I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

Mr_Shiftright

It was a good looking car, that's very true. But then, what is more of a wasted effort than a car that looks like something it isn't?

fintail

Isn't that the name of the game these days, with so many overstyled or overcladded cars? Even the once-subtle high end brands are in on it.

Mr_Shiftright

Well true to some extent. There are "off-roaders" you wouldn't dare take off-road, but the ELR is like buying a new Corvette with a Volt engine---not that the Volt isn't a great little car, but not for THAT kind of money.

berri

Several years ago I was passed by an ELR. I recall it had 4 tailpipes and an artificial exhaust noise. I guess you really can't get that old time OHV growl out of an OHC engine, so enter electronics

kyfdx

berri said:

Several years ago I was passed by an ELR. I recall it had 4 tailpipes and an artificial exhaust noise. I guess you really can't get that old time OHV growl out of an OHC engine, so enter electronics

That's weird. You sure it wasn't a CTS coupe?

berri

No it was one of those squarish Cadillac sports cars that resembled a Corvette somewhat. Maybe it had some other designation, but it was definitely wearing Cadillac badges.

fintail

XLR:



Think of it as a Corvette in a fitted suit.

Mr_Shiftright

ELR:

kyfdx

CTS Coupe.. I think they look a lot alike..

Mr_Shiftright

Cadillac sure has some baffling nomenclature.

berri

XLR it was! Odd little thing.

laurasdada

Yup, price the ELR new at ~$50k and Caddy might have sold more than 11 of 'em. Good looking car, and yes, used '14 under $30k around here in Boston. If I wanted a Volt, and practicality wasn't a high priority, perhaps a consideration.

Isn't it great that Caddy learns from it's pricing mistakes on their "halo" cars: Allante, XLR & ELR. All stupidly priced. Among whatever shortfalls each may have had...

tifighter

Interior of the ELR was a step above other Caddys as well. Pretty nice, actually.

fintail

Saw 2x AMG GT and a Lexus LC in traffic today.

Mr_Shiftright

tifighter said:

Interior of the ELR was a step above other Caddys as well. Pretty nice, actually.

True but for DOUBLE the price of a Volt?!!

explorerx4

A red Alfa Stelvio.

fintail

Someone in my building just turned up in a new TLX A-spec

stickguy

the TLX is just a really nice package. Maybe not quite as dynamic driving as some of the Euros, but overall for performance, tech, comfort, and certainly value, hard to beat. Great seats and stereo and really quick, and basically, that is all you really need!

fintail

Lots of value for sure, I think they even lease well. This one is white with black wheels - the latter making it not what I would choose. I wonder how it rides on some of the roads here.

stickguy

I did not drive an A Spec like GG and Pens have, but I did try the V6 standard model. Rode and handled just fine, and on 17" wheels, plenty of sidewall. A good compromise I think.

fintail

Unless the highline models have adjustable suspension with a "comfort" mode, something with smaller wheels might be more agreeable. It's not a track car.

fintail

New Costco car today was an XC90 - I didn't look at the sticker as don't care.

tjc78

Proof they actually sold one

Mr_Shiftright

Ford F-150 4X4. I felt like I was parking next to the Lusitania. I could look through my passenger window and read the tire size.

fintail

I think I've actually seen 2 Cascada.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

Ford F-150 4X4. I felt like I was parking next to the Lusitania. I could look through my passenger window and read the tire size.

Tiny compared to the chromed out F250 dually I saw for sale today by the side of the road. 

texases

Don't get too close, gravity takes over...

stickguy

I saw a Cascadia on the highway not long ago. Owner what I expected.

F150? Worst for me was when I had the Miata and got next to a Semi on the highway, and was staring at the lugnuts. The bottom ones. Only saving grace is I could probably drive right underneath the darned trailer.

berri

I got an F-150 a couple of years ago as a dealer service rental. Didn't want it, but it was the only thing they had available. I was surprised how nicely it rode, but it was awful huge for me. I don't think I was cut out to drive a semi

Mr_Shiftright

Funniest part was when I got back to my car, the owner of the F150 was "loading it up"---with one piece of rolled up window screening. I was hoping he'd doff some heavy work gloves and wipe the sweat from his brow. I don't expect we'll be seeing him hauling a bed full of gravel anytime soon. Maybe after that rig gets a few dings.

ab348

Stumbled on this page of exoticar photos from Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills/SoCal on a buildings forum.

