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    2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Costs $1000–$1900 More Than Sedan

    Honda has announced pricing for the hatchback version of the 2022 Civic.It starts at $23,915, and the various trim levels cost $1000–$1900 more than the equivalent sedan models.The Civic hatch is reaching dealerships starting today.Honda’s new Civic appears to be an enticing package in hatchback form, as this new body style has more cargo space than the sedan and offers a manual transmission on certain models. We now have pricing for the slightly more practical Civic, and it starts at $23,915 for the base LX model and ranges up to $30,415 for the Sport Touring. Those price are between $1000 and $1900 higher than the equivalent sedan models, which are only available with an automatic transmission.

    The hatchback comes with the same two engine options as the sedan, either a 2.0-liter inline-four or a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four, and comes standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission. The naturally aspirated 158-hp engine comes on the LX and Sport ($25,115), and on the latter it offers a six-speed manual transmission as a no-cost option. The more powerful 180-hp turbocharged engine comes standard on the EX-L hatch ($27,615) with a CVT and is also standard on the loaded Sport Touring ($30,415). Honda offers a manual with this engine, too, as it’s a no-cost option on the Sport Touring with the 1.5T.Apart from the available manual and the price premium, another key difference between the hatchback lineup and the sedan lineup is that the hatchback offers an EX-L trim with leather upholstery. The sedan is available as an EX with cloth seats, meaning you have to step up to the top Touring trim to get the upgraded upholstery.Honda says the Civic hatchback is arriving at U.S. dealerships starting this week.
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    Chevy Bolt EV Battery Replacements Coming Soon in Fire-Risk Recall

    Chevrolet will start replacing the batteries in the Bolt EV in October, the automaker announced this afternoon.GM started to recall the Bolt nearly a year ago over the potential for battery fire, later expanding the recall to every Bolt EV made to date and adding the Bolt EUV crossover as well, for a total of more than 140,000 vehicles.Along with replacing batteries, GM will install new diagnostic software to be installed in every Bolt to closely monitor batteries for anomalies.General Motors said Monday it will start replacing battery modules in its Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars as soon as next month, now that its battery supplier LG is again producing the necessary cells and modules. The company will first prioritize 2017–2019 Bolts built during times it believes defective cells were most likely to have been produced.

    The replacements are the first long-term fix to address a recall underway since last November, when GM first identified 50,000 Bolt EVs from those model years that could have defective cells. The recall ultimately expanded to every Bolt EV and EUV made, a total of roughly 141,000 cars. Drivers of those cars have been advised to limit their charging, how deeply they discharge their batteries, and where and how they park their cars [see sidebar]. Owner discontent has surged, to the point that some Bolt EVs have been bought back by the company. Now, a fix is in sight. GM said LG only resumed production of its cells and modules after it “implemented new manufacturing processes” in its plants in the Michigan cities of Holland and Hazel Park to eliminate two different defects in the cells, a torn anode tab and a folded separator, that could cause fires in the rare instance that both flaws occur in the same cell. The companies didn’t provide further details about how the defects occurred or what specific changes to build processes had been made to eliminate them. But Tim Grewe, GM global electrification and battery systems director, confirmed during a media call that “interaction between the two [defects] is what causes the issue.”

