HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK .

JOIN US AS WE FIND OUT IF THE MERCEDES-BENZ C450 AMG HITS THE PROVERBIAL SWEET SPOT... PAT GOSS IS CHARGED UP DOWN IN GOSS' GARAGE... ZACH MASKELL GETS DOWN AND DIRTY ON HIS NEXT TRIP OVER THE EDGE... AND WE'LL SEE IF DIESEL'S STILL A DIRTY WORD WITH THE GMC CANYON DURAMAX...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

"OH, COME ON..." "HOT, HOT, HOT..." THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE... "JUST A BOTTLE OF WATER."

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY BRAND'S EVER EXPANDING LINEUPS AND THE MULTITUDE OF VEHICLE CATEGORIES EMERGING, THESE DAYS, IT'S ALL ABOUT FINDING A NICHE TO EXPLOIT.

THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN THIS CAR, THE MERCEDES-BENZ C450 AMG SPORT.

SO, IS THIS TWEENER WORTH A LOOK, OR IS IT JUST MARKETING GONE OVERBOARD?

* SO WHERE DOES THIS 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C450 AMG 4MATIC SEDAN FIT IN THE C-CLASS HIERARCHY?

WELL, AS YOU MIGHT GUESS FROM THE ELONGATED NAME; IT ATTEMPTS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN A LUXURY MINDED C300 AND THE ALL-OUT PERFORMANCE INSANITY OF AN AMG C63.

IT'S ONE OF WHAT BENZ NOW CALLS THE AMG SPORTS MODELS.

YOU KNOW IT'S A SPORTS MODEL IF THE AMG COMES AFTER THE MODEL DESIGNATION, NOT BEFORE IT.

GOT IT?

ACCORDING TO MB, IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING AMG MORE ATTAINABLE TO MORE PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF THE CONFUSION.

BUT MUCH LIKE THAT AMG C63, THE 450 AMG ALSO BOASTS TWIN-TURBO POWER, ONLY WITH TWO FEWER CYLINDERS IN PLAY, AND A WHOLE LOT LESS BARK.

HERE, IT'S A 3.0 LITER V6 THAT OUTPUTS 362 HORSEPOWER AND 384 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

NOT BAD, CONSIDERING THAT'S 33 HORSEPOWER AND 30 POUND-FEET MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S C400.

EVEN BETTER, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE BMW 340I, WITH ITS INLINE TURBO-6, RATES A DISTANT SECOND.

THE 450 AMGs TRANSMISSION IS A TRUE 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND THERE'S STANDARD 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE THAT HAS A 2/3S REAR BIAS.

THE LETTERS AMG USUALLY ALSO MEAN DISTINCTIVE STYLING, AND HERE THE 450 GETS AN AGGRESSIVE LOOK, BUT ONE THAT'S NOT OVERDONE.

VERY SIMILAR IN FASHION TO FULL-ON AMG EDITIONS OF A GENERATION OR TWO AGO.

OPENINGS IN THE UNIQUE FRONT FASCIA ARE ENLARGED, AND FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THE GRILLE GETS 'BENZ'S FLOATING DIAMONDS TREATMENT.

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE AMG LOGOS TO GO ALONG WITH THE BLACK TRIM, DUAL CHROME EXHAUST TIPS, 18 OR 19-INCH AMG LIGHT ALLOY WHEELS, AND A DISTINCTIVE SPOILER LIP TACKED ON TO THE REAR DECK.

DRIVING DYNAMICS ARE OF MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANCE OF COURSE.

AND FOR THAT, THE 450s SUSPENSION IS A VARIATION OF THE TOP SHELF C63s, WITH ADAPTIVE 3-STAGE DAMPERS, STIFFENED 4-LINK IN FRONT, AND MULTI-LINK IN REAR.

IN ECO MODE, THERE'S ENGINE STOP/START AND A SAILING FUNCTION THAT DISENGAGES THE TRANSMISSION WHEN YOU LET OF THE GAS.

