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

JOIN US, AS WE SEE HOW ITALIAN RACING PASSION FITS WITH FOUR DOORS IN THE ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFLOGLIO.

PAT GOSS EXPLAINS WHEN TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE.

ZACH MASKELL GOES OVER THE EDGE FOR A LESSON FROM THE MASTER OF THE FAST LANE.

AND BUICK'S BRAND OF LUXURY CROSSES OVER WITH A LITTLE INTERNATIONAL HELP.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: [TIRES SCREECHING] TIRE RACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE FOR EVERY SEASON.

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

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John Davis: WE'VE DRIVEN OUR SHARE OF ITALIAN EXOTICS OVER THE YEARS, AND WRINGING OUT THOSE HIGH DOLLAR HOT RODS AROUND A RACE TRACK, IS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THIS JOB.

BUT WHAT ABOUT AN ITALIAN SPORT SEDAN?

ONE THAT BRINGS THAT LEVEL OF EXOTIC PERFORMANCE AND PASSION TO THE TRADITIONAL EUROPEAN SPORT FOUR DOOR.

WELL WE THINK THIS ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO IS THAT CAR.

AND NOW, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVE IT!

[ENGINE ROARS] THE TRADITIONAL EUROPEAN SPORT SEDAN SEGMENT IS A TOUGH ONE TO BREAK INTO.

SURE, AMERICAN AND ASIAN BRANDS LIKE CADILLAC AND LEXUS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SOME HEADWAY, BUT ALL ENTRANTS EVENTUALLY GET COMPARED TO BMW.

THAT'S HOW IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND PROBABLY HOW IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

SO, THAT'S WHERE ALFA ROMEO FINDS ITSELF WITH THE 2017 GIULIA.

HAVING ALREADY SAMPLED THE FULL GIULIA LINEUP A FEW MONTHS BACK, THIS TIME AROUND WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE QUADRIFOGLIO VERSION WITH SOME TRACK TIME AT ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY NEAR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

BUT FIRST A QUICK REFRESHER ON WHAT GOT US HERE TO THIS POINT.

2015 SAW ALFA RETURN TO OUR MARKET FOR REAL, WITH THE TWO-SEAT 4C.

2017 BRINGS A MORE MAINSTREAM OFFERING, THE GIULIA SEDAN, WHICH ALFA HOPES WILL HAVE GREATER APPEAL.

THE FOOTPRINT OF THIS ITALIAN STALLION IS VERY SIMILAR TO ITS TEUTONIC RIVALS; HAVING THE SAME WHEELBASE AS THE AUDI A4 AT 111.0-INCHES, AND OVERALL LENGTH VERY CLOSE TO THE BMW 3-SERIES.

ITS EXTERIOR DESIGN IS SPORTY BUT NOT OVERWROUGHT; WITH PROPORTIONS THAT DIRECTLY PORTRAY ITS REAR-DRIVE ARCHITECTURE AND 50:50 WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION.

THE HI-PRO QUADRIFOGLIO FURTHER BROADCASTS ITS PERFORMANCE INTENTIONS WITH CARBON FIBER FOR THE HOOD, ROOF, SIDE SILLS, ACTIVE FRONT SPOILER, AND REAR SPOILER; AS WELL AS 19-INCH WHEELS OVER BREMBO BRAKES.

BUT THE REAL HEADLINER OF THIS ACT LIES BENEATH THAT HOOD.

IT'S ONLY THE MOST POWERFUL ENGINE EVER CRAMMED INTO A PRODUCTION ALFA, A FERRARI-DERIVED 2.9-LITER TWIN-TURBO V6 THAT WHIPS UP 505-HORSEPOWER AND 443 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

FILLING OUT THE QUADRIFOGLIO BILL IS AN ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION AND RACE MODE ADDED TO ALFA'S DNA DRIVE MODES.

SO, OFF TO THE TRACK WE GO... FIRST IMPRESSIONS, WELL STEERING IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN YOU MIGHT BE EXPECTING.

IN FACT, THE WHOLE CAR FEELS VERY LIGHT.

AND THAT TURBO-6, INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE.

SO WHEN YOU COMBINE THE SUPER-SENSITIVE STEERING AND THROTTLE, IT MAKES FOR A FUN BUT CHALLENGING RIDE; AS IT FEELS A BIT EDGY AND UNPREDICTABLE, MUCH LIKE A TRUE ITALIAN EXOTIC.

