2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel & 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Blu

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

JOIN US AND SEE IF A TURBO DIESEL CHEVROLET CRUZE IS GROUND BREAKING OR GROUND SHAKING.

PAT GOSS KEEPS THINGS COOL AND CLEAN DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

ZACH MASKELL GOES OVER THE EDGE AT HOME WORKING AT THE CAR WASH. AND WE'LL TOP OFF THE DIESEL TANK AGAIN WITH THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLK250 BLUETEC.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT.

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

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DIEHARD.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT DIEHARD.COM John: WE'VE BEEN CRUZE FANS EVER SINCE IT JOINED THE CHEVROLET LINEUP FOR 2011.

BUT AS MUCH AS WE LIKED IT, WE STILL WONDERED WHAT CHEVY WOULD DO TO KEEP IT FRESH AGAINST AN ONSLAUGHT OF NEW SMALL CAR CHOICES.

TURNS OUT ONE ANSWER IS A TURBO DIESEL.

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT CHEVROLET WOULD JOIN VOLKSWAGEN AS THE ONLY TWO BRANDS TO OFFER DIESEL ENGINES IN THE COMPACT ECONOMY CAR CLASS?

NOW THAT'S FRESH!

WHEN WE FIRST HEARD THAT CHEVROLET WOULD BE OFFERING A DIESEL ENGINE IN THE 2014 CHEVROLET CRUZE WE WERE PRETTY PUMPED.

THEN A LITTLE NERVOUS.

WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF?

AND ARE THERE STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND WITH SOUR MEMORIES OF THE '80s GM DIESELS?

TURNS OUT WE NEEDN'T HAVE WORRIED, AS THE TURBO DIESEL CRUZE IS A TRUE MODERN CLEAN DIESEL IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORDS.

THIS TWIN-CAM 2.0-LITER COMES STRAIGHT FROM GM EUROPE.

HORSEPOWER IS 151 AND TORQUE COMES IN AT A VERY VIGOROUS 264 POUND-FEET.

DESPITE A FAIR AMOUNT OF NOISE OUTSIDE THE CAR AT STARTUP; INSIDE, THERE'S LITTLE INDICATION THAT THERE'S A DIESEL CLATTERING AWAY UNDER THE HOOD.

YOU'RE QUICKLY REMINDED WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN CERTAINLY FEEL THE ABUNDANCE OF TORQUE.

AND UNLIKE SOME DIESELS, IT CONTINUES TO FEEL VERY SPIRITED RIGHT UP TO CRUISING SPEED.

MOREOVER, THE DIESEL IN NO WAY DETRACTS FROM WHAT WAS ALREADY ONE OF THE QUIETEST AND WELL COMPOSED CARS IN THE COMPACT CLASS.

ONE THING WE WERE REMINDED OF IS THE CRUZE'S DOWN LOW DRIVING POSITION.

FOR OUR TALLER DRIVERS, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ADJUSTMENT TO THE STEERING WHEEL, AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT EVERYTHING LINED UP, THEY WERE SITTING VERY LOW.

BUT THAT'S ABOUT OUR ONLY ERGONOMIC COMPLAINT.

THE CRUZE DIESEL'S NATURAL COMPETITOR IS OBVIOUSLY THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI, AND TO BE FRANK, THIS SMALL CHEVY IS NOT AS SPORTY OR UPSCALE FEELING AS THE JETTA.

THAT SHOWS UP MOST WHEN YOU PUSH FAIRLY HARD, LIKE THROUGH OUR SLALOM.

THERE WAS PLENTY OF OVERSTEER, AND YOU CAN EASILY FEEL THE ADDITIONAL FRONT BIAS OF THE DIESEL'S WEIGHT.

HOWEVER, OFF THE LINE, ALL THAT TORQUE PROPELLED US TO 60 IN A RESPECTABLE 8.8-SECONDS, AND TO THE END OF THE QUARTER MILE IN 16.8-SECONDS WITH A SPEED OF 81 MILES-PER-HOUR.

