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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    People are leaving sedans because they aren't as practical as SUVs, so some car makers like this Chrysler see the answer to make a less practical, swoop sedan that is going to have even less interest. The Mercedes CLS is dead, and I feel like the BMW 8-series grand coupe and Audi A7 won't be far behind it, they are just behind the curve. And here comes Chrysler, 20 years after the original CLS trying a sweeping roofline coupe, sort of looks like he Mercedes EQXX concept. I doubt they actually build this, and it won't have level 4 self driving tech since the only car with level 3 tech is the S-class (and EQS) and Chrysler is probably a decade behind the S-class. Best to move the Pacifica to rename it Dodge Grand Caravan, close up Chrysler.
  2. smk4565
    I did read that Ford is working on a low cost EV platform. That is what they really need, because you need volume to make EV's work, and you can't get volume with $100,000+ products. What about domestic built SUVs? The BMW X7, Volvo XC90, Toyotas, Mercedes GLS are made in the USA, Stellantis makes SUVs in the USA. But Toyota or Volvo would never put that kind of power in anything, and Mercedes is going to axial flux motors, and ditching the radial motors it seems, so that rules them out.
  3. smk4565
    The upmarket Jeeps aren't selling either. The Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale are on the Compass platform, which neither of them are selling, but I wouldn't be surprised if they keep those around for another 8-10 years.
  4. smk4565
    But most AWD "SUVs" are operating 90-95% FWD and sending maybe 10% of torque to the rear wheels, a lot can't even send more than 50% power to the rear. That AWD Kia Seltos is probably not any better in snow than a FWD Malibu with snow tires. Different story if the AWD system can send 100% power front or rear and has diff lockers and things of that nature. But it is still 4 wheel drive, not 4 wheel stop, and it seems like when it snows, it is the pick up trucks you see sliding off the road more than cars do.
  5. smk4565
    That's actually too much power I think for the rear axle because you'd have to have a front motor would a few hundred horsepower for all wheel drive. I heavy SUV with even 700 hp, let alone 900 will go through a set of tires every 5,000 miles. But everyone wants to win the EV horsepower wars and have 1,000+ hp. Hopefully the horsepower wars end soon and they put their effort into developing lighter weight and lower cost batteries. Ford has an almost 8 month supply of Mach-E's sitting on dealer lots right now. They don't need bigger, more powerful, more expensive EV's, they need cheaper ones.
  6. smk4565
    AWD is over rated, what you or other people need are snow tires. But we hardly get snow here anyway. Agree though on the Trax is just a slightly lifted hatchback, it may become the new Cruze that gets the reputation for just being cheap junk. Probably a Civic or Mazda 3 hatchback is a better play at that price point.
  7. smk4565
    The problem with that is the Ioniq 6 is $15,000 more expensive than a Sonata. Much like the EV6 is $15-20,000 more than the Sportage of the same size. If their plan is to replace all the ICE cars with $40,000+ EV's, good luck with that. And I wouldn't even be surprised if the Bronco Sport gets stale and Ford kills it like Jeep killed the Renegade and Cherokee. They are probably scheming In Dearborn on how to make the Ranger the entry level Ford at a $39,995 starting price.
  8. smk4565
    I think the Soul dies after this generation and the K5 is dead too, that one didn't last long. And the Nissan Versa and Altima die after 2025 model year as do the Ford Escape and Edge. Because all buyers want $50,000, 3 row crossovers according to car manufacturer market research.
  9. smk4565
    I sort of forgot the Kicks was still around. I think the Soul, Versa and Mirage are due to be discontinued in 2024. Also if Tesla really does deliver on a sub $30,000 car that has a point of sale $7500 credit, I think a $22,500 Tesla will sell in ridiculous volume when you look at some of these cars are about that price.
  10. smk4565
    This thing is way dated by now. The Ford strategy to cancel minivans and sedans because they can't compete with the Asians now seems to be transferring to crossovers, as Ecosport and Edge are gone and the Escape is next. Seems like they just want to make Broncos and pickup trucks.
  11. smk4565
    $42k to start, no thanks. The old Traverse/Enclave/Acadia with the 3.6 are known to not be reliable, I don't know if this will be any better. But what I do know is the Highlander and Grand Highlander will be more reliable and either of those or a Telluride or Palisade is a better option than the Chevy/GMC or Ford Explorer for that matter.
  12. smk4565
    Point being that the Compass is a ripoff at anything in the $35-45k range. A loaded up Kia Seltos is about $32k. At $45k we are talking Lexus/Audi compact crossover money.
  13. smk4565
    Yeah that is kind of nuts that you need to make $100k a year to afford a new car.
