BrewSwillis

PT Cruiser still sells pretty well.......but I guess that's technically classified as a truck. Maybe they are leaving room for a truely small car. Maybe something like the Dodge Slingshot based on the SMART roadster: They also have the Sebring and Stratus replacements coming in less than a year (they have been delayed slightly). As far as fuel costs.......well they have two new 4 cyl Jeeps comming out, along with new 4 cyl Sebring's/Stratus's......the 4 cyl Caliber and the PT Cruiser replacement. They also have deisel varients of alot of their vehicles, to help with fuel economy. Chrysler is not GM. They don't have to compete with the volume GM produces. They have one or two cars in each catagory, and that's it.

How about real pictures? One of the first Asian cars I've really liked since the Supra.

O.K., I don't really know what the point of saying that is. I'm sure it's some kind of knock on a non-Asian automaker......but if you want to compare the Explorer and the Xterra.....I guess would take the hand disassembleable interior:

You want to really reduce emissions. Then get a manual or electric lawnmower....well, maybe just manual, becasue electricity has to come from somewhere: http://eartheasy.com/article_global_warming.htm

:lol: :lol: :lol:

How do you know they are satisfied? Maybe they are only working there because there is nowhere else to work in that area of the south? I guess if there was a choice between working for Toyota, even if they treat me like crap and I'm not satisfied, or having my family starve......I guess I would work for Toyota. Read the story that I linked to. It shows how people who tried to organize unions at Kawasaki were fired.

Well, you can make it sound like Toyota is paying them a good, fair wage out of the kindness of their hearts.......but what if the UAW were to vanish? Would the non-union Southern autoworkers still be making the same wage?......Answer : NO. Toyota is essentially bribing their workers not to unionize. Hardly sounds like "taking care" of employees. Check out this stroy. Very eye opening: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?sectio...&articleId=5297 Here's an exceprt from the story:

They only aren't unionized because of the UAW. If they want to keep the Union out, they have to provide similar wages and benifits. Therefore, Toyota workers are taking advantage of the Union, without paying dues.

Why would they do that, when they can just believe everything Toyota tells them? Toyota wouldn't lie. Their cars run on rainbows and smiles, and are making the air "clean again".

Sounds like they just asked Toyota what the problem was......and Toyota said they "identified various conditions that could cause the subject vehicles to experience a gas engine stall." Then it says something about "analysis of warranty data" led them to believe it was 97% software issues.....but it doesn't say who did the analysis of the data. Was it Toyota or ODI?? I guess the grease was for the other 3%, huh? I don't know a whole lot about the Toyota hybrid system, but I have to believe there would be occasions where you would have no, or very little battery power, and a gas engine stall could be a major safety hazard with no backup electric motor to steer you to safety. I could be wrong though, and maybe you always have some batery power for when the car stalls.