STILL, WE FOUND BRAKES TO BE A BIT BELOW AVERAGE, AS OUR STOPS FROM 60 AVERAGED A 139-FEET, ACCOMPANIED BY AN UNSETTLING BACK END.

A BIG POSITIVE FOR THE CRUZE IS ITS VERY ROOMY, AIRY INTERIOR WITH WELL ABOVE CLASS AVERAGE MATERIALS AND TRIM QUALITY.

THE FRONT SEAT CUSHIONS ARE VERY COMFORTABLE FOR A COMPACT.

REAR SEATS ARE NOT QUITE AS COMFY, AS LEGROOM IS SHORT OF THE JETTA, AS IS TRUNK SPACE.

ALTHOUGH 13.3 CUBIC FEET STILL RATES GOOD.

THERE'S ALSO A BIT LESS THAN THE STANDARD CRUZE DUE TO THE ADBLUE TANK MOUNTED IN THE TRUNK.

THE DIESEL COMES WELL EQUIPPED, ON PAR WITH 2LT TRIM.

AND THAT MEANS CHEVROLET MYLINK, HEATED FRONT SEATS, REMOTE VEHICLE START, AND 17-INCH WHEELS ARE ALL STANDARD.

OUTSIDE, DESIGN FOLLOWS THAT OF THE CRUZE ECO WITH AN AERO PERFORMANCE PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES LOWER FRONT GRILLE AIR SHUTTERS, MID-BODY AERO PANELS, AND A DECK-LID MOUNTED SPOILER.

AS FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS, THE CRUZE DIESEL COMES IN AT 27-CITY, 46-HIGHWAY, AND 33-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A GOOD 36.1.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS DECENT AT 11.6-BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 5.1-TONS.

THE CRUZE'S HIGHWAY MPG RATING ACTUALLY BEATS THE JETTA'S 42 MILES-PER-GALLON, BUT THE JETTA'S CITY AND COMBINED NUMBERS ARE BOTH BETTER.

AND FOR FURTHER TRICKY COMPARISONS, THE CRUZE ECO GAS MODEL DOES ALMOST AS WELL AS THE DIESEL AT 26-CITY, 39-HIGHWAY, AND 31-COMBINED, BUT ITS VERY TALL GEARING MAKES THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE FAR LESS REWARDING.

FACTOR IN THE CRUZE DIESEL'S LARGE 15.6-GALLON FUEL TANK AND YOU CAN GET 700 MILES OUT OF A TANK.

BUT THEN THERE'S THE PRICE PREMIUM TO BE CONSIDERED, WITH THE CRUZE DIESEL STARTING AT $25,695.

THAT'S $2,390 OVER A SIMILARLY EQUIPPED CRUZE 2LT, AND $3,840 OVER A CRUZE ECO.

SO, WHO WILL BUY IT?

WELL, PROBABLY THOSE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO STRETCH THEIR FUEL ECONOMY DOLLAR WITHOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF A HYBRID AND PREFER A DOMESTIC BRAND.

SO, WE DOUBT THE 2014 CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL WILL BE A BIG SELLER.

STILL, WE'RE QUITE IMPRESSED WITH IT.

A SOLID DIESEL CAR IS LONG OVERDUE FROM A DETROIT BRAND.

NOW WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS CHEVY EXPAND DIESELS TO THE FRESHENED MALIBU.

THAT WOULD BE GROUND BREAKING, AND SIGNAL THAT THIS TIME, GM DIESEL CARS ARE HERE TO STAY.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO AN EAST DALLAS, TEXAS FLORIST THAT HAS USED ALTERNATIVE FUEL IN THEIR DELIVERY VANS SINCE 1990.

MCSHAN FLORIST ADDED COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS VANS TO THEIR FLEET MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO TO ADDRESS THE GROWING PROBLEM OF URBAN AIR POLLUTION.