    Those same new manufacturing processes will be rolled out to all LG plants that supply cells to GM, the company said. GM will increase its frequency of individual cell checking, and work closely with LG to share manufacturing expertise in areas that apply to cell fabrication and assembly processes. It will also work with LG to “review and enhance its quality-assurance programs” as part of an effort to “provide confidence in its batteries” in the future.GM said it is aware of 13 Bolt fires suspected to be linked to defective cells in the battery packs. No injuries or deaths are attributed to those fires, but all 141,000 Bolt EVs and EUVs built since December 2016 are being recalled. Meanwhile, GM has directed Bolt owners to follow specific recharging, usage, and parking protocols to reduce risk until their cars can be updated.Production of both the Bolt EV and the new, larger Bolt EUV model was suspended last month. GM confirmed the Orion Assembly Plant’s lines will remain idle at least through the week of October 11 but didn’t give a date for resumption of Bolt production.New Modules and Software ComingAs cell production under LG’s revised processes ramps up, GM will start to replace battery modules in existing Bolt vehicles. The company said it would “prioritize Chevy Bolt EV and EUV customers whose batteries were manufactured during specific build time frames” in which the company believes “the defects appear to be clustered.”Affected Bolt EVs will receive a full set of new battery modules. Owners of 2017–2019 Bolt EVs whose modules are replaced will see the rated range of their cars rise from 238 to 259 miles. That comes from replacing the cars’ original cells with a newer and more energy-dense cell, boosting pack capacity from 60.0 to 65.0 kWh.GM did not offer any estimates on how many vehicles it believed would require battery replacement, or how long the replacement of all affected Bolt modules would take. Chevrolet will notify “affected customers,” which is to say owners of existing Bolts, when new modules are available for their batteries.Monitoring Batteries More CloselyNow that LG will be starting to supply replacement battery hardware, GM will also roll out new diagnostic software to be installed in every Bolt that monitors an expanded set of battery performance data. The goal is to look at more indicators than the existing software does, so the cars can alert drivers of any unusual readings in its battery’s electrical performance.The program will detect “specific abnormalities that might indicate a damaged battery” and, GM says, will let the company prioritize damaged modules for replacement. Getting that software installed in a Bolt will require a visit to the Chevrolet dealership, however. Customers can start to schedule those visits in roughly 60 days, during the second half of November. Meanwhile, the new software will limit charging to 80 percent of rated capacity until it has fully analyzed the behavior of all modules. After that, future diagnostic software to come will gradually increase the charge percentage as the pack continues to perform appropriately, with the final goal being to offer recharges up to 100 percent of capacity once again. LG’s resumption of cell and module production under new, presumably defect-free, protocols may be the first shred of good news around the Bolt battery recall in quite some time. Since August 20, when the company expanded the recall to cover every Bolt built since 2016, Bloomberg reported that GM told some owners their Bolts should be parked at least 50 feet from other vehicles. That guidance has now been modified to “ample distance,” though how owners choose to interpret the advice will likely vary quite a lot based on their parking circumstances. Automotive News published an editorial suggesting the only way for GM to restore public confidence in its EVs would be to provide entirely new battery packs for all Bolts that are based on the newer Ultium cell technology GM and LG have jointly developed. That would be a remarkably lengthy and ambitious undertaking, given Ultium’s different cell size and shape, different module design, and entirely different battery-management system. Meanwhile, Bolt drivers have at least two months to wait before both new hardware and new software will be available for installation. What Should Bolt Owners Do?GM has not changed its guidance on how Bolt owners should park, charge, and use their electric vehicles. Until replacement modules can be installed, it said, Bolt drivers should continue to: Use Target Charge Level mode to set vehicle to limit recharging to 90 percent of battery capacity. If customers can’t make change that setting, or aren’t comfortable doing so, they should visit their Chevrolet dealer to have these adjustments made; Charge more frequently and avoid depleting the battery below roughly 70 miles of range remaining, whenever possible; Never leave a vehicle charging overnight while indoors;Park the car outside immediately after charging; and Leave “ample space” around the parked vehicle where possible.Bolt EV customers can visit Chevrolet’s Bolt recall site or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls site for more details about the recall.

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    2022 Toyota Tundra Takes Shots at Chevy, Ford, Ram Pickups

    The 2022 Toyota Tundra is finally here, and it has a new hybrid option, a coil-spring rear suspension, and a significantly improved interior with a massive 14.0-inch touchscreen to make it more competitive against American pickups.The standard powertrain is a 389-hp twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, but there’s also an available hybrid powertrain that makes 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. It will go on sale by the end of this year in SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794, and TRD Pro models. The hybrid won’t be available until a few months after, Toyota says. Since the last new Toyota Tundra debuted 15 years ago, Ford redesigned the F-150 three times, Ram separated itself from Dodge as its own brand and released two new generations of its half-ton pickup, and Chevy redid the Silverado three times. All three of those American pickups have long outsold the Tundra by a wide margin, but now Toyota is finally launching a new generation of its full-size pickup that looks to be more competitive in this hugely important segment.
    The new Tundra is built on Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, which will also underpin the next Tacoma mid-size pickup and Sequoia and 4Runner SUVs. Like the Ram 1500, the Tundra now employs coil springs, which should improve ride and drivability compared to the old truck’s leaf springs—a setup that the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado still use. Electronically controlled adaptive dampers are now available, as is a set of air springs on the rear axle that can raise the truck for low speed off-road driving or lower it to make loading the bed or hooking up a trailer easier. The off-road-focused TRD Pro model is fitted with 2.5-inch Fox dampers with internal-bypass chambers and remote reservoirs and 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires.