IN COMFORT MODE, RIDE QUALITY IS QUITE GOOD, WITH REALLY NO HINT OF THE PERFORMANCE NASTINESS THAT'S AVAILABLE.

BUT THINGS REALLY WAKE UP IN SPORT PLUS MODE, AS STEERING, AND THROTTLE BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE, AND THE SUSPENSION STIFFENS UP DRAMATICALLY; BECOMING BORDERLINE TOO HARSH FOR THE STREET.

SO, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN FIND YOURSELF A NICE SMOOTH RACE TRACK LIKE WE DID, OUR WINTER HAUNT OF ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY NEAR SAVANNAH.

AND AROUND ITS FAST TURNS, THE 450 FEELS COMPETENT AND WELL-SETTLED, WITH NICE AND DIRECT STEERING; ACCOMPANIED BY MUCH BETTER THAN AVERAGE BRAKES.

IT'S NO LIGHTWEIGHT AT 3,693 POUNDS, BUT LIKE A TRADITIONAL GERMAN SPORTS SEDAN IT WEARS IT WELL; FEELING QUITE CAPABLE IN BOTH TRANSITIONS AND POWERING THROUGH SWEEPERS.

ALL IN ALL, HIGHLY PROFICIENT FOR A CAR THAT WE STILL FEEL IS MORE AT HOME BACKROAD JOY RIDING.

ACCELERATION NUMBERS FALL RIGHT AROUND WHERE YOU'D EXPECT, WITH A 4.5 SECOND TRIP TO 60 AND A 12.9 SECOND QUARTER MILE AT 109 MILES PER HOUR.

IT FEELS PLENTY POWERFUL OFF THE LINE, AND THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE GRIP MAKES GOOD USE OF ALL THAT'S AVAILABLE.

THERE'S JUST A HINT OF TURBO LAG BEFORE POWER COMES ON IN FULL, AND IT SOUNDS PRETTY SWEET FOR NOT BEING AN ALL-OUT PERFORMANCE SEDAN.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LET OFF THE THROTTLE AND GET THAT NEAT V8 LIKE CRACKLE FROM THE EXHAUST.

SHIFTS FROM THE 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE FIRM AND QUITE PROMPT, WITH BARELY ANY DROP-OFF IN POWER BETWEEN THEM.

AND IN MANUAL MODE, SURPRISE!

THE SHIFTER ONLY SHIFTS WHEN YOU TELL IT TO.

NOT WHEN A COMPUTER THINKS IT'S PRUDENT.

INSIDE, THE MIX OF DURABLE MB-TEX VINYL, COLOR STITCHING, AND ALUMINUM ACCENTS SPORTIFY THE SPACE WITHOUT LOOKING FAST OR FURIOUS.

OF COURSE YOU CAN UPGRADE TO REAL LEATHER AND ADD SOME CARBON FIBER IF YOU CHOOSE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 21-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, AND 24-COMBINED.

KEEPING THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE RIGHT AROUND AVERAGE WITH 13.7 BARRELS OF OIL BURNED AND 6.1 TONS OF CO2 EMITTED YEARLY.

WHEN IT COMES TO PRICING, THE C450 PENDULUM SWINGS CLOSER TO A BASE C300 SEDAN, STARTING AT $51,725.

YET, WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE, THAT PENDULUM EASILY SWINGS CLOSER TO THE FULL-ON AMG C63.

IN TRUTH, THIS VERY EASY TO LOOK AT 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C450 AMG 4MATIC IS IN MANY WAYS SIMPLY A RENAMING OF LAST YEAR'S C400 WITH SOME AMG TRICKLE DOWN GOODIES THROWN IN FOR SPORT.

AND A GOOD SPORT IT IS AS YOU GET MOST OF THE AMG C63 PERFORMANCE QUOTIENT FOR A FRACTION OF THE ADDED PRICE.

