Opinion
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Back in December 2023, my wife mentioned to me that she was getting a little tired after 15 years of the Voom Voom Voom of her SS. The sound of the Borla factory exhaust was not what she wanted to hear in a daily driver. I had originally bought this in 2008 for her when, after our kids had finished college, she wanted to fulfill her life dream of getting an advanced education. She started her college career driving our Escalade ESV to the University of Washington campus and finding that a full-size SUV was hard to park in the garages of compact parking spaces with minimal regular parking spaces. Let's put this all in perspective: the Escalade ESV has 345hp, 380 lb.-f…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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The grand plan was a separate new service to the house of 200 amps so that the garage would have plenty of power for charging multiple EVs and I would have a separate bill each cycle for knowing what I was spending for EV driving. Waking up in the morning to a full charge of power and never having to stop at a gas station due to having a Level 2, 240-volt home charger is a luxury everyone should have allowing you to smile as you drive by a gas station with folks outside dealing with their fueling. The ultimate perk of EV ownership. I started with reaching out to my local utility and inquiring of the process for a new service. My local utility was m…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Tired of the Voom, Voom, Voom of a performance Borla exhaust, the wife asked for a new ride. This is my journey of what I experienced in working to buy/lease an EV in 2024. Let me first start off by saying that I am in no way a normal sized human. At 6 foot 6 inches 300 lbs with a 40 inch long legs, I am much larger and big bone than most Americans. My wife being of Korean descent is also larger than most at 5 foot 8 inches compared to the average female height of 5 foot in Korea. The USA census has the average female at 5 foot 4 inches tall and the average male at 5 foot 9 inches tall. With this knowledge of size, subcompacts, compacts are totally out of the questio…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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With the average transaction of a new vehicle reaching $48,247, buying a new car is quite expensive. And while this price gets higher each year, automakers still make inexpensive vehicles. We compiled a list of 10 models that come in at under $22,000, less than half the average transaction price of a new car. Even though these are the least expensive model year 2024 new cars you can buy, most have a good set of standard features and all come with reversing cameras, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and USB ports as standard. These vehicles are ranked from most to least expensive. For two of them, this is your last chance to buy one new. The Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa a…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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The news came during dinner last Monday. My mother asked if I would be able to take any time off of work, and I said that I might be able to if the circumstances were considered important. She revealed that my grandfather, her dad passed away that afternoon. It wasn’t from COVID-19, but other complications that had put in him the hospital since early June. After dinner, I needed some time and space to begin processing the news. So I grabbed the keys to my car and went for a drive. The past few months have been difficult for all of us in varying degrees with COVID-19. Many places going on lockdown have caused massive disruptions to how we work, travel, and interact wi…
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Last reply by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY, -
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Last reply by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY, -
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Recently, I have had many conversations with coworkers as well as family and friends with one large consistent thread, if possible, at all rates, they will not buy Chinese made products anymore. Japanese and Korean are fine, but a strong shift away from Chinese made products. The leading example of this is my sister who owns a 2017 Buick Envision and drives it daily for around 200 to 300 miles as she is an in-home care nurse for open wounds. As such she needs a solid auto and of course hers is well over 100,000 miles now, so she has started the search to figure out what she wants next and has told me she loves her Buick but will not buy another since they are Chinese…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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In Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that a tiny change can result in massive changes later. The simple act of a butterfly flapping its wings could set into motion a series of events that change the weather. In the summer of 2018, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the organization responsible for putting together the Detroit Auto Show, more formally known as the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, announced that beginning in 2020, the show would move in the calendar from its traditional time in January to a summer month to allow for exhibits and demonstrations outside of what was then Cobo Hall. Little did the show organizers know, but t…
Last reply by oldshurst442, -
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It's time to roll back the clocks, and one of Cher's most famous songs, "If I Could Turn Back Time" debuted in 1989. That same year, automakers introduced at least 51 new models to the public. Each week for the next four weeks, we'll take a look at some of those cars, and you vote for which car would make you wish you could turn back time. The categories will be Family Car, Sports Car, Luxury Car, and Exotic. 1989 was a good year for people who liked sports cars as many fun new options hit the market. Mitsubishi Eclipse / Eagle Talon / Plymouth Laser – This trio from Mitsubishi was a product of the Diamond-Star Motors partnership with Chrylser. While …
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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With yesterday's report that the Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5/Optima may not be replaced at the end of their cycle, it has become clear that the mid-size family sedan in the U.S. has become an endangered species. The current Sonata and K5 are expected to last until at least 2025, but if they do in fact end, the number of mid-size sedans offered in the market will dwindle to 4. For perspective, that is the same number of mini-van models currently on offer. (Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager, Kia Carnival). The remaining sedans are Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, stalwarts in this niche, the Nissan Altima, and the Subaru Legacy. The Chevrolet Malibu…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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While Hyundai owns a controlling interest in Kia and they share a significant amount of technology, they still operate as somewhat independent companies. For that reason, Kia needs a luxury brand to match. Hyundai officially launched its Genesis luxury brand in the US in 2016 with the G90, the replacement for the Hyundai Equus. Since then, Genesis has rapidly evolved into a true luxury automaker with three sedans and 3 SUVs. My recent drives in Genesis vehicles gave me the impression that Genesis is Hyundai’s torpedoes to the Mercedes-Benz’s Bismark. With its sumptuous ride, coddling interior, and robust engines, Genesis proves this. But as fantastic a job as Genesis…
Last reply by balthazar, -
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Fabulous Flops is a monthly series profiling some of the spectacular failures in the automotive industry. The automotive industry is by nature an innovator, but sometimes those innovative ideas are taken out of the oven before they are done cooking, and others fall victim to poor timing. Today, we are profiling Chrysler's two terrible piston-equipped children, the 2.2L four-cylinder engine and the 2.2L Turbo I four. During the course of automotive history, we’ve seen automakers take the engineering that goes into building an engine and turn it into something of an art form. The end result usually is nothing short of something brilliant. For example, Ferrari has …
