Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Do we criticize interiors too much?
Now don't get me wrong, i love a nice looking interior with quality materials but sometimes i think that we are to hard on some, for example the LX cars, when i visited the auto show i checked them all out and i found soft touch materials and nice fit and finish while some materials could have been better it was nothing that would have kept me from buying the car. So really does the dash have to be super soft, because who constantly touches the dash while driving, or constantly plays with buttons that control functions in your car. So for me all i look for in an interior is a nice design, good materials and something that doesn't fall apart in three years. Ive driven a 05 Honda Civic for about a year, which is a car in the cheap compact segment, and Ive been more than happy with its interior and it has held up very well. So with that said do we criticize to much?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Chrysler will be back and better than ever.
As we all know Chrysler has just recently joined a partnership with Fiat and many wondered if this was good choice, well i believe it was a great move because just in these last couple of months chrysler has released upcoming models that look very promising, such as the 2011 Grand Cherokee, spy shots of 2011 Charger with its brand new interior, but all new interiors arent limited to the Charger and Grand Cherokee, the whole line-up will recieve them, just another step in the right direction, but the upgrades dont stop there new engines are on the way also, the Penastar V6 will become the new Chrysler V6, the base 3.6L pumps out 290hp, but that will increase with direct injction and Fiat's Multi Air system, and much increased fuel economy, but it wouldn't be Chrysler without a new HEMI, a 6.4L HEMI will debut in the 2011 Challenger along with its redone interior. The 6.4L horsepower rating have not been released but rumors have it at over 500hp. Most important is the changes the Chrysler lineup will recieve they will get luxury interiors that they should have, that from rumors compete with Lexus. Also the Sebring will be replaced thank god. Dodge will join the CUV market with the Magnum and will replace the caliber with a compact car. So while most think Fiat has done the all the work, i thank Chrysler for putting ther heads together and creating good quality cars that people want to buy, so watch out as Chrysler will soon be throwing down some stiff competition.
Settle UP: Not What U Want, What GM Needs. RWD or FWD Impala
By CmicasatheGreatXvX
First let's get this out the way... I am not a hater of RWD... I can walk out to my garage and find 3 more RWD vehicles in it than U can in yours... :yup: Two of them sporting suspension systems in them that are TRACK READY and with enough power under the hood to make Lewis Hamilton, Mario Andretti, hell... RACER X (of Speed Racer fame) fight over the keys. :badtothebone:
OK... Let's bump the FUEL ECONOMY argument... I have long argued that GM RWD vehicles get fuel economy that equals or betters every FWD based car out there. I have constantly compared CTS (vs Audi A6), Corvette (vs R8), Camaro (vs Accord Coupe), G8 (vs Ford Taurus SHO), and even Tahoe (vs Ridgeline) fuel economy against that of vehicles from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan sporting a FWD based platform. Each time I either gave evidence of them BEATING the competition or at the very least equaling them. NEVER have I argued that FWD was more efficient than than RWD.
My argument has never been against the idea of RWD vehicles.. it has been against the idea of the MAINSTREAM buyer buying a RWD based MAINSTREAM car.. such as the Impala which is well known to be a FWD based car.. in a segment that is FWD norm.
The notion for a RWD sedan from Chevy has always been attractive to me, but not as an IMPALA.. but perhaps a Caprice.. in BETTER times, when GM wasn't in desperate need for market share growth and perception stability. RWD based family cars are simply not viable outside of niche or law enforcement.
Basically the counter argument has been that in Family sedans RWD is as fuel efficient as FWD. This is true. The issue at hand is that in family sedans RWD is not COST EFFICIENT for mainstream companies... nor is it PERCEIVED as being fuel efficient, safe, or practical by the mainstream buyer.
It seems as the advocates are speaking from the perspective of a person living in the 70s when RWD was 90% of the market... when "a Man" didn't even consider FWD based vehicles to haul their families around... Now... despite there being G8s, Chargers, 300cs, Genesis... available in the MAINSTREAM.. their sales are limited to niche or Fleet duty. Using the Holden example is seriously flawed... The Holden Commodore is a BEST SELLING vehicle in OZ... but at 80%+ Fleet duty it makes the American Impala's 35%+ Fleet duty seem minuscule.
AND The advocates WANT GM to introduce another one to the market when a more versatile, flexible, cost effective platform can yield similar performance with better versatility in the in-climate weather that seems to happen as far down as Dallas these days. :( I'm sorry... I witnessed waaaaaaaaaaaaay to many RWD vehicles on the side of the road or spinning outta control for a come back from U about how "those people just don't kno how to drive..." to hold any water. :no:
The fact that these people didn't buy the exact car (ZETA based V8 powered RWD car) just a short while ago is testament that when a mainstream buyer needs family transportation... RWD is not always a necessity like they would have us believe.
The Market has changed like it or not. THIS IS THE SAME MARKET THAT FOR YEARS LITERALLY BELIEVED THAT TOYOTA BUILT BULLET-PROOF CARS.
