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Powershift posted:The crowd that bought those harsh M-cars new is old now and wants something softer. Just to expand on that: I couldn't find a price for the M3, so I used the M5. I'm 30, I have a decently paid job (nothing extraordinary, but fine). As of now, a base M5 would cost me my total after-tax income for 6.5 years - I could buy a small apartment for the same money, and this isn't a cheap city. Unless I luck into a wildly successful startup it will probably be out of my price range for my entire working life. Admittedly this is in Norway, where larger engines are taxed brutally (an M5 starts at $265k). Computer viking fucked around with this message at 09:17 on Sep 30, 2014 |
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Sep 30, 2014 09:14
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Throatwarbler posted:
IMO the XTS is perfect for their primary demographic for large cars. It's by-and-large older people probably looking for a cruiser. I imagine the XTS is a dream on the highway. It's ungodly comfortable and beautiful inside. 
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Sep 30, 2014 14:06
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angryhampster posted:IMO the XTS is perfect for their primary demographic for large cars. It's by-and-large older people probably looking for a cruiser. I imagine the XTS is a dream on the highway. It's ungodly comfortable and beautiful inside. It's done all right, but if they didn't have it buyers of GM large cars would probably have bought Lacross or Impala instead. They don't really need it in North America and it's not really the best representative of the Cadillac brand. The problem is that in China they need something to compete with the FWD Audi A6L that makes up the bulk of premium car sales and it needs to be built in China by SAIC. The Lacross is OK but Buick can't command Audi prices, they use to have the old STS-L but obviously that's long gone, the new CTS is 1)new, 2)would need a LWB variant which we have not seen yet, and 3)GM probably doesn't want to start building the CTS in China just yet - obviously it would cost money and Cadillac volumes aren't there to justify it and they are(or should be) wary of transferring any more technology and new platforms to SAIC than they need to. The LaCross is already built by SAIC in China, so the platform shared XTS can be set up for production easily, and it being FWD is no issue in China where the most common luxury car on the road is a FWD 180hp Audi A6, while Americans certainly know the difference between it and a 5 series.
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Sep 30, 2014 14:45
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Powershift posted:The crowd that bought those harsh M-cars new is old now and wants something softer.  I would say that it's the opposite, I think people who wanted to buy M cars new are now reaching the point where they can and finding BMW has left them behind.
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Sep 30, 2014 17:02
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So it looks like Honda might finally be getting into the BOF truck game. http://www.autoblog.com/2014/10/08/honda-ridgeline-going-mainstream/  It's about time, the pundits are saying it will probably be a small/midsize instead of a half ton but I would love a shot across the bow of the dumbestic carmakers in the form of a full size Honda truck.
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Oct 9, 2014 15:17
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Throatwarbler posted:It's about time, the pundits are saying it will probably be a small/midsize instead of a half ton but I would love a shot across the bow of the dumbestic carmakers in the form of a full size Honda truck. Shot across the bow of the #1 best selling vehicle in the US for the last 32 years and the best selling pickup for the last 43? Or the Silverado that's been second best selling for nearly as long? Yeah, sounds like it would be a scary day for Ford and GM.
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Oct 9, 2014 15:41
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Motronic posted:Shot across the bow of the #1 best selling vehicle in the US for the last 32 years and the best selling pickup for the last 43? Or the Silverado that's been second best selling for nearly as long? I hear GM might even have a bullet point about it in their marketing strategy powerpoint this year (under "Discontinued Competitors"). The Ridgeline might put a real dent in the Nissan Frontier, if they still make that or whatever.
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Oct 9, 2014 15:49
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Throatwarbler posted:So it looks like Honda might finally be getting into the BOF truck game. Honda would be stupid not to go midsize. If there's any vehicle out there that needs its proverbial lunch money stolen, it's the Toyota Tacoma. And seriously lol of you think the Colorado/Canyon are gonna do it.
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Oct 10, 2014 01:00
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The Colorado will be high in sales numbers just based off of fleet sales alone. I rarely see any that are actually owned by people
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Oct 10, 2014 02:18
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Not a single cab, no deal 
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Oct 10, 2014 02:30
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MrChips posted:Honda would be stupid not to go midsize. If there's any vehicle out there that needs its proverbial lunch money stolen, it's the Toyota Tacoma. Honda will probably gently caress it up again by creating the truck that Americans need rather than the truck that Americans want.
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Oct 10, 2014 02:31
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Wheeee posted:Honda will probably gently caress it up again by creating the truck that Americans need rather than the truck that Americans want. Nobody needs anything larger or more powerful than a honda fit. It doesn't need to be painted in any color other than beige so as not to appear dirty. Any misalignment of needs and wants shall be punished with ridicule. These are the rules of Appliance Inanity, praise be to our leader Wheeee.
