM’s Epsilon global sedan platform, designed by Opel in Germany. As a result, the Malibu has a solid and stable structure with a European flavor, if you’re sensitive to such things. Believe it or not, the underpinnings of this car are shared with the Saab 9-3 sports sedan. The Saab/Opel influence is welcome. It’s most noticeable on the road, of course, where the new Malibu’s silent passenger cabin and surprising road manners make it the equal of the perennial mid-size top dogs Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The front suspension rides on a hydroformed engine cradle and its electronic power steering is wonderfully direct and linear in effort. The four-link independent rear suspension is compact for minimal cargo intrusion. We played with the Malibu on some severely twisted roads and found it to be pleasantly capable. It’s not a sports sedan, but it’s easier and more confident on tangled roads than a Camry.
Four- and six-cylinder engines are offered, as opposed to the outgoing car which was only available with a six. The 145-horsepower Ecotec 2.2 liter four is standard in the base Malibu, and similar to that offered in the Saturn ION and Chevrolet Cavalier, although it’s somewhat quieter in the Malibu. Slightly revised and bumped in displacement, the 3.5 liter V6 is based on the old OHV 3.4 liter and is standard in LS, LT and Maxx models. The V6 is also quieter than the outgoing 3.4 liter mill, and offers 200 horsepower. The 3.5 liter V6 is good for a credible 32 miles per gallon on the freeway, so we found it to be the better engine choice. Both engines are hooked up to a four-speed automatic transmission.
That the Malibu costs less than its Japanese competitors isn’t news. That it manages to undercut the competition by as much as $5000, but no longer gives up a significant edge in ride and ergonomic quality however, is very noteworthy. Family sedan buyers take note; Malibu pricing starts at $18,995. Loaded up with every option, a top-of-the-line Malibu LT will come to $25,575. The Malibu Maxx will be along late this year, and prices for the five-door Malibu start at $22,225.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, which we tested.
Length: 188.3 in.
Width: 69.9 in.
Height: 57.5 in.
Wheelbase: 106.3 in.
Curb weight: 3174 lb (base Malibu)
Cargo space: 15.4 cu.ft.
Base price: $18,995
Engine: 3.5 liter OHV V6
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 200 @ 5400
Torque: 220 @ 3200
Fuel capacity: 16.3 gal.
Est. mileage: 23/32