Ask the guy who writes about new cars for a living.
Tried to put this in the Ask the Expert forum, but was blocked.
I have lived and breathed cars for most of my 40-plus years, and for the last eight have been paid to write and talk about them.
I am an industry pundit, and new-car expert. I am a lousy mechanic
and don't know much about insurance.
If I can help someone make a new- or used-car buying decision, I will go to bed a happier person. I am also happy to chat about the state of the industry.
Last edited by Oliveloaf; 15 Oct 2009 at 02:20 PM.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Important note: I am a U.S.-market car guy.
Not well versed on Euro-market offerings.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
I'm not in the market for a car (I can't drive), but I wanted to ask your opinion on the evolution of the industry. Can the current car culture in the US be maintained as the transfer is made to alternate energy sources or will something have to give?
I love BMW's. I love that the car battery can be jumped from the front or the back of the car. I love that every window control is auto-up and within easy reach of the driver. I love that the radio antenna is built into the windshield frame and thus invisible. I love that if I lock one door manually all the other locks engage. I love that the tachometer has a gauge that tells me what fuel efficency i'm currently driving at. What american car could even tempt me away from the finest machines ever made?
(i may need to replace my BMW in a year or two. that last jump over the fireroad breaker didn't help at tall)
Two questions:
Do you work for a print outlet or on-line? either way what do you think of Edmunds? Are the more or less objective than the big car mags? How do their reviews stack up against Consumer's Report?
What very efficient highway cars are going to be available in the next few years? I drive a Ford Focus currently I bought new in 2003. I will be hitting 150,000 miles shortly. So I put a lot of miles on yearly and my commute is roughly 40 miles each way or 400 miles per week. I would love a car with some room (like my Focus) and a range of over 400 miles per tank.
Which is better, the new Charger or the new Camaro? Will Pontiac ever resurrect the Firebird? Why can't any American car companies come close to matching warranties with Japanese and Korean companies?
ETA - In your opinion what is the finest car ever made and which is the worst?
Last edited by Cluricaun; 15 Oct 2009 at 02:42 PM.
Hell, if I didn't do things just because they made me feel a bit ridiculous, I wouldn't have much of a social life. - Santo Rugger.
Pontiac will be gone shortly. GM is shutting it down at the end of 2010.Originally posted by Cluricaun
Well then times a wasting.
Hell, if I didn't do things just because they made me feel a bit ridiculous, I wouldn't have much of a social life. - Santo Rugger.
Why oh why doesn't Ford offer a turbo AWD Focus? The motor is an anvil, you can reasonably get over 350 HP out of it. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
If, by "current car culture", you mean this country's love affair with the car, I'd say no.
Alternative-fuel vehicles will, at least for a couple of decades, cost vastly more than gas-fired rides, sucking a lot of the fun out of the ownership experience.
Cars basically sucked when I was in high school. They were slow and dull. This was a function of emissions regulations that had reached byond then-current technology. The result is a generation of folks roughly my age that is vastly less car crazy than my father's generation.
That same cycle is about to repeat itself.
Cars now are as fast and nearly as affordable as they have ever been. That's about to change.
Diesel engines, hybrid batteries and assorted gas-engine enhancements to improve fuel economy cast serious dough.
Also, the technology is unfathomable. No one can work on a car anymore, taking much of the fun out of enthusiest ownership.
Apart from boy racers and the well heeled, I see folk losing interest in the car as anything but transportation appliance.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
The Cadillac CTS is a pretty sweet ride, with a cabin better appointed than any 3-Series, and much of the performance.
Nothing matches a 3-Series for handling feel, and the Caddy's V6 lacks the sweet song of a BMW straight six, but the CTS has other charms.
The new for 2010 Sportwagon is wonderful eye candy. and with nearly 300 horses on tap, it's a pretty entertaining car.
Other than that, I cannot think of another American ride the approximates the 3-Series for ride and handling.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
We have print and online channels. I am also involved in some broadcast activites.
I know most of the Edmunds folks and have nothing but respect for them.
Consumer Reports was recently involved in a shamefull scandal involving their love affair with Toyota. I also have some serious questions about their reliability reporting methodology. The jury is out on these guys.
The Big 3 car mags are on the verge of collapse. Motor Trend, however, has done the best job of moving online. Road & Track, I fear is doomed. No one under 30 reads this once-mighty mags anymore.
My favorite super-efficient vehicles right now are the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Prius.
In both cases, the mechanical clunkiness than once plagued hybrids has been sorted out.
Both will go plenty further than 400 on a tank.
I slightly prefer the Fusion just because it doesn't scream "I'm green!"
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Both are too heavy and feel it.
I slightly prefer the Camaro to the Charger, but am a Mustang guy these days.
despite offering the least power, the 'Stang is the most fun to fling around.
A 2010 update brings Mustang a much needed cabin redo.
That said, the Camaro SS is crazy fast and produce a magical exhaust note.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Finest car ever?
Let me give you the finest car I have every driven. The Current generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan and CL-Class coupe.
These big bastards cover ground like there's no tomorrow. And it both cases, it is the base model I most respect.
I am drawn to the understated, meticulously finished cabins, the amazingly composed rides--even at high speed--and the effortless
power from MB's torque-monster 5.5-liter V8.
You can get into these fine rides for $100,000 to $120,000.
I have driven vastly more expensive vehicles that cannot come close to matching the overall balance of performance and refinement of these big Mercedes.
Worst car?
I actually test drove a Yugo back in the day. Actually worse than most people said it was.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
No market.
Subaru and Mitsubishi already sell such cars in the U.S. and sales volume is nil.
