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Pics Aplenty: 2009 Mazda6 {Autoblog}
Jul 16th 2008 9:38PM That's the proximity "key" they're showing. The funny looking key pulled out from it is the emergency key should your battery be dead or there's interference and the proximity "key" doesn't work.
As for comments about the missing hatch and wagon... Mazda got burned big time the last time around. A lot of talk on forums and such about wanting hatches and wagons, but nobody bought them. I don't blame Mazda one bit for not offering them this time. The same with the V6/manual tranny option. They offered it before and nobody bought it.
Volvo denies reported dealer cuts {Autoblog}
Jul 15th 2008 6:24PM I really don't understand all of the comments lately about Volvo's lack of fuel efficiency. I am averaging 22 mpg with my '07 S60 2.5T with 95% city driving, and I don't have a light foot (the car provides 236 lb-ft from 1,800-4,500 rpm, and I use it). On highway trips, I average 30 mpg (31-32 cruise control set at 70 mph without AC). I saw the 30 mpg highway rating on the sticker (pre-revised ratings), but I never thought I would actually see it, so I'm happy. And compared to other cars (328i sedan auto, C300, Mazda6 V6 auto, Fusion V6, etc.) the S60 gets similar or better fuel mileage.
We did have an S60 R that got notrotious mileage, but we didn't expect good mileage from that. Granted, the S40 could get better mileage than it does, but it's not completely out of line with other small cars with similar engines (pretty similar mileage as the Scion xB or Mazda3 2.3L).
I suppose Volvo could build a smaller car with a smaller engine that can get mileage in the mid- to high-30s (but would it really be a Volvo anymore?). Would that stop the Volvo = poor fuel economy comments? Perhaps they could bring some of their diesels over here... I hear the D5 offers impressive and refined performance, while returning outstanding fuel economy.
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy {Autoblog}
Apr 17th 2008 9:00PM But the questions is how will that electricity be produced? Electricity still has to be produced to power the cars, and the majority of electricity is created by a plant that burns some kind of fuel. Plus, many major metropolitan areas, particularly out west, barely have enough electricity as it is. And what about the batteries required to store that electricity? What impact will those have on the environment?
Ranger: Built Ford Tough... with stripes {Autoblog}
Apr 15th 2008 4:40PM This is a Ford-badged version of Mazda's BT-50 pickup sold all over the world except here. It is bigger than our North American Ranger, but smaller than the current Nissan Frontier. Personally, I find the Mazda version better looking than the Ford. I do wish they sold them here, to replace the aging Ranger/B-Series. Or at least bring it here just under the Mazda name! Here are some pics of the Mazda version:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2006/112_news061121_mazda_bt_50
VIDEO: One cranky South Korean gets to drive the Hyundai Genesis {Autoblog}
Mar 13th 2008 11:43AM Has anyone ever thought that this car was designed to be a luxury car? Hyundai has made no claims that the Genesis is a sport sedan, and they should endeavor to make sure it stays that way. True luxury cars are becoming more and more rare on the market, because according to the automotive media, if it doesn't drive like a BMW, it doesn't deserve to be even considered and any consumers who do are idiots.
Most people who buy BMWs do so because of that blue and white roundel on the hood; they couldn't care less about the car's driving dynamics. Take away that badge and most of those people would buy something more plush. And that's exactly the reason that each new generation of BMWs gets softer and bigger.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport {Autoblog}
Mar 10th 2008 1:40PM We test drove a couple yesterday. They were leftover '07 models... three of them left at this dealership, all heavily discounted plus the $5k rebate, and all equipped basically the same (quad cab, 4.7L V8, auto). We drove the one that we liked, and found power to be lacking... seriously lacking. On a two-lane freeway onramp, we had the thing floored, and it literally took about 30 seconds for it to reach 5,000 rpm before we finally gave up. A Honda Civic GX (one of the slowest vehicles you can buy today) went around us and passed, the driver giving us a dirty look while doing so. After we got back to the lot, we figured that there was something supremely wrong with the truck, and I think the tranny was in 4th or 5th at the time and refused to downshift. And at no time did the engine ever sound like a V8.
We drove another one, which was much better. The first thing we noticed was that it sounded like a V8. But the V8 didn't wow us at all, and we figured we better be wowed if we're going to get such terrible fuel mileage. We had driven the last generation Tundra less than a year ago and found it to feel much more powerful, and more recently a Silverado with their small V8, which also felt much more powerful. Honestly, it didn't feel much more powerful than V6 trucks we had looked at. The deals were good, but we didn't buy the Dakota. I was selling Dodges when the 4.7L first came out, and I remember them feeling a lot more powerful. Perhaps something was wrong with the second truck we drove as well. Whatever the problems were, we didn't feel comfortable with the thought of owning one, and although the sales staff kept talking up the lifetime powertrain warranty, nobody could show us in writing that these trucks had them... the factory window sticker and warranty manual clearly stated 36 months or 36,000 miles.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Mazda5 Touring {Autoblog}
Dec 18th 2007 4:54PM Just a few notes: To correct the author, the Mazda5 has a very deep glove box just like the Mazda3. You have to look beyond the glove box door and its owner's manual holder. Secondly, the Mazda5 is equipped with a 2.3L engine.
