Stew

I totally agree here, I thought I was the only one! The racetrack lighting looks awesome in pictures, but in real life it's WAY too bright from the LED lighting. Subtlety has never been Chrysler's strong suit, and the LX cars are a decade-long testament to that. Dropping the intensity in half would be a good start, I hate getting behind a Charger at a red light because the ass glows bright enough for sunglasses. There is a bright spot to that though (pun intended). You can see a cop from a mile away haha. The KSP has tons of Charger's here.

Anyway...... good point Surreal, the main difference is that the lower part of the Center stack on the challenger is a seperate piece on the hallenger and the overall dash shape is slightly different. Oddly, I m not really a fan of the 300's interior, just not a fan of the overall design, but top end trims offer exemplary craftsmanship.

Whoa, you looked too far into my post! I don't think i called you names, just doubting you drove one or paid much attention if you did. i never said the interior was al new, in fact I even stated what was upgraded. I agree the Avalon is nicer than the ES too and the Impala is a fantastic car. If i bought a V6 Charger it would be AWD BTW. that is the main reason while the FWD only cars would not be on my list. the new Lacrosse is interesting though. My point in comparing not the only the old truck, but the other 10 or so GM products i have owned, a lot purchased with very low miles, is that seem to develope squeaks more than others. No big deal, just a observation.

Another thing you stretched a bit is acting like every LX developed squeaks and rattles. i have been in them from brand new to well over 100k and they have all seemed tight and quiet. My Chevies (such as the 99 Z71 i have right now) seem to be some of the worst for developing squeaks and rattles.

<u;tiple issues with that last post. For starters, there are no Benz designed pieces left in the suspension and what was there was very minor. Second, the guages were all new and even he base model has a colorful TFT touchscreen that it didn't have before. The entire center stack and center console was also redone. Also, the suspension oes NOT feel old. I am sorry, see it as you will, but even big mag and youtube roadtests talk about how solid it feels, and it does. The interior materials were completely redone also BTW. this is why I have my doubts, you are obviously missing a lot of the changes in the car. It has nothing to do with disagreement, but rather logic.

It honestly doesn't sound like you have been in the 15 models. The suspension and interior upgrades have made a world of difference.

Well, it was time for another business trip for my brother and another rental. To mine and his surprise his ride was a 2015 Charger with the Pentastar V6/8 speed auto. (He also had a choice of a base Cherokee or escape, but the charger was easily the winner). As a rental it was a base model with a few options. It had no foglamps, but did have some very nice looking LED accents on the front and the racetrack lights on the rear. For a base model he interior was very nice. It had the smaller 5 inch touch screen, but it is still VERY intuitive and easy to use. All touch points and the dash top were covered in high quality/soft touch materials The seats were very comfortable and the cloth had a very high quality look and feel to it. They were firm, but in a good way. The only piece that seems maybe a little base is the plastic around the gauges/head unit. This is not the case on higher trims especially with the 8.4 inch touch screen. It also had remote start and push button start. The backseat, even with the front seat pretty far back had lots of leg and head room. I like the fact you could comfortably put your feet under the front seats as well. Rear seat passengers also got their own rear vents and 2 USB ports. The seats back there were very comfortable too. The drive: The 15 upgrades have simply made the 15 LXs seem like totally different cars. The feeling is smooth, the structure is solid and the handling is secure. When my brother fist met me and got out his comparisons were to his A5 and much they felt alike. I agree. I had said the same thing about the 15 Challenger with the V6 and the track pack i drove last year. Now, his Charger didn't have that track package so it did roll a little more and lacked the shift paddles. The shifter did provide manual shifting with the proper "pull back for upshift and push Forward for downshifts. The Transmission always responded cleanly and quickly regardless of whether you were shifting manually or letting the transmission do it's own work. I continue to be impressed everytime I use the ZF 8 speed. The pentastar, as always, was a willing dance partner and companion. Never lacking for power and always able to move these big cars with an unexpected ease. . Thew brakes were still excellent though maybe a little touchier than i like. Overall it may have been the base car, but it felt anything but. Hopefully my brother will give me some FE figures since he took it on an 8 hour drive Saturday night.

They have a WITNESS AND A NAME and the cops wont pursue it?!?! What the everloving f@#k!! Yep, and me and the witness both went to file the report at the station. Irks me to say the least. All he could say was "at least it is just an old truck". Nope...that cop, sheriff perhaps...is just too lazy to do his job. Take it to a higher authority or go OVER his authority somehow...because that is a hit and run causing physical damage...and If Im not mistaken...a hit and run is a CRIMINAL offense ANYWHERE in the world. I know for a fact its a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment at the most extreme cases in Quebec... but still garners a criminal record even if just a fine is applied...and Im 90% certain it is the same elsewhere on the planet... Frankly, I agree. Take your case to someone else. Call the next closest police station if you have to. What EXACTLY does it take to prosecute someone in a hit and run if a witness and name aren't enough?? I think I am gonna check wih the State and see what they say. Seemed pretty ridiculous to me.

