balthazar

marketshare is really only important to investors. Why the media has embraced the concept with a deathgrip, I don't know. Yes I do: because they're primarily lazy, thoughtless hacks.

You are completely correct, mustang84, and I've thought nearly the exact same thing myself for some time. This is my #1 problem with "market share". It's a relative & comparison term as opposed to a true indicator of health & performance. What's ferrari's marketshare vs. their profit? The entire focus on marketshare is totally overwrought and needs to be dumped like last year's kia. 2-week sales totals are now being used :rolleyes:, wait until we get weekly or daily marketshare reports. Can the satellite radio 24-HR Automotive Marketshare Report be far behind?

This is the only one of the 3 that really fits.

Anyone remember when 'market share' wasn't the primary focus of every other discussion even remotely concerning automobiles? I hate what the investor market has turned so many other markets into.

I'm sure all those that worked for those companies and bought their products cared. There are also others who cared or would have if they were there, like me. Every American manufacturing business that closes it's doors saddens me (especially when the market is subsequently supplied by imported goods).

One cannot make blanket statements like moore does and expect to retain any credibility. "...gotten themselves into" what specifically? Consistancy also is a hallmark of integrity, and he doesn't have that, either.

Let's take note how well these 3 sold in the U.S. market when new, for how long and how long it's been since any of this 'ultra light duty' type were available. If anything, people are doing MORE hauling & towing now then they were then, reinforcing a market shift away from ultra-light duty 'trucks'. Many (I would not say "most") trucks may not haul or tow big loads usually, but most people would prefer to have that capacity when they do want/need to.

That is an absolutely awful interior...

Dear God- where has this 'journalist' been the last 10 years?? Woefully out of touch and inaccurate merely from the above quoted.

Why would you think that; can you support your theory? Car magazines' primary duty is to sell magazines. If the current popular opinion is that imports are "better" (and it is), they serve their own purposes & longevity to cater to that. Research the frequency of import vs. domestic vehicle road tests in car rags over the last 10 years- it'll open your eyes.

Didn't the '74 porsche turbo trail the '62 Corvair Monza Spyder Turbo to the market by 12 years??

You say 'reinterpret', I say 'reguritate'.

Nothing says 'We have no earthly idea what we are doing' than blatantly f'ing up 90-yr old automotive terminology. First a 4-dr sedan is called a 'phaeton', now a 4-dr sedan is going to be called a 'coupe.' And we just read a piece a few days ago where VW admitted learning a lesson about grotesquely overpriced models, and here they are targeting mercedes again. The worst car company on the planet (aside from mitsubishi). To everyone: STOP USING THE TERM 'COUPE' IN REFERENCE TO THIS VW MODEL. I COMMAND IT. Thanks.

I do not like the '61-62 Cadillacs. They lost their way and many stylistic details look borderline cheap to my eye, esp compared to '60. Can't say there's anything about them I care for, but of course: to each his own!

Kinda surprised at some of the reaction/comments. Up until the Banglecide, bmws were pretty much carbon copies of '70s bmws, and many posters here seem to love bmws. Had 4 round headlights over 20 years after rectangulars and over 10 years after molded were legalized. Frankly I find them stylistically archaic (and just downright unpleasant after Banglecide). The Challenger does appear to be an even closer update of the original than the Mustang, but obviously it's different. The basic body lines on the Challenger are so sweet but the front end starts looks pinched and too small for the body in that pic. Would like to see a whole-car shot before passing final judgement.

A modified Reeves Octa-Auto?

See; you didn't have to worry; Croc behaved himself by not addressing the pics directly. Go-oood Croc!

Tho I did not confuse tow package/non-tow package rates (my truck has no factory tow package), I did apparently misread the 9 owner's manual pages of towing capcities. Seems it's the manual trans version of my truck that is only rated to tow 2300 lbs, the auto trans is good for 4700, so my 5400 plus me was only 900 lbs over rated GCWR. Still, I would tackle just about anything without worries. Honda in no way deserves the benefit of the doubt in the segment of trucks- they've never built any before. It'll take the better part of 20 years of competitive product before a major slice of the truck consumer even considers it as a viable choice.

It's just the popular "in" thing to do, and will likely fade just as vinyl tops and wire wheels have faded away. Because it's merely a fashion statement and doesn't give anything back to the consumer (oh yeah- unless you keep drive the same car for 12 years or more). I'm not saying it's not worthy if you obsess over that sort of thing, but most consumer's subconscious attitude is 'What's in it for me?'.

Less emissions are neither specifically advertised nor realized by the pocket of the consumer. In other words, most consumers will not care in the least. The majority of hybrid drivers are sold on mileage gains... but fail to do a bit of simple math to show how long they have to drive the thing until they see any savings vs. the comparable gas-engined vehicle.

Interesting. Figuring 66% of the mileage is city driving, the gas vehicle should return a composite of 23, the hybrid a composite of 31, difference of 8mpg. Using the usual annual mileage of 12,000 and figuring gas at $2 even, the hybrid would take 11 years to make back it's $3000 premium. I wonder how many hybrid owners stop to figure this out.

They also did a lot of fraudulent advertising to 'reinforce' that image, don't forget.

That's only part of it, not the entirety. It has to be overengineered and intended to work. It can also provide comfort & convinence, but it must be able to work beyond it's capacity and last doing so. Recently I looked in the manual to see how much my F-150 is rated to tow. A measely 2300 lbs. Oops: last summer with 130K on the clock I towed 5400 lbs 45-minutes, bringing my '40 Ford COE back to my house from my brother's. Many other times I have towed double the factory rating with no strain or struggle. That's a 'truck'.

The Incredibles is a greatly entertaining movie, and not even within the genre of kid-oriented movies. I don't see movies as often as I'd like. Rented Million Dollar Baby & House of Wax last week; HOW wasn't very good and MDB was good but I couldn't really get into it. The movie that has been resonating in me since I saw it this summer is the [i]Dawn of the Dead (2004). The interplay of music and imagery clicked for me to the point I have to call it a "great" movie. The opening of Johnny Cash's [i]The Man Comes Around with split second shots of screaming zombies is cinematic gold.

WH-A-AA-AA-A-A-T ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Since when?