YOU HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF, AND A BIT AHEAD OF THIS CAR WHEN YOU'RE BEHIND THE WHEEL, AND WE LIKE THAT.

THE TRANSMISSION IS AN 8-SPEED ZF AUTOMATIC.

GEARS GO BY QUICKLY, AND SOMETIMES IT SEEMS TO SHIFT RIGHT WHEN YOU'RE REALLY MAKING GOOD POWER.

BUT THOSE SHIFTS ARE VERY FAST WITH LITTLE DROP OFF BEFORE THE NEXT GEAR STARTS POURING ON THE STEAM.

BONUS POINTS FOR WELL-PLACED PADDLES SHIFTERS TOO.

TAKE IT OUT OF TRACK MODE AND GO WITH DYNAMIC MODE, THINGS ARE A LITTLE MORE SLOW TO RESPOND AND PREDICTABLE.

BRAKES WERE VERY STRONG THROUGHOUT OUR TRACK DAYS, WE'D ONLY WISH A TOUCH MORE FEEL AND A STIFFER PEDAL.

BUT OUR TEST CAR DID NOT FEATURE THE AVAILABLE CARBON CERAMIC UPGRADE.

[ENGINE ROARS] IN STRAIGHT LINE TESTING, WITH LAUNCH MODE ENGAGED, THE QUADRIFOGLIO IS EAGER TO PLEASE.

A SMOOTH LAUNCH WAS NOT AS TORQUEY AS EXPECTED, BUT IT ENABLES YOU TO GET AWAY CLEANLY WITH LIMITED WHEEL SPIN BEFORE THE POWER REALLY STARTS COMING ON.

WE HIT 60 IN A SWIFT 3.8-SECONDS, AND COMPLETED THE QUARTER MILE IN 12.0-SECONDS FLAT AT 120 MILES-PER-HOUR.

THINGS ARE PRETTY MUTED IN THE CABIN, BUT THOSE YOU PASS ON THE TRACK OR ON THE STREET WILL GET A GREAT TASTE OF ITALIAN EXHAUST NOTE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 17-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 20-COMBINED.

THAT MAKES FOR AN UNFORTUNATE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 16.5-BARRELS OF OIL BURNED ANNUALLY WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 7.5-TONS.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS A PRICEY PIECE OF PERFORMANCE MACHINERY, STARTING AT $73,595.

BUT IF YOUR PERFORMANCE NEEDS ARE NOT AS GREAT AND YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR A LITTLE ITALIAN STYLE IN A 4-DOOR, BASE GIULIA'S ARE AVAILABLE FOR AS LITTLE AS $38,990 AND YOU CAN EVEN ADD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

THE 2017 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO IS A BOLD ENTRY INTO A SEGMENT THAT CAN USE SOME FRESH BLOOD.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED WE RESISTED SAYING IT GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH A BMW M3 OR ANY OTHER HOT SHOE 4-DOOR.

THAT'S BECAUSE WE THINK IT DESERVES ITS OWN, UNIQUE SPOT ON THE MAXED-OUT SPORT SEDAN STAGE.

WILL IT GENERATE HORDES OF FANS?

WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY WISHFUL THINKING.

STILL, THIS FERRARI-FLAVORED SEDAN MAKES A CLEAR STATEMENT ABOUT THE THRILLING BENEFITS OF GOING-FAST THE ITALIAN WAY.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO TULSA, OKLAHOMA AND TO THE STATE'S LARGEST COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FILLING STATION.

BUILT IN 2013 BY TULSA GAS TECHNOLOGIES, THE FACILITY CAN DISPLACE UP TO 3,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL A DAY.

A COMBINATION OF FAST-FILL AND TIME-FILL OVERNIGHT CNG DISPENSERS ALREADY FUEL NEW SOLUTIONS' REFUSE TRUCKS AND SOME TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES.

BUT EVERYTHING AT THIS FACILITY WAS SOURCED WITHIN A 200-MILE RADIUS BOOSTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

Tom Sewell: THIS FUEL THAT'S IN THESE TRUCKS IS COMING RIGHT FROM UNDERNEATH OUR FEET.

