Recent Comments:
Toyota loses patent appeal for technology in Prius {Autoblog}
May 12th 2008 12:39PM it's rather interesting to see what happens when a large Japanese company like Toyota has to play on a level field, far beyond the reaches of "daddy" MITI.
as a Japanese friend of mine always reminds me, the term "patent infringement" doesn't translate into Japanese.
AZMike
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans {Autoblog}
May 9th 2008 2:55PM it's great to see an article like this!
as a single guy (always), I've had 14 Chrysler minivans, starting with the first one on 1984.
mine have come in all flavors; four cylinder, six cylinder, automatics, 5 speeds, turbos, short-wheelbase, long-wheelbase, basic, top-of-the-line, and cargo.
the one thing they all share in common is their utter indestructibility. I kept many for only a year, but have always sold them to people I know. it's rather interesting to see how many now have surpassed the 500,000 mile mark, and are still running strong.
I always smile to see those folks who "hate" minivans. for the guys, it appears they somehow consider this an affront to their manhood. it's never been a problem for me, as their utter convenience and the fact that all cargo is secure from thieves and bad weather, unlike a pickup.
in a Chrysler minivan, there isn't a bad seat in the house. I sat in the second seat of a Suburban last week, and it felt like I was sitting on a leather-upholstered marshmallow, with my knees higher than my ass. I can only imagine what that third row would be like.
the Suburban is not alone; the concept of making a passenger-carrying vehicle out of anything rear-wheel drive is ridiculous. there is no question that front-drive is by far the most efficient way to package any vehicle that will be carrying more than two people.
I collect cars, and have been actively looking for an '84-'86 Voyager/Caravan LE with the 2.6L Mitsubishi engine. definitely a classic.
AZMike
Maximum Bob talks about Invicta and how not to rebadge cars {Autoblog}
May 1st 2008 2:18PM you're way off on this one. the car is bigger here because Americans like bigger cars, and it has absolutely nothing to do with their personal body girth, as you pompously suggest.
if you look at the basic interior dimensions of ANY car, you will see that front seat dimensions are pretty much the same, whether it's a Cadillac or a Metro. leg room will be within an inch, no matter what the car size.
congratulations on your NORMAL size! I'm just not exactly sure what NORMAL is.
by the way, using your logic, Australians must also be morbidly obese as well. in case you didn't know, the Japanese cars they receive in Australia are also larger. their domestically produced cars are also about the same size as ours.
I'm sure Acura thanks you for spending more for your car with the Acura nameplate on it.
everywhere else in the world, it's just a Honda.
AZMike
Cadillac CTS convertible: American coachbuilding at its finest {Autoblog}
Apr 29th 2008 10:49AM if anyone has ever seen a Coachbuilders LTD. conversion, they are absolutely top quality; much nicer than what any auto manufacturer does.
I've driven the DTS convertible, both the roll-bar and non-roll bar version. even on bumpy roads or railroad tracks, there is no cowl shake with either version. this is really surprising, considering the size of the car.
Coachbuilders LTD. built many Eldorado convertibles from 1992-2002. besides being gorgeous, it's amazing to see how high their resale values are.
AZMike
First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Sonata - Korean bred, redesigned in America {Autoblog}
Apr 26th 2008 1:43PM the older body style (2002-2005) was vastly superior and truly distinctive. it was never mistaken for anything else, except perhaps a Jaguar from certain angles.
the biggest complaint I have with the new body style (and this goes for the Elantra as well) is the removal of the six way manual seat adjuster for the driver.
this was something that Honda and Toyota didn't have, and made the Sonata supremely comfortable for someone my size (6'2", 250 lbs), as the front part of the bottom cushion would tilt up and down, just like a six-way power seat would. the new style adjuster is a rachet affair, and is designed for very short people.
apparently, the last generation Sonata was way too distinctive, and Hyundai felt bland was the way to go, to match the Japanese competition.
don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it appears there are a lot more of this current style in rental service than the last one.
perhaps Hyundai is taking up the fleet market slack the domestics have walked away from.