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Oct 10, 2014 02:41
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Powershift posted:Nobody needs anything larger or more powerful than a honda fit. While I would agree with you there is something rather irritating about a soccer mom who uses her one and a half ton Ram to get groceries and drop her kids off at school. Having said that I live in Alberta and the same people give me infinite joy in the snow when I go zooming past in my 30 year old Scirocco on studded winters and they're terrified in a giant 4x4.
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Oct 10, 2014 03:24
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1500quidporsche posted:While I would agree with you there is something rather irritating about a soccer mom who uses her one and a half ton Ram to get groceries and drop her kids off at school. If she can handle the vehicle, who gives a poo poo. It doesn't take up so much more space than a minivan that it's an inconvenience. The loaded to the tits 6300lb king ranch expedition EL can still stop from 60mph in 121 feet, that's about the same as a mazda 3 or VW golf. You don't complain about the guy who does the same thing with a sports car because you could see yourself doing the same. You project a lack of driving skill onto the vehicle you dislike rather than the driver who is the problem. A half ton ram gets the same fuel economy as a WRX STI, but only one of them angers you when being used for something other than it's purpose as defined by you because it's not a vehicle you're personally interested in driving. If people shouldn't choose a pickup over a full size car because they're not always hauling loads, then people shouldn't choose an STI over a base imprezza because they're not always on a track or rally course. If there's no fun allowed, you're not going to be the one to define fun, and you're not going to be happy with the result. If you think we're in a position to start dictating what others should drive based on the good of the people, the pickup is going to be taken off the road for being too heavy, the sti is going to be taken off the road for being too powerful, and your scirocco is going to be taken off the road for being too
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Oct 10, 2014 03:54
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I think what's most interesting is how successfully Ford is bringing forced induction to the domestic masses. Ecoboost is loving killing it out there, and most importantly they're eschewing the big American V8 schtick even in their only two big American RWD V8 whips left - the F150 and the Mustang. F150 getting a twin-turbo V6 that solidly outperforms the available V8s, crossovers and hatches with the Ecoboost four-bangers are a great success, it's all falling into place. I gave my stepmother's new Ecoboost-equipped Escape a try (not sure WHICH one it has, apparently there's a 1.6 and a 2.0) and that motherfucker goes like stink, and the turbo noises are absolutely delicious. I am, however, still pretty cheesed about the Mustang not getting the 3.5L Ecoboost V6 from the F150. They share the 5.0, I don't see what the problem is with sharing that little bundle of fun. The lack of an RWD sedan is also displeasing but that's basically what the relatively gentrified light truck market has turned into anyway so I'm not one to dwell. Aluminum is a big deal, too. Chevy's made their stance known on it but it seems like Ford really wants to bring domestic cars into the present. I wouldn't be surprised if they went further. Maybe someday soon we'll get turbodiesels in all the light duty trucks. Ram's doing it with a V6, Toyota's going for a full-on Cummins V8. That's a trend I'd like to see spread, and who knows, it might even spread to their passenger vehicles.
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Oct 10, 2014 04:00
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All that over a snarky comment about Honda's poo poo product planning! Are there any hard numbers publicly available for Ecoboost engine reliability? I love Ford for working as hard as they are to push the industry forward but I've read a fair bit of anecdotal reporting on Ecoboost engines not being particularly reliable in the real world, much as with Ford's DCT. Aluminum being pushed for mainstream vehicles is a bigger deal in my opinion, with industry supply chains being built to accommodate the necessary volume and Ford designing new production methods to mass produce aluminum bodies I'm hoping that within the next couple generations of smaller vehicles that aluminum cars begin to hit the mainstream.
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Oct 10, 2014 04:19
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Wheeee posted:All that over a snarky comment about Honda's poo poo product planning! I've heard some somewhat worrying things about Ecoboost V6 reliability in the various F150 watering holes but I don't know about the other ones. It doesn't seem to be an epidemic but there's certainly some issues floating around, and they're all a bit too new for long term issues to become obvious. We'll wait and see. If there is a downside to aluminum cars I don't know what it is. Ford as an industry trailblazer is something I'm very comfortable with, and I hope the Ecoboost engines can keep their poo poo together long-term. I hope they bring some fun models back, like the Ranger. The new international ones are sexy as all hell.
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Oct 10, 2014 04:53
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N is for Nipples posted:If there is a downside to aluminum cars I don't know what it is. It's harder to repair body panels.
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Oct 10, 2014 04:58
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Wheeee posted:Aluminum being pushed for mainstream vehicles is a bigger deal in my opinion, with industry supply chains being built to accommodate the necessary volume and Ford designing new production methods to mass produce aluminum bodies I'm hoping that within the next couple generations of smaller vehicles that aluminum cars begin to hit the mainstream. Land Rover has been using aluminum for years. I don't get the big deal. v  v
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Oct 10, 2014 05:02
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blugu64 posted:It's harder to repair body panels. Oh yeah, forgot about that, the big one. Totalling is pretty common at this point so crash damage might be less of an issue but for wear and tear or minor damage that might be a bit unfun. Especially on the F150. The 2016 Super Duty trucks are getting aluminum parts too, which could make that a really big deal for fleet managers and the like. BrokenKnucklez posted:Land Rover has been using aluminum for years. I don't get the big deal. v American cars coming into the present is a big thing to me, especially since I was born and raised a Ford man. 
