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Comments
If I could find a seat that actually let me go 100 miles without killing my back, or thighs, or some other body part, I'd say that designer is a genius! Now I can force myself to go on much longer, but usually I'm feeling a pain somewhere after about 30-40 minutes of driving!
I find it very easy to get comfortable in GM cars. As I state above, Toyotas are the worst for me. Hyundais and I do not get along either.
The best rental I've had recently for fit good mirror site, ease of use was a loaded Lincoln LS that Hertz gave me as a rewards upgrade. Not a pretty car and a bit heavy, but comfortable and very intuitive to drive.
Well, there are a lot of people who spend a lot of time (and presumably earn a lot of money) studying how humans react to machines.
But your premise has merit. When people grow up using things one way, it is hard to adapt to something different right off the start.
That said, I've never had a rental with a windshield wiper stalk control that took me as long to get comfortable with as the Subaru Outback (which was otherwise a pretty intuitive car).
As for the Corrolla - that bane of logic1 rental agencies everywhere - no matter what I do with the seat adjustment, I cannot get the proper mix between pedal and steering wheel and control reach. I am 5' 11" and wear off the rack pants and shirts with no problem. So I would like to think I have pretty normal proportions. Maybe the Corrolla is designed more for female drivers.
FMC just let it wither on the vine :mad: Thw zephyr is about 75% as good a replacment...
Even now, you could do a lot worse than getting a low mileage LS at a discount from a rental agency.
Not something I want to drop 45 bills on though.
Perhaps LS problem was the brand more than anything else. It was aimed at "active executive" people in a geriatic environment. I bet many people would even consider it, but a thought of being "caught" in a Lincoln dealership scared them off. Now Zephyr as a "baby LS" is fine (as a concept), but as an LS replacement - just cruel joke.
But they needed to make some cuts and LS was a good candidate - huge discounts, not much buzz, expesive to manufacture (RWD) - just a loser in bean counter mindset.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
But with my uncle's Corolla, when I put the seat back as far as it will go, I still really need it to go back a few more inches. But then the steering wheel is a good, long reach for me. But still comfortable. Now, in theory, they could make the seat track longer so the seat could go further back. But by the time my legs were comfortable, I wouldn't be able to reach the steering wheel!
Also, even with the steering wheel positioned all the way up, I bang my leg when going from the gas pedal to the brake pedal, unless I contort it to an odd angle. So IMO, if you have long arms and short legs, like an ape does, this car is perfect!
As for ergonomics, I'd say that there are some rules that would be set in stone. For instance, having to reach through or around behind the steering wheel for a control (many cars were guilty of this up through the 70's). Or having gauges mounted too far to the right (It was either Dodge or Plymouth that did this around 1955-56, to achieve a symmetric dashboard layout. It looked cool, but wasn't functional). But other things are going to be dependent on the driver's reach, which is dictated by height, length of his/her forearm, upper arm, etc. About the best ergonomics can do in a case like this is pick the position that would appease an "average" driver. But that would most likely leave shorter or taller people out.
Also, some people prefer knobs that twist, while others prefer knobs that pull out, and others still might prfer a rocker switch. So what would be the best design for a headlight switch? I've had all three. My DeSoto and Intrepid have a knob that you twist. My '82 Cutlass Supreme had a rocker switch. And every other car I've ever owned had a pull-out knob. My preference is the pull-out knob. But the rocker switch was kinda cool, too! And while I don't like the twist knob, I've finally gotten used to it after having a DeSoto for 16 years and an Intrepid for 116,000 miles! But in a case like this, there's really no right or wrong answer. Some people just prefer different things.
The switch for the lights have never been much of an issue for me but the "high beam" has. I prefer the "european" push forward for high beams and pull back "flash the high beams"
My prevous fords used the push forward method, but my wife's 06 500 is pull back on the turn signal stalk as is my suburban. The difference is the 500 has a very noticable detent to use "flash only" then you pull harder for high beams. In my suburban, it's about impossible to flash the high beams w/o turning them on. Very annoying.
You and I are on oppisite side of the fence as I believe Honda and Toyota are clearly out in front of GM. So lets say Edmunds is the fence.
I am glad you are on my side with this. I was starting to fear maybe I was going nuts!
I think the rest of your comments on ergonomics are pretty good.
I vaguely remember a Plymouth my dad had with guages that just about spread the width of the dash.
Agree here.
When Lincoln came out, the commercials and buzz was for younger people. The LS engineers even did pretty cool things like coming here in the Edmunds TH and discussing issues with customers.
While some Lincoln dealers were cool, I heard a lot of stories of younger people going in and running into sales people who had no idea how to work with them.
Guess Ford is making back some of its investment using the platform on the Mustang, anyway.
Volvo is the Future for Ford luxury. Unless Aviator can generate a following, I think Ford will eventually have to shut down the LM line.