SO WE HAVE THE LOCAL UTILITY, ALL OF THEIR JOBS, THE DRILLING CONTRACTORS EVERYTHING KEEPS FEEDING MONEY BACK INTO OUR TAX BASE AND OUR ECONOMY.

John: THE TULSA AREA CLEAN CITIES COALITION HELPED THE CITY MAKE THE CNG SWITCH IN 2012.

TODAY OKLAHOMA HAS 102 CNG STATIONS, WITH ONE EVERY 100 MILES ALONG THEIR INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS.

SO CLEARLY CNG IS LAYING CLAIM TO A BIGGER STAKE IN THE "SOONER" STATE.

John: SHARPENING A KNIFE ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT IT STILL TAKES PRACTICE.

AND WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN A WEAPON THAT FALLS UNDER BMW'S M DIVISION, A SLIP OF THE HAND, OR MIND, CAN BE EVEN MORE COSTLY.

YET STILL, WITH THE HELP OF SOME LEGENDARY EXPERTISE, BMW IS HAPPY TO SEND YOU TO BOOT CAMP.

AND THAT'S WHERE OUR OVER THE EDGE GUY, ZACH MASKELL, LEARNED HOW TO PROPERLY BEAR THEIR ARMS.

Zach Maskell: WE'RE AT SCHOOL...

THIS ONE CALLED "LEGENDS AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY."

BMW HAS GATHERED A VERY SELECT GROUP OF DRIVERS AND INSTRUCTORS, ALONG WITH THEIR CARS, HERE ON SITE.

AND, THEY'RE STUDYING OUR EVERY MOVE... ALL TO HELP US IMPROVE OUR GAME.

IF ANYBODY'S EVER TOLD YOU, 'YOU DRIVE TOO MUCH.'

WELL PERHAPS YOU NEED TO GET THAT NEGATIVE PERSON OUT OF YOUR LIFE.

HAD I EVER TAKEN ADVICE LIKE THAT, WELL I WOULDN'T BE DOING TWO DAYS OF BMW'S PERFORMANCE DRIVING SCHOOL.

IN 1999, BMW LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE U.S. NEAR THEIR ASSEMBLY PLANT IN SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

RARELY STATIONARY... WE'RE AT VIR WITH A DRIVER WHO HAS ALMOST 60 YEARS OF RACING UNDER HIS BELT.

WE SPENT TIME DRINKING IN THE KNOWLEDGE FROM BRIAN REDMAN.

WE ARE RIDING WITH A BONAFIDE CHAMPION.

HE HAS WON IN BOTH THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY, MOST NOTABLY TODAY, THE 1975 12 HOURS OF SEBRING IN A BMW.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING DRIVING TODAY, BRIAN?

Brian Redman: "WELL ALRIGHT, REALLY.

SURPRISINGLY GOOD.

BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN ON THIS PART OF THE TRACK BEFORE SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP.

Zach: BEFORE HE TOOK US FOR A RIDE IN THE SAME #25 CSL COUPE THAT GOT HIM TO THE PODIUM IN 75'...

HE WARMED UP TO VIR IN A NEW M3.

Zach: YOU STILL ENJOY RACING?

Brian: YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T RACE LIKE I USED TO.

I CAN'T.

IF I TRY, I CRASH.

Zach: RACING WAS UNBELIEVABLY DANGEROUS IN THE 70'S.

NOT ONLY WOULD THE DRIVERS CELEBRATE A TEAM VICTORY...

THEY'D CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT THEY STILL HAD A PULSE.

Brian: NIGHT AFTER THE RACE, WHEN WE WERE STILL ALIVE, THAT WE HAD THESE FANTASTIC PARTIES IN WHICH RENTAL CARS APPEARED IN THE SWIMMING POOLS, AND DINING ROOM, AND DINING ROOM TABLES.

Zach: SEEING BRIAN MEMORIZE HIS LINES AFTER ONLY A FEW LAPS...

IT WAS EASY TO SEE WHY HE'S A MEMBER OF THE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME.

"LEGENDS AT VIR" WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WITH PREVIOUS TRACK EXPERIENCE.

Luke Lendon: IT'S FUN TO SEE THE GUYS.

UH, YOU LEARN A LOT FROM THE, FROM THE RACECAR DRIVERS, THEIR EXPERIENCE.