    A new twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine replaces the previous model’s 5.7-liter V-8 engine and produces 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, increases of 8 horsepower and 78 pound-feet over the V-8. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. To compete with Ford’s new F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, Toyota is offering a hybrid version of the V-6 called iForce MAX, and this powertrain comes standard on the TRD Pro. It has a low-speed EV mode and uses an electric motor sandwiched between the twin-turbo 3.4-liter and 10-speed that’s powered by a roughly 1.5-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Its output is higher than the Ford’s, making 437 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2400 rpm, but unlike the F-150 there’s no built-in generator. Toyota says it will announce fuel economy estimates in the coming months, and the aim is to beat the PowerBoost’s 25 mpg EPA rating.
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    Tundras can tow up to 12,000 pounds, 1800 more than the previous-generation truck, but that’s still less than what some versions of the Chevy, Ford, and Ram half-tons are capable of. Max payload is rated at 1940 pounds, also less than the domestic trucks max ratings. An available 360-degree camera can help while towing, and an integrated trailer brake controller can detect the blind spot of whatever is hooked up. Every Tundra’s tailgate can be released by a button on the key fob, and crew-cab models come with either a 5.5- or 6.5-foot bed, while the extended cab configurations can be equipped with a 6.5- or 8.1-foot bed. Both rear- and four-wheel-drive Tundras are available. That colossal grille looks like it might be able to swallow a Prius, and different styles are available depending on trims and options. TRD Pro models have “Toyota” script across the top with an integrated LED light bar below that’s toggled by a button below the dash when the high beams are on. Toyota went for a more modern and jagged design with the Tundra’s third generation, and it’s drastically different than the previous truck. We’ll let the truck’s sales numbers determine if the new look is more attractive than the other half-ton pickups.
    Interior improvements are significant compared with the old truck’s cabin, which featured many hard plastics and a small and dated infotainment system. To one-up Ford and Ram’s 12.0-inch screens and Chevy’s new 13.4-inch unit, the Tundra has an available 14.0-inch touchscreen (an 8.0-inch screen is standard). It’s the first Toyota to use its new Audio Multimedia interface, and its crisp graphics and simplified design are easy to use. Say “Hey, Toyota”, and it can give directions or pull up the standard wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto along with other commands. An analog gauge cluster comes standard on the base models, but a 12.3-inch digital screen is available on the higher trims and displays five different national parks upon start. A mobile app can save driver settings and remote start the truck.
    A TRD off-road package is available (pictured above) and adds either 18- or 20-inch black TRD wheels, a TRD grille, Bilstein dampers, skid plates, mud guards, and a TRD leather shifter. Four-wheel-drive models with the TRD off-road package get an electronically controlled rear locking differential, MTS, and off-road cruise control. The TRD Sport package is exclusive to the SR5 model and adds 20-inch black TRD wheels, a TRD grille, lowered suspension, and the TRD shifter.The 2022 Toyota Tundra will be on sale by the end of the year in SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794, and TRD Pro models, and Toyota says trucks with the iForce MAX will arrive a few months after. Pricing, along with fuel economy estimates, will be announced closer to its arrival. It will be built at Toyota’s factory in San Antonio, Texas.
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    2022 Toyota Tundra Ad Features These Classic Toyota Trucks

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    The 2022 Toyota Tundra and other historic Toyota trucks and SUVs appear in a fast-paced commercial.Along with the new Tundra, Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Trophy Truck and Marty McFly’s 1985 Tacoma from Back to the Future are in the ad.The one-minute commercial debuts at halftime during Sunday Night Football on NBC.Most people are familiar with Toyota, and many even recognize the full-size Tundra pickup, but not everyone knows about the Japanese automaker’s rich history of race trucks and popular off-road SUVs. Well, Toyota gives viewers a glimpse of some of its greatest hits as well as showing off the new 2022 Tundra in a fast-paced, one-minute commercial that airs during halftime of Sunday Night Football on NBC.

