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

tjc78

In that class of vehicle I want a V8.

tjc78

qbrozen said:

explorerx4 said:

The biggest thing that is going to hold back the G-W is the ancient engines.

Nah. Plenty of companies milk their engines for all they are worth. The Pentastar is only 9 yrs old. The 5.7 hemi dates back about 17-18 yrs. BMW used the M30 for damned near 30 years and nobody complained.

Nissan is still using variants of the VQ and Toyota is still using the 2GR. Both of those have early 2000s roots.

fintail

I think Toyota is still using ICE components out of the 2002 Camry - that's one way to have reliable tech.

andres3

fintail said:

I think Toyota is still using ICE components out of the 2002 Camry - that's one way to have reliable tech.

And likewise, ensure unreliable old tech as well.

Guy at transmission shop looking at the horrid 3-speed auto tranny "Chrysler is STILL USING that 3-speed auto in these cars?????!!!???"

fintail

I thought the higher number of gears models were troublesome (like on my dad's T&C which puked one at under 6 months old, IIRC - although to be fair, it never had issues after that). I think Toyota was maybe one of the last to move on from a 4 speed auto, too - good way to cement a reliable rep, use solid old proven tech.

andres3 said:

And likewise, ensure unreliable old tech as well.

Guy at transmission shop looking at the horrid 3-speed auto tranny "Chrysler is STILL USING that 3-speed auto in these cars?????!!!???"

qbrozen

fintail said:

I thought the higher number of gears models were troublesome (like on my dad's T&C which puked one at under 6 months old, IIRC - although to be fair, it never had issues after that). I think Toyota was maybe one of the last to move on from a 4 speed auto, too - good way to cement a reliable rep, use solid old proven tech.

andres3 said:

And likewise, ensure unreliable old tech as well.

Guy at transmission shop looking at the horrid 3-speed auto tranny "Chrysler is STILL USING that 3-speed auto in these cars?????!!!???"

pretty sure he was just making a random joke. But, yes, the Chrysler 4-speed auto, called Ultradrive, was absolute junk.

ab348

Saw my first new-design Hyundai Tucson coming towards me at an intersection. Front end looks very futuristic. No obvious headlights but instead they are very small rectangles the same size as the turn signals and DRLs, integrated into the grille which has pieces that are similar in shape/size that do not illuminate. Not threatening like Toyota's or just ugly like Lexus, but still strange-looking somehow.

Michaell

ab348 said:

Saw my first new-design Hyundai Tucson coming towards me at an intersection. Front end looks very futuristic. No obvious headlights but instead they are very small rectangles the same size as the turn signals and DRLs, integrated into the grille which has pieces that are similar in shape/size that do not illuminate. Not threatening like Toyota's or just ugly like Lexus, but still strange-looking somehow.

Same as the new Santa Cruz, I believe.

explorerx4

I've seen about half a dozen Bronco Sports from Saturday to today.

tjc78

@explorerx4 said:
I've seen about half a dozen Bronco Sports from Saturday to today.

There is one here in our development. I can see them selling tons of them.

andres3

Paid attention to the new BMW grilles driving by Auto Parkway in Escondido every morning. They are butt ugly. They take the ugly award from Lexus on grilles now.

fintail

Saw a Bronco Sport (I think) - surprised I haven't seen more of these, given the area - around here, slap a Subaru or Toyota badge on it, and there'd be a 20 month waitlist.

fintail

I usually find Doug's shtick a bit repetitive, but this was in my suggestions, so I watched it. No surprise, he finds the facelift E wagon quite impressive. My car has maybe 80% of the features, some of them the same. I am still not warmed up to the faux butch gingerbread, however:

imidazol97

Severe case of flying hands.

stickguy

I can't take Doug. Too much for me.

I saw another Bronco sport yesterday, in a really sharp blue/gray color. really looks a lot bigger than it really is. And last weekend in Boston I had a gray one parked behind the rental whale that I had to be careful not to drop something on.