Usually when I have the need to flash someone, like if I'm coming up on a left lane camper, I'll just turn my regular low beams on and off a couple times. I've never actually used the "flash to pass" on my Intrepid, but I think it basically works on the same concept as the "lane change" turn signal, which came out in the late 60's I think. Basically, for a quick flash you just pull back on it a bit so that it doesn't latch, and then when you let go your brights go off. Or, if you pull it all the back, it latches and keeps the high beams on until you pull back again to turn them off.
Oh, and if any of you young'uns don't know what a "lane change" turn signal is, well once upon a time, a turn signal only had two positions. On and off. You turned it on and then it stayed on until it cancelled out or you turned it off. But around 1969, maybe 1970 they made turn signals so that they would activate by just giving them a little pressure. They wouldn't fully "latch" into position, so the moment you took your hand off the stalk, it would turn off.
Incidentally, around the time the lane change turn signal came out, that's also when they started feeling like they'd break off in your hand. For those of you who complain about how domestic turn signals feel like they'll fall off the moment you touch them, go ahead and try the signal on some old 50's or 60's car. After that, even the best Benz, BMW, or whatever is going to feel like it'll snap off in your hand! :P
I agree with what your saying. About only time I "flash" another driver is when I'm towing my boat and getting passed by a semi and I signal for them that it's clear for them to move back in the right lane in front of me, or when I'm letting them merge in front of me.
With my Suburban you can't turn the lights off while driving down the road. During the day I can turn the head lights on, but at night, no way to turn them off. I wish GM would give me the option to turn the lights off. But oh well.
Other than that I don't flash the high beams at on coming traffic, even if they are coming at me with their's on.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Anyway, they were too cheap to make two different types of carpet to account for moving the switch, so where the hole would be on the floor, they just put this round rubber thingie to fill the hole!
I think it was 1977 that GM made the signal-mounted high beam switch standard, at least in their downsized big cars. Some of the other models probably dealt with the floor switch though, at least until they were redesigned. Not sure about Ford/Chrysler, though. My '79 New Yorker has it on the turn signal stalk.
As for squeezing the dinosaurs, better watch out for some of the males...it gives them the wrong idea and gets them excited. Kinda like when my Granddad used to tell stories of getting "bull's milk" Gotta love farm humor, I guess. :P
I've driven both myself and how you came up with a different feeling in the accord.
Neways best of luck with the accord.
Rocky"
How I came up with a different feeling in the Accord was the little things. The armrest was nicer, the steering wheel has a perforated leather wrap (the G6 leather steering wheel was an option, and it wasn't as nice). The Accord also has dual zone auto climate control which is important to me. I liked the tactile feel of things better in the Accord as well. Sure both use plastic, but the Accord's felt better to me (switchgear etc).
Comparisons with the Accord are limited two the fact that both have a steering wheel and 4 tires. Beyond that it is night and day IMO. But Rocky can make all the assesments he wants, doesn't mean they are universally correct.
I presume you live in Canada (use metric units) - how AWD can be disadvantage there? Isn't a little dip in fuel economy worth added control? :confuse:
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The trans cooler should be part of the trailer package and at the very least should be an option for the 3.73 rear end too.
I'll bet it will be nearly impossible to find a Tahoe/Suburban on the lot with 4.10s and a trans cooler. You can always add an external cooler, but I'm guessing a few uninformed owners will have a transmission with a short life because the thought they were safe with the tow package.
Isn't it pathetic to compare a Corolla to a LeSabre(Lucerne, in terms of size)?
The uncomfortable seating assciated with a tiny car shouldn't be a suprise, right? I personally don't see a Corolla being more uncomfortable than a Cavalier or an Avalon being more uncomfortable than a Lucerne.
Read Andre's comments again.
He is not comparing the Corolla to old Buicks. Rather, he is saying the Corolla's seating position should not be as poor as it is, given that the Corolla is a compact car.
The problem with the Corolla has to do with Toy's decision to design it with a higher sitting position, IMO.
Along with the Corolla, I have driven a Mazda3, Chevrolet Cobalt, Hyundai (whatever the little Hyundai is), and Dodge Neon. Of all these similarly sized cars, the Corolla alone has the peculiar ergonomics that have the steering wheel and console controls out of comfortable reach when the seat is properly situated to reach the pedals.
The buff mags and on line sources such as Edmunds also mention the odd sitting position in the Corolla.
Okay, on a more serious, and up-to-date note, here are some compacts that fit me just fine up front...
