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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    ATS was designed to be the lightest car in the class, the whole "every gram matters" philosophy they talked about. But some other guys got lighter, or got roomier and bigger while not adding any weight, and most of the ATS weight advantage in 2013 was in comparing an NA 4 cylinder ATS to a turbo 4 BMW and a V6 Mercedes. Low weight is nice, it isn't the way to win buyers. If it drives like a tin can, or has no interior space, or a cheap interior, no one will care what it weighs. So how does the CLA get away with it since, in lower to mid level trims, it suffers from a lot of the same issues? The CLA 2.0T is $3,000 cheaper starting price than an ATS 2.0. At $40k the CLA is pretty well optioned and it gets 38 mpg highway in fwd models. It also has a sporty look to it, so I think styling and the fuel efficiency help it sell, and no doubt the 3-spoint star on the front is a big factor. I never drove a CLA, so I can't speak to how it drives, from sitting in them, they don't feel luxurious, but they feel well put together, sort of how I see a VW Passat. It isn't luxury, but you get a sense that is made solid.
  2. smk4565
    ATS was designed to be the lightest car in the class, the whole "every gram matters" philosophy they talked about. But some other guys got lighter, or got roomier and bigger while not adding any weight, and most of the ATS weight advantage in 2013 was in comparing an NA 4 cylinder ATS to a turbo 4 BMW and a V6 Mercedes. Low weight is nice, it isn't the way to win buyers. If it drives like a tin can, or has no interior space, or a cheap interior, no one will care what it weighs.
  3. smk4565
    If you think it is heavy now, what do you think it would weigh with a Voltec system? It would be over 4200 lbs. I do think the center stack is really cheap in this car, I am not a fan of the slider bars or swath of black plastic that is supposed to be touch sensitive for buttons. It reminds me of a last generation Ford Edge. Cadillac should put real buttons and knobs in cars, things that have a tactile touch and make a click when you turn or push it.
  4. smk4565
    I love when Sergio goes to Formula 1 races and sits in pit garage in his sweater (even though it is hot out) and has to watch his precious Ferrari lose to Mercedes over and over again.
  5. smk4565
    An obvious result, as one of these companies builds the Best or Nothing, the other two dress up Camrys and Fusions. Similar price, but the GLC is a small vehicle, it is sized more like the NX250 and MKC. I guess that would have been feeding the lambs to the the wolves, so they went with the MKX and RX350. What is amazing is the MKX Ecoboost with 380 lb-ft of torque could only manage 6.2 0-60 seconds while a 4-cylinder GLC could do it in 6.3 seconds. I can't wait to see what the GLC43 does, with an extra 100 hp, it has to be in the low 5's. Plus they have a V8 on the way, I'd like to see Lexus put a V8 in the RX, but they won't ever do that because they are S-A-W-F-T..... Saaaaaaaaaawft.
  6. smk4565
    100,000+ vehicles at $1,000 average, that is a $100 million mistake. Whether they faked the label or just did it by accident costly either way.
  7. smk4565
    That sounds like my kind of highway.
  8. smk4565
    Seems like all these car makers cheat. Autobahn does have high speed. The crap cars are probably doing 90 while at high rpm, the BMWs and Mercedes probably doing 120.
  9. smk4565
    If they can charge an upgrade fee to get a 153 HP 1.4 liter enging, I bet they could charge $5,000 for a 197 HP 2.5 liter.
  10. smk4565
    But if you stand still you get passed up.
  11. smk4565
    You'd think that Buick being a premium over Chevy would make the 153 hp engine standard, since the Traxx has the 138. A Mazda CX-3 has 146 hp, a Jeep Renegade 160 hp. On an unrelated note, they should offer an extended length Traxx, with a fixed rear glass panel roof and sliding/reclining rear seats. They can call it the Traxx Maxx.
  12. smk4565
    Needs an RS model with a 1.6 or 1.8 liter turbo with 200 hp. The Buick Cascada engine could work. I agree with Hyper, if you put 300 hp, awd, etc in a Cruze it becomes a $35,000 Cruze and no one wants a $35,000 Cruze. A 1.6 liter turbo doesn't really cost any more than a 1.4 liter turbo, an RS package could cost $2,000 with the bigger engine, 18" wheels, bigger brakes, some sport styling, etc. Then you have a $26,000 Cruze RS and a $24,000 Cruze LTZ. Or whatever they cost, I didn't look at pricing, but they can make a 200 hp Cruze affordable, and under $25k probably.
  13. smk4565
    I am sure the body of the ELR could work on D2XX with little change to the design. The Buick Cascada 1.6 liter turbo could serve as the engine. The size of the ELR is very close to the 2017 Cruze, they might have to tweak a few things here to there, but it shouldn't need too much redesign. The interior might have to change more to fit with other D2xx cars, but most of the Cadillac center stack is the same in every car, so you just fit that in there. Then you have your sub-ATS car, your sleek looking car to appeal to young people, your CLA/A3 fighter all rolled into one. Yes it would be a 2+2 coupe, but I doubt CLA buyers are using that back seat much anyway.
