Like my Nisson Exterra (2008) but find it very uneasy not having an outside temperature gauge as we travel in the north country a lot and the roads suddenly freeze up. it could prove dangerous. is there any products available for installation that i can purchase? please advise!
Larry
i have a military international but i have no clue if the parts in it now are the parts that came with it or if those are parts military put in....any help?
Since the day we purchased our 2008 Accord, we have had issues with the voice activation system. The dealership acknowledges that it is an issue; the regional service manager acknowledges it is an issue. Honda’s stance is that is functioning as designed. It works less than 50% of the time. How can Honda consider this acceptable? Most people I talk to just get frustrated and just stop using it. I paid as part of a packaged $2200.00 more for this system.
Automotive writers take it as a given that station wagons are dead, though lots of them are sold by Volvo & Subaru, and many more under the designations of "sport wagon" and "hatchback". The sales-problem isn't with the cars themselves as much as with the perception that wagons are uncool. ----But think a minute about how uncool SUVs have become. They waste gas, and hybrid SUVs waste a lot more than if the same power plant was in something more aerodynamic and lighter. ----So why do "commanding road views" retain so much appeal, even when all the other SUVs on the road nullify the advantage? Could it be that the word hasn't gotten around that "commanding view" is a thin disguise for control-issue compensation and for ego-inadequacies that require booster-seat vehicles? Has no one connected the dots about how SUVs and crossovers imitate male secondary sexual characteristics (tall and brawny), and fill the same kind of psychological need that phallic sports cars did, before the word got out on THEM? (The effect is spoiled when it's made conscious.) -----It wouldn't take much to bring the embarrassment-potential of SUVs and crossovers to the forefront of America's automotive awareness, and to make wagons seem WAY hip by comparison. It would just take a little marketing. -----Other things being equal, pushing a taller heavier car through the air at highway speeds will always waste gas compared to the SAME VEHICLE lower to the ground, and without the extra hardware that made it taller. Load capacity is no excuse for an SUV. It's about a lot of people with feelings of inadequacy. The price of gas may be going down, but maybe if SUVs and crossovers weren't available, these folks would get the therapy they need. -----Unfortunately, the CAFE regs would have to be adjusted to remove the manufacturers' incentive to push trucks on people, and to make real cars more feasible. But after this election, this is difficult. The lefties would wail about corporate welfare, despite the near-insolvency of GM and Ford, and moan about the global warming though bringing the SUV/crossover/minivan fad to an absolute end would be well worth some short-term flexibility on gas mileage, even in environmental terms. Besides, there's a vast reservoir of energy savings to be had cutting back on that sacred-cow of the never-let-em-see-you-sweat crowd: air conditioning in homes and businesses. Perhaps if Obama's bi-partisan rhetoric amounts to anything, he can get Pelosi and Reid to take their meds and get something done in Congress. -----Now that the share prices of GM and Ford are so scandalously low, the directors can fire the petty bean-counters and hire some management with the balls to run some freaking car companies instead of finance companies with automotive subsidiaries. And maybe the shareholders (who have little to lose at this point) will let them get away with some lean years so they can transform the industry.
-----Booster-seat vehicles, these faux trucks people use to make themselves feel big, have been a net loss to both the car industry and to America's energy security. Death to crossovers. Death to SUVs. Death to minivans. Left-lane ban for anything taller than 63". Confine them to the right lanes, and embarrass the hell out of them. It's for the good of the country.
"When I drive an automatic, I feel like I’m gliding along in a transport pod. When I’m in a car with a stick, engaged in the dance of clutch-shift-gas-clutch-shift-brake, I am piloting. . ."
------Precisely. It's about engagement in what you're doing. Americans are too willing to zone out passively and inattentively, no matter what they're doing. Attention spans are contracting because of the internet, because of TV, because of choppy school texts broken up with politically correct sidebars, block paragraphs, and hyper-graphic formatting. Material chores that require perseverence are engaged in reluctantly or consigned to immigrants. There's a class thing, too, as mid-level, mid-IQ white collars look down on "mere" workmen, in this "information" age (information: raw, unsorted, data, in no way equivalent to perspective or wisdom).
------When you're in the physical world, get intimate with it, and when in the intellectual world, concentrate long enough to think a complete thought. But the postmodernist, neither-here-nor-there, no-hard-edge, airbag/cocoon lifestyle is just experiential mediocrity and passive distractibility. Buy real cars, low to the ground, and DRIVE them with engagement, America. Use the auto-tranny SUVs and crossovers for RPG target practice. Get in the game of experiencing real life.
Over-all, not a bad treatment. I might like to see wider "borders", and have the wood treatment stop at the bottom groove instead of going all the way to the running board. But if I were buying a Flex, this would definitely be on my short list of options.
I hope this is available by the time my Subaru Baja is due for replacement. Since the Baja has been dropped, I'm at a loss as to what my next pickup will be. (My other car is a 2006 Prius.)
The new japanese s**t. All plastic(like the hilux)
i drove one and it's very unconfortable and delicated .
i keep with the F 150 no mechanical problems, thought chasis ,comfortable , and !American¡ the tundra has broken 300.000 engines holy s**t toyota keep with your cars let americans do the job
There are things of quality like the fords prize in that just keep prius japanese
Purchaced new Genesis 4.6 last week and have put 800+/- miles on it. This is an exceptional car with features, comfort, and ride that are as good or better than any luxury car out there. At 130 MPH the cabin is quite and ride is true and secure. Fit and finish are as good as I have seen and placement of controls are where you want them. I am amazed how well the total package comes togather. The engine is exciting, to put it lightly, it gives you a feeling of real power when behing the wheel. I have been in BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes and this car fully measures up if not exceeded my expections of any of the above mentioned. There isn't any American car that comes close to quality and preformce unfortunatly b/c I would love to buy from the good old USA but they are so far from this type of product. The price is the nail in the coffen, there is nothing that is even close when you add up the package. Buy on you won't regit it you'll be in heven. PS milage highway 25 city 17 (driving easy).
I realize that GM is in a financial pickle, but they have got to put the six speed autotrannies in ALL the cars they equip with automatic transmissions.
At the $40k price point, there are simply too many cars that have six speed transmissions and much more (BMW's come to mind).
The Buicks are nicley styled and put together well, it's just that for some reason or another, GM always seems to strive to be mediocre.
The car reviewed here is completely worthy of it's price point if it's minor short comings (listed in this article) were taken care of.
If GM could stay out of the rebate game, they could afford to put the things in their cars that would make them "over deliver" in the customer experience.
As a Prius owner with a 100 mile (OK it's really only 99.4 miles) drive to work each day. I can safely say that by not speeding and getting over 50MPG. I have recouped the few extra dollars that the vehicle cost. Amount and style of driving all have to be figured in to the equation
Screaming from the UAW. Hmm, I wonder why. Maybe it's because Chrysler is whacking UAW membership left and right, and won't stop until they've gotten rid of all of us. Then they can hire a whole new crew and pay them $14 an hour with even crappier benefits than we get now. It's not the union auto-worker that put the Big 3 in a bind. It's allowing Asian automakers to set up shop in America in right-to-work states that lowers the pay scale for every other autoworker. It's lack of vision at the Big 3 that didn't prepare for the downturn in business or the skyrocketing cost of gas.
I am so damned tired of these slams on the UAW; according to everybody who's NOT a UAW member, we're just a bunch of lazy, overpaid leeches who brought the Big 3 down. Work side-by-side with ME a single shift, and see then if you think we're overpaid.
I agree with everything written in this review EXCEPT for "The interior of the LX570, while very luxurious, does not approach Range Rover, Navigator or Escalade."
Are you kidding? The Escalade and Navigator come nowhere near the standard Lexus has set for fit and finish. Cadillac and Naviagator have generous use of cheap plastics and cheap wood veneer's that detract from the "luxury" interior. Range Rover uses nice materials but screw up the ergonomics to leave the driver easily confused. I think the LX570 is perfect understated elegance.
I do however agree that they should create 2nd and 3rd row seats that fold flat - it is about time they fix this last issue to make the LX 570 the perfect LUV!
I was going to replace my 2004 Pilot, But
this vehicle is so ugly and Izuzu Trooper
retro I will keep mine for a while longer and hope a redesign is quick!!
The cars was so cool and great. It looks like the owners really preserve them and maintained them well. You can browse more great images of different cars here.
I find the acceleration and lack of acceleration when going around another car a slow to moderate speed can be dangerous. Its either the engine or the transmission which is not responding when you punch the gas pedal. Not a all a smooth acceleration. Hope the correct the problem and will cover under warranty. I have had mine in twice now and they say they make adustments as approved by GM. Not sure what the adjustments are to.??
Stan Phillips, Palm Harbor, Florida.
Still tring to find out price info. Called dealerships, and suzuki's main hub to no avail. :( 6 calls i got 6 different avaliblity dates for the truck ranging from 9-8-08 thru 11-28-08. I think suzuki needs to train and inform there workers better.
Guess ill buy a Tucoma now, tired of waiting and without knowing equator price it might be a wait in vien anyway. GOod job suzuki....
OK. Sue posted her inquiry sometime in late 2006 ... it is now 2008 .... I am still waiting. I really like this car. What's the latest? When is it coming out? What's the HP? And what is the price tag?
What you may not have considered is that electric vehicles can be part of the solution where an unstable grid is concerned. Once you have enough of these portable battery-carrying vehicles they become a way for the grid to store energy that can be tapped in an emergency. Plus, they provide another incentive to move toward more power production from renewable sources, both by power utilities and by individuals.
If you were producing all the power you need for your car from solar power and could draw from the reserve power to keep your fridge running during an outage you'd find the idea more appealing, wouldn't you?