I think they look great, but I still have not sat in one.

fintail

I've still only seen a few at most new Bronco in the wild.

I hadn't watched Doug in ages, and I intend to take a similar break again. He also harped on some things (like 4Matic being standard) that aren't new - USDM E wagons have been standard with 4Matic for years.

tjc78

Saw two new Rogue’s today. Wow blatant copy of the current RAV4

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

Saw two new Rogue’s today. Wow blatant copy of the current RAV4

Every rental car in Florida is a gray Rogue. Can't tell you how long it took me to find the car in a parking lot.

stickguy

there is a family down the street from me that seems to be keeping Nissan in business. always had them for the last 20 years. She just replaced her older maxima with a new Rogue. Yes, dark gray. Actually a nice looking buggy.

tjc78

LMAO Both today were gray.

stickguy

Near my house, a new temp tagged ASpec TLX. dark gray. looked sharp.

texases

Saw a new Supra (within 5 minutes of the 3.0 CS I mention elsewhere). I never have warmed up to that Supra's styling.

Sandman6472

My big boss drives a new Rogue but it's a dark gray color. Nice looking vehicle I must say!

ab348

Toyota fills a hole in its crossover lineup with the upcoming Corolla Cross, bigger than the C-HR, smaller than the RAX4:
https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/toyota-finds-new-niche-small-crossovers-2022-corolla-cross

stickguy

Not very attractive. But I really like the size. Not too big but very practical.

fintail

Leering eyes, catfish mouth, and faux floating C-pillar, thank heaven Toyota is respecting its design heritage.

ab348

I'd describe the face more as being "judgey" than leering. The C-pillar thing looks more like a seam filler strip to me. I expect they will sell gazillions.

stickguy

Probably they perfect car for what 90% of people really need one for.

fintail

Having a different colored piece between the C-pillar base and roof area is a fad, as designers just copy each other in a very boring echo chamber.

At least AWD is optional on this one, unlike the CHR (I think) - might work for those who think the RAV4 is too blocky and bloated.

texases

The CH-R is goofy. This is ok.

ab348

Here’s the pic:

texases

Yeah, everyone's got a big mouth these days:

qbrozen

profile is very very familiar .... hmmmm...

andres3

fintail said:

Having a different colored piece between the C-pillar base and roof area is a fad, as designers just copy each other in a very boring echo chamber.

At least AWD is optional on this one, unlike the CHR (I think) - might work for those who think the RAV4 is too blocky and bloated.

A lady at work just was complaining her new RAV 4 was too small for the family with 1 kid and they should have got the Highlander.

fintail

Heck, my sister, who has one full time kid of her own, 2 other part time kids from my BIL, and a dog, wanted a Suburban. And she got it! Now she prefers to drive his old Tribeca, and he drives the leviathan.

Saw another Bronco Sport, I think the non-sport is better looking.

andres3 said:

fintail said:

Having a different colored piece between the C-pillar base and roof area is a fad, as designers just copy each other in a very boring echo chamber.

At least AWD is optional on this one, unlike the CHR (I think) - might work for those who think the RAV4 is too blocky and bloated.

A lady at work just was complaining her new RAV 4 was too small for the family with 1 kid and they should have got the Highlander.

qbrozen

andres3 said:

fintail said:

Having a different colored piece between the C-pillar base and roof area is a fad, as designers just copy each other in a very boring echo chamber.

At least AWD is optional on this one, unlike the CHR (I think) - might work for those who think the RAV4 is too blocky and bloated.

A lady at work just was complaining her new RAV 4 was too small for the family with 1 kid and they should have got the Highlander.

always amazes me how our parents survived! 3 kids in a volvo 244 sedan. Can you imagine?! The horror!

stickguy

Ours was a 144. 3 kids in the back on week long summer road trip vacations. And no AC.

Fun times.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Ours was a 144. 3 kids in the back on week long summer road trip vacations. And no AC.

Fun times.

