Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

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EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Guinness posted:

I know this is such a stereotypically enthusiast thing to say, but if BMW launches a diesel, AWD, manual 3-series wagon in the USA I will almost certainly buy one (and take Euro delivery!), preferably the 335d but I would consider the 2.0L as well. I can afford to put my money where my mouth is; your move, BMW.

Unfortunately, I have no doubts that it will be automatic-only like the previous 335d.

says every single one of them will be automatic-only, AWD-only, and unavailable sports packages (with possible exception of RWD/AWD on 3-series sedan). It has been confirmed that all USA-spec diesels will be 8-speed autos only.

At least we can now get a proper diesel wagon in the US other than the Jetta. I've already had more than one conversation with the factory sales guys at Mercedes telling them I haven't bought a new E-series yet because I can't get the diesel/wagon combo. I even went so far as to say they should drop the gas wagon model entirely stateside and offer only the diesel. When was the last time you saw a non-diesel Jetta wagon?

# ¿ Nov 7, 2012 07:58

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:03

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Q_res posted:

Yeah, in the US you either get the TDI or the horrible 5 cylinder.

Volkswagen offered a 2.0T FSI Jetta SportWagen in 2009 and it just didn't sell relative to the diesel (that accounts for the vast majority of sales), so they killed the 2.0T. I've only seen one 2.0T wagon in person out in the wild (and occasionally look to find a used 6-speed one for sale).

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=25317&id=25316&id=25315&id=25314
http://reviews.cnet.com/wagon/2009-volkswagen-jetta-sportwagen/4505-10866_7-33664882.html

# ¿ Nov 7, 2012 16:21

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Steve French posted:

Agreed on the first points except for AWD; I'd be surprised if they made the diesel available with AWD, let alone AWD only, considering there was no AWD option for the 3 series diesel in the US in the past.

It's a market demand thing having to do with the snow belt, along with price elasticity of high-income buyers. The E-class, for instance, has an 80%+ AWD take rate on units sold anywhere north of St Louis. That and if you're already laying down the coin for a 5/7-series or X5, what's another ~$2k, relatively speaking? 3-series buyers being a lot more cost-conscious, which makes offering options viable. BMW also has some precedence here with the 5-series wagon being AWD-only before they killed it.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2012 23:26

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Ram 1500 to get V6 diesel engine later this year

quote:

February 14, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Beginning in third-quarter 2013, Ram will become the only brand to offer a small-displacement diesel for its half-ton line of trucks.

The 2014 Ram 1500 will offer a new, 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine, mated with the eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

# ¿ Feb 14, 2013 17:19

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Throatwarbler posted:

Diesel is really catching on. This thing is already in the Wrangler in overseas markets, it will probably come to the US as well, and maybe even a new Powerwagon?

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/1208dp_banks_vm_motori_630t_v6_diesel_engine/

The 3.0L V6 diesel is also hitting the 2014 Grand Cherokee here in the States. Seeing a diesel half-ton here is very much into the a-loving-men about-damm-time territory.

Why Chrysler keeps holding out on a diesel Wrangler in the US I have no idea...

# ¿ Feb 14, 2013 18:05

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

CommieGIR posted:

Chrysler needs to sell Jeep to someone that actually wants to build Jeeps and not soccer mom transports.

The Wrangler and Grand Cherokee aren't going anywhere...

# ¿ Mar 28, 2013 17:57

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Throatwarbler posted:

Sorry to interrupt your 1980s BMW chat, the new Maserati Ghibili is out.

Interesting to see what that platform has become since starting out as the Renault 25 way back in the day (Renault 25 -> Renault Premier/Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco -> Chrysler redesign + Mercedes fuckery = Chrysler LH). Reliability and driving dynamics should be excellent as it's effectively a Fiat/Ferrari-influenced third-gen Chrysler 300. Any word on pricing yet? Something like $5k over a Chrysler 300 SRT8 seems likely.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2013 16:56

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Mighty Horse posted:

LH was all Chrysler derived from the Renault/AMC Design. Mercedes didn't start meddling until the very tail end of the LX which came after and were the RWD cars and is so commonly incorrectly stated as "based on the Mercedes E-Class"

If memory serves, the Mercedes influence was largely to get some parts commonality in the suspension and driveline, but things like the overall floorpan shape and hardpoints are all Chrysler.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2013 17:58

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

BeastOfExmoor posted:

I've long wondered why auto makers weren't clamoring to harmonize the standards between the EU and the US so I'm glad to see they are pushing for this.

