Drew Dowdell

Daimler AG says it has lost €1.2 billion ($1.3 Billion) in quarter two 2019. This is the company's first quarterly loss since 2009. Daimler says the primary causes for the loss are airbag recalls and lawsuits and investigations regarding its diesel engines. U.S. and European regulators have gone after diesel engine emissions after Volkswagen AG was caught in 2015 with cheat software in their engine control computers. The fallout has caused Daimler and other manufacturers to recall those vehicles and update the engine control software. Daimler has previously announced cost cutting efforts, including laying off up to 10,000 employees globally. Further cost cutting efforts are pending, however, Daimler declined to comment on such measures until an investor presentation in November. The company did say that it would be reviewing its product portfolio and cutting where needed. Models that have already seen cuts are the Mercedes-Benx X-Class truck and the Mercedes Benz SLC. View full article

The Dodge Caravan is one of the vehicles that helped saved Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. Introduced in November 1983, the Caravan, along with the Plymouth Voyager, was based on the K-Car platform championed by Lee Iaccoca. Chrysler recently re-introduced the Voyager under the Chrysler brand as the low cost entry into the minivan market. The Voyager is a low cost version of the Chrysler Pacifica Minivan that was introduced in 2016. Dodge continued production of the Grand Caravan as the low-cost model while the Pacifica aims for higher end customers. The Voyager, starting at $26,958, will come in three trims, L, LX, and LXi, the last one reserved for fleet buyers. Chrysler has previously taken this two-prong approach of Voyager being the value option and Town & Country being the premium offering during the 2001 - 2007 time frame. Voyager production begins in August 2019 at Chrysler's Windsor Ontario plant and will run alongside the Grand Caravan for now. If you're looking for a Grand Caravan, you have some time left. The Grand Caravan is scheduled to go out of production in May 2020. View full article

I'll expand on this for the latest Lambdas. They all (of the ones I've driven) drive exactly alike when comparing like for like engines. The only one I haven't been in yet is the XT6. But as it is less than a 10th of an inch or so of the Acadia's wheelbase, I don't expect it to drive any better or worse. The outgoing Ford Explorer felt heavier and more solid... primarily because it was. The Durango and Grand Cherokee get the handling benefits of longer wheelbases and rear wheel drive. They ride like luxury cars. The Telluride you saw my thoughts on already. The Atlas is a lot like the Explorer. The Pilot is loud inside, needs sound deadening. Also is a lot faster than numbers suggest. The Highlander I haven't driven in a while, but I would expect it, like the Camry, to be exactly mid-pack. The pathfinder is soft and wallowy. Good for long distance road trips where you need smooth and comfort.

Nissan - The CVT is the first major difference you'll notice. Handling is neutral and the ride on the softer side. The noise from either of the 4-cylinder engines choices is ugly. Toyota - About as mid-pack as you can get. The V6 is a lot faster than it's numbers suggest, and because Toyota has lightened the chassis, it sometimes can have difficulty keeping the power on the road. The 4-cylinder is smoother than a baby's bottom. Mazda - Generally unrecognized as a class above the others, but it is. One of the best handling FWD sedans I've driven. The other that gets that nod and was equally ignored was the previous generation Buick Regal. The 4-cylinder is fine, but not as smooth as the Toyota or Honda. The turbo-4 isn't as impressive as it should be. Honda (you didn't ask, but I'll answer the rest anyway) - The latest Accord is the best mid-size sedan on the market in terms of ride and handling. It doesn't quite have the balance of the Mazda, feeling a tiny bit nose heavy even though there is only a 4-cylinder up there. Holy sh!t the 2.0 Turbo is fast as heck. It's one of my few exceptions to the "No more turbo four" rule I have for my household. Chevy - The Malibu is an okay, but not great car. It's eclipsed by those listed above. Two generations ago(the one I think you have/had), it would have ranked higher. Ford - The Fusion is oddly Germanic. Ford did a great job with the chassis. It's a shame they are tossing it in the bin. VW - The Passat is oddly American. It drives and feels big. It's not a handler. Weaksauce engines anymore. Hyunda and Kia - The Sonata and Optima are like every other Hyundai or Kia.... almost there, but not quite. (Exception: Telluride) Engine noise is an issue and the suspension is unnecessarily stiff such that they slam over road imperfections. Subaru - haven't driven one lately. That said, driven in normal traffic, none of the above are going to stand out (in a good way) from the others except maybe the Mazda which puts a tiny bit more fun into cornering. It is only the detractors that you'll really notice. A different class, but I want to point out one standout in the compact class. The Mazda 3. Mazda snuck into Audi's kitchen at night and stole the recipe. The Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Chevy, Ford, and others are pretty milquetoast. The Sentra is a wreck.