I have a 2002 Dodge Dakota that never made anywhere near the epa estimated mpg on the sales sticker. The Dodge has also had suspension problems and the rear diffferential replaced. The Prius I bought my wife in 2005 gets an mpg pretty close to what they advertised, has a comfortable ride and is extremely reliable. I'll be first in line for a company that puts out a superior product like Toyota. My only problem will be choosing between the A-BAT and the 100mpg Prius that's supposed to come out in 2010.
I've been a Lincoln fan since childhood; my favorite is the 1955/56 Mark II, a classic American car that can stand head to toe with anything from Europe and certainly Asia.
The devolvement (if there is such a word)of the town car into a taxi is one of the saddest events in motor history. Lincoln has a long way to go before it can look other luxury cars in the grill. I hope they wake up at Ford before we lose another American icon.
even with hybrid technology in suvs that we used to love and everyone wanted, doesn't mean they'll sell any better. Suvs will always get bad gas mileage compared to cars or even crossovers. However for those who needs SUV's there is good news around the corner!
We attended the Driver's Edge Teen Driving School on July 12th in the Chicago suburbs. Our two hundred mile trek was well worth the drive. Our eighteen year old son thought the training was "awesome". Jeff Payne and the drivers were professional and informative yet "cool" and very approachable.
My son Alex and I are convinced that the driving experience he aquired during the Driver's Edge training is invaluable. Their motto, "Know Yourself. Know your limits" was clearly demonstrated as the young driver's knowledge, skill and confidence levels increased rapidly.
Special thanks to all of the sponsors. There is no doubt that their driving school support will save young lives.
I will definately look to Bridgestone the next time I need a set of tires or golf balls!
Again, thank you for a job well done and for caring so much for our nations young drivers. Outstanding.
Is this a personal blog or something that is supposed to represent a professional organization? It really reads like you have college kids writing class essay or opinion pieces. I don't get any feeling of expertise or knowledge, just emotional, female-oriented thoughts that have little to do with the state of the industry, the solutions that experts are discussing, and so on and so forth. I live in California and have read your blog for a long time. It used to rock the house. No more. I would say your blog is right in line with American auto companies: out of touch, out of sync, and out of time.
That's a cool looking 2009 Aveo 5! Personally I have a 2005 red Aveo 5 with Koing wheels. Love it. Be nice to take a few features off the 2009 Aveo 5 and onto my own car!
While the H3 is not known as a gas sipper, we have a 06 Adventure model with the I5 engine and auto trans, and have been pleasantly surprised with a mixed use average of 18mpg. Drive it like its a heavy truck and not a sports car and it'll reward you with decent enough fuel economy and brake wear usage.
I have to agree and at the same time disagree (an axymoron, I know). I've had my XR2 5 speed for about a month (Black Saphire), and in reality it only took a day or 2 to get the radio/cd and computer down. The On-Star is an added benefit with a year's use included. I also use a Zune which the "system" recognizes as well. I have to agree it sure would be nice to have an imput for it - my dealership is looking into options.
Yes, it has euro-quirks that tend to actually grow on you.
But, what's cool is I've been getting lots of positive comments on it and people find it's hard to believe it's a Saturn.
Enjoy the quick-direct handling - its sporty side of the vehicle. The power-band could be more, but as mentioned the milage is great as on average I'm getting 31 mpg in commute traffic. I have yet to take any trips with it so I have no long trip info as of yet.
Overall I find the car lots of fun and and looking into small upgrades - would be nice if GM went the way of Scion with this vehicle by offering different after-market products which they could procure from Holden, Opel, or Vauxhall.
I went to the L.A. auto show just to see the imperial, I was so let down that my dream car was not their.
that car is going to sell like hot cakes and I'm first in line..
Ah yes, I remember driving from Tallahassee to Fort Walton Beach, Florida on a balmy sunny Florida day in my 1968 Torino GT Convertible with the top down. Driving through the forested rural Florida roads was a delight and when getting to Fort Walton Beach cruising the city - well before today's tourist boom - was beyond compare. You are right Ed, these experiences are tough to beat.
I love this SUV been a ford guy my whole life. The only complaint I have is the tranny, it does alot of gear hunting from 1st to 2nd but other than that its great...I towed my friends 5000lb boat and it felt like I wasnt towing anything, some little scion tried to race me and I still smoked with a 5000lb boat behind me.
We lost power and the hardware store was out of generators. Luckily we searched and found one at mainpowerconnect.com; we should now have the power needed when the next unexpected outage comes. The generator will keep the lights on, food cold and our air conditioning working. Hopefully the generator will also keep our sump pump working to protect the basement from flooding.
It's not the price of gas or the gas mileage, it's the trips to the gas station!
If this vehicle got better gas mileage I'd buy it. Who wants to make trips to the gas station all the time?
Or am I supposed to hire someone to put gas into my car, too?
Nissan has a very competitive small crossover. Smooth and fun to drive. Impressively refined with the CVT. The engine is strong and smooth. Interior quality is very good, although lacking on storage cubby holes. No rear seat tricks, just up or down. Comfortable seats and good driving position. Limited visability on rear sides and out rear windown. The 2wd should be able to be loaded with options that are only limited to 4wd. The excluded options has nothing to do with the drive train. Fuel economy is as posted and better if you keep highway speed at 70 and below. Highly recommend.
----Regarding the attention issue, and the use of cell phones, one never hears about the possibilities for training one's attentive skills. Visual attention isn't the same as simply aiming and focusing one's eyes on something. There are eye-exercise charts that train one to focus one's eyes differently from the thing they're aimed at, and exercising these skills separately enhances one's use of them together. Analogously, one can use one's visual attention separately from both aim and focus. Throw your keys out on the lawn, and then go search for them. While searching, your attention will be in "scan" mode, and you will be attending to fairly wide swaths of your field-of-vision. Notice, though, what happens when you catch a glimpse of the keys somewhere in the near-periphery of your vision, and you go to pick them up. Your attentional swath contracts to a width of about two inches, even before you bend over, and your eyes are still in the same focus-and-aim configuration as when the search-mode first encountered the keys. Just becoming more aware of the distinctness of attentional skills can help in their employment.
----Regarding slow driving in the fast lane, and hogging it, I'd add that anyone with an SUV ought to stay out of the left lane. There's a reason trucks are prohibited from the left lane, and it's only lax enforcement that allows SUVs and minivans to use it. People shouldn't wear big hats to the movies, and by the same token, SUVs should stay out of the left lane, and let the people with real cars use it. Normal people shouldn't have to pay for the ego-inadequacies and control issues that SUV owners compensate for by driving behemoths with "commanding" road views.
----And how lazy does one have to be to feel it necessary to swing wide left to make a right turn, just to avoid having to turn the (power-assisted!) steering wheel as much? These people must be very obese. They should lose some weight.
----Another annoyance is people who insist on being able to pull immediately into the left lane when turning right onto a multi-lane main road. because of their stupidity, they have to wait for ALL lanes to be open, instead of pulling into the right lane and changing lanes one at a time. And in having to wait to lunge across the road, they keep a line of cars behind them waiting.
----In a congested city, a main concern should be to act in a way that allows as many cars to get through traffic lights as possible. Pay attention to the lights, especially if you're in the front car, and once through the intersection, keep moving. Stopping to let some waiting jaywalker cross or to let some car enter from a side street may stroke your ostentatious courtesy-self-image, but it can really screw up traffic behind you, clog the intersection, and lead to a major traffic jam. The jaywalker can go to a crosswalk, and the entering car can wait for a break between the lights. (well, let him in if traffic is so thick that there's no break, but not otherwise.) It IS courteous to surrender your right of way, but that doesn't mean you should do it when it isn't necessary, and to do so would inconvenience each of the 20 drivers behind you more than the one you gratiously let in would be inconvenienced by waiting. Right of way laws weren't designed ONLY to mediate potentially adversarial contests, but also to make traffic interaction more consistent, predictable, and thereby, more efficient. Think about whether your right-of-way conduct accomplishes a net good, or whether it accomplishes only minor good at the expense of a large inconsiderateness.
----Besides, a good, attentive, hustling jaywalker doesn't WANT to be seen as holding up traffic. Good, responsible jaywalking consists of the art of darting across the street without having ANY effect on the flow of traffic. Being waved across by some ostentatious, magisterial matron is a condescending insult.
Touch-screens are cheaper for the manufacturer, but for reduced eyes-off=the-road intervals, shaped buttons that are distinguishable by touch make more sense.
Love the looks of the Eco Voyager. Would love to see an adaptation of the "curves" influence that resulted in the amazing looking cars of the 1930s-1940s. While all were larger, style need not be associated with only large vehicles. I had hopes that the early hybrid produced by Honda, called the insight would start the trend of marrying smart function with streamlined style, but focus groups interviewed by the automotive industry steered the process towards boxy, big, and impractical for eco future application. Thanks for your information.
I'm from vancouver and belive it or not I saw one on the street most of the car was uncovered but the door handles still had white plastic on it... 1 thing before you judge the car it looks ALOT better in person (and from the front it looks like a facelifted/concept tourag)
I bought a 2001 Prius and now have a 2006. I have owned Cads,Buicks,Fords,Jeeps, Pontiacs,Hondas and many other cars and trucks. The Prius has been the best vehicle I have ever owned. I get an honist 44 mpg in city and 55.5 on the highway. When Toyota produces tge A-Bat (please change the name) I will join the line at the dealership to get one.
All of that's true. I hate the idea of an entire industry that people have looked forward to buying from for a long time (new retirees) "coming to a halt," as you say but there seems to be no other probable eventuality for the RV industry. But something else is likely too. Crime. Frustration is likely to rise and also attempts by people to siphon gas, rob with weapons and commit fraud.
