2021 Virtual Pickup Pull-off: Auto World's 3 Biggest Brands Competing For “All That Matters in The Real World”

2021 Chevy Colorado Pictured

Car And Driver hit the nail squarely on the head last week regarding the personal luxury pickup segment and the fact that comfort levels inside the cabin have risen drastically over the past decade. They avidly claimed that even with all of the exciting tech features and high-grade refinements, some of it quickly fades to the background when there's a job that needs to be done. Towing capacity is just as relevant as top speed is for those who have a great love for supercars, and also provides a snapshot for all of us here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse of just how much they'll help the hard-working populace. The publication took a close look last week at “what matters most in the real world”, and honed in on the big three brands' towing abilities. 

This much-loved car news provider shared their list of all of the major brands' pickups and how they compared to each other in terms of towing, with our beloved Chevy line poised front and center. The Colorado is available with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, a 3.6-liter V6, and Duramax 2.8-liter turbo-diesel inline-4. With the 2.5-liter, it can lug behind a maximum of 3500 pounds, but this jumps to 7000 with the V6. The 186-horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter diesel inline-4 engine adds an extra 700 pounds on top, on top of being a perfectly maneuverable and mid-sized choice. 

2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Pictured

The Chevy Silverado 1500 is within the same stigma and range as far as “doing it great with diesel”, and boasts a 9300-lb towing capacity courtesy of the 277-horsepower Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six diesel easily serving up 460 lb-ft of torque. But the 6.2-liter V8 skillfully claims the towing title with gusto for the 1500 line, backed by a 10-speed automatic and the ability to tow up to 13,400 pounds. 

The Chevy Silverado 2500 HD / 3500 HD has taken on the role of “big truck” superbly while being trustily available at your beckoning call and a burly 6.6-liter Duramax diesel. The gas engine under the hood of the 2500 model can tow 14,500 pounds, and this number jumps rapidly up to 18,500 pounds when equipped with the diesel. There were plenty of awesome things new for this year on America's favorite heavy-duty truck, beginning with the Multi-Flex tailgate. 

2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Pictured

Seeing the ability to be configured in six ways and brandishing an inner gate capable of acting as a work surface or load step, it is the ultimate way to provide a way to access the bed with ease. Adaptive Ride Control is now available on High Country models, and you can enjoy choosing from Oxford Brown Metallic, Cherry Red Tintcoat, and Mosaic Black Metallic for new exterior colors. One of the best ways to “know your tow” and get the most out of the Silverado is by stepping up to the Custom Trail Boss Trim” it offers four-wheel drive, the Z71 off-road suspension package, 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and automatic locking rear differential. 

2021 Chevy Tahoe Ranks As Tremendous in Tight Spaces, Trip-Primed Technology

This year at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse we are excited to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Tahoe Line, and there's no better way to honor this milestone than a complete redesign of the capable and trusty family hauler. Chevy has taken the main ingredients that people love about this legendary SUV and made it even more appealing with more room, better technology offerings, and a greatly satisfying driving experience. Technology from the full-sized Silverado truck line was added with the already-in-place luxuries, making this a vehicle on the larger side of things consistently packing a punch. 

Choosing a full-sized SUV means that you may encounter a bit of difficulty when trying to get through tight spots and one of the Tahoe's predominant advantages over the xtra-large Suburban. This year's Tahoe is 6.7 inches larger than the outgoing model, and has seen an addition of legroom to the second and third row of seats, improving comfort for those being shuttled to the airport for the holidays or an impromptu trip to Lowe's to properly continue that quarantine project you’ve been working on! 

Engine options are one of the components of an SUV that shoppers look at most closely: we all want the details about the powertrain that will be in charge of hauling you and your goods around daily. This year reviewers and experts alike have been excited about the new 3-liter diesel, the 6.2-liter V8, and the 5.3-liter V8 that the test staff of the Daily Herald enjoyed during their week spent with the Tahoe. If its torque that you are after, this is when the diesel finishes first, delivering a prize-winning 460 pounds. The trailering system takes heavy inspiration and cues from the hefty and tough Silverado truck, allowing the Tahoe to pull up to 7,900 pounds. 

A brand-new 10-inch LED touchscreen is at the center of the console inside and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto availability. With the passengers you will be hauling in tows' entertainment needs in mind, the Tahoe can come with up to five large screens if needed, an 8-inch center infotainment cluster, and two extra 12.6-inch screens in the rear for your favorite devices. Up front, you also have the choice of adding a 15-inch heads-up display in the window to ease the burden of mundane mile markers passing by. 

The Z71 package is the way to go if you know you love the Tahoe and are ready to up the stakes to the highest level of comfort and capability there is! It provides the Z71-specific grille design, fog lamps, black tubular assist steps, black recovery hooks, badging on the pillar and liftgate, Z71 rubber floor mats with logo, the very useful hill descent control as well as front and rear park assist. 