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Per reporting by state news agencies like King 5, a bill is being discussed today, Thursday February 3rd, 2022. This bill which has been done via Pilot Programs starting back in 2017 would eventually replace Gas Tax with a Road Tax. House Bill 2026 in Washington State would mandate the Department of Licensing to establish an early adoption program that would require registered owners of electric vehicles to pay a fee of 2.5 cents per mile beginning July 1st, 2025. Participant would be mandatory for all new electric vehicles and voluntary for older current electric vehicles on the road. Hybrids would be allowed to voluntarily participate in the program on July 1s…
Last reply by balthazar, -
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In 2007 the auto media was projecting that GM might fall from being the worlds largest auto company in production terms. In 2009, the final numbers proved that Toyota Motor Corporation had surpassed GM as the worlds largest auto company by production numbers. Also Toyota was growing in sales of their Hybrid line under the Prius moniker. Fast forward to 2021, battery electric auto's are all the rage by auto companies. Toyota production of auto's in Japan has 50% of them exported to other countries such as the Prius Hybrid and TRD Trucks. The CEO of Toyota has stated that the country is a "export-reliant country" and by shifting Japan as well as other cou…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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A friend of mine has a 2016 Subaru Legacy 3.6R. It’s a very safe car, has a good interior, and a rather weak engine. Oh, it also has a CVT or continuously variable transmission. When I talked with him while he took me for a spin, he told me he doesn’t mind the CVT and it is smooth for his Lyft passengers. While being a passenger in his car, the CVT did act like a conventional transmission, although it did dip in the rev range lower than usual. Then he floored it. Drone. It stayed at 3,000 RPM for at least five minutes. It was extremely annoying, but not surprising. Let me explain how a CVT works, and how I think manufacturers need to stop using them. Nerd moment appr…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Auto enthusiast have since the dawn of the car had a desire to go faster and in this, the 2 door, 2 person auto was the focus of go fast compared to the 4 door, 4 or 5 person sedan and especially in comparison to CUVs, SUVs and Trucks. Yet in the last few decades we have seen performance Trucks and SUVs / CUVs that have gotten close to what some call Muscle Cars. Even some specialty sedans like the Chevrolet SS of recent decades has also introduced performance fun to the family. Tesla burst onto the scene in the early 2000's and had a Roadster that blew people away that could afford such a novelty with it's gut pounding acceleration. Later came the T…
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Last reply by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY, -
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Some might say a steering wheel is the #1 interface a driver has with a vehicle. Those 'some' would be, of course, correct. Used to just steering and honk, now more & more controls are moving to it. Sure; airbags and crash standards are forcing ever-increasing homogenization in steering wheel design, but there's got to be room for something FRESH. There was a HELLA lot more creativity in the past, maybe a look back would do designers good. Some interesting wheels :: 1966 Toronado Deluxe with tilt/telescopic ~ 1961 Imperial ~ 1956 DeSoto with optional self-winding hub clock ~ 1956 Lincoln ~ …
Last reply by ykX, -
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*Note: this isn’t my opinion. This article is more to spark a discussion. I love #savethemanuals. With that, please enjoy a controversial article. Some people are fans of electric cars. Others regale the days of the glorious V12s which are now few-and-far in-between. Same goes for interiors. While the days of analog gauges, non-infotainment systems, and simple controls hearken back to an easier time, trends are making those just memories. Most people, car lovers or not, accept changes to vehicles. Fuel economy, safety, performance, and technology are constantly evolving. However, there is one aspect of vehicles that isn't sport or performance-based that needs to g…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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In my previous article, I praised four-door coupes. I love how they look in exchange for lost practicality while making up for the latter with charm and class. This is fine because they’re usually based on regular coupes or sedans. Great. Unfortunately, BMW had to mess things up. They had the excellent X5 and thought to themselves with a German accent: “We need to appeal to even fewer people. What if… we make the X5 ugly and harder to see out of?” Hence, the BMW X6 was born. Excellent, thank you, BMW. It sold well and now Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Acura at one point, and even Lamborghini have SUVs with raked rooflines. There must be a reason why I like sedan to coupe to four-d…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Thanks, Mercedes-Benz. You created a car that literally no one asked for. What did they do? Well, in the early 2000s, they went to their E-Class, removed the hideous body, and replaced it with a different body. The new body looked like a coupe, but it had…four doors. With this, Mercedes-Benz created the “four-door coupe.” Let’s be honest—this vehicle, called the CLS, was beautiful. AMG created powerful versions that made the CLS even more appealing. Mercedes-Benz created a segment that nobody really asked for, but it worked. Granted, it cost more than the E-Class and was less practical. Both cars have been redesigned within the last few years, but these vehicles pose a qu…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Imagine you’re me: someone who has used 0-60 MPH to judge how fast a car is. If a car is slower than 8.0 seconds, I wouldn’t poke it with a 10-foot pole. If it’s faster than 4.0 seconds, I cling to it to feel the rush and acceleration. That was until I was a short-lived car salesman and automotive blogger. As a car salesman, I found out that people didn’t understand or care that their vehicle did 0-60 MPH in 6.7 seconds. As a blogger, performance enthusiasts did care, but there are other statistics that mattered more. When I combine both, which happened at different parts of my life so there was no conflict of interest, I found out that 0-60 MPH has a few flaws. Let’…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Germany. Known for impeccable engineering, German vehicles usually have cutting-edge technology and are status symbols. Sweden. The Swedish are known for safety, and even though the only brand from Sweden is Volvo, they want to have a sleek design while making vehicles easy to drive. South Korea. In my opinion, South Korea is doing a great job with their vehicles. Creating Genesis as a stand-alone brand was genius because they can have vehicles close to or competing with the Germans while costing thousands of dollars less. What vehicles did I choose from these three countries? First, we have the Genesis G70. The particular G70 I am talking about is the G70 3.3T. It c…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com 200 MPH plus EV, Do we care? Yesterday April 13th 2017, Lucid sent out an email about how their near production test car hit a top speed of 217 mph at the Ohio's Transportation Center banked oval test track. Many of us that follow the industry know that Tesla limits their auto's to 155 mph. Lucid is on record that they intend to meet the needs of the high-speed cruising market of Europe and Middle east. Simulations can only go so far on a computer and then you have to put rubber to the road. This allows the engineers to monitor and tweak everything from the power train, suspe…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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EV-curious. That’s what I would call myself. Someone that is interested in EVs but just hasn’t found the right one. There are many aspects of an EV that is appealing to me. Instant torque, quick acceleration, the ability to charge at your house or apartment, and the continuation of creating semi-autonomous driving. It’s all so exciting! I’m ready to go out and trade in my 2016 Volkswagen GTI for one now! Or am I? Let’s take a quick look at a small field of electric vehicles, starting with the brand new 2020 Porsche Taycan. The release of the 2020 Porsche Taycan is a feat in and of itself. The car itself is downright sexy, is has a handsome interior, and performanc…
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This is weird. I can create a new topic in here, but can't add a comment to the EV-curious thread.
