Drew Dowdell

I've said for a while that if there is such a thing as a 4-door luxury crossover coupe, the Infiniti FX was the first of the kind, not Mercedes.

Mazda is positioning themselves as a manufacturer of cars for other brands. I'm half surprised that Toyota didn't partner with them for the new Supra. I think Mazda will survive. Nissan and Renault need to consolidate their companies into one. They're running as separate entities and could stop a lot of overlap with a true merger. China hasn't figured out the US market just yet and with unpredictable tariffs being thrown about, they may never do. The only way the Chinese quickly is via another manufacturer like Volvo.

What are you doing that your ears are getting caught in windows, but only ones with frameless glass?!

The economy is in such a weird spot right now. GDP was high, but it was mostly an increase in inventories. Unemployment is low, but that's mostly that people who have been out of work stopped looking for work. There were 225k some jobs created last month, but the economy needs about 200k jobs a month to keep up with population growth. The one good thing is that wages for the lowest paid workers are starting to climb and it isn't have an inflationary effect. New car inventories being so high is a bad sign though. Hopefully they'll put out some incentives to move metal.

He's already got a 4x4 Jeep, he should be fine

What's everyone think of the Enspire that is the article pic?

lol, well we got off topic really quick.

That was still an SUV. They're talking about something shaped like an Avalanche but with a sedan like trunk for the bed. There was the Lincoln Blackwood with a carpet lined bed.

The current Durango is a good looker, but I think it's on its way out.

once it pops, the whole economy is going to start to tumble.

This Benz diesel is supposed to be very clean... assuming they didn't cheat with software.

Yeah, but it seems much worse where you are.

So... an Avalanche.

and claim to have invented it.

That's an ohio thing

Subaru and Volvo already tried that.

Sorry about that. It was a permissions issue that has now been fixed.

The third gen was really ugly until it got a refresh (pictured above) but that wasn't enough to save it.

I still hate the term crossover coupe.

Buick is reportedly working on a crossover coupe to add to its lineup in the US. This vehicle would be in addition to, rather than replace, any vehicles in the current lineup. Most of Buick's recent lineup has been a rebadge of some other brand's designs, this new vehicle would be a departure from that with Buick leading the design process from the start. CarDesignNews was shown some sketches and models of future Buicks and what they saw would "turn everything you think about Buick on its ear". It is a bold design that will shock people both inside and outside the industry. The designs would feel familiar without using specific cues. Buick also took the time to insist that Buick would not become a China-only brand even though 4 out of every 5 Buicks are sold there. The bulk of the design work takes place in Warren, Michigan, while smaller design teams work in Shanghai, Melbourne, and near Seoul. As far as the name, Buick has trademarked Enspire for the U.S., so that has a strong possibility of coming to fruition. No timeline is set for the release of the new crossover, but the overhaul of the Buick look is well underway. View full article

you know... looking back, that final Dakota wasn't too bad looking. I wonder what they go for used.

RAM sees a Dakota-sized hole in their lineup and FCA CEO Mike Manley says he wants that hole filled fast. Part of the issue is that Ram currently does not have a platform to use for a mid-size pickup. The Jeep Gladiator, while considered a mid-size, has a different mission in life. It is positioned, and priced, as a premium product with an MSRP starting over $33,000 where competitors like the Ranger and Colorado start in the mid-$20k range. Furthermore, the new product will not be built on the Gladiator platform, further increasing costs and development time. The current estimate is that the Dakota, if that's what it is called, will be introduced in the 2022 time frame. That puts RAM rather late to market as Ford has recently released the Ranger, and a new Nissan Frontier is on the way, and even Mitsubishi is working on a truck. In the meantime, RAM plans to keep building the RAM 1500 classic for an extended period of time alongside the new 2020 RAM 1500 model. Fleet and commercial customers like the lower price of the RAM Classic and sales have remained brisk. View full article