G. David Felt

Yes, Sorry, should have stated that first about the exterior as well as the interior before talking about the screens. Agree, my Son has a glass black exterior on this Jeep GC and loves it, but it is always dirty looking even right after he washes it, it seems to show dirt still. Crazy.

Too True and both the refineries and Oil production companies are on record now of not wanting to drill and expand going through again the Boom/Bust cycle so they are letting prices go up, increasing crazy profits but not really doing much to plan for the future with moderate addition of refining and oil drilling.

? I do wonder as we go to bigger and bigger screens for the dashes how the OEMs are going to deal with dead pixels? Currently I know TV companies all have their own version of how many pixels die before they will replace a screen. I wonder especially in the luxury segment, how many dots will have to appear dead before they replace the screen. Also with them sticking up above the dash, if they get snagged and broken how will that play out. Over all, all gloss black is a pain to keep clean externally and internally, I totally agree with @Drew Dowdell on this. I am hoping that Chevrolet when they bring out the Blazer EV will have more than just an all black interior or the but ugly white/grey they have done on the Bolt. They need some warm Mocha type interiors, two tone. This is the one area I feel is a Failure already on the GMC Hummer. That white/Grey NASA inspired moon interior should have been an option, but they should have had additional interior colors or at least one other. Hoping GM does not do their basic black only at launch on this EV.

The points you make here can be applied to every auto maker out there with various models picked from each OEM hitting these same points. Mercedes has their fair share of dogs. These Are The 10 Worst Cars Made By Mercedes-Benz (hotcars.com) Interesting that the 2022 has the best and worst full size SUV both from Germany and Mercedes was not the best. Consumer Reports Worst Full-Size Luxury SUV Is Also the Most Expensive (motorbiscuit.com) Here was the skunks of the last decade and I have to agree what is stated about each specific model/year as these are well known issues. 10 Worst Mercedes-Benz Models Of The Last Decade (msn.com) Why do I post this, cause you know NOTHING about the quality of the Blazer EV. NONE of us know anything about it as it has not been out so if you want to in the random thread bash the gas powered Blazer go ahead, but do not try to state that the Blazer EV is going to be just like the current Blazer ICE. Currently you nor anyone else can stay that about this auto yet. We can clearly make our own feelings about existing EVs that are on the market today.

WOW, That would perfectly apply to all the FWD cars out there too. Appliance blah cars, every point you make my friend.

Agree, Happy Father's Day to all dads, be they human or fur babies. Enjoy your special day!

I can barely fit in the X3, I doubt I could in the X1, at 300lbs, 6'6" tall, I am not the average or normal size person. While my wife loves driving our Trailblazer SS which is considered a mid size, I could still use a bit more room. For local driving it is fine, but road trips are a bit tight for me. The Escalade I have is perfect for road trips.

Posted on one of the rivian Instagram accounts. Rivian R1T and F150 Lighting charging up at a station in Colorado. Very cool to see them in the wild and side by side. Ford looks a few inches taller and longer.

I have to agree that I think Oil is grossly overvalued. Citi: Oil Is Overvalued By $50 Per Barrel | OilPrice.com