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com Sand into Fuel, Reality or Fiction? We have all dreamed of the ultimate dream, how to drive the auto's we love without having to pay through the nose for fuel. Especially for performance, premium fuel can really hit the wallet and many of us have been forced to decide, our dream auto, or commuter car? Lately, I have noticed many Motley Fool stories about unlimited free fuel from sand. There have been other web sites and like the Motley, they are all long speeches without getting to what this new fuel is or how to make money on them. Most people today want you to get to the point so these mo…
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Last reply by NINETY EIGHT REGENCY, -
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Since the launch of the XT4 with the rather anemic (if more refined) LSY engine, many (including myself) had questioned why GM does not offer the Tripower 310 bhp / 348 lb-ft (L3B) 2.7T 4-cylinder in the XT4 (at least) as an option. To a lesser extent some have also questioned why the LSY is putting out a mere 237bhp / 258 lb-ft whereas the outgoing LTG engine is good for 265~272 bhp / 295 lb-ft. Is it just so that it can have 258 lb-ft arrive @ 1,500 rpm? Now, we have the answer... It's the 9-speed Automatics. Adopting the 9-speed automatics is deemed a priority for refinement and fuel economy. The new GM-Ford 9TXX transmissions, jointly developed with Ford pro…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Since the launch of the XT4 with the rather anemic (if more refined) LSY engine, many (including myself) had questioned why GM does not offer the Tripower 310 bhp / 348 lb-ft (L3B) 2.7T 4-cylinder in the XT4 (at least) as an option. To a lesser extent some have also questioned why the LSY is putting out a mere 237bhp / 258 lb-ft whereas the outgoing LTG engine is good for 265~272 bhp / 295 lb-ft. Is it just so that it can have 258 lb-ft arrive @ 1,500 rpm? Now, we have the answer... It's the 9-speed Automatics. Adopting the 9-speed automatics is deemed a priority for refinement and fuel economy. The new GM-Ford 9TXX transmissions, jointly developed with Ford pro…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Since the launch of the XT4 with the rather anemic (if more refined) LSY engine, many (including myself) had questioned why GM does not offer the Tripower 310 bhp / 348 lb-ft (L3B) 2.7T 4-cylinder in the XT4 (at least) as an option. To a lesser extent some have also questioned why the LSY is putting out a mere 237bhp / 258 lb-ft whereas the outgoing LTG engine is good for 265~272 bhp / 295 lb-ft. Is it just so that it can have 258 lb-ft arrive @ 1,500 rpm? Now, we have the answer... It's the 9-speed Automatics. Adopting the 9-speed automatics is deemed a priority for refinement and fuel economy. The new GM-Ford 9TXX transmissions, jointly developed with Ford pro…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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The reaction Peugeot’s return to the U.S. Market a couple weeks back falls into three categories. OMG! We're getting exciting French cars again Why is another automaker coming to the U.S.? Split between 1 and 2 I should say that I fall into camp three at the moment. Previously, I was in number one when the rumors began to swirl around about PSA Group - parent company of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel, and Vauxhall - making a possible return in late 2014. The dreams about possibly seeing a small number of Citroen and DS vehicles running around the U.S. sparked some joy. Peugeot was nowhere to be seen in my fantasy as they were seen to be somewhat blan…
Last reply by Potluck, -
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This year was to be the final Detroit Auto Show to take place in January before the big move to an indoor/outdoor festival of sorts next June. Despite a number of manufacturers announcing they would not be at the show, there was some hope for there be to a surprise. Something that would allow the current incarnation of the show to go out with a bang. That did not happen. It was thought that Chevrolet would roll out the long-awaited and rumored mid-engined Corvette. But those hopes would be dashed as rumors came out that the project would be delayed up to six months due to a problem with the electrical system. It also gave Toyota a sigh of relief as the Supra wou…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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I thought would be it easy. The front headlights on my new-to-me 2011 Ford Fusion were beginning to dim and I figured some new bulbs would solve it. Ordering the bulbs, I began to think this would be an easy process. Just locate the sockets for the bulbs, replace them, put the sockets back into place, and done. Little did I know this would be only a fantasy. Before fully diving into this, I opened up the owners manual to the vehicle to get an idea of what I was getting myself into. It turned out that changing the bulbs is a very involved process. For the driver’s side, you need to remove the air filter box and pipe to get enough room to access the bulbs. My vehi…
Last reply by Suaviloquent, -
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“I can’t believe we’re going to make it” This thought passed through my head as I brought the vehicle to a stop on an off-ramp. Somehow, I was able to travel from my house in the outskirts of Metro Detroit to my hometown of Midland, Michigan on just a quarter-tank of gas. That may not seem like a huge accomplishment except when you look at the vehicle I was driving, the 707 horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Originally, I wasn’t planning on traveling to Midland in the Trackhawk. Earlier in the week, I had driven it down to an event in Ann Arbor to drive a couple of Mitsubishi vehicles. The trip revealed the thirst of the supercharged 6.2L V8 by using up a…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Auto Dealership Websites, Winning your Purchase According to a Cox Automotive survey, 83% of auto consumers prefer at least one online function from a dealerships website and 85% are more likely to buy from a dealership that allows website users to digitally buy a vehicle even if they do not currently opt to complete the whole purchase online. The importance of the website today compared to the early 90's when people might be more likely to balk at spending money on a website with features like this is making a drastic change in how consumers shop. How do you feel about shopping for an auto via the dealerships website? Wards Story
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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For the past month, I have been doing a bit of window shopping for a possible replacement for my current vehicle - a 2006 Ford Fusion with almost 270,000 miles on the odometer. Usually, whenever I go look at vehicles, I tend to have automotive ADD; tending to look at all kinds of vehicles with no set price or type. But this recent excursion caused me to notice that I had unknowingly set my sights on a certain group. All of the vehicles I was looking at were all compact cars and none were crossovers. Why is that? To get to the bottom of this, I began to look at my driving habits when I am not driving a new car for review. For the most part, I tend to drive in a small …
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Popping out at SEMA, Henneessey doubles down on building the quickest & fastest car in the world. Bugatti; take heed. 7.4TT V8, 1600 HP / 1300 TRQ, 2950 lbs. 0-186 in less than 10 seconds, 0-250-0 in less than 30. Top speed : 301. For reference, the previous Venom GT already eclipsed Bugatti back in 2014, having been clocked at 270.49 MPH. Bugatti is said to still be working on it's response. Now it needs an upgraded response. Perhaps they might start off by building a supercar that doesn't weigh 5000 lbs. Slated production is 24 units, at $1.6 million per for the 'base' car.
