IIHS Says Several Pickups Don't Meet Expectations

While you might envision large pickup trucks as pretty safe vehicles to be inside during a bad accident, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has news for you: The new Dodge Ram, Nissan Titan and Chevy Silverado all performed below expectations when IIHS tested four-door versions for side impacts.

Both with and without optional side airbags, the Chevy Silverado 1500 got a Poor rating, even though the Silverado got a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Director of media relations Russ Rader told Autoblog that this was due to different testing methods; IIHS simulates the impact of a large truck or SUV with a taller barrier that impacts the more vulnerable parts of the door.

The Titan also received a Poor mark for side impacts, but increased that rating to Marginal with optional side airbags. The Ram, which has standard side airbags, managed a Marginal rating as well.

In case you’re wondering, IIHS really doesn't have it in for large pickups: The new 2009 Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra both were chosen as Top Safety Picks.

Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Not everybody falls in love with their automotive purchases. This is certainly the case for Eric from Tennessee, who had some buyer's remorse about the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. His disappointment extended beyond the pickup's general ride and unimpressive fuel economy to small touches like storage space and even upholstery. Read his full review for an idea of why the Silverado failed to meet his expectations, then post your own review here.

GM Announces Pricing for Sierra Hybrid, Silverado Hybrid, Pontiac G3

GM released pricing information for two of its upcoming 2009 models, including its hybrid pickup trucks. The 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid will start at $39,365 for a 3HA model. The Sierra Hybrid has a fuel economy rating of 21/22 mpg city/highway for the 2WD model, while the 4WD is estimated at 20/20 mpg.

The 3HB model will go for $45,500 and include amenities like a Bose sound system, rear-park assist and leather bucket seats. A $2,200 federal tax credit is available for Sierra Hybrid buyers.

The 2009 Chevy Silverado Hybrid (pictured) will start at $38,995, including a $975 destination charge, for the 2WD 1HY model and $45,130 for the 2HY model, which like the Sierra upgrade includes navigation, leather seats and rear-park assist. The Silverado gets a combined fuel economy rating of 21 mpg from the EPA.

Meanwhile, the Pontiac G3 hatchback will start at $14,995 when it hits showrooms in March 2009. The G3 has a fuel economy rating of 34 mpg on the highway, making it Pontiac's fourth vehicle that gets better than 32 mpg.

GM Rolls Out Red Tag Sale, Chevy Deals

GM’s Red Tag Sale has become a bit of a holiday tradition, usually starting in December. However, the abysmal economy has forced the company to roll out the sale a month early this year. Dealers are instructed to clearly place the price consumers will pay after incentives and other fees have been calculated and deducted on a big, red tag on each vehicle. (The tag’s price excludes factory-to-dealer incentives, as well as other stackable incentives like recent grad cash back, auto show bonus cash, and tax, title and registration fees.)

First up in our list of such incentives is Chevrolet. A variety of incentives (or, to be technical, the Red Tag Sale price) are available on 2008 and 2009 models. A full list is available on GM’s Red Tag Sale page. Even new models like the Chevy Traverse crossover are severely discounted. A selection of available Red Tag pricing deals are listed below, though they may vary depending on what region of the country you’re in: 

Another Shock: Chevy Silverado Tops August Best-Sellers List

It seems that dangling a nearly $10,000 discount on a truck — along with sub-$4 gas prices — will help it sell. That was the case with Chevy’s Silverado pickup in August, as GM’s employee pricing offer kicked its sales into overdrive and put it atop the list of the nation’s best-selling cars and trucks. 

The Silverado sold only 32,989 units in July, but the added discounts bumped the total to 55,765 in August, which is still less than August 2007’s total of 67,486. 

Other trucks were also heavily discounted and saw sales increases, but practical cars still make up the majority of August’s top 10 list. Check out the full list below. 

Chevrolet's Employee Discounts Revealed

Yesterday, we hoped to figure out just how much GM’s Employee Pricing Sale could save customers, and short of invading dealerships or interrogating GM employees (“Hey, how much is your discount? Answer us!”), we’ve found the answers — on GM’s site.

Chevrolet unsurprisingly has concentrated most of its employee savings on its trucks and SUVs. At the employee-discounted price plus incentives, the Silverado is available for $19,948, which is $8,000 below MSRP. The Avalanche (almost $9,000 less than MSRP) and Suburban (more than $9,000 less than MSRP) are also available with hefty bargains.

If you’re a sports car enthusiast, you’re not left out. The Corvette is included in the sale, and we found more than $6,000 in Cash back on the standard ‘Vette. We’re devoting an entirely separate post to the ridiculous price of a 2008 Corvette Z06.

A substantial list of Chevy’s employee-priced vehicles is below, with expected cost after discounts and incentives. Check Chevrolet’s site for a full list of deals or GM’s site for differing trim levels, other models and to double-check which deals apply in your area.

PickupTrucks.com: Test-Driving the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

While GM may not have the same green car cache as Toyota, Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com discovered that GM may have pulled ahead when it comes to large hybrids. The enormous truck manages an EPA-estimated 21/22 mpg city/highway, which means the half-ton pickup edges out Toyota's Lexus LS 600h L luxury sedan. In his first drive of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, Levine towed a 5,000-pound Sea Ray boat with relative ease. The Silverado Hybrid managed to pull the weight using just the electric motor until 15 mph, when the gas engine kicked in. Needless to say, there were some impressed folks over at PickupTrucks.com. Click on the link to read Levine's full report.

Environmen-tow-ly Friendly, First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid (PickupTrucks.com)

GM Adds 1 MPG to 2009 Trucks and SUVS

For the 2009 model year, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs will add a new model called the XFE that adds an extra mpg to both city and highway mileage. The new models only come with two-wheel drive, but towing and other capabilities remain unchanged despite the improved mileage.

While 1 mpg doesn’t seem like a lot, moving the gauge from 14/20 mpg to 15/21 mpg equals a 5% to 7% improvement.

While we’d love to discuss these changes in-depth here on KickingTires, we’d much rather point everyone to PickupTrucks.com and let the experts there explain the changes in detail.

General Motors Debuts 'XFE' Pickups With Improved Fuel Economy (PickupTrucks.com)

Chevrolet Offers Cash Back on 2008 Impala, Avalanche

It’s a new month, and new April incentives are gradually rolling out. GM’s the first to post, and thus far the deals are slightly underwhelming.

Chevy is offering $1,500 cash back on its Impala sedan, a perennial best-seller despite its otherwise bland personality. The carmaker is also giving back $2,000 on the 2008 Avalanche, which Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays lauded in his review when the truck first hit the scene. Both cars also have 36-month, 2.9% financing offers.

Chevy is continuing its usual high-dollar truck incentives in April, offering between $1,500 and $3,250 cash back on its various Silverado trucks. Incentives expire April 30.

Honda Still on Top in U.S., Says Consumer Reports

For the second year in a row, Consumer Reports has named Honda the automaker selling the best vehicles in the U.S., based on factors ranging from reliability to vehicle comfort.

Toyota and Subaru ranked second and third, followed by BMW, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen. No domestic nameplate appeared on the list.