Exploring 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT, Engine Block Heaters and the GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate

Subaru Outback Review and Engine Heaters

Speaker 1 0:11

time now for this hour's car review 2025 subaru outback . All right , uh , this is a uh . It comes in these trim levels base , premium , onyx limited and touring . I was looking here on this to find out where it's built , and it is built in Lafayette , indiana . All right , I did not know that . I have the Touring XT model , which is top of the line . This is a small SUV , or what some may refer to as a station wagon . It really is an SUV in the fact that if you want to throw in capability here , it is capable . The only thing that would keep it uncapable are the front and rear overhangs . They're a little bit on the long side in each , so if you're trying to go rock climbing or something , like that you're going to get the .

Speaker 1 1:15

Yeah so keep that in mind . No exterior changes from last model year . Exterior kind of looks like mom's do-all car . Nothing really stands out about it . It's not bad looking , it's nice looking , but it's just nice .

Speaker 1 1:33

Subaru , yeah , low slung shape is deceiving because it does . It does have the ability to go off-road longer front and rear overhangs , as I mentioned in here . To go off-road Longer front and rear overhangs , as I mentioned in here Pardon me Prevents some rock climbing ability . As I said , the sunshade is atop the rear glass . Blackout wheels give it a little attitude . What could use improvement ? The oversized roof rack distracts from its sleek design . That's just me talking . The roof rack actually has the bows , if you will , that are collapsible into the roof rack . That's why the roof rack is so high .

Speaker 1 2:18

Interior highlights Big infotainment screen is center point of an attractive dash , a functional dash as well . Seating is comfortable , with legroom in the second row , which is kind of different because usually in a car this size you don't have much rear seat legroom . This one you do . Apple and Android connectivity . Material selection is great , nice fit and finish throughout the interior cargo trunk room . Because it's lower to the ground , loading and unloading from the hatch is a breeze .

Speaker 1 2:53

What I liked about it ? I like the comfortable , comfortable sitting position that you're in , the comfort overall and the view , especially out the rear and out the rear quarters . What could use improvement ? We did not like the multiple menus in the infotainment screen . They kind of go along with what Mazda's got going and I think that they could go back to the drawing board . 2.4 liter turbocharged , flat four in it Turns out 260 horsepower , which is nice , 277 pound-feet of torque and with the flat four in it it has a lower center of gravity . So going around corners is pretty good . I mean , it's not some indie sports car or something like that , but it works very well .

Speaker 1 3:43

CBT transmission , full-time , all-wheel drive . In this Mileage , 22 city , 29 highway for a combination of 25 . I got 26 miles per gallon over 349 miles . What I liked about it was the mileage on this is pretty good for its capability . What could use improvement ? Some noticeable turbo lag . Transmission responds to the throttle and it's not necessarily a smooth transition . Of course I'm probably a little bit more aggressive than mom would be going back and forth to the grocery store .

Speaker 2 4:18

But that's just me .

Speaker 1 4:19

Not trying to make excuses for it , but you know my driving style is probably different than yours or yours or yours or yours . Ride and handling was excellent . I don't think anything could use improvement for what this car is . Base trim price $41,615 . Prices tested $44,325 . But remember , this is top of the line . You can get in one of these for $28,895 . As far as competitors are concerned , kia Sorento starts at $33,365 . The Toyota Venza is $36,460 . The Bronco Sport starts at $29,995 . We recommend the Wilderness trim in this particular because it's more off-roady appearance and it's got a different front trim on it as well . So you might want to consider that the Wilderness trim . I liked it . Overall , I'm going to give it a B+ . It's a pretty nice little vehicle , especially at the price , and especially the starting price , and that's my review of the 2025 Subaru .

Speaker 3 5:27

Outback . Now some of the shots we had . Obviously it's got a little tow package on it because it was pulling a trailer . Also , the roof rack had the Yakima rack on it and a canoe in the beginning . So it's a good hauler . I mean it seems to be a good camping vehicle .

Speaker 1 5:39

It's a very capable off-roader's . That part of it surprised me because once I started , once I started looking into it and doing the research on it , it gets really high marks and off-roading ability . And you can't say that about every SUV . Just because it's an SUV , that's because it's sitting up off higher off the ground makes it very different and this particular one sits lower to the ground . It's more car like , but it works pretty well . You know , it couldn't have been a more perfect subject for this kind of day . It's beautiful , the sun is shining out here , but it is cold brother and being the international correspondent for In Wheel Time .

Speaker 1 6:23

The international correspondent .

Speaker 3 6:27

We get something going for this good place all over the world . Yeah , you're hot man , oh yeah .

