The 2021 Audi Q7 Is a Comfortable Alternative to the 2021 Genesis GV80

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Audi Q7 and 2021 Genesis GV80 are midsize luxury SUVs with strikingly similar Consumer Reports ratings. How do you discern between these two SUVs with nearly identical scores? Let’s break down their road tests, safety equipment, and reliability ratings to see which is the better SUV.

2021 Audi Q7 | Audi

The 2021 Audi Q7 has a higher road test score

One of the things mentioned several times in Consumer Reports’ assessment of the 2021 Audi Q7 is its comfort. The 2021 Audi Q7 gets a very good 4/5 for its ride. It’s quiet: it scores a perfect 5 for its noise. Both front and rear seat comfort also get perfect scores. The 2021 Genesis GV80 scores very similar scores, although notably the rear seat comfort is only a 4/5.

Interior fit and finish in both SUVs are a perfect 5. The trunk and cargo space for both are only a 3/5, with just 35.5 cubic feet of storage space in the Qy and 39 in the GV80.

As far as its performance, Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Audi Q7 scores a 4/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 7.0 seconds. On the other hand, the 2021 Genesis GV80 scores a perfect 5/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 6.0 seconds. 

You’ll get one additional safety feature with the Audi Q7

Consumer Reports recommends a slew of advanced safety features that car shoppers should consider. These include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, lane-keeping assistance, and lane departure warning. Consumer Reports also says that pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are important to have. 

Rearview cameras are standard in all new cars. You should also look for anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights.

The 2021 Audi Q7 comes standard with all of these features. The 2021 Genesis GV80 comes standard with all of these features except for automatic emergency braking at highway speeds, which isn’t available for the 2021 Genesis GV80. 

Neither SUV has a good reliability score, but people love them anyway

Consumer Reports sends out surveys to see how well previous iterations of vehicles have held up. Based on these, Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Audi Q7 only a 2/5 for its predicted reliability. 

Despite this poor reliability rating, Audi Q7 owners rated the owner satisfaction a 4/5. The driving experience, comfort, and styling are an 84. Value, however, is just a 32. 71% of Q7 owners would buy their Q7 again.

Similarly, Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Genesis GV80 only a 2/5 for its predicted reliability. 

Just like the Q7, Genesis GV80 owners rated the owner satisfaction a 4/5. There is currently no data about previous owner satisfaction. 75% of GV80 owners would buy their GV80 again.

If you’re torn between both of these midsize luxury SUVs, note the 2021 Audi Q7’s slightly higher road test score. However, with ratings as similar as they are, you can’t go wrong with either SUV.

RELATED: Is the Audi Q7 or Porsche Cayenne a Better Way to Spend $60,000?

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Toyota Is Pushing Lawmakers to Slow the Transition to EVs

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota was once the proprietor of the clean car. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio were buying up Priuses (Pri-i?) at a rapid rate. Now, the brand has allegedly been involved in slowing the pace of the transition to electric vehicles. Per the New York Times, that transition is something that’s critical to fighting climate change. So why is it that the brand seems to be on the wrong side of this?

Toyota has been accused of shady lobbying before

Toyota’s Buffalo, West Virginia plant | Stephen Zenner via Getty Images

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Toyota has been accused of less-than-ideal lobbying. This NY Times article, as well as other sources, state that Toyota had placed donations in states where Republicans had disputed the results of the 2020 election. Moreover, all this came in the wake of the events on January 6th. After that day, Toyota was the target of negative ad campaigns by a number of online groups, including the Lincoln Project.

Political opinions aside, the situation generated a good bit of negative publicity for Toyota, something the brand is sure to want to avoid. Additionally, it’s important to note that these states also held key Toyota manufacturing plants, like the one seen above in West Virginia. Toyota later issued a statement on the matter, stating “we have decided to stop contributing to those members of Congress who contested the certification of certain states in the 2020 election.”

The brand was a pioneer in green auto innovation

A line of Prius hybrids on the production line in Japan.
A Prius on the assembly line | Kazuhiro Nogi via Getty Images

So, why the shift in attitudes? It wasn’t so long ago that the Japanese brand was seen as a very green company in the public eye. Frankly, much of the company is, at least on the surface, green. Presently, eight of the brand’s models are either full-on hybrids or have the option to be. The brand’s own website states that they are pledged to becoming increasingly more green, after all.