THEY'VE GOT INCREDIBLE STORIES TO TELL YOU.

Zach: RULE NUMBER ONE WHEN RACING.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES UP.

AND WHILE I THOUGHT THAT I HAD THIS MASTERED...

I LEARNED ON THE SKID PAD THAT I'M NOT LOOKING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD!

Luke: I LOVE IT.

THIS IS UH, MY FOURTH M COURSE.

Gregory Galdi: I AM COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY THE BMW'S TODAY.

THE M2 IS JUST FABULOUS.

Zach: M2'S, M3'S, AND M4'S.

Donnie Isley: OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE IMPRESSED BY THE HORSEPOWER, AND THE TORQUE AND THE ACCELERATION OFF THE CORNERS.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO UH, KIND OF SHY AWAY FROM THE BRAKES ON THE, ON THE M3 AND M4'S.

Zach: WITH CARBON CERAMIC ROTORS... WE'LL BE BRAKING LATER... AND QUICKER.

HERE AT VIR THE INSTRUCTORS HAVE CUT THE TRACK INTO TWO PORTIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO PRETTY MUCH LEARN THE BASICS, GET OUR CLIPPING POINTS DOWN, AND THEN THE SECOND DAY, THAT'S WHEN WE CAN REALLY DROP THE HAMMER.

YOU COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL CONFIDENT.

IT'S ASTONISHING TO SEE THE MAGIC HAPPEN...

THE PRO'S BEING ABLE TO BRING OUT YOUR HIDDEN TALENT, YOU OTHERWISE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN YOU HAD.

ANY OTHER TIPS FOR ANY UH, FOLKS OUT THERE THAT MAYBE WANT TO GROW UP TO BE RACERS OR ANYTHING?

Brian: GET A COLLEGE EDUCATION AND EARN SOME MONEY!

[LAUGHS] Zack: BECAUSE RACING IS NOT CHEAP.

Brian: NO, IT IS NOT.

EVEN THE VERY LOWEST LEVEL IS VERY EXPENSIVE.

Zach: AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT PIECE OF REDMAN WISDOM ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!

John: PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IS A BIG PART OF OWNING A CAR.

AND OUR PAT GOSS HAS ADVICE ON HOW TO DO IT RIGHT... TWO AT A TIME.

Pat Goss: THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS ON AN AUTOMOBILE THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED IN PAIRS.

NOW SOME OF THOSE THINGS INCLUDE BRAKE PARTS, THEY NORMALLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN PAIRS.

UH, SUSPENSION PARTS, LIKE BALL JOINTS AND SO ON, IF ONE IS WORN, WELL THE OTHER IS WORN EQUALLY.

SO, YOU NORMALLY DO THESE THINGS IN PAIRS.

THEN THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE DONE IN PAIRS FOR SPECIFIC REASONS, LIKE TIRES.

SEE TIRES, A LOT OF PEOPLE REPLACE JUST ONE TIRE.

THEY SAY 'WELL, I'M PUTTING THE SAME BRAND, THE SAME MODEL, AND EVERYTHING ON.'

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME TIRE.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, THE TIRES, WELL THEY'RE MODIFIED AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR LIFE CYCLE.

THERE ARE LITTLE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MADE TO THEM TO ADDRESS UH, SHORTCOMINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME MODEL, SAME BRAND AND EVERYTHING.

IT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY THE SAME TIRE.

AND THAT COULD LEAD TO HANDLING OR BRAKING PROBLEMS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO, MINIMUM ON TIRES, TWO.

ALRIGHT NOW, ANOTHER PART OF THE CAR THAT UH, WELL YOU WANT TO REPLACE IN PAIRS, AND THAT'S HEADLIGHTS.

YOU SEE HEADLIGHT BULBS, OVER TIME, GET DIMMER.

NOW THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO HID OR LED.

BUT INCANDESCENT LAMPS, THEY LOSE A LOT OF THEIR ABILITY TO PRODUCE LIGHT OVER TIME.

SO AT THE END OF THREE YEARS YOU MIGHT LOSE 30 TO 40% OF YOUR LIGHTING CAPABILITY.

EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHT STILL WORKS, YOU'RE NOT SEEING VERY WELL AT NIGHT.

SO YOU REPLACE THEM IN PAIRS.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER REASON FOR THAT.