From various insiders I've heard is was the Big 3, Ford in particular, who lobbied to keep the separate standards. The Big 3 did it for cost reasons because things like multi-element amber/red taillights and headlights with good cutoff patterns were deemed too expensive. The Big 3 have since turned around and (finally) realized the cost savings of international-level standardization in engineering and production.

The only companies I remember pushing for standardization back in the day were Mercedes and Audi, who pushed for things like radial tires and unified lighting standards, respectively.

# ¿ May 23, 2013 21:20

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Cream_Filling posted:

Then you wait a year or two and start getting annoyed when normal people mistake it for the new mustang.

Not the first time this has happened...

# ¿ May 30, 2013 21:30

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

lazer_chicken posted:

I think the Fit is the closest successor to the 90's Civics. Sure it has a cheap suspension (struts up front, torsion beam rear) but it only weighs 2500 pounds and it handles very well. And the L15A7 is great and feels just like a vtec D15. The Fit feels pretty much like some time-warped in a 90's honda and put new body panels on it.

I'd argue a true successor to 90s Civics is the current Hyundai Accent SE. The 4th gen Accent SE hatch and 5th gen Civic Si are virtually identical in length, width, wheelbase, power, and curb weight. The Accent is ~7" taller and up ~20% torque output, however.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Jul 19, 2013

# ¿ Jul 19, 2013 18:03

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Vigo327 posted:

I dont know if i believe the wider part. I currently own a short wheelbase 90 model and i definitely believe the longer part. However, the mazda5 has MASSIVELY less interior room than the early caravan. I wanted to like the mazda5 a lot, and i did styling-wise, but i would have liked it a lot better if they had kept the same proportion and look and scaled it up to the size of the last-gen MPV. That's why im kind of excited about the 7 passenger transit connect. It's big enough to have 7 people in it without 5 of them hating it, but it's much smaller than the massive 'minivans' like the current Odyssey.

What you're looking for, minus the sliding doors, is already available as the Fiat 500XL, complete with turbo 4 and a manual transmission. The 500XL really is a pretty amazing piece of engineering and a surprisingly good drive.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2013 18:13

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

PeterWeller posted:

Too bad it is just plain awful looking.

There seems to be some segment of the population that has this visceral "OMG NO YUO!!1one" reaction to the 500L that I just don't get. Sure it isn't the epitome of automotive aesthetic design, but it's nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be and there's only so much you can do with a big box.

I will admit, however, that light colors like the white and yellow press cars sure don't do it any favors. It's much, much better in a dark color with a contrasting roof (which is what you see in the TV commercials).

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Sep 27, 2013

# ¿ Sep 27, 2013 22:31

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Vigo327 posted:

I wasn't aware the US market was getting it. Even then, i'd have to be able to find more interior shots to believe it's the kind of thing i'm talking about. In an old caravan you could actually sort of stand up from the driver's seat and walk to the back seat without hurdling any seats or folding anything, and you could lay a 4x8 sheet of plywood down in a vehicle that was narrow on the outside and only weighed like 3400 lbs. I dont think there's any small van as close to a true box (which is a glorious thing on the inside) on the market currently.

Sorry, 500L. 500XL was a brain fart on my part, but that's probably coming too.