IN FACT, THEY WERE A PIONEERING STAKEHOLDER IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH CLEAN CITIES COALITION.

THE 64-YEAR-OLD COMPANY DELIVERS FLOWERS IN SEVEN COUNTIES.

COMPARED TO DIESEL, THE COMPANY FINDS CNG ALSO REDUCES REPAIR COSTS AND PRODUCES A LONGER ENGINE LIFE.

NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE CNG FUELING STATIONS IN THEIR AREA.

Bruce McShaw: THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISN'T THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THIS AREA.

WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A PUBLIC STATION ONLINE NEXT DOOR TO US WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

John: THE FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS, WHICH AT ONE POINT HAD THE AREA'S LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED CNG FLEET, NOW HAS 38 DEDICATED CNG FORD E-350 VANS WITH MORE IN THE PIPELINE.

THIS FLOWER SHOP CERTAINLY KNOWS A LOT ABOUT "GREEN OFFERINGS," BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS FROM DESIGN TO DELIVERY.

EVEN THE AVERAGE HOME TODAY CAN BE EQUIPPED WITH CUSTOM FEATURES THAT WERE ONCE AFFORDABLE ONLY BY THE WEALTHY.

WINE CELLAR STYLE COOLERS, GOURMET KITCHEN APPLIANCES, AUTOMATED LIGHTING.

IT REALLY IS A CASE OF TRICKLE DOWN LUXURY.

BUT WHAT ABOUT UP GRADING THE GARAGE?

WELL, YOU COULD ADD AN ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC CAR LIFT?

OR MAYBE A PRO-STYLE AIR COMPRESSOR.

WELL, OUR ZACH MASKELL HAS FOUND ONE NEW GARAGE IMPROVEMENT THAT REALLY CLEANS UP.

Zach Maskell: FOR SOME OF US, WASHING OUR VEHICLE IS A TIME OF ZEN.

FOR OTHERS, IT'S A DREADED, BACK-BREAKING TASK.

FOR THIS ARIZONA MAN, BETWEEN HIS KIDS AND COMMITMENTS, THERE SIMPLY WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT.

INSTEAD, DALE RETTER LET THE RAIN RINSE OFF HIS CAR.

THEN THE PROVERBIAL LIGHT BULB WENT OFF.

FOR NOW, THIS IS A LUXURY ONLY FEW WILL HAVE.

BUT YEARS FROM NOW, RETTER HOPES FOR THIS TO BE A HOUSEHOLD NORM.

OH YES!

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE WANTED -- WELL, FOR SOME OF US ANYWAY -- A TOUCHLESS IN-HOME CAR WASH THAT WON'T HURT OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS.

HERE'S A FUN FACT.

THE SECOND MOST CAUSE OF SURFACE WATER POLLUTION IN THE U.S. IS BECAUSE OF DRIVEWAY RUNOFF FROM PEOPLE WASHING THEIR CARS.

Dale Retter: IT'S SO BAD THAT IN A LOT OF AREAS WITH HIGH RESIDENTIAL CONCENTRATIONS THEY'LL GET THE GREATEST PROBLEM OF NUTRIFICATION - THE LAKES AND STREAMS, PONDS TURNING GREEN.

Zach: ALL THE WATER IS CAPTURED AND PUMPED OUT TO SAFELY BE USED AS IRRIGATION.

DALE, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE STANDING INSIDE THE SHOWROOM FLOOR OF A SUPERCAR DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER, HERE WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOZZLES.

EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS THING WORKS?

Dale: WELL, THERE ARE ACTUALLY 48 NOZZLES.

THERE ARE EIGHT ON THE CEILING AREA, THERE ARE 20 IN THE MID-ZONE, THAT WHEN THIS LOWERS WILL BE AT THE MID-ZONE, AND 20 MORE THAT LOWER DOWN TO THE FLOOR ZONE AND AIM UP AT THE CAR GETTING THE WHEELS AND UNDERCARRIAGE.

