MotorWeek | 2020 Mini Cooper S E & 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid | Season 40 | Episode 7

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS JOIN US AS WE PLUG INTO THE FUN PAT GOSS HELPS YOU IS SAFE FOR THE ROAD... STEPHANIE HART HAS SMART TIPS IN THE RAIN... AND WE'LL TEST THE FIRST EVER OF COURSE!

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY * Announcer: MOTORWEEK , 40 YEARS, STEERING YOU BROUGHT TO YOU BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR John: THE MINI COOPER HAS A WELL A FUN YET FUEL-EFFICIENT WELL...NOW, IT'S ABOUT AS AN ALL-ELECTRIC MINI SO, LET'S SEE IF THE MIN-"E" * MINI HAS FINALLY WITH THE 2020 MINI COOPER SE.

NOW, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE FIRST AS WE SPENT SOME TIME IN THIS DURING OUR 30TH SEASON.

THAT WAS A LIMITED RELEASE OF HERE IN THE STATES, GREEN CAR WE'D DRIVEN YET, WITH A NICE FLUTTER-LIKE TO GOOD THROTTLE RESPONSE AND WE'RE PRETTY SURE THAT WELL, IT HAS TAKEN UNTIL NOW, TO FINALLY BRING THE BRAND AND WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE IT'S NOT A NEW CHASSIS, OF THE CURRENT COOPER S. AND THE ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT COMES FROM THE BMW I3; RIGHT WHERE THE GAS ENGINE BUT SINCE, OF THAT ORIGINAL DESIGN, FITTING THEM WHEREVER MOSTLY WHERE THE FUEL TANK 32.6 KWH'S WORTH MEANS ONLY NOT MUCH MORE THAN THAT AND WHILE THAT MAY BE LOWER THAN THERE'S NO DENYING THE MINI FUN-FACTOR WHICH IS WHY MOST PEOPLE BUY SO, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T DARTING IN AND OUT OF URBAN SAME SINGLE-JOINT SPRING STRUT AND MULTI-LINK REAR AS IN WITH UNIQUE TUNING, OF COURSE.

THEREFORE, LOTS OF FEEDBACK AND EVEN MORE HEIGHTENED THAN WITH A GAS ENGINE.

IT'S EVERY BIT AS ENGAGING, THAN THE VOLKSWAGEN EGOLF.

AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT.

THAT ELECTRIC MOTOR HAS THAT MEANS, YOU'RE SENDING TO THE FRONT WHEELS, WHAT THE COOPER S HAS TO OFFER.

BUT BETWEEN THE ABSENCE OF AND NEAR INSTANT ACCELERATION, NOT BAD CONSIDERING IT'S ALSO THOUGH, THE BULK OF THAT WEIGHT BUT LOW AND CENTERED WE GAUGE 0 TO 60 AT 6.9 SECONDS.

TOP SPEED IS 93 MILES PER HOUR.

THERE ARE JUST TWO-MODES FOR NEITHER OF WHICH ARE AGGRESSIVE FOR TOTAL ONE PEDAL DRIVING.

A FEW AERO ENHANCEMENTS HAVE TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT; AND THE REAR BUMPER IS NEW.

NOT TO MENTION THE LIGHT WHICH ARE JUST PLAIN AS WELL AS THE SPLASHES RIDE HEIGHT HAS BEEN RAISED AS BATTERIES HANG A LITTLE LOWER OTHERWISE, IT'S THE SAME WITH WRAPAROUND GLASS, AND SHORT OVERHANGS THAT WE'VE A 7.4 KW ONBOARD CHARGER ALLOWS IN AS LITTLE AS 4-HOURS AT HOME; CAN TAKE YOU TO 80% IN JUST EVEN WITH BATTERIES BEING THERE'S STILL A SURPRISING AND CARGO SPACE; THE SPLIT-FOLDING REAR WITH A MAX OF 25.8.

ALONG WITH THE SAME HIPSTER THINKING WE WERE MISTAKENLY THAT IS WAY TOO COOL FOR US.

