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Drew Dowdell

Editor-in-Chief
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    That's a good point about the Cherokee
  2. Drew Dowdell
    @smk4565 a troll who can't even get basic facts right even when he has been reminded of them many many many multiple times. More than 12 volt power? Welcome to a 2008 Malibu Hybrid. 48 volts is not some magic number... The Prius uses more than 48 volts as does...the Volt. OMG wHY iS mERcedES so F@r bEhinD gm!!!n??!?
  3. Drew Dowdell
    Where is Mercedes' super cruise? What's the matter? Are they too cheap? Where is their plug-in with 40 miles ev range? Still too cheap? Why do Mercede's power trains consistently lag Cadillac's in output for a given configuration? Why does it take a V8 from Benz to exceed a Turbo 6 from Cadillac? Why can't Benz build a Turbo 6 to beat Cadillac without throwing electric motors on it to help out? Too cheap? Why can't Benz build a suspension that has faster reaction time than Cadillac? I guess they're just too cheap Or you're just a troll.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    You're just a troll. The German brands did a lot of hand wringing over adding AWD and a lot of purists bashed them for it. Where is BMW's or Mercedes' four wheel steering? I guess they're just too cheap to do it.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    M5 is AWD, CTS-V is not. It's purely a traction issue.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    No, they just released updates of the i8 a few months ago.
  7. Drew Dowdell
    I have been actively deleting old posts of mine. Every time the "On this day" comes up, I go back and delete about 75% of the old stuff. I've left a bunch of groups. I've killed access for most of the apps I have connected. I'm dialing back a lot. My aim is to make that data substantially less valuable to the likes of the political apparatus.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    You missed a word
  9. Drew Dowdell
    That's odd... I thought the Touareg was getting canceled. Anyway... this should be proof in the pudding once and for all of who is right about FWD v RWD in crossovers, me or @smk4565. Since the Touareg is RWD biased, it should fly off the lots at a much higher rate than the FWD Atlas according to SMK. Since they're both basically brand new and from the same manufacturer, this is just about the fairest comparison possible. I think the Atlas will do better. I'll even give the Touareg a percentage handicap based on price (10% higher price means it can sell 10% lower in numbers, etc) Who do you think will win this one?
  10. Drew Dowdell
    That is a really sharp little hatch. It's a shame Americans won't buy them.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    If you get that, I'll be making a trip up to visit you and take it out for an extended drive and review. Not joking.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    When Mini was launched, Mini should never have been the name.... it should have been Cooper. Then you can have the Cooper Mini, the Cooper Countryman, the Cooper Paceman, etc and jokes about "Mini being not so mini anymore" wouldn't happen. And then, you could also have the Cooper Lineman, a 7-passenger SUV, the Cooper Brickman a "lifestyle truck", the Cooper Crossman a 5 seater crossover, etc. It could have been BMW's answer to Mazda or Kia. By sticking with the Mini name, they've boxed themselves into a corner.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    I've been thinking about this situation as it relates to this website. We do allow for Facebook logins as a matter of convenience to our users, however we do not use any of the information we get for anything more than creation of the account. I've been debating removing the option to login with other platforms and making it a strictly email based signup.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    The Chrysler LH cars are the same way. The front axle cuts through the front of the transmission and the entirety of the engine sits ahead of the front axle line. Audi A8 V8 and Transmission The GM front wheel drive - longitudinally mounted setup is to my knowledge, unique. In the Audis and LH cars, the transmission sits directly behind the engine. In the GM setup, the transmission is mounted alongside the engine and the engine connects to the transmission via a reinforced nylon chain. Toronado transmission This allows the GM setup to be significantly more compact, and as such the engine/transmission combination are balanced nearly perfectly over the centerline of the front axle. 1968 Toronado from below
  15. Drew Dowdell
    The transverse Audis actually have better engine positioning than the longitudinally oriented Audis. Any Audi with a number below 4 and the TT will have a transverse engine.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    My order: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  17. Drew Dowdell