I've had a 2000, 2003-2005- 2008 expeditions. the last one has had multiple issues. the prior ones ran and worked fine, this 08 has been head ache after headache. it has had electrical issues since we got it, the rear door has become loose and the dealership had trouble finding out the issue, also the front passanger seat belt sensor and chime havent worked. If the sensor doesnt recognize that no one is sitting there the airbag wont deploy and if you are buckled up the faulty system might or might not work properly. the dealership should have checked the concerns from the get go, but they would say thatif they cant verify it they cant write it up. dont believe that! they are supposed to check any concerns you have wether they can verify it or not.
I love my new Yaris. I've had it for over a year, now, and average 35 mpg. The front seats have lower lumbar support and the ride is much better than more expensive cars like the Ford Taurus. I think the styling is great for a subcompact... that is, it doesn't look like a less expensive car. I bought mine for around $14,000 and they start around $12,000. How can you beat that? Styling, great gas mileage, a decent ride, and quality. It's sad that Toyota has decided to discontinue them after the 2009 model year.
I would give the silverjunko an F- for the fact that those GM idiots have dropped all manual transmissions. You say that a manual is not needed, just ask some of the allison tranny owners how it hurts the pocketbook to rebuild the tranny after 40-50000 miles. I would take a plain rubber-matted, am radio equipped, v8 manual tranny truck over these paintywaist carpeted slipomatic brake eaters. I really thought gm had finally gotten their trucks right when I saw the new body style, but they wrapped that beautiful body with a junk transmission. If they won't give me what I want, then I will buy another brand.GM has tried to turn a truck from a working vehicle to a whiney baby street truck.Wake up GM, give me a manual or give me another brand.
New Mitsubishi Lancer X very good car with an interesting appearance and good characteristics. Everyone who thinks about purchasing the car, advise buying. Mitsubishi Lancer X justify your expectations!
By the way - some forms of body similar to the car Lexus IS250.
Hi!
Looked through responses of owners GTO and has decided too something to add. I always wished to have the sports machinecar, but having purchased beloved was disappointed a little. THIS MACHINECAR MAKES MORE RATHER THAN to SENSE ON ROAD. First time, me millet Owners by the machinescars with as soon as a crossroads so to them give " who forward ", but most insulting that that they from the start managed to overtake not simply me, but also even to mock. Without thinking twice and having undergone the rough attitude of other proprietors sports to experts to not breathe exhaust gases of others of type of abrupt guys. From the Samurai I managed only the advanced disks and shock-absorbers Elf, all rest, and he/she is the centrifugal supercharger, new pistons, rods, have estimated the block of management and an exhaust in 10 000 $, besides guarantees that the car will work faultlessly what have not given and is quite proved. All these fairy tales about 500 and all other crap I do not trust. The good car
initially also costs well and even if at you under a cowl a heap of everyone does not mean at all that you will be the first.
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More shortly, have made to me the car, it became much more pleasant, but thus there was other reality. Once having felt the racer I have burnt a cursor, and itself have not understood as? As to me have then explained pressure was big, any there the hose has flied, after repair in a month the automatic device was covered. Basically itthis should be expected, now I search for mechanics that will be further I do not know, but on to means I could buypurchase to myself . And now that лушче-was quietly to go with a guarantee of that that the car always in norm or is fast, but thus to look, what gasoline, what pressure, what temperature and where idling has got to.???
Bay-bay... :)
I test drove both and as I told the salesman, the Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited both need either a strong V6 (minimum 250 hp) or a small to mid v8. Actually, mileage would not deteriorate as these engines would be working more efficiently and at lower rpms, providing Chrysler puts a 5 or 6 speed transmission. The current 4.0 is way underpowered most definitely because the weight of the new Wrangler Unlimited has increased almost 300 lbs. And, don't blame the Germans. They only owned the company. We Americans designed/produced the vehicle.
The pickups that the real cowboys drove were rear-wheel-drive (not 4x4) with straight-6s, 3-on-the-tree trannies, plain dashboards without radios, and vinyl bench seats. A rear bumper would have been optional. So would a large rear windshield, 2-tone paint, and any chrome, but these indulgences would have been suspect. ---Chevy and Ford's most "basic" trucks for '08 come with ABS, power rack-&-pinion steering, AM/FM stereo, 5spd manual/4spd auto trannies, intermittent wipers. Some base trucks have gas shocks, tilt wheel, CD/MP3 players. The Colorado throws in AC and Cruise. These are as close as one can get to the old cowboy trucks, but today, most buyers get vanity-4x4, crew/club cabs, all kinds of plush stuff and appearance items. Today's trucks are caricatures of the trucks that built America, like blue jeans with ironed creases. So what's the attachment to this aesthetic? Nostalgia for a time when guys had real jobs? Buy a work truck or get a real car, and just get over the emotional issues.
Pushing a vehicle with a large cross-section through the air is intrinsically fuel inefficient. The "commanding-view" rudeness arms-race has to stop somewhere. A height-limit of 60" in the passing lane would help. Revise the CAFE standards so that they're more stringent for large vehicles than small ones. When will American carmakers start paying fuller attention to real cars instead of these inadequacy-compensating psychological indulgences?
This one will find its niche. The Super-Duty thing has become stale, like a macho arms race, and with gas going up like crazy, the jacked-up 4x4 pickup will be a vehicle for guys with mullets. This is a cool contractor vehicle, once the housing market rebounds.
----I like the Mini Clubman, but hate the Flex. In the smaller iteration, the styling looks practical, no-nonsense, and simple. But inflated and overstuffed as the Flex is, it screams "Blunt Weapon". It's the car for someone who needs to compensate for some inadequacy by strapping on some secondary male sex characteristics, but who wants to look up-to-date while doing so.
----Another SUV at a time when their appeal is plummeting (for anyone with a mind). Good timing, Ford. When gas hits $4 a gallon, SUV drivers are going to feel and look foolish, but the drivers of the old ones will at least have the justification of being stuck with the payments for vehicle with plummeting resale value. These Flexes are going to look like the late-model Taurus I saw that someone had customized with a vinyl roof: way too much effort to participate in a long-stale fad. The very style of the Flex will make it seem all the more laughable.
----This one will also continue the great SUV tradition of obstructing the vision of all drivers behind it, like rude people who wear big hats in the movies. Where's my Bazooka?
I'll put in my two cents.
I am a jeep owner and a father of 2 and a dog. I plan to take the family on a 3week tour of middle America in 3 years using an offroad pop-up trailer.
What will the tow vehicle be?
1st choice: a Stock Unlimited if Jeep puts a V-8 in it.
2nd choice: My already built 80's Jeep
3rd choice: sell my CJ and use the cash to put a V8 in a used unlimited.
Please put a V-8 in the Jeep, so I can keep my trail rig! :)
My 2007 Entourage squeaks all the time from the back end. It has gotten to where I refuse to drive or ride in it. Our Hyundai dealer, Todd Archer, seems to be at a loss on how to fix it.
Yes Jeep Enthusiasts are looking for more power. Why would a person who loves a Jeep and everything that goes with it such as hunting and fishing not want a wrangler that could pull the boat or atv to a destination. How many Wrangler owners coan afford to have a truck and a jeep to do all the jobs that one vehcle should. Give me my V8 and a diesel and I bet you won't see to many v6's sold in the unlimited. I love the new jeep I just need a Wrangler that has a heart to match its other great attributes
The position that this vehicle can compete is on mpg.
The overall vehicle is very good looking and functional....the sell price seems high for the other options Ford has. however, if the mpg was double based on the diesel version -- they will have a winner.
I am looking for such a transport that has good milage and is functional to carry more than 5 at times or luggage or project things like recycles. I have a Volvo now that is similar, but millage is 17 +/- 2 mpg -- IOW, the milage sucks, but the overall package is the same.
I hope Ford brings the diesel for the mpg -- I think it will sell; look at VW's versions -- you cant get one.
I think Honda is positioned to rake in the dough once the American public realizes that high gas prices are here to stay.
I'll even go you one better than that: five years from now the freeways are going to look vastly different than they do now with respect to what kind of vehicles that will be on them.
American drivers will finally realize that the money they spend filling their gas tank: 1) is burned, just like setting fire to 3 or 4 $20 bills, never to be recovered, 2)are enriching foreign entities which will never trade back to the US the same amount that was given to them for the oil they sold us.
Because of this, I believe most American families will be multi car affairs - the job of mailing one's rear end to the job and back will be handled by very small frugal cars; the big SUV's and pickup trucks will be relegated to "use only when needed" status. In other words, they will spend 90% of the time parked.
Gone will be the days of seeing oversized, 4 door, 4 wheel drive, 3/4 ton, long wheel base, extended cab vehicles being used for simple transportation.
So who will reap the benefit from this new American change of automotive attitude? First, the obvious ones: Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW and Volkswagen. Why? Because they mostly hail from countries that have had a steady diet of high gasoline prices for a long time. Also, the manufacturers listed above design and build cars with good fuel economy in mind from the first doodle on engineering design paper.
Next, we have the auto makes that will probably make it eventually, but will go to the fuel effiency party kicking and screaming: GM, (you know they knew that fuel prices were about to go through the roof and they STILL blew countless millions redesigning their ridiculous pickup and big SUV line). Ford, (thank GOD that Ford has a really large presence and market in Europe - if they are smart they will federalize as many of the cars they sell over there, for sale over here. Chrysler, well, they have bought a management team that should be able to see the writing on the wall, let's just hope that the big shots at Cerebrus are cool headed enough to give Jim Press and the others enough time to get their act together. Mercedes-Benz, they made a savvy move bringing the Smart car line here to the US - those jewel like cars are small alright, but I think $5 gas will put them right where they need to be. Also, MB has access to some really great diesels, however, the success of those cars relies on diesel fuel not being priced consistently higher than premium gasoline.
