Drew Dowdell
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell
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E Classes have the advantage of also being high volume taxies. The reason why Chevy puts the 1.5t in instead of the 2.0t has to do with engine architecture. The 2.0t is on the same block as the 2.5 which won't fit. It's a shame you can't ever see in more than one dimension at a time.- 67 replies
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You're only looking at customer price, not manufacturing cost. I'm not looking at the customer end at all, only the manufacturer end. A1.5t costs the same to manufacture as a 2.0t does. They're both turbo direct injection 4 cylinders with VVT. There is 1.25 cubic centimeters of displacement per cylinder difference between them. There is no advanced engineering difference. Mercedes gets to charge more for the higher output, sure, but it doesn't cost them more to build it. Mercedes is selling cars that are technologically the same (aside from rear suspension) as the Cruze for $10k more. AWD is an option that further increases the price. The rest is low cost fluff that Mercedes adds to get the fake Gucci crowd to buy it. This whole debate started because @Dfelt wondered why MB was chasing this segment. I was pointing out how MB was making a huge profit on it by selling the lowest common denominator to status seekers.
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Again, no. The costly stuff is largely the same. What better tech does the base $33,6k CLA that a $23k Cruze LT doesn't?
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It's the same one.
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Audi News: Rumorpile: Audi R8 To Be Killed Off
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Audi
That may be true in the US, but we're fast becoming a secondary market to China. Just because a particular car sells poorly here doesn't mean it does in China. Buick sells more Regals in China than they sell of all Buicks in the US. -
Quick Drive: 2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe 2.0T Luxury
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Reviews
Didn't it have magnetic ride control? -
Think cost to build rather than MSRP. Does Cruze 1.5t with direct injection cost any more to build than an MB 2.0t with direct injection? Largely no. Unless there is some weird technology in an engine, that type of engine with the same technology will cost roughly the same regardless of who is building it and regardless of it's performance (baring ultra performance models). A compact FWD platform will cost roughly the same regardless of who is building it. There is nothing particularly special about the CLA. The only difference might be suspension complexity, but there is certainly not a $10k advantage there. So for what it costs Mercedes to build a CLA versus what it costs Chevy to build a Cruze, they're going to be pretty darn close.
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I can go either way on chrome in a vehicle. It really depends on the vehicle in question. I like the Escalade's looks and think it's amount of Chrome is fine. I think the Denali is a bit over the top, but I'd still drive it. I do not like the 2017 Silverado's chrome at all, I think it is gaudy, I only like the Silverado in Z71 trim where most (all?) of the chrome is converted to body color. I'm not a big fan of the '17 Sierra's chrome, it's not gaudy, it's just not attractive. In this truck, I prefer the All-Terrain model which blacks out the grill and uses a body color surround. I don't mind the chrome on any of the F-150 models. My favorite F-150 is the King Ranch, but any of them suit me in styling. The Ram I definitely prefer with body-color trim. I think the big blingy Limited is over the top and tacky from the exterior, though I really like the interior. The chrome on the regular old Big Horn is fine though.
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@dfelt, you beat me to it! I even had a C&G Holiday card made.
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pfffft... who cares about that when there are quarterly profits to consider?!
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Focus and Cruze sell for $10k less than a CLA... there's a lot of room for profit there for something that is mechanically no different.
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The original Insight could only hold 2 people and a small overnight bag. That comparison is irrelevant.
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Are you kidding? Mercedes is selling a glorified Focus for $30k... why wouldn't they sell that?
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So my question then is, do you have that same objection to Mercedes, Lincoln, and Jaguar? Or, get a load of this: The production version is expected to look a lot like that.
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This is a design concept... it's meant more to show off what the future look of Infinitis will be from coupe to sedan to crossover.
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If the production version gets anywhere close to this, I agree.
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Infiniti will debut a new concept car at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Today the company released a teaser image of the coming concept sedan. Unlike most teaser images that show a silhouette or just a glowing headlight, Infiniti opted for a white car on a white background. This allows us to see a little bit more detail. The current Infiniti signature grille appears to be gone, replaced with a deep sulking one with a finely finned intake somewhat reminiscent of the front turbine on a jet engine. Inside rests a prominent and very three dimensional Infiniti logo. Behind that are deep cut-lines in the hood that flow back into the fender. Infiniti says that this concept will evolve the traditional sedan formula around new compact engine architecture, allowing for a longer cabin, balance proportions, and muscular stance. The Infiniti Concept will be unveiled in the Cobo Center in Detroit on January 15th 2018 at 12:35 pm est. Click here to follow all 2018 Detroit Auto Show News Click here to follow all Infiniti News -
Infiniti will debut a new concept car at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Today the company released a teaser image of the coming concept sedan. Unlike most teaser images that show a silhouette or just a glowing headlight, Infiniti opted for a white car on a white background. This allows us to see a little bit more detail. The current Infiniti signature grille appears to be gone, replaced with a deep sulking one with a finely finned intake somewhat reminiscent of the front turbine on a jet engine. Inside rests a prominent and very three dimensional Infiniti logo. Behind that are deep cut-lines in the hood that flow back into the fender. Infiniti says that this concept will evolve the traditional sedan formula around new compact engine architecture, allowing for a longer cabin, balance proportions, and muscular stance. The Infiniti Concept will be unveiled in the Cobo Center in Detroit on January 15th 2018 at 12:35 pm est. Click here to follow all 2018 Detroit Auto Show News Click here to follow all Infiniti News View full article
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GM News: GM Could Make a Full-Scale Return to Europe
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in General Motors
Europeans tended to like the European focused GM vehicles (likewise at Ford). Attempts to sell American focused vehicles in the EU have largely failed. Europeans bought a load of the old Mondeo which was sold here as the Contour. But when it was unified and upsized to American standards, sales fell. In Cologne, which is a Ford town, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Fiesta or Focus. Both of those models sell poorly here with the Fiesta on death's door. American cars are largely viewed as too big and too inefficient by Europeans.... the theory behind trying to make a unified product that fits the needs of US / China / EU sounds good on paper, but doesn't take into account cultural differences. -
@balthazarwill be along shortly with prior art
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You can get the inserts all over Ebay.
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I thought the old 3 series was too small also.
