Everything posted by pow
-
Detroit 2012: The 3 Engines Of ATS: Comments
Huh? The biggest MINI engine is a 1.6, albeit a turbocharged one.
-
Detroit 2012: The 3 Engines Of ATS: Comments
Naturally aspirated 2.5L sounds like a fail. Hope the 2.0T improves on what's offered on the Opels, Buicks, and Saabs, as they've been generally underperforming engines with lousy NVH.
-
Detroit 2012: Hello Buick Encore: Comments
Yep, looks like lipstick on a 2008 VUE slash fleet-only 2012 Captiva.
-
Cell phones
Plain old iPhone 4. Nothing fancy, no learning curve, as good of a camera as most point-and-shoots. Nice, functional apps. There was supposed to be Antennagate but I've never experienced any problems. edit: One downside: it doesn't work with SYNC's audible text feature. If I were to upgrade, SYNC treats Siri as an incoming call, so then I could both send and receive texts... which is pretty cool.
-
Acura News: More Details On The Acura ILX
Nice. Could be a credible competitor to the A3, CT200h, B-class, etc.
-
Interactive Review: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Any rattles? Buzzing noises? Road noise? Impact harshness?
-
Hyundai News:Consumer Group Calls Out Hyundai's 40 MPG Elantra
I find the EPA's mpg figures to be consistent. You might exceed the rating, you might be well below -- it all depends on your commute and driving patterns. It's pointless to compare "real-world" mpg among different drivers and different routes, so the EPA tests are the most accurate way of comparing apples-to-apples to assess how a car does RELATIVE to other vehicles. That said, what I get on my weekday commute is very close to the EPA's combined rating: I got 22 mpg in the Passat and now I get 30 mpg in the Focus (officially 26 city, 36 hwy, 30 combined). If I lived in rural PA, I may well get 43 mpg.
- SHOCKER: ocnblu goes green!
-
Cadillac's Converj Becomes The ELR
I can imagine an AWD version by adding an electric motor for the rear wheels, like on the RX450h and DS5 Hybrid4. Converting it to RWD would probably require substantial re-engineering of the chassis, which wasn't designed to handle those sorts of drivetrain loads. Even if it were AWD, they'd want to replace the rear twist-beam with IRS, also costly to engineer.
- SHOCKER: ocnblu goes green!
-
Hyundai News:Consumer Group Calls Out Hyundai's 40 MPG Elantra
Hmm... http://green.autoblog.com/2011/08/30/ford-tries-to-prove-2012-focus-is-more-fuel-efficient-than-hyund/
- SHOCKER: ocnblu goes green!
-
Chevrolet News:How Much For The Chevrolet Malibu ECO?
I love how they conveniently ignore city fuel economy. Fixed: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid – $26,660 / 43 mpg 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid – $29,395 / 41 mpg 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid – $26,545 / 35 mpg 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE Diesel (with automatic) – $27,895 / 30 mpg 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO – $25,995 / 26 mpg For an extra $665, you get 65% greater city fuel economy from Camry Hybrid. And I love how they only factor the horsepower of the gasoline engine in those hybrids.
-
Industry News: Alabama’s Controversial Immigration Law Hits Close to Home for Mercedes
Way to treat your job creators, Alabama.
-
Kohl's inhumanely reminds me The Day of Insanity is near
I don't view Kohls, WalMart, et al. as stores anymore -- so much as just giant outlets for China's factories, and their rejects no less.
-
LA 2011: Chevrolet Spark: Comments
The changes make a world of difference. Now it almost looks like a chic city car, instead of low-rent wheels for the developing world.
-
Lexus News: Lexus Shows The HS250h The Door
And the new Escape is pretty much a C-MAX allroad/Outback/XC.
- Regal is for me
-
LA 2011: Buick LaCrosse GL Concept: Comments
Wow, this looks really good, and I'm not a fan of the normal LaCrosse. If they build it, I hope it's reasonably priced.
-
Lexus News: Lexus Shows The HS250h The Door
Prius has pretty much moved to the mainstream as the efficient, practical, and rational midsize family car alternative. AFAIK, it's Toyota's third best selling car, and it's set to overtake Camry in the near future. If Lexus offered an ES300h, I could easily imagine that making up half of all ES sales.
-
Cadillac News: Ladies & Gents, I Give You The Cadillac XTS
Maybe they could made a wagon version to compete against the MKT...
-
Cadillac News: Ladies & Gents, I Give You The Cadillac XTS
It's so damn tall. I covered everything aft of the B-pillar on my screen, and could easily imagine a Venza-like crossover.
-
Cadillac News: Ladies & Gents, I Give You The Cadillac XTS
What an awkward, unfortunate looking car. Sorry to sound like smk here, but this looks like a MKS/S80/RL-type second-tier luxury sedan. Its Epsilon II roots are obvious.
- Cars that have good modern design....
-
Cadillac XTS Struts Its Stuff At LA
It certainly makes a difference in the way a car drives, and consumers notice that just after a few blocks. You don't have to be a self-proclaimed "enthusiast" to appreciate the natural steering feel and ergonomics commonly associated with RWD cars.