You are right that they aren't badge jobs like the GMT360s were, but they're still too close for comfort, particularly when they all drive basically the same.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Ford is accused of falsifying fuel economy numbers in the Ford F-150 and Ford Ranger. The suit is seeking class-action status and aims to collect $1.2 Billion in damages. The law firm, Hagens Berman, says that consumers are spending up to $2,000 more in fuel over the lifetime of the truck due to misleading EPA numbers. Back in February of this year, Ford launched an investigation into its own EPA emissions and fuel economy certification process after an anonymous tip line at Ford received concerns that there were issues with the test. The concern surrounds Road Load, a vehicle-specific resistance level used in dynamometer testing. Too much or too little resistance will alter the results of the emissions and fuel economy. Road load is determined through engineering estimates that are then validated on the track. Ford already hired an outside firm to investigate their testing, with the Ranger the first to go through re-testing. The suit alleges that the F-150, by far Ford's best selling vehicle, is also subject to the same issue as the Ranger. Ford is declining to comment on the lawsuit at this time. View full article

No, it isn't sarcasm. There is no reason a similar sized FWD and RWD crossover can't sit in the same showroom. Ford is doing it. Lincoln is doing it. Infiniti is doing it. The Ford Explorer looks fantastic and has great proportions visually, however the move to RWD made some compromises on interior room. If you want the most space for your dollar, you need a Traverse or Pilot.

I haven't driven 2.0 yet, as it's only in Japan, and not till fall. It sounds like it is ever so slightly more advanced since it can get instructions from the NAV system. Cadillac's doesn't do that currently and it will just keep you on the same highway until you run out of highway to be on.

I think GM needs a 3rd (4th?) SUV platform that is RWD.

Nissan is releasing the next version of ProPilot in Japan in the fall of 2019 on the new Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G50 to us Yanks), but here in the U.S., we'll need to wait a bit longer while the system undergoes further testing and mapping of the US highway system. ProPilot 2.0 makes a big jump in autonomous driving capability, the biggest of which is true hands-off highway driving. The system can switch lanes and pass cars, but those moves require a hands on approach from the driver. ProPilot 2.0 also takes orders from the Navigation system, while using seven cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 sonar sensors to pilot the car. The system will only work on highways where the roads have been mapped in 3D High-Definition. Japan's more compact nature means that most of the roads there have already been scanned. The US, with its wide open space will take longer to map. Currently ProPilot Assist (1.0) is offered only on the Leaf, Rogue, Rogue Sport, and Altima. In the US, 60 percent of Leaf buyers and 40 percent of Rogue buyers opt for the 1.0 version of the system. Eventually Nissan wants to expand ProPilot to 20 models. View full article

Getting old, semi-handicapped people into the second row of a true coupe is going to be too difficult. I'd probably aim for a '16 or '17, preferably a CLS550 with Distronic+ But none of that matters until I get a nice phone call from my real estate broker.

I'd really prefer a coupe, but it's not practical, besides, I have my Toronado for a true coupe.

Elon Musk has been pretty vocal about the coming Tesla Pickup, making claims that it will be better than an F-150 and be able to tow 300,000 lbs. So far, however, Tesla's pickup truck is vaporware that can't even be seen yet. Ford meanwhile, has been working hard on an EV version of their F-150, and unlike the Tesla truck, it can be seen. Rather than talk smack, Ford made its actions louder than words. They linked up 10 double-decker rail cars filled with 42 2019 F-150s weighing in at more than one million pounds, that's more than 1000 ft of train and trucks, and then tied that to the back of the F-150 EV prototype. And the all electric F-150 did the pull twice. Naturally, there is a disclaimer at the bottom saying that the truck is towing way more than any production truck's capacity. But if you're ever wondering if the "Built Ford Tough" slogan is true, here's your video proof of it. Ford Plans on introducing seven electric vehicles by 2022, including an all-new EV "performance utility" with styling inspired by the Mustang for 2020 with a rumored 370 mile range. Ford has also invested $500 million into startup truck and SUV maker Rivian to gain access to Rivian's skateboard platform. View full article

Yeah, but I like the CLS better. The E-Class just looks like airport black-car service to me (since I usually buy in black).

Na, not yet. Not till my rental property sells. I could go with a CLS though, I'm pretty sure that has a shorter wheelbase

I don't buy new anymore, so there would be at least one interim vehicle before an Aviator. At the moment, I'm browsing used S-Classes, but like the CT6, I don't know if I can get one in my driveway.

I like that Lincoln is going back to air suspension at least on this vehicle if not others also. One of the things I liked most about my '85 Continental was the air ride.

They already did.... with a lazy entry into the segment of the XT6

Found some better pics, including one of the solar roof.

A Legacy Limited XT might be a good compromise car for Albert and I. He'd never go for the Outback... no wagons.