MANY MODERN CARS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE FRONT BUMPER OFF TO PUT A HEADLIGHT BULB IN.

SO, YOU'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT WORK?

WHY NOT DO BOTH OF THEM AT ONCE.

ALRIGHT, ONE OTHER THING; WIPER BLADES.

REPLACE THEM IN PAIRS.

AND ONE THING ABOUT WIPER BLADES, MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE THEM.

BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN A DIFFERENT SIZE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT.

SO YOU DON'T JUST BUY TWO OF THE SAME THING.

ANOTHER THING IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THIS OLD STYLE OF WIPER BLADE ANYMORE.

WHAT YOU WANT IS A BEAM TYPE BLADE SUCH AS WE HAVE HERE.

THIS IS WHERE THE BLADE HAS NO PRESSURE POINTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S ONE CONTINUOUS BLADE WITH CONTINUOUS SPRING IN THE CENTER OF IT SO IT STICKS TO THE WINDSHIELD BETTER, CLEANS BETTER, AND LASTS LONGER.

SO, REPLACE THEM IN PAIRS.

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

John: THERE ARE MANY TWISTS AND TURNS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD.

AND YOLANDA VAZQUEZ STRAIGHTENS THEM OUT FOR US IN THIS WEEK'S MOTOR NEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: WHEN FORD FIRST SHOWED ITS GT SUPERCAR AT DETROIT'S 2015 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, EVERYONE KNEW IT WOULD BE FAST.

NOW WE KNOW IT'S THE FASTEST PRODUCTION FORD EVER.

216 MILES PER HOUR.

THAT'S THE OFFICIAL TOP SPEED OF THE 2017 FORD GT.

FORD CLAIMS THE 647-HORSEPOWER TWIN TURBO-V6 GT WAS ALSO FASTER THAN A MCLAREN 675LT AND FERRARI 458 DURING A RACE TRACK TEST RUN.

THE GT IS ALREADY RACING FOR REAL WITH ITS SPEED...

PROVING TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE.

MEANWHILE, PRODUCTION OF STREETABLE GT'S BEGAN IN DECEMBER.

PRODUCTION IS LIMITED TO 250 A YEAR, WITH PRICES STARTING AROUND $450,000.

WHEW THAT'S A BIG TICKET ITEM!

WELL THERE'S ALSO NEWS ON FORD'S FAR MORE AFFORDABLE PERFORMANCE ICON.

WE SHOWED YOU THE 2018 MUSTANG COUPE FROM THIS YEAR'S BIG AUTO SHOW IN DETROIT.

NOW, FORD IS OUT WITH PHOTOS OF THE COMPANION MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE.

SHARING THE COUPE'S MORE AGGRESSIVE FRONT END, THE NEW CONVERTIBLE PIGGYBACKS ON THE COUPE'S UPDATED TURBO-4 AND V8 ENGINES, AND A NEW 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

IT ARRIVES THIS FALL STARTING AROUND $35,000.

AND, THAT'S OUR LATEST AUTOMOTIVE WRAP-UP FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTOR NEWS.

John: IT'S ONLY BEEN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH, BUT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF SCENERY IN OUR 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA LIMITED MINIVAN.

THE ODOMETER ROLLED PAST 2,900 MILES DURING OUR ANNUAL WINTER TESTING TREK TO SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

NATURALLY, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR A ROAD TRIP, AND STOW-AND-GO SEATING MAKES CHANGING FROM PEOPLE TO CARGO A BREEZE.

THE REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CAME IN HANDY WHILE TRAVELING DOWN I-95.

BUT, AFTER 10 HOURS ONE STAFFER LONGED FOR A LITTLE MORE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT COMFORT.

THE 287-HORSEPOWER 3.6-LITER V6 HAS GREAT POWER FOR PASSING.

AND, WE AVERAGED 22.7 MILES-PER-GALLON.

THE CHRYSLER PACIFICA HAS ALREADY WON NUMEROUS AWARDS, INCLUDING OUR OWN.

NOW, WE'LL SEE IF THE ACCOLADES CONTINUE AS WE SPEND THE REST OF 2017 BEHIND THE WHEEL.

AS FOR OUR LARGE CROSSOVER PEOPLE MOVER, THE 2016 HONDA PILOT; WELL, THE NEWS IS BAD.