GM has announced that they will invest $81 million into the Global Technical Center for building the CELESTIQ. CELESTIQ using defining design, technology and performance will challenge the ultra-luxury auto space. Helping to achieve this will be the use of GM's extensive additive manufacturing capabilities and supplier network, featuring 3D printed parts, the most used in any of GM's vehicle programs to date. Since 1956, GM's GLobal Technical Center has been the heart of the company's engineering and design efforts and will now host vehicle production with the hand built CELESTIQ, Cadillac's Flagship sedan signifies a new, resurgent era for the brand per Mark Reuss, president of General Motors. Mark Reuss had this statement to say about the CELESTIQ: “Each one will be hand-built by an amazing team of craftspeople on our historic Technical Center campus, and today’s investment announcement emphasizes our commitment to delivering a world-class Cadillac with nothing but the best in craftsmanship, design, engineering and technology.” The CELESTIQ will be built on the Ultium Platform that is at the heart of GM's EV strategy. CELESTIQ embodies Cadillac's commitment to reimagine what's possible and sets a new standard for the artful integration of technology. CELESTIQ roof is expected to be the first to feature a four-quadrant, suspended-particle-device smart glass. With this Smart Glass, each occupant of the vehicle can set their own level of roof transparency. The driver and front-seat passenger will enjoy a pillar-to-pillar freeform display with active privacy to help mitigate driver distraction GM Global Technical Center Campus has allowed Cadillac to establish itself at the forefront of functional and aesthetic 3D-printed components in the auto industry. Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V were the first autos to benefit from additive manufacturing with parts that included the shifter emblem, transmission components and HVAC ducts. Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and sustainability had the following to say: “This investment is a great example of our commitment to GM’s EV transformation as we apply our manufacturing expertise to a one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxury vehicle for the Cadillac brand," “The advanced manufacturing technology and tools we are utilizing on CELESTIQ will help our team deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers.” With the teaser image released on June 8th, Cadillac will release additional images throughout the summer leading up to the cars debut. It would seem that Cadillac is returning to their original roots of "Standard of the World" which meant luxury and prestige. View full article

Style is a personal preference as each will find what they like. I am not interested in buying a Blazer SS myself, but I think it looks way better than the blah EQB which is the bland Jellybean style Mercedes has adopted for all their EVs. Toyota Rav4 I get, fits in the family and they seem to sell everyone that hits the lots so over styling seems to be desired by the public, yet not a good-looking Hybrid to me. The Toyota EV, that I honestly just cannot understand, totally agree with @ccap41 that the black plastic crap over the wheel wells needs to go, paint it. The bottom air vent to cool the battery I get has to stay, but they could have done so much better with that over all flat blunt nose they have. Like Tesla, seems someone was not happy with the auto and punched it flattening the front end. Rivian, I love the style of, I also love the style of the Chevrolet E full size pickup. Will be interesting to see what and how the EV auto's morph as traditional ICE autos go away. I do love that GM is using the same names so that as ICE goes away you still have Blazer, Silverado, etc. No need to use bizarre character names that no one can figure out what it means without being told by someone in the trenches of that product line. Anyone know what BZ stands for? I get the 4X as that indicates all-wheel drive.

Guess it really is Alligator Dominion time! Very interesting read on Bosch thoughts on Tesla Battery Tech. Tesla tab talk | Bosch Global

@smk4565 @ccap41 ccap41 I see what you are talking about, we know it is not 20 or so pieces for that front end, the bumper is clearly visiable since they put the SS on it, but the fake airvents are pretty common across the industry even Mercedes has them and it is the most BLAH of the designs. It is for sure a personal take as when I compare the following style images side by side with the following competition products, it is pretty equal and yet I find the Chevrolet the most pleasing of these three. 2023 Toyota BZ4X that has fake front air vents, the bottom vent is real as Toyota is using air cooling of the battery pack much like the Nissan Leaf. Have to say Toyota seems to have taken style from the Lexus predator but used the Tesla front end smooth affect and it is Hideous imho.

Ouch, this sucks when you are excited for your new ride and then end up with a lemon. Sadly, this seems to be more and more common for Tesla, lemon quality. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-enthusiast-buys-a-brand-new-2022-model-y-says-the-car-is-unacceptable-191198.html

@smk4565 @ccap41 Please define what you both mean by over styled? This is not the current mess of Toyota, nor the predator hell of Lexus and it is way better than the Blah jellybean of Mercedes, what areas are over styled? I agree, now that you point that out, it look familiar but I could not put my finger on it, but your right more Equinox than Blazer.

Very cool if true, I have found nothing on any of the VW media sites on this, but it seems VW is moving away from their MEB platform to a even better flexible EV platform. ID.4 Sedan Heralds New VW Product Development Process (wardsauto.com) There is lots of hints at this here at VW subsidiary CARIAD – Automotive Software for Volkswagen CARIAD | Brands & Models of the Volkswagen Group (volkswagenag.com) Media | Volkswagen Group (volkswagenag.com)

Seems we have more electric package options for the BOLT EUV this summer, Redline. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeRFHJojAEr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@Drew Dowdell @balthazar Did Cadillac not compete in their past in this category of auto? Custom hand-built coach building I thought was their area in the past? Liking the SS Video Chevrolet released today also.

