december car spotter December Car Spotter Thread

[G. David Felt]

Time to sound off on what we have seen this final month of 2017.

December Car Spotter thread.

Start off by two auto's I really enjoyed checking out:

My sisters 2017 Buick Premier II

2018 GMC Denali Canyon Duramax Diesel

[Robert Hall]

Unseasonably warm and sunny today for NE Ohio--52 degrees this afternoon.  Drove down to New Philadelphia to have lunch w/ my brother, saw a clean bright red '57 Chevy 2dr w/ Cragars rolling along up I-77.   Also saw a yellow w/ black hood and roof Challenger Hellcat.  

[frogger]

First sighting of a Kia Stinger on the road for me yesterday.  Looks sharp in black.  

[Robert Hall]

Saw a really clean white late 90s Grand Prix 4dr at the gas station this evening.  First one I had seen in ages.   Last night came out of Target to see a dark red new Pacifica parked next to me.  It's funny, the minivan body is much taller, but my Jeep roof sits slightly higher because of the larger wheels and 4x4 ground clearance. 

[G. David Felt]

Ran into a baby boomer at Fred Meyers, Driving an 86 Maroon Monte Carlo, very clean, love them.  

[G. David Felt]

Laugh of the day, I had to go to the Emissions center to have my Escalade tested, passed with flying colors and on the way home, driving past Harrison Ford & Lincoln, I saw a semi loading up a bunch of Mercedes-Benz. Specifically on the truck already was a GLS, GL, CLS and C300. I stopped and asked the guy who was climbing down what was up with all the MB's? He said Harris did not like to deal with them in their used auto lot and each one of them had dash lights on about the engines. So they were being dumped on the Wholesale market, he said that he still had 4 more to go to load up. 

With that, a sales rep was walking by and asked if I was interested in trading my Escalade in and I said no, but told him I was surprised by the amount of MB. He said they were all end of lease with issues and that this time of year seems to be popular to dump them for new rides. Harris does not bother due to cost with reselling them, so they dump them into the Wholesale Channel.

Seems to be common with what I have read in the news about surplus MB auto's coming off lease and expensive fixes required.

[Robert Hall]

Saw a new red Colorado ZR2 in a restaurant lot last night...sharp looking truck. 

[Robert Hall]

Saw a Range Rover Velar at the grocery this afternoon.  Black, coated in salt spray.   Pretty slick..neat taillights and door handles.  

[balthazar]

Velar has very unusual 'kicked in the ass' upward taper in the rear, like it bottomed out hard. I assume that it looks more cohesive in person than in pics. Doesn't do anything for me.

[Drew Dowdell]

26 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Velar has very unusual 'kicked in the ass' upward taper in the rear, like it bottomed out hard. I assume that it looks more cohesive in person than in pics. Doesn't do anything for me.

That's an extension of the look the big Range Rover has

[balthazar]

Sure, but it's exaggerated on the velar. Sharper angle, it appears. Looks like 1.5 feet of vertical black plastic.

I'm sure I'll see them very soon here in Central J.

Edited December 29, 2017 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

The Velar has an upward angling character line across the doors as well, the rear quarter continues that line, in addition to the sloping roofline and rising belt line.   Fits in between the Evoque and Sport, only slightly smaller than the Sport but with a lower roof. 

[balthazar]

Where it fits in the brochure is immaterial to my comments on its individual styling.
To repeat: I don't think that large expanse of upward creeping black plastic is very upscale. For a long time I've had this mental association of this tired trend of high rise black plastic out back with one's pants worn below the buttocks.

[G. David Felt]

21 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Where it fits in the brochure is immaterial to my comments on its individual styling.
To repeat: I don't think that large expanse of upward creeping black plastic is very upscale. For a long time I've had this mental association of this tired trend of high rise black plastic out back with one's pants worn below the buttocks.

I totally agree, the black plastic that luxury brands seem to be using more of to me is clear CHEAPNESS! 

It was fine on an Avalanche or the Honda what ever it was called, but when you are paying the prices for a luxury product, black plastic is the cheapest way you can go IMHO.

[Robert Hall]

I've read the black lower trim is to visually lighten up the lower body, to make the body look less thick.  This isn't black plastic like the matte finish bulging cladding seen on some SUVs, this is just the regular panels painted a gloss black, I believe. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

I'm surprised you don't find it equally tiring; it's been running over a decade vs. -say- the floating roof cue.

[Robert Hall]

This approach seems fresh and new to me, different from the bulging matt gray or black cladding like my old Jeep, the Avalanche, Element, and many others had.