THE SE COMES FEATURE RICH TOO.

NAVIGATION ON THE CENTRAL AS ARE HEATED FRONT SEATS, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WITH THE AND A LEATHER MULTI-FUNCTION THERE'S ALSO, A DIFFERENT AND YES, IN ADDITION TO MID AND THE TWO GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY 100-HIGHWAY, AND 108-COMBINED.

FOR AN ALMOST PERFECT ENERGY 0.2 BARRELS OF YEARLY AND NO CO2 EMISSIONS.

WITH THREE TRIM LEVELS, IS JUST $30,750; MINUS WHATEVER YOU CAN GET FROM THERE.

MINI SAYS, AFFORDABLE PREMIUM EV, WITH ONLY JUST OVER WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT ABOUT THIS 2020 BUT, AS THE BMW I3 IS NO LONGER WE FOUND THE COOPER SE THE COOLEST OF THE CURRENT MUCH LIKE EVERY OTHER MINI, BUT WHENEVER YOU'RE BEHIND * * Flashback A FIERCE NORTHEASTERN WITH LITTLE TO DO EXCEPT WATCH WE VENTURED OUT ONTO THE FLOODED AND FOUND THAT ALL ARE QUITE AS THE SEASONS CHANGE, SO NOW, MOST OF US THINK WE KNOW BUT THE FACT IS WE ALL COULD THE NUMBERS ARE STARTLING - SO HERE'S OUR STEPHANIE HART ON DRIVING IN A DOWNPOUR.

* Stephanie Hart: IF YOU'VE EVER WHILE DRIVING, THEN YOU KNOW IT ESPECIALLY, A SITUATION COMMONLY KNOWN IT HAPPENS WHEN A LAYER OF WATER FROM THE GROUND.

WORN TIRES ON WET SURFACES YOUR HYDROPLANING RISK - AS LOW AS 35 MILES PER HOUR SO, IF YOUR CAR STARTS TO TRIPLE A HAS THIS ADVICE... Kurt Gray: WELL, IS TO TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THAT'S GOING TO SHIFT MORE OF THE VEHICLE AND ALLOW YOU WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ALRIGHT, SO YOU WANT ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE AND IF YOU END UP LOSING CONTROL STAY OFF THE BRAKES AGAIN, AND STEER WHERE YOU WANT Stephanie: CONDITIONS ARE THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S EXTREMELY GOING INTO THE RAINY SEASON.

SO KURT, HOW CAN PEOPLE CHECK THEY'RE READY?

Kurt: WELL, ONE WAY YOU CAN WHICH IS A TIRE TREAD DEPTH OR YOU CAN REACH IN YOUR POCKET Stephanie: OKAY, Kurt: SO THIS TOOL HERE, IS EXTEND THE CLIP ON THE FRONT, THE TIRE TREAD DEPTH AND YOU A VERY UNSAFE TREAD DEPTH AS OPPOSED TO A NEW TIRE Stephanie: OKAY.

Kurt: SO, YOU HAVE A BRAND NEW WORN DOWN DANGEROUS TIRE.

Stephanie: SO, HOW MUCH DOES Kurt: FOUR BUCKS.

Stephanie: FOUR BUCKS...OKAY, Kurt: EASY TO USE.

Stephanie: AND HOW DOES IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT DEVICE?

Kurt: THE QUARTER WORKS IS YOU WOULD INVERT AND STICK IT BETWEEN AND YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE Stephanie: OKAY.

Kurt: ALRIGHT, SO IF YOU SEE THAT MEANS YOU ARE AT 4/32 ON TREAD DEPTH WHICH MEANS, FOR TIRES.

Stephanie: IF YOU DON'T MAKE SURE TO INFLATE YOUR TIRES RECOMMENDATIONS.

THEY ARE NORMALLY FOUND INSIDE UNDERINFLATED TIRES AREN'T ABLE THAT ARE PROPERLY INFLATED, POTENTIALLY MORE DANGEROUS.