    The above clip opens with a camera shot speeding toward what appears to be a sandstorm in an unidentified desert. Lo and behold, said sandstorm turns out to be a portal into epic shots of Toyota trucks and SUVs from different eras doing cool truck stuff. For example, the first thing we see is a 1984 4Runner SR5 sliding onto the scene with a posse of dirt bikes in pursuit. Then there’s a rhino charging across a savanna alongside a 1960’s Australian BJ45, also known as a “Troopy”, which was short for Troop Carrier. The sandstorm turns to a snowstorm as a Voodoo Blue 2007 FJ Cruiser caked in white powder speeds across the screen. In a cool transition from freezing cold to burning hot, the FJ becomes a 2017 Tundra SR5 driving through a fiery hellscape. However, this scene is a nod to the heroic nurse who used his personal truck to get patients to safety during the deadly “Camp Fire” in Paradise, California, that occurred back in 2018. Toyota rewarded the man by replacing his scorched Tundra with a brand-new TRD Pro.

    Toyota

    Next, we see a 2012 Tundra CrewMax with the 5.7-liter V-8 towing the Endeavour space shuttle. Toyota says the spacecraft, dolly, and towing mechanisms weighed a combined 292,500 pounds when the Tundra pulled them a quarter-mile across a bridge as a publicity stunt back in 2012.The following scene includes a pair of Toyota race trucks from the NASCAR Truck Series speeding down a racetrack. The shots wouldn’t be out of place in a Fast & Furious film, complete with close-ups of a tach needle racing toward redline followed by an obligatory dramatic shift sequence.

    Toyota

    Perhaps one of the most recognizable Toyota trucks appears in the next shot, as the black, jacked-up 1985 Tacoma that Marty McFly drove in Back to the Future appears in a cloud of dirt after executing an appropriately ’80s J-turn. For those unfamiliar with said driving maneuver, just YouTube “Rockford Files J-turn”, and thank us later.The third- and second-to-last scenes see a 1991 Australian FJ75 with a prominent snorkel thundering over the ground with a mob of kangaroos in tow before Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s trophy truck of Baja 1000 fame launches off a sand dune in climactic fashion.

    Toyota

    The ad closes with an all-new 2022 Tundra TRD Pro emerging from the sandstorm. Its distinctive and massive maw are front and center, with quick shots of its engraved tailgate and grille-mounted light bar before a wide shot of it outrunning the sandstorm to end the ad. Click here for all the details on the new Tundra.
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    Startup's Autonomy Workaround: 'Teledrivers' to Operate Cars from Remote Location

    Cars without people inside driving them have been cruising the streets of Berlin as a test for autonomous-vehicle company Vay.They’re not fully autonomous, instead using “teledrivers,” which is similar to human-in-the-loop autonomous technology, except drivers in a central location operate a connected vehicle to the location where a Vay user wants to be picked up. Then, the customer drives to their location before a remote operator drives the car away.Vay said it will start its ride-hailing service in Europe, and maybe the U.S., next year.Based on the original definitions of different levels of driving automation published by SAE International, Vay’s autonomous technology doesn’t exist. That’s because the strategy Vay is taking to develop autonomous vehicles involves not trying to make them totally autonomous, at least not right away. Fortunately, SAE recently updated the definitions to include remote drivers and remote assistants, and this is where Vay’s plan to involve what it calls “teledrivers” will fit in.

    Vay, which is based in Germany, has been testing a slightly different technology on the streets of Berlin that relies on teledrivers doing most of the work, operating the cars from computer stations that have a basic driver’s-seat setup—including a steering wheel, pedals, and several monitors to see what’s around the car—alongside a network that, vitally, doesn’t suffer from too much latency.