However, there are sources that say the brand is not-so-green. A London-based climate organization called “Influence Map” rated Toyota at a shocking D- for their sustainability initiatives. The group, as well as the New York Times, attribute this to the brand’s recent lobbying. Toyota says that hybrids, like the ones the brand offers, should “play a bigger role” in humanity’s transition to cleaner energy. It’s no surprise, really. Electric vehicles, no, vehicles in general, can be expensive to develop. Clearly, Toyota isn’t ready to fork over that EV cash just yet.

What can the brand do to fix this?

A 4Runner in front of a Toyota dealership
A 4Runner on the lot in California | Yichuan Cao via Getty Images

It has to be said that if anything, it appears that Toyota is lobbying for more time. The brand doesn’t yet have a full-fledged EV. Seeing as the arrival of an electric-only future is all but here, it’s easy to see why the manufacturer would want to buy some more time. Frankly, they can’t buy more time. The climate issue becomes a larger threat every day. In my home state, you can barely see through the wildfire smoke. In order for Toyota to make this go away, the brand needs to double down on sustainability or face more negative publicity for their unwillingness to do so.

RELATED: The 2022 Toyota Tundra Just Got Two Great New Features

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Would You Rent Mercedes-Benz Rear-Wheel Steering Option?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The new 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS is packed full of technology and new features. One of those features is on the EQS is Mercedes-Benz rear-wheel steering option. Rear-wheel steering allows drivers better control in certain situations, but is it worth paying a subscription fee for?

Does Mercedes-Benz have rear-wheel steering?

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS will offer rear-wheel steering | Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is set to offer rear-wheel steering on the new highly-anticipated EQS model. According to Autoblog, buyers of the EQS would be able to rent rear-wheel-steering as an added convenience feature. Mercedes-Benz has two levels of rear-wheel-steer capability built into the new EQS. The first level turns the back wheels up to 4.5 degrees, while the second increases the angle to 10 degrees.

Rear-wheel steering is helpful for the car’s handling and maneuverability. It also enables cars to park in tighter spaces and make u-turns at lower speeds. At higher speeds, rear wheels can help with stability. While this feature is helpful, is this something buyers would rent from Mercedes-Benz?

Mercedes-Benz rear-wheel steering isn’t alone

Mercedes-Benz is planning on charging an annual fee of around $571 for rear-wheel-steering. Buyers can also purchase a three-year subscription for $1,376. Mercedes says the price of the EQS will be approximately $100,000. The subscription fee is relatively inconsequential in comparison. However, is this the way things are going to go from here on out? Mercedes-Benz rear-wheel steering offering won’t be the last.

What is the point of offering a subscription for a feature that automakers could realistically include without much fanfare? Autoblog notes that Mercedes-Benz offers paint colors on some of the new S-Class vehicles that cost more than the rear-wheel steering subscription. What happens if you are the second owner? Or if you lease the EQS? Will your subscription remain active?

Tesla has angered buyers lately when noting that the Full Self-Driving subscription would not transfer over, even though it has been long overdue. Fisker Karma is offering recurring fee features that are locked with the sale of the vehicle. If you are the second buyer, these features would need to be repurchased.

Is the future subscription based?

Volkswagen recently noted that the brand hoped to allow buyers to be able to rent autonomous driving at an hourly fee in the future. It also wants to offer over-the-air updates for a cost instead of going to a dealership.

“Volkswagen is on the road to the future – with smart software. This makes it possible to bring highly innovative functions on board the latest vehicles and opens up completely new possibilities. Software is becoming a new factor in competitive differentiation and value creation.”

Volkswagen

Volkswagen also noted that subscription-based software services were a new way to generate vast amounts of money as a brand. VW brand’s sales chief Klaus Zellmer said he feels the opportunity for “triple-digit-millions” in sales through these options. While Mercedes-Benz rear-wheel steering might be an innovative feature that buyers would want, the subscription-based nature is a bad sign of things to come. Renting features that are already included in the production process seems like a money grab no matter how you slice it.

