Recent Comments:
Autoblog Podcast #99 {Autoblog}
Jun 27th 2008 8:20AM I could care less what Harley owners think. If I were to get a motorcycle, it would be for me, not some guy that spends an extra 5-15k for a name brand. That's no different to me than spending $100 on a pair of jeans or $5,000 on a Rolex. Unless you're loaded, it's just a big fat waste.
Desperate times: Ford will retool truck plants to build cars {Autoblog}
Jun 11th 2008 1:34PM It isn't bad planning when you have 50-80 year old plants that were never built for flexible manufacturing. The cost is so high to make a plant flexible, it's impracticle to do it until you NEED to. I believe The F-150 plant in Dearborn, the Chicago plant, Hermishillo, MEX are a few plants that Ford made flexible when the new products came in... I could be wrong, though.
First Ride: Burning rubber in the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V [w/VIDEO] {Autoblog}
Jun 11th 2008 12:25PM The bad video is my fault... we had a terrible storm here in the D and the event was postponed for a few hours. The time shift made it impossible for me to bring out my video gear, so Sam braved it with a little camcorder... good thing he did, because the video was still very cool.
Autoblog Podcast #95 {Autoblog}
May 29th 2008 11:47PM Thanks for listening to the podcast... if you always agreed with us, it'd be no fun, and we don't always agree either. Alex agrees with you. I personally think EVERYBODY that doesn't meet the requirements should be fined equally... automakers and vehicle owners. People that afford Lambos don't exactly drive them constantly, but many of them also own other vehicles that likewise aren't exactly fuel-sippers. Land Rovers, Escalades, S-Class, etc.
I'm sure there are plenty who disagree with me, but that's OK.
GM looking for Volt tax break to bring cost below $40k {Autoblog}
May 26th 2008 3:54PM I think tax breaks for new technology that will help reduce our need for foreign oil and lessen the automobile's impact on the environment is a very good thing. Lets not forget that the auto industry is being regulated by the government so much in the first place. Safety and CAFE cost each automaker billions of dollars, and the bottom line is that it makes cars safer and cleaner for you and I. Our government has to work hard to reward automakers for advancing technology while also rewarding customers for taking the leap and buying something totally new.
Also, If gas averages $6 per gallon between 2011 and 2016 (a real possibility) and the Volt gets 150 mpg on average, it'll cost you $480 a year in petrolium to drive 12,000 miles per year. If you drive a 30mpg Focus, it'll cost you $2,400. Over 5 years, you would save about $10,000, which isn't bad, either. I know energy prices have to be averaged in, too, but those costs are currently 1/6 the price of gasoline, and we can get electricity from wind, solar, nuclear, hydro/etc. it doesn't come from the Gulf in most cases.
If our gov't is going to spend billions rescuing financial institutions and propping up oil's big profits, I think a little money going toward a better vehicle is more than ok.
Does car color correlate with personal confidence? {Autoblog}
May 14th 2008 9:17PM What can we say, Adam. It was the right smile on the right color... and it was good. Thanks!
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac Vibe {Autoblog}
Apr 25th 2008 4:27PM I had a last-gen Vibe for 2 weeks when my car was in the shop, and I'd say the steering has more weight, but it didn't really stand out. I actually enjoyed going in a strait line, but it felt tippy when going fast around curves. Seats were great, still don't like the center arm rest, and I can't say the door handles left an impression on me one way or another.
It was a pretty good car overall, but I'd prefer the standard vibe with the best rims I could get... the 2.4 certainly isn't impressive, and the fuel economy was just OK... I got about 24mpg. I would guess the 1.8 is quite a bit better on fuel.
Charge! GM gives update on Volt development, describes interior {Autoblog}
Apr 4th 2008 10:15AM Teat would have been the right word... I really should milk at least one cow before talking about the udder.
Charge! GM gives update on Volt development, describes interior {Autoblog}
Apr 4th 2008 9:40AM Stephen: I'm glad you don't get it... that means it was just clever enough. I know I originally spelled utter wrong (fixed it, thanks.)
Just imagine a plug-in Chevy dairy cow, with a bunch of guys in blue suits trying to milk it for all it's worth. That is the kind of stuff you would see on Looney Tunes if Warner Bros. were able to draw udders on cows. The thought of cow-milking marketing execs makes me laugh, but I guess nothing is ever universally funny.
You can knock blogworld all you want, but ya do show up here every day to read what we have to say, so it can't be all bad.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Volvo XC70 [w/VIDEO] {Autoblog}
Mar 13th 2008 9:42PM What, you didn't like my Buick Enclave example? It was close to $40,000, and it too is good-looking. It got better gas mileage, can hold more people, and more stuff than the XC70. There are plenty more examples like this, but I figured one that I've already driven and reviewed was plenty...
My whole point is that a good-looking, semi-spacious, fairly slow $46,000 station wagon doesn't cut it.