Last reply by oldshurst442, -
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SAME CONCEPT across different makes/COOs. #inarut
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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Whenever someone finds out that I'm an automotive writer, sooner or later I will get asked "I'm looking for 'x' vehicle and I was wondering if you could help me out," or some other variation. These are the times where I wish I could make a smoke cloud appear, allowing me to make an escape. But alas, that is only a dream. This is a common thing that a number of us - automotive writers - tend to get whether it is from family, friends, or some random stranger. We want to try and help, but most of the time the suggestions seem to go nowhere. It comes down to various reasons such as none of the ideas are appealing or the person going in a completely different direction (wa…
Last reply by Frisky Dingo, -
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In a December 29th decree, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev states that people "with disorders of sexual preference" are banned from driving in the country. Identifying as gay, transgender or transsexual is considered one of the many "'mental disorders' now barring people from driving," according to the BBC. Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included, as are amputees and those under 4-foot-11-inches. This move further suppresses Russia's LGBT population, forcing people to remain closeted for fear of losing mobility. The wide-ranging law was signed just before Russia's government recessed for the New Year Orthodox Christmas holiday. It is the late…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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In the coming months, one of the most anticipated and important vehicles will begin rolling off the production line. The Tesla Model 3 has a lot riding on it as there are over 370,000 pre-orders for the upcoming entry-level model. This is the vehicle that can either make or break the company. So it seems quite interesting that Tesla is trying to pull attention away from this important model. During Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk expressed dismay at the lack of attention given to their flagship sedan, the Model S. "We have seen some impact of Model S orders as a function of people being confused" that Model 3 is the upgrade to Model S, Musk s…
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com China’s Influence on GM, EVs, and Others! We saw just at the end of 2016 Toyota saying they would build a team to focus on EVs. This being a complete reversal of their pledge in 2013 to focus on Hydrogen as the practical alternative to traditional ICE autos. Toyota will have a long range EV auto out on the market for the 2020 auto year. Being that 2019 is when you're 2020 autos will start selling, this puts Toyota 4 years behind GM's Chevrolet BOLT EV. What would cause this change to happen? China is what has happened. China started to push the global auto industry by stating that 8 pe…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Last week saw the PSA Group (parent company of Citroen and Peugeot) purchasing Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors for $2.3 billion. This move would make the PSA Group the second-largest automaker in Europe. We already know some of the plans that PSA Group has for their new brands such as setting operating profit targets of 2 percent in 2020 (jumps to 6 percent by 2026) and the next-generation Opel/Vauxhall Corsa being the first new product developed with PSA. But as we alluded to in the original news story, there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered such as possible job cuts or what happens to Buick and Holden as they share products with Opel. I have been doin…
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This would have been my fourth Detroit Auto Show (or North American International Auto Show as some would like you to call it) for Cheers and Gears. But due to a leg injury sustained a couple of weeks before the show, I was unable to make it. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise as I would miss out on dealing with individuals who break out tape measures and clipboards to note every little detail, along with journalists complaining about why the show isn't held during a warmer month. But it would turn out this year’s show would be a bit disappointing. That isn't to say there were not any breakouts. The new Kia Stinger GT looks very intriguing as the new Lexus LS. I'm…
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2016… What a year. This year saw a number of things that no one thought would actually happen did. Not helping matters is the number of famous people that have sadly passed on. Here at the Cheers & Gears Detroit Bureau, it wasn’t such a great year for vehicles. For the 2016 review season, 44 vehicles came in for evaluation. Out of this group, only eight vehicles earned a spot of being my favorite vehicles from the year. Read on to see which vehicles made the cut. 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe It is amazing how far Cadillac has come in the past decade and proof of it can be shown in the ATS- V coupe. A 464 horsepower twin-turbo V6 makes the vehicle fly with no is…
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Posted 02 August 2016 - 12:08 PM G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com Rip Off or Compliment? Today MSN Auto asked and posted the following pictures on what people thought about one OEM auto company copying another OEM Auto company. This is very common in China where independent Chinese auto companies pretty much buy and clone every part in a established brand and sell it with no recourse or intellectual protection from the government for the name brands in comparison to markets like Europe and the US. 69 Mustang versus 73 Toyota Celica Bentley versus Lincoln Hummer Versus Dongfeng who still makes this Hummer rip…
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C&D published the following story about the 70's special edition trucks. Some are just so funny as I never heard or saw them, others are clearly not PC in today's world and others are just funny as heck. What was marketing thinking? A special set of stickers makes the truck better than the default truck of the same package? Some will like certain models just like me. I actually like the GMC Diablo, which really is just an rebadge El Camino. Never knew that the Chevy Luv truck was sold in 77 as a Mighty Mike version, but nothing better other than a 10hp bump in the engine. Seems all the domestic makers went through a clearly Indian theme on blazers, broncos and th…
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com Instrument Clusters, What is the Future? July 9th the latest in OLED Instrument Clusters was released by Visteon Corporation. This allows a whole new design to what dashes can be by reducing weight, size and increasing design options. This is just the start of where they believe we will see auto design move over the next 10 years. OLED New Auto Instrument Cluster Visteon Corporation is also one of many cutting edge companies with autonomous driving solutions. They also offer infotainment systems, connected audio, connectivity and telematics of auto performan…