AND IT'S ONE LUXURY SPORT SEDAN THAT STILL EMBRACES THE LUXURY ASPECTS OF THE EQUATION AS WELL.

ALL OF THAT, MAKES THIS MEANER TWEENER MUCH MORE THAN JUST A CLEVER MARKETING MANEUVER; RATHER, A RIDE MORE THAN WORTHY OF YOUR CONSIDERATION.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND WHERE THEIR ROCKVILLE HEADQUARTERS IS ALSO A DEPOT FOR THEIR CNG TRANSIT BUSES.

NEARLY 75% OF THEIR 400+ FLEET USES THE CLEANER BURNING FUEL, DISPLACING NEARLY ONE MILLION GALLONS OF DIESEL PER YEAR.

A MARYLAND CLEAN AIR GRANT ALSO HELPED BUILD 16 LEVEL 2 ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS, AND BUY MORE THAN A DOZEN PLUG IN VEHICLES.

THE COUNTY REDUCED PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION BY 7% IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WITH A GOAL OF 30% OVER 5-YEARS.

Bill Griffiths: WE WANT TO REPLACE, ELIMINATE WHERE WE CAN AND WE'RE USING ALL THESE FUELS.

WE'RE USING CNG, WE'RE USING ELECTRIC, WE'RE USING E85, WE'RE USING BIOFUELS AND HELP ACHIEVE THAT 20% REDUCTION IN OUR PETROLEUM.

John: THE COUNTY HAS BEEN USING CNG BUSES FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AND EVEN SHARES THEIR FUELING STATION WITH 125 CONTRACTED CNG REFUSE TRUCKS.

THIS YEAR A NEW PUBLIC ACCESS FAST FILL CNG STATION WENT ONLINE.

ALL PROGRESSIVE EFFORTS TO MAKE THE COUNTY'S GREEN FLEET PLAN A MAXIMUM SUCCESS.

* IF IT'S GOT AN ENGINE OR WHEELS... YOU'VE ALREADY CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION.

ADD A BUNCH OF UNEVEN TURF INTO THE EQUATION...

THE EYEBROWS ON OUR OVER THE EDGE GUY'S FACE, LIFT TO THE SKIES.

SO, TOSS ON YOUR BOOTS, AND LET'S RIDE WITH ZACH MASKELL ON SOME PRE-MIX PONIES.

Zach Maskell: THIS IS NOT A STORE.

IT'S A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SITTING ON THE CUFF OF 300 ACRES IN WHITEFORD, MARYLAND.

SOME WOULD QUESTION, WHY... OTHERS, ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.

Jeff Phipps: IT'S A FEELING OF FREEDOM TO BE ABLE TO START YOUR BIKE AND TAKE OFF AND JUST GO.

Zach: JEFF PHIPPS STARTING RIDING WHEN HE WAS 11 YEARS OLD.

THIS COLLECTION OF OVER 100 DIRT BIKES, BEGAN JUST FOUR YEARS AGO.

BOTH JEFF, ALONG WITH HIS SON RYAN, HAD PLENTY TO SHARE.

THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

THESE GUYS ARE SELF-TAUGHT EXPERTS.

THEY ACQUAINTED ME WITH A FAMOUS BIKE... A 2-STROKE WHOSE BRAND YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH.

SOICHIRO HONDA SAID, " THAT HIS COMPANY WAS NEVER GOING TO PRODUCE A 2-STROKE MOTOCROSS BIKE."

WELL, NOT A COUPLE YEARS LATER, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID, WITH THIS RIGHT HERE, "THE ELSINORE."

IT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE MOTORCYCLE GAME FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.

WHILE, HONDA WAS DOING WELL WITH 4-STROKES...

THEY KNEW THEY NEEDED TO STAY COMPETITIVE.

A SECRET TEAM DESIGNED THE 2-STROKE AND PRESENTED IT TO THEIR LEADER.

