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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Toyota is a full line brand though so there is going to be more there. But all their products focus on reliability and fuel efficiency is a theme that runs through the brand with the number of hybrids they offer. Even though they have a few guzzlers with old engines like the 4Runner and Tundra. Buick wants to be like a discount Lexus with cushy ride and soft seats with sound deadening, but then you a european sports sedan in the Regal and the Cascada.
  2. smk4565
    But Subaru has an image and a brand message. Buick is a miso-mash of GM product from Europe, South Korea and China and a couple warmed over Chevrolets. Buick doesn't really have a clear message or common trait.
  3. smk4565
    Buick going 100% all wheel drive like Subaru but with a softer, cushy ride for suburbanites who are the opposite of “active lifestyle” could work for them.
  4. smk4565
    I don't think anything will move the needle on Regal sales unless they change the name to "Camry"
  5. smk4565
    So the top trim is front drive only, and no AWD offered? That makes no sense because most people buying the luxury model are going to want all wheel drive.
  6. smk4565
    I like the interior, I think it has a modern look without a lot of buttons and clutter, this is a really strong interior for the segment. Best part of the car I think and MBUX will be interesting since they have used COMMAND for like 15 years. What I don't get is the 188 hp engine, why not the 208 hp engine from the CLA? Just make it all the same. There will be an 300+ hp A35, that should be pretty quick. I don't like the headlights because I don't like the CLS front end either. The tail end looks a bit too much like a Jetta or Mazda, if you took the badges off the back you'd think it was an Asian car I think. Which is not my cup of tea, but I suspect they are targeting buyers around the globe that never bought a Mercedes.
  7. smk4565
    The Envision is the size of a Q5 though. The Cadillac XT3 that doesn't exist yet would be the competitor for the Q3, and I assume Cadillac will build something smaller than XT4 eventually.
  8. smk4565
    Looks like a strong contender in the segment. Interior looks pretty high quality and modern and the outside shape is like mini Bentayga, so that should play well. I think they did a good job here.
  9. smk4565
    He did save this company, I still think FCA is in trouble, but they would be been out of business without him. 66 is pretty young, so that is a shame he passed so early. Interesting year ahead for FCA without Sergio and the COO that stepped down.
  10. smk4565
    Exactly. An options bundle with trim, it is easy profit margin. The Terrain Denali is way over priced, I sat in one and it is basically the same interior of a Terrain SLT that costs $10,000 less. A Terrain Denali is $45k, you can get a Cadillac or Lexus that is much nicer.
  11. smk4565
    Already forgetting $4 per gallon gas? If Oil goes to $200 a barrel we'll have $6-7 gallon gas. And good luck to FCA with their Hellcat strategy. $147 a barrel helped to bankrupt Chrysler and GM, and it would have bankrupted Ford if they didn't mortgage everything they had to get capital in 2006.
  12. smk4565
    Not surprising since there are not any engine choices on the Enclave, just trim levels. And shopping for individual options can be confusing for a customer, so having Denali or Avenir as the "fully loaded" model that also comes with a special name and badging to let people know you got the fully loaded model is easy for the consumer to understand and something they can feel good about. Not having a big price leap also helps, an AMG or M trim can raise the price of a car 50% or more, where as Denali or Avenir aren't such a big leap for a consumer to take.
  13. smk4565
    Carmakers don’t want to build a car 2 ways, and rely on engine control software to meet emissions, so they later lose a lawsuit for having defeat devices in their software.
  14. smk4565
    States rights conservatives use that argument when they don’t like what the Federal Government does and they want something different. Politics aside, I also just read oil could go to $200-$400 per barrel in 2020. That basically will kill gasoline car sales. Oil hit a record high of $147 per barrel in 2008 and everything collapsed. How will these car companies manage $300 a barrel because that means $10 a gallon gas in the USA. 1,000 up votes.
  15. smk4565
    I never said FWD cars don't sell, they sell well in fact. I said the Genesis cars don't sell, so what is a Hyundai N model going to be? Are they going to take Genesis engines and chassis and put it in a car for $50k but use the Hyundai name instead? That will sell worse than the Genesis G80.
  16. smk4565
    15 states which compromise 40% of the US population use California emission rules. CARB has had that waiver for 45 years and it is still standing, Trump can try to revoke it, but 15 states will sue and it will get dragged out in court and California will win because they got granted that waiver and there is no basis to revoke it. California is also the world's 5th largest economy, car companies will bend over backwards to sell there.