  14. smk4565
    They should recycle the ELR body/chassis and put a turbo 4 cylinder with about 200 hp, maybe a 1.6T base fwd a 2.0t optional with awd. Call it CT2, base price of $32,990 and there is your CLA competitor. Take out the batteries and back seat room and trunk space increase. ATS later becomes CT3, base price of $34,990.
  15. smk4565
    You can get a 305 HP Lacrosse for less money than a 197 HP Envision. As far as spare tires go, very few cars now have one. Take out the tire and jack and engineers just saved 50 lbs of weight. And the marketing people get to write about a car being lighter and more fuel efficient.
  16. smk4565
    The base price is very competitive, it starts below Avalon, Maxima, Cadenza, and Azera, and I think it is probably better than those 4 cars, at least judging by interior photos and you get the 300 hp V6 standard with 8 speed. I would bet that every GM product except the Corvette is capable of all wheel drive, they just choose not to put it on every product. They could make a all wheel drive Chevy Sonic, but they want you to pay $5,000 more on a Chevy Trax to get an all wheel drive Sonic. This may change with the 2025 CAFE number, car makers may start selling all wheel drive Corollas and Civics to pull people out of crossovers back to cars.
  17. smk4565
    I hope the Model 3 is a success. Tesla can transform the business and the way people travel. I think it would be great if solar and wind power and battery tech got good enough that we didn't need gasoline in the United States. That is a huge shift in the way things have been done for 100+ years. And it gives us cleaner air, and says screw you to the Middle East and their oil. One interesting point, GM has a market cap. of $47 billion, Tesla has a market cap of $28 billion. Tesla isn't some little guy that can just be bought up.
  18. smk4565
    If the truck is designed for Latin America, Europe and Middle East, it probably isn't being designed to be a luxury truck. Which makes me think they would go after the commercial market in the US. Which is a small market. But I don't think there is a big market for luxury mid-size trucks either.
  19. smk4565
    M-B has average transaction prices that far exceed others in the luxury segment. The way the E-class and S-class dominate their segments, would suggest that there is no problem with their image. I think MB-USA would rather wait for the final product, and see how it is received elsewhere, and see if there is any demand for it in the USA. This probably isn't going to be a luxury truck, but a pickup with a Sprinter dash board.
  20. smk4565
    Engine downsizing isn't going away, I think you'll see a turbo 4 in the Silverado in the early 2020s. The 2.0T could easily be the base engine. I would bet in 2025 only Silverado HD 2500 and 3500s have a V8, by then even the Ford Super Duty might be ecoboost V6 as the big engine.
  21. smk4565
    I think they have forgotten how to build a performance car. Even when you look at Lexus, the F-sport cars are mostly just trim packages with wheels and body moldings. Their big gun engine in the GS F and RC F is a V 8 with 387 lb-ft of torque. A 5 liter liter V8 with 460 or 470 hp whatever it makes is pretty awesome for a smaller car, or mid-level product, but that is their range topper. When Cadillac and the Germans have near 600 hp and torque in cars. It is a mystery to me why Lexus hasn't put turbos on the 3.5 V6 or the 5.0 V8 yet. Even Fusions, Malibus and Sontas are turbocharged now, this isn't some exclusive high dollar technology. A 1990s Toyota Supra turbo could do 0-60 in 4.6 seconds with a 13.1 second 1/4 mile. 20 years later a GS-F is 0-60 in 4.4 seconds with a 12.9 second 1/4 mile. They aren't much further ahead now than they were in the 90s. And when you look at Toyota brand itself, they have nothing that could hold a candle to the 90s Supra in terms of performance. Toyota is more bean counter driven than GM is. Every product they make is bland, boring, reliable transportation, their 2.4 liter and 3.5 liter engine have been around over a decade with little change. They just want to milk basic powertrains in basic sedans and crossovers for as long as possible.
  22. smk4565
    I don't know if FCA needs both Chrysler and Dodge. They need Ram and Jeep. But the Pacifica could be a Dodge, if the 300 were FWD, why not make it a Dodge if the Charger continues as RWD. If the LX platform is dead, and the Dart is dead, then the Journey can become a Chrysler, Pacifica and 300 stay at Chrysler. There just doesn't seem to be enough product to feed two brands. And neither brand will be luxury or performance, because Sergio thinks Alfa Romeo is luxury and performance, and Maserati super luxury and performance. All FCA needs is one middle of the road brand, with a minivan, a crossover and a couple sedans.
  23. smk4565
    I also dislike SUVs and wouldn't want to drive any of them. If I had to pick one I would go with the Jaguar F-Pace. It is probably the most car like and with 340 hp it should move pretty well. I'd consider a GLC43 also but that isn't priced yet.
  24. smk4565
  25. smk4565
    I would drive the GNX over the M3. But if it was any car from 1987, it would be a 560SL, even though I think the 190E still looks good now.
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