Reader’s Question:

The Chevrolet Captiva is very popular among my relatives here in Houston, Texas. How will that become advantageous for my family’s personal use?

Marrionne

Houston, TX

As what some of the reviews of Chevrolet Captiva say, the way reviewers describe it as “captiva-ting” tells you at least the basic advantage of this car. For your personal use there at Houston, Texas, Chevrolet Captiva is best for family out-of-town travels or even just for taking children to and from their schools. In this case, the car can have five to seven seats. This concern is addressed by the optional back seats maximizing the interior to have a seven-seater. The back seat can also be unfolded to supply a space for materials and luggage storage while on the road trip.

Its suspension is designed primarily to give Chevrolet Captiva a smooth whole body control that it is able for self-levelling. It is through this that the tallness of Captiva is well justified. Captiva driver need not also worry on the center console and dashboard. These are neatly designed to give it an elegant appearance while giving a good compensation to the driver’s convenience.

Captiva’s features make it more an MPV than a SUV. It gives premium to speed; thus, it has the capability to travel for about 60 mph for 11.5 seconds. Captiva’s allow wheels, on the 17 inches, and half-leather trim is at help to this.

Tags: car, car dealer, car review, Chevrolet dealer

Reader’s Question:

I’m thinking of getting a compact for my everyday runs around Texas. I’m not really into carrying a ton of stuff inside the car. Care to make a fearless recommendation? By the way, I also would like to save on my gas money.

Jenny

Houston, TX

Hello there, Jenny. Okay, just let me get your thoughts correctly. You want a vehicle that will simply get you from point A to B there in Texas. You want a vehicle that’ll save your gas dollars, as well. You won’t be carrying a load of stuff with you. Okay, simple enough demands on a car. I am going to tell you something like how my dad used to say it me, “Great things come in small packages.” In your case, that small package is the Chevrolet Aveo.

Okay, if we talk about fuel economy, this small car can give it to you. You’ll get a lot of gas savings. After all, with only a 1.4 liter engine powering it, the 34 miles per gallon should not be a surprise to all of us. Interior features of the Chevrolet Aveo reflect its Spartan design, with a bit of plus only. Standard features, of course, include a fairly decent CD-based sound system, safety features like anti-lock brakes, seat belts and airbags are there, too. Chevrolet is pretty consistent on safety as they also included OnStar with this compact. With OnStar, you get roadside support for emergencies, kind of like a big bro’ driving with you in spirit. Although, it’s free for a year, I think it’ll be worth renewing. As far as styling is concerned, bear in mind that it is a compact. It’ll be really limited in terms of looks. The choices you get? A 2-door Aveo5 or a 4-door Aveo sedan, that’s about it. Oh, well, there will always be accessories, think large Fuzzy Dice.

Tags: Chevrolet Dealer, Houston Dealer

Reader’s Question:

My friend drove over to my place here in Texas. Although I haven’t seen him ages, it kind of got repetitive after he kept talking about how great his new Chevrolet Tahoe was. From the outside, it looked like any other SUV that I see daily. I’m wondering what his big fuss was all about. What else is onboard aside from that, I’m assuming, monster engine?

Franz

Houston, TX

Hey there, Franz. That was a funny story there. I guess your friend there in Texas just kept on going and going and going like, “My Tahoe is so neat, blah, blah, blah.” I would have been mildly irritated also. But, looking at the Chevrolet Tahoe, your friend does argue a strong case. The 5.3 L V8 does pack a wallop. The Chevrolet Tahoe is packed with a lot of features that, I think, could surpass your expectations. Even that “monster engine” might surprise you.