And finally, the car companies filed under "I wonder about them": the new upstart companies from China, India and elsewhere are currently dicey affairs at best. Are they going to be able to come to the US with high quality cars and set up dealerships, scource parts for repairs and then stay the course with new redesigns to keep their product line fresh? If they make it, their story will be good compost for a Havard School of Business course for sure.
Ok, let's close all this up with look at the far off future (although I hope it's not too far off). I believe all this bio fuel, hydrogen and everything else that can be burned in an internal combustion engine will be eventually eclipsed by totally electic cars.
First, where do we get the electricity? Wind generators, solar cell farms, wave and tide generators and the like will be the key - these types of electical generation do so with no fuel costs. The wind, waves and sunlight are all free so the cost of the electricity they produce will be nearly free. The only costs to be recouped are the initial investment and maintenance. Try pitting a natural gas generator against a wind farm and it's a no brainer. OK, so we blow a bunch of $$$ doing this and now we have lots of electicity. Currently, we have barely scratched the surface of we could be capable of.
Next, the cars. I believe that we CAN build a viable car that runs on electricity. First let's put together a standard: Tomorrow's electric car must: have a range of 300 miles when driven at high speeds under the usual loads that we put the cars we now have under. They must be refueled in approximately 10 minutes, which is about the time one spends at his neighborhood gas station from start to finish.
You're thinking "this guy is an idiot, it's impossoible". But is it really? I can remember when the first computer controlled cars came into being and replaced carbureatored cars literally overnite. Car enthusiast magazines told us how these new fuel injected cars could tune themselves as they went along their merry way. At the time, I thought it imposssible. Just look at the 2008 models and the prosecution rests it's case.
Cars have advanced so much that the current Z06 Corvette could win the 1973 Indy 500 with the A/C on. So what would your advanced electric car be like?
For one thing it would be very powerful. Electric motors produce very high torque at low RPM's. Couple that to a CVT transmission designed to extract the most from the motor and you'd have plenty of driving fun! Let the tuners get hold of something like that and WHOOOEE! it'll be the '60's all over again!
The motors and transmissions are in their infancy at the moment. If we really tried, we could build a motor that was designed from the ground up for electic car use - separate windings for take off and cruise, internal capacitors for momentary hi horse needs etc. A transmisson optimised for use with this motor is relatively easy. Ah, but the battery - that's the crust of the biscuit.
I can't believe that America, with all it's intelligence and free market reward can't overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of a viable battery. If we would throw as much money at this project as we have in Iraq, we'd be hot on the trail to a new kind of car. You can tell me anything you like, but don't try to tell me we can't come up with a solution to this battery problem. Is it going to be easy? NO. Putting a man on the moon was thought to be impossible, but we did it with .001 of the computer power we have today.
Alright, so who in the hell is going to take on such a heavy capital investiment / talent wearying project? Just look at the top of the list in this little diatribe and there's your players - Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, etc. Personally, I'd put my money on Honda. Time to go! Cheers all!
I just rented one and I loved it. It handles great and has a super small turning circle, like a sports car should.The trunk is large for a 157 inch long car, when you have the top up. But when you lower the top it takes up 80% of the trunk. So, on a road trip with 2 people, you can't really carry much, unless you have the top up the whole trip, and then what's the point of having a roadster? I know many small roadsters have the same problem, tho.
The convertible top can be a nightmare to latch fully up. Most of the time it was fine, but once in a while it just wouldn't latch, even tho I used the exact same trick that had worked many times before, The owners manual does not explain the trick. Annoying, in fact its the worst thing about the car. The idiot at the rental car company asked what did you do to it? I said GM designed it, ask them. Luckily the other people at Avis had a brain, and knew I babied the car.
The top was very waterproof when latched. There is no glass wind blocker that would pops up behind your head to block turbulence, but on the other hand it doesn't cost $50,000 either.
The car is so beautiful with the top down that I had a tourist take a photo of the car with me in it. And this was Miami Beach, where you see new Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis every 15 minutes. If you want attention and to impress women, you should consider the Saturn Sky/ Pontiac Solstice. People love the look so much they let me in in traffic all the time, Miamians are often rude and refuse to let a fellow driver in front of them. But not with this car.
Except for the convertible top, I would buy this car. I heard they are building a fastback soon. True?
I've worked in the trades for 30yrs, (GC licensed for 15). I'm a landlord now and always have a project going, but these days I hire subs for almost everything. I make regular runs to the lumber yard and the hardware store for smaller loads. The Abat would be perfect for me.
Comments
Like my Nisson Exterra (2008) but find it very uneasy not having an outside temperature gauge as we travel in the north country a lot and the roads suddenly freeze up. it could prove dangerous. is there any products available for installation that i can purchase? please advise!
Larry
Posted by: Laurence Gallant | November 19, 2008 05:12 PM
Are any of these AD posters available for purchase as a reproduction?
Posted by: Frank Bryant | November 15, 2008 09:41 AM
i have a military international but i have no clue if the parts in it now are the parts that came with it or if those are parts military put in....any help?
Posted by: jehova lopez | November 15, 2008 07:45 AM
this engine picture is for a nissan not a 2007 GMC Sierra 1500
Posted by: brandi | November 12, 2008 02:05 PM
Since the day we purchased our 2008 Accord, we have had issues with the voice activation system. The dealership acknowledges that it is an issue; the regional service manager acknowledges it is an issue. Honda’s stance is that is functioning as designed. It works less than 50% of the time. How can Honda consider this acceptable? Most people I talk to just get frustrated and just stop using it. I paid as part of a packaged $2200.00 more for this system.
Posted by: AMuto | November 10, 2008 02:20 PM
Automotive writers take it as a given that station wagons are dead, though lots of them are sold by Volvo & Subaru, and many more under the designations of "sport wagon" and "hatchback". The sales-problem isn't with the cars themselves as much as with the perception that wagons are uncool. ----But think a minute about how uncool SUVs have become. They waste gas, and hybrid SUVs waste a lot more than if the same power plant was in something more aerodynamic and lighter. ----So why do "commanding road views" retain so much appeal, even when all the other SUVs on the road nullify the advantage? Could it be that the word hasn't gotten around that "commanding view" is a thin disguise for control-issue compensation and for ego-inadequacies that require booster-seat vehicles? Has no one connected the dots about how SUVs and crossovers imitate male secondary sexual characteristics (tall and brawny), and fill the same kind of psychological need that phallic sports cars did, before the word got out on THEM? (The effect is spoiled when it's made conscious.) -----It wouldn't take much to bring the embarrassment-potential of SUVs and crossovers to the forefront of America's automotive awareness, and to make wagons seem WAY hip by comparison. It would just take a little marketing. -----Other things being equal, pushing a taller heavier car through the air at highway speeds will always waste gas compared to the SAME VEHICLE lower to the ground, and without the extra hardware that made it taller. Load capacity is no excuse for an SUV. It's about a lot of people with feelings of inadequacy. The price of gas may be going down, but maybe if SUVs and crossovers weren't available, these folks would get the therapy they need. -----Unfortunately, the CAFE regs would have to be adjusted to remove the manufacturers' incentive to push trucks on people, and to make real cars more feasible. But after this election, this is difficult. The lefties would wail about corporate welfare, despite the near-insolvency of GM and Ford, and moan about the global warming though bringing the SUV/crossover/minivan fad to an absolute end would be well worth some short-term flexibility on gas mileage, even in environmental terms. Besides, there's a vast reservoir of energy savings to be had cutting back on that sacred-cow of the never-let-em-see-you-sweat crowd: air conditioning in homes and businesses. Perhaps if Obama's bi-partisan rhetoric amounts to anything, he can get Pelosi and Reid to take their meds and get something done in Congress. -----Now that the share prices of GM and Ford are so scandalously low, the directors can fire the petty bean-counters and hire some management with the balls to run some freaking car companies instead of finance companies with automotive subsidiaries. And maybe the shareholders (who have little to lose at this point) will let them get away with some lean years so they can transform the industry.
-----Booster-seat vehicles, these faux trucks people use to make themselves feel big, have been a net loss to both the car industry and to America's energy security. Death to crossovers. Death to SUVs. Death to minivans. Left-lane ban for anything taller than 63". Confine them to the right lanes, and embarrass the hell out of them. It's for the good of the country.
Posted by: bob | November 6, 2008 04:38 PM
"When I drive an automatic, I feel like I’m gliding along in a transport pod. When I’m in a car with a stick, engaged in the dance of clutch-shift-gas-clutch-shift-brake, I am piloting. . ."
------Precisely. It's about engagement in what you're doing. Americans are too willing to zone out passively and inattentively, no matter what they're doing. Attention spans are contracting because of the internet, because of TV, because of choppy school texts broken up with politically correct sidebars, block paragraphs, and hyper-graphic formatting. Material chores that require perseverence are engaged in reluctantly or consigned to immigrants. There's a class thing, too, as mid-level, mid-IQ white collars look down on "mere" workmen, in this "information" age (information: raw, unsorted, data, in no way equivalent to perspective or wisdom).
------When you're in the physical world, get intimate with it, and when in the intellectual world, concentrate long enough to think a complete thought. But the postmodernist, neither-here-nor-there, no-hard-edge, airbag/cocoon lifestyle is just experiential mediocrity and passive distractibility. Buy real cars, low to the ground, and DRIVE them with engagement, America. Use the auto-tranny SUVs and crossovers for RPG target practice. Get in the game of experiencing real life.