IT'S NOT THAT IT HAS DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT OUR YEAR WITH IT IS NOW UP.

SO WE SAY GOOD-BYE TO WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR FAVORITE LONG-TERMS EVER, EVIDENCED BY THE 31,563-MILES WE LAID ON IT IN ONE YEAR'S TIME.

OUR BIGGEST GRIPES REVOLVED AROUND THE SOMETIMES JERKY 9-SPEED TRANSMISSION AND ITS PUSH BUTTON GEAR SELECTOR, BUT WE ALMOST GOT USED TO IT.

NO COMPLAINTS AT ALL ABOUT THE ENGINE IT'S ATTACHED TO.

THE PILOT'S SMOOTH 280-HORSEPOWER 3.5-LITER V6 WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE IN ALL CONDITIONS, AND AVERAGED 23.0 MILES-PER-GALLON.

MAKING THE PILOT TRULY HARD TO REPLACE.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON OUR SUBARU CROSSTREK AND KIA OPTIMA ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: PREMIUM AND LUXURY MARKS LIKE ALL BRANDS HAVE SEEN SEDAN SALES FALL AS CROSSOVERS AND SUV'S GOBBLE UP MORE AND MORE MARKET SHARE.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

WELL, BY ALL MEANS, GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.

THUS, ONE CENTURY OLD CAR BRAND HAS ADDED YET ANOTHER CROSSOVER TO THEIR LINE-UP.

ONLY THIS ONE COMES WITH A TRANS-PACIFIC TWIST.

* THE 2017 BUICK ENVISION ADDS A 3RD ARROW TO BUICK'S CROSSOVER QUIVER, FITTING NEATLY BETWEEN THE MUCH SMALLER ENCORE AND THE MUCH LARGER ENCLAVE.

THIS MIDDLE-CHILD TAKES AIM AT THE LIKES OF ACURA RDX AND LINCOLN MKC, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR ADULTS IN ALL FIVE SEATING POSITIONS.

ADDRESSING THE "MADE IN CHINA" ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, WE SAW NOTHING TO GIVE CONSUMERS CONCERN.

IF YOU'RE A RIVAL BRAND HOWEVER, YOU MIGHT BE A LITTLE WORRIED WITH WHAT BUICK HAS BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF.

IS QUALITY ON PAR WITH LEXUS?

WELL NOT QUITE, BUT IT'S DARN CLOSE, AND ALL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT WORK TOOK PLACE HERE IN THE U.S. ON THE ROAD IT FEELS COMPETENT ENOUGH, BETTER THAN EXPECTED REALLY; AND WHILE THERE AREN'T ANY ACTUAL BELLS OR WHISTLES INSIDE, THERE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH UP-TO-DATE FEATURES.

FEEL AND PLACEMENT OF CONTROLS IS MORE EURO-INSPIRED THAN DOMESTIC, THERE'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH CONFIGURABLE TFT SCREEN, AND FULL CONNECTIVITY FROM BUICK'S INTELLILINK.

THE DASH IS DRESSED IN LOTS OF FAUX-WOOD, BUT IT LOOKS GOOD AND IS WELL-INTEGRATED.

CERTAINLY BETTER THAN SOME OF THE BLAND TREATMENTS WE'VE SEEN LATELY.

AVAILABLE SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE GM'S SAFETY ALERT SEAT, SURROUND VISION, AND FRONT AUTOMATIC BRAKING WHICH WE FOUND TO WORK PERFECTLY EVERY TIME, ALWAYS BRAKING LATE AND HARD JUST SHY OF OUR BARRIER.

EVEN LESSER TRIMS ARE VERY WELL EQUIPPED WITH 8.0-INCH TOUCHSCREEN, HEATED SEATS, AND A PROGRAMMABLE-HEIGHT POWER LIFT GATE.

WHILE SMOOTH, RIDE QUALITY IS MORE CHEVROLET-FIRM THAN LEXUS-PLUSH; AND THE SEATS ARE A LITTLE HARDER THAN WE'D LIKE, BUT ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE LONG HAUL.

AS FOR HAULING, REAR SEATS FOLD ALMOST FULLY FLAT WITH JUST THE PULL OF THE CARGO AREA-MOUNTED LEVERS.

