Snate

One quick look at Big Oil's third quarter profits reassures me that there is alot more to the cost than simple supply and demand.

Style apparently isn't a big selling point with these people.

The problem with "IQ" is that it only tests mental intelligence...which is by far not the only form of intelligence. Alot of really intelligent people never do good on those tests.

I'm sure its slightly faster in 0-60....but not that much faster. Most I've seen have it within half a second but I couldn't find many articles to compare the two. Slightly faster + Slightly more fuel efficient still doesn't add up to an 8K premium.

About the only article I could find about acceleration/weight. Feel free to post something else if you can find it. http://www.forbesautos.com/reviews/2006/to.../testdrive.html

I guess I should clarify it was a sedan I saw. I haven't seen a coupe yet...they couldn't possibly be any worse though.

:puke: is all I have to say. Pictures make it look decent....in person its not. It has no good views. It makes the incredibly dull and conservative previous generation look like a supermodel.

That's pretty much what I'm saying. It also begs the question...if you are that concerned about the environment...why are you buying an SUV to begin with.

If I'm gonna spend 8K extra on something it better do more than pollute slightly less.

The funny thing is that the added weight offsets the performance gain.

Less they give up now, the more they'll give up in 2007.

What Japan is basically doing is a subsidy for their domestic companies. Using taxpayer money to stack the deck if favor of their companies. Now normally tariffs are not a good thing. Fair competition breeds innovation and improvement. If the japanese never came here in the first place, who knows what kind of crappy cars we'd still be making. Of course what Japan is doing to help its companies isn't exactly "fair" competition...so the use of some sort of tax or tariff seems like common sense to me.

I don't really think you are seeing his point. The only reason Toyota and others pay as well as union jobs is because otherwise the workers would be prone to unionize. If you are doing the same job as someone else but the other person is in a union and making twice as much, its gonna make you want to start a union. The threat of unionization is sometimes as powerful as actually having a union.

The difference is that Toyota is pushing it "green" image with all the hybrids while trying to sneak in the brand new truck plant. GM has never pretended it didn't sell alot of trucks to project a false image like Toyota.

I've said it once and I'll say it again...that is one nasty interior.

Not really. I mean if they had not made concessions now, they would have just had to deal with it later and it would have been more severe. Make concessions now and keep your job or make no concessions and lose your job later on down the line.

Sorry but thats an Edmunds article which really just rehashes the manufacturers PR piece...and this isn't just Toyota...its Ford and Honda too. While economies of scale will eventually cause the price of replacement batteries to go down, I'll wait until there are some high mileage Prius' on the road before we can start talking about maintenance costs. I imagine the resale of these will drop considerably after 100K miles. The insight is far from a "normal economy car" It's a very small, very cramped 2 person vehicle designed specifically for fuel economy. The only 2 relevant ones are the civic and prius and at roughly 45 MPG (rough average of real world tests not EPA test)...versus a normal economy car, you are looking at at least a decade before any real cost savings.

If you are going on a crowded tollway at 70-75 MPH...this would be a very dangerous situation.

Our standard of living with have to adjust. Everyone is feeling the effect of rising costs and stagnant wages. I completely understand that because I know alot of families that are going through financial problems because of rising costs of everything. Most of them could easily survive though...just no new SUV every 3 years (something my dad needs to learn), no more new toys...cutting back on the discretionary spending. The point is that 15 bucks an hour isn't "poverty wage"...its just average...plenty enough to survive on....that's why you don't see too much sympathy for union workers used to making 20-25 bucks an hour.

Nope...I hate it too. It doesn't have an attractive design, the materials aren't very good and they color scheme just makes it look ugly. Not that the ION is anything that good...but anything is better than the RSX interior...except maybe the new Civic.

Regarding the DCX recall: Didn't find anything on the GM recall...but I can't say this one compares to engines stalling.

The problem with the UAW is that they don't understand supply and demand. Executives are in much higher demand than regular line workers. They get good compensation because if they don't, another company is liable to offer them a better deal and they jump ship...happens all the time. Regular workers though...especially in this economy...should be lucky to have a steady job period and should gladly take a pay cut to keep their job. For every one UAW guy, there is probably 10 other people that would take their job for half the pay. 10 bucks in pushing it...but if you can't survive off 15 bucks an hour you need to learn how to manage your finances. I don't feel sorry for people who just graduate high school and get a factory job and bitch 6 or 7 years later because they can't get new stuff...that was their choice to not further themselves.

Am I the only one surprised that Toyota actually issued a recall voluntarily? They don't seem to like to do that...rather they prefer to try and place the blame elsewhere.

:lol: If only the Camaro were here...it would create world peace and eradicate disease and hunger.

Too bad USPS isn't government sponsored....the only thing the government does is set up a board of directors who basically set the price of stamps. Since USPS is the only one that handles regular mail.....yea...you get why government is needed.