    Chevy Cruze - Honestly one of the best cars in the segment, certainly the ability to option up to the nicest interior in the class. The Civic stole the show and people just buy Corollas automatically without considering alternatives. Lacks the visual distinctiveness of "little car that looks like a big car" that the previous generation had. Chevy would rather sell you a Trax. Jeep Cherokee - It's going far better than the Liberty did, but it still lags way behind the CR-V, Escape, and RAV4. More engine choices and some true off-road ability options make it a compelling offering. The interior is one of the better ones FCA does. Still, the early transmission problems and unconventional looks have held it back. The update may help significantly. Cadillac CT6 - A car as big as the DTS that weighs as little as a 335xDrive. It handles great, has 4 great powertrain options, optional 4-wheel steering, one of the best interiors in the GM lineup, starting price equal to the next size class and engine class down over at the makes from Deutschland. Super Cruise. Styling grew stale rather quickly and Cadillac does virtually nothing to advertise it, the advertising dollars are for Super Cruise, not CT6. The striking new look may help, but not if Cadillac doesn't get the word out.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Also, the assertion that Audi's handling isn't bad relative to the segment is wrong. They are consistently rated lower than BMW, MB, RWD Infinitis, Cadillac, RWD Lexus. The last SRX actually handled excellently. The XT5 is just "eh", but the point is that FWD and handling are not mutually exclusive. Audi's have just as much, if not more weight in front of the front axle than any transverse mounted setup. They plow hard in turns and it is only through Quattro doing its computer assisted magic that the cars don't end up in the trees. The entirety of Audi's engines sit ahead of the axle centerline... even the old FWD northstars move the weight further back than that.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    If your argument is that Cadillac needs a RWD crossover, I'm there with you. Where I disagree with you is the assertion that the XT5 must be that vehicle. I see no reason why both cannot exist in the Cadillac lineup. It's not a one-or-other issue. Cadillac can sell a baby Escalade in RWD form right alongside the current XT5. There is absolutely no reason that Cadillac should abandon a segment they are one of the best sellers in.
  20. Drew Dowdell
    I don't see the business model for all the variants that BMW and Mercedes are producing. I think they are throwing spitballs at the wall and seeing what sticks. They'll have to cut them back eventually. Cadillac is not "daring greatly" lately..... nor is GM as a whole.
  21. Drew Dowdell
    I could totally daily an ATS V6 coupe if I lived a different life.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    I hope (and expect) that the rest of the CT6 lineup will be updated to the new look.... minus the V-Sport flourishes of course.
  23. Drew Dowdell
  24. Drew Dowdell
    This would be a fantastic addition to the Cadillac lineup in addition to the XT5... but not instead of. Dropping the XT5 would be dropping customers for no reason.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    I think that RWD really is important for sedans, coupes, convertibles, etc. While I don't believe that for my personal purchases, I do see why it matters in the market. Crossovers are a totally different beast. People simply don't buy them for performance. Furthermore, in crossovers, if people care about anything it is that they are AWD rather then FWD or RWD. Once they hear that the vehicle has AWD, they go deaf to which way the engine faces... it just doesn't matter. They'll care more about if it has Apple Carplay or not (I know that is certainly a higher factor for me than a transverse mounted engine). If there is anything holding back the XT5, it isn't the powertrain. The 3.6 + 9-speed is more than up to the task of moving the XT5 along briskly. Could there be a more powerful option? Sure, but the percentage of takers is likely to be small.... it would exist purely to keep loud enthusiasts who won't buy a Cadillac anyway from flapping their gums. There are a number of interior issues that I see in the XT5 that aren't related to its platform. The plastics on the lower doors where the map pockets are is horrible. Anything lower than the dashboard is pretty bad. The switchgear doesn't feel premium. The leather isn't as nice feeling. These are all reasons to pick a GLC over an XT5... and the exact reasons I would myself.... the powertrain is fine though.
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