EVERYTHING SEEMED A LITTLE STIFF IN OPERATION, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE IF THAT WAS A BUILD QUALITY ISSUE, OR THINGS JUST NEEDING TO GET BROKEN IN A LITTLE.

MAX CARGO IS 57.3 CUBIC-FT.; AND THERE'S A VERY GOOD 26.9 WITH THE REAR SEATS UP.

THE ONLY NOISE AND VIBRATION ISSUE WE'LL NOTE IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENVISION ALLOWED A LITTLE MORE NOISE AND WIND RUSTLE INTO THE CABIN THAN OTHERS WE'VE DRIVEN.

[CAR STARTS] STANDARD ENGINE IS A 197-HORSEPOWER NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2.5-LITER I4 IN FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE MODELS.

THE UPGRADE IS A 2.0-LITER TURBO I4 THAT MAKES 252-HORSEPOWER AND 260 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE AND COMES WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

BOTH WORK THROUGH A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

[TIRES SCREECHING] BOTH ENGINES ALSO OFFER ADEQUATE POWER AND OPERATE QUIETLY; BUT THE 2.0-LITER IS ESPECIALLY PEPPY, AND WAS OUR CHOICE FOR TRACK WORK.

THERE, IT FELT VERY STRONG OFF THE LINE, FEELING LIKE ALL THE TORQUE IS AVAILABLE RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO.

A SLIGHT BIT OF TIRE CHIRP AND WE WERE OFF TO A QUICK 0 TO 60 OF 7.0-SECONDS FLAT.

PROGRESSING DOWN THE TRACK, AUTOMATIC SHIFTS WERE VERY SMOOTH, BUT ALSO SLOW; MAKING OUR QUARTER MILE TIME 15.3-SECONDS AT 92 MILES-PER-HOUR.

WE BATTLED TYPICAL UNDERSTEER THROUGH OUR CONE COURSE; AND WHEN PUSHED TOO HARD, ONBOARD COMPUTERS LAUNCHED A FUN-KILLING JAB OF THE BRAKES TO REEL YOU IN.

KEPT JUST SHY OF ITS LIMITS HOWEVER, THE ENVISION FEELS VERY COMPOSED AND EASY TO PLACE WHERE YOU WANT IT.

STEERING WAS ACTUALLY HEAVIER THAN EXPECTED, WITH BETTER FEEL THAN MOST IN THIS CLASS.

BODY ROLL WAS PRESENT, BUT FAR FROM EXCESSIVE.

BRAKING WAS QUITE GOOD TOO.

110-FEET WAS OUR SHORT STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60, WITH ABOVE AVERAGE STABILITY, AND AN EASY TO MODULATE PEDAL.

EXTERIOR DESIGN IS FRANKLY RATHER BEAUTIFUL, WITH A SMOOTH SHAPE AND HEFTY PROPORTIONS; WHILE BODY LINES ARE VERY PRONOUNCED.

STANDARD WHEELS ARE 18'S, THOUGH MOST TRIMS RIDE ON 19'S.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 20-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED.

FOR AN ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 15.0-BARRELS ON YEARLY OIL CONSUMPTION WITH 6.6-TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

BASE, PREFERRED, AND ESSENCE TRIMS COME WITH THE 2.5-LITER, STARTING AT $34,990, TO WHICH YOU CAN ADD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

PREMIUM TRIMS, WITH THE 2.0-LITER ARE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ONLY, AND START AT $43,245.

WHILE WE WERE CLEARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE ENVISION, IT'S ACTUALLY HARD TO IMAGINE ANY LUXURIOUS CROSSOVER NOT BEING A HIT AT THIS POINT AND TIME.

AND, BUICK HAS ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THE ENCORE AND ENCLAVE CROSSOVERS.

SO, WE THINK THE 2017 BUICK ENVISION WILL BE AS WELL.

AFTER ALL, IT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF GIVING THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.

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

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND COMPLETE EPISODES, WHY DON'T YOU CRUISE ON DOWN TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME... AS WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHEVROLET MIXES THE BEST OF CORVETTE AND CAMERO, INTO THE NEW ZL1!

MEANWHILE NISSAN HOPES "THE FORCE" IS WITH THEIR NEW ROGUE!

'TIL 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: MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY: TIRE RACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE FOR EVERY SEASON.

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

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

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