HE APPROVED THE IDEA, BUT ONLY IF HIS TEAM GUARANTEED A WINNER.

THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE JAPANESE BRAND TAKE OVER.

THE ELSINORE WAS FAVORED BY MANY, AND THIS LEAD TO A 34 YEAR RUN OF 125 AND 250s.

WHAT WAS IT THAT HONDA DID DIFFERENTLY WITH THIS 2-STROKE?

WHY DID SO MANY PEOPLE BUY IT?

Jeff: RAW POWER.

AND IT WAS DEPENDABLE THAT YEAR.

THE EARLIER ONES WEREN'T SO DEPENDABLE.

BUT, I DRAG RACE THIS BIKE, AND I'M 220 POUNDS, AND THIS THING RIPS, AND IT'S ALL STOCK.

Zach: YES, JEFF AND PLENTY OF OTHERS ARE STILL BEATING ON THIS BEAUTY CREATED IN THE '70s.

Zach: IT'S JUST GOT SO MUCH POWER... [ENGINE REVS] AND IT DELIVERS... [LAUGHS] RIGHT WHEN YOU WANT IT!

I HAD TO PUT THE RED ROCKET DOWN, AND MOVE ON TO A COUPLE OTHER POPULAR CHOICES WHEN DIRT BIKES WERE BECOMING MAINSTREAM.

IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS ONE... THEN YOU NEVER LOOKED IN ANY MAGAZINES GROWING UP.

THE KAWASAKI KDX 200 IS A DO-IT-ALLER.

AND EVEN NOW, YOU CAN RIDE IT ALL DAY LONG AND STILL HAVE ENERGY LEFT.

I WOULD BELIEVE YOU IF YOU TOLD ME THIS BIKE WAS MADE JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.

Jeff: YES, IT RIDES THAT GOOD AND HANDLES THAT GOOD.

Zach: THIS THING... NOT BAD AT ALL... THAT ONE IS PREHISTORIC, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

Jeff: IT HAD GOOD POWER, BUT RODE ROUGH, COMPARED TO AN '82.

Zach: THIS WAS A MOTORCYCLE THAT WAS KNOWN FOR TOSSING RIDERS OFF AT WILL.

YES, IT HAD THE POWER, BUT WAS SIMPLY UNPREDICTABLE.

IT PROBABLY HOLDS AN UNWRITTEN RECORD FOR MOST BONES BROKEN.

SO THE SUZUKI TM400... RALPH NADER WOULD PROBABLY WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THIS, UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED.

BUT THIS ISN'T THE YEAR, THIS IS A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE PRIOR YEARS... Jeff: TOP TEN WORST DIRT BIKES EVER MADE.

Zach: AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE IGNITION?

Jeff: YES, THE IGNITION AND SOME POOR TIMING BUT THIS BIKE WAS FIXED IN '74.

Zach: SO, WE'RE GOING FROM WHAT YEAR TO WHAT YEAR?

Jeff: '74 TO '82.

Zach: AND THAT IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE... Jeff: YEAH, THIS WILL BEAT YOU TO DEATH.

Zach: THE CHANGES DIRT BIKES SAW IN ONE DECADE, IS LIKE HORSE AND BUGGY TO THE LA-FERRARI.

OF COURSE, THE SPORT HASN'T PLATEAUED...

BUT DESIGNERS REALLY DID FIGURE IT OUT IN THE '80s.

LONGER TRAVELING SUSPENSION, COMFORTABLE SEATS, AND BETTER HANDING.

JEFF'S FAVORITE OF HIS COLLECTION?

SOME SHORT LIVED VERMONT BASED AUTOMATICS.

Jeff: THE ROKON 340MX, '76.

THEY ONLY MADE A FEW.

AND THE MX1 NEXT TO IT, IS AN MX.

THEY'RE MOTORCROSSER'S.

Zach: LESSON LEARNED TODAY...

