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Blake Noble

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Everything posted by Blake Noble

  1. You might want to pull a few pennies out from the spaces between your couch cushions.
  2. I'll agree with you there. I've always thought the design of the current generation tC was a horrible step backward from the first model. The first Scion tC was fairly handsome and clean design, but it wasn't totally bland and it was also understated for a Toyota product at the time (and even now, for that matter). In fact, because of those aformentioned qualities, I could almost say it was almost somewhat Teutonic in execution. Other contemporary Toyota models should've been designed to be more like it. The current car, however, is a blocky and inharmonious mess of a thing, a disgusting throwback to everything wrong about automotive design in the 1980s. I don't see a shortage of the first-gen tC models on the roads in my area, but I can't tell you when I've last seen the current model roaming around.
  3. Other information I forgot to share: This isn't a test mule for the Chrysler 100. It's actually a mule for the 200. Notice the (misleading) sticker above the fuel door that reads "PREMIUM FUEL" and the note taped to the center stack that reads "E85 ONLY?" That's likely because this car is testing the Pentastar V6 with the 9-speed automatic transmission for front-drive applications. The Pentastar V6 is E85 capable. Disregard the hatchback bodystyle; as we all should know by now, all CUSW mules use hacked up Alfa body shells for initial testing. Also, if you notice, the rear bumper has been extended on this mule, giving us a nod as to what the shell is really hiding. If SRT's recent promotion to brandhood is serving to further this "Dodge is dead" crap, don't look too deep into it. What Chrysler has done with that move is turn SRT into their own version of AMG, end of story. Marchionne is focusing on eliminating cannibalism and redundancy, not brands. That's making a long story short.
  4. Oh really? Is that so? Well, you'd better let the folks over at Chrysler know what's going on then. It seems they didn't get your memo. Here's the graphic for Chrysler's revised five year plan: Let me translate this for you one last time. Dodge (through 2016): 2012: For the 2013 model year, the Dart was introduced. 2013: This year, the Durango received it's refresh . Dropped models were a Fiat-derived B-segment model and Avenger replacement (more on the latter in a moment). 2014: Next year will mark the introduction of the refreshed Charger and Challenger. Both will see the Hemi/8-Speed automatic combo and revised styling. 2015: The Dart will be refreshed and the Caravan (or Caravan/Durango) replacement introduced. Some current rumors suggest that the work completed for the cancelled Chrysler 100 sedan/hatch may lead to a new Dart hatchback. 2016: The Journey replacement debuts on CUSW. Additionally, it is strongly suggested but not confirmed that another new Dodge model -- likely the Avenger replacement -- will debut with a good chance of sharing a new rear-drive platform with Alfa Romeo. Here's some additional reading straight from the horse's mouth on this one. Marchionne has said that it wouldn't be economical to create a new rear-drive mid-sized car solely for Alfa Romeo alone, but it would pay dividends if he could make one that both Dodge and Alfa could share. As I mentioned on the last page, it may be possible the Durango will also stick around after the Wagoneer's introduction in 2015, if it's unlikely that the Caravan replacement doesn't effectively replace it as well. Once again, the recent refresh wasn't intended to happen (as indicated per Chrysler's own plans), but steady sales and a two-year delay in the Wagoneer's development prompted Chrysler to do otherwise. Here's what's going on over at Chrysler for reference. Chrysler (through 2016): 2012: The Dart-related 100 hatch/sedan was dropped from the plans. 2013: Both a Fiat-derived B-segment model and crossover were dropped for this year. 2014: The next-generation 200 debuts based on a modified CUSW platform that will accept the Pentastar V6 (another nail in the 100's coffin). The 300 is refreshed with updates similar to the Dodge Charger. 2015: A new 200 convertible debuts alongside the new Town & Country. It's possible that the third model represented in the graphic here is a related model to the upcoming Journey replacement. 2016: With nothing being introduced for Chrysler this year, maybe Chrysler goes away. (Now, let me take my tongue out of my cheek.) Check your sources next time. Oh wait, I forgot. You never check your sources and spout off whatever hateful thing you feel like spouting off about a brand you don't like. Now that I'm finished, you can downrate this post, ehaase (everyone else: click the score down in the lower hand corner of the post to see what I'm seeing, if you're wondering). Or hopefully you'll be man enough this time to say something one on one?