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Oct 10, 2014 05:03
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I want to thank GM for instead of recalling my cheapest supplier parts 2000 silverado they are selling me new pre bent brake lines in a box for $50. Yes all the metal lines $50. They old ones look like they are coated in rice crispies from the corrosion. They are also spewing fluid all over since I decided to push the peddle to the floor to seat my new rear pads. Always seat in a nice open parking lot, or in my case the neighbors half mile long driveway.
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Nov 26, 2014 16:03
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I didn't see this thread the first time around. It's hilarious seeing some opinions on what automakers should do.  I find it funny how people love to vocalize about wanting more options/vehicles that they won't buy in the first place. Proliferation and additional complexity are terrible for auto makers and the engineers that work to bring the vehicles to market. And 99% of those complaining are ones who don't buy new cars anyway. Maybe someday they'll pony up for their diesel hybrid AWD manual transmission wagon, but I won't hold my breath. Elephanthead posted:I want to thank GM for instead of recalling my cheapest supplier parts 2000 silverado they are selling me new pre bent brake lines in a box for $50. Yes all the metal lines $50. They old ones look like they are coated in rice crispies from the corrosion. They are also spewing fluid all over since I decided to push the peddle to the floor to seat my new rear pads. Always seat in a nice open parking lot, or in my case the neighbors half mile long driveway. Do you live in the rust belt? 14 years isn't that bad if so. And are you complaining you got all new pre bent brake lines for dirt cheap? 
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Nov 30, 2014 16:43
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Larrymer posted:Maybe someday they'll pony up for their diesel hybrid AWD manual transmission wagon, but I won't hold my breath. Who said anything about hybrid? 
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Nov 30, 2014 21:37
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1500quidporsche posted:they're terrified in a giant 4x4. What is wrong with people driving more carefully and slowly in larger vehicles that are more likely to roll over and/or pose a larger danger to other motorists in smaller cars? I would think they should be encouraged to do so. I'm thankful every time I go to drive ABS/TCS is now standard on trucks and SUVs. e: In addition it seems much more difficult to regain control of heavier vehicles when traction is lost or a maneuver must be made to avoid an accident due to a larger amount of weight transfer. puberty worked me over fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Nov 30, 2014 |
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Nov 30, 2014 21:45
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Extra posted:I'm thankful every time I go to drive ABS/TCS is now standard on trucks and SUVs. It's only required in vehicles of model year 2011 and later in the US, and there are a lot of older vehicles on the road. http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Electronic+Stability+Control+(ESC)
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Nov 30, 2014 22:05
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Extra posted:What is wrong with people driving more carefully and slowly in larger vehicles that are more likely to roll over and/or pose a larger danger to other motorists in smaller cars? I would think they should be encouraged to do so. I'm thankful every time I go to drive ABS/TCS is now standard on trucks and SUVs.
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Nov 30, 2014 22:09
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Land Rover has been using aluminum for years. I don't get the big deal. v The first year of F-series production will sell more aluminum bodied vehicles than Land Rover has to date.
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Dec 1, 2014 01:54
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The first year of F-series production will sell more aluminum bodied vehicles than Land Rover has to date. Well, ford sells around 450,000 f-150s yearly, there were around 1.2 million land rover series i-iii, so it will take more than 2 years for that to happen not even including the modern aluminum landies 
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Dec 1, 2014 02:07
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Powershift posted:Well, ford sells around 450,000 f-150s yearly, there were around 1.2 million land rover series i-iii, so it will take more than 2 years for that to happen not even including the modern aluminum landies
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Dec 1, 2014 02:12
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I meant comparing aluminum bodied vehicles to aluminum bodied vehicles; guess it wasn't clear.
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Dec 1, 2014 02:28
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I meant comparing aluminum bodied vehicles to aluminum bodied vehicles; guess it wasn't clear. Land rover "series" vehicles are aluminum bodied.
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Dec 1, 2014 02:43
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Aren't Range Rovers and Discoveries also aluminium bodied?
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Dec 1, 2014 03:21
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Powershift posted:Land rover "series" vehicles are aluminum bodied. Oh, interesting, I wasn't aware that it went that far back.
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Dec 1, 2014 03:50
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You Am I posted:Aren't Range Rovers and Discoveries also aluminium bodied? Yes, except for the roof.
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Dec 1, 2014 17:01
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Oh, interesting, I wasn't aware that it went that far back. You Am I posted:Aren't Range Rovers and Discoveries also aluminium bodied? Note that anything on a Landie that is steel generally rusts like a motherfucker unless it is in direct line-of-fire of one of the many oil leaks. And the bits that are steel are the ones which are both structurally important and hidden from casual view.
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Dec 1, 2014 17:20
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