We had AC. I do remember getting carsick in it once. Can't recall the longest trip in it. Probably about 4-5 hrs to the PA mountains.
Only really long trip I recall was to Florida in dad's K5 Blazer. I remember sleeping on top of the luggage in the boot.

explorerx4

At one point we had some old wagon, can't remember if it was a Nash or a Hudson, but the back seat was stuck in the down position, so my sister and I sat in tires if we couldn't sit in the front.
We got the first family car with A/C when my mom's parents came over from Germany to visit.
A 66 Impala 3 row wagon in 67 or 68.
My grandparents came and went by boat. After we dropped them off, at some point we were sitting at a light somewhere in NYC.
I hear an engine revving and it was a large GM sedan, Buick I think, just sitting there.
Next thing, I hear DING DING DING, an alarm, and 2 guys with guns come running out of a Bodega.
A few seconds later, a 3rd guy comes and the car is starting leave with a rear door open. He jumps into the rear and is hanging out as the car accelerates away when someone pulls him in the rest of the way.
Just another day in the big city.
We took some road trips in that car, one time to the 'Burgh to visit my uncle and another time up into Canada to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

We took some road trips in that car, one time to the 'Burgh to visit my uncle and another time up into Canada to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

When I was a little kid in the early '60s we often took summer trips to "Upper Canada" (Ontario and Quebec) to visit relatives of either Mom (Ontario) or Dad (Quebec). I remember it was all 2-lane highways until you got close to Montreal. Southern Ontario had more freeways back then. Of course it was nothing like what we found in NY state when we went on the southern route back home.

I recall the scourge of my Mom's existence back then were the convoys of "those GD peanut trailers!" (Airstreams) when we encountered the Wally Byam caravans holding up traffic.

fintail

For at least a few years, my parents had 3 kids and a mid 70s Thunderbird along with a Plymouth Horizon. T-Bird was used for any trips more than an hour or so. Horizon eventually became a S-10 Blazer which I recall trips in, T-Bird became a Tempo which I also recall trips in. A little tight, but we survived.

I recall when I was a kid, I thought a Town Car or Fleetwood would make a good family trip car (and more reasonable than the W126 I would have really wanted, but not exactly in the budget then), and I recall riding in my aunt's Econoline conversion van (a locally-made "Trail Wagons") was also the epitome of comfort, but I know my mom would nix the idea of a van.

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

fintail said:

Having a different colored piece between the C-pillar base and roof area is a fad, as designers just copy each other in a very boring echo chamber.

At least AWD is optional on this one, unlike the CHR (I think) - might work for those who think the RAV4 is too blocky and bloated.

A lady at work just was complaining her new RAV 4 was too small for the family with 1 kid and they should have got the Highlander.

always amazes me how our parents survived! 3 kids in a volvo 244 sedan. Can you imagine?! The horror!

fintail

Out and about early today, while on the road saw a late model (not brand new style, but plates issued last year so maybe a 2020) Yukon XL that both had a hard time staying in its own lane, and had no brake lights aside from the CHMSL. Love it.

ab348

Release day for the Ford Maverick small pickup:

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/ford-aims-redefine-entry-level-2022-maverick

Only bad thing I can say about it so far is that I don't like the interior door panels.

explorerx4

Those interior door panels do look unusual. I'm sure there's some hip/outdoorsy reason for the design.

qbrozen

I fail to understand why they would resurrect the Maverick name for something not even remotely related to the original. Lack of creativity?

I would have liked to seen (maybe) this as the new Ranger and the current Ranger as the F100.

kyfdx

What is that based on?

qbrozen

It is the Escape platform. Same as Bronco Sport.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

It is the Escape platform. Same as Bronco Sport.

FWD pickups bug me.. but, it should be popular

explorerx4

Maverick is a name the Ford already owns, so I think that's one of the reasons it was used.
Personally, I not a fan of it. I like your preferences better.
Based on the Escape, so now 3 models use that platform. Escape, Bronco Sport, Maverick.

tjc78

Should have been a Ranchero!

Posted a quick Tiktok video about it over on CCBA