Friday, July 31, 2015
Dent Repair FAQ
2015 Chrysler 300S V-8 Tested: Three Additional Gears, Same Big Sedan Goodness
-Most cars’ journey through a single life cycle—from launch to midterm update to giving way to something newer—can be tracked through the massaging of fascias, tweaks to head- and taillights, and updates to the available color palette. In the case of Chrysler’s second-generation 300 sedan, however, it also includes an ever-evolving tapestry of gearshifters. All 300s once had a meaty shift lever that slid through the typical PRND detents, but when Chrysler’s ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission began trickling into V-6–powered 300s, those models received new, Audi-esque, low-profile electronic shift levers. Now, as part of a mild refresh for 2015, the entire 300 line has adopted the same rotary shift dial as the smaller 200 sedan. READ MORE ››
2015 Mini Hardtop 4-Door: Car Seat Check
This Mini is surprisingly mighty when it comes to child-safety seats. The Mini Hardtop 4-Door is a new offering for 2015 that's roughly 6 inches longer than the Hardtop 2-Door. That additional length means there's extra space in the Hardtop 4-Door's backseat and cargo area. With 1.5 inches of extra rear legroom, the Hardtop 4-Door performed surprisingly well in our Car Seat Check.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
What We Like
- There are two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard rear seats. They sit behind hinged plastic covers and are easy to use. Three tether anchors are placed midway down the seatbacks.
- The convertible car seat in both rear- and forward-facing modes installed easily and fit well in the Hardtop 4-Door. There was no need to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate the rear-facing convertible.
- The bolstered rear seats worked well with our high-back booster, holding it snugly in place.
What We Don't
- Mini says the Hardtop 4-Door has room for three passengers in the backseat, but the middle seat is so narrow that not even the skinniest kid on your block could fit in that seat.
- To fit the rear-facing infant seat, we had to move the front passenger seat forward a few inches and adjust the seatback into a more upright angle. Our 5-foot-8-inch tester had just enough knee room, but she was uncomfortable because of the seatback's angle.
- The rear seat belt buckles are on stable bases, but they're recessed into the middle seat's bottom cushion. This position will likely be difficult for younger kids in boosters to use independently.
Grading Scale
A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.
B: Plenty of room. One fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room. Two or more fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
About Cars.com's Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child-safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. To learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks, go here[JN4].
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
Volkswagen Widens Availability of Advanced Safety Features
Advanced safety features aren't just for big spenders anymore. For the 2016 model year, Volkswagen is bringing a host of driver-assistance technology — including forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, park assist, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning — to many different vehicles and trim levels.
Related: Subaru's EyeSight System Makes Active Safety Features More Affordable
Once only available on the Touareg SUV, which for the 2015 model starts at nearly $46,000 with destination charge, these features (depending on model and trim) will now be offered on the Beetle, CC, e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen and Jetta. These cars in their current model years start at prices ranging from about $17,000 to $37,000, including destination. The German automaker is touting it as "democratizing high-end driver assistance features."
In addition to those expanded offerings, all 2016 Beetle, Beetle Convertible and Jetta models will add post-collision braking, which uses information from airbag sensors to prevent secondary collisions. Meanwhile, backup cameras will now be standard on more than 85 percent of Volkswagen cars, the automaker stated.
Here's how it breaks down:
- Adaptive cruise control will be standard on the CC V6 4Motion Executive and Touareg Executive trims, and optional on the Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta TSI/TDI and Touareg Lux/Sport with Tech.
- Forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking also will be standard on the CC V6 4Motion Executive and Touareg Executive, and optional on the e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta TSI/TDI and Touareg Lux/Sport with Tech.
- Blind spot monitoring with rear traffic alert will be standard on the CC V6 4Motion Executive, Beetle and Beetle Convertible SEL, Jetta GLI and Hybrid SEL, and Touareg (except the Sport trim), and optional on the Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen and Jetta TSI/TDI.
- Lane departure warning will again be standard on the CC V6 4Motion Executive and Touareg (except Sport), and optional on the Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R and Golf SportWagen.
- Park assist will be available on the e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI and Golf SportWagen.
- Park distance control will be standard on the CC V6 4Motion Executive, e-Golf SEL Premium, Jetta Hybrid, Jetta GLI, and Touareg Lux and Executive, and optional on the Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen and Touareg Sport with Tech.
- Post-collision braking will be standard on the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Jetta and Touareg.
Center for Pet Safety, Subaru Name Top Pet Crate and Carriers
Pet owners looking for independently tested products to safely transport their four-legged companions now have some options: The Center for Pet Safety and Subaru of America have released the results of their 2015 Crate and Carrier Crashworthiness Studies.
The nonprofit consumer advocacy organization and Subaru first joined forces in 2013 to test pet-safety harnesses; the current studies focus on the safety of crates, carriers and the connectors they use.
Related: Tested: Clickit Sport Dog Harness
Of the six crates and eight carriers tested, Gunner Kennels' G1 Intermediate crate with 8-inch tie-down straps was named the 2015 Top Performing Crate ($485); the PetEgo Forma Frame Jet Set carrier with ISOFIX-Latch connection ($140-$160) and the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed with the PPRS Handilock ($159.99 to $179.99) were the 2015 Top Performing Carriers. These products were deemed crashworthy because they met the test criteria of containing the test pet before, during and after the crash test, and the crate/carrier and all connection points remained connected to the test bench or cargo area for the duration of the test.