The fact that the available RWD based family sedans cars available (Genesis, 300c, Charger) and the defunct one have/had relatively minuscule RETAIL sales compared to their Impala competition. I have no issue with a niche RWD/AWD CAPRICE... or even a quick "flip of script" RWD/AWD based Cadillac XTS... but not a super mainstream name like the Impala. It would be like literally making the Honda Accord a V8 powered car. The market would balk, even tho ENTHUSIASTS would rejoice. Unfortunately ENTHUSIASTS make up a small percentage of the buying public... and normally call for GTOs, Magnums, Genesis, SSRs, ... and then buy them is extremely low numbers. Obviously these so called enthusiasts don't look at the numbers. The current numbers, full year, from 2009 show that a 5 year old, FWD only, no-navigation having, old GM car... still sold approx. 166K vehicles in a down year, amid a Bankruptcy, and factory shut-downs, with about 25% going to fleet. That still leaves about 120K retail sales of said OLD car. Certainly a BETTER vehicle would spawn more sales.
So Yes... I support the idea of taking an award winning BRAND NEW innovative platform and turning it into a more marketable vehicle selling out of a larger retail outlet... while they are IN LOVE with a 5 year old vehicle coming here as a new Impala. If this were 2006... I could dig it.. but this is 2010.. and GM doesn't need another niche car selling outta it's mass selling division while the market demands something else.
More here: http://www.carfanatics.org/settle-up-not-what-u-want-what-gm-needs-rwd-or-fwd-impala-t3583.html
First let's get this out the way... I am not a hater of RWD... I can walk out to my garage and find 3 more RWD vehicles in it than U can in yours... :yup: Two of them sporting suspension systems in them that are TRACK READY and with enough power under the hood to make Lewis Hamilton, Mario Andretti, hell... RACER X (of Speed Racer fame) fight over the keys. :badtothebone:
OK... Let's bump the FUEL ECONOMY argument... I have long argued that GM RWD vehicles get fuel economy that equals or betters every FWD based car out there. I have constantly compared CTS (vs Audi A6), Corvette (vs R8), Camaro (vs Accord Coupe), G8 (vs Ford Taurus SHO), and even Tahoe (vs Ridgeline) fuel economy against that of vehicles from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan sporting a FWD based platform. Each time I either gave evidence of them BEATING the competition or at the very least equaling them. NEVER have I argued that FWD was more efficient than than RWD.
My argument has never been against the idea of RWD vehicles.. it has been against the idea of the MAINSTREAM buyer buying a RWD based MAINSTREAM car.. such as the Impala which is well known to be a FWD based car.. in a segment that is FWD norm.
The notion for a RWD sedan from Chevy has always been attractive to me, but not as an IMPALA.. but perhaps a Caprice.. in BETTER times, when GM wasn't in desperate need for market share growth and perception stability. RWD based family cars are simply not viable outside of niche or law enforcement.
Basically the counter argument has been that in Family sedans RWD is as fuel efficient as FWD. This is true. The issue at hand is that in family sedans RWD is not COST EFFICIENT for mainstream companies... nor is it PERCEIVED as being fuel efficient, safe, or practical by the mainstream buyer.
It seems as the advocates are speaking from the perspective of a person living in the 70s when RWD was 90% of the market... when "a Man" didn't even consider FWD based vehicles to haul their families around... Now... despite there being G8s, Chargers, 300cs, Genesis... available in the MAINSTREAM.. their sales are limited to niche or Fleet duty. Using the Holden example is seriously flawed... The Holden Commodore is a BEST SELLING vehicle in OZ... but at 80%+ Fleet duty it makes the American Impala's 35%+ Fleet duty seem minuscule.
AND The advocates WANT GM to introduce another one to the market when a more versatile, flexible, cost effective platform can yield similar performance with better versatility in the in-climate weather that seems to happen as far down as Dallas these days. :( I'm sorry... I witnessed waaaaaaaaaaaaay to many RWD vehicles on the side of the road or spinning outta control for a come back from U about how "those people just don't kno how to drive..." to hold any water. :no:
The fact that these people didn't buy the exact car (ZETA based V8 powered RWD car) just a short while ago is testament that when a mainstream buyer needs family transportation... RWD is not always a necessity like they would have us believe.
The Market has changed like it or not. THIS IS THE SAME MARKET THAT FOR YEARS LITERALLY BELIEVED THAT TOYOTA BUILT BULLET-PROOF CARS.
The fact that the available RWD based family sedans cars available (Genesis, 300c, Charger) and the defunct one have/had relatively minuscule RETAIL sales compared to their Impala competition. I have no issue with a niche RWD/AWD CAPRICE... or even a quick "flip of script" RWD/AWD based Cadillac XTS... but not a super mainstream name like the Impala. It would be like literally making the Honda Accord a V8 powered car. The market would balk, even tho ENTHUSIASTS would rejoice. Unfortunately ENTHUSIASTS make up a small percentage of the buying public... and normally call for GTOs, Magnums, Genesis, SSRs, ... and then buy them is extremely low numbers. Obviously these so called enthusiasts don't look at the numbers. The current numbers, full year, from 2009 show that a 5 year old, FWD only, no-navigation having, old GM car... still sold approx. 166K vehicles in a down year, amid a Bankruptcy, and factory shut-downs, with about 25% going to fleet. That still leaves about 120K retail sales of said OLD car. Certainly a BETTER vehicle would spawn more sales.
So Yes... I support the idea of taking an award winning BRAND NEW innovative platform and turning it into a more marketable vehicle selling out of a larger retail outlet... while they are IN LOVE with a 5 year old vehicle coming here as a new Impala. If this were 2006... I could dig it.. but this is 2010.. and GM doesn't need another niche car selling outta it's mass selling division while the market demands something else.
More here: http://www.carfanatics.org/settle-up-not-what-u-want-what-gm-needs-rwd-or-fwd-impala-t3583.html
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