Zach: IT REALLY DOES ADD A SOPHISTICATED LOOK TO YOUR STABLE.

WHEN INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME THERE WILL BE NO POLES, SO THE FLOATING DESIGN TAKES UP LITTLE ROOM.

AN IN-HOME CAR WASH LIKE THIS TYPICALLY TAKES UP WAY MORE SPACE, COSTS OVER $100,000, AND CAN BE DAMAGING TO YOUR VEHICLE.

THE AUTO GREEN WASH, HOWEVER, IS NOT ONLY CONVENIENT BUT IT TREATS YOUR CAR LIKE A BABY.

ONLY FIVE SPRAYERS ACTIVATE AT ONCE.

SMALL JETS SPIT WARM, DE-MINERALIZED WATER MIXED WITH BIODEGRADABLE SOAP.

THE WASH USES 10 DIFFERENT ZONES TO SLOWLY BREAK AWAY GRIME.

REMEMBER, THE IDEA HERE IS CONSISTENCY, NOT POWER.

Dale: TO USE THE SYSTEM, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PARK YOUR CAR THE WAY IT'S SHOWN, PRESS THE START BUTTON, MAKE SURE ALL THE DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE CLOSED, PRESS OK. EVERYTHING ELSE HAPPENS TOTALLY AUTOMATICALLY.

Zach: VOILÀ.

Dale: YOU'RE DONE.

Zach: FORGOT YOUR CELL PHONE?

NO PROBLEM.

JUST PAUSE THE WASH AND GRAB IT.

DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR A FULL WASH?

RETTER'S GOT YOU COVERED.

Dale: YOU CAN CHANGE THE WASH DURATION ON DEFAULT FROM SHORT, MEDIUM OR LONG, OR YOU CAN ADJUST THE DELAY TIME 2, 4 OR 8 HOURS.

Zach: THE AUTO GREEN WASH USES LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE AMOUNT OF WATER A TYPICAL DRIVEWAY SESSION WOULD.

FOR THE NEXT STEP, ENOUGH HOT AIR IS BLOWN INTO THIS TINY LITTLE AREA TO HEAT AN ENTIRE HOUSE.

BACK IN THE DAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SAID THE DISHWASHER WAS A BAD INVESTMENT.

RETTER SAYS THAT GOES TO SHOW THIS $29,000 RIG WITH ALL OFFERED GOODIES, WITH A $3K TO $4,000 INSTALLATION COST, CAN ONE DAY BE EASILY AFFORDABLE.

THE WASH WORKS WELL, BUT STILL REQUIRES A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE FOR TOUGH SPOTS.

SO, WHEN DO YOU WANT YOURS DELIVERED?

John: PAT GOSS HAS MORE NEED-TO-KNOW INFO, SO LET'S ROLL ON DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat: EVERYONE KNOWS THAT OIL LUBRICATES THINGS INSIDE AN ENGINE.

BUT IT DOES A LOT MORE THAN THAT.

AND HERE TO GIVE US SOME TIPS, LYNDON ABEL, GENERAL MANAGER OF PATRIOT HARLEY-DAVIDSON IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA.

LYNDON, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.

Lyndon: THANKS FOR HAVING ME, PAT.

Pat: ALRIGHT.

OIL LUBRICATES, BUT DOES A LOT MORE.

Lyndon: ABSOLUTELY.

IT DOES FOUR THINGS.

EVERYBODY KNOWS IT LUBRICATES.

IT ALSO CLEANS, PREVENTS CORROSION, AND IT COOLS.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT THIS.

BUT OIL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE COOLING OF ANY ENGINE, ESPECIALLY SO WITH AN AIR-COOLED ENGINE.

BUT REALLY ANY ENGINE.

