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Everything posted by regfootball
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despite all the bad from GM here, make no mistake, this is another instance of the Dept Of Justice looking for any reason to swing a bigger axe. This has probably been enflamed as much to make a federal agency look valuable as much as anything.
- 22 replies
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- Criminal Wrongdoing
- General Motors
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2014 Chevy Impala LT 2.5 (update 2014 Impala LT 2.4 Eco and 3.6)
regfootball replied to regfootball's topic in Reader Reviews
I took an Impala 2.4 Eco for a spin yesterday. I was curious as I had not driven any GM cars with E Assist yet. And it seems to have the greatest benefit on a car like the Impala. The system I thought was fairly unobtrusive, however, the whole thing when the engine shuts off actually puts you in a sense of 'this no engine sound is eerie and creepy", of course you would expect no noise in a full electric. This really sort of makes me remember my old true hybrid test drives too. The whole thing of 'when is my engine on and when is it not'. I will say this, for what EAssist was engineered to do and how it works, I think it seemed to work well. Despite the loss of trunk space etc. On the Impala the trunk is large enough to offset what is lost where the LaCrosse is not. As just a 4 cylinder version of the Impala, it overall had its powertrain better sorted out than the base 2.5. Definitely not a speed demon on the on ramp or in roll on passing, the 2.4 was smooth in the stoplight to stoplight in town environment. I can't figure out why the 2.5 is so unsorted on the Malibu and Impala. The 2.4 Eco for most people would probably be just fine. Yes, the 3.6 is faster and smoother, but it's not a vast divide in usefulness. The EAssist actually has some real tangible fuel economy returns. For a car this big to be as comfortable and get the mpg it promises is something. So what gives, why did GM kill it, and why did eAssist get panned? I would imagine when it comes down to it, the cost of the system, and the notion of 'this is a good 4 cylinder powertrain, but why does it need all that extra junk'? Makes me wonder why there is not a highly refined, simple 4 cylinder powertrain that can propel a car like this with good performance, and get the same mpg without all the 'junk'? The salesguy said people were saying the v6 Impala gets about 18 mpg in town. My van gets that. The prospect of a car the size of the Impala touching 30 mpg mixed driving would be the sort of thing that could keep the sedan market healthy. V6's won't return that mpg. Neither will turbos if you lay on the gas. I still think the notion of hybrids and start stops makes people believe the car is complicated. A diesel would be fantastic in this car.....if no diesel than Chevy needs to do some serious work to get the proper 4 cylinder powertrain in this car. I know the weight of this car hurts it, but they need to develop the 2.5 to get some refinement, mpg, etc. that would make the 4 cylinder a real option for many. BTW the 2.4 eco cruised at about 1700 rpm at 70 mph. No wonder it would get good mpg highway. I could not find how to bring up the instant mpg to tell what it was getting. I am on the fence on whether i would live the 2.4 Eco......it is pretty good but leaves you wanting just a bit.......yes if the price were low enough.. it should not be an extra cost deal.........I found myself asking why there is not a really sweet 4 cylinder setup in this car. -
I am not sure why there has to be such an extreme to create a big expensive trim level when a lot of folks who want a cool fast ride just want more power, maybe better steering and suspension / wheels, and maybe even a sunroof. Maybe instead of the RS trim being just body tack ons, it could have an engine upgrade. Most simply, how about a bare Cruze, with a lone engine option for a 1.8t or 2.0t. Then, a wheel / tire package to some nicer 18's and tires that are decent (not top of the line). Maybe 4 wheel discs. then, offer the MT as an option. Then have a bundle package for discounts on addition of moonroof and high end sound on the stereo. Maybe a power seat is in there. I don't think we have to create a full SS if we take say the LT and just give it a couple options, which are mostly for an engine upgrade. I've always thought cars like the Cruze were worthy of a limited production, manual transmission specific package which not be a full bore performance model, but just some moderate upgrades to the plebian models of which they are twin.
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Focus ST is a fantastic car but at some point it crowds price points of other cars (like say for example base Camaro or an LT vs. a Focus ST). Also the key demographic for such cars has been broke (millenialz and younger set) for awhile now. They car barely scrape the cash for a Sonic. If they hit the jackpot, then they want to go right to the 3 series or Merc CLA. I do think the 3 door Astra OPC would be a fantastic addition to the Buick lineup here.