  5. Forgot to add ... The Hemi/8-Speed combo should be coming the Charger's way for next year's refresh. It isn't an issue with the Hemi. The Ram recieved the Hemi/8-speed duo for 2013.
  6. When Chrysler refreshed the Charger and 300 for the 2011 model year, they comprehensively redesigned the LX platform. I believe the floorpan had to be redesigned to accept the ZF 845RE/8HP45. In fact, I've read from a few different sources that the structure almost qualifies as being "all-new." On a related note, because the structure was so heavily revised and required a considerable investment, this is what prompted Marchionne to consider using a version of the LX-platform for the new Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli (the two cars are LX-related; study the interior photos and check out some of the switchgear if you don't believe me). Because the Challenger uses a modified (shortened) version of the old pre-2011 LX platform and floorpan, it cannot accept the 8-speed transmission with either the 3.6L Pentastar V6 or the 5.7L and 6.1L Hemi V8s. This is the same reason why Dodge hasn't updated the Challenger with the UConnect infotainment system; the old Daimler-sourced electrical system simply can't support it. I've also read from a few sources that when the Challenger refresh debuts next year, it's structure will be almost entirely "all-new." That would make sense, considering what I mentioned earlier about the current LX platform.
  7. Just because you're that wrong, let's go through this one final time. A refreshed Challenger will debut next year for the 2015 model year on a new platform, coded LA. The current platform cannot support the new 8-speed automatic transmissions and still makes use of the old Daimler-sourced electrial system. A refreshed Charger is due around the same time with typical mid-cycle enhancement upgrades. In 2015, the Caravan replacement will debut. It could likely be the Caravan will remain as a minivan, or be "merged" with the Durango. In 2016, the Journey will be replaced. Remember, the Journey also enjoys strong popularity in other markets as the Fiat Freemont. Before you argue that it could just wind up here as a Fiat, sorry, no. It would work against Fiat's brand image in the United States. It will remain as a Dodge. The Durango either will be replaced or "merged" with the Caravan if it is molded to be more of a crossover rather than a minivan. Before you say it won't be replaced keep in mind the recent Durango refresh wasn't actually supposed to happen, but steady and rising demand for the Durango combined with a longer than expected gestation period for the upcoming related Jeep Wagoneer model prompted Chrysler to think otherwise. Also, the Wagoneer should move Jeep further upmarket when it arrives, putting some distance between it and the Durango. Yeah, Dodge is going away in 2015 alright. In other news, I've also recently become a multi-millionaire who developed a cure for frigging cancer. Don't believe anything I'm saying? Fine then. Google it for yourself. The basic gist of Chrysler's future product plans aren't exactly shrouded in secrecy, and it doesn't take that much to fill in the blanks if you follow the company close enough and use some common sense.
  8. It's just like talking to a brick wall. I guess the only way to get through to you would be to spray paint profane words on your face.
  9. Don't count on Fiat going anywhere. Well -- BIG SUPRISE HERE -- you're wrong yet again, but you'll see that soon enough. Your post also clearly indicates you have absolutely no idea how CAFE affects automakers. Also, there are very little to no circumstances surrounding Chrysler Group's brands and Old GM's brands that can be paralleled. You've lost the ball. Please, go home and stay there.
  10. I don't typically drive with a light foot, I almost always use the air-con in the summer, and I never use the Charger's cruise control. My time driving is spent roughly 60 percent of the time on the highway and 40 percent in the city for distances up to 40 miles one way. As always, individual results may vary, but I'm still of the opinion the Pentastar V6 has very underrated fuel economy. It's rare that I hear of someone getting poor fuel economy with it.
