#280 2021 Chevrolet Suburban First Impressions; Subscription Fees for Auto Safety?

Talking Cars (MP3)

The 2021 Chevy Suburban is one of the latest additions to our testing fleet, and we give our first impressions on what it’s like to drive this big SUV, both on the open road, as well as in urban environments. The subscription model is common with many services these days, yet is still fairly uncommon in the automotive world. However, recent announcements by Tesla and GM may change this, and could introduce the concept of charging a monthly fee for access to important safety features. We talk about how these programs will work, and why they might not be in the best interest of consumers. We also discuss the long-term reliability of turbos and direct-injection vehicles, the best way to store your winter or summer tires, and if a dealership might allow you to learn to drive a manual transmission with one of their vehicles (spoiler alert: probably not.)

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SHOW NOTES

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00:00 - Introduction

00:29 - Monthly Subscription Fees for Vehicle Safety Features

05:53 - 2021 Chevrolet Suburban First Impressions

13:36 - Question #1: Are turbocharged engines less reliable than non-turbos?

16:35 - Question #2: Which Toyota vehicle would have the best resale value?

19:41 - Question #3: What is the best practice for storing a set of tires?

22:24 - Question #4: Would a car dealer allow an inexperienced operator test drive a manual transmission vehicle?

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Coronavirus Resource Hub

https://www.consumerreports.org/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/

Why You Might Need to Subscribe to Get Certain Features on Your Next Car

https://www.consumerreports.org/automotive-industry/why-you-might-need-to-subscribe-to-get-certain-features-on-your-next-car/

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban Grow in Size and Features

https://www.consumerreports.org/suvs/2021-chevrolet-tahoe-suburban-preview/

Prep Your Car for Winter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3rczMZsN0g

Getting your tires ready for winter: Advice from Consumer Reports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hixD6srMlP0

2016 Toyota Tacoma Quick Drive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHnpNycnJ1s

2017 Honda CR-V Quick Drive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwN2Tl1A5Z4

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