bobo

Happy birthday wmj!

BV, nice to see you show up, and that Delorean is beyond awesome.

It's perplexing how someone thought that selling Fiats in the this country was a good idea, and then to have the initial lone model be a mini-clown car. I think someone had Mini-envy. I also don't think that anybody's breaking down doors to buy an Alfa either.

I was also thinking immediately of the MB GLK, more so the pre-refreshed, less melted version: It's not that the details are the same, but the look of having a jutting, squarish nose. The horizontal bars of the grille of the Escalade also break from the current Cadillac themes, and almost look like an oversize version from a Chrysler or Hyundai car.

Blocky looking. Not sure how I feel about the taillight treatment.

The Regal is actually one of my favorite cars. It drives better than the Acura TL or TSX. I think its difficulties are due to (1) it started out as a German import, which never sell well for GM, (2) it doesn't look very Buicky, which is not necessarily a bad thing in appealing to a younger demographic, and (3) interior room is too close to the Verano. The Lacrosse drives like an old persons car and appeals to a different kind of buyer. It needs to grow to become more of a full-sizer and give the Regal some breathing room, but the Regal also needs to grow a little bit to get some distance from the Verano. Buicks should remain primarily FWD with optional AWD and be an upmarket option to Chevrolet. Although wagons don't sell well, a wagon version would give the Regal its own niche for those who don't care for crossovers (the Insignia wagon looks great).

desert

Cool. I love the Soul, and this just makes it better. One rumor is that it will have a 124 mile range.

comber

In the last couple of days: Ferrari California circa 1990 Plymouth Horizon America 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT Lamborghini Gallardo 2014 Corvette Stingray (at the dealership, pre-prepped)

Happy birthday MM!

Toyota has nailed this segment, though I find the looks to be a step backwards. The nose unfortunately has adopted the snout of the Corolla instead of being a softer version of the 4Runner. Removing the rear tire and placing it under the cargo hold is a huge improvement. The prior Sport model traded the rear-mounted tire with expensive run-flats. It's a wonder why GM hasn't had a model compete directly with it (other than the Captiva), though it sounds like the next Equinox will.

I would venture to say that most people on this board consider themselves to be good drivers, but I would also guess that most have been in crashes as well, whether at their own fault or others. I know that there appears to be an overall sentiment against these electronic nannies and anything that corrupts the pure driving experience, but I for one would appreciate technology that would avoid crashes. If that POS Tempo I drove at work years ago had Brake Assist, maybe I wouldn't have rear-ended that Volvo. Or if that Buick I passed had blind spot detection, maybe my Nissan pickup wouldn't have been sideswiped and totaled. I could make similar statements about crashes my family members or others I know have been in. However, if we start to depend upon these technologies to drive, then I would agree that's a problem.

The number of fatalities on the road in the U.S. actually experienced a rare uptick lately. In 2011, 34,067 died, but in 2012 that increased to 34,080. There has historically been a downward trend because of safer vehicles, safer roads, increased seatbelt use, and more DUI awareness. I suspect the increase has to do with an increase in traffic in an improving economy, but also more distracted driving-type accidents, such as texting and driving. I don't see drivers become more engaged in driving with more infotainment systems in vehicles. Automated vehicles could increase the number of vehicles able to utilize the existing infrastructure. Some studies have shown that you can move triple the number of vehicles by having them not only travel closer together, but moving together. There is also a lot of research going on with vehicles communicating with each other and vehicles communicating with the infrastructure, such as the vehicle knowing what the traffic signal ahead is doing so that the vehicle can accelerate or decelerate to maximize fuel efficiency. All sorts of research is going on in Silicon Valley in California with the major automakers. This will be the future. Is this needed in rural America? Probably not, but the majority of fatal crashes occur in rural areas, so there are potentially huge safety benefits there.

wench

The Scion has the hp advantage. I actually like the looks of the Versa Note. The only car in this segment I've driven is the Fiesta, and the engine in that thing is too weak.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) did a study that showed 57% of the crashes were due solely to the drivers, and another 36% due to the interaction of the driver with the vehicle and/or roadway. That's 93% of all crashes due to some sort of driver error. Every year in the U.S., 32,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes, and over 2 million people are injured. Self-driving vehicles and all those other electronic doodads do have a lot of potential in reducing the carnage on the roadways that is overwhelmingly due to bad drivers. My fear is that drivers start to depend on these systems or drive more aggressively because they have them.

ball peen hammer

Wow. I don't understand the appeal of any of the current Volvos and why anybody here would want to buy one. I don't think a 4-cylinder flagship will help any.

Got some Bridgestone Revo 2's for my Silverado a couple of weeks ago. So far, so good. I lean towards BFGoodrich Comp T/As or Bridgestone Potenzas for my cars.

squad

Scion has what they call "Pure Price", which is supposed to be no haggle. To get around that, some dealers negotiate trade-in or accessory price.

chemistry

I've been happy with my Samsung Note II. It has great battery life. I won't plan to get the Note III, initially at least. The next generation of Samsung phones is supposed to have a more premium feel, but I have no problem with plastic, which makes them lighter. I'll be replacing my work BlackBerry Bold with either a Samsung Galaxy S4 or an iPhone, but I'll probably stick with Android and the bigger screen of the Samsung. I can't say that I'll miss any of the 10 so BlackBerrys that I have had, other than they have good battery life.

There are some awkward lines outside, and the GMC comes off looking better than the Chevy. The housing for the GMC headlights look as if they are to be shared with the Escalade. They appear to have done the interiors right.