All-new 2006 Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum Police Vehicles Excel at Michigan State Police Performance Requirements; Dodge Announces Pricing Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI® posted best-in-class top speed of over 145 mph Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI and Dodge Magnum 5.7-liter HEMI posted first and second place in acceleration times Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI and Dodge Magnum 5.7-liter HEMI posted first and second place in vehicle dynamics testing Dodge Magnum 3.5-liter V-6 and Dodge Charger 3.5-liter V-6 posted first and second place in braking distance Dodge Charger police vehicles priced from $26,575 including destination Pricing includes an arsenal of standard items necessary for law-enforcement use Auburn Hills, Mich., Oct 19, 2005 - The Michigan State Police laid down the law, and the all-new 2006 Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum police vehicles were more than equal to the challenge. The department announced preliminary results of its 2006 model year Police Vehicle Evaluation Program, which includes a series of grueling on-road tests that evaluate acceleration, top speed, braking and vehicle dynamics. The test results are viewed by police departments throughout the country before they order new fleet vehicles. "We are extremely proud that the all-new 2006 Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum police vehicles met and often exceeded requirements of the Michigan State Police," said Steven Landry, Vice President, Dodge Marketing. "These bold, powerful and capable vehicles are more than ready to help police officers go get the bad guys." Dodge announced the U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Dodge Charger police vehicle is $26,575, and the MSRP for the Dodge Magnum police vehicle is $28,275 (including $675 destination charge) when equipped with the 3.5-liter High Output V-6 engine. U.S. MSRP for the Dodge Charger police vehicle with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine is $28,805, and the MSRP for the 2006 Dodge Magnum police vehicle with the HEMI engine is $30,505. Both prices include a destination charge of $675. Highlights from the September 2005 Michigan State Police evaluation program included the following preliminary results: Top Speed: Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI posted best-in-class top speed of over 145 mph Acceleration: Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI and Dodge Magnum 5.7-liter HEMI posted first and second place in acceleration times (0 - 100 mph in 16.24 seconds and 16.49 seconds, respectively) Vehicle Dynamics: Dodge Charger 5.7-liter HEMI and Dodge Magnum 5.7-liter HEMI posted first and second place in vehicle dynamics testing (average lap times of 1:37.96 and 1:38.26, respectively) Braking: Dodge Magnum 3.5-liter V-6 and Dodge Charger 3.5-liter V-6 posted first and second place in braking distance (60 mph - 0 in 128.1 feet and 130.1 feet, respectively) The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine in the Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum police vehicles produces 340 horsepower (254 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 390 lb.-ft. of torque (525 N·m) at 4,000 rpm. The V-8 HEMI engine features Chrysler Group's fuel-saving Multi-Displacement System (MDS), which seamlessly alternates between smooth, high fuel economy four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when more power is required. Fuel efficiency improves by as much as 20 percent with MDS, but not at the expense of performance. The powerful, 3.5-liter High Output V-6 engine provides 250 horsepower (186 kW) at 6400 rpm and 250 lb.-ft. of torque (340 N·­m) at 3800 rpm, offering an outstanding blend of performance and fuel economy. Both engines available on the Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum police vehicles are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, which uses highly advanced electronic shift controls for a responsive, smooth feel without harshness. This transmission features Chrysler Group's AutoStick®, which offers the choice of a fully automatic or manually selected gear range. This transmission also is equipped with an Electronically Modulated Converter Clutch (EMCC), which controls torque converter clutch slippage and provides improved shift feel to match a variety of driving styles, situations and road conditions. Heavy-duty four-wheel disc brakes and linings, also standard on all Dodge police vehicles, provide secure and stable deceleration and braking capability. The 2006 Dodge Charger and Magnum police vehicles began production in September, 2005 at Chrysler Group's Brampton (Ontario) Assembly Plant alongside the award-winning Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum vehicles. Police Vehicle Features: All-new 2006 Dodge Charger and Magnum police vehicles are armed with modern muscle and superior rear-wheel-drive performance technologies offering the best in balance and control. All Dodge police vehicles are fortified with the latest advanced systems including: all-speed Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Brake Assist and four-wheel Anti-lock Disc Brake System (ABS). Additional features of particular importance to law enforcement customers include the following: Standard Equipment: 160-mph or 260-km/h (certified) calibrated speedometer 18x7.5-inch steel wheels AM/FM stereo radio with CD player, changer controls, four speakers, and clock Heavy-duty cloth front bucket seats with manual lumbar adjustments Heavy-duty cloth rear fixed bench seat (Charger) and vinyl folding rear seat (Magnum) Column shifter Easy-path wiring grommet between underhood and passenger compartments External oil coolers: engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid Five-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and AutoStick Four-wheel independent performance suspension P225/60R18 BSW V-rated performance tires Police equipment mounting bracket Rear trunk-lid key lock cylinder Separate key and key fob Severe-duty cooling system Standard Electrical Equipment: 160-amp high-output alternator 100-amp battery feed located in center instrument panel stack consisting of three 20-amp-fused battery feeds and three 20-amp-fused ignition feeds 800 CCA battery Dome lamp door switch deactivated Dual spot lamp Prep Package Integrated engine hour meter Police equipment interface module Security alarm system Separate fuses for left and right battery-fed spot lamps Software-controlled alternating head- and taillamps (wigwag) Stealth mode switch (turns off instrument cluster and radio indicators, PRNDL dims to lowest legal limit) Three pairs of twisted 18-gauge wiring for sirens, speakers, or controls provided from interior to front bumper Underhood lamp Optional Equipment: 18-inch bolt-on wheel covers 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine with fuel-saving Multi-Displacement System (MDS) Engine Block Heater Easy-clean black vinyl floor covering Deactivated rear inside door locks and handles, inoperable rear windows and emergency rear door lock override Entire fleet keyed alike (without alarm) Front door body-side molding delete Full-size spare tire and wheel with battery cover and cargo compartment floor ma Fixed vinyl rear bench seat (Charger) Independently switched white and LED red dome lamp Power eight-way driver’s seat Spot lamp driver’s side or dual (Black or Chrome finish) Supplemental side-curtain air bags, front and rear outboard seats Switchable daytime running lamps (U.S. market only) Police Car Heritage: The former Chrysler Corporation dominated the police car business throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s, with U.S. market shares ranging from 45-60 percent. Police vehicles manufactured by the former Chrysler Corporation included the Dodge Monaco, Dodge Royal Monaco, Dodge Coronet, Dodge Diplomat, Dodge Dart, Dodge St. Regis, Plymouth Fury, Plymouth Gran Fury, Plymouth Volare and Chrysler Newport. Recently, Dodge returned to the police car market after a 12-year hiatus with the 2002 Dodge Intrepid. The front-wheel drive Dodge Intrepid earned a 4 percent share of the approximately 70,000 unit U.S. market. That vehicle was phased out of production in 2003. In the fall of 2004, Dodge previewed the 2006 Dodge Magnum as a police vehicle offering enhanced rear-wheel-drive performance and handling with a spacious, flexible interior for police special service uses. Source: DaimlerChrysler Media