THAT OIL IS CIRCULATING NEAR THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, CARRYING A LOT OF THAT HEAT THAT'S GENERATED BY COMBUSTION, BACK INTO AN OIL TANK WHERE IT CAN SYPHON THROUGH AND DISSIPATE SOME OF THAT HEAT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

DIRTY OIL SIMPLY DOESN'T DO THAT NEARLY AS EFFECTIVELY AS CLEAN OIL.

Pat: ALRIGHT, SO IF WE TAKE OUR DIRTY SAMPLE HERE, AND WE SHAKE IT, WE CAN SEE THAT THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CRUD FLOATING AROUND IN THERE.

Lyndon: RIGHT, AND THAT CRUD IS SPECIFICALLY INTERFERING WITH COOLING OFF YOUR MOTOR.

THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP COOL THINGS OFF, AND IT SLOWS DOWN FLOW AND INTERFERES WITH THAT COOLING.

SO YET ANOTHER REASON TO KEEP THE OIL FRESH IN YOUR MOTOR.

CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY, AND USE THE PROPER OIL, AND THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING KEEP THINGS COOL.

Pat: SPEAKING OF PROPER OIL -- ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE PROPER TYPE AND VISCOSITY, AND EVERYTHING, IS TO KEEP IT FLOWING AT THE RIGHT RATE SO THAT IT CAN ABSORB ENOUGH HEAT AND DISSIPATE ENOUGH HEAT.

Lyndon: ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

AND DIFFERENT MOTORS ARE DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT VISCOSITY OILS.

Pat: ALRIGHT, THE OUTSIDE IS CRITICAL AS WELL.

Lyndon: RIGHT, SO HERE WE HAVE A HARLEY-DAVIDSON CYLINDER AND CYLINDER HEAD.

AND THIS IS AIR-COOLED OF COURSE.

AND THESE FINS, THE JOB OF THESE FINS, IS TO ABSORB THE HEAT THAT'S BEING GIVEN OFF BY FRICTION, AND TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT, COMBUSTION.

AND THEN THAT HEAT TRAVELS ON THIS ALUMINUM FIN OUT INTO THE AIR, WHERE THAT HEAT IS THEN PULLED OUT BY THE WIND THAT'S GOING PAST THE MOTOR.

THIS WORKS GREAT UNTIL THESE FINS GET CLOGGED UP WITH DIRT, BUGS, ROAD GRIME AND DEBRIS.

SO DON'T IGNORE THE MOTOR WHEN YOU'RE CLEANING YOUR MOTORCYCLE.

BE SURE TO KEEP ALL OF THESE THINGS CLEANED IN ORDER TO PROPERLY COOL THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR MOTOR AS WELL.

Pat: OKAY.

LYNDON, THANK YOU.

AND REMEMBER, FOLKS, CLEAN ON THE OUTSIDE OF A CAR ENGINE IS IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE IT HAS A BIG EFFECT ON HOW COOL THE ENGINE RUNS.

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

John: THERE ARE MANY REASONS WE ENJOY HAVING A 2014 MAZDA6 IN OUR LONG-TERM FLEET.

MAZDA'S NEW FAMILY STAPLE IS DRAMATICALLY STYLED, SETTING IT APART FROM MARKET LEADERS LIKE CAMRY AND ACCORD.

IT IS ALSO VERY ROOMY AND COMFORTABLE, AND OUR BASE MAZDA6 SPORT EVEN COMES WITH A SMOOTH ACTION 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

THAT CATAPULTS WHAT MIGHT BE A SUBURBAN APPLIANCE INTO THE NEAR SPORT SEDAN CATEGORY.

IT IS LOADS OF FUN TO DRIVE.

THE 2.5-LITER SKYACTIV FOUR IS CLEARLY MORE RESPONSIVE WITH A MANUAL THAN WITH AN AUTOMATIC.

AND DID WE MENTION FUEL EFFICIENT?

SKYACTIV PROMISES A LOT, AND AT 34.6 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR AFTER THREE MONTHS AND 10,000 MILES, IT IS DELIVERING.