In response to zeroaxs, we had a Mazda5 as well, a Grand Touring with leather and navigation. One of our neighbors also has one, as well as three fellow members of the local Miata club. Between the five of us, we have had a grand total of zero problems. We loved our's. It's small and easy to maneuver in cramped downtown urban settings, and it holds a lot more cargo than a wagon or small SUV. With just the two of us and the dogs, we kept the third row folded flat. But it was always nice to know that they were there just in case.
Sure, it won't win any stoplight wars, but the handling was excellent and it was surprisingly fun to drive. We chose it over the CX-7 because of its cargo space (the CX-7 won't hold anything tall) and fun-to-drive nature. It honestly didn't feel much less powerful than the CX-7, it was a whole lot cheaper, and doesn't drink premium fuel. There are a lot of people that would be pretty happy with the Mazda5 if they gave it a chance, and we always got lots of questions and compliments on it.
2007 Holiday Sweepstakes Day 2: The Bourne Ultimatum DVD {Autoblog}
Dec 11th 2007 12:38PM Cool! Cool! Cool!
Man loses Ferrari and Porsche in SoCal wildfires {Autoblog}
Oct 26th 2007 8:51PM "...but untill these people learn how to live in the forest..."
Forest? The community of Rancho Bernardo, where the most devasting damage occurred, is a densely packed urban environment built on top of naturally dry grasslands/desert. Take a look at this picture of Rancho Bernardo with the 10-lane interstate running through it. You call that forest? And the fire jumped that freeway!
http://www.rbplanningboard.com/media/i2i15x500.jpg
"The people of New Orleans were treated like second class Americans compared to the treatment these people are getting."
You can blame that on the local governments. The New Orleans and Louisiana governments had five days of advance warning that Katrina may hit them, and 60 hours advance warning that Katrina will hit them. They didn't order an evacuation until 20 hours prior to Katrina's landfall, and that probably wouldn't have happened if President Bush didn't practically beg the mayor to evacuate the city. In some cases here, especially in Rancho Bernardo, the local government only had an hour, in many cases less than that, and they still managed to evacuate the communities. The only people that treated the population of New Orleans like second class citizens were their own local government.
"And yes you can build homes that don't burn."
Out of what? Brick and stone that crumble in earthquakes? Most of these houses that burned were clad in stucco with clay tile roofs. But 30-foot walls of flame moving at staggering speed (in some cases greater than 60 mph) are pretty hard to withstand. Southern California has some of the most strict building standards in the world, specifically because of earthquakes and wildfires. Both of those disasters are an unfortunate part of life here, but every place in the world has its own natural disasters, and you just learn to evolve around them.
Over 500 square miles have burned (and still growing) just in San Diego County, with just a handful of deaths. Those deaths were highly unfortunate, but I think it shows that the 2.9 million residents in the county, and their local governments, know how to live in this environment.
Jaguar design chief says XF is Apple flavored {Autoblog}
Aug 31st 2007 1:51PM Well, nobody expected Apple to get into the MP3 player market (iPod), the mobile phone market (iPhone), or the television source component market (AppleTV), but they did. Also remember that Apple formerly dropped "Computer" from its name last January. You never know what to expect from Apple, and frankly, I'm not surprised by news of this at all.
The iPod works on the go with earphones, and in the home and office with a dizzying array of iPod-specific speaker systems. The problem comes when you get into the car. FM transmitters and auxilliary jacks require you to fumble with your iPod (or iPhone in my case). iPod-specific connections require you to use the car radio interface, which ranges from poor to poorer. There really is no truly good car interface for the iPod out there. It is really quite frustrating.
If I were Steve Jobs, I would want to develop an Apple car radio component that works perfectly with the iPod and iPhone, with Apple quality and an Apple interface (and unfortunately an Apple price). But, Apple has no experience with designing and producing a product specifically for a car. The vibrations, the heat, the cold, and a wild array of other factors must be taken into consideration. How would Apple learn? Why not team up with car manufacturers to help them design components while learning all there is to know about putting electronics into a car? That sounds exactly like what Apple is possibly doing with Mercedes, Jaguar, and Volkswagen.
Plus, Apple needs a competitor to Microsoft's Sync technology that Ford is now offering. The two are fighting to be the center of your digital lifestyle.