That's what I meant. We saw this article in March (see date of article)....and didn't really see anything then. I was just being a smartass.

But all I want to know is how waterproof grease fixes a software problem?? .....that can occur on any vehicle?? :bs:

Yeah, but instead of actually running out of gas......Toyota says there's a software problem that can be fixed by a reprogramming and having some waterproof grease applied to some electronics?? :blink: .....which in turn "could happen to any vehicle"?? Why is it that nothing that officially comes from Toyota, sounds like it's the whole truth?

Depends what side of the hill you stall on! :P

:withstupid: Yeah, because 1.27 million people driving around in the dark with no headlights doesn't have anything to do with safety. :alcoholic:

It's still as boring as when it was originally posted in March.

I was a contract worker for GM in what should have technically been a salary position. After about 3 years of employment they told me one Wednesday that my last day was Friday. I guess they found another contract worker who would do my job cheaper. They also started hiring alot of contract production supervisors. I'm not even really that mad. They are doing what they have to do to stay alive.

It's not being stupid. If I owned a company who built a car that got an average of 42 MPG when I tested it in real world driving, and then I turned it over to the EPA, who in turn got 62 MPG......I would be more than a little hesitant to make all kinds of claims that my little econo-car with the big sticker price is going to actually get you anywhere near 62 MPG. That is probably why, as someone has mentioned earlier, that most of the new Prius ads are about reduced emmisions, and not about getting 62 MPG. They were actually called on their ridiculous claims, buy the auto journalists (amazingly), and now have backed off.

I think you did get spoiled. You can get into a Commander for $27K......but check out BMW's closest competition the X5. You need $42K just to get into one, and you can pay $72K for the top of the line. Shouldn't it stand to reason that the interior will be nicer on a vehicle that's starts at $15K more?

Well, the same applies to the CTS, but they start at $30K. 300's start at $23K. Maybe the 300's dash isn't as nice as the CTS, but Chrysler had to do something to get the car to come in at it's $23K price point. Just imagine how much money Chrysler makes when people buy a $34K 300C.

That's really how I feel too. I think way to many people are interior snobs. They don't like a particular vehicle, so they say the interior has hard plastic, and therefore sucks.

Well they need to prepare for a backlash then.....and the media should be hitting them hard.......which they are/will not. It's obvious that the EPA tests were not designed for testing hybrid technology. The manufacturer should exercise some constraint when advertising unachieveable MPG figures. It's funny when you tell a Toyota humper that the Prius only gets 42 MPG in real world reviews.......then they tell you "yeah, but it pollutes less". :rolleyes:

Your CTS should feel luxurious......it costs $10K more than the base 300! http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

If it's the same as my 300 Touring, then it should feel pretty nice. All of the interior pieces, above the knees, in my 300 feel soft and nice. The only hard plastic is on the lower dash and lower door map pockets.