WE DO MISS A BETTER STEREO AND SOME OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S LITTLE TO DISTRACT YOU FROM ENJOYING YOUR DRIVE IN THE MAZDA6.

ANOTHER SEDAN THAT WE THINK BREAKS FROM THE MOLD FOR MID-SIZE FAMILY CARS IS THE KIA OPTIMA.

AND WE LIKE IT FOR MANY OF THE SAME REASONS WE LIKE THE MAZDA6, PLUS ONE MORE...

IT'S AVAILABLE WITH A VERY EFFECTIVE, IF PRICEY, GASOLINE-ELECTRIC HYBRID POWERTRAIN.

SO FAR, AFTER FIVE MONTHS AND SOME 7,600 MILES, OUR EX HYBRID IS MANAGING A GREAT 37.1 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR IN MOSTLY COMMUTER USE.

TRANSITIONS BETWEEN GASOLINE AND ELECTRIC ARE SMOOTH AND MOSTLY INVISIBLE.

BEST OF ALL, THE EURO-FLAVORED STYLING, INTERIOR DESIGN, AND MOST OF THE DRIVING DYNAMICS, COME THROUGH THE HYBRID CONVERSION WITHOUT COMPROMISE.

IF AUTOMAKERS CAN CONTINUE TO REDUCE HYBRID PRICES, CARS LIKE OUR KIA EX HYBRID WILL BECOME THE RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION.

SUBARU SALES ARE RISING MORE THAN THREE TIMES AS FAST AS THE AUTO INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE AND A BIG PART OF THAT SKYROCKETING FAME IS THE 2014 SUBARU FORESTER.

AMONG SMALL CROSSOVER UTILITIES, IT'S HUGELY SUCCESSFUL.

INDEED, PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT, WE HAVE FOUND AFTER TWO MONTHS AND 7,300 MILES WITH OUR EXAMPLE, HAS TO DO WITH JUST HOW BIG INSIDE THE FORESTER REALLY IS.

BEING TALLER THAN ITS MAIN RIVALS MEANS SUPERIOR HEAD ROOM FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND BULKY CARGO.

AND YOU CAN HAUL IT ALL AROUND FAIRLY EFFICIENTLY.

WE'RE AVERAGING 24.4 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR IN MOSTLY STOP-AND-GO DRIVING.

WE'VE FOUND ONE SOLUTION TO THE LESS THAN EASY TO OPERATE PREMIUM STEREO.

JUST INPUT YOUR STATION PRE-SETS AND STICK WITH THE SIMPLE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS.

THAT'S ONE SUBARU QUIRK THAT WILL BOTHER OUR OTHERWISE IMPRESSIVE FORESTER NO MORE.

FOR TWO DIFFERENT STYLES OF FAMILY OUTINGS, IT'S THE HONDA ACCORD SEDAN AND THE WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER MOTORHOME ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

NOW LET'S HEAD INSIDE TO YOLANDA VAZQUEZ AND ALL THE LATEST MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda: CADILLAC REMINDED EVERYONE THAT THEY'RE STILL IN THE TRUCK BUSINESS WITH THE UNVEILING OF AN ALL-NEW 2015 ESCALADE.

POPULARIZED IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, THE FULL-SIZE ESCALADE SUV HAS TAKEN A BACKSEAT TO CADILLAC'S MORE INNOVATIVE CARS: THE ATS, XTS, AND CTS.

BUT THE BRAND AIMS TO DRUM UP NEWFOUND ENTHUSIASM FOR THEIR BODY-ON-FRAME FAMILY HAULER EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THOUGH ALL NEW, ESCALADE KEEPS A RECOGNIZABLE LOOK WITH EXTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS LIKE LED LIGHTING.

A NEW 6.2 LITER V8 BOOSTS OUTPUT TO 420 HORSEPOWER, WHILE FUEL ECONOMY IS UP TOO.

