At this time each year the auto manufacturers show off their new wares, always touting them as all-new, the best ever, or an endless number of other superlatives. That s not to say the existing models and the minor changes thereto are old-fashioned or a bad deal. If those minor changes are mechanically or electrically significant, that s a big deal. Quadra-Steer is nothing short of revolutionary because it makes pickup trucks drive like cars. In fact, a big GM pickup fitted with Quadra-Steer can steer a tighter turning radius than a little Saturn.
Parallel parking is a cinch, too.
This technology is sure to be offered on every truck, from every manufacturer, within a few years. Horsepower is being added to a lot of vehicles this year, and without significant loss of fuel mileage. Advances in engine technology and the software that controls engine function have yielded impressive gains in power from small-displacement engines. That power is being better handled through transmission technology. Many automatics offered in 2002 have 5 forward speeds with gear ratios that allow impressive performance from the engines.