Cadillac CELESTIQ will be a completely hand built Ultra Luxury auto as Drew stated. They had a small press release this week and 4 images. Cadillac CELESTIQ Show Car: A Magnetic First Impression QUOTE: Today, Cadillac shared a glimpse of the CELESTIQ show car, which represents the purest expression of Cadillac design, technology and performance. From first approach, the striking silhouette of the CELESTIQ show car leaves a lasting impression, challenging the ultra-luxury space with the spirit of futurism and the avant-garde. Cadillac’s signature lighting design rises to a new level on the CELESTIQ show car. Unmistakably Cadillac, but with a modern edge, a lively and soulful choreographed symphony of light boldly invites each passenger into the vehicle. “From its unique proportions and a new effortless, sophisticated form language, to the precision and attention to detail, CELESTIQ is unlike anything on the road today,” said Magalie Debellis, manager, Cadillac Branded Advanced Design. “From its inception, the CELESTIQ show car was crafted to reincarnate the ‘Standard of the World.’” Follow General Motors Design on Instagram for more early looks at the CELESTIQ show car throughout the summer. Very excited for the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. This could be my daughters first new auto to replace her 1999 Durango.

Thank you Drew, this is a perfect example of solid leadership and another is the former CEO of IBM Lou Gerstner who not only built a deep bench of managers and turned IBM around to be one of the best service tech companies today still with the largest Main Frame computer business, but when he retired, he took his severance package which was over half a billion dollars over the next 10 years as he believed he had built and would be leaving a management team in place that would continue to lead IBM forward with solid growth and proved it by staking his retirement on it. To this day, he is a true visionary and leader who brought into an ailing and failing legacy company only a few people as he believed the existing staff just needed leadership that could inspire them and believe in them with the right guidance to lead their own teams. This I believe he delivered on in excess. A great American Company. Lou Gerstner - Wikipedia

There are two types of CEOs that are hands on. Those that hire competent folks to lead their divisions and report to the CEO on what is going on and allow the CEO to give back their thoughts, directions wants, etc. to those division leaders and let them act on it. Then you have the Micro Manager CEO that feels they have to be hands on in everything and while it works in the short term, long term it is draining on the person but also a hinderance to solid profitable growth of a company and the divisions. Musk is the micro manager that is too much hands on and distracted by still wanting to be in the mud. If he wants to be that heavily involved in the day to day projects, then it would be best to step down as CEO and focus on where his passion lies in creating things. There is a difference between a visionary and a micro manager and Musk falls in the later category now.

Thank you for proving the point of Common sense is not so common. Since you clearly cannot or are not willing to look at the big picture of all the distractions for a startup versus a well-established business. I listed from big to small the distractions and you can only focus on a small clothing section and then jump to Nascar rather than the distractions of Space-X, Boring Company, Solar, Powerwall that are much more financially draining distractions on top of his current favorite pet project the Tesla Bot. These all drain from him the ability to look at the bigger picture of Tesla only in making sure it is a leading-edge quality auto company. At this point, I predict 2025 Tesla will be a has-been company compared to legacy auto makers that will surpass it and Tesla will have to start looking at merging with another company to survive.

Totally agree with what ccap41 has said, I do not see the delivery service centers not having a test model. Tesla currently has this ability, Rivian is on record as saying they will as they open up their delivery/service centers have demo units. Ford pushing to go fixed price, order online and pickup at a customer deliver/service center has also stated that demo units will still be an important part for customers. I expect some might try to not have demo units, but then I think they will cut off a certain segment that will want this before buying.

This is why I have to test fit my body in as the actual measurement figures supplied can be manipulated and us big folks do not always fit in what others call spacious. BMW is anything but spacious to me.