BUT THE REAL BEAUTY IS ON THE INSIDE, WHERE CADILLAC HAS REFINED THE ESCALADE'S PASSENGER ENVIRONMENT.

CUE INFOTAINMENT WILL COME STANDARD, AS WILL A 12-INCH DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER DISPLAY.

AND, OF COURSE, PREMIUM MATERIALS AND FINISHES THROUGHOUT.

THE 4TH GENERATION ESCALADE WILL GO ON SALE EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND CADILLAC HINTS THAT A LARGE, 7 OR 8-SEAT ESCALADE CROSSOVER UTILITY WILL FOLLOW AFTER THAT.

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

John: THE REDESIGNED MERCEDES-BENZ GLK SEEMED TO HIT ALL THE RIGHT BUTTONS AS SALES OF THIS SMALL LUXURY CROSSOVER ARE WAY UP.

IT APPEARS THAT A LOT OF WELL-HEELED FOLKS ARE LOOKING FOR CROSSOVERS WITH RUGGED LOOKS WITHOUT HAVING TO COMPROMISE ON CREATURE COMFORTS.

RUGGED OUTSIDE, SENSITIVE INSIDE; SOUNDS LIKE THE IDEAL TRAVELING PARTNER.

AND NOW WE CAN ADD A TURBO DIESEL ENGINE TO THAT WINNING TICKET.

IN OUR MOST RECENT TEST OF THE 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK, WE FOUND ITS TRIFECTA OF MORE FEATURES, MORE POWER, AND BETTER FUEL ECONOMY TO BE A WINNING TICKET.

BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND WE HOPED TO FIND JUST THAT IN THE BLUETEC VERSION OF BENZ' SMALLEST UTE.

THOUGH IT WON'T BE THE SMALLEST FOR LONG AS MERCEDES HAS ANNOUNCED AN EVEN SMALLER GLA WILL BE ON THE WAY NEXT YEAR.

BUT WE DIGRESS.

FITTING A DIESEL TO A UTILITY IS NOTHING NEW FOR MERCEDES, BUT UP UNTIL THIS POINT HERE IN THE U.S., THEY'VE BEEN FOUND IN THEIR BIGGER BUCK UTES.

SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THE TRICKLEDOWN THEORY WORK IN OUR FAVOR FOR A CHANGE.

THE DIESEL THAT POWERS THE GLK IS NOT THE 3.0-LITER V6 THAT POWERS THE GL AND M-CLASS.

RATHER, IT'S A NEW 2.1-LITER TURBOCHARGED I4 DIESEL, COMPLETE WITH DUAL OVERHEAD CAMS, VARIABLE VALVE TIMING, AND TWO BALANCE SHAFTS TO QUELL VIBRATION.

IT DELIVERS 200-HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE IN AN EXTREMELY REFINED MANNER.

INSIDE, YOU'LL FIND THE SAME MIX OF MODERN FEATURES WITH RETRO STYLE THAT WE FOUND VERY APPEALING IN THE '13 GLK.

THE COMAND CENTRAL CONTROLLER ACTIVATES FUNCTIONS ON THE CENTER STACK'S DEEPLY-HOODED 7-INCH NAVIGATION SCREEN, WHICH INCLUDES AN AVAILABLE WEB BROWSER AND DETAILED WEATHER INFORMATION.

LEATHER SEATING IS OPTIONAL, BUT WE FOUND THE STANDARD MB-TEX MATERIAL QUITE SUITABLE.

CUSHIONS ARE FIRM, MORE IN THE ALL-DAY COMFORTABLE VEIN RATHER THAN JUST PILLOWY SOFT.

BACK SEATS ARE ALSO QUITE COMFORTABLE, BUT EVEN WITH RELIEFS CUT IN THE FRONT SEATBACKS, LEGROOM IS TIGHT FOR ADULTS.