  17. smk4565
    The Chinese are showing an EV that has a 435 mile range and 0-60 in under 4 seconds at the LA Auto show. I don't know what this thing will cost, but once they get the cost figured out, they'll probably import those things and sell some cars.
  18. smk4565
    Here is the problem with the N performance brand (besides the general public having no clue what it is), any high power Hyundai is going to be less than a Genesis, or end up with the same engine for the same money as a Genesis. What is Hyundai going to do, make a sedan with a 5.0 liter V8 and charge $50k for it? They tried that and it doesn't sell even with an upscale badge on it. Plus the whole Hyundai line is front drive cars, so you can't do anything with much performance on those, a turbo 4 basically maxes out what those chassis can handle. They could do a coupe version of the G70/Stinger but those probably aren't hot sellers so how poorly will a more expensive coupe sell? The beancounters know all this, that is why nothing good will ever get off the ground. Notice there isn't a twin turbo version of the 5.0 liter V8 making 600+ hp in the Stinger, G80 and G70 sedans, why not? Beancounters.
  19. smk4565
    This is a good move by them, 100 times better to do it in summer rather than winter. Because Auto shows now are more about an entertainment event, and they can do outdoor car cruises, food trucks, bouncy castles or whatever. You don't need the auto show to show off new cars like you did 30 years ago, because they are all on the Internet before the show ever happens.
  20. smk4565
    Sergio did pull Fiat out of bankruptcy and they profited billions from the sale of Ferrari. FCA is still stuck with 2 brands that make money and several that don't, and Maserati is something he wanted to spin off to make a cash grab. I think this company is a mess because they don't have EV's and driverless cars in the works, so they are way behind. Altavilla resigned today also. So we'll see what happens now without the CEO and COO there.
  21. smk4565
    I think it will be near impossible to revoke California's waiver, because CARB pre-dates the EPA and any other agency, and what legal authority do they have to revoke it? Then you get into a political situation where most conservatives will advocate a smaller federal government with states having more power, this does the opposite, it is revoking a state's ability to set laws. As far as the cars go themselves, if these automakers want to lobby for low standards so they can keep their profits up in the short term, you'd think the'd remember what happened in the 1970s. Detroit didn't want to build fuel efficient, they just wanted to make big V8s to get a profit, and the door was left wide open for the Japanese to come in and clean their clocks. China is going to go all EV, and in 10-15 years they'll have EV's that are like today's Tesla at Chevy prices and they will flood this country unless GM, Ford, Toyota, etc beat them too it.
  22. smk4565
    I read Sergio is in extremely serious condition, it sounds like there is nothing they can do for him. A very sad situation. As far as FCA goes, these big corporations usually plan a new CEO at least a year in advance, a sudden change like this can send shockwaves through a company. This is shocking news that the guy who turned around Fiat and has been regarded as one of the great automotive leaders is now gone from the company. Could be a tough year for them ahead.
  23. smk4565
    Jeep is the strongest brand they have so it makes sense. FCA still has the same owner though, so I don't think the product roadmap or plans for their path forward changes at all.
  24. smk4565
    The 5.7 Hemi is probably the worst V8 on the market. If the super dated Nissan 5.6 liter V8 is still around throw that in there too. Most V8s now are in the 450 hp range. If you are going to put a V8 in a car and charge a price premium for it get V8 mileage then you shouldn’t get V6 horsepower. The Corvette had a 400 hp V8 in 2006, the Hemi is still behind that.
  25. smk4565
    Can they build an IS on a Supra platform or would that require BMW's permission? At which point BMW may not want that 3-series competition and veto that idea. The LS and LC are brand new but not selling that well. Combined they are at 4,385 for the first half of the year, the S-class is at 8,425 and Lexus is undercutting Mercedes in price by $15,000 on the sedan and $32,000 on the coupe. Imagine when the LC and LS sit around for 5 years with no improvements, the last LS went 10 years with the same 4.6 liter V8, 10 years! The GS for the year sold less units than the E-class sells in a month, the GS is dead in the water, another car that has gone too long with no powertrain improvements and all they did was put an ugly grill with boy racer looks on the outside with a chopped up mess of an interior on the inside. The RC sells even worse than the GS.
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