Posted by: bob | November 6, 2008 03:35 PM
How do I get to the event? Thanks, Bryan
Posted by: Bryan Hauser | October 31, 2008 09:12 AM
Over-all, not a bad treatment. I might like to see wider "borders", and have the wood treatment stop at the bottom groove instead of going all the way to the running board. But if I were buying a Flex, this would definitely be on my short list of options.
Posted by: Woody | October 26, 2008 02:15 PM
need information for isuzu kb-20 pick up, model 1979.tanks
Posted by: holger | October 23, 2008 02:23 PM
I hope this is available by the time my Subaru Baja is due for replacement. Since the Baja has been dropped, I'm at a loss as to what my next pickup will be. (My other car is a 2006 Prius.)
Posted by: Pat Richardson | October 16, 2008 08:25 PM
The new japanese s**t. All plastic(like the hilux)
i drove one and it's very unconfortable and delicated .
i keep with the F 150 no mechanical problems, thought chasis ,comfortable , and !American¡ the tundra has broken 300.000 engines holy s**t toyota keep with your cars let americans do the job
There are things of quality like the fords prize in that just keep prius japanese
Posted by: rockie | October 14, 2008 01:53 PM
Purchaced new Genesis 4.6 last week and have put 800+/- miles on it. This is an exceptional car with features, comfort, and ride that are as good or better than any luxury car out there. At 130 MPH the cabin is quite and ride is true and secure. Fit and finish are as good as I have seen and placement of controls are where you want them. I am amazed how well the total package comes togather. The engine is exciting, to put it lightly, it gives you a feeling of real power when behing the wheel. I have been in BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes and this car fully measures up if not exceeded my expections of any of the above mentioned. There isn't any American car that comes close to quality and preformce unfortunatly b/c I would love to buy from the good old USA but they are so far from this type of product. The price is the nail in the coffen, there is nothing that is even close when you add up the package. Buy on you won't regit it you'll be in heven. PS milage highway 25 city 17 (driving easy).
Posted by: TOM | October 11, 2008 02:18 PM
The colour [sic - it's a British car, after all] is Tango Red.
Posted by: Alexis Cousein | October 4, 2008 02:20 AM
I realize that GM is in a financial pickle, but they have got to put the six speed autotrannies in ALL the cars they equip with automatic transmissions.
At the $40k price point, there are simply too many cars that have six speed transmissions and much more (BMW's come to mind).
The Buicks are nicley styled and put together well, it's just that for some reason or another, GM always seems to strive to be mediocre.
The car reviewed here is completely worthy of it's price point if it's minor short comings (listed in this article) were taken care of.
If GM could stay out of the rebate game, they could afford to put the things in their cars that would make them "over deliver" in the customer experience.
Posted by: a mascio | October 3, 2008 07:16 PM
As a Prius owner with a 100 mile (OK it's really only 99.4 miles) drive to work each day. I can safely say that by not speeding and getting over 50MPG. I have recouped the few extra dollars that the vehicle cost. Amount and style of driving all have to be figured in to the equation
Posted by: JD Mosher | October 3, 2008 02:05 PM
Screaming from the UAW. Hmm, I wonder why. Maybe it's because Chrysler is whacking UAW membership left and right, and won't stop until they've gotten rid of all of us. Then they can hire a whole new crew and pay them $14 an hour with even crappier benefits than we get now. It's not the union auto-worker that put the Big 3 in a bind. It's allowing Asian automakers to set up shop in America in right-to-work states that lowers the pay scale for every other autoworker. It's lack of vision at the Big 3 that didn't prepare for the downturn in business or the skyrocketing cost of gas.
I am so damned tired of these slams on the UAW; according to everybody who's NOT a UAW member, we're just a bunch of lazy, overpaid leeches who brought the Big 3 down. Work side-by-side with ME a single shift, and see then if you think we're overpaid.
Posted by: John Youngblood | September 28, 2008 03:32 AM
If the Chrysler Town & Country EV is as they say and priced at $30K, I'll take one. I'm a minivan man and I can't wait till these are commonplace.
Posted by: Tom Khoury | September 25, 2008 07:22 PM
I agree with everything written in this review EXCEPT for "The interior of the LX570, while very luxurious, does not approach Range Rover, Navigator or Escalade."
Are you kidding? The Escalade and Navigator come nowhere near the standard Lexus has set for fit and finish. Cadillac and Naviagator have generous use of cheap plastics and cheap wood veneer's that detract from the "luxury" interior. Range Rover uses nice materials but screw up the ergonomics to leave the driver easily confused. I think the LX570 is perfect understated elegance.
I do however agree that they should create 2nd and 3rd row seats that fold flat - it is about time they fix this last issue to make the LX 570 the perfect LUV!
Posted by: Kip | September 24, 2008 03:03 PM
Does anyone know where the speed sensor is located on the 06 cadillac dts to hook up navigation?
thanks
Posted by: jen | September 18, 2008 05:04 PM
I was going to replace my 2004 Pilot, But
this vehicle is so ugly and Izuzu Trooper
retro I will keep mine for a while longer and hope a redesign is quick!!
Posted by: Nick Casson | September 14, 2008 09:50 PM
The cars was so cool and great. It looks like the owners really preserve them and maintained them well. You can browse more great images of different cars here.
Posted by: khooper | September 14, 2008 06:38 PM
I find the acceleration and lack of acceleration when going around another car a slow to moderate speed can be dangerous. Its either the engine or the transmission which is not responding when you punch the gas pedal. Not a all a smooth acceleration. Hope the correct the problem and will cover under warranty. I have had mine in twice now and they say they make adustments as approved by GM. Not sure what the adjustments are to.??
Stan Phillips, Palm Harbor, Florida.
Posted by: Stan Phillips | September 2, 2008 09:02 AM
Still tring to find out price info. Called dealerships, and suzuki's main hub to no avail. :( 6 calls i got 6 different avaliblity dates for the truck ranging from 9-8-08 thru 11-28-08. I think suzuki needs to train and inform there workers better.
Guess ill buy a Tucoma now, tired of waiting and without knowing equator price it might be a wait in vien anyway. GOod job suzuki....
Posted by: Muchpain | August 27, 2008 01:01 PM
I knew this would happen. I am only surprised that they didn't put on Vogue whitewalls and wire wheelcovers.
Posted by: karxprt | August 25, 2008 03:48 PM
The smart car is ugly as a pimple on a behind. Do cars have to be ugly to get good gas mileage? The prius is ugly too.
Posted by: Bing | August 21, 2008 12:32 PM
I'd buy one in a heartbeat if they ever released them in America. I saw one in Germany a few years ago and it was cool on wheels.
Posted by: Fred in Tampa | August 18, 2008 02:04 PM
OK. Sue posted her inquiry sometime in late 2006 ... it is now 2008 .... I am still waiting. I really like this car. What's the latest? When is it coming out? What's the HP? And what is the price tag?
Posted by: Juan Garza | August 8, 2008 07:47 PM
What you may not have considered is that electric vehicles can be part of the solution where an unstable grid is concerned. Once you have enough of these portable battery-carrying vehicles they become a way for the grid to store energy that can be tapped in an emergency. Plus, they provide another incentive to move toward more power production from renewable sources, both by power utilities and by individuals.
If you were producing all the power you need for your car from solar power and could draw from the reserve power to keep your fridge running during an outage you'd find the idea more appealing, wouldn't you?
Posted by: Matt Kenigson | August 7, 2008 01:44 AM
I have a 2002 Dodge Dakota that never made anywhere near the epa estimated mpg on the sales sticker. The Dodge has also had suspension problems and the rear diffferential replaced. The Prius I bought my wife in 2005 gets an mpg pretty close to what they advertised, has a comfortable ride and is extremely reliable. I'll be first in line for a company that puts out a superior product like Toyota. My only problem will be choosing between the A-BAT and the 100mpg Prius that's supposed to come out in 2010.
Posted by: Camilo | August 4, 2008 05:44 PM
Nice car, this Hyundai Veracruz :), check these pics I found this morning: http://www.carchannel.be/nl/artikel/hyundai/avant-premiere-een-europese-variant-van-de-hyundai-veracruz , really nice :D
Posted by: Peter Canston | August 4, 2008 03:14 AM
I've been a Lincoln fan since childhood; my favorite is the 1955/56 Mark II, a classic American car that can stand head to toe with anything from Europe and certainly Asia.
The devolvement (if there is such a word)of the town car into a taxi is one of the saddest events in motor history. Lincoln has a long way to go before it can look other luxury cars in the grill. I hope they wake up at Ford before we lose another American icon.
Posted by: Ahmasi R Lloyd | August 3, 2008 03:51 PM
Can't wait for the Mitsubishi “i”. The USA needs functional, innovative, efficient wheels.
Posted by: Stan Shelver | August 1, 2008 08:35 PM
Hah , they revealed some really nice specs of this car the other week, infact, they released all the specs and details!! , and a couple of new photos too http://www.carchannel.be/nl/artikel/opel/nieuw-de-opel-insignia-tot-de-kleinste-details , really nice :D !
Posted by: Jean Montare | July 28, 2008 12:45 AM
even with hybrid technology in suvs that we used to love and everyone wanted, doesn't mean they'll sell any better. Suvs will always get bad gas mileage compared to cars or even crossovers. However for those who needs SUV's there is good news around the corner!
Posted by: mathew | July 27, 2008 08:07 AM
Have you seen the RS5 impression? It looks absolutely amazing: http://www.audifocus.com/2008/07/24/audi-rs5-impression/
Posted by: joey verso | July 26, 2008 07:15 AM
i love to have that 2005 gto
man that is a fu**in fast car
Posted by: james | July 23, 2008 08:44 PM
We attended the Driver's Edge Teen Driving School on July 12th in the Chicago suburbs. Our two hundred mile trek was well worth the drive. Our eighteen year old son thought the training was "awesome". Jeff Payne and the drivers were professional and informative yet "cool" and very approachable.