Okay, the “monster engine,” in itself, is not your run-off-the-mill gas guzzler. It actually has a heart that beats for you. Chevrolet’s magical engineers figured out that there could be a good system to help out with fuel economy. Never mind if it’s 20 miles per gallon on the highway, this thing’s a gas-powered SUV. So what if they figured a way to shut-off some cylinders while the Tahoe is in use? Would not that be great? So there, they actually did find a way to that. Chevrolet put in a computer to run the 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 engine. They call the system Active Fuel Management. What it does is when the Tahoe is on the road with you (of course, who else should it be with?) and you are not really pushing it to its limits, the computer tells the engine to minimize the number of cylinders in use. It can go from 8 cylinders to just 4 cylinders. I think I am ready to say, “Wow.” 4 cylinders in use on an SUV? That should be your big fuss, Franz.

Tags: Chevrolet Dealer, Houston Dealer

Reader’s Question:

The Chevy Suburban seems to be daunting vehicle to drive with its large size. However, does anyone think here that I can rule the Texas roads if I drive this vehicle?

Rob

Houston, TX

Hey there, Rob. The Chevrolet Suburban is indeed daunting as an SUV and imposes itself on traffic like a truck with an attitude. For some reason, whenever I see this car, I always imagine flashing lights in the movies and men in dark suits with dark glasses on. See the picture as I do? I think if that’s your scene, so to speak, then this is the SUV for someone like you. Seriously, the Suburban has been around for a very long time already and has served America well. In my opinion, appearance does matter, but I think that you should also try to see beyond the “look” of the Suburban.

Just to let you know, the 2009 Suburban comes to us in four models. They vary mainly on the type of engine that goes with them. You can talk to the dealer what different options and accessories you can put on your Suburban of choice. The models you can choose from are the three powered by the 5.3 liter V8 Vortecs engine, namely the Half-Ton LT, Half-Ton LTZ, Half-Ton LS, and the 6.0 Liter engine model, Three-Quarter-Ton LS

So, rule the roads in Houston? The key things to remember about the Chevrolet Suburban are space and power. It can fit in 7 to 9 people, so that pretty much describes how much cargo or even speakers you can squeeze inside. It can haul more than 9,000 pounds effortlessly, specially with the 6.0 Liter V8 engine on the Three-Quarter-Ton LS. I don’t want to think of this truck as a sports car, so I won’t delve much into acceleration, but of course it won’t hurt mentioning that this big car/truck can hit 60 miles per hour under 9 seconds. In terms of handling, I think the Suburban can eat up just about any road you put it on. Overall, as far as ruling the roads is concerned, I do think the Suburban’s features will help you rule quite effectively.

Tags: Chevrolet Dealer

Reader’s Question:

My wife had been telling me that I should get an SUV. I’m not really a big fan of big, big cars since there’s just me and my wife in the family and our baby boy. I’m wondering what kind of Chevrolet SUV should I choose for a drive around Texas?

Richard

Houston, TX

Well, Richard, there are some great points to owning an SUV. You get more cargo and comfort space, and the confidence to hit any road you desire. However, there are those thinkers like you that require a bit of reassurance and prodding on why they should own an SUV. What’s good about your question is at least you know what you want out of this exercise. That’ll make it easy enough for us before you go to your Houston Chevrolet Dealer. So we’ll pick out an SUV for you. Something that looks better than the ones in the humongous, monstrous-size category but packs the genes of an SUV, I’ll recommend the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

You’re wondering why I picked out a Trailblazer for you. In terms of the space you require, there’s just three of you in the family, so you won’t go wrong with this car because it can comfortably seat 5 and with ample cargo space at the back, too. The Trailblazer comes in two trims, the LT, with its 4.2 Liter engine, comes in three variants and the SS goes solo with its 6.0 Liter model. In terms of bringing gear along, the Trailblazer can haul up to 6,800 pounds and that should be enough to take care of your needs. Whether you want to take the family on a cross-country trip or just go camping, the Trailblazer will work for you.

Tags: Chevrolet Dealer

Reader’s Question:

My son-in-law previously introduced to me the Chevrolet Silverado, which he calls a “hybrid” version, here in Houston, Texas. How does the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid differ from the previous models?