Regardless, the 500L really is about the closest you'll probably find on American roads right now. Sadly the seats aren't removable van-style, but you can get pretty close to the proverbial 4x8 in there and the front passenger seat folds down too. It really is an impressive piece of packaging once you see one in person (things like a removable rifle-sized/shaped bin between the rear seats and spare tire, bins everywhere, very impressive visibility, etc). In a lot of ways it's what the Mazda5 should have been.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2013 23:37

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Vigo327 posted:

The previous LH platform was designed to accomodate a switch to RWD at some point

It's actually a bit more complex than that. The Chrysler LX platform is actually an almost-entirely-Chrysler update/variant on the old Chrysler LH platform, which itself was a variant of the new-for-1983 Renault 25 platform (aka Eagle/Renault Premiere, 90s Dodge Monaco). The original longitudinal FWD was was pure old-school Renault. The Mercedes bits of the Chrysler LX where only around peripheral hardware like suspension and driveline in order to standardize parts with Mercedes.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2013 16:17

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Throatwarbler posted:

In the case of the Hyundai/Kia, the turbo engines are really much better on paper than they are in real life. 0-60 is in the mid 7 second range and fuel economy is middling at best. In comparison a V6 Honda Accord with a decade old SOHC V6 is almost a second faster in both 0-60 and 1/4 mile, while getting better fuel economy, with the same hp figure on paper. For all the media hype surround them I really don't find the new Hyunda/Kias or the Ford Fusion to be very impressive at all.

Who would have thought that Honda is the marque that shows us there's no replacement for displacement.

Going old school "all motor" with relatively large, high-revving L4s and V6s seems to be the Japanses solution to the latest fuel economy regulations. There's a lot to be said about the shockingly good fuel economy you can get from a big motor when it's loping along driving a tall gar and using just a fraction of it's available power. This is why you get shockingly good highway fuel economy in a Corvette, for instance.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 01:39

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Rhyno posted:

I just want AWD with 6 speed manual, is that too much to ask?

Your prayers have been kinda answered... at GM. The 2014 refresh of the Buick Regal GS now offers the mid-size/~300hp/AWD combination. Trans isn't perfect, but it's about as close as you'll get short of a BMW.

Order one new (and you will have to custom order...) while you can. Sitting around and saying "oh I'll just buy a ~3 yr old used one one" just won't cut it because they'll stop selling them if nobody buys one new.

At least Volvo is bringing back real turbo wagons this spring to the USA...

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Oct 30, 2013

# ¿ Oct 30, 2013 14:16

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Guinness posted:

BMW sells the 328d sedan and wagon in the US. The sedan you can get RWD or AWD, while the wagon is AWD only. RWD claims 45mpg, AWD claims 43mpg (highway, obviously).

In addition to the BMW options, Mercedes now offers a diesel on GLK with the diesel C-class coming for the 2015 model year. Mazda's diesel Mazda6 is scheduled to ship in Q2 2014. The Chevrolet Cruze is already out and shipping I think. There's also the comedy option of the 3.0L diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is now shipping to dealers. The 2014 Ram 1500 diesels start shipping Jan/Feb 2014 as well, if you care.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Nov 12, 2013

# ¿ Nov 12, 2013 23:37

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Xguard86 posted:

that lincoln looks like it should have been released last generation.

Last generation? I can't tell if those press photos are from 2014 or 1984.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2014 05:56

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

HotCanadianChick posted:

Uhhh... several goons in the US own manual BMW 3 series wagons. People that post in our very own AI. (You didn't make it clear if you meant just their current new cars, or all their previous 3er wagons).They don't offer sticks on the current lineup of 3 series wagons, but their entire current lineup is pretty much a bunch of hot garbage anyways.

The last manual transmission 3-series wagon was back in 2012 in the US. The 2013+ are all auto-only, AWD-only, 2.0L gas/diesel. At least we get the diesel now.

As for used 3-series wagons with manuals, good loving luck. The most I've ever seen on Autotrader/Cars.com/Ebay/CL at once was 2 in the entire USA, if there were any at all, and virtually all non-Sport AWD models. You want a manual RWD with the Sport or M Sport package? I've only seen a used one come up once, yes singular, ever. E63 AMG wagons are freakishly common, relatively speaking.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Mar 4, 2014

# ¿ Mar 4, 2014 16:33

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Powershift posted:

New kamaz 6560M

Looks like LED headlights, hopefully they have some way to prevent ice buildup.

