Exploring the 2012 GMC Terrain Then Test Drive at Borcherding Buick GMC!

Exploring the 2012 GMC Terrain

GMC (and many others) no longer call all SUVs a SUV; some are now crossovers (usually a crossover is a car based SUV-like vehicle). GMC, the smallest General Motors Division, has two crossovers in its 2012 lineup — the Acadia and Terrain (a third, Terrain Denali, joins in 2013). The “true” SUVs are now called trucks (they are truck based). I recently drove a GMC Terrain.

The Terrain is the larger of GMC’s crossover for 2012 and its intended competition are vehicles like the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Terrain is 185.3 inches long and rides on a 112.5 inch wheelbase. It weighs 3798 pounds plus depending on model and option; not bad for a SUV, er crossover, but a little portly.

I am not a fan of the styling; too much chrome, too massive a front-end, and too angular for me. The size is decent though — easy to get in and out of and for its interior volume (a total of 63.9 cubic feet) it is relatively small on the outside.
The 2012 model has two engines available; a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter V6 (the V6 goes to 3.6-liters for 2013). I can see only one reason to go with the four — it is
more fuel efficient but at the expense of towing capacity and performance (let’s face it, its 182 hp and 172 ft-lbs of torque aren’t much to move almost two tons). The V6 is rated at 17-city and 24-highway and that isn’t bad for a vehicle like this. I drove a similar Chevrolet vehicle last year and it mirrored the ’12 Terrain’s mileage. I found that it is easy to exceed the highway figure but the city figure will drag down the combined. (Note to all automotive engineers: Not all driving is on a highway; please find a way to get the city mileage up.) Even with the larger engine the ’13′s mileage stays the same.

One big difference between the 4-cylinder and V6 is the towing capacity. The V6 more than doubles the towable weight to 3,500 pounds. If you plan on towing anything heavier than a basic travel trailer go for the V6.
GMC uses a 6-speed automatic transmission (helps with economy) with either engine. It easily rivals the GM transmissions of old in operation (remember when automatics were trouble free?) but with the world moving to 7- or 8-speed automatics it is time for the domestics to up their game. (Did I actually just diss a very good 6-speed automatic?)
I find many current vehicles to have busy instrument panels. They are way too fussy with too many buttons that aren’t easy to use or intuitive. The Terrain is no different except at least there are some knobs. There is a feature I really liked — the “hoods” over the instrument cluster and radio. It almost eliminated glare and reflection. Excellent!

Crossovers have replaced big 4-door sedans as the vehicle of choice in suburbia. Look around, how many large sedans do you see? And the fuel economy of the crossovers is good for their size. But that’s the rub; it’s good for their size. There was a time when 24-mpg was considered great; now it’s only fair. If we’re going to ever become free of foreign oil we are going to have to develop family size (or North American family size) vehicles with much better fuel economy.
For now, though, the GMC Terrain is a very good choice. I can’t keep up with the average sale price of vehicles. It seems like only yesterday that $20,000 got you a decent set of wheels. (Actually it was a long time ago.) In June 2012 the average transaction price was $30,508. That puts the lowest price Terrain ($26,385) in perspective. Go with the top model (SLT-2 All-Wheel-Drive), load on all the options you can and you are pushing $40,000.

Source: [Mercury News]

Car tips from Borcherding: A/C or Windows Down?

A/C or Windows Down: Which Method Will Save You Money?

In the summer a car can feel like a hot box. You want to crank the A/C but hesitate since saving every penny counts with gas prices so high.   As temperatures rise, the question will be, air conditioning or windows down?

Both methods will keep the car cool while driving but both are also rumored to be gasoline wasters. So which method will keep your tank filled longer and will ensure you’re comfortable on your road trip?

And the winner is… well it depends on how you’re driving and what kind of car you’re driving.

Older cars air conditioning units put more pressure on the engine and is much less efficient than newer car’s air conditioning units. That being the case, an older car’s air conditioning unit will waste more gas then a newer model.

If you are driving through town or in stop and go traffic, keeping the windows down and the air conditioner off will save gas. If you are driving on a highway or at high speeds, keeping the windows up and the air conditioning on is the way to go.  Keeping the windows down when driving at high speeds will create more drag on the car, which will reduce fuel economy.  At these high speeds it is more practical to turn on the A/C unit. The car is the most aerodynamic when all of the windows are rolled up. Drivers don’t have to feel bad about trying to keep cool this summer, as long as they know their options.

Source: [Earth Garage]

2013 GMC Terrain Denali Test Drive one in Cincinnati at Borcherding!

2013 GMC Terrain Denali Test Drive

On-sale date: August 2012

Price: $35,350 to $42,000-plus

Competitors: Acura RDX, Infiniti JX

Powertrains: 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder, 182-hp, 172 lb-ft of torque; 3.6-liter V-6, 301-hp, 272 lb-ft; six-speed automatic; FWD or AWD

EPA fuel economy (city/hwy): 22/32 (four-cylinder with FWD); 16/23 (V-6 with AWD)

What’s new: GMC extends its popular Denali luxury sub-brand to the smallest vehicle in its lineup, the Terrain crossover (CUV in GM parlance), accompanied by an upgraded V-6 with more displacement (3.6 vs 3.0 liters). The larger engine is good for 14 additional horses and 22 percent more torque while returning the same EPA fuel economy ratings as the outgoing Terrain V-6. You can get a Denali edition without the big engine or the big engine without the Denali trim upgrades outside and in, but GMC expects the combination to be the most popular.