Matt

Houston, TX

For car lovers even there in Houston, Texas, more often than not, the car features matter more and this probably the best reason why the new 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is considered extraordinary compared to what you refer to as the 2005 to 2007 Silverado models. Chevrolet made sure to include what is real hybrid system in this new model. Aside from turning off the engine during stops to save fuel, the two-mode hybrid power train of Silverado Hybrid also aids propulsion and work solely on the electric motors to power the truck.

According to Chevrolet, the hybrid system will boost both city and overall fuel economy. No wonder why this feature is also highlighted in other new cars such as the Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade and Dodge Durango Hybrids.

Silverado Hybrid electric motors drive for about 30 mph even with just a light throttle. On the other hand, the interior looks like a “pick-up” and has a wide work-oriented design with large controls, storage bin with power outlet and a double glove box. While it can accommodate about six persons, the Silverado Hybrid’s towing capacity is reduced. The previous Chevrolet Silverado models can tow up to 10, 050 pounds while this model can only tow 6,000 pounds.

Tags: car, car dealer, car review, Chevrolet dealer, Houston dealer

Reader’s Question:

My husband and I here in Houston, Texas are planning to buy the latest Chevrolet Corvette. How is it different or perhaps similar when compared to other Corvette released before?

Diana

Houston, TX

It would be great for the both of you to drive this exceptional model of Chevrolet in Houston, Texas. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is known as the Blue Devil and the Corvette SS, which was released last summer of this year. Compared to the previous Corvettes, ZR1 is the first supercharger of Chevrolet with LS9 or the 6.2-liter V8 using a “liquid-to-air intercooler.” For a more efficient torque output of LS9, ZR1’s engine is boosted with a Tremec six-fold speed of manual transmission with a twin-disc clutch. ZR1 also uses a dual-overhead cam that highlights overhead valves and two valves per cylinder.

Moreover, it has a dry sump oiling system acceding to a lower center of gravity, which is much similar with that of Corvette Z06. ZR1 also revolutionizes the Corvette’s brakes because it uses carbon ceramic rotors which more or less save 11 pounds compared to cast iron ones.

The external features would also have differences and similarities with previous Corvettes. The suspension for instance, of ZR1 is just like the other Corvettes but has thicker - but softer than those of Z06 - stabilizer bars and springs both of the front and rear. Unlike single port Corvettes, ZR1’s fenders have dual ports on each side.

Tags: car, car dealer, car review, Chevrolet dealer

Reader’s Question:

My wife and I finally decided to get an SUV. With the kids getting bigger, our needs have definitely changed. I’d like to get an SUV with enough “horses” to pull my family wherever I take them. What can you recommend? Oh, I forgot to mention, as a dad, I’d like “SAFETY” to be my first concern in getting my very first Chevy SUV. One can’t be too sure of what we might encounter in Houston, Texas streets.

Rick

Houston, TX

Well, Rick, I’m a family man in Houston myself and can I just say that you’ve made a great choice in choosing an SUV as your next vehicle acquisition. Try stuffing the kids and wife in a compact and you’ll see what I mean by “great choice.” Anyway, I agree with you 100% on SAFETY being THE priority. I’d like to think that Chevrolet has the horses packed under the hood well enough. For safety, Chevrolet even has the OnStar system to give us owners a worry-free ride.

Personally, I stayed away from the eye candy and looked at a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe LT2 2WD. It’s got enough room to comfortably get my family from point to point, with all their stuff on board. It can seat about 8 people, and carry more than 1800 pounds of load with its 5.3L V8 engine. For family safety, I love the standard safety features like the side guard door beams, 3-point center seat belt, and child safety locks. And as a bonus, there’s also a vehicle anti-theft system. For me, the 2009 Tahoe is a practical choice and will serve my family well on these, as you say, Houston, Texas streets.

Tags: Chevrolet Dealer, Honda dealer, Honda Dealership, Houston Dealer