Stay alert in your apartment community’s parking areas
With some COVID-19 restrictions being lifted as vaccines are getting into the arms of Americans, apartment home residents are spending more time outside of their communities.
Workers are again commuting to jobs. Children are outside playing. People are driving to the grocery store. There are bound to be people and vehicles around the parking lot or parking garage.
Distractions are everywhere, and it doesn’t help that we are extra stressed today with our current health emergency.
According to the National Safety Council, more than 50,000 crashes occur annually in parking lots and parking garages. These crashes resulted in 60,000 injuries and 500 deaths.
With warmer weather just around the corner, the number of children playing outside their apartment home is rising. However, so is the number of parking lot deaths and injuries.
It’s extremely important to pay attention when you are in your community parking structures. Of the many distractions drivers encounter, electronics are the most dangerous temptation.
According to a poll conducted by the National Safety Council, 66 percent of people nationwide say that they would make phone calls in parking lots. Additionally, 52 percent of people polled said they would use social media, 52 percent would send texts and 63 percent would program their GPS in parking lots.
If you decide to use your phone or program your GPS, be sure to do it in your car while you are parked. Once you are ready to navigate through your community’s parking lot or garage, be sure to put your phone down to stay alert.
Although you are in a familiar setting, it’s still important to be cautious. Keep an eye out for strollers, small children, bikers and other pedestrians in the area. Check the area thoroughly before pulling in or backing out of a parking spot. Remember to use your turn signal to indicate which direction you plan to go and anticipate the actions of the other drivers.
With residents rushing to leave the apartment community for essential outings, speeding is common in these locales. The looming dangers of the many distractions is only heightened by high speeds.
The impending risks of being careless in the parking lot or garage outweigh the need to be on time.
With children spending more time at their apartment home and people becoming more and more distracted due to the anxiety of this perilous time, be sure to slow down, leave a little earlier, put your phone away, and pay attention to what is going on around you.
It could save a life.
Entry price: $31,645
Price as tested: $71,460
Likes: Beautiful design, good fuel mileage considering 420 horses, high tech plus.
Dislikes: Tough to park, gets expensive quick, some options unnecessary.
This week, we’re behind the wheel of a 2021 GMC Sierra, delivered in top class Denali trim and full size four-door crew cab dimensions. With 4WD mechanicals and an optional engine upgrade, our tester retailed for $71,460. However it is important to stress that not every GMC pickup costs this much as nearly every one of my test drive vehicles comes fully loaded with options for the sake of written evaluations. Considering a full-size 2021 GMC Sierra starts at $31,645, there’s a lot of room for a configuration to fit a buyer’s wallet size.
For 2021, numerous GMC pickup trims and drive trains are available. Engines include a 310-horse 2.7-liter turbo 4-cylinder, 285-horse 4.3-liter V6, 355horse 5.3-liter V8, 277-horse 3.0-liter Duramax turbo diesel and the 420horse 6.2-liter V8. All of these engines connect either to an eight-speed or 10speed automatic, both reliable gear changers. Trims start with the entry Sierra, then moves upward to SLE, Elevation, SLT, AT4 and top tier Denali. Cab offerings include a two-door regular cab, four-door double-cab and fourdoor
crew cab with either short or long box cargo arrangements.
Our Denali included the $2,495 optional 6.2-liter, 420 horsepower V8, which replaces the standard 355-horse 5.3-liter V8. Hooked to the 10-speed automatic, it delivers an outstanding 20 MPG highway that, considering Sierra’s overall mass, is an impressive EPA estimate. Thus, thanks to the excellent gear ratios available and the variable valve timing cylinder deactivation while cruising, this new GMC Sierra is a fine highway cruiser while still delivering an acceptable 16 MPG in the city. The 4WD system features a two-speed transfer
case with a low and high range locking differential to assist in inclement weather and/or off road excursions.
With a base price of $58,700 in the 4WD Short Box trim, our Denali tester then adds an expensive and highly recommended Ultimate Denali Package that upgrades trailer towing safety. For $4,910 you receive HD Surround Vision with trailer camera provisions, rear camera mirror, bed view camera, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, auto high beam, adaptive cruise control, following distance indicator, power sunroof and GMC’s multi-pro power step-in steps. There is also a $500 discount if effect, bringing this option down to $4,410.
Speaking of towing, standard fare on our Denali is premium suspension with adaptive ride control and Stabilitrak with trailer sway control. A trailering package with trailer brake control is also standard and reemphasizes the importance of the above mentioned Ultimate Package. With a towing capacity of 9,200 pounds with a 3.23 rear, our Denali was a pleasure to drive during our weeklong test. With 420 ponies available and 460 lb. ft. of torque at the tap of the right foot, it was clear from the moment we hit the highway that not only did Denali deliver a comfortable ride, it also has gobs of acceleration ability thanks to the 10-speed automatic.
Signature appointments include a Denali specific chrome grille with prominent GMC badge, polished stainless steel dual exhaust (including mufflers), body colored bumpers with chrome insert, rear step bumper and Denali 20inch alloy wheels on Bridgestone tires.