A totally different world...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1507459&page=8

texases

One of these things is not like the others...

explorerx4

@Mr_Shiftright,
I was leaning toward a Mini, but you keep reporting problems with yours, so I went with another F150.

Mr_Shiftright

texases said:

One of these things is not like the others...

If I had explorer's truck, I'd crush that thing---just because I *could*. :@

fintail

Nice grille, as most of these were air cooled.

Mr_Shiftright

Hand-crafted from the finest recycled beer cans.

Mr_Shiftright

I only "spotted" this photo of the new GMC Sierra, but am I being cruel or is this truck rather....ahem....unattractive?

stickguy

seems that new PUs are intentionally being made overly aggressive like that now. Ram had a few nasty ones too. Toyota, no surprise, went a bit off the deep end too.

stickguy

saw quite a few new style odysseys. Side view looks like a slightly cleaned up prior version, but the back end is much different. Looks a lot more "squished" down, and quite a bit like a Pacifica. Making them low and rakish kinda defeats the purpose of a minivan.

and at target, a new Accord parked in the front row. Really noticed this one, in white, because in the spot it just looked enormous.

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

seems that new PUs are intentionally being made overly aggressive like that now. Ram had a few nasty ones too. Toyota, no surprise, went a bit off the deep end too.

Reminds me of those old boom-boxes

fintail

Lots of grille on that thing.

berri

I wonder if that GMC has to wear headgear at night in conjunction with all that orthodontia?

Love the boom box, but think it fits latter Pontiac's even better

ab348

stickguy said:

seems that new PUs are intentionally being made overly aggressive like that now. Ram had a few nasty ones too. Toyota, no surprise, went a bit off the deep end too.

Like the brutalist architecture that often seemed to be used on public buildings in the '60s and '70s.

fintail

Designs meant to intimidate, whether it be the overconfident truck driver or the omnipotent state employee/judge/politico. I am waiting for a resurgence of fascist neoclassic architecture for public spaces any day now.

Mr_Shiftright

I was going to say--that building could have come right out of Albert Speer's playbook. Unlike today's pickup trucks, though, which are designed to enhance the size and power of the driver, these types of neo-fascist architecture are meant to make the individual feel small and insignificant in relation to the power of the state.

Of course, one could argue that modern pickup trucks are also designed to be intimidating.

berri

Then you've got the PU with the marker lights on the roof, dual rear tire axle and diesel. No semi driver fantasy there, but they [non-permissible content removed] about fuel mileage

ab348

Locally I am seeing a lot of newish GMC 4x4 pickups that are equipped the same way: a lift kit, oversized wheels and tires and an aftermarket exhaust. Almost always black paint too. It's strange that it is mostly GMCs I am seeing this way - the occasional Ford or Ram but not many by comparison. Perhaps a local dealer has found a market for them modified that way. They certainly do seem intimidating.

fintail

Many drivers of those I encounter are Walter Mitty types, doesn't intimidate me much

Mr_Shiftright

It'll be interesting to see if buying habits change when gas hits $4 a gallon here in CA--which I think is coming sooner rather than later. Gas buddy says the "average" price for premium in San Francisco is $3.45 today.

At 15 mpg, if you're commuting, that's gotta start to hurt.

laurasdada

Mr_Shiftright said:

It'll be interesting to see if buying habits change when gas hits $4 a gallon here in CA--which I think is coming sooner rather than later. Gas buddy says the "average" price for premium in San Francisco is $3.45 today.

At 15 mpg, if you're commuting, that's gotta start to hurt.

$2.70/gal premium at Costco south of Boston (Ironically?, a quarter mile from the Tesla store...). Has been holding steady in the $2.60-2.70 range for a while. .20-.24/gallon cheaper than my "low cost" comparison stations a couple of miles away.