Higher-priced test crates included 4pets' Proline Milan, MIM Safe's Variocage Single and Roto Mold's Ruff Tough Kennel, which all failed. The carriers that failed the tests were the PetBuckle Auto Kennel Restraint, the Snoozer Roll Around Travel Dog Carrier Backpack 4-in-1, the Petmate Compass dog carrier, the Petmate Vari Kennel plastic carrier, the Kurgo Wander carrier and the PetEgo Pet Tube.
CPS called the Gunner Kennel "unique," saying that its dual-locking door provides "significant structural support to the door" and with its strength-rated anchor straps tightened, the crate gripped the cargo area's carpet "unlike any other crate we have tested. This is a significant travel device, with outstanding structural integrity."
The Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed with the PPRS Handilock Sleepypod
As for the carriers, CPS called PetEgo's Latch feature an "innovative connection design" that held the carrier securely, noting that the carrier fully contained the test dog during impact. When paired with the PPRS Handilock, the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed "performed exceptionally well. The product is unique in its form and snugly straps into the seat with the lap and shoulder belt system."
Critical to any pet's safety in a crate or carrier is making sure that the product is the right size. In general, it should be no more than 6 inches longer than the pet. This snug fit helps minimize the risk of pet injury during a sudden stop or crash. Connectors are also critical, whether the devices use shoulder and lap belts, Latch anchors or cargo straps; the connectors must be strong enough to maintain connection during impact.
CPS tested several types of crates and carriers; some made claims of being crash-tested and others were marketed as appropriate for travel but were not tested. CPS set a price cap of less than $1,000 (including shipping) for crates and a cap of $150 for "value" wire crates popular with consumers. There was not a price cap for the carriers, but the test included plastic carriers with wire doors, also popular with pet owners. Test "pets" simulated cats and dogs ranging in weight from 15 to 110 pounds. Testing was done at MGA Research Corp., an independent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing laboratory; CPS representatives were observers. Subaru provided funding for the studies.
CPS also tested a Midwest Dog Crates wire kennel with rubber anchor straps and a Midwest wire kennel with a reinforced cage support system. When secured with rubber straps as tie-downs, the first wire crate failed the test — the straps failed to keep it in place, and the crate was severely deformed. For the second test, CPS designed a reinforcing system made from several strength-rated cargo straps in an attempt to make the wire crate perform better. While the straps kept the crate in place, the test dog hit the back of the crate so hard that it broke through the crate and hit the seatback.
"Wire crates should be considered distraction prevention tools and will not provide significant protection in the case of an accident," CPS said in a statement.
Along with providing consumers with crashworthiness information, these studies also aim to educate pet owners about the difference between pet-containment products designed to prevent distraction and those designed to provide crash protection. In the final analysis, 11 of the 14 tested products simply serve to prevent distraction and do not provide adequate protection for pets or people in the event of a crash.
CPS also collected the data necessary to create a formal test protocol and ratings guidelines for pet travel crates and carriers in order to certify products in the future
To see videos of the tests, click here for crates and here for carriers. To read the complete crate study, click here and for the carrier study, click here.
OwnStar’d! Enterprising Wiz Hacks OnStar to Enable Remote Functions, GM Working on Fix
’Tis the season, apparently, to get hacky. In the wake of the Wired story that saw a Jeep Cherokee in a ditch after pair of hackers took control of the ute remotely via a UConnect vulnerability comes the announcement of OwnStar, a little black box that, when attached surreptitiously to a GM OnStar-equipped vehicle, executes a man-in-the-middle attack between that vehicle and the OnStar RemoteLink app. It allows a hacker to enjoy the full suite of RemoteLink capabilities, including unlocking doors, tracking the car’s whereabouts, and starting the vehicle remotely, as illustrated in the video below.
-According to Samy Kamkar, the creator of OwnStar, the vulnerability doesn’t lie in the vehicles; rather, it’s an exploitable flaw in the RemoteLink app’s code that allows him to take control of the cars. While he’s only experimented on one vehicle—a friend’s Chevrolet Volt—there’s no real reason to suspect that it won’t work with other GM vehicles, given that the problem is on the mobile-device side.
-Kamkar plans to release full details of the exploit during next month’s annual DefCon security conference in Las Vegas. While GM told Wired that it has relocked the door that Kamkar used to enter, the security analyst tweeted today that he’s still able to take control of OnStar.
---OwnStar update: GM told WIRED that OnStar bug was fixed, however it's not actually resolved yet. I spoke with GM & they're working on it now
-— Samy Kamkar (@samykamkar) July 30, 2015
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- Why the Recent Jeep Cherokee Hack is Not Cause for Panic -
- Chevrolet to Use Magic Hoodoo to Deliver Prognostic Vehicle Data to Owners -
- OnStar Wants to Share Your Driving Habits With Insurers -
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The hacker says GM has been receptive to his work; we imagine a patch for the exploit will be available by the time Kamkar gives his talk during the conference, which runs August 6 through 9. In the interim, the only sure-fire defense against OwnStar is to give up using the app for the moment. Still, given that we doubt there are a flood of dudes armed with knockoffs of Kamkar’s box named things like “PwnStar”, “Pr0nStar”, and “SausageCastleStar,” you’re still probably all right.
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