The heated/cooled leather bucket seats help augment Denali’s impressive full-size crew cab interior, as does heated outboard rear seats. Our Denali came with 22-inch special high gloss black wheels for $2,995 more. I personally can’t see spending $3,000 for this dealer-installed wheel option, as to me it does nothing to enhance the looks of an otherwise great-looking truck.
It’s time to stop talking about electric cars like they’re odd and radically different, a new kind of transportation. They’re cars, each developed to meet price and performance goals, each with inevitable trade-offs dictated by those factors.
The 2021 Porsche Taycan, a more affordable rear-drive version of the sports car specialist’s first electric car, makes that clear. I drove a Euro-spec model on a frigid February day, and liked nearly everything about it. The rear-drive Taycan goes on sale this spring.
With a base price of $79,900, the Taycan’s not for everybody, by any stretch of the imagination, but it gives the lie to the claim that electric cars must inevitably cost more than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. A look at a pair of Porsche’s traditional models – and how the Taycan’s size, price and performance nest nicely between them – shows that. With a 5.1-second 0-60 mph time and length of 195.4 inches, the four-door Taycan fills a new niche in Porsche’s lineup: bigger, roomier and slower than the iconic 911 sports car; about 4 inches shorter than the limolike Panamera, 0.2 seconds quicker to 60 than a base model.
The Taycan stands out in two criteria: gasoline consumption/greenhouse emissions – zero – and weight, where the base model’s 4,566 pounds includes 1,221 pounds of battery. That’s where the trade-offs come into play, in the form of performance, charging time and range between charges.
Driving impressions
Taycan prices aren’t for everybody, but $79,900 isn’t bad for a sporty and luxurious Porsche.
The auto industry has a way to go before this comparable pricing makes it to high-volume vehicle segments, like compact cars and SUVs, but the vehicles like the Taycan and recently repriced Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV show the
way. Chevy just knocked thousands off the 2022 Bolt, which will start at $31,000. Prices for the SUV-ish Bolt EUV begin at $33,000. All prices exclude destination charges.
The cost, technology and charging network for EVs are all improving. Not as fast as I’d like, but enough for one to see a path to widespread, attainable, practical vehicles.
None of that would matter if the Taycan isn’t good, a fit stablemate for the 911, Panamera, etc., but it is.
It’s unmistakably a Porsche, from LED headlights to profile to the Le Mans-inspired start button located outboard of the steering wheel.
To a greater or lesser extent, all Porsches are measured against the brand-icon 911. The Taycan measures up not just in on-switch location, but weight distribution. The rear-drive Taycan has about 52% to 53% of its weight in the rear half of the car, in line with the original Dr. Porsche’s preference for weight over the driving wheels. Allwheel
drive Taycans have about 51% of their weight in the rear.
The RWD Taycan’s throttle response is immediate, as we’ll all soon learn to expect from EVs. Zero to 60 in 5.1 seconds is no slouch, but the electric motor’s quiet operation saps some of the drama from fast starts.
While many EVs have a single-speed transmission, the Taycan comes with a two-speed. You can expect multispeed transmissions to become more common in EVs as the technology matures. The steering is sharp and nicely weighted, particularly for such a heavy car. My car’s adaptive air suspension held the Taycan level in quick maneuvers, with nearly no body roll in turns or squat and dive under acceleration and braking.
Short range, but fast charging
The EPA hasn’t rated the RWD Taycan’s range on a charge yet, but mine probably began the day around 230 miles and had 211 when I started driving.
The decline in range matched miles driven nearly perfectly in a mix of highway and surface streets, despite cold ambient temperatures around 29 degrees. However, 230 miles or so is not impressive among the latest wave of EVs, where 300-plus is becoming common. The Taycan makes up for that slightly with the ability to charge at up to 800 volts. It also accommodates 120/ 240V AC charging and 400V DC.
Wider availability of 800V fast-chargers will make the Taycan more flexible, and boost general acceptance of EVs. For instance, Porsche says a Taycan can charge from 5% to 80% in 22.5 minutes at 800V. That’s still slower than pumping gas, but it’s approaching the speed at which drivers won’t consider charging time a trade-off.
The front seat is roomy, with big clear gauges. A touch screen handles navigation, audio and climate control. There are no conventional dials or buttons for volume, temperature, etc.
The passenger has a separate touch screen for access to navigation, audio and climate. They can add waypoints to a planned route, among other things.
The bin in the center console is small, limiting its usefulness. Rear head and legroom are a bit limited, but no more than you’d expect in any sport sedan with a slick, Porsche-style profile.
How much?
Taycan RWD prices start at $79,900. I tested a loaded model that stickered at $111,740. Features on my car included 21inch wheels, adaptive air suspension, 18-way power front seats, Performance Battery Plus, Sport Chrono Plus timing and performance package, head up display, 22kW on-board charger, charging ports for AC or DC fast charge, heated seats, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging and Apple Carplay, heated steering wheel and Bose audio.
The Taycan’s price is at the high end, but not out of line with what I’d expect of a conventionally powered similarly equipped luxury sedan with comparable performance.