Speaker 2 6:31

You ready , you're hot .

Speaker 3 6:32

Okay , well , here we go , Michael . It's all . You Humans use hot chocolate , coffee , tea , whiskey , chicken noodle soup . I got a friend of mine with a blow-up doll named Larry .

Speaker 1 6:41

Did you bring any whiskey today ?

Speaker 3 6:42

No , what is an engine block heater ? What does an engine block do , ty ? An engine block heater is an electrical device designed to warm a part of the engine and or motor oil of the vehicle you're in . There are numerous types of engine block heaters and various methods to provide that heat to that engine . The purpose of an engine block heater is to heat the engine . By using the engine block heater in a cold climate , your car will start easier and use less energy . The engine block will receive its normal running temperature sooner than later . Okay , so we're going to get into the first one , and it's going to be a core frost freeze plug heater . This type of heater replaces an existing core plug , also commonly referred to as a freeze plug .

Speaker 1 7:23

That looks like one of those things that you put in the iced teacup .

Speaker 3 7:26

Yeah , it could be the same principle . It directly heats the coolant with the engine using an element that sits in the coolant , and you can use your car's service manual to find the correct location for that plug . Next one we have is an engine warming blanket placed on top of the engine or attached to the underside of the hood .

Speaker 1 7:44

I used that last night . I know you did .

Speaker 3 7:47

An engine warming blanket disperses the heat across the entire engine block . The next one we have and this is very popular is an oil pan heater . This is more of a diaper type situation . Yeah , a heater is essentially an automotive grade .

Speaker 1 8:00

I'm getting closer and closer to that every day .

Speaker 3 8:02

Automotive grade heating pad , Don , placed on the underside of an oil pan in different parts of the engine , Typically attached with magnets or bolts , much like you do , to warm the pads and the oil and keep the oil inside nice and toasty . The next one we have is an actual dipstick heater . Now my urologist has one of these . The heater replaces the dipstick with a long heating element that warms up the oil . That's what you guys are calling it now . The next one we have is an inline heater . It's circulating . Now there's two types . There's a circulating and a non-circulating , which this device is actually both of them , because it's the way you hook it up to the engine itself . An inline heater requires some work as they are spliced into the coolant hose . Circulating models use the existing pump to spread the heat and coolant through the system . On a non-cirating , it just splices into the coolant and it only heats that area that is spliced into .

Speaker 1 8:54

I know you've got to have one of those .

Speaker 3 8:55

You've got to have one . The next one we have is a bolt-on external heater . A bolt-on external heater is attached directly to the engine block , don , and it heats it from the outside in , so it's outside in yeah , we know about outside in .

Speaker 3 9:13

Do inside in , so it's outside . Yeah , we know about outside in . Uh , do you need an engine block heater ? Generally , if you live in a climate where you're regularly temperatures below 10 degrees fahrenheit , it's not a bad idea to have one . If you live in those temperatures that are rarely doing that , probably not . When should I plug in an engine block heater ? About three to four hours before you actually want to use the vehicle ? Use a timer to set . You know . Like you have a light timer in your home , use the same thing for the timer there . Do modern cars still need to be warmed up ? If you're trying to warm up the inside of your vehicle , yes , if you've got a fuel injected car , the vehicle you're trying to protect your engine not necessarily going to work . It's because of the way that modern cars are designed . So , as for engine block heaters , they're a good idea if you're in that type of climate . But one warning I have unplug it before you drive .

Speaker 2 10:01

Whoop I stretched that a little bit too tight , martha .

Speaker 1 10:04

Martha , martha , martha . All right Time now for this hour's car review , and I believe that Mr Mars at least he said he was going to review the GMC Sierra .

Speaker 2 10:21

Well , that's because he's going to do the GMC Sierra .

Speaker 1 10:24

You have the page pulled up there . Yes , sir the 2025 .

Speaker 2 10:28

Gmc Sierra Denali Ultimate HD . Don't yell at me . Well , I was just trying to make sure that Don could hear over there .

Speaker 3 10:37

What .

Speaker 2 10:40

So it is the Sierra .

Speaker 2 10:41

It's the base thing . Actually there's seven different trim levels , but when you get into the Denali there's actually only two trim levels and we had the Denali Ultimate , which is the top of the line for that particular brand of vehicle . Now this is a full-size pickup truck . It's five passengers , five nicely roomed passengers . It's got plenty of room . And on the outside of it , up front , you're going to find you've got LED lighting with automated projection headlamps , you've got fog lights , tail lights , you've got the grill logo actually lights up and there's lighting in the cargo area and it's all LED . It works really , really well . There is also a set of power assist steps . So when you come up to the truck and you get ready to step up in it , because it is in HD and you're going to have to step up .