If that thing is setup to haul around standard shipping containers, I wonder how a civilization version would compare to a traditional 18 wheeler tractor and container trailer combination. Strikes me as something that could actually be simpler, lighter, and possibly more maneuverable if all you're going to do is haul around standard shipping containers all day. Could even have a tilting mount to dropping off dumpers.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 01:50

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

KozmoNaut posted:

Apparently, the new S-class coupe will lean into corners for "increasing pleasure for the driver and passengers".

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1092532_mercedes-details-2015-s-class-coupes-curve-tilting-function

Soon, cars will no longer lean the wrong way under cornering.

E: As the resident frankautophile, it behooves me to point out that Citro�n had a similar system in the early 90s. The Xantia Activa was capable of cornering completely flat, and was faster through the infamous moose test than a Porsche 911 GT2 (996). They originally made the system lean into corners like the above-mentioned Mercedes system, but scrapped it again and stuck with flat cornering because drivers reported that it felt disconcerting.

I thought the optional S-class active suspension has had a version of this since the W140 S600? I know Land Rover has been using something similar on various Range Rovers and Discoveries since 99 or so.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2014 19:50

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Fucknag posted:

Both the Boss and the GT500, hence the moniker. I believe it's N/A, something to do with the subframe not being able to hold the big 5.8 or something.

The sound is not only definitely N/A, but also distinctly high-performance Ford. It sounds very much like a combo of the Le Mans/Indy Cammer engine and a F1 Ford DVF with a rev limiter on it. Scary to think we can now buy what is effectively a $$$ 60-80s era prototype works race engine with a factory warranty at your local car dealer.

Augmented Dickey posted:

Looks great, but will it be stupid expensive like the higher-trim Mazda 3's?

I can't imagine that they would put all this tech into a sub-$22k car.

Believe it. Those glass dashes you see in the likes of the latest S-class and Tesla are actually dirt cheap now with the rise of the iPad, cheap Android tablets, and small HDTVs. A $199 mid-range Android tablet is more than enough to run the cluster, infotainment, and HVAC in a car. Hell, even the cheap little Fiat 500 gets a glass cockpit for 2015.

As for that aesthetically beautiful, ultra-simple modem dash? It has the side effect of being cheaper to manufacture with modern processes and materials. It's clearly a sign of spending serious engineering/R&D time and money on building something as cheaply as possible (which I mean as a serious compliment). A good example of this philosophy are the cases on commercial Dell Optiplex/Precision workstations. Beautiful pieces of engineering clearly meant to be mass produced as cheaply as possible with the fewest, simplest parts, yet rugged with decent aesthetics too. Automotive equivalents off the top of my head are things like the Chrysler K-car, pre-GM Saab 99/900, and the current Fiat 500.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Jul 18, 2014

# ¿ Jul 18, 2014 18:32

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Ford got murdered on IQS by MyFordTouch, which I think tells you all you need to know about its value as a survey.

That and the dependability survey doesn't differentiate on the nature of issues. Bringing your car into the dealer for a squeaky door hinge or headlight bulb counts the same as, say, a catastrophic transmission failure.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2014 17:49

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Powershift posted:

At least with ~~the GT500~~ virtually all Ford products the brakes gave up before the engine overheated.

Fixed that for ya. Seriously, what is it with Fords and undersized brakes? This has been seemingly a thing since forever.

# ¿ Dec 9, 2014 01:44

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Twerk from Home posted:

China already got a refreshed Taurus based on a stretched Fusion platform with the 2.7 V6 Ecoboost, it's only going to die inside America.

Isn't the Lincoln Continental just going to be a cosmetic update of the Chinese stretched Fusion?

# ¿ Nov 17, 2015 00:12

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

KozmoNaut posted:

So do I. Badly.

That V90 is pure sex. Very safe and conventional sex, but sex nonetheless.

Missionary sex never looked so appealing. God I'm getting old.

Guinness posted:

This is what most blows me away about the CUV/SUV craze. Most of them are huge on the outside, but no larger than a mid-size car on the inside, if that. And now with "compact CUVs" it's even more of a joke.

For a little while I thought maybe I should look into getting one for all the supposed "utility", except that you don't actually get significantly more interior space.