  11. It looks like a Jetta or a Passat.
  12. Dodge isn't going anywhere, and the Caravan isn't likely going anywhere, either. Mr. Stoddard clearly has a second grade reading level or his informant must really like trolling him. Chrysler only has three models right now: 300, Town & Country, and the 200. Dodge has the Dart, Avenger, Charger, Challenger, Caravan, Durango, and Journey. The Dart just arrived. The Avenger will be replaced with a new model shared with Alfa. The Charger is due for a refresh very soon. The Challenger is staying at Dodge. The Caravan is getting a replacment. The Journey isn't going anywhere and will have a next-generation model coming out. The Durango is currently under review, but there's a good chance we'll see it and the new Wagoneer both. With only three models right now and none to be added to my knowledge other than a replacement for the 200 and T&C and a refresh for the 300, I could argue Chrysler is the brand getting the axe here, not Dodge. I could go even further and fortify that claim by bringing up the recently cancelled 100 model. Dodge isn't going anywhere and any rumors claiming that are pure bunk, plain and simple.
  13. I do actually like that particular '14 Sierra.
  14. I can say with complete authority the 3.6L Pentastar is horribly underrated on fuel economy. I know it isn't exactly an apples to apples comparison considering we're talking trucks here, but with that said, my Charger routinely returns numbers in the mid 30s on the highway and has never averaged less than 24 to 25 mpg. That's also using regular unleaded gas. I'm sure a 3.6L Ram will do better than advertised; hell, my dad's 5.7L Hemi-powered Ram Express returns an average of about 18 to 20 mpg and returns somewhere in the mid 20s on the highway (you'll get that only if you use mid-grade unleaded, but even still). The new 4.3 does have better towing capability, but on the other hand, it's just a few hundred pounds better than the Ram. I also know Chrysler can still do way more with the Pentastar than what they currently have. I'll say this, with the next-generation Ram and F-150 just on the horizon, I don't expect GM to keep in the marginal lead they have right now.
  15. Well, there's some good news. If you don't want an air bag suspension on your Ram, you don't have to have it. The red crew cab model I mentioned is overpriced by way more than that, in my opinion. Try overpriced by $7,000 to $8,000 dollars.
  16. That's great news! Now Microsoft actually stands a fighting chance, although removing the DRM hasn't left the Xbox One completely burr and splinter free. You still have to connect the console to the internet somehow at least once and some features that were DRM-dependent have been taken out. The bigger question is, how much damage did they inflict on their image over these last few weeks before making the right decision? I'd still like to have a PS4 over the Xbox because I'm not terribly fond of the Kinect interface and I don't like the Xbox's resource intensive OS, but at least now the console isn't a complete joke.
  17. The Ram Express MSRP I quoted didn't have incentives. Only the Laramie model I mentioned.
  18. I checked out the two '14 Silverados my local Chevy dealer has in stock only to be left in complete aghast at the sticker price. A four-wheel drive LS model crew cab with the 4.3L Ecotec V6, lower-end alloy rims, cloth seats, and typical power options rang up at $37k. What. The. Bloody hell? A comparable brand-new Ram 1500 Express four-wheel drive crew cab equipped with the 5.7L Hemi typically costs $2,000 cheaper. Hell, I've even seen a few brand-new Laramie model 4x4 Ram crew cabs ring up for $35k on Auto Trader after incentives. What gives, GM?
  19. No, no, no, no, no, no. No. The main issue at hand is not an issue of who has "the better interface." Once again, have you actually read anything about the Xbox One? Honestly? Any company who thinks they have the right to tell me how I can use any form of content I have purchased and legally own can go straight to hell. If I bought something, it's mine and I have the right to do whatever I want with it. If I want to go out and buy 50 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 just so I can use the discs as drink coasters and the user manuals as toilet paper, then I can do that. I bought it, I legally own it, and it's my right to do so. If I have a used game that I've beaten once or twice and that I'm not very fond of, then -- once again, since I legally own the content -- I have the right to give it away, sell it, or trade it in for a game I do want. Argue that with me. Justify Microsoft is right here. If you do, you might as well just Sieg Heil the hell out of here. The game publishers and Microsoft peons who have implemented this catastrophic DRM system into the XBone is like every CEO of every automaker in America waking up one day, getting on the phone, and saying to each other, "You know, used cars sales are a big pain in the company's ass. We'd really rake in the dough if we could implement some sort of restrictions on people buying, selling, and trading in used cars. Let's -- oh I don't know -- restrict infotainment capabilites and make the new buyer pay the full MSRP for that car if they want to buy it. I think this is a great idea that will really help up ramp up profits!" Any company who has the nerve to tell me what I can or cannot do with something I legally own needs to be bankrupted and sold to foriegn interests. They do not deserve the right to operate in a captalist economy.