Tech tidbit: The invisible hand that may do the most to distinguish this from other Terrains is the dual-flow damper used in the front suspension. Valving in these shock absorbers varies with the rate of the piston travel, delivering firmer handling response without degrading ride—you get them only in the Denali version. (Chevrolet uses them in Equinox, Terrain’s platform-mate, in a new FE2 performance suspension.)

Driving character: We drove V-6-powered AWD Terrain Denalis on challenging two-lane roads in northern Michigan and found that the more powerful engine and the upgraded suspension gave us a surprisingly nimble and responsive drive, especially considering the vehicle’s 2-ton weight. GM tuned the Terrain Denali to feel the most “truck-like” of all its CUVs on this platform, however, so steering effort from the hydraulic power-assisted V-6 (the four-cylinder gets electric assist) is relatively high. Still, you can hustle the Terrain Denali along narrow country lanes, and the drivetrain makes short work of passing the dawdling sightseers and motorhomes. Or, since the Terrain Denali has a 3500-pound towing capacity, hook up a camper or boat and join the caravans of country cottagers.

Favorite detail: Denali trim gives you an eight-way power seat on the passenger side, while the fore-and-aft adjustability of the rear seat (on all Terrains, not just Denali) makes it easy to switch between carrying cargo or passengers back there.

Driver’s grievance: At 4204 pounds in the configuration we drove, this is one hefty five-seater. As a consequence, the only way to get decent mileage is to opt for the smaller motor. Buying a Terrain Denali with all the bells and whistles could only be considered an economy move—on price or fuel efficiency—if you were downsizing from a Yukon.
The Bottom line: The only functional upgrades you get for paying for the Denali trim are blind-spot warning, cross-traffic alerts, the trick dampers, and the power passenger seat—and some of those subject to optional add-on costs. So buyers will have to love the cosmetic treatment of the package to pony up for it. That treatment includes satin-chrome accents on the exterior, 18-inch wheels with the four and 19s with the V-6, and smoked mahogany highlights inside, plus a handsome soft-touch French stitched leather dashboard cap. All these touches dress up the boxy Terrain in ways that will appeal to Denali loyalists. And GMC certainly knows what it’s doing. The brand has sold more than a half-million vehicles with Denali badges on them since the first Yukon Denali in 1999.

Contact Borcherding for more information!
Read more: 2013 GMC Terrain Denali Test Drive – Popular Mechanics

Push For Pencils Supply Drive Come To Borcherding Buick GMC to Drop Donations!

 

Did you know?

• 73% of children attending Cincinnati Public Schools participate in the National School Lunch Program.  Children who cannot afford basic meals are not able to afford the school supplies they need. 
• Close to 92% of teachers nationwide spend an average of $1000 of their own money on school supplies for their students every year.
• Studies have shown that students without the proper supplies and material are more likely to drop out.

With the help of Crayons To Computers they are able to serve close to 100,000 school children annually! Borcherding Buick GMC is proud to help and we want to get as much supplies as possible! For the next 3 weeks we will have Push For Pencils collection bins set up in our Used Car showroom and the new New Car Showroom next to the cashier window. 

If you are coming out to Borcherding for an oil change, to testdrive a vehicle, or maybe you're taking cruise around the Kings Auto Mall please feel free to drop your donations off at our store!

Top Midsize Crossover is.. The Buick Enclave!

Buick Enclave named top midsize crossover in quality study

The Buick Enclave, among a trio of crossover vehicles produced at General Motors Co.’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, was named the top midsize crossover in this year’s Initial Quality Study by market research firm J.D. Power and Associates.
The Enclave is the only locally produced vehicle to earn honors in the study, released Wednesday. It measures vehicle appeal and design and production quality. Among large crossovers, the Ford Expedition topped a segment GM historically has won.
GM earned a total of four awards.
The Enclave “performed at an exceptional level this year,” said David Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of global automotive.
J.D. Power, based in Westlake Village, Calif., has issued the study for 26 years as a gauge of quality among new vehicles. This year, 26 of the 34 measured brands improved and overall quality increased by about 5 percent from a year ago, to 102 problems per 100 vehicles, the firm said.
“The industry is producing better-quality vehicles than it has ever done in the past,” Sargent said, adding that the rate of improvement is the fastest since 2009. “This year’s vehicles are even better than last year’s.”
Customers increasingly are reporting problems with their vehicles’ multimedia systems, according to the study. Problems with hands-free technology systems, in particular, are up 137 percent in the last four years.
Check out our new 2012 Buick Enclave inventory and used 2012 Buick Enclaveinventory at Borcherding!

Source: [Lansing State Journal]

Borcherding Fleet Trucks Partnered with the Cincinnati Homebuilders Assocation

Cincinnati Homebuilders Assocation Exclusive Offer

Are you or anyone you know part of the Cincinnati Homebuilders Association?
Members can get a $500 private offer toward the purchase or lease of the most new GM Vehicles!

Contact our Fleet Manager Dennis Purvis for details dpurvis@borcherding.com at 513-677-9200.

Buick Verano Makes “Ten Best Sedans Under $25,000” List

KBB.com - If all you want out of your next car are good ride, handling, fuel efficiency, features and value, today you don't have to look any further than the average sedan. If you want to get greedy and add some sportiness, luxury or refinement, you don't have to look beyond this list.

2012 Buick Verano
Newest addition to the Buick lineup, the front-drive Verano has the style and substance to attract value-oriented buyers of all ages. Bringing the division's near-luxury experience to a compact scale, the Verano matches its sophisticated exterior treatment and impressively appointed passenger compartment with a full measure of the division's classic "Quiet Tuning" technology.

Source: Kbb.com