2021 Chevy Traverse Offers “Family Bus” Functionality With Stable Handling, Primo V-6 Pull

With its very spacious cabin, potent V6, and class-leading performance, the Traverse is one of the models here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse that is highly sought after for its durable and reliable performance as a family hauler! Front-wheel drive is offered as standard, and all-wheel drive is an option on every model except “L”. The three-row Traverse slots in between the Blazer and Tahoe in Chevy's feature-filled crossover lineup. Space is a well-defined commodity in any busy family's daily driver, and the Traverse boasts 23 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.8 cubic feet behind row two, and 98.2 cubic feet with every rear seat folded. 

The rear-view camera is now standard on all models, and rear-cross traffic alert and blind-spot  monitoring available on the RS trim levels and above are excellent additions to help promote the safest driving possible on a vehicle this size. The RS, Premier, and High Country trims provide the HD Surround Vision bird's eye view, a rear camera mirror as well as optional LT leather. During any length of journey on your weekly itinerary, up to 8 passengers can settle into extreme comfort, even on the base model offering. 

With so many different trim levels available on the Traverse, there's sure to be one that is perfect for your situation and budget. The RS model has long been the choice of many customers here, as it comes standard with 20-inch wheels, heated front seats, automatic high-beam headlamps, in-dash navigation, a 120-volt outlet on the back of the center console, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheels, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and one of our personal favorite added touches: a dual exhaust with rectangular finishers. 

The 3.6-liter V6 offers a strong pull versatile for many terrains, and pairs well with the 9-speed automatic transmission. The 2021 Traverse also features an automatic stop-start feature that the Car and Driver staff claim is the most effective they've ever tested, and the precise steering makes taking aim on the road with the large SUV simple. For the all-important space category, it was found that six carry-on suitcases will fit behind the third row, and the Traverse also offers the greatest amount of first-row cubby storage in its class.

The infotainment system on-board is easy to navigate and provides rapid response, with inviting graphics, the high-mounted touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto capability. The 2021 Traverse scored the highest five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and key safety features employing cutting-edge tech to watch over you are available blind-spot warning, forward collision warning, and lane-keep assist.

Generational Jaw-Dropping Performance: 6 Reasons The Corvette Has Achieved Massive Success

An all-American classic and status symbol that has recently been completely reborn as a mid-engined marvel of engineering, the Corvette has been hailed for offering world-class supercar-grade performance at an amazingly low price. With an inspiring heritage and a very rich and unique sense of identity, it's a great choice for a daily driver that still possesses legendary chops on the track. The staff on duty at the Hotcars.com blog cooked up a cool feature this week providing 6 reasons why The C8 is the best 'Vette ever and causes heads to rapidly turn where ever it goes.

Acceleration: One of the most frequently boasted-about features on any sportscar is its acceleration and looking at the modern statistics, it's exciting to many how fast the current-model Corvette can screech by. The C8 reaches the 60 mph mark in just 2.8 seconds, and the dual-clutch transmission really helped with the raw and very fierce power off the line. 

Handling: Once any driver gets their hands on the high-performance trim level of the C5, C6, and C7 Corvette, it's evident that there are numerous systems working in unison to massively enhance handling capability. The Z06 flaunts a more rigid body than other trims for better track performance, brandishing springs and shocks that are stiffer, improved sway bars, and larger tires on the C6. The C7 offers magnetic ride control dampers and a completely re-calibrated suspension, making this ride thoroughly exciting every single time.

Styling: The telltale looks of the Corvette do not just fall on any one generation, as all of us here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse have massive admiration for the C2 to C5 with its lengthy hood, iconic taillights, and flip-up headlights. These brilliant engineers worked so diligently to safely retain most of the Corvette's iconic shape, and the body lines are all striking  immediately upon first glance.

Value: This is one of the deals on the market that boasts so many features and flex for the price, and keeping high production numbers allows for a sense of commonality coupled with its supreme and salacious vibe. The C5 Z06 is a model that is offered at dealers all over the nation and provides 405 horsepower, a manual transmission, and very sharp handling, all at a cost that is tough to beat by any expert auto buff's standards. 

The Removable Top: Any convertible brings about the addition of a game-changing aspect for weekending with a purpose, and adds the fulfilling ability to enjoy the warm months in ways that are so much invigorating than simply rolling down a window. The setup for the convertible in the new C8 is simple to retract and adds a thrilling element to even the quickest of drives.

Magnetic Ride Control Suspension: This is the fine-tuned system that is constantly analyzing the road and then makes tweaks to the dampers during the drive. For a vehicle in this price range, the quality of ride you enjoy with this high-tech addition is unprecedented, and anyone looking for a grand touring vehicle should check it out. The data gathered from the road quality is changing by the millisecond, and this particular technology was once the stuff science fiction was made of!