They have a WITNESS AND A NAME and the cops wont pursue it?!?! What the everloving f@#k!! Yep, and me and the witness both went to file the report at the station. Irks me to say the least. All he could say was "at least it is just an old truck".

So, some high Jackass hit my truck in a parking lot and ran. Hit me so hard he pushed my truck over about a foot. Despite having a witnes that knew the guys name, police say there is nothing they can do about it.

I think the 5.3/8 speed auto would be fantastic in this truck. Not much for the turbo 4 idea though as it would be cost prohibitive.

Actually if you look at it closely incentives can be actually be part of a solution for maximizing revenue or lowering costs. Simply put, they are gaining more in revenue by offering incentives, that they could without. Sound business strategy. And same of GM. Brand new truck really, with incentives pushing 10k very soon. INCENTIVES aren't bad folks, especially if it maximizes the bottom-line. Not really. Say you make 11 grand profit at a dealer negotiated price. If you knock 10k off that price it drives the profit down to 1 grand, Hence you have to sell 11 trucks at the incentive price to make the same amount of profit as if you could sale one at full price. In any case, they all do it, but he F-150 is the newest of the bunch and to be seeing such lofty discounts is no a good thing. If I'm not wrong, some of those dealer incentives are at the dealer's expense not Fords. So while some incentives are costing Ford profit(it's arguable that they would sell any at ful msrp) some are costing the dealer profits while Ford walks away with their full asking price to the dealers. Also, every mainstream manufacturer does it and they all do it all the time, not just after the new model year of a new vehicle. If they are showing their heavy discounts and continuing to increase their profits I'm sure the only people concerned about the incentive are the ones on the internet because they're doing juuuuust fine. This is very true and i was just trying to simplify it. In any case the main problem is that trucks are just too daggone expensive these days.

Actually if you look at it closely incentives can be actually be part of a solution for maximizing revenue or lowering costs. Simply put, they are gaining more in revenue by offering incentives, that they could without. Sound business strategy. And same of GM. Brand new truck really, with incentives pushing 10k very soon. INCENTIVES aren't bad folks, especially if it maximizes the bottom-line. Not really. Say you make 11 grand profit at a dealer negotiated price. If you knock 10k off that price it drives the profit down to 1 grand, Hence you have to sell 11 trucks at the incentive price to make the same amount of profit as if you could sale one at full price. In any case, they all do it, but he F-150 is the newest of the bunch and to be seeing such lofty discounts is no a good thing.

I would guess either 2017 as a 2018 or 2018 as a 2019. Anyways, i think a fullsize Ram SUV with the Ecodiesel would be a huge hit.

Not bad. i am sure the 10k plus dealers are offering on the hoods of F-series is helping now. They should have brought the Transit here years ago! All of the big 3 had fantastic Octobers!

I know they are advertising them here for 10k plus of. I can't wait to see how the new one does. And yes, great month or sure! All of the big 3 had great Octobers which is pretty nice.

Yes, an excellent month for sure! Now, if they would just put that Challenger GT AWD Concept into production.............

I still do not understand what an infotainment system has to do with reliability.

1980 was a rough year for performance, but I always liked that gen Mailbu (parents had an 81 way back when).

No they should have used the Jeep styling with a more Chrysler like nose. Lets face it the Fiat family face is not selling. Wow um no. The 500X hasn't even been on market long enough to gauge it's sales success. Also, I wouldn't call the 500 2 door a failure as it's sales are not that far behind the Mini which offers both a 3 door and 5 door and is brand new to the market in it's current gen. You keep failin to see the big picture................

There is a lot of good stuff out there right now, he only real exception may be the Dart and it is a matter of tuning and engines. Basicall everyone who has used the 9 speed has had issues, from Range Rover to Acura to Honda.

Not meaning to argue, we all know i absolutely love the Colorado and Canyon.