  20. Oh, and if anyone doubts how clueless Microsoft really is on the matter: Buy a 360? When all of my friends have a PS4?
  21. Metal Gear Solid is pretty much the main reason why I own a PS3. I've loved the series since I was a kid. I played the ever-loving crap out of MGS2 and MGS3 on my old PS2. MGS5 and MGS: Ground Zeroes will be on 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and PC as far as I know.
  22. dfelt, that post shows how out of the loop you really are on this one. Have you actually read about and researched the specifcations of the Xbox One versus the PS4? I'd place a bet on "no." Let's bring you up to speed then. Xbox One: - Basic Spec's: 8 GB DDRM Memory (5 GB for games, 3GB for OS) 500 GB Storage AMD Radeon graphics AMD 8 Core CPU (2 Quad Core Jaguar modules) Kinect is bundled with every console $499 starting price - The Real Bull$h!: The Xbox One's restrictive DRM makes sharing, buying, selling, and trading used games either impossible or, at the very least, outrageously expensive and/or very difficult. Publishers can set restrictions on used games as they see fit and, as we all know, EA and Activision certainly are in dire straights for money and can benefit from the extra revenue. The console must connect to the internet at least once every 24 hours to remain functional. Good luck with that if you live in a rural area and can't have or can't afford a broadband internet connection. Kinect is bundled with every console and is also required for the console to function. Kinect never is truly off unless you unplug the damn thing and the damn console completely. Couple that with the fact that the Xbox One has to be online at least once every 24 hours and you can see how some people wouldn't allow the thing in their living room or bedroom because of "OMFG BIG BROTHER ASSHAT CAN WATCHES ME SPANK IT WITH JERGENS." The Xbox One OS is the biggest resource hog Micro$h! has turned out since Windows Vista, requiring 3 GB to function all in the name of SPORTS! CALL OF DUTY! TV! Games are region locked and the console looks like it could serve as a stand-in for an '80s alarm clock. Playstation 4: -Basic Spec's: 8GB DDRM Memory (7 GB for games, 1 GB for OS) 500 GB of storage (user upgradable!!!) AMD Radeon graphics AMD x86-64 CPU PlayStation Move is an inexpensive option $399 starting price -The Good Stuff (or The Rape and Pilage of Micro$h!): No restrictive DRM to tell you what to do with your own games. You can buy, sell, trade, and lend used games as you see fit without any restrictions whatsoever. The PS4 can be offline forever and ever and ever and you can still pretty much play any disc-based game as much as you want. Don't want PlayStation Move? Fine, don't spend the extra $60 to $70 bucks to buy it. (Sony probably just has it around this time to ensure that games designed for the Xbox One's Kinect can be ported smoothly to the PS4.) Only one measly gig of memory is needed to run the OS. In layman's terms, this means smoother, faster, and more enjoyable gameplay. No region-locked games with this console. If someone released a badass Europe-only title that you gotta have, well, just hop on over to eBay and buy it. It'll work in your console, unlike with those other guys. Oh, don't forget it's $100 bucks cheaper. Suck it, Micro$h!. You'd have to be an avid fanboy to defend the Xbox One at this point. The spec sheets speak for themselves. The Xbox One is going to flatline in the market place. People I know who currently own Xbox 360s will not be buying or replacing their console with a new Xbox One. Microsoft decided to cave in to the greed of big publishers, and their anti-consumerist policies will cost them dearly as a result. Watch Sony's rollout of the PS4 at the E3 convention this week. People cheered at the idea of lending, buying, selling, and trading their own games ... which is honestly sad. But if Sony is going to support the consumer on this one, people will vote with their wallet and it won't be hard to tell which console is going to be the hot item this Christmas.
  23. Let me amend that statement just now: the Philips CD-i was designed to have a resource-frugal OS. In comparison, a good chunk of your resources on the Xbox One are dedidated to the frigging OS. So, by a careful re-evaluation of one simple fact, one of the worst game consoles ever made is actually better than the Xbox One. One again, good job on your big fail Micro$h!. Now, here's some more gif to go on your PB and J.
  24. /thread Congratulations on building the modern day version of the Phillips CD-i, Micro$h!.
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