  14. smk4565
    I think it looks good, and much better than the last one, so credit to the design team. A $5,000 jump is a lot, but starting at $33k and topping out around $50k isn't too bad considering you can spend $35-40k pretty easily on a smaller size class CRV or Ford Escape. They had to get some separation from the Tucson, so if this drives well and is built well, and isn't just good looks, this could be well worth the price. The only downside is it is another example of every car is going up market and getting expensive, at some point they will price so many people out.
  15. smk4565
    You can actually price a Compass Limited well over $45k without even going to a Trailhawk. But here is the problem with the Compass in one screen shot with similar equipment and features:
  16. smk4565
    The Compass is smaller than a Honda HRV or Chevy Trax/Trailblazer, and the same size as a Mazda CX-30 or Kia Seltos. The Cherokee before they killed it was actually about the size of the Rav4 and CRV. That makes the price even more not worth it, I haven't driven a Compass or a Seltos, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Seltos or CX-30 were better and they cost like $5,000 less. Jeep is a mess outside of the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, and really Stellantis is a mess outside of the Ram 1500, the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. Fiat - Gone Alfa - sales disaster Chrysler - 1 minivan that is dated Dodge - 1 Alfa Romeo that is overpriced and built on the same disaster platform of the Compass, and a 13 year old Durango on 17 year old Daimler platform Maserati - even greater sales disaster Ram - killed the Promaster City, Promaster is the worst van of the full sizers The whole thing is a mess.
  17. smk4565
    Kia is also moving up market, dropping the Rio, K5, the Soul is dying too. They want you to buy Tellurides and EV's for $55k. They are all moving up market because they think there is an endless amount of people that can afford $55k new cars, but there aren't. Tesla if they really deliver on the sub $30k compact crossover before tax credit will take massive market share since by then people won't be able to afford Kias and Mazdas anymore.
  18. smk4565
    So they should have stuck with the turbo 4? And invested in EV's rather than an inline 6?
  19. smk4565
    Well if they kill the Compass next and make the Grand Cherokee the "entry level" Jeep, they are in real trouble.
  20. smk4565
    Except the CX-70 wheelbase is longer than a BMW X7 or a Chevy Traverse. This is a 202 inch long vehicle that only seats 5. I don't get the point of making a CX-90 with 2 less seats. Why spend the R&D and marketing and certification budget to just cannibalize sales you are already getting with the CX-90? I appreciate Mazda making rear drive, inline six, the long hood and short overhang rear like a German car. If you want performance that is the formula to follow. Although the other mystery to me is how a 3.3 liter turbo 6 makes 280 hp when any garden variety NA V6 from 10 years ago was making over 300 hp. The 340 hp variant should be the base tune, and if they were even going to have a high output they should be making 440 hp easily. If they really want to take on BMW they better step their game up, but I think no one is cross shopping a BMW and a Mazda, and Mazda's quest to go up market is probably just going to accelerate their demise since they are way behind on the EV game and they don't have the money to really get into it. Who is really buying $60,000 CX-90s? Go buy a Lexus for less money if you want reliablity and resale value. You can see it now, go drive a CX-90 and remove the 3rd row seat. LOL
  21. smk4565
    I can see the new advertisement now: "The all-new Wagoneer S, now with more Chevy Blazer!" It is hard to tell what Jeep is doing with their whole brand. Sales are down about 36% since 2019, and they just killed the Renegade so they'll probably drop more. The Gladiators are like $10,000 off now since no one wants them, and no one wants the Wagoneer either because it is way overpriced.
  22. smk4565
    I think it is good to go EV for these because delivery vans that make the same route every day and are that predictable in mileage are a good case for EV's. They should also stop delivering on Saturdays, that is just a waste of labor cost and gasoline on the current vehicles. The Grumman LLV's get like 16 or 17 mpg despite being a 2.2 lier 4 cylinder or whatever they have. I wonder if there will be a big surplus auction to sell off the 190,000 LLV's?
  23. smk4565
    Ford has zero quality control.
  24. smk4565
    I wonder how long this knobby tires and plastic body cladding like it's a 90s Pontiac Montana minivan will continue? Everyone does it, Subaru Wilderness, Kia X-pro, Ford Timberline, Honda Trailsport, etc. And none of those crap can go off road, nor are the people that guy these going to try. Also sick of headlights in the bumper and running lights up on the hood. Why not just make one headlamp assembly and cut manufacturing cost and cut repair costs? For example, if you have a front end impact with a Hyundai Tucson, because you have 4 light assemblies, 2 of which are over $1000 and 2 are over $1500, you are looking at $5,000 just for lamps, on a Subaru Forrester you'd pay less than $2,000. Otherwise I find all these small crossovers boring, they all look the same, have the same features, the same mini displacement turbo 3 or 4 cylinder engine, etc. Yawn.
  25. smk4565
    That's a good time for a crossover but some gas crossovers are faster, and the Model S Plaid and Taycn are like in the 7:20s I think. But for a crossover like vehicle 7:49 is a strong time.
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