Speaker 2 11:27

They come out and they're really quick . They're there when you want them .

Speaker 3 11:29

Do they automatically drop when the door opens ? No , they'll start dropping before you get the door open .

Speaker 2 11:35

Yeah , and they're quick . Now we also had the trailer package , so we had some other things , like the fifth wheel setup inside the bed . We had the power folding , heated extending tow mirrors . Did you ever notice these guys that got these ?

Speaker 2 11:48

tow mirrors , oh yeah , and sometimes they're extended when they're not towing . That's so they can see further back . It makes a difference . I found out this particular vehicle , interestingly enough , has a set of 3,500 leaf springs underneath it , with a 12-inch shock package and 342 gears , so it's really set up to do some towing . Now , like I said , the LED cargo area has LED lighting in it as well , there's a power sliding rear view window and it has the six-way pro tailgate pro adjustable tailgate . It's got the speakers in it and everything , and it looks really cool .

Speaker 1 12:23

That one that you showed had lighting in it . Yeah , yeah , it's got .

Speaker 2 12:25

that too , it's got the speakers in it and everything , and it looks really cool . That one that you showed had lighting in it . Yeah , yeah , it's got that too . It's got speakers . There's a lot of stuff in there . So you get to the inside of it , of course , this Denali you're going to find you've got leather seating . The front seats are heated and ventilated . The rear outboard seats are also heated and that is a 60-40 folding rear seat . Got some storage that's built in underneath that . Up front , the driver has a 12.3-inch driver screen that's adjustable to figure out what you want to see on there .

Speaker 1 12:48

As far , as the vehicle goes 13.4-inch touchscreen .

Speaker 2 12:52

That's got your infotainment , your convenience controls , your surround view camera system in it . You also have a camera that you can look at the cargo bed to see what's back there . There's a lot of USB outlets , but they're all USB-Cs . Got a wireless phone charger and the bed view camera I mentioned . There is a Bose premium 12-speaker audio system with a subwoofer in it and it gets really nice sounding Subwoofers are good .

Speaker 2 13:17

So up under the hood of this particular vehicle we had 6.6-liter V8 diesel , 470 horsepower , 975 pound feet of torque . Like I said , this thing is set up to tow , allison transmission , 10 speed tow rating , properly equipped , 20 000 pounds , all rating 3048 pounds . Wow , now the curb weight on this vehicle I've noticed . It was 8 264 pounds and it carries a 36-gallon fuel tank . Wow , that's big . Now the EPA does not give you a rating on this vehicle because they don't rate them , but I got 13.6 miles across 434 miles , so that 36-gallon tank gets put to use .

GMC Sierra Denali Heavy Duty Review

Speaker 2 13:58

It is a big truck . It's a big truck . It drives big . It rides big . One thing I've noticed about it that if you look down the side of it , the belt line , the hood , is actually taller . So you actually I feel like I sit down a little bit lower and I keep trying to get up to look over the hood because the hood is taller than the rest of the truck . Now , there's plenty of room up in there and if you're looking for something to compare this to , you're going to be looking at the ram 2500 , the ford f-250 and the chevrolet heavy duty , now a base vehicle . The base c at gmc sierra is 47 300 , and that's a ford or double cab .

Speaker 1 14:36

Uh-huh , now the base trim price when you get up into the denali . Sure 92 800 now msrp .

Speaker 2 14:39

Sure $92,800 .

Speaker 1 14:42

Now MSRP Price as tested $96,830 .

Speaker 3 14:47

Hubba hubba .

Speaker 2 14:48

But now you go , look at that Ram and it starts at $42,270 . It'll get up to $89,000 . The F-250 , $47,000 . Gets up to $100,000 . Easy in the Platinum , the Chevrolet Heavy Duty at $45,000 . Gets up to $71 to 71 .

Speaker 1 15:01

real quick If I'm going to spend that kind of money .

Speaker 2 15:03

I want it all , baby . Well , I think the Denali is going to just about give you all of it . As far as capacity room .

Speaker 1 15:10

Is that the diesel ?

Speaker 2 15:11

Yes , it's the big diesel . I can see putting a fifth wheel behind that thing and it's all there . I mean the mount's there . All you've got to do is back it up and hook it up .

Speaker 1 15:22

Yeehaw , get ready for the rodeo friends .

Speaker 2 15:25

That's my review of the 2025 . Gmc Sierra Denali Ultimate Heavy Duty . You can buy two Buicks for that .