My son Alex and I are convinced that the driving experience he aquired during the Driver's Edge training is invaluable. Their motto, "Know Yourself. Know your limits" was clearly demonstrated as the young driver's knowledge, skill and confidence levels increased rapidly.
Special thanks to all of the sponsors. There is no doubt that their driving school support will save young lives.
I will definately look to Bridgestone the next time I need a set of tires or golf balls!
Again, thank you for a job well done and for caring so much for our nations young drivers. Outstanding.
Posted by: Chuck Thompson | July 21, 2008 01:13 PM
Is this a personal blog or something that is supposed to represent a professional organization? It really reads like you have college kids writing class essay or opinion pieces. I don't get any feeling of expertise or knowledge, just emotional, female-oriented thoughts that have little to do with the state of the industry, the solutions that experts are discussing, and so on and so forth. I live in California and have read your blog for a long time. It used to rock the house. No more. I would say your blog is right in line with American auto companies: out of touch, out of sync, and out of time.
Posted by: Michael Collins | July 19, 2008 12:48 PM
please give me description about differences between tiguan track and tiguan tren
Posted by: iqbal | July 16, 2008 01:41 AM
I hate to see the Town Car disappear but if so,--I'll just buy a Cadillac.
Posted by: wallace pfeifer | July 13, 2008 06:26 PM
Great Car. I own a 2008 Scion Tc and I am completely satisfied with it, and am very Happy that I purchased it as I did. Performance is A+
Posted by: steve szabo | July 13, 2008 01:49 AM
That's a cool looking 2009 Aveo 5! Personally I have a 2005 red Aveo 5 with Koing wheels. Love it. Be nice to take a few features off the 2009 Aveo 5 and onto my own car!
Posted by: Skyhawk | July 12, 2008 09:17 PM
i can't wait to see H4
Posted by: patrick emeodi | July 12, 2008 02:19 AM
While the H3 is not known as a gas sipper, we have a 06 Adventure model with the I5 engine and auto trans, and have been pleasantly surprised with a mixed use average of 18mpg. Drive it like its a heavy truck and not a sports car and it'll reward you with decent enough fuel economy and brake wear usage.
Posted by: Neal Davis | July 10, 2008 05:32 AM
toyota tundra are the best car ever
Posted by: joey | July 9, 2008 12:32 AM
I have to agree and at the same time disagree (an axymoron, I know). I've had my XR2 5 speed for about a month (Black Saphire), and in reality it only took a day or 2 to get the radio/cd and computer down. The On-Star is an added benefit with a year's use included. I also use a Zune which the "system" recognizes as well. I have to agree it sure would be nice to have an imput for it - my dealership is looking into options.
Yes, it has euro-quirks that tend to actually grow on you.
But, what's cool is I've been getting lots of positive comments on it and people find it's hard to believe it's a Saturn.
Enjoy the quick-direct handling - its sporty side of the vehicle. The power-band could be more, but as mentioned the milage is great as on average I'm getting 31 mpg in commute traffic. I have yet to take any trips with it so I have no long trip info as of yet.
Overall I find the car lots of fun and and looking into small upgrades - would be nice if GM went the way of Scion with this vehicle by offering different after-market products which they could procure from Holden, Opel, or Vauxhall.
All for now.
Barry Hammond
Posted by: Barry Hammond | July 4, 2008 10:09 AM
I went to the L.A. auto show just to see the imperial, I was so let down that my dream car was not their.
that car is going to sell like hot cakes and I'm first in line..
Posted by: andre egans | July 3, 2008 06:22 PM
This car looks like the old Saturn Vue. What were they thinking? The old Pilot is much prettier. Did they have to sacrifice looks for fuel efficiency?
Posted by: Honda Shocked | July 1, 2008 09:56 AM
Ah yes, I remember driving from Tallahassee to Fort Walton Beach, Florida on a balmy sunny Florida day in my 1968 Torino GT Convertible with the top down. Driving through the forested rural Florida roads was a delight and when getting to Fort Walton Beach cruising the city - well before today's tourist boom - was beyond compare. You are right Ed, these experiences are tough to beat.
Posted by: Karxprt | June 27, 2008 01:55 AM
la nueva ford expedition es uno de los mejores autos que pudo haber cresdo la ford por ser muy amplio comodo y tener un diseño expectacular
Posted by: carlos nain montaño | June 26, 2008 03:26 PM
Will you be posting location schedules anywhere on the web?
Posted by: Laurie Fyock | June 26, 2008 06:50 AM
We were just wondering if there was an update on this story? Any information would be appreciated. Thank You
Hi Wanda...
Yes, there have been two updates to this story. See VehicleVoice entries on the following dates.
4-22-08
4-12-07
Editor
Posted by: Wanda | June 19, 2008 04:14 PM
I love this SUV been a ford guy my whole life. The only complaint I have is the tranny, it does alot of gear hunting from 1st to 2nd but other than that its great...I towed my friends 5000lb boat and it felt like I wasnt towing anything, some little scion tried to race me and I still smoked with a 5000lb boat behind me.
Posted by: Eric | June 17, 2008 10:22 PM
We lost power and the hardware store was out of generators. Luckily we searched and found one at mainpowerconnect.com; we should now have the power needed when the next unexpected outage comes. The generator will keep the lights on, food cold and our air conditioning working. Hopefully the generator will also keep our sump pump working to protect the basement from flooding.
Posted by: Andrea | June 16, 2008 06:26 PM
It's not the price of gas or the gas mileage, it's the trips to the gas station!
If this vehicle got better gas mileage I'd buy it. Who wants to make trips to the gas station all the time?
Or am I supposed to hire someone to put gas into my car, too?
Posted by: monica | June 15, 2008 02:50 PM
Nissan has a very competitive small crossover. Smooth and fun to drive. Impressively refined with the CVT. The engine is strong and smooth. Interior quality is very good, although lacking on storage cubby holes. No rear seat tricks, just up or down. Comfortable seats and good driving position. Limited visability on rear sides and out rear windown. The 2wd should be able to be loaded with options that are only limited to 4wd. The excluded options has nothing to do with the drive train. Fuel economy is as posted and better if you keep highway speed at 70 and below. Highly recommend.
Posted by: Darren Hawk | June 15, 2008 09:13 AM
what a great artist... the most beautiful art i've seen in a long time.
Posted by: christine | June 13, 2008 05:10 PM
----Regarding the attention issue, and the use of cell phones, one never hears about the possibilities for training one's attentive skills. Visual attention isn't the same as simply aiming and focusing one's eyes on something. There are eye-exercise charts that train one to focus one's eyes differently from the thing they're aimed at, and exercising these skills separately enhances one's use of them together. Analogously, one can use one's visual attention separately from both aim and focus. Throw your keys out on the lawn, and then go search for them. While searching, your attention will be in "scan" mode, and you will be attending to fairly wide swaths of your field-of-vision. Notice, though, what happens when you catch a glimpse of the keys somewhere in the near-periphery of your vision, and you go to pick them up. Your attentional swath contracts to a width of about two inches, even before you bend over, and your eyes are still in the same focus-and-aim configuration as when the search-mode first encountered the keys. Just becoming more aware of the distinctness of attentional skills can help in their employment.
----Regarding slow driving in the fast lane, and hogging it, I'd add that anyone with an SUV ought to stay out of the left lane. There's a reason trucks are prohibited from the left lane, and it's only lax enforcement that allows SUVs and minivans to use it. People shouldn't wear big hats to the movies, and by the same token, SUVs should stay out of the left lane, and let the people with real cars use it. Normal people shouldn't have to pay for the ego-inadequacies and control issues that SUV owners compensate for by driving behemoths with "commanding" road views.
----And how lazy does one have to be to feel it necessary to swing wide left to make a right turn, just to avoid having to turn the (power-assisted!) steering wheel as much? These people must be very obese. They should lose some weight.
----Another annoyance is people who insist on being able to pull immediately into the left lane when turning right onto a multi-lane main road. because of their stupidity, they have to wait for ALL lanes to be open, instead of pulling into the right lane and changing lanes one at a time. And in having to wait to lunge across the road, they keep a line of cars behind them waiting.
----In a congested city, a main concern should be to act in a way that allows as many cars to get through traffic lights as possible. Pay attention to the lights, especially if you're in the front car, and once through the intersection, keep moving. Stopping to let some waiting jaywalker cross or to let some car enter from a side street may stroke your ostentatious courtesy-self-image, but it can really screw up traffic behind you, clog the intersection, and lead to a major traffic jam. The jaywalker can go to a crosswalk, and the entering car can wait for a break between the lights. (well, let him in if traffic is so thick that there's no break, but not otherwise.) It IS courteous to surrender your right of way, but that doesn't mean you should do it when it isn't necessary, and to do so would inconvenience each of the 20 drivers behind you more than the one you gratiously let in would be inconvenienced by waiting. Right of way laws weren't designed ONLY to mediate potentially adversarial contests, but also to make traffic interaction more consistent, predictable, and thereby, more efficient. Think about whether your right-of-way conduct accomplishes a net good, or whether it accomplishes only minor good at the expense of a large inconsiderateness.
----Besides, a good, attentive, hustling jaywalker doesn't WANT to be seen as holding up traffic. Good, responsible jaywalking consists of the art of darting across the street without having ANY effect on the flow of traffic. Being waved across by some ostentatious, magisterial matron is a condescending insult.
Posted by: Bob | June 13, 2008 03:55 PM
Touch-screens are cheaper for the manufacturer, but for reduced eyes-off=the-road intervals, shaped buttons that are distinguishable by touch make more sense.
Posted by: bob | June 13, 2008 12:23 PM
When are we going to be told the price? Will this concept really be available?