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Jaguar News: Jaguar Considers A Smaller Crossover
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Jaguar
we wax about why Cadillac's sales are down and think it's because of a whole bunch of things, but really its because they have no crossovers, Jaguar is even starting to put more into crossovers now than sedans. Sedans have become what coupes used to be, 'impractical sports cars'. So many markets are female driven, that's why crossovers have taken over the auto market too.- 10 replies
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ATS= fix Cue, fix pricing and packages, new dash but most importantly, give the car some leg room in the back. The ATS-L body should become the ATS sedan. American lux car intenders have always wanted some room in their car and the ATS doesn't have enough and it would improve sales if it did.
- 28 replies
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- Cadillac
- Cadillac ELR
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55-60 MSRP would have been fine. The interior is gorgeous as is the exterior. Based on style alone, it would have sold alright out of the box marketed that way.
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- Cadillac
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Chevrolet News:Meet the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
I like that the Camaro does not have a huge front end overhang. It's very athletic looking that way. New Mustang still has a sort of big looking overbite in comparison. -
Chevrolet News:Meet the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
The mustang loses the styling battle it looks like ass in comparison -
Chevrolet News:Meet the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
Word! -
Chevrolet News:Meet the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
Perfection. We should be all glad this car exists in the age of electrics and driverless cars. I love this car inside and out. It's bold where the mustang is flaccid. Go GM! This would be an awesome daily driver. Spread the word! This is the new age of the muscle car. Want mpg? U got it. Want to shred tires? You got it. Be glad this exists in the governmental environment we have. GM is hitting it out of the park. Malibu, Volt, Cruze, now this. Spread the word! I even love the Lexus/toyota like interior. This should bring in some Asian Car fans too. -
nice write up.
- 12 replies
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- 2015
- 2015 Kia K900 V8
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Industry News: Vans Are Making A Huge Comeback In the U.S.
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Industry News
i loved that one. Transit SHO lol- 9 replies
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agree with Drew here. Buick can do both, within reason. That 2011 Regal manual I test drove a few weeks ago was just about perfect for me. Fairly quite and nice riding, but not a floater. Still very luxurious. Regal is the best car for it. One that car is redone, lightened etc., it will improve in the market i think. Its not marketed now, and its tight in the rear seat, but the car is a nice size for between small and barge. Adjustable suspensions is one way a lux car maker can do both, cush and sport. I wonder if Cadillacs new rep as drivers cars is taking away from their old cush rep, and affecting their sales.
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BMW News: BMW Gives the 3-Series A Refresh for 2016
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in BMW
maybe we are on the dawn of a time where many car model lines get plug in hybrid options.- 21 replies
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Chevrolet News:Spying: Chevrolet Cruze Minus Camo
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
current Cruze is a classic chevy design and might be the best received Chevy design this decade. However, it was looking dated. This follows up on it, leaves a more laid back look for something cab forwardy (which I hope is coming back). It brings in a futuristic look on the same platform and guts mainly which is amazing. It manages to look American and yet comparable to Asian cars at the same time (like the Civic most particularly). This helps Chevy win over new buyers, particularly Asian intenders. The car also has a youthful look, so will lure in younger buyers as well. If you look at the Volt interior, the Cruze interior will be very close to that also. Its a home run inside and out. With good looks inside and out, new tech and powertrains, more space, this should be a good seller for Chevy. They will overprice it though, and not produce enough for launch plus the existing Cruze will continue...so all that will conspire for a typically slow botched GM car launch. Real curious to see if the diesel actually carries over. If it does, i bet it will hit 50 mpg rating. Fantastic strategy to bring the Cruze and Volt together. Now the Volt is basically a Cruze hatch. Maybe the Cruze will get a hatch option. The grennhouse design of the new Cruze would easily adapt to a coupe (2 door, ahem) as well without much fuss. I think they should bring the 2 door to market too.- 36 replies
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here's that review http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-jeep-renegade-sport-4x4-14t-manual-test-review dealer i bought my cobalt from sent email about 1,000 down, 99 dollar a month lease deals on chevy trax LS FWD, wonder if they want to keep selling units before this renegade gets too popular
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Regal is a better car than it gets credit for. motor trend gave the 14's great accolades. If you are willing to look at used, there are a lot of great prices on lightly used 2014 Regals...........