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com 2016 Buick Envision Test Drive! June 23rd 2016 started off like most days, up at 4am, in the shower, on the 4:48am 511 bus into Seattle, breakfast at my desk while reviewing email. Work focused and getting things done. A little over 3 hours later I get a call from my local Buick GMC dealership that the Buick Envisions they got in last week are all ready and on the lot for people to come see, test drive, etc. Text message to my sister who has a 2002 Mazda 6 that she is ready to retire that the Buick dealership had the Envision in stock, equipped the way she wanted it and we could test drive…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Outrageous SUVs Since the death of Hummer and Fords original Expedition suv that tree huggers called the Exxon Valdez many have thought we finally left the crazy SUVs behind. In reality we only moved them up stream to the 1% class and the Enterprise Business that could justify spending the money on a vehicle that could go anywhere on planet earth. The SUV craze has changed into a watered down CUV craze. Most drivers never took them off road so a more road comfy awd cuv has become the 21st century craze. Yet here in the 21st century we still have hard core SUVs that are so capable, crazy…
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com My CT6 & XT5 Personal Experience So this is my experience after spending 1hr, 30 min with both a brand new XT5 and CT6 from Doug's Cadillac in North Seattle. This is my home dealership and they have always taken care of me. We finally have gotten the new CT6 and XT5 into the Greater Seattle area. Brad my sales rep called me up thursday afternoon to inform me they had 3 of the CT6 and 3 of the XT5 that got delivered that day and would be ready for driving friday. I called my parents and wife to see if they wanted to go check them out and of course they did. So at 2pm friday afternoon, m…
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The past month at Mitsubishi Motors has been tumultuous with the announcement that they had manipulated fuel economy numbers on a number of small city cars sold by them and Nissan. It would come to light that this manipulation had been going since 1991 on a number of models sold in Japan. Shares in the company dropped like a rock and there were concerns that Mitsubishi Motors would have to borrow money from other companies in the Mitsubishi conglomerate. But soon a white knight would appear, Nissan. The company that first discovered and reported it to Mitsubishi would buy a 34 percent share into the automaker, making it the largest shareholder. Thus, an alliance between t…
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com Manual Trans, Woman versus Men! Are Men becoming soft? Came across this story on Autoblog. After more than 50,000+ leases reviewed at swapalease.com shows that woman more than men enjoy driving a manual trans. Sadly this seems to point to the save the manual campaign as failing as manual auto purchases are a dying breed. According to the data, leases on Manual auto's have dropped by 22%. In 2012 85.4% of Manual Trans leases were by men, 2015 that number had dropped to 81.2%. Woman on the other hand in 2012 was 14.6% of their leases were a manual transmission but in 2015 that number has rose…
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At every auto show there are big headline grabbing releases. These are releases like concept cars (Buick Avista) and production high end luxury vehicles (2017 Lincoln Continental and 2017 Lexus LC 500) that draw crowds and clicks, but after the lights are turned off at the Cobo Center those vehicles mean little to the average car buyer. Then there is news that matters to more in everyday life… important, just not headline grabbing. One of those important news items from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show was the repositioning of 2017 GMC Acadia crossover from full-size to mid-size. The GMC Acadia was introduced for the 2007 model year becoming one of the largest crossover veh…
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Over the past six months and numerous articles with the ‘As the Diesel Emits’ in the title, we are no closer to have a fix for the around 600,000 Volkswagen diesel vehicles with illegal emission software. Instead, we have been treated a first-rate performance of ‘How not to handle a crisis’. From Volkswagen’s delay of admitting the illegal software to CEO Matthias Muller seeming very oblivious to what happening in an interview. It seems the German automaker is getting one black eye after another. The past month or so has seen the crisis cranked up to eleven. New documents revealed that senior managers, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn, were alerted about the U…
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A couple of weeks ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne made headlines when he announced that the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart would run their course - i.e. no second generation. Instead, the company would focus on building utility vehicles. This threw everyone in the automotive press into a frenzy with equal groups calling Marchionne a genius or a lunatic. But Marchionne also mentioned that the 200 and Dart could continue on if a partner could be found and build vehicles under a contract, a.k.a. badge engineering. This move presents a lot of risk for FCA. Badge engineered vehicles have never been a true success for anyone. There is also an added risk of…
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By Cory Wolfe As another year falls into the grasps of history, a new one lands filled with drinks, dreams, and the Detroit auto show. With all its shiny cars, crazy automotive espionage, and endless cappuccino, Cobo might just be my yearly heaven. Or is it my own personal hell, taunting me with sore feet, pushy journalists, and a severe lack of sleep? This year may just pin it towards the latter... This show sure can make someone relatively young feel frighteningly old rather quickly. Then again, a smart and well-prepared individual likely wouldn't have this problem, nor would that individual attempt to lug a 20-pound camera bag on his back for two days straight. Yea…
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As I hinted in my two final review pieces for 2015, I would be picking my favorite review vehicles from the year. Thus, here we are. 2015 saw almost 80 vehicles being driven by yours truly. From subcompact hatches to heavy duty trucks. There seemed to be an endless variety of vehicles I got to lay my hands on. Trying to pick my favorite vehicles of the past year is a difficult task. To begin with, I have close to 60 vehicles to pick from. These are vehicles that spent a week with me, going through the various motions. Any vehicle that I drove in a first drive event or at media/manufacturer event don't qualify (the Scion iA, iM, and Hyundai Tucson will be eligible …
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This year's Los Angeles Auto Show proved to be much better than first expected. When the news hit back in October of some the vehicles that were to debut, the show's organizers listed the Buick LaCrosse and Nissan Sentra as the big stars. Oh dear, this year's show was going to be a snoozefest. But as we saw in the past week, the LA showed proved to be exciting. There were a number of surprises, along with vehicles that stole the show. Of course, there were the vehicles that maybe should have passed on LA Auto Show. It is that time to grade the vehicles and find out which ones are the top of the class and which ones need to head to detention. Alfa Romeo Giulia …
