PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: Hurt Locker Edition

PickupTrucks.com has done heavy-duty Shootouts before, but with manufacturers increasing their vehicles’ capabilities all the time, there always seems to be a new top-of-class claim.

Editor Mike Levine and his staff put three trucks — the 2011 Ford F-350, 2012 GMC Sierra 3500HD and 2011.5 Ram 3500 — through a grueling 2,200-mile test measuring every conceivable metric buyers of these haulers would want.

These work trucks can haul 19,400 pounds according to their specs, so that’s how much PickupTrucks.com put on their beds across the American Southwest. Check out the full report to see which one came out on top. [Hint: If you read the last Heavy-Duty Shootout, it’s the same winner.]

PickupTrucks.com 2011 Heavy-Duty Hurt Locker

GM Experiments With Free Car Insurance

GM and MetLife are teaming up to offer one year’s worth of free comprehensive car insurance to car buyers in Oregon and Washington.

The insurance, which is issued through MetLife, includes standard liability coverage as well as coverage for uninsured motorists, which is the basic coverage required in Oregon; Washington doesn’t require uninsured coverage. On top of that, the insurance policy includes underinsured coverage, collision and comprehensive coverage for car damage.

The promotion could save buyers thousands of dollars, depending on their age and other lifestyle factors. The average premium paid in Washington this year was $1,463; in Oregon it was $1,187, according to carinsurance.com.

To take advantage of the promotion, car shoppers must buy a new 2010, 2011 or 2012 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick or GMC and must be a resident of Oregon or Washington with a valid driver’s license. The promotion ends Sept. 6.

It’s an interesting experiment. The offer can be considered a typical incentive like a warranty, and it removes an obstacle before buying a new car and leads people to an insurance partner, benefitting the two companies.

Continue reading below for more details on the insurance coverage:

Americans Still Love SUVs ... From Detroit

June car sales proved the theory that America’s love affair with the sport-utility vehicle is far from over, despite high gas prices. And last month they wanted their SUV from a domestic automaker.

The SUV may be labeled differently these days — perhaps as a CUV, crossover or tall wagon — and the specific objects of affection are generally smaller than in the past.

But that doesn’t take the luster off of GM, Ford, and Chrysler combining to post a 28% year-over-year improvement in utility-vehicle sales in June. The overall U.S. light-vehicle market improved by just 7% in that same period. That's also in stark comparison to a decline of 1% for Japanese SUVs. Since that figure is likely impacted by the recent Japanese earthquake, we also looked at SUV sales from Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai. The two saw SUV sales up 18%.

No SUV sold in greater numbers last month than the Ford Escape.

Recall Alert: 739 Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC Trucks, SUVs

GM is recalling 739 vehicles from the 2011 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected vehicles are the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV 1500; Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; and GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL.

The affected vehicles are being recalled because the intermediate steering shaft attaching bolts might not have been tightened properly. This could cause the joints to separate and lead to steering loss, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall is expected to begin on July 13. GM dealers will inspect the intermediate steering shaft bolts and tighten them, if needed. For more info, owners can call Cadillac at 800-458-8006, Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

GM Adds Two Years Free Maintenance to Certified Used Cars

General Motors has added more complementary services to its certified pre-owned vehicles today. All Chevy, Buick and GMC certified pre-owned vehicles will get two-years/30,000 miles of free maintenance. GM is the first automaker to offer free maintenance on its certified pre-owned inventory.

The free maintenance, called Owner Care, includes oil changes, tire rotations and multipoint vehicle inspections free of charge.

Owner Care is added to GM’s existing certified pre-owned warranty program; which includes a 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance.

A 172-point inspection — increased from 117 points — along with a free trial of satellite radio remain standard.

Cadillac is not part of this change because the brand already has a six-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty but no complementary maintenance program for certified pre-owned vehicles.

Recall Alert: 2011 Chevy Colorado, 2011 GMC Canyon

GM is recalling 4,674 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks from the 2011 model year because the windshield wipers may become inoperative, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, the wipers’ motor crank arm nut may loosen if the wipers are operated with a build-up of snow or ice or if the wipers are turned on with a dry windshield. If the nut is loosened enough, the wipers could stop working. This could reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

The recall is expected to begin this month. Dealerships will secure the nut free of charge. For more info, owners can call Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Recall Alert: 2011 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana

General Motors is recalling 7,593 2011 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana utility vans over an issue involving the rear brakes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some vans may have been assembled improperly, allowing both the rear right brake hose and wheel speed sensor to come in contact with the tire or wheel rim during heavy suspension travel. If that condition exists, a hole could form in the brake hose, reducing the effectiveness of the rear brakes and in turn increasing braking distances.

Dealerships will inspect and secure the right rear brake hose, which is covered by GM’s new-car warranty. Owners can call NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit its website for more information.

Incentives at Lowest Level in 5 Years

U.S. automakers spent less money on cash-back and financial incentives in April, according to Bloomberg. The average incentive on a new car was $2,320 in April, down about 14% from a year ago. It was the lowest level spent since October 2005.

For car shoppers, that’s not good news. The reduction in incentives was mostly the result of tight inventories, partly because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March. Honda and Toyota have warned their dealers that inventory for vehicles would be tight throughout most of 2011, and Nissan recently postponed its big annual spring sales event.

Cars.com Reviews the 2011 GMC Acadia

The main difference between Chevrolet and GMC trucks and SUVs seems to be the latter’s high-end Denali trim offerings. For 2011, GMC’s first crossover gets the Denali treatment, which includes chrome garnishes and a rich assortment of interior accruements. While this Acadia certainly befits the Denali designation, GM hasn’t addressed some fundamental problems with the family hauler, according to Cars.com editor Bill Jackson. Issues include uncomfortable seats and pronounced wind and cabin noise.

2011 GMC Acadia Review

GM Adds 14 2010 Model Year Vehicles to Mobile Application

Last summer, General Motors launched a mobile application for subscribers of its OnStar program that allowed users access to vehicle features from afar. The program was available to all owners of 2011-model-year GM vehicles. Today, the automaker is giving 14 2010 vehicles the same abilities, too.

Those vehicles include the Cadillac DTS and Escalade; Buick Enclave and Lucerne; GMC Acadia, Yukon and Yukon XL; and Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Suburban, Tahoe and Traverse.

The OnStar app allows you to remotely start and lock/unlock your vehicle. It also could come in handy for heating up your car in the winter or cooling it down in the summer.

The app can also activate the vehicle’s alarm system and help you find your vehicle in a crowded parking lot. One of the app’s greatest benefits is you can control these functions from any distance; normal key fobs have these controls but work only a few hundred feet away from the car.

The mobile app acts as an extension to OnStar’s Safe and Sound and Directions and Connections services, so you will need to have one of those plans to use the app. A basic OnStar plan costs $18.95 a month or $199 a year. So far, GM says 56,000 owners have activated the app and use it on a regular basis.