Does the Quad version have a tailgate?
I am very interested.
Posted by: Genevieve | June 8, 2008 04:38 PM
How much gas does this camaro hold cuz i might want one
Posted by: Synyster | June 3, 2008 01:55 PM
Love the looks of the Eco Voyager. Would love to see an adaptation of the "curves" influence that resulted in the amazing looking cars of the 1930s-1940s. While all were larger, style need not be associated with only large vehicles. I had hopes that the early hybrid produced by Honda, called the insight would start the trend of marrying smart function with streamlined style, but focus groups interviewed by the automotive industry steered the process towards boxy, big, and impractical for eco future application. Thanks for your information.
Love smart people!
Mary Mc
Posted by: Mary McIntire | June 3, 2008 01:42 PM
I love my HHR.
Posted by: Greg Kluck | June 1, 2008 09:55 PM
Hi, Jerry, Did you find out anything about whether the Smart Roadster will come into the US anytime soon?
Posted by: Sandy | June 1, 2008 08:31 PM
I'm from vancouver and belive it or not I saw one on the street most of the car was uncovered but the door handles still had white plastic on it... 1 thing before you judge the car it looks ALOT better in person (and from the front it looks like a facelifted/concept tourag)
Posted by: Anson | May 30, 2008 05:49 PM
I bought a 2001 Prius and now have a 2006. I have owned Cads,Buicks,Fords,Jeeps, Pontiacs,Hondas and many other cars and trucks. The Prius has been the best vehicle I have ever owned. I get an honist 44 mpg in city and 55.5 on the highway. When Toyota produces tge A-Bat (please change the name) I will join the line at the dealership to get one.
Posted by: Bill Johnson | May 30, 2008 05:31 PM
This car and the service that comes with it is the crappiest car I have ever owned.
Whatever you do, do not buy this car!
Posted by: Omid Souresrafil | May 29, 2008 09:34 PM
All of that's true. I hate the idea of an entire industry that people have looked forward to buying from for a long time (new retirees) "coming to a halt," as you say but there seems to be no other probable eventuality for the RV industry. But something else is likely too. Crime. Frustration is likely to rise and also attempts by people to siphon gas, rob with weapons and commit fraud.
Posted by: Tom | May 29, 2008 04:29 PM
I like it, it's hot!
Posted by: Monique Tyus | May 29, 2008 10:26 AM
I've had a 2000, 2003-2005- 2008 expeditions. the last one has had multiple issues. the prior ones ran and worked fine, this 08 has been head ache after headache. it has had electrical issues since we got it, the rear door has become loose and the dealership had trouble finding out the issue, also the front passanger seat belt sensor and chime havent worked. If the sensor doesnt recognize that no one is sitting there the airbag wont deploy and if you are buckled up the faulty system might or might not work properly. the dealership should have checked the concerns from the get go, but they would say thatif they cant verify it they cant write it up. dont believe that! they are supposed to check any concerns you have wether they can verify it or not.
Posted by: john doe | May 22, 2008 05:51 PM
Well, it works for BMW, Ferrari,Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Subaru, Porshe and hey! even Hertz so........
Posted by: Frank | May 13, 2008 07:38 PM
I love my new Yaris. I've had it for over a year, now, and average 35 mpg. The front seats have lower lumbar support and the ride is much better than more expensive cars like the Ford Taurus. I think the styling is great for a subcompact... that is, it doesn't look like a less expensive car. I bought mine for around $14,000 and they start around $12,000. How can you beat that? Styling, great gas mileage, a decent ride, and quality. It's sad that Toyota has decided to discontinue them after the 2009 model year.
Posted by: Andrew | May 13, 2008 06:34 AM
I would give the silverjunko an F- for the fact that those GM idiots have dropped all manual transmissions. You say that a manual is not needed, just ask some of the allison tranny owners how it hurts the pocketbook to rebuild the tranny after 40-50000 miles. I would take a plain rubber-matted, am radio equipped, v8 manual tranny truck over these paintywaist carpeted slipomatic brake eaters. I really thought gm had finally gotten their trucks right when I saw the new body style, but they wrapped that beautiful body with a junk transmission. If they won't give me what I want, then I will buy another brand.GM has tried to turn a truck from a working vehicle to a whiney baby street truck.Wake up GM, give me a manual or give me another brand.
Posted by: Bobby R | May 8, 2008 04:44 PM
fyi- new years eve 2008 i took possession of first audi r8 in this area of florida. zoweeee!
Posted by: brian sonnenschein | May 5, 2008 06:36 AM
New Mitsubishi Lancer X very good car with an interesting appearance and good characteristics. Everyone who thinks about purchasing the car, advise buying. Mitsubishi Lancer X justify your expectations!
By the way - some forms of body similar to the car Lexus IS250.
Posted by: Lancer driver | May 2, 2008 03:35 PM
Will this be a gas pig too? I hope so!!
Posted by: Chevron Owner | April 30, 2008 11:06 AM
OMG, I want this car soo much, i'd do anything to get one.
Posted by: Jessy | April 29, 2008 04:07 AM
I just purchased my vehicle and I cannot get my pictures from my camera or a CD to download. Any help??
Posted by: karen | April 27, 2008 04:48 PM
Hi!
Looked through responses of owners GTO and has decided too something to add. I always wished to have the sports machinecar, but having purchased beloved was disappointed a little. THIS MACHINECAR MAKES MORE RATHER THAN to SENSE ON ROAD. First time, me millet Owners by the machinescars with as soon as a crossroads so to them give " who forward ", but most insulting that that they from the start managed to overtake not simply me, but also even to mock. Without thinking twice and having undergone the rough attitude of other proprietors sports to experts to not breathe exhaust gases of others of type of abrupt guys. From the Samurai I managed only the advanced disks and shock-absorbers Elf, all rest, and he/she is the centrifugal supercharger, new pistons, rods, have estimated the block of management and an exhaust in 10 000 $, besides guarantees that the car will work faultlessly what have not given and is quite proved. All these fairy tales about 500 and all other crap I do not trust. The good car
initially also costs well and even if at you under a cowl a heap of everyone does not mean at all that you will be the first.
chase manhattan bank home equity loan
More shortly, have made to me the car, it became much more pleasant, but thus there was other reality. Once having felt the racer I have burnt a cursor, and itself have not understood as? As to me have then explained pressure was big, any there the hose has flied, after repair in a month the automatic device was covered. Basically itthis should be expected, now I search for mechanics that will be further I do not know, but on to means I could buypurchase to myself . And now that лушче-was quietly to go with a guarantee of that that the car always in norm or is fast, but thus to look, what gasoline, what pressure, what temperature and where idling has got to.???
Bay-bay... :)
Posted by: allextoyot | April 27, 2008 01:27 PM
how do i join your survey panel?
Posted by: Rebecca Newton | April 26, 2008 10:41 AM
I test drove both and as I told the salesman, the Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited both need either a strong V6 (minimum 250 hp) or a small to mid v8. Actually, mileage would not deteriorate as these engines would be working more efficiently and at lower rpms, providing Chrysler puts a 5 or 6 speed transmission. The current 4.0 is way underpowered most definitely because the weight of the new Wrangler Unlimited has increased almost 300 lbs. And, don't blame the Germans. They only owned the company. We Americans designed/produced the vehicle.
Posted by: Robert Foster | April 25, 2008 06:51 AM
The pickups that the real cowboys drove were rear-wheel-drive (not 4x4) with straight-6s, 3-on-the-tree trannies, plain dashboards without radios, and vinyl bench seats. A rear bumper would have been optional. So would a large rear windshield, 2-tone paint, and any chrome, but these indulgences would have been suspect. ---Chevy and Ford's most "basic" trucks for '08 come with ABS, power rack-&-pinion steering, AM/FM stereo, 5spd manual/4spd auto trannies, intermittent wipers. Some base trucks have gas shocks, tilt wheel, CD/MP3 players. The Colorado throws in AC and Cruise. These are as close as one can get to the old cowboy trucks, but today, most buyers get vanity-4x4, crew/club cabs, all kinds of plush stuff and appearance items. Today's trucks are caricatures of the trucks that built America, like blue jeans with ironed creases. So what's the attachment to this aesthetic? Nostalgia for a time when guys had real jobs? Buy a work truck or get a real car, and just get over the emotional issues.
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 06:46 PM
One of the few cars that enhances my pride in being American.
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 02:13 PM
A real car. Styling innovation. Nice.
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 02:02 PM
Pushing a vehicle with a large cross-section through the air is intrinsically fuel inefficient. The "commanding-view" rudeness arms-race has to stop somewhere. A height-limit of 60" in the passing lane would help. Revise the CAFE standards so that they're more stringent for large vehicles than small ones. When will American carmakers start paying fuller attention to real cars instead of these inadequacy-compensating psychological indulgences?
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 01:58 PM
Ever seen a rear-end like that on a person? It is, well, butt-ugly. Especially from the side.
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 01:52 PM
This one will find its niche. The Super-Duty thing has become stale, like a macho arms race, and with gas going up like crazy, the jacked-up 4x4 pickup will be a vehicle for guys with mullets. This is a cool contractor vehicle, once the housing market rebounds.
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 01:46 PM
----I like the Mini Clubman, but hate the Flex. In the smaller iteration, the styling looks practical, no-nonsense, and simple. But inflated and overstuffed as the Flex is, it screams "Blunt Weapon". It's the car for someone who needs to compensate for some inadequacy by strapping on some secondary male sex characteristics, but who wants to look up-to-date while doing so.