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Last Friday was a trying day for me. I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the large amount of work due the end of the year, along with trying to figure out what the holidays would bring forth. This would be joined by some personal issues that only added to the overwhelmed feeling. I needed an escape. Something that could let me get away from all these issues rolling around in my head, even for a few moments. That's when I made the decision to go out for a drive. I had no destination in mind. I would just drive to wherever the roads would take me. I grabbed the keys to my tester at the time, a Nissan Murano, and just started to drive. I stuck to side roads for this trip …
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For the past week, I have been driving an Infiniti Q50 and for the most part, I have liked it. The model has the makings of an excellent compact luxury car with a powerful V6, expressive exterior, and a nice balance of sport and comfort for the ride. I don't even mind the direct-steer system which replaces many of the mechanical parts for an electrical system that turns the wheel based signals from the input on the wheel. But as I driving the Q50, I felt something was missing. It was only when I writing some notes on it that I figured out what was missing, an identity. Not only for the car, but for Infiniti itself. In psychology, identity is used to describe the items…
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The past week has been miserable at Volkswagen as allegations arose from the EPA that a number of models equipped with the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder were found to emit more emissions than were legally allowed in the U.S. thanks to software. Since the announcement came out last Friday, there has been a fair amount of news. Volkswagen admitted that 11 million diesel vehicles sold around the world had the software The company has set aside $7.3 billion for possible penalties and fixes EPA is looking into the 3.0L TDI V6 used in a number of Audi vehicles, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touraeg A number of European countries, along with South Korea announce their own invest…
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Nothing could have prepared Quick Quack Car Wash employees for the moment when a 94 year-old man suddenly careened through their Sacramento, California business last Friday. Security cameras captured the carnage as the elderly driver's white Oldsmobile sedan barrelled through the automated wash lane at speeds of up to 40 mph, risking the lives of employees and damaging equipment. After narrowly missing a Honda Civic, the driver's wash from hell abruptly ended after slamming into a car wash vacuum, the Oldsmobile curiously landing arrow-straight in an immediate parking space after impact. The driver of the Oldsmobile accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, …
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Elio Motors Ultra High Mileage Auto / Trike? Elio Motors is promising to have on the market next year an 84mpg $6800 2 person auto / Trike. This 3 wheel transportation has a configuration like most 3 wheel modern motorcycles with 2 steering wheels in front and a single drive wheel in back. Unlike Can-Am bikes where you still get wet, the Elio is fully enclosed auto. So what do you get for $6800? Exterior measurements are as follows: Overall Length: 160.5″ Overall Height: 54.2″ Front Wheel Track: 66.8″ (center rim to center rim) Wheelbase: 110″ (center of front wheels to center…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Are These The Most Reliable Top 10 Brands? This morning Yahoo posted the following story, "The 10 Most Reliable Car Brands, From A Car Dealer's View". The author goes on to talk about the various tag lines the brands have used and whether they actually lived up to the marketing hype of being the best. The author goes on to state that being an owner of a car dealership, auctioneer and co-owner of an auto auction for the last 16 years has given him the insight to state what he sees as the most reliable top 10 brands. The author then goes on to state that this is based on the last two a…
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Sometimes, it's good to put things into perspective. Case in point: Last week I had the good fortune of riding in my friend Craig's 36 Ford sedan. This is a project that he has been working for the past few years and for the most part it's finish - just some slight paintwork and a few other odds and ends. Sitting in this car was a throwback. An example was the seats - they felt springy and cushy, not firm and supportive like modern cars. The dash is just painted metal with a set of dials and knobs. Your only source of ventilation? Opening the windows or lifting a latch behind the hood. If you want the access the trunk? Lift up the back seat. As for the ride itself, it f…
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The past couple of weeks at the Cheers & Gears Detroit Garage has been interesting for the past couple of weeks. Last week saw a Fiat 500C Abarth and the week before was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR. During a conversation with a colleague of mine, the question was asked which car would I feel more comfortable in pushing. The answer I gave surprised him when I said that I would take the 500. My reasoning for this choice comes down to this; the Lancer Evolution has a lot more exploitation available thanks to computer wizardry and a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine. You can corner much faster and go a lot quicker than in many vehicles, which can make you f…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Top 10 Least Reliable Cars Consumers Report published their annual best and worst reliable cars. If your wanting to look at the best go here Reliable Cars. For this story, you could watch the videos and dive through the mountain of spreadsheets that consumers reports has for their data, but MSN Auto helped out by focusing on the top 10 least reliable cars and here is their list. The predicted reliability score was 125% below that of the average car. #1 - Scion xB 125% below the average auto #2 - Mercedes-Benz S-Class 127% below average #3 - Infiniti Q50 127% below average #4…
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G.Noble Editor/Reporter CheersandGears.com 27th February, 2012 Fabulous Flops is a monthly series profiling some of the spectacular failures in the automotive industry. The automotive industry is by nature an innovator, but sometimes those innovative ideas are taken out of the oven before they are done cooking, others fall victim to poor timing. Today, we’re going to go after one of those rare flops where the idea was half-baked and still somehow managed to be popular. Since the dawn of the automobile, mankind has found himself thinking of new ways to brave and drive in the elements. After all, driving isn’t the easiest thing to do when it’s pouring an inch of rain e…
