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?

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

My View on Automotive Telematics.

As you may have heard, GM is in talks with Google to create a telematics system based off of Googles Android platform. This is very likely a result of Ford and Microsoft's SYNC, which is currently in it's third iteration. SYNC is a wonderful platform, allowing you to integrate you mobile devices into you automobile. It is so good in fact, Kia, has also made a similar system called Uvo. Yum.

Below is where I list the pros and cons of the technology.

Things may sound all fine and dandy....but it's really not.  Here's a look behind the scenes at three thins that are wrong with the services that allows you to voice control you phone through your car:

1. Distraction: Is using in-car apps any better than texting while driving? No. You're looking at a 8 inch screen trying to find  the best resatraunt in your area while scolding demented teenage drivers that text and use mobile internet? Fuck that. You can argue voice control. That's the same thing as talking on speakerphone. You're still gonna be distracted. And that's not even it.....
2. Integration woes. There have been reports of phones not pairing up right with Ford SYNC. But that's understandable....but with Google in the picture....You have Apple, you have Google. They hate each other's guts. Google has Android, Apple has iPhone. Do you expect Google to allow iPhone support in cars? I don't think so.
3. Monthly Charges: Here's the killer. SYNC and Uvo will be free. Good on them. But don;t expect the lovechild of GM and Google to be free(after a year of course). OnStar, the communications services by GM already charges users monthly now. Imagine more services. No imagine in-car internet. Your Internet bill cloned in your car. Just so people can be "connected" and tweet their way to oblivion. Did I mention distraction somewhere?

The above is just a few reasons why telematics isn't THAT great. But notice how I never said it sucked either. Here are some reasons it's good:

1. Connectivity: Your telematics is like a computer. It can proccess info coming from different sources. This could someday used to provide bad drivers with physical input. Better for them, better for you.
2. More connectivity: Who wouldn't like to tweet from their cars? Mobile internet let's you do things while stuck in traffic.
3. Integration. Disregard the distraction point I made earlier. Think about this: YOur SYNC or Uvo allows you to use three or four devices in one place. I believe that this is at least more convenient, if not safer. And here I will also list some tech to combat distraction. You have voice control. You have heads-up display. You have text-to-speech. Distraction is still present, but is negated...somewhat.

What do you think of telematics?

Is The Wagon Hot Again?

I remember a time when wagons had third-row seats, rode higher than most sedans, carried lots of cargo, had huge compartments.......oh wait, that's what we call Crossover's these days, huh? The typical wagon, like most convertibles, have died off quickly in a time where it seems people tend more to sedans and CUV's (Crossover Utility Vehicles) only. Most automakers took advantage of that and killed off everything that had "enthusiast" or "sporty" or "low-volume" in it. It wasn't until cars such as the Dodge Magnum, BMW X6 and Acura ZDX came out that people paid more attention to wagons. Now, in a time where people strive to be different and every automaker wants to be seen, the wagon of yesterday may just become the sex symbol of today. Enter the top 5 wagons of 2010:

2010 Cadillac CTS Sportwagon

GM knows full well that this won't be a high volume model, but thats not the point of the CTS Sportwagon. It's more than that, it's sexy, it's edgy, it's exactly what Cadillac needs in the CTS to be taken even more serious by consumers. You can have as much fun in this as the sedan; the chassis options are the same, you'll get the same highly acclaimed 3.6 DI thats in the sedan good for 304 hp, or if that's not enough and you have the bank, go for the V wagon, good for 556 hp and 551 lb. ft. of torque, worthy enough for Cadillac to set yet another record as fastest wagon around the 'Ring. You can't deny how sexy the CTS sedan is, but this little wagon here takes the sex factor to a whole 'nother level. Family of 4 going to the beach in style, take this.

2011(12?) S60 Wagon

Not much is known about this wagon here, but what is known is that Volvo has yet to forget their roots (even though just coming out of the box era) and will offer up this strange looking, yet sexy wagon sometime next year. Expect this to share the same powertrains as its little brother S60 sedan. Whats also notable is you can expect the same chassis and suspension tuning. If this is anything like bigger cousin XC60, this will be a game-changing wagon.

2012 Buick Regal Wagon(?)

This is the one in question of whether or not its coming here. It would make sense, there's no CUV competition for it and GM knows full well it's biggest competition, the Acura TSX, will in fact have its wagon sibling right next to it. I say GM one-up Acura by delivering this stateside with the GS version along side of it. Honestly, this is one of the sexier wagons I've ever seen (right now, that says a lot). Don't know what's going on in the minds of GM staff, but this needs to be here, ASAP. If it drives anything like its sedan brother, it won't disappoint, it will over-impress.