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS OR... [ENGINE REVS] OR GET ROOSTED...[LAUGHS] John: PAT GOSS IS ALWAYS CHARGED UP ABOUT CAR CARE, BUT THIS WEEK IT'S ABOUT A BATTERY OF A DIFFERENT STRIPE.

Pat Goss: EVERY YEAR, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS OFFER MORE VARIATIONS ON HYBRID TECHNOLOGY AND ON ELECTRIC CARS.

WELL WE'RE GOING TO BE CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH HYBRIDS.

YOU SEE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO BE BELIEVE IS THAT A HYBRID DOESN'T REALLY NEED ANY SERVICE.

WELL, IT DOES.

THE GASOLINE ENGINE NEEDS ALL THE SAME SERVICE AS A CONVENTIONAL CAR DOES, PLUS THERE'S ADDED SERVICE IN THE FORM OF A COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE HYBRID AND OFTEN COOLING FANS.

SO, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF THESE THINGS.

NOW, THE OTHER THING IS, IF YOU'RE A DO-IT-YOURSELF-ER, YOU WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE BIG ORANGE WIRES, BECAUSE THEY CAN HURT YOU.

SO READ AND FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS ON ALL THOSE LABELS UNDER THE HOOD.

NOW, HOW LONG DO HYBRID BATTERIES LAST?

WELL THAT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS.

IT VARIES WITH THE WAY YOU DRIVE AND HOW YOU MAINTAIN THE CAR AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.

BUT, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOUR BATTERY IS GOING BAD?

WELL, CERTAINLY IF THAT LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON, WELL, THAT IS PROBABLY A GOOD INDICATOR THAT YOU NEED TO GET THE BATTERY TESTED.

BUT YOU MAY HAVE A WEAK BATTERY AND NOT HAVE A LIGHT.

SO, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INDICATIONS?

WELL, POOR PERFORMANCE IS ONE.

YOU SEE, DURING ACCELERATION AWAY FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, WELL IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE GAS ENGINE AND THE ELECTRIC MOTORS.

WELL, THAT MEANS THAT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THAT IF THE BATTERY GETS WEAK, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR DOESN'T PRODUCE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF ASSIST TO THE GAS ENGINE, AND PERFORMANCE DROPS OFF.

ANOTHER THING IS IT MAY NOT SHOW THE SAME INDICATION OF CHARGE LEVEL ON THE DASH THAT IT HAS FOR YEARS.

AND YOU MAY HAVE A CHANGE IN THE WAY THE CAR BRAKES AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO, ONCE YOU HAVE DETERMINED THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR BATTERY TESTED, WHAT DO YOU DO?

WELL, WHAT YOU DON'T DO IS GO ON THE INTERNET AND FIND ONE OF THESE BOGUS "TEST IT YOURSELF" PROCEDURES, BECAUSE YOU COULD GET HURT DOING IT, AND YOU COULD DAMAGE THE BATTERY.

AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T DO ONE OF THOSE, THE RESULTS ARE MOSTLY MEANINGLESS.

YOU NEED A SHOP THAT HAS THE PROPER TEST EQUIPMENT, AND KNOWS HOW TO PROPERLY USE THAT TEST EQUIPMENT.

NOW, SUPPOSE THE BATTERY IS BAD, WHAT DO YOU DO?

WELL HISTORICALLY, YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER AND GET A NEW BATTERY.

WELL HERE WE HAVE SOMETHING FROM DORMAN PRODUCTS.

THIS IS A RE-MANUFACTURED HYBRID BATTERY.

NOW, HYBRIDS ARE MADE UP OF MULTIPLE CELLS, USUALLY OVER A HUNDRED OF THESE LITTLE CELLS, SMALL BATTERIES, THAT ARE WIRED SO THAT THEY PRODUCE THE CURRENT AND THE VOLTAGE TO OPERATE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR.