CARGO SPACE IS ADEQUATE, BUT TRAILS MOST IN THE SEGMENT, WITH THE REAR CARGO AREA HOLDING JUST 23.3 CUBIC-FEET OF GOODS, EXPANDING TO 54.7 WHEN THE SEATBACKS ARE FOLDED.

THOSE SEAT BACKS ARE ALSO HEAVY, BUT THEY FOLD EASILY AND COMPLETELY FLAT.

A REAR POWER LIFTGATE COMES WITH THE PREMIUM PACKAGE, WHICH ALSO ADDS A PANORAMA SUNROOF, AND MORE.

AS FOR THE RUGGED EXTERIOR LOOK OF THE GLK, ITS SQUARED-OFF ENDS AND TIGHT LINES ARE CERTAINLY RETRO G-WAGON INSPIRED, BUT A STEEPLY RAKED WINDSHIELD AND THE ANGULAR NOSE ARE FULLY IN THE MODERN WORLD.

WHEELBASE IS 108.5-INCHES AND OVERALL LENGTH COMES IN ABOUT 11-INCHES SHORTER THAN THE M-CLASS.

OPT FOR THE SPORT APPEARANCE PACKAGE AND 19-INCH ALLOY WHEELS AND BRUSHED ALUMINUM ROOF RAILS SPICE UP THE RIDE.

BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL, THE GLK FEELS VERY SOLID AND EASY TO DRIVE.

THE SMALL SIZE MAKES IT A BREEZE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH TRAFFIC, AND THE ADDITION OF THE DIESEL ENGINE MAKES HIGHWAY MERGING AND OVERTAKING ABOUT AS SIMPLE AS IT GETS.

BUT IMPROVED GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE THE TRUE MEASURE OF A DIESEL, AND THIS BLUETEC DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, AVERAGING 24-CITY, 33-HIGHWAY, AND 28-COMBINED.

WE HAD NO PROBLEM AVERAGING CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY NUMBER AT 32.9 IN MIXED DRIVING.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE COMES IN AT 13.6-BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL USE WITH CO2 EMISSIONS COMING IN AT 6.1-TONS.

WE FOUND THE GLK TO BE A TON OF FUN AT OUR TEST TRACK AS WELL.

OFF THE LINE, IT WASTED LITTLE TIME IN PUTTING DOWN THE POWER AND TOOK US TO 60 IN 7.4-SECONDS.

SHIFTS COME EARLY AND OFTEN FROM THE STANDARD 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AS THE GLK SMOOTHLY SHIFTS ITS WAY TO THE END OF THE QUARTER MILE IN 15.7-SECONDS AT 86 MILES-PER-HOUR.

ATTACKING OUR CONE COURSE WITH EQUAL URGENCY, THE GLK PROVED TO BE CAPABLE ENOUGH, BUT SMOOTHNESS IS REQUIRED AS ANY HARSH INPUTS ON THE WHEEL WILL RESULT IN STABILITY CONTROL KICKING IN FAIRLY AGGRESSIVELY.

4MATIC PERMANENT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE HAS A SLIGHT REAR BIAS AND COMES STANDARD ON ALL BLUETECS.

USUALLY WHEN YOU TALK DIESELS, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT PRICE PREMIUM TO BE DISCUSSED, WELL, NOT SO IN THIS CASE, AS THE BLUETEC COMES IN $500 CHEAPER THAN A GLK350 4MATIC V6, STARTING AT JUST $39,495.

BARGAIN HUNTERS CAN GET A BASE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE GLK350 FOR $37,995.

THE 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK IS INDEED ON A ROLL, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF THE BLUETEC DIESEL ENGINE, CLEARLY, THAT WINNING STREAK WILL CONTINUE.

RUGGED STYLE, PREMIUM INTERIOR, AND NOW EVEN BETTER FUEL ECONOMY.

IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WINNING TICKET JUST CAME WITH A BONUS JACKPOT.

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THEN LAND ON OUR FEET WITH THE IMPRESSIVELY REFRESHED BUICK LACROSSE.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

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