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Fabulous Flops is a monthly series profiling some of the spectacular failures in the automotive industry. The automotive industry is by nature an innovator, but sometimes those innovative ideas are taken out of the oven before they are done cooking, others fall victim to poor timing. Today we are profiling the delightfully bizzare Renault Avantime. There’s no mistaking that Renault has built some bizarre looking cars during its 113 years in business. Back in the 1950s, Renault rolled out the Colorale, a very butch looking five-door car with optional four-wheel drive meant to compete in Europe’s large family car segment at the time. The 1960s brought about the 8 sedan, wh…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Auto's Needing a Diet! Featured on MSN Auto but written by Motor trend I found the story of 15 cars that should go on a diet an interesting read. They do offer their own list of which auto's these 15 should be more like and they are those that lead the segment in lightest weight and why we want lighter auto's. http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/research/15-cars-that-should-go-on-a-diet/ss-AA8urEK?ocid=UP94DHP#image=1 You can review the story above to see which auto's they compare each one too. I for one am thinking of the question, what other auto's deserve to go on a diet and should b…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com 15 New Car Auto's to Avoid Forbes published their 2015 list of 15 cars to Avoid. #15 - Smart ForTwo - due to premium fuel, under powered and lack of space #14 - Scion iQ - oddly aligned seeting for 3, lack of room, poor quality, etc. #13 - Nissan Titan - Outclassed in every way by US trucks and worst values. #12 - Nissan Armada - Poor reliability, ownership cost, fuel economy and quality #11 - Mitsubishi Mirage - Sluggish engine, performance, quality, value #10 - Mitsubishi iMiEV - Rock bottom residual value, lowest performance score for EV's #9 - Lincoln MKT - Below average q…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com GM Sued by Arizone The case is State of Arizona vs General Motors LLC, Case No. CV2014-014090, the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, County of Maricopa. Arizona has come out stating that the Reborn GM is not innocent but a wolf in sheep's clothing. The state attorney general has stated that GM hid all these defects and continues to hide behind the bankruptcy. Arizona states that with 60 serious defects affecting 27 million auto's on the road in the US, that they need to pay 3 Billion Dollars to Arizona for Defrauding their consumers. Arizona wants $10,000 per violation fo…
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Today was a sad day those who consider themselves fans of the automobile and/or public radio as word came that Tom Magliozzi, one of the co-hosts NPR’s Car Talk passed away at age 77 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. When I first saw the news, I began to feel very sad and sat in my chair for a few moments reflecting on some of my favorite moments of Car Talk. One of the key thoughts that hit me as I was sitting down was feeling bad for this person I had never even met. But the fact I was feeling this way made me realize a key aspect of what made Car Talk so special. Whenever you tuned in to Car Talk and listened to Ray and Tom banter on about someone's ca…
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G. David Felt Alternative Energy writer www.cheersandgears.com Ford Earnings and Sales - New CEO issues or a wait and see attitude? Ford stock has tumbled 7% since they released news that 2014 sales would be neutral or down for the year based on weaker sales in Europe and South America. Ford also has stated that North America will be less profitable in 2014 due to investments in new technology and expect operating margins to be 8-10% lower than expected. Stock has gone from a high of 18 dollars in July to just above 14 dollars a share now. Is this due to Alan Mulally leaving? An inexperienced new CEO? Total auto sales for 2014 are expected to be between …
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For the past few years as an automotive writer, I've been keeping something quiet from a lot people. Some, including some of the members of this site know this secret. It's something that I have been slightly embarrassed by for the position that I have and know that it has kept some doors shut. I can't fully work a manual transmission. (Please put down the pitchforks and torches. Thank you.) It's not like I have never attempted to learn how to use a manual transmission before. The first time I ever drove a manual transmission in my friend Adam's 1991 Isuzu Stylus sedan. We drove around in a parking lot with me learning how to disengage the clutch and listen to the engi…
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The Land of the Rising Sun Readies New Auto's. Autonews has been running a series on Japan Future Product and even built the following timeline. As the five year product pipeline based on Autonews compilation of rumors and facts they have come up with these nine that are to be their exciting products to look forward too. Do you agree or do you think there is something missing? #9 2017 Nissan Maxima #8 2016 Toyota Prius (Spy shots courtesy Autoblog) #7 2017 Honda Ridgeline #6 2015 Honda HR-V #5 2016 Lexus GS-F (Spy shots courtesy MotorAuthority) #4 2015 Lexus RC #3 2017 Honda Civic #2 2018 Toyota Supra #1 201…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Can Cadillac ATS, CTS and SRX European Roadshow Win over the Public GMs Cadillac division has gone on a European Roadshow. The tour will be visiting 3 countries, 12 cities, and 22 different locations with the goal of connecting with 10,000 existing and potential customers as well as European Media. The idea is to get these people behind the wheel and check out the 21st century versions of Cadillac and to change the perception that Cadillac is a Land barge V8 powered float machine. To quote FastLane's own write up; "Above all, luxury car buyers on both sides of the pond have…
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G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com In looking through GM's web site for interesting information, I came across the following story. Five Reasons Silverado V6 is The Little Engine That Can As this story states, the recently updated EcoTec3 V6 equipped Silverado is accountable for 20% of sales in North America. This is a 15% increase over last generations model. GM goes on to quote the following five reasons for this growth. 1) Purpose built for pickup use with class leading standard torque and towing. 2014 4.3L V6 EcoTec3 has 285 horsepower, 305lb-ft of torque. 2) For returning customers, comparable performance with much…
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The theme of this year's Detroit Auto Show was all about performance. A number of the showings from BMW to Subaru were high performance models of varying degrees. But there were some other surprises to make their way into the show. Which ones made the honor roll and which ones need to see me after the show? Its time for a Cheers & Gears' Report Card. Acura TLX Concept: B- This was a model I was excited for because I wanted to see how Acura would combine the TL and TSX. The results as shown in this thinly-veiled concept have me worried. Most of this comes down to design as it reminds of the ILX in a bigger package. Not sure if that what's Acura had in mind with desig…
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G. David Felt - Editorial Staff Writer Alternative Energy - CheersandGears.com What will it take? Oil started the year at over $100 a barrel and now hovers around $94 a barrel. Oil may fluctuate but continues to stay close to $100 a barrel. Refined Gas production being sold overseas keeps the average consumer paying $4 plus a gallon and people continue to complain about Green House gas emissions and the lack of being able to afford the gas cost. Natural Gas on the other hand continues to increase in production keeping prices right at $4 per thousand cubic feet or about 30 cents per gallon before government tax's giving one a range from a low of $.60 a gallon to $1.85…