the only poblem is, he is not being nearly truthful hear. Most of the GM platforms are older than he lets on. The Impala for example, just hit a platform Buick has been using for a few years and before that was running a NINE year old design based on a platform more than 20 years. The Regal, 11-15 Cruze, were both based on platforms sold and designs sold in the rest of world for YEARS before they hit our shores. The Malibu, 13-15 was based on that older Regal platform. Alpha really is the only new car platform seen before 16. But look at what GM is pumping out NOW. They have a brand new Colorado/Canyon, '16 Cruze, '16 Malibu, Their half tons were done in '13..updated again for '16, '16 Camaro, CT6, XT5, Bolt, Volt.. What has Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep done in comparison? I mean I understand when you say those were on older platforms but everything I listed is no longer on those dated platforms and the Chrsler products still are and will be for some years yet. GM is no longer living under their bailout timeline and Chrysler is with too many of their products. A platform generally lasts a minimum of 10 years. 2 completely new designs and generally 2 refreshes. CUSW was new in 13. Dart was new in 13, Cherokee in 14, Renegade in 15, Town and Country next year, Rm is from 09 with a major refresh in 13, Durango and Grand Cherokee were brand new for 11 with Major refreshes in 14 that went way further than skin deep. There is a basically new Pentastar appearing next year in the Grand Cherokee and probably others for 16. The upgrades to the LX platform were pretty major for 15 and there no longer a single component left from the original Benz platform. And the platform works. The LX cars have actually gotten quite a few accolades for the 15s in the handling department. Worry less about the age of a platform and more on how it works and it does. I can attest from m 15 Challenger drive compared to than many earlier ones I have driven, it feels like a new platform. Anyways, to continue, a replacement for the Patriot and Compass are VERY close. We are seeing these vehicles being tested now, at least the ones closest to launch including the Wrangler (thank goodness this keeps it's JK platform!), Compat replacement, and te new minivan. Their whole lineup has actually been redesigned in the least 4 years and MANY have already received major refreshes and their sales are soaring. I do thing the GM merger crap is ridiculous, but otherwise there is nowhere near the doom and gloom out there as Hyper spouts.

the only poblem is, he is not being nearly truthful hear. Most of the GM platforms are older than he lets on. The Impala for example, just hit a platform Buick has been using for a few years and before that was running a NINE year old design based on a platform more than 20 years. The Regal, 11-15 Cruze, were both based on platforms sold and designs sold in the rest of world for YEARS before they hit our shores. The Malibu, 13-15 was based on that older Regal platform. Alpha really is the only new car platform seen before 16.

you act as if they are not coming out with new product and not putting money into new product which is completely false considering that within just a few years the entire Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep lineup will be either all-new or heavily updated. I know you hate FCA, but get off of it. Besides, the Jeep truck makes MUCH more sense as the last Dakota bombed and people have been drooling for a Jeep truck since, well, forever...... Stew this is the deal. Chrysler has two new cars based on older Fiat platforms. They have only done some refreshes to the RWD cars and are selling them at large discounts other than the Hellcat. I know my In laws just bought a 300 for dirt cheap. Jeep and the Truck really have gotten the bulk of the investment but what money they are making is being dumped into Alfa and Maserati when it should be going to Dodge and Chrysler. Sorry but I am not blind to the fact Sergio is expecting Alfa to increase sales from 160,000 to over 400,000 by 2017. Well that is not going to happen and he is pissing away money that should have gone into Chrysler 5 years ago. Look at GM and Chrysler post bail out and GM is already to the point they have replaced most of their platforms with new platforms and are already into the second gen of refresh on some of theses models in the next one to two years. They even created a new Omega platform. Yet Chrysler is left with older and borrowed models. Even the RWD replacements were pushed back. Sergio is bleeding them of money that should go to them as he needs volume and they are the brands to do it not Alfa. Even you are wise enough to understand that for post bail out we have seen little done and much of what money Jeep has made went to Italy not Detroit where it should go. Sergio is looking for a dance partner because he needs one. The man is desperate and is off his rocker. The sad part other than the trucks, Jeep and Ferrari no one is really interested in the rest of the line up. They offer nothing another company already does not have or need. Sergio has turned FCA into a parasite and it is looking for a main body to suck onto and drain blood from. The car line up is far behind and not looking to be improving soon. The LX is a refresh and that is all. Improved yes but while the others have replaced or moved on with new platforms. If you are happy with re bodied Fiats that is fine but if I were a Chrysler fan I would not be happy at all. Jeep should be paying for all new Chrysler products ones imported from Italy. Again, you show how little you know. Where to start? We know the BRAND NEW ALFA platform is going to give us the replacement for LX, so great investment IMO. CUSW shares VERY little with the original Alfa platform, basically when it appeared just a couple years ago, for all intents and purposes it was a new platform. We have seen the new minivan, we know new powertrains and MANY new vehicles are coming AND CONFIRMED. You choose to ignore these facts because they DESTROY your skepticism. not to mention their sales are still INCREASING while they maintain the LOWEST percentage of rental sales of the big 3. they have also managed to outsell Ford in retail sales which is a VERY big deal. The facts are against yo. Again, ou simply hate FCA and that is your real issue. Am I saying they are perfect? no, but who is. Cadillac is floundering in sales right now, there is the huge ignition recall and government fines that make FCA's "record fines" look like chump change. Like FCA their trucks are doing great, but their cars aren't exactly setting the world on fire. I like both companies. I love my Dakota and m Silverado, but I neither is really perfect or overall really outperforming each other in a lot of areas since the bailout.