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In that eassist on buicks thread i started in Buick forum, this was what i posted I am not convinced all these regals are being 'traded in'. I did recongnize there were a buttload of 2014 regals for good deals, but i bet they were fleet vehicles or otherwise dealer vehicles that were titled and then turned used. I can't help but think there is a sub story behind this. The Regal is a good vehicle and the only thing i can think is some old farts bought Regals thinking they were floaters and then found out they were not and maybe wanted the bigger backseat of the lacrosse too. GM prob built a whole batch of 14 regals non turbo for fleets only and those are the used regals we see being 'traded in'. a few turbos in the mix too.
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Chevrolet News:Spying: Chevrolet Cruze Minus Camo
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
like a lot. like a lot.- 36 replies
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Cruze diesel was overpriced. There is interest in the car clearly if you read it on the net, but no one wants to have a Cruze with a 30k sticker. VW sells enough diesel that 5-10,000 cruze diesels a year should not have been a problem. GM needed to offer a version in LT trim and kept the MSRP at about 22 or 23 grand to get people into the showroom. Now all those diesels are sitting as leftovers and actually are getting close to being cheaper than the gas LTZ's etc. Still not cheap enough yet I say..... Problem is now Chevy will have the Malibu hybrid. So that will base out close to what the Cruze diesel did. Chevy's best bet for a diesel now would be to make an Impala diesel. I don't consider the Cruze diesel a failure other than pricing. And diesel fluctuates so much. Last week one place i saw it was only .15 difference. Last couple months it has averaged about a 20-30 cent difference. We need to fix the diesel tax. In general GM has a big problem and so do other makers. They have pushed the limit too far with the rising MSRP's. The market doesn't have enough people making enough dough to support it. The leasing deals can only get them so far and that comes back to bite when the lease turn ins come back en masse. The notion of a Cruze of any kind with a 29k sticker is absurd and so if GM didn't deliberately set up things to fail like only lux trims for the Cruze diesel, or same deal with the SS. I see my hometown dealer moved its new 14 SS over to the used side of the lot. They must have titled it and used it for demo or something. I can see why. SS is a great car but not 45k great. Tying this to Cadillac, we already know how stupid MSRP pricing has hurt Cadillac.......
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- Cadillac
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2014 Chevy Impala LT 2.5 (update 2014 Impala LT 2.4 Eco and 3.6)
regfootball replied to regfootball's topic in Reader Reviews
I finally had a chance to get a short test drive in a v6 Impala today. It was a pre-owned LT 3.6 with about 25,000 miles on it. So that is what I will do. The v6 Impala was a nice drive and therefore, I see reason enough to give the car an A-, even though there is some minor nitpicks left. Overall, it does a very good job of interpeting what a large family sedan could be at this time in the world. Here's a modified HIGHS and LOWS HIGHS sexy shape? yes, even FOUR DOOR COUPE like Nice details Makes good on the promise and premise of a full sized sedan, lots of room and space, front and back and trunk great highway cruiser, in the vein of so many other GM sedans, you can be king of the cornfield states Seating all around is very comfortable. Love the drivers seat and the lumbar Flashy interior Big touchscreen Smooth powertrain with good power Pretty quiet Not a floater, not a sports car. Good blend of cushy ride and handling but not a boat. LOWS Even though it bothered me a lot less this time, it still has a low roof and a bit of a bunker feel. Smaller windows, including a mailslot rear window. Knowing it is for the styling forgives it to a point. If i got one, i would need the moonroof to help with the smash down roof feel. Side windows don't help with that, they are not tall. still the feeling of........ 'dashgasm' Still feels like some cheapness inside. I know its not a LaCrosse or XTS...... Wouldn't mind some more torque from the v6. Maybe a turbo 4 would be the right fit in this car. A diesel would be FANTASTIC in this thing. Crossovers and trucks keep making sedans less and less relevant, maybe the sedans need to evolve to sit a bit higher and have taller roofs........ Depreciation is already a problem with the new body style. Lots of used ones on the market, and selling cheap. Really is a great car, would recommend this just about anyone. -
Jaguar News: Jaguar Details What the XE for North America Will Feature
regfootball replied to William Maley's topic in Jaguar
XE center stack and continental center stack have the same blocky squarish deal going on- 7 replies
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