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Cheers and Gears Podcast #3: Green Stuff Edition WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS LANGUAGE THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR AUDIENCES UNDER 12. ALSO FARTS. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED. Hello and welcome to the third (sixth, but who's counting) C&G Podcast! Our weekly bi-weekly monthly whenever podcast comes to you on the third week of August, only a month and a half after the second one! In this episode many important things were discussed...as well as not so important things. Bull$h! Bull Droppings: 0-4:19 (feel free to skip if you are dying to get to the HARD issues). Devan flies a plane! (god help us) Viper GTS Nissan Leaf Fisker: Ca…
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Cheers and Gears Podcast #2: Loose Screws and Nuts Hello and welcome to the second C&G Podcast! Our weekly podcast comes to you on the second week of July, only a month and a half after the first one! In this episode many important things were discussed...I'm pretty sure. We've provided for you a rundown of what we're discussing and when, so you can skip around if you don't feel like listening to everything. In our new Craigslist Finds segment, we pick out some of the more..interesting finds in our area and talk about them. The links will be provided below so that you too may marvel at the horrors wonders of the classifieds. 0:00-1:11 - Bull$h&…
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Drew Dowdell - March 26, 2012 - CheersandGears.com All companies do it. They make outrageous claims about their products in an attempt to sell you something. That is advertising and I accept it. A lot of times, these exaggerations are just playful and funny attempts to sell you on an idea and no one takes the exaggeration seriously. Take for example the Chevy truck ad that ran during the Super Bowl this year. Chevy made the claim that their trucks are so dependable that the truck, along with a box of twinkies, could survive the apocalypse while Dave and his Ford truck couldn’t. Clearly no one is going to hold Chevy to that claim. It was just a funny commercial filled wi…
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Cort Stevens Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 21, 2012 Toyota Camry. Honda Accord. Since 1982 and 1976 respectively, these two models have evolved and changed with the times, without enduring a name change. Similar history can be traced for such entries as the Honda Odyssey. The first one wasn't much about which to write, but Honda persevered with the name and developed it into a top seller in its segment. While some examples of continuous monickers don't celebrate similar history, the names have stuck. For instance, the Nissan Quest, first available in 1993 (with a re-badge model sold as the Mercury Villager), is today in its fourth generation even though …
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G. Noble Editor/Reporter CheersandGears.com 28th February, 2012 It’s now official; the majority of my generation — Generation Y — has a deep-rooted dislike for the automobile. Unlike our parents from the Baby Boomer and Generation X age brackets, we no longer associate cars with our own independence. Instead, smartphones and laptops have become symbols of autonomy in my generation. I’ll admit that it didn’t exactly make sense to me when I first caught wind of it. I’m a ripe 21 years-old, which almost puts me smack dab in the middle of Generation Y, and I personally love cars. It’s always been that way since I discovered the ability to talk and walk. As a boy, I grew…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 24, 2012 A few weeks ago, Cadillac debuted their ad for the 2012 Super Bowl. The ad features the new ATS sedan and some footage of it undergoing testing at the Nurburgring. The ad ends with this line, “So if anyone tells you that Cadillac can’t beat the world’s best, just tell them to go to green hell and see for themselves.” The ad also calls out one of the ‘world’s best’, the BMW 3-Series. A bit audacious to call out the best selling compact luxury car in your ads. But on paper, the ATS makes a good case; three different engine choices (2.5L, 2.0T, 3.6L DI V6), two transmissions, a low curb weight, the li…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 13, 2012 Walking around this year’s North American International Auto Show, I noticed that something was amiss. It wasn’t the amount of vehicles that made their premiere at the show; nor wasn’t the amount of press, industry, and guests walking around during press days. No, what missing were the concept cars. The lineup of concepts ranged from group design is not a good idea (Chevrolet Code 130R) to this is a production model in concept clothing (Honda Accord and Lincoln MKZ). Only three vehicles, the Chrysler 700C, Lexus LF-LC, and the Smart pickup thing were actual dream concepts. But even these concepts had …
Last reply by Camino LS6, -
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What phrase chaps the hide of anyone looking to buy a used car? "Ran when parked" Who was the offender that inspired this rant? This guy: http://stcloud.craig...2831238108.html Or more specifically, this: For those not versed in the dark arts of car repair, here's five things I can tell just looking at the picture: 1. Supposedly rebuilt cylinder head that obviously hasn't seen a machine shop or the paint would be gone in order to better check for cracks. 2. Water pump with a mounting bolt hole broken off. 3. No rag stuffed into the coolant hole in the head, so who knows what has fallen in there. 4. Carb is missing. 5. No oil filter, so probably no oil either…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Drew Dowdell - January 26, 2012 - CheersandGears.com Yesterday on Facebook, Aaron Bragman a new friend I met at NAIAS, and I got into a friendly back and forth over whether the Audi A3 was a hatchback or a wagon. I insist that it was a wagon and Aaron insists it is a hatch. My original position is that the A3 is a wagon because of the third rear window. Aaron says no, it is an identical car to the Volkswagen GTI which couldn't be called anything but a hatch. Now before I go on, I'm going to preempt some of the old timers here. For the sake of this argument, we are going to use body style definitions that apply to cars post.. oh... 1980 or so. That means a sedan is a 4-d…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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I'm tired of seeing where you think the market is, why don't you show me where you want to take it?
Last reply by Camino LS6, -
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Well, it took a week, and Camino and I are ready to gouge our eyes out with a melon baller, but the results of the C&G Census are in. Take a look at the numbers below and come to your own conclusion. One thing's for sure: each brand is not without its appeal in the GM hierarchy. Buick Total responses: 52 Total number of new Buicks purchased sine 1998: 24 Total number of people who have purchased new Buicks since 1998: 14 Number of people who will buy a new Buick within the next two years: 9 Number of people who will consider a new Buick within hte next two years: 10 Number of people who will not consider a new Buick: 31 --- Cadillac Total response…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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