MAINTAINING VISIBILITY OF DRIVING SAFELY IN THE RAIN.

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR AND ALSO YOUR WINDOWS, YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES.

THE TYPICAL BLADES ONLY LAST SO YOU WANT TO REPLACE THESE STREAKS BUILD UP ON YOUR ALSO, USE YOUR DEFROSTER.

YOU DON'T WANT FOG TO BUILD UP AND FINALLY TURN ON YOUR WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, IT'S ALSO A GOOD TIME TO CONDUCT WE'RE TALKING BATTERY, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE AN EMERGENCY KIT.

IN THE END, IT'S ALL ABOUT WORST IN MIND.

AFTER ALL, NO ONE IS INVINCIBLE, FIFTY YEARS OR FIVE.

* John: WITH SUVs TAKING OVER IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT A LOT HOTTER IN THE COLLECTOR THAT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN THE CASE NOT TO MENTION, THEIR ORIGINAL JEEP-FIGHTER BRONCOMANIA HAS NEVER BEEN HAVING BEEN AROUND THEM AUTHOR TODD ZUERCHER KNOWS ORIGINAL BRONCOS, "FORD BRONCO: A HISTORY OF IS A MUST READ THAT WILL ENSURE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO KNOW ABOUT AND HITTING THE ROAD.

AS ALWAYS PAT GOSS HAS DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

* Pat Goss: WHEN IT COMES TO TWO ETERNAL PROBLEMS, LET'S START WITH TIRES.

TRAILER TIRES ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY NORMALLY REQUIRE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALWAYS AND THE CONDITION OF THE TIRES ALSO, IF YOU HAVE TO BUY WELL, TRAILER TIRES AND BUILT DIFFERENTLY THAN SO ALWAYS BUY TRAILER TIRES.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT'LL RUIN YOUR WHOLE MORNING AND HAS NOTHING BUT LOW ALRIGHT, SECOND THING IS WIRES, AND BRAKES THAT DON'T WORK WELL, LOTS OF TIMES OF THESE OLD-FASHIONED AND ENDS...AND SO ON.

THEY WORK, THEY HOLD THE WIRE WHAT HAPPENS IS MOISTURE THAT CAUSES HIGH RESISTANCE CAUSES THE LIGHT NOT TO WORK.

ALRIGHT...NOW, THE WAY THAT YOU YOU WOULD USE A DIGITAL AND YOU WOULD GO ON EACH SIDE AND YOU WOULD MEASURE THE RESISTANCE MUST BE ZERO IF THERE'S ANY RESISTANCE ALRIGHT...BUT NOW, DON'T REPLACE OVER HERE, WE HAVE THESE HAVE EITHER A CEMENT INSIDE THEM AND THE ENDS OF THEM SO, YOU HEAT THEM USING AND WHAT YOU WIND UP WITH IS THE WIRE TOGETHER, AND THE ENDS OF IT ARE SEALED IN ORDER TO KEEP MOISTURE OUT.

THEY DO A FAR, FAR BETTER JOB.

ALSO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION THE THICKNESS OF IT, IT MUST ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE PART OR THE BRAKES OR WHATEVER GOTTA BE THE SAME.

AND ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL, WIRE CONNECTORS.

THEY DO NOT WORK AROUND YET, WE SEE THEM ALL THE TIME.

DO IT RIGHT, AND YOU'LL HAVE AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

John: OUR MOTORWEEK 40TH COMES FROM THE SHARK-NOSED ERA GRAHAM BOUTON IS A REISTERSTOWN, AND IMPORTED THIS VINTAGE BEAUTY SUBMIT PHOTOS OF FOR CAR OF THE WEEK MOTORWEEK@PBS.ORG.

SITTING STILL IS SOMETHING HERE AT MOTORWEEK , FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF QUICKSPINS!

* Jessica Ray: CHEVROLET IS FROM THE PAST, THE TRAILBLAZER.

BUT, THIS 2021 TRAILBLAZER HAS THAN THE MIDSIZE TRUCK-BASED FROM 2002 TO 2009.