----Another SUV at a time when their appeal is plummeting (for anyone with a mind). Good timing, Ford. When gas hits $4 a gallon, SUV drivers are going to feel and look foolish, but the drivers of the old ones will at least have the justification of being stuck with the payments for vehicle with plummeting resale value. These Flexes are going to look like the late-model Taurus I saw that someone had customized with a vinyl roof: way too much effort to participate in a long-stale fad. The very style of the Flex will make it seem all the more laughable.
----This one will also continue the great SUV tradition of obstructing the vision of all drivers behind it, like rude people who wear big hats in the movies. Where's my Bazooka?
Posted by: Bob | April 23, 2008 01:38 PM
I'll put in my two cents.
I am a jeep owner and a father of 2 and a dog. I plan to take the family on a 3week tour of middle America in 3 years using an offroad pop-up trailer.
What will the tow vehicle be?
1st choice: a Stock Unlimited if Jeep puts a V-8 in it.
2nd choice: My already built 80's Jeep
3rd choice: sell my CJ and use the cash to put a V8 in a used unlimited.
Please put a V-8 in the Jeep, so I can keep my trail rig! :)
Posted by: MellowYellowCJ7 | April 14, 2008 05:05 PM
My 2007 Entourage squeaks all the time from the back end. It has gotten to where I refuse to drive or ride in it. Our Hyundai dealer, Todd Archer, seems to be at a loss on how to fix it.
Posted by: Ted | April 12, 2008 01:35 AM
WHOA!!! My dream car....but what up with the 49cents though. LOL
Posted by: Star | April 11, 2008 08:34 PM
I would like to add the MyGig to our 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup. Does anyone know if a backup camera can be added to it?
Posted by: Judy | April 11, 2008 09:26 AM
Yes Jeep Enthusiasts are looking for more power. Why would a person who loves a Jeep and everything that goes with it such as hunting and fishing not want a wrangler that could pull the boat or atv to a destination. How many Wrangler owners coan afford to have a truck and a jeep to do all the jobs that one vehcle should. Give me my V8 and a diesel and I bet you won't see to many v6's sold in the unlimited. I love the new jeep I just need a Wrangler that has a heart to match its other great attributes
Posted by: More power! | April 8, 2008 08:18 AM
The position that this vehicle can compete is on mpg.
The overall vehicle is very good looking and functional....the sell price seems high for the other options Ford has. however, if the mpg was double based on the diesel version -- they will have a winner.
I am looking for such a transport that has good milage and is functional to carry more than 5 at times or luggage or project things like recycles. I have a Volvo now that is similar, but millage is 17 +/- 2 mpg -- IOW, the milage sucks, but the overall package is the same.
I hope Ford brings the diesel for the mpg -- I think it will sell; look at VW's versions -- you cant get one.
bjk
Posted by: brett kaufman | April 7, 2008 08:26 PM
hi i was wondering if dodge is guna keep making mega cabs in the future?? thanks mike
Posted by: mike kuka | April 6, 2008 05:14 PM
I think Honda is positioned to rake in the dough once the American public realizes that high gas prices are here to stay.
I'll even go you one better than that: five years from now the freeways are going to look vastly different than they do now with respect to what kind of vehicles that will be on them.
American drivers will finally realize that the money they spend filling their gas tank: 1) is burned, just like setting fire to 3 or 4 $20 bills, never to be recovered, 2)are enriching foreign entities which will never trade back to the US the same amount that was given to them for the oil they sold us.
Because of this, I believe most American families will be multi car affairs - the job of mailing one's rear end to the job and back will be handled by very small frugal cars; the big SUV's and pickup trucks will be relegated to "use only when needed" status. In other words, they will spend 90% of the time parked.
Gone will be the days of seeing oversized, 4 door, 4 wheel drive, 3/4 ton, long wheel base, extended cab vehicles being used for simple transportation.
So who will reap the benefit from this new American change of automotive attitude? First, the obvious ones: Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW and Volkswagen. Why? Because they mostly hail from countries that have had a steady diet of high gasoline prices for a long time. Also, the manufacturers listed above design and build cars with good fuel economy in mind from the first doodle on engineering design paper.
Next, we have the auto makes that will probably make it eventually, but will go to the fuel effiency party kicking and screaming: GM, (you know they knew that fuel prices were about to go through the roof and they STILL blew countless millions redesigning their ridiculous pickup and big SUV line). Ford, (thank GOD that Ford has a really large presence and market in Europe - if they are smart they will federalize as many of the cars they sell over there, for sale over here. Chrysler, well, they have bought a management team that should be able to see the writing on the wall, let's just hope that the big shots at Cerebrus are cool headed enough to give Jim Press and the others enough time to get their act together. Mercedes-Benz, they made a savvy move bringing the Smart car line here to the US - those jewel like cars are small alright, but I think $5 gas will put them right where they need to be. Also, MB has access to some really great diesels, however, the success of those cars relies on diesel fuel not being priced consistently higher than premium gasoline.
And finally, the car companies filed under "I wonder about them": the new upstart companies from China, India and elsewhere are currently dicey affairs at best. Are they going to be able to come to the US with high quality cars and set up dealerships, scource parts for repairs and then stay the course with new redesigns to keep their product line fresh? If they make it, their story will be good compost for a Havard School of Business course for sure.
Ok, let's close all this up with look at the far off future (although I hope it's not too far off). I believe all this bio fuel, hydrogen and everything else that can be burned in an internal combustion engine will be eventually eclipsed by totally electic cars.
First, where do we get the electricity? Wind generators, solar cell farms, wave and tide generators and the like will be the key - these types of electical generation do so with no fuel costs. The wind, waves and sunlight are all free so the cost of the electricity they produce will be nearly free. The only costs to be recouped are the initial investment and maintenance. Try pitting a natural gas generator against a wind farm and it's a no brainer. OK, so we blow a bunch of $$$ doing this and now we have lots of electicity. Currently, we have barely scratched the surface of we could be capable of.
Next, the cars. I believe that we CAN build a viable car that runs on electricity. First let's put together a standard: Tomorrow's electric car must: have a range of 300 miles when driven at high speeds under the usual loads that we put the cars we now have under. They must be refueled in approximately 10 minutes, which is about the time one spends at his neighborhood gas station from start to finish.
You're thinking "this guy is an idiot, it's impossoible". But is it really? I can remember when the first computer controlled cars came into being and replaced carbureatored cars literally overnite. Car enthusiast magazines told us how these new fuel injected cars could tune themselves as they went along their merry way. At the time, I thought it imposssible. Just look at the 2008 models and the prosecution rests it's case.
Cars have advanced so much that the current Z06 Corvette could win the 1973 Indy 500 with the A/C on. So what would your advanced electric car be like?
For one thing it would be very powerful. Electric motors produce very high torque at low RPM's. Couple that to a CVT transmission designed to extract the most from the motor and you'd have plenty of driving fun! Let the tuners get hold of something like that and WHOOOEE! it'll be the '60's all over again!
The motors and transmissions are in their infancy at the moment. If we really tried, we could build a motor that was designed from the ground up for electic car use - separate windings for take off and cruise, internal capacitors for momentary hi horse needs etc. A transmisson optimised for use with this motor is relatively easy. Ah, but the battery - that's the crust of the biscuit.
I can't believe that America, with all it's intelligence and free market reward can't overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of a viable battery. If we would throw as much money at this project as we have in Iraq, we'd be hot on the trail to a new kind of car. You can tell me anything you like, but don't try to tell me we can't come up with a solution to this battery problem. Is it going to be easy? NO. Putting a man on the moon was thought to be impossible, but we did it with .001 of the computer power we have today.
Alright, so who in the hell is going to take on such a heavy capital investiment / talent wearying project? Just look at the top of the list in this little diatribe and there's your players - Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, etc. Personally, I'd put my money on Honda. Time to go! Cheers all!
Posted by: anthony masciopinto | April 3, 2008 09:28 PM
Hey there,
It's been just shy of a year since this "Part 3" post. I'd love to see and read about everything that's happened since then...
Do tell!
Posted by: Brad Cornelius | April 1, 2008 05:50 PM
I just rented one and I loved it. It handles great and has a super small turning circle, like a sports car should.The trunk is large for a 157 inch long car, when you have the top up. But when you lower the top it takes up 80% of the trunk. So, on a road trip with 2 people, you can't really carry much, unless you have the top up the whole trip, and then what's the point of having a roadster? I know many small roadsters have the same problem, tho.
The convertible top can be a nightmare to latch fully up. Most of the time it was fine, but once in a while it just wouldn't latch, even tho I used the exact same trick that had worked many times before, The owners manual does not explain the trick. Annoying, in fact its the worst thing about the car. The idiot at the rental car company asked what did you do to it? I said GM designed it, ask them. Luckily the other people at Avis had a brain, and knew I babied the car.
The top was very waterproof when latched. There is no glass wind blocker that would pops up behind your head to block turbulence, but on the other hand it doesn't cost $50,000 either.
The car is so beautiful with the top down that I had a tourist take a photo of the car with me in it. And this was Miami Beach, where you see new Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis every 15 minutes. If you want attention and to impress women, you should consider the Saturn Sky/ Pontiac Solstice. People love the look so much they let me in in traffic all the time, Miamians are often rude and refuse to let a fellow driver in front of them. But not with this car.
Except for the convertible top, I would buy this car. I heard they are building a fastback soon. True?
Posted by: R. Ashton | March 27, 2008 03:34 PM
I JUST THINK THAT`S A GREAT SUV, FOR REAL!!!
Posted by: UNKNOWN | March 20, 2008 01:01 PM
I've worked in the trades for 30yrs, (GC licensed for 15). I'm a landlord now and always have a project going, but these days I hire subs for almost everything. I make regular runs to the lumber yard and the hardware store for smaller loads. The Abat would be perfect for me.
Posted by: Rob Lederer | March 19, 2008 12:53 PM