WELL, ONE OF THESE GOES BAD, YOU LOSE SOME OF YOUR PERFORMANCE.

WELL, THEY HAVE ATTEST PROCEDURE WHERE THEY TEST IT, THEY REBUILD IT, AND THEY ALSO INCLUDE THE ECM, THE COMPUTER FOR IT.

SO THIS IS A PLUG AND PLAY ASSEMBLY THAT COULD SAVE YOU QUITE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS IN MOST CASES.

TAKE CARE OF THE HYBRID.

DO THE MAINTENANCE AND EVERYTHING, AND YOU'LL HAVE GOOD LUCK WITH IT.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: WE'VE JUST HIT 26,000 MILES IN OUR LONG-TERM KIA SORENTO MIDSIZE CROSSOVER, AS SPRING IS SLOWLY TURNING TO SUMMER.

WHICH MEANS THAT THE CLIMATE CONTROL IS DOING A LOT MORE COOLING THAN HEATING THESE DAYS.

AND SOME NOISE COMING FROM OUR SORENTO'S A/C SYSTEM NECESSITATED A TRIP TO THE DEALER... WHERE A REPLACEMENT HIGH PRESSURE HOSE TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM.

WHILE WE WERE THERE, IT TURNS OUT THERE WERE SOME RECALLS AND SERVICE BULLETINS PENDING, WHICH REQUIRED AN ADDITIONAL NIGHT'S STAY WAITING FOR A SEATBELT PART TO ARRIVE.

BUT NOW, THAT WE'RE BACK ON THE ROAD AND SAFELY BUCKLED IN, THERE ARE A FEW MORE ROAD TRIPS AHEAD BEFORE WE FINISH OUT OUR YEAR OF SORENTO.

LATELY THOUGH, IT HAS BEEN SEEING MORE COMMUTING AND AIRPORT SHUTTLE DUTIES THAN LONG DISTANCE JOURNEYS, WHICH EXPLAINS OUR SLIGHT DIP IN FUEL ECONOMY FROM LAST REPORT, TO A STILL GOOD 23.2 MILES PER GALLON FROM THE 2.0 LITER TURBO-4.

MORE CROSSOVER CHECKUPS TO COME, WITH THE NISSAN MURANO AND HONDA PILOT ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS OUR MOTORNEWS UPDATE, SO LET'S HEAD INSIDE FOR THE LATEST!

Yolanda Vazquez: FROM SMART PHONES, TO SMART HOMES, AND YES, EVEN SMART VEHICLES... OUR DESIRE TO STAY CONNECTED IS GROWING AT A RAPID PACE AND YOU CAN SEE IT WITH THE MARKETING OF JUST ABOUT ANY PRODUCT.

NOW, INDUSTRY GIANTS TOYOTA, AND MICROSOFT ARE TEAMING UP TO TAKE THIS CONNECTIVITY TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

THE COLLABORATIVE VENTURE, CALLED "TOYOTA CONNECTED," WILL USE CLOUD-BASED SYSTEMS FROM MICROSOFT TO BRING TOGETHER A WIDE VARIETY OF CUSTOMER DATA, INCLUDING LIVE TRAFFIC UPDATES WITH VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COMMUNICATION, SMART HOME INTEGRATION WITH THERMOSTATS, AND DOOR LOCKS, AND THE TRACKING OF LIFE EVENTS OR EVERYDAY "TO-DO" LISTS.

WHILE, CELL PHONES HAVE TURNED INTO THE HUB OF OUR CONNECTED LIVES, OUR CARS ARE STILL THE PRIMARY WAY WE GET AROUND ON A DAILY BASIS.

TOYOTA SEES THE AUTOMOBILE AS CONTROL CENTRAL, WHERE WE CAN MANAGE THOSE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES AND MORE.

STUCK IN TRAFFIC?

WHY NOT CHECK ON THE STATUS OF YOUR FLIGHT, OR SCHEDULE YOUR VEHICLE FOR A SERVICE CHECKUP.