AZMike
Chevrolet announces 2008 Cobalt XFE improvement {Autoblog}
Apr 24th 2008 12:17PM perhaps some posters need to reevaluate what's important here.
for the sake of argument, let's compare the Cobalt with the lovely and delightful Toyota Yaris.
do Yaris buyers have talk of 0-60 times, and tire grip? I don't think so. they bought the little shi*tbox for high MPG (and the fact it was relatively cheap), nothing else. if gas was a buck a gallon, these things would be rotting on the lot.
now let's look at price. you can buy a Cobalt LS coupe just about anywhere in the country on special for $9,995, with air condtioning. if you're lucky (ohhh sooo lucky) you can find a manual transmission Yaris for about 12 grand.
if you're looking for an entry-level car with high MPG, and a great warranty, the Cobalt is very hard to beat.
if some would like to compare today's small cars with those of the past (like the 80's) please remember that in our quest to build the "safety tanks" we have today, we have added roughly 800-1,000 pounds to every car. that weight increase is very hard to overcome, no matter how effecient the engine.
AZMike
Toyota outsells GM globally in Q1 {Autoblog}
Apr 23rd 2008 1:24PM prolix21;
you might want to check your numbers again, by looking at domestic SALES OUTLETS. GM essentially has 4: Chevrolet, Cadillac/Saab/Hummer, Ponitac/Buick/GMC, and Saturn.
compare that to Toyota's sales outlets in Japan, of which I believe there are eight, not counting Lexus. Lexus outlets in Japan have only been around since 2005, and sales have been dismal at best.
Toyota has no plans to cut the number of sales outlets in Japan (which now stand at over 1600, not including Lexus), even though their domestic auto market has negative growth.
AZMike
Beijing 2008: Buick Invicta Concept debuts, say hello to next LaCrosse {Autoblog}
Apr 19th 2008 10:03AM it looks great!! I believe the sweepspear's dip is a little more "in the family" than from an Avenger.
think 1970 Riviera with the optional saddle-type molding, or 1971-1973 Riviera.
AZMike
2008 Cadillac CTS leads charge of redesigned '08 models {Autoblog}
Apr 19th 2008 12:44AM Lynn,
not a single one. as a matter of fact, I love it more every day.
what's amazing to me is the fact it was so cheap ($30K), and the car has so much content. mine has the sand (tan) interior, and it looks like it cost much more than it did. the only option I ordered was the chrome wheels. I've had other Lincolns before (I bought my first new Town Car in 1985 when I was 30), and the paint quality on the MKZ is just as good as the Town Cars had been, which was truly world-class.
I don't think I'm alone in my opinion; look for used cars online at autotrader.com; there are remarkably few for sale; and the resale value is excellent. ditto for the MKX; used ones are esentially non-existent.
you are exactly right concerning the frustration with the import manufacturers (and now, Cadillac) putting options into expensive packages. there is no way I would buy everything the packages contain, so they just end up losing me as a customer altogether.
I usually buy two new cars every other year. the CTS had been on my list this year, and got canned because of the option package issue. I was also interested in a Cadillac SRX, but that is now history, since they've done the same package thig with that. last year, you could order one with rear air condtioning, and a power passenger seat. no more; now it's a $2,600 "luxury collection" just to get the power seat, and the rear A/C now requires the purchase of the ultraview sunroof. another no sale for me.
AZMike
2008 Cadillac CTS leads charge of redesigned '08 models {Autoblog}
Apr 18th 2008 9:36PM Lynn,
I had ordered the MKZ in October, and it came in the late part of December.
the car is great, and I love the way it drives and looks; no problems with anything, either. MPG is running just a shade under 30MPG (29.8, specifically) on the road, driving 75-80 MPH.
the only thing I didn't like (I'm sure some will think I'm strange here) was the SYNC. I hate needless complexity in any car, and I had the dealer remove it, and install the standard radio with Sirius.
I really like to go and look at cars when the dealers are closed at night. I'm amazed that most of the CTS' in my area (Phoenix) that are in dealer inventory have MSRPs between $45 and $50K. I just smile when I see them; I know I certainly made the better choice for sure!
AZMike