THIS SUBCOMPACT CROSSOVER IS BIGGER THAN THE TRAX, THAN EITHER OF THEM.

* BASIC LS AND LT TRIMS ARE JOINED WHICH FEATURES BLACK TRIM, AND CHROME EXHAUST TIPS... AND ACTIV, WHICH TAKES ON WITH MORE GROUND CLEARANCE, AND SPORT TERRAIN TIRES.

Greg Carloss: I HAVE A HARD TIME FOR THE ACTIV TRIM FOR JUST THE RUGGED APPEARANCE, COOL VISUALS, THE DAMPERS SO, IT MAY NOT BE A LITERAL BUT I'M SURE IT WILL HANDLE AN Jessica: A FLEXIBLE INTERIOR, WITH UP TO 54.4 CUBIC-FEET AND BEST-IN-CLASS REAR SEAT MEANS PLENTY OF SPACE FOR AND CARPOOL DUTY DURING SAME ENGINE CHOICES AS THE BUICK ENCORE GX; 1.2 LITER OR A 155 HORSEPOWER BOTH 3-CYLINDER TURBOS.

THE 2021 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER WITH PRICES STARTING RIGHT John: MERCEDES-BENZ'S SUV MOST LUXURY BRANDS, CURRENTLY, IN THE ENTRY-LEVEL AND IT'S ALL-NEW FOR 2021.

FIRST ON THE SCENE WILL BE THIS THE CLA'S 221 HORSEPOWER YET, DOES IT ONE GEAR BETTER WITH AN 8-SPEED DCT.

FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD, MORE POWERFUL AMG VERSIONS Greg: COMPARING THIS NEW RIGHT AWAY IT JUST FEELS THE OLD ONE WAS MORE OF AND IT FELT THAT WAY, A SMALL SUV.

SO THERE'S THAT SOLID SAFE FEEL YOU GET INTO THE THROTTLE WITH A LOT OF TORQUE SOME BACK ROADS AND THEN SO, YOU REALLY HAVE A BEST OF WHERE IT FEELS LIKE AN SUV BUT WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT MERCEDES IN THIS SEGMENT TRIES TO DO.

John: ADDING TO THAT MORE IS A MUCH MORE CUSTOMARY SUV THOUGH NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE GLA IS 4.0 INCHES TALLER AND A HALF INCH WIDER; TO WHIP INTO A PARKING SPACE, HALF AN INCH SHORTER IN LOWER BODY PROTECTION, AND 18 INCH WHEELS ARE AMG-LINE AERO ENHANCEMENTS, PANORAMIC SUNROOF, TRIM OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

INTERIOR CHANGES ARE EVEN MORE NOT ONLY IS THERE AN INCREASE BUT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING LOOKS VERSION OF WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN THAT INCLUDES MBUX CONNECTIVITY, 7.0 INCH SCREENS ARE STANDARD, TO THESE 10 INCH BEAUTIES.

CARGO SPACE CLIMBS FROM WITH A MAX OF 50.5.

AVAILABLE DRIVING FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DRIVING, AND MAKES IT EASIER THAN EVER BASE PRICING FOR THE 2021 IS JUST OVER $36,000, JUST OVER $38,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, AS THE ORIGINATOR OF IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT CHRYSLER TO MARKET A HYBRID MINIVAN.

BUT WITH SO MANY FAMILIES OPTING IS A PLUG-IN MINIVAN * A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE CHRYSLER TO THE WORLD FOR THE 1984 THAT FIRST DODGE CARAVAN REVOLUTIONIZED HOW FAMILIES AND PROMPTED COMPETITORS FROM BOTH DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED.

WELL, MANY OF THOSE RIVALS HAVE FAR MORE SUVs ARE SOLD TODAY STILL, THE CHRYSLER FOLKS, CONTINUE TO BRING INNOVATION INCLUDING THIS 2020 CHRYSLER IT'S NOT ONLY THE FIRST BUT THE FIRST PLUG-IN HYBRID THAT MEANS THIS PHEV HAS 16 KWHS FORTUNATELY, OF UNDERFLOOR STORAGE SPACE BUT THAT DOES MEAN - THE STOW N' GO SEATING SYSTEM.