    Vay.io via YouTube

    Others in the autonomous space have used the term HIL (human in the loop) to describe this kind of part-time human solution to autonomous driving. The basic idea behind HIL is that the car can handle the driving most of the time, but whenever it can’t navigate a particular section, the remote operator steps in to get the car past whatever hazard might be too hard for the automated-driving components to handle.

    Vay.io via YouTube

    Vay’s service will operate like a sort of humanless Uber and also a sort of car-rental service. Users will request a Vay ride, Uber style, and the remote-controlled car will arrive at their location. Then, the user will drive the car wherever they want to go and, finally, the Vay vehicle is teledriven to the next user. Bloomberg notes that Vay’s future plans include a fully remotely operated ride-hailing service so riders never have to be drivers. At some point down the road, the company’s mission is to help get Europe “back to the forefront of the race to develop driverless vehicles which will solve many of today’s transportation challenges, including air pollution, traffic jams, and traffic-related deaths, high costs of transportation and long commutes.” The company said it intends to launch a driverless certified “commercial-mobility service” on public roads in Europe (and maybe the U.S.) in 2022.Vay has already hired a fair number of Silicon Valley and automotive industry talent, Bloomberg said, including Google, Audi, and Elon Musk’s Boring company. Vay CEO Thomas von der Ohe previously worked at Amazon on its Alexa service and at self-driving startup Zoox, while Vay’s co-founders used to work at Skype. Bloomberg reported that Vay has so far raised around $30 million from investors. Vay is busy hiring and looks to bridge two worlds: “software and product experience from Silicon Valley and automotive hardware & safety engineering from Europe.” One of the positions is a principal video engineer who would be responsible for optimizing the cars’ video streams for maximum quality and low latency.
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    Chevy Suburban U.S. Diplomatic Limos on Order in $36.4 Million Program

    To develop and build the first 10 armored Chevrolet Suburban SUVs for diplomat and high-profile government official use, GM’s Defense division was recently awarded a $36.4 million development contract.Exactly how these SUVs will be different from the standard model isn’t being made public, but they will use a unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension setup, while also using a lot of off-the-shelf parts, GM said.If the State Department is happy with the first batch, it will likely place an order for 200 a year for nine years, for a total of 1800 units.You can certainly option up a Chevrolet Suburban to a high sticker price, but whatever options and features you throw in, you won’t be able to match what the U.S. Department of State is spending for 10 purpose-built heavy-duty Suburbans over the next two years. These aren’t your standard SUVs, of course, but ones that use a unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension, among other security detail upgrades. Total value of the government development contract: $36.4 million, or, technically, $3.64 million per Suburban.

    Full details of the heavy-duty Suburbans are not being talked about just yet, but GM (specifically, GM Defense LLC) will use some of the money to develop the new chassis and suspension system, which is required to “support increased government vehicle performance requirements with a higher payload capacity and greater ground vehicle weight.” In other words, armor and security components for high-profile government representatives like diplomats. “Our development contract win speaks to our longstanding legacy of exceeding transportation capabilities, and our new HD Suburban will deliver government-specific advanced mobility solutions to meet the needs of [the Diplomatic Security Service],” said GM Defense president Steve duMont in a statement. Not everything in the feds’ Suburbans will be created new. GM said it will use “significant” off-the-shelf parts in the HD Suburban, among them the body, exterior, propulsion, interior and brakes. That will leave more of the development money to be spent on fine-tuning the “advanced manufacturing tools and techniques, including fixtureless assembly and flexible fabrication” that GM said it will use to build these SUVs. GM said these techniques will help make building these kinds of low-volume products more efficient and reduce costs. Keeping manufacturing costs down might not seem like a big deal when you’re making just 10 vehicles with a budget of $36 million, but this is likely just the first of many modified Suburbans that the State Department will buy from GM. GM Defense said it will deliver this first batch of vehicles next spring. Then, when the development contract is completed around May 2023, the government is expected to put in an order for a fleet of 200 HD Suburbans each year for nine years. At a price significantly lower than $3 million each, we taxpayers hope.
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    Finding the Perfect Cars for Ride Sharing: Window Shop with Car and Driver

