Quick Quiz

[Drew Dowdell]

What do the Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Camaro, Infiniti Q50, Mercedes Benz CLS63 AMG, Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe, and Toyota Yaris all have in common?

 

When you get that one, you'll get the answer to this one also..

 

What do the Aston Martin DB9 and Scion iQ have in common?

 

Ready for a 3rd?

 

What do the Chevrolet Sonic, Buick Regal, Lexus LS460, and Bentely Mulsanne have in common?

 

Assume 2015 models for all of the above.

[loki]

something about the nuremburgring?

[Drew Dowdell]

Nope

[smk4565]

Besides all having 4 wheels and a steering wheel, I was going to guess electric power steering.  But I had to look up the DB9 and that has hydraulic power steering.

[Drew Dowdell]

Nope. 

 

Keep in mind, these are three separate lists with each list sharing a common trait. 

[smk4565]

The first group of cars are all made outside of the USA.

 

The second group are 2+2 seating layouts.

 

The 3rd group are all sedans.

Edited December 14, 2014 by smk4565

[smk4565]

They all offer Bluetooth

[Drew Dowdell]

You first one may be true, but not what I'm going for.

 

you're getting very slightly warmer with your second one.

 

I'll put it another way - Each car in each group shares a trait with the other cars in that group.  When you figure out what the trait is for one group, you'll figure out the how the other groups relate to each other as well.   I'm having a hard time giving hints without giving it away.

[smk4565]

My guess is all have satellite radio and they probably all have a Nav system, even the Yaris probably offers those.

 

The 3rd group has increasing buyer age, Regal buyers are older than Sonic buyers, Ls460 buyers are even older and Mulsanne buyers are were alive when King Edward was in power.

[Drew Dowdell]

Again, what the "trait" is, is the same among all three groups.   For example (and this isn't it) Group 1 all has 3 spoke steering wheels. Group 2 all has 2 spoke steering wheels, Group 3 all has 3 spoke steering wheels. 

[G. David Felt]

They are all using the Google NAV system as a standard rather than their own in house built mess.

 

The other Item is if memory serves me correct, they are all Rebadge jobs of existing auto's.

[Drew Dowdell]

Incorrect on both counts

[smk4565]

The first group are all built on a platform shared with another vehicle, Fiesta/Mazda2, Camaro/Holden Commodore, Q50/G37, CLS/E-class, Phantom Coupe/Phantom sedan and 7-series, Yaris/Vitz.

 

The Aston Martin name and grill was used on a Scion iQ to make the Cygnet, so they don't share a platform, but share a badge.

[Drew Dowdell]

This are all fantastic guesses, but no one is really getting warm yet. 

 

I wonder if Balthazar or Camino would register a guess.  

[smk4565]

First group all have DOHC engines and automatic transmission and ABS.

[balthazar]

Sorry, I have no idea here.

[Drew Dowdell]

Sorry, I have no idea here.

Interesting! My hunch was that you would be the one to get it as we've had a discussion on here about it.

I'll give another hint: It is not at all obvious that these groups share their respective trait, in fact, if you gave the random person on the street these lists and told them what the trait was, they would think you were crazy.

[smk4565]

Same number of airbags

[Drew Dowdell]

No.

[Drew Dowdell]

Think more along the lines of rules and regulations.

[smk4565]

Group one meets European pedestrian impact standards, while group two does not meet American crash standards anymore.

[Drew Dowdell]

No, but you're heading in the right direction.

[balthazar]

Impact ratings?

[Drew Dowdell]

getting slightly warmer

[Z-06]

DRL

[Drew Dowdell]

Colder

[Z-06]

Is it related to the latest FMVSS 214?

[Blake Noble]

EPA size classification.

[Drew Dowdell]

EPA size classification.

 

DING DING DING!

 

Group 1 - All EPA size class Compact

 Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Camaro, Infiniti Q50, Mercedes Benz CLS63 AMG, Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe, and Toyota Yaris

 

Group 2 - All EPA size class mini-Compact

Aston Martin DB9 and Scion iQ

 

Group 3 - All EPA size class Mid-Size

Chevrolet Sonic (though I should have said 5-door), Buick Regal, Lexus LS460, and Bentely Mulsanne

 

I put this quiz up because of the absurdity of these groupings. I am planning an article about it. 

[smk4565]

The groupings are insane, if a DB9 or Phantom Coupe is a compact they shouldn't have gas guzzler tax. And the Mulsanne is like 214 inches long.

Size class should not be interior volume but exterior footprint. Try fitting a Phantom Coupe into a compact space at a parking garage. It might not even fit in a regular space.

[balthazar]

^ Must be "terrible packaging".

[Paolino]

The Sonic is considered midsize?!  It has that much space?

[Drew Dowdell]

The Sonic is considered midsize?!  It has that much space?

 

Sonic 5-door... yes.

[balthazar]

EPA should never have stuck its fingers into size classifications, they have no earthly idea what they're doing. Cubic feet of interior volume is a meaningless stat we've been dieting on for what- 20 years? I've said it before; unless you are delivering inflated party balloons in your car, you cannot utilize a large portion of the mathematical cubic volume of a vehicle's space and the stat is misleading. (A cargo van is obviously something else).