THOSE BATTERIES PROVIDE AN ENOUGH TO PUSH OVERALL RANGE TO OVER 500 MILES.

AND, THEY'LL RECHARGE WITH AN AT HOME LEVEL-2 CHARGER.

IT'S ALL CONNECTED TO CONVERTED TO RUN ON THE ATKINSON WHEN EV-RANGE IS DEPLETED, WITH THE TWO ELECTRIC MOTORS TOTAL SYSTEM OUTPUT IS WHICH IS ABOUT SEVEN-LESS THAN BUT YOU WON'T NOTICE IT, MORE THAN MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE THE STANDARD PACIFICA'S IS REPLACED WITH AN EFLITE THAT HAS THE ELECTRIC MOTORS ONCE BEHIND THE WHEEL, ROTARY GEAR SELECTOR AS BEFORE.

MOST OF US HAVE ITS COMPACT OPERATION, BUT, THE PROOF IS GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH AN 82-COMBINED MPGE RATING.

WE AVERAGED 31.2 MILES THAT'S 30% BETTER THAN IN OUR PACIFICA LONG-TERM, AND AS WITH ALL PHEV'S, THE BETTER OFF YOU'LL BE.

WHETHER, THERE ARE MORE STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDING THINGS FAMILIES LIKE...SECOND ROW SUNSHADES.

SO, THE INTERIOR IS STILL IN THE MINIVAN CLASS.

YOU MAY LOSE THE MID-SHIP BUT THE NON-STOWING SECOND ROW IN FACT, THERE'S NOT A BAD SEAT AS EVEN THIRD ROW PASSENGERS ROAD TRIPS WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

CAVERNOUS INTERIOR CARGO SPACE 32.3 CUBIC-FEET BEHIND 87.5 BEHIND THE SECOND, 140.5 WITH THIRD ROW FOLDED, UPDATES TO THE GAUGE CLUSTER ON POWER SOURCE AND REMAINING UNFORTUNATELY, SO YOU CAN'T CHOOSE WHEN LIKE, MOST MODERN HYBRIDS, POWER SOURCES ARE RELATIVELY WITH MORE AUDIBLE CUES THAN AS YOU CAN DEFINITELY HEAR WE'LL ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT CVT'S ARE RARELY A FAVORITE BUT HERE WE MUCH PREFER OVER THE STANDARD PACIFICA'S CLUNKY 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

AND IF THE WORLD'S FIRST PHEV CHRYSLER IS ALSO REVISITING MAKING IT A PACIFICA OPTION YOU CAN'T GET IT AS A HYBRID.

IT'S FOR GAS-ONLY MODELS.

IT IS AN ALL-NEW MECHANICAL GIVE YOU ONE MORE REASON TO STAY INSTEAD OF JUMPING INTO THE SEA AS FOR THE HYBRID, THE SAME TRIMS AS BUT THE BASE HYBRID TOURING THE PRICE PREMIUM OVER WITH TRIM LEVEL, WITH VARIOUS PLUG-IN WHERE STILL AVAILABLE.

BEING FIRST AT SOMETHING TRULY AS THERE ARE NO REAL COMPETITORS BUT, IF HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, THE 2020 CHRYSLER PACIFICA OF SOMETHING BIGGER.

TOYOTA HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED ALTHOUGH IT HAS NO PLUG.

REGARDLESS, WHEN IT COMES TO AND THEIR GEAR, AND STILL LEADING THE WAY.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; PODCASTS, CRUISE ON OVER TO AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US WE'LL TEST A SLEEKER AND MORE THEN, HIT THE BOOST IN WE'LL GET MORE SOUND ADVICE THEN, FIND OUT HOW THE PROS ARE PLUS, A FRESH QUICK SPIN AND TEST FLEET.

TIL' THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR * Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *

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