RELATED: Mercedes EQS vs. Tesla Model S Plaid: Super Electric Cars?

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Do You Really Need a Leaf Blower, AKA the ‘Devil’s Hair Dryer’?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The hint of pumpkin spice latte in the air means autumn is just around the corner. Vibrant foliage will begin to fall as homeowners don their cardigans and head outside for seasonal yard maintenance. But be forewarned: Think twice before you power up your trusty leaf blower. What might seem like a simple way to clear your property of fallen leaves and cut grass can wreak havoc on not only the environment but also your neighbors’ nerves.

The battle over loud leaf blowers, an ‘upright middle finger to the entire neighborhood’

Leaf blowers are affectionately called ‘the Devil’s hair dryer’ | Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images

In recent years, leaf blowers have become a point of contention among neighbors. Some cities have gone as far as to ban the use of these noisy machines altogether.

The days of raking up piles of fallen leaves for kids to jump in are gone, replaced by what Reader’s Digest refers to as a “loud, noisy, stinky, upright middle finger to the entire neighborhood.” The Atlantic went as far as to call leaf blowers “the Devil’s hair dryer.”

Noise is the biggest complaint, with gas-powered models reaching an ear-piercing 100 to 115 decibels for the user and more than 70 decibels for people in the surrounding area. My Health Alberta notes that “sounds above 85 dB are harmful,” recommending hearing protection to prevent damage from continued exposure.

The folks at Edmunds tested the emissions of a Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck against an Echo PB-500T backpack leaf blower. They discovered that to “equal the hydrocarbon emissions of about a half-hour of yard work with this two-stroke leaf blower, you’d have to drive the Raptor for 3,887 miles, or the distance from Northern Texas to Anchorage, Alaska.” The leaf blower generated 23 times the carbon monoxide emissions and almost 300 times more non-methane hydrocarbons than the Raptor.

Reader’s Digest suggests leaf blowers “can blast air up to 185 mph, which is greater than a category five hurricane.” It says that “those little machines whip up a lot of hazardous particles and contaminants from the ground, sending them hither and yon, not to mention into your lungs.”

Bloomberg refers to leaf blowers as “pollution bombs” that “constitute a public health hazard for anyone in the vicinity.” The site explains that “the tragedy of the leaf blower is that it makes assholes of us all, users and neighbors alike. The aggressively un-civil nature of these devices is the stuff of legend.”

Do you really need a leaf blower?

Regardless of how your neighbors might feel about your loud and smelly leaf blower, sometimes there’s no better option for quickly clearing debris, especially if you have a large yard.

The New York Times’ Wirecutter notes, “Leaf blowers not only work faster than rakes and take less effort but can also perform many tasks that rakes and mowers can’t.” Plus, “[b]lowers can clean pine needles from a gutter, blow dust out of your garage, clear grass clippings from a driveway, or get leaves out of thick ground-cover plants.”

Stihl recommends using nozzle attachments and operating at the lowest possible throttle speed to reduce leaf blower noise disturbances. The company suggests being “mindful of your surroundings” and “always be considerate of nearby people and property.”

Keep in mind that if your property is less than a quarter of an acre and you have only a few trees, a rake is still the best option.

Various types of blowers

Leaf blowers come in all shapes and sizes. A corded model will eliminate the fumes and noise associated with a gas-powered leaf blower. The only drawback is that you can reach only as far as the cord allows, usually about 100 feet, making it frustrating if you have a big yard.

Battery-operated cordless blowers last about 30 minutes before needing to be recharged. Most are heavy and offer limited blowing power. They also carry a hefty price tag of about $300.

For homeowners with more than an acre of property, a backpack blower might be a good option. Offering plenty of power, this type of unit is recommended for big jobs and heavily wooded areas.

In 2019, Elon Musk said on Twitter: “Tesla is going to develop a quiet, electric leaf blower.” Maybe there’s hope for bad neighbors after all.

RELATED: These 5 Battery Handheld Leaf Blowers Are Consumer Reports Best Buys

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