Recent Comments:
U.S. Gov't: did we say $3.50 for a gallon of gas by Spring? Our bad, it'll actually be $2.50 {Autoblog Green}
Feb 8th 2008 12:28PM Ted,
Agreed on all counts. Unfortunately, the world is filled with stupid people who accept as fact the drivel they have been force fed since kindergarten. This country will have to reach rock bottom after being depleted by the marisxt fascists so heavily lauded today. Don't do for yoursself what your government can do for you- courtesy of someone else's tax dollars, of course.
Jason Priestley builds IRL team with plans for Indy 500 run {Autoblog}
Feb 1st 2008 1:12PM He was actually a pretty good Indy Lights driver.
ABG Flashback: Remembering last year's State of the Union speech {Autoblog Green}
Jan 29th 2008 9:35AM Umm, Exactly what has Bush done to set us back 50 years environmentally? He has maintained the same environmental policies as Clinton did, except that it took Clinton 7 years, 11 months and 363 days to worry about the decrease in arsenic levels that Bush approved 30 days into his first term.
Lutz says gas prices will need to go up if Americans are to embrace small cars {Autoblog Green}
Jan 25th 2008 4:00PM Cody,
You may laugh because you remember paying 68 cents a gallon, but obviously have forgotten what your income was. The average income in this country is much higher now than it was at that time, meaning that while you were paying 68 cents a gallon, it accounted for a greater portion of your weekly income than $3 / gal does today.
In contstant, inflation adjusted dollars, gasoline was $3.21 a gallon in 1981. As I stated, you're not paying 23% for a new car loan today as you were then. You're not paying 23% interest on your mortgage as you were then. And the percentage of your income you actually get to keep is much higher now than it was then.
You might want to re-think your laughter.
Lutz says gas prices will need to go up if Americans are to embrace small cars {Autoblog Green}
Jan 25th 2008 10:20AM Let's be realistic about the sales of sub-compacts from all manufacturers. Not one sub-compact ranks as their manufacturers' best selling model. Toyota sells a lot more Camrys and Corollas than they do Yaris. Honda sells a lot more Accords and Civics than they do Fits. This means all the hype about how people are clamoring for small cars isn't quite true. If demand was as great as portrayed, these models would be atop the best seller lists, not mid-size sedans. Mid-size sedans have been the best selling cars in the US ever since the Cutlass deposed the Impala / Caprice in the mid 70's.
Now on to mileage figures. While we're talking about how the Aveo and Cobalt get the same MPG, let's look at a few 'better' manufacturers and how their 4 cyl automatics compare:
Aveo 23 / 32 Cobalt 22 / 31 Malibu 22 / 30
Versa 24 / 32 Sentra 25 / 33 Altima 23 / 31
Yaris 29 / 35 Corolla 27 / 34 Camry 21 / 31
Fit 27 / 34 Civic 25 / 36 Accord 21 / 31
It seems as though there's not a big difference between the sub-compacts and compacts of any manufacturer, let alone the difference between compacts and mid-size.
When consumers compare a mid-size car to a compact, the value of a couple of MPG doesn't outweigh the the greater room and comfort they have in a mid-size car. 3 MPG less equates $4.72 more per week to operate a mid-size car for 15,000 miles a year at $3 / gal. That's why mid-side sedans outsell their smaller counterparts.
As far as the gas tax is concerned, politicians won't touch it because it'd be awfully hard for them to rail against the high price of gasoline hurting low income consumers and then to proceed to raise the transaction price for gas on these very same people who they say can't afford it now.
While gasoline is more expensive than what it was 10 years ago, it is cheaper than what it was in 1980 / 81. Gas then was $3.21 / gal, the prime rate was 21.5%, so people were paying 22 - 25% on a NEW car loan, not to mention their mortgage and payroll taxes were A LOT higher to boot. That said, one can talk about how expensive gas is at $3 / gal, but when you can get 0% - 7% car loans, mortgages at 5.5% and people earning less than $100,000 a year are paying less payroll taxes than ever, it all seems a bit whiney compared to what people dealt with in the past.
Jewish racer describes antisemitism in NASCAR {Autoblog}
Jan 23rd 2008 11:39AM For those not familiar with the Whelen All-American Series, its races are run mostly in non-southern 'hick' states. 40 of the 54 races are run outside of the south. That means the claimed anti-semitic behavior was eminating from such enlightened states as NY, NJ, NH, CT, CA, CO, ID, MN, IL, OH and WA among others.
Generalizing fans and participants of this series as 'hicks' is another example of posting from those who know little or nothing about which they speak.
Corvette to shed the pounds and power in 2012 {Autoblog}
Jan 22nd 2008 12:19PM "4 Cam 32V modern engines" weigh more and require more space under the hood than the LS Series with no gains in power or MPG while costing a lot more to produce and maintain as well.
Due to CAFE, Lutz declares RWD Impala and Monaro dead {Autoblog}
Jan 21st 2008 11:40AM Tom,
A RWD configuration will add 400 lbs+ to any vehicle (when comapred to a similar sized FWD configuration), while reducing the interior volume courtesy of the trans and driveshaft tunnels.
Just for the record, the 'antique' pushrod design you refered to is actually a newer design than OHC. Furthermore, the 'antique' 3.9 V6 puts out 233HP while offer DOD, delivering 30+ real world highway mpg in the Impala. Given how much more compact this engine is versus the Toyota 3.5V6, for example, I fail to see how this 'antique' engine is a detriment, especially since it delivers comparable MPG at a much lower cost.
Sorry Holden: GM cancels VE Sportwagon for US market {Autoblog}
Jan 17th 2008 12:03PM Who's to say there wouldn't features or issues with the Holden wagon that would cause consumers to say "I would buy one if". It is impossible to completely eliminate 'ifs', as doing so would mean a manufacturer had created a product that offended absolutely no one.
The bottom line on wagons in the US- not enough people are willing to actually spend their money to purchase one to justify a manufacturer spending their money to build one.
Sorry Holden: GM cancels VE Sportwagon for US market {Autoblog}
Jan 17th 2008 11:41AM If there were sufficient demand for wagons, every manufacturer would offer one. This is another case of people saying 'they NEED to build this' because 'I would buy one if...". If all the people who claim 'they would buy if" actually did, there would still be a Mazda6 wagon, Accord wagon, Camry wagon and a Magnum.
All manufacturers need to be judicious with their product offerings, especially in light of the ridiculous CAFE bill written by people with a vast understanding of engineering, physics and manufacturing...