2011 Acura TSX Wagon

Hey speaking of the Acura TSX Wagon, here it is. Coming here sometime late this year/early next year, this is a sharp looking wagon, from the back. Yet another reason for the Buick Regal Wagon to come here, the TSX's best angle is best from the back. Nice looking, but for damn sure not as beautifully sculpted as the Regal Wagon. But all is well, expect great performance from this, as it will share the TSX sedan powertrain and chassis/suspension setup. Plus, can't deny the sweet 6-speed shifter/3.5 V6 combo.

2011 SAAB 95 Wagon

SAAB has almost a cult following, this will almost help SAAB become more popular. Admittedly, wagons are gonna be popular in the next few years, SAAB is smart to jump on the bandwagon (no pun intended) with this one. Sharing the awesomeness that's in the sedan, this will surely be known by the masses (of enthusiasts most likely).

As most can already tell, wagons are quickly becoming my favorite types of cars. I'll try to review each as they come out. This is a first look, and one I'm very excited to share. Let me know if I missed any.

Why the Challenger is my Choice.

For any Mopar fan the Challenger returning is a dream come true, in 2006 when the concept was released i was hoping and praying it would be produced and Dodge came through and it was. Now in its 3rd year of production its still loved and still captures a camera flash anywhere it goes, but its competition is fierce with the camaro and mustang, but the Challenger hold its own quite well. Its my choice becuase it is the representation of days where auto makers only thought about cubic inches and horsepower. Open the Challenger SRT8s hood and you will find a 6.1L HEMI V8 producing 425 horsepower, and thats about it no fancy wires or electronics. The fans of Challenger or mopar in general are a very loyal group and they love there cars and will stand by them through thick and thin. Also start up the SRT8s 6.1L HEMIs V8 and a bellowing rumble blasts out of the duel pipes and is music to any muscle car fans ears and has the best sound it dosent sound like some screaming race car engine its smooth as slik and its growl is hard to beat. The Challenger also has it won in the looks department its recesed grill, duel headlamps give it the retro feel. It also has the look that its angry and seems to stare you down in a menacing way. Perhaps the best part is the feeling when you step in one, you dont want to get out, if you dont smile in this car you have no soul and to drive it is another story. So next time you see one take the time and enjoy because these cars might not be around in 10 years

Possible Swedish Takeover? I Think Yes!

What you see here are two of the best, new midsizers in its class and guess what, they're both from Sweden. It was such a shame to see them go away from their American adopters, but they found new homes, quicker than expected, and nothing but positive things have happened for them. Sure, they may not have the best lineups (for now), but for those who are tired of the typical BMW and Mercedes (even the typical Lexus or Infiniti or Audi), these Swedes are extra rare and pretty damn class competitive.

What you knew about the SAAB's and Volvo's of the past should be as dead of a perception as Toyota being better than Ford and Chevy. The 9-5 (or now 95) is one of the most critically acclaimed new cars to come, ever. GM worked extremely hard to retool its Epsilon II platform specifically for this car. It could easily have the best chassis/suspension setup in its class. Not bad on the eyes either, only car that looks better (in my opinion) are the Jaguar XF and the car listed above it.

Now the S60 is in its class of its own in its styling. Maybe its just me, but when I first set eyes on this car, a little sparkle flew by. "Can't even start to believe this is a Volvo", I said to myself. Being used to the dowdy, uninspired Volvo's of the past (hey, they just left the box era in the 2000's!), the S60 was an unexpected surprise. Claimed as the "Naughty Volvo", this is the car those "Desperate Housewives" would love to be seen in. While the 95 strikes me as the car I would love blasting through mountains with, the S60 is the car I would definitely try to impress with. Every single curve symbolizes a different meaning, almost as if Volvo took a page from the Jaguar book and copied some kind of wild cat. If the S60 is any symbolization of where Volvo is headed, I love it.

What with the new product from SAAB (9-4X slated for early next year, new 93 and 92) and Volvo (the new XC60, upcoming S40 and V40, current [or soon to be refreshed] S80, upcoming XC90, C30 and C70), these Swedes could possibly become the new Germans. And once they free themselves from the companies of which they're tied down to, it would be quite interesting to see just how far these two can go. Stay tuned.