They're closer to 300 horsepower, but close enough.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Question 1: why aren't many of "good cars" offered by manufacturers with a US market presence sold here?
All too often, I'll be reading an article in a car magazine or on a car blog about a model of car that may be available in the US, but a desirable engine option (for example, a turbo or clean diesel) or 4WD/AWD won't be offered in American models. There's also interesting cars that are not offered in the US, and vehicles where the manufacturers have decided to pull from the market (Pontiac G8/Holden Commodore; GM said it will not be sold under the Chevrolet badge) despite good reviews and modest popularity.
Another question: is there really less variety of vehicles available in the US market than elsewhere? Even in Mexico, one can buy a SEAT or Peugeot; I see them on the roads here in Austin. I see the sheer number of brands and models available in the UK in their auto magazines, and it seems to dwarf what's available in the US, despite it being a smaller market with RHD.
Last question: do you ever see Buick shedding their "for senior citizens only" stigma? Will the average age of a Buick driver ever drop? I'll be honest: I like the looks of some of the new Buicks, and IMHO they offer the best bang for the buck in the marketplace. Still, there's that stigma of being an old person's car; to drive one, you gotta' put on a duffer hat, lock on the left turn signal, and drive 10 below the limit in the passing lane.
I'm no expert but I'll just say that there are brands like Skoda that were at one stage considered a byword for shoddy that are now considered highly. That is, attitudes to car brands do change over time.
You mentioned the Yugo. I know that worldwide, especially in Asian countries, there are an abundance of ultra cheap, almost disposable cars that for some regulation or another can't be sold (or in many cased even driven) in America.
Given the current culture shift into a "Green Power" mindset and the reduction of the American car industry leading to a reduction of the "Detroit Power" mindset, do you think more of the manufacturers of these gas powered roller skates will do what they need to do to make it US compliant and/or regulation will shift to allow a leaner definition of "compliant"?
I guess as examples I would mention the Japanese mini-trucks and some of the more recent deregulations on those, the Chinese Chery line and some of the efforts to import them, the rising popularity of the Smart Cars, the rise in sub-compacts like the Prius and the Yaris, and the cult popularity of the US approved Minis along with some members of the Mini line that just don't cut it around here. (C'mon, I really want to drive a car with the door in the front like the one on Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.)
It is very easy to import a car into Mexico, and relatively difficult to bring one to the U.S.
The costs associated with bringing a car up to U.S. crash and emissions standards are astronomical. So, for a builder to bring something here, they need see far greater volume than they would bringing something into Mexico.
This happens with Canada, too. While Canadian cars generally meet the same standards as U.S. market cars, Canada makes exceptions for some low-volume offerings. In the past Canadians have enjoyed cooler versions of BMW's M3, for example. And Hyundai was on sale for years before the brand arrive in the U.S.
Yeah, Buick.
Buick currently sells two outstanding vehicles, the 2010 Lacrosse and the Enclave.
The Enclave, a largish crossover, has been very successful in bring down the average age of a Buick buyer.
Buick's management claims that in a few years they will be competing head-to-head with Acura and Lexus.
There's some pretty interesting product in the pipeline, but getting
Acura buyers into a Buick store will be tough.
Most remaining Buick stores are paired up with GMC. GMC's has an outstanding image, and plenty of the young buyers Buick wants and needs. Will some of GMC's mojo rub off on Buick? Maybe.
General Motors will be focusing more of its money and marketing effort on the rebranding of Buick now that the company has shed all of its "damaged brands" (Hummer, Pontiac, Saab).
Buick also benefits from its sterling reputation in China, where it is one of the top-selling car brands.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
One thing to keep in mind is that a small cheap car is not necessarily a green car. Many of the cars sold in China are filthy by U.S. standards. Cars built in India, generally, are worse. A Hummer H2 driven for a lifetime will create less pollution than some of these micro cars driven for only a few hours. China does enforce some pollution-control regulations, but not evenly across all classes of vehicles.
You mentioned Chery. A company called Visionary motors attempted to import Chery to the U.S., but ran out of money trying to federalize the cars. Chrysler subsequently tried to work a deal to bring Chery to the U.S. and also failed--or least thought better of the effort.
These days, a vehicle has to be designed for U.S. sales from the start. It is nearly impossible to "modify" an existing vehicle for import.
Even techo-giant Mercedes-Benz waited for a redesign before bringing the Smart ForTwo stateside. And the Smart already met stringent Euro standards.
Tata, the Indian company that recently purchased Jaguar and Land Rover, produces a car called the Nano. Nano is best known for its $2500 Indian-market sticker price.
Tata has plans to sell the car in the U.S. by 2012. This will be fun to watch.
That $2500 does not include:
Dual front airbags
Side-impact protection
Safety glass
A dozen fuel-system regs
2.5-mph front and rear bumpers
Crash testing (and compliance)
Emissions testing (and compliance)
An antiskid system, which requires anti-lock brakes
And another 100 things you need to do to sell a car around here.
Suddenly, the car weighs more. Needs bigger wheels and tires,
and a larger engine to cope. Costs rise, and what you have in the
end is a third-world people's car that costs $9000 in the U.S.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Are you a fan of "Top Gear" (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May)?
I must confess to only having seen a couple of episodes. I was very amused by what I saw.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Go to http://www.streetfire.net/ and search for Top Gear Season 13 or any earlier season. Some good episodes include driving a Toyota pickup on the arctic ocean to the magnetic north pole, launching a car way the heck up there with a rocket, sending a car off a ski jump -- you know, stuff that helps one decide which car to purchase.
Or better yet, go to finalgear.com and get the torrents in glorious hi-res.
HD? Cool. Thanks.
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