    Thinking about getting into the ride-share business? Well, this week’s Window Shop is the one for you. A reader asked us to look for the perfect car for Uber or Lyft and set a $15,000 budget. In the interest of not getting fired from our day jobs searching Autotempest.com for hoopties, we raised the budget to $20,000 and actually took the challenge seriously. Every car you’ll see this week actually makes sense. Five stars, here we come.As usual, Road & Track senior editor John Pearley Huffman is convinced that his choice is the clear winner. Pearley’s fuel-sipping sedan is very boring, but he also found a low-mileage example that has years and years of money-making years ahead of it. But, Pearley’s pick doesn’t have the luxurious cachet of senior editor Joey Capparella’s long-wheelbase Infiniti, a car that Capparella insists will qualify for Uber Black. Whether or not Capparella’s Infiniti will earn him extra money, we move on to contributor Jonathon Ramsey’s car, which has a lot of flexibility and the ability to carry seven passengers. Ramsey’s car pushes the budget, but he’s still able to by plenty of Smarties for his riders. Watch and you’ll learn that 4.5 pounds of Smarties costs about $20 and that Pearley has never enjoyed Smarties. Deputy testing director K.C. Colwell picks a minivan that prioritizes the comfort of his passengers over all else. Although his van has 120,000 miles on the odometer and butts up against the $20,000 budget, it has the most interior space, room for skis, and an LCD screen so passengers can watch Window Shop. Finally, car director Tony Quiroga (that’s his new title) presents a choice that combines the best attributes of the other choices. Watch until the end and you’ll learn all about the pitfalls of fabric upholstery, how to make sure that your car qualifies for Uber Black, and why Uber drivers always have a case of water in the trunk. The choices might be a little dull this week, but that didn’t stop us from fighting and bickering.

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    Some Shady Ford Dealers Are Adding Markups to Bronco Pre-Orders

    The combination of a white-hot new car market, a slew of delays, and an incredibly sought-after product has worked out in Ford dealers’ favor. Across the country dealers are adding thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars of markups to Broncos on the lot. Those who want one today will have to pay up or get in line. But when you finally get to the front of the line, don’t assume you’re safe: Some shady dealers are trying to add huge markups to pre-ordered Broncos just days before delivery.

    That’s what happened to the couple that runs the Pipsburgh Views YouTube Channel. After about a year of waiting for their Bronco 4-Door Outer Banks—which they ordered from a dealership that the husband used to work at—the couple was notified six days before delivery that the dealer was adding $10,000 markup over the MSRP they had agreed to. Their $52,810 truck became a $62,000 hostage overnight. They countered with $5000 over sticker, already a wild concession, but the dealer isn’t sure whether to accept. After all, the business knows if the couple denies delivery they can sell it off the lot for a wild price.
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    Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be an isolated incident. Another user in a thread on the Bronco6G forum says his dealer tried to pull the same thing, forcing him to move his order. Another in a Facebook Group spotted by automotive writer Zerin Dube says that his dealer is trying to squeeze another $5000 out of him at the last minute. Others say that their dealer will not commit to a price until the truck comes in, reserving the right to add markups and effectively negating the purpose of ordering directly. And in these situations, many expect a call from Ford will clear things up. According to Ford spokesperson Mike Levine, that strategy might not get you far.”MSRP is MSRP,” Levine said in an email to Road & Track. “Dealers are independent franchises and ultimately the final price a customer will pay for any vehicle is agreed between themselves and a dealer that’s at, below, or above MSRP. If a customer isn’t happy with their dealer experience, our team can help them find a different dealer that’s a better match.”These markups are nothing new. American auto dealers have a history of adding money to hot, anticipated cars. But it’s particularly weird and predatory to add markups to special-order cars, especially when the original order was for a vehicle at MSRP. We must reiterate that you should never pay above sticker price for a vehicle that is not highly limited in production and even then you may not ever make that money back. The Bronco is good, but few cars ever have been worth tens of thousands over their sticker price.
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