THE ONLY TWIST IS YOUR VEHICLE ACTS AS THE DEVICE TO HANDLE THESE TASKS.

NEED TO FIND PARKING?

LET YOUR RIDE FIND YOU A SPOT BEFORE YOU ARRIVE.

ALREADY LEFT THE HOUSE AND FORGOT TO TURN DOWN THE A/C?

YEP, YOUR CAR CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT TOO.

AND AS AUTONOMOUS DRIVING RAMPS UP TO AN ACTUALITY, OUR CONNECTED VEHICLES WILL BE ABLE TO MANAGE ALL OF THIS DATA IN REAL TIME, BECOMING A TRUE SIT BACK AND RELAX AFFAIR, HANDLING TRAFFIC UPDATES AND RE-ROUTING ACCORDINGLY, AND FINDING PARKING FOR YOU; ALL WHILE KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE DAY'S BUSINESS.

WHILE, THIS MAY HAVE SOUNDED LIKE A BIG BROTHER PIE IN THE SKY IDEA JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, ADVANCES IN ALL FORMS OF CONNECTIVITY, AND OUR INCREASING ACCEPTANCE OF IT, ARE MAKING IT A VERY NEAR-TERM REALITY.

AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: WHEN GM ANNOUNCED DIESEL POWER WAS COMING TO THEIR MIDSIZE CHEVROLET COLORADO AND GMC CANYON PICKUPS, IT WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF DIESEL'S RECENT SURGE IN POPULARITY.

WELL SHORTLY THEREAFTER, VOLKSWAGEN WAS CAUGHT CHEATING DURING THEIR EMISSIONS TESTING AND LIGHT DUTY DIESEL SALES IN AMERICA ALL BUT CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT.

WELL, AS THINGS ARE GETTING SLOWLY SORTED OUT, LET'S FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GMs LATEST DURAMAX DIESEL AND IF YOU REALLY WANT ONE.

* ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THE VW DIESEL SCANDAL WILL DIG A PERMANENT DITCH FOR DIESEL SALES IN AMERICA.

BUT, CHANCES ARE THOSE INTERESTED IN OUR 2016 GMC CANYON DURAMAX 4X4 HAVE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT OWNING A VOLKSWAGEN.

THE THAILAND BUILT 2.8 LITER I4 DURAMAX TURBO-DIESEL IS NOT A NEW ENGINE, AS THIS MINI-DURAMAX HAS BEEN USED IN OTHER COUNTRIES FOR YEARS; AND WAS EVEN AVAILABLE HERE IN JEEP'S LIBERTY FOR A BRIEF TIME.

BUT GMC'S VERSION IS AN UPDATED ONE, PUTTING OUT 181 HORSEPOWER AND A ROBUST 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT'S LARGELY A STANDALONE OPTION THAT FOR ANY SLE OR SLT CREW CAB; THOUGH WITH IT, COMES A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER, EXHAUST BRAKE SYSTEM, AND A 3.42 REAR AXLE.

OUR TRUCK'S 4X4 SYSTEM IS 2-SPEED ON-DEMAND.

BUT THOSE WITH VISIONS OF TOWING FULL-SIZE STUFF, WILL NEED TO THROTTLE BACK; AS IT HAS A MAX TOW OF 7,700 POUNDS.

ONLY 700 MORE THAN A V6.

STILL IT'S THE MOST OF ANY SMALLER TRUCK.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S PLENTY OF TORQUE FOR PULLING, AND IT FEELS QUITE GOOD TAKING OFF WITH TRAILER IN TOW.

THOUGH ONCE ROLLING AT SPEED, NAILING THE GAS REMINDS US THAT IT IS STILL A 4-CYLINDER.

AT OUR TEST TRACK, WITHOUT A TRAILER IN TOW, THE DURAMAX CANYON CLATTERED TO 60 IN 9.8 SECONDS.

