Recent Comments:
IIHS: In crash, Versa good, Rio, xB not so much {Autoblog}
Dec 19th 2006 11:21AM ""The result of these tests showed that even with airbags, small cars are not as safe BECAUSE OF larger cars.""
On side impact tests perhaps, but on the frontal impact tests, hitting a concrete wall has nothing to do with the size of the other car, if you hit a wall (or tree or pole or divider) in a small car, you will not fare as well as if you did it at the same speed in a larger car.
If you tree huggers want to die for your cause and drive little death traps, feel free to do so. I'll take a bigger car with more steel between me and what I'm about to hit. The fuel economy is not that much different ( a dollar or two a day) that's pretty cheap insurance.
Riding out the storm: 2007 going to be a bad year for sales {Autoblog}
Dec 15th 2006 12:08PM guys guys, none of the current American automakers are going out of business. This is a normal business cycle. A company the size of Ford, GM or Chrysler cannot turn around on a dime. Yes, they missed the mark on the SUV thing, but remember for years, they could not make enough of them. The gas price increase, hurricane, and fed raising interest rates all hit suddenly and it takes years to develop new product and get it to the market.
All of the wishing the demise of GM, Ford or Chrysler is just wishful thinking from some America bashers, it ain't gonna happen.
In a couple years when there is record growth (hey, it's easy to post grrowth figures when you're comparing to the past two or three down years), the stock price will go up and the doomsdayers will be scratching their heads and complaining about the Big 2.5 making too much money. You see, these guys hate American cars, they hate American companies and are looking for any excuse to talk trash.
'nuff said on the topic.
Ford Australia denies Mustang platform development {Autoblog}
Dec 15th 2006 9:46AM A Mustang Station Waggon and a Mustang Sedan, this has got to be a joke right? It's not even April 1 yet.
AskPatty.com aims to enhance communication between women, auto dealers {Autoblog}
Dec 14th 2006 3:15PM It's a great scam if they can pull it off. It just goes to show you anybody with a computer and a couple dollars can set up a website and a blog.
Best of luck to Patty. How often does someone actually pull off a scam against auto dealerships? As much as they have taken me for over the years, I hope they pull it off. Only form of life lower than a car salesman is someone who can pull off a scam on a car salesman.
Just what the world needs.
DaimlerChrysler won't share Mercedes platforms {Autoblog}
Dec 14th 2006 11:19AM "Why are they treating Chrysler like a stepchild???"
Because in the Eurpoean mentality, it is. We hear so much about how GM and Ford are heading off the cliff, Mercedes is either right behind them or leading the way. What an absolutely snobbish European attitude. Of course they are sharing platforms, why would they spend the R&D and development costs to have different platforms for cars in the same size class? That would be a very stupid business decision. Well, I guess that is why they are heading down the road to ruin. With all the quality issues from Mercedes recently and the stupid business decisions, good bye. Nobody needs them in the market anyway.
Great Wall not good enough for highway builder {Autoblog}
Dec 8th 2006 11:59AM If the Chinese Government wanted to protect the wall, they would have made the fine meaningful. No idea what the highway costs to build, but I'm guessing in the billions. It would have cost the construction company more than $68,000 to figure out a way to go around it. It was easier and most probably a hundred times cheaper to just go through it and pay the fine.
LA Auto Show: 2008 Saturn Vue unveiled {Autoblog}
Nov 29th 2006 12:38PM It's just hard for me to get worked up about the CUV segment. I drove an Escape for 3 trouble free years and liked it well enough. This looks to be about the same kind of execution if perhaps a little larger.
Bottom-line, it's a nice looking vehcile and I'm sure they're going to sell a ton of them. However, the CUV and midsize sedan segments have all the excitement of oatmeal and Cheerios. They do what they're supposed to do and most do it pretty well. Unfortunately, what they're supposed to do has little to do with styling or excitement. They haul people and/or boxes from point a to point b.
This one looks about as good as any.
Rumor Mill: Next gen Pontiac G6 will be RWD {Autoblog}
Nov 15th 2006 1:02PM #10 -
Steven, I never said the Camry Solara sucked. I just said the Pontiac was better. The paint on the Solara had a lot of eggshell and the Pontiac did not. The body gaps were more even on the Pontiac. The Pontiac had a better stereo system and the Pontiac felt more solid and had much less cowl shake than the Toyota when the tops were down.
The Camry far from sucked. It was a nice car. I just thought the Pontiac had an edge. Again, not to knock the Camry.
J
Rumor Mill: Next gen Pontiac G6 will be RWD {Autoblog}
Nov 15th 2006 12:11PM I have the G6 Convertible and it's actually a pretty nice ride. With the 3.9L engine,it has enough power for what I use it for, handles reasonably well for a touring car, and with the retractable hard top, is quiet, warm, and dry when the top is up, and a fun to drive 'vert when the top is down.
Build quality is actually better than the Camry Solara Convertible's I test drove and a whole bunch better than the Mazda MX-5's I test drove.
Not up to BMW 3 status, but at over 10K difference in price, and the BMW does not have the hard top option, and over 20K less than the Mercedes, it's still a great bang for the buck car.
I've had no troubles with mine.
What blindspot? Toyota FJ Cruiser Convertible {Autoblog}
Nov 15th 2006 11:57AM You can dress a pig in a tuxedo, but at the end of the day, it's still just a well dressed pig.
This is still just an overpriced Toyota sold through arrogant old school high pressuer dealerships who rely upon the good cop / bad cop sales rep / manager game. If I could ever get over the feeling that I need to take a shower immediately after leaving a Toyota dealership, I may even consider buying one of their over priced Turds. My wife likes their mini vans and we own one. I swore I'd never buy another Toyota Turd In this area, each dealership you go to is worse than the one you just left.