The compact crossover is popular for the same reason that the original Scion xB was - high seating for elderly people who don't have kids and like the relatively large hatch space.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2016 23:06

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Sigma X posted:

Like modern 7-series big.

More like 5-series/E-class/A6 big. It's the Kia version of the Hyundai G80, nee Genesis Sedan. The bigger K900/Equus/K90 is the size of an S-class/7-series/A8.

KozmoNaut posted:

China has their priorities right on this one. Having decent leg space in the back seat rules.

To that end, I'm amazed more companies don't sell their Chinese market LWB models in the States. It's just makes sense. Only Volvo seems to get this.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 22:18 on May 17, 2016

# ¿ May 17, 2016 22:14

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Mange Mite posted:

It eats into their model stratification because yoire supposed to pay a lot more for a longer car. A lwb 5 series cannibalizes sales from your 7 series, and so on. This is the same reason they stopped selling the 5 series wagon - people buy them instead of 7 serieses, and the 7 series is more profitable

The solution to that is to stop selling the SWB version entirely in the US (and possibly the Middle East, China, and South Africa as well) and keep the SWB though chunks of the EMEA/BRIC markets (which appears to be exactly what Volvo and Infiniti are doing). If memory serves, the SWB S-class, A8, and 7-series are now unavailable in the USA with the lone exception being the S8, which is SWB. I think Jaguar may still offer separate SWB/LWB models in the US?

# ¿ May 17, 2016 23:49

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Throatwarbler posted:

VW is turning things around at last. Golf Sportwagen now available with quattro and a stick at the same time.

http://media.vw.com/release/1212/

Now all we need is the wagon version of the Golf R and I'll be a happy man. I'm actually in a position to put my checkbook where my mouth is on this one for a change too.

# ¿ Jun 23, 2016 21:39

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Powershift posted:

"i want to pay audi money for an audi, but could you put a volkswagen badge on it?"

Name anything similar currently available in the US market. Only thing I can think of is the Volvo V60 T6 or Polestar. The only Avant Audi sells in the US now is the Allroad.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jun 23, 2016

# ¿ Jun 23, 2016 21:50

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

KakerMix posted:

They already make it though? As was already stated if you want a wagon you don't have many options and if you want a fast one you have one option and it's over 100k. BMW makes that useless sport coup SUV the least they could do is offer an M3 wagon. But noooooo

Yep, the Golf R wagon is already a thing you can buy outside the States, so why not bring it. The chassis and power unit have already passed things like EPA and NHTSA certification even.

Speaking of Euro wagons, both the Mercedes E400 and Volvo V90 wagons are hitting the US in early 2017 (yes, a USA market Merc wagon in something other than the slowest combo possible). With 329hp/354ft-lb in the E-class, plus a ~150lb diet over the W212, the US non-AMG wagon may actually be quick this time around. Same for the Volvo as it's 316hp/295ft-lb (or 400hp/472ft-lb hybrid) and rumors of a Polestar tune already. Sadly Mercedes is downplaying talk of the E43 AMG wagon in the States, but an E63 has been all but confirmed.

Interestingly, the W213/S213 E-class and Volvo S90/V90/XC90 appear to have an identical wheelbase this time around as well.

# ¿ Jun 23, 2016 22:18

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Steve French posted:

The Alltrack is also more of a proper wagon than a hatchback, though, and has a good bit more cargo volume, which is worth something, at least to me, anyway.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the SportWagen and Alltrack have identical body and interior structures, thus making the usable interior space the same?

# ¿ Jul 13, 2016 19:57

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Powershift posted:

Uhh, look at the username in the link. is that also SA's comrade flynn?

Any idea where the guy gets his cash? From a couple of things I remember from some posts, he might be involved with Turn 10 Studios, aka the guys behind Forza?

# ¿ Jul 19, 2016 18:42

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Whiz Palace posted:

Based on reviews and personal experience, it seems that both the GLA and regular A-Class are better implementations of the platform.

As is the Infiniti Q30/QX30, apparently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMHRzwgfcoU

# ¿ Jul 28, 2016 18:08

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Sole Survivor posted:

There have been spy shots of a RAM 1500 mule with a megacab which might turn into a Dodge or RAM BoF SUV which would probably be made in Warren as well.