ALL THAT TORQUE PRODUCED MINOR WHEELS SPIN, AND LIKE MOST DIESELS, SHIFTS COME EARLY AND OFTEN AS YOU HEAD DOWN THE TRACK.

THOSE GEAR CHANGES ARE VERY SMOOTH BUT TIME CONSUMING; MAKING THE QUARTER MILE TRIP A LONG ONE AT 17.5 SECONDS AT 79 MILES PER HOUR.

THROUGH THE CONES, THE CANYON HANDLES WELL, FEELING ROUGH AND RIGID TRUCK SOLID; NOT FLIMSY LIKE SOME EARLIER GM SMALL TRUCKS OF THE '80s AND '90s.

STILL, SLOW STEERING, HIGH GRAVITY CENTER, AND TALL SIDEWALL TIRES MAKE FOR A FAR FROM SPORTY TRIP.

A BRAKING AVERAGE OF JUST 115 FEET FROM 60 IS QUITE GOOD; SO WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE NOSE DIVE AND LONG-TRAVEL PEDAL.

NOTHING CHANGES INSIDE, SO EVERYTHING THAT WE APPRECIATED IN CANYON/COLORADO CREW CAB BEFORE, LIKE THE WIDE CAB, BIG SWITCHGEAR, COMFORTABLE SEATING, GREAT SMALL ITEM STORAGE, WIFI ACCESS, AND GENEROUS REAR SEAT ARE STILL THERE.

MAKING THIS MIDSIZE CREW PICK-UP A TRUE ALTERNATIVE TO A CROSSOVER.

THIS 5-FOOT 2-INCH SHORT-BED IS INDEED SHORT BUT IT'S ALSO VERY DEEP; THOUGH NOT SO DEEP THAT YOU CAN'T REACH IN PULL STUFF OUT EASILY.

A 6-FOOT-2 BED IS ALSO AVAILABLE.

DIESEL 4X4 GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE GASOLINE V6, AT 20-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, AND 23-COMBINED.

WE SLIGHTLY BETTERED THAT AT 23.9 MILES PER GALLON OF DIESEL.

THE 4X2 VERSION RATES 25 COMBINED, THE BEST OF ANY PICKUP.

BUT THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS STILL BELOW AVERAGE FOR ALL VEHICLES AT 16.6 BARRELS OF OIL USED YEARLY, WITH 7.4 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW WELL THIS MINI-DURAMAX WILL BE WIDELY ACCEPTED, BUT THEY'RE SOMEWHAT HARD TO COME BY RIGHT NOW.

THE FOUR GRAND EXTRA TO ENTER TORQUEVILLE FOR UPLEVEL SLT TRIM MAY BE A FACTOR IN EVENTUAL ACCEPTANCE.

STILL, A PREMIUM PRICE DOESN'T SEEM TO HURT FULL-SIZE DIESEL TRUCKS.

THE LEAST EXPENSE CANYON MSRP YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS $36,520.

CHEVROLET COLORADO PRICING IS SLIGHTLY LESS.

WHILE, DEMAND FOR A FUEL-EFFICIENT, SMALLER TRUCK IS NOT PEAKING RIGHT NOW; FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A MID-SIZE TRUCK TO TOW MID-SIZE TRAILERS, CURRENTLY THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

IT'S CAPABLE, YES...

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE AND ENJOYABLE TO DRIVE.

AND WI DIESEL FUEL PRICES WAY DOWN IN MOST MARKETS, THE 2016 GMC CANYON DURAMAX STILL MAKES GOOD COMMON SENSE.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, AS WE BRING IN THE FUNK WITH THE BEETLE DUNE.

THEN BRING IN THE FAMILY IN THE ACURA RDX.

TILL THEN I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE, ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

"OH, COME ON..." "HOT, HOT, HOT..." THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE... "JUST A BOTTLE OF WATER."

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Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

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