A RAM 1500/2500-based Tahoe/Suburban competitor always seemed such a "free money" product offering that I'm amazed such a thing never happened. Unless I'm missing any, GM, Ford, Toyota, and (formerly) Nissan all had full-size BOF SUVs off their full-sized trucks. Same political in-fighting that kept the Jeep pickup from happening?

In related news, supposedly the SUV version of the Colorado/Canyon is finally coming as well to give the 4Runner some competition, but we'll see.

Orvin posted:

There were news reports that the Belvidere plant is retooling to make Cherokees once the production of Darts ends this year (if it hasn't already).

I thought this whole thing about FCA was just someone trolling, but reading the news that the Dart and 200 are basically dead, the Caravan is not going to be around long, and the 300, Charger, and Challenger are on an "old" platform makes it look like FCA may just kill off Chrysler and Dodge, and just leave Jeep and Ram. Maybe have Chrysler go away with no fanfare like when Ford killed off Mercury.

To me it always seemed obvious that Dodge wasn't long for this world between Fiat, Chrysler, Alfa, and Maserati and I've still got money on Dodge disappearing once LX and Caravan production is wrapped up. Are there any free-standing Dodge dealers even left at this point?

Speaking of Maserati, anybody know the back story on why the FCA mothership kept Maserati if they're going to build up Alfa? If memory serves, wasn't Maserati, technically speaking, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrari that was long-term meant to make SUVs and sedans to keep Ferrari alive like the Cayenne did for Porsche post-separation (in addition to merchandising, merchandising, merchandising)?

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 23:23

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Powershift posted:

Better companies have tried.

the GMTwins have sold 122k so far this year. Compared to the expedition at 33,721, the sequoia at 7322 and the armada at 5857.

Even more lopsided when you combine Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon [XL], and Escalade [ESV]. Plus aren't Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator a full generation behind at this point from the F150? It's amazing how old the Expedition/Navigator feels at this point...

The 2017 Nissan Armada is just a North American option package on the international Nissan Patrol (or decontented Infiniti QX80) and basically half the price of a Toyota Land Cruiser (checked Land Cruiser prices lately?). Will be interesting to see how much sales move up considering how odd and dated the Titan-based Armada was. Why they didn't just call it the Patrol here, I have no idea.

The Toyota Sequoia basically sucks from everything I've seen and from a rental I had years ago.

EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Aug 4, 2016

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 23:47

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

go3 posted:

the brand is so loving tainted i can't imagine at all why people keep trying to turn it around

Though from the US perspective is Fiat and/or Alfa any better?

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 00:55

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Throatwarbler posted:

The only Land Cruiser you can buy is $85k and Toyota doesn't give a gently caress because they will sell every single one they make to overseas markets that will pay much higher prices than Americans will. I would still take it over an Escalade for the same price though.

The Patrol is still available with a manual transmission in most other markets which is pretty crazy. The people who drive (both Toyota and Nissan) in the desert for a living in the UAE I talk to will still take the Toyota all day every day though.

It's interesting to see the pricing on the Armada/Patrol vs Land Cruiser here. Nissan is starting the Armada/Patrol at $45k with what looks like ~$60k with every option (or $65k for the Infinti QX80), but the Land Cruiser starts at $85k (and $89k for the Lexus LX). Land Cruiser clone for half the price? Sure, why not.

Too bad the US market Patrol doesn't get the good options like full lockers, hose-out floors, sway bar disconnects, or hydraulic suspension, but I could see Nissan being talked into offering them all in one package at some point.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2016 15:06

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:03

EnergizerFellow: Oct 11, 2005; More drunk than a barrel of monkeys

Q_res posted:

China gets the new Taurus, we don't. Because they felt it wasn't even worth the trouble chasing the tiny pool of sales that is the full size sedan market.

Isn't the new Chinese Taurus just a Lincoln Continental with a different hood ornament and option packages (because Lincoln doesn't exist there)?

# ¿ Sep 15, 2016 01:13

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

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