Acura RSX
2006+ Honda Civic (The '01-05 style was a bit tight for me though)
Chevy Cobalt
Mazda3
Dodge Neon
Hyundai Elantra (and whatever its Kia equivalent is)
In fact, I'm very impressed with the Neon and the new Civic, because they're the only compacts where I can fit comfortably up front, but then without moving the seat, can still fit comfortably in the back. There are many mid- and even full-sized cars where I can't even do that! For example, I can't even fit in the back seat of an Impala, unless I sit sideways. And even something as mammoth as a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis isn't so hot, because my knees still go into the seatback, and there's not much footroom under the seat.
As for my comment about the '76 LeMans and '85 LeSabre, what I was saying there, if you read the whole thing, was that it's a given that I'm going to have to put the seat back as far as it will go in ANY car that I drive. Then I was just naming those two as some of the few cars where, with a power seat, I could adjust the seat so far back I could barely reach the pedals. But those two were exceptions to the rule, regardless of size class.
Now, as for comparing the Lucerne to the Avalon, IMO they're both very comfy cars, so judging from my limited seat time in them, I couldn't pick a clear winner. As for a Cavalier versus a Corolla, well, here I'd probably have to pick the Corolla. I actually didn't find the older 1982-94 Cavs to be bad cars, but in the 1995 redesign, it seems like they lost legroom somehow, and the seats lost some comfort.
And in any other seating position, I find the Corolla to be pretty good for a small car. I can't stand driving my uncle's Corolla, but as a front seat passenger I think it's pretty comfy. And the back seat is pretty comfy, too. A little tight on legroom with the front seat all the way back, but my uncle is only around 5'10", if that. Actually, it seems like he's shrinking. Unless I'm still growing! :surprise:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yes I live in Canada. AWD to me is NOT worth the added control. FWD works just fine with snow tires. AWD is overrated. It adds weight (hurting handling). And it's a pretty significant dip in fuel economy. For a midsize car AWD eats up roughly ~2L/100km. I drive 400km a week, so that adds up to an extra $8 on fill up per week. To me, AWD is NOT worth $420 extra in gas per year at the current prices. I can buy a good set of snow tires for that much money in just 1 year, and they'll last me 3-4 years. Besides, the traction grip in FWD with snow tires is BETTER than AWD with all-seasons. And then I'm not carrying around that extra weight all summer long.
"Right now, we could bring it to 40 states in the U.S., but that's not what we want to do at Honda," Fukui tells a small group of reporters in an interview here at the North American International Auto Show.
"So our goal is as soon as possible to develop a diesel engine that will meet the California strict standards," he says.
"When we are able to do that, we believe it would be welcomed in the American market."
Fukui says diesels will be mostly utilized for Honda's U.S. light trucks.
As such, the auto maker will likely not use its Integrated Motor Assist hybrid-electric technology for a vehicle such as the Ridgeline compact pickup.
"We're making the hybrid engines for small cars right now, like the Civic, so we're thinking about different methods for the light trucks," he says of a possible IMA light truck application.
He says diesels, or gasoline engines that get better fuel efficiency through the use of technologies such as variable cylinder management, are more appropriate for light trucks.
I hear you on the lag and "explosive" acceleration. The former gets on my nerves occasionally, even after 3 years, but I take it as an opportunity to learn driving (as not getting caught with chocking engine). The latter one is something I actually enjoy, but I can see why somebody may not like it at all.
Maintenance and reliability of turbos comes more from years of wrong practice (like Chrysler or VW dealers putting mineral oil at 10K intervals) than the real thing. By now I would say that the failure rate of those items is about the same as other components of the vehicle (i.e. I would not be surprised if VW's turbos were dying more often than Subaru's). The only real extra liability would be use of more expensive thin synthetic oil ($25 US per 5 quarts at local Wal Mart - big deal) and even more religious adherence to the schedule. With the oil - the rest of the world switched to synthetics ten years ago for all their engines, even the small 1.2 liters (they got longer intervals as an exchange). I think it's time for this continent to follow suit.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2018 430i Gran Coupe
And those taillights look like a tasteless blend of Toyota and Wagon Queen Family Truckster
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"Gee, my girlfriend's Impala was rear-ended by some woman talking on her cell phone and got a 2006 Honda Accord from Enterprise. The Honda only had 500 miles on it and the driver's door fell off when she tried to close it!"
Well, that settles it! Everybody grab a broom, it's Shenanigans! [he says in his best Officer Barbrady voice]
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My biggest beef with the new Imp is that I can't fit in the back seat. And if it were me driving the car, with the seat all the way back, I doubt if very many others would be able to, either.
I can't remember the last car I had with doors that rattled when you closed them. Unless the windows were rolled down part way. In that case, I think they all rattle, just some worse than others.
Now if I spent any length of time driving the '06 Impala, then maybe I'd notice its little quirks, idiosyncracies, and other things that would either annoy me or I'd just have to get used to.
I think the thing that bugs me most about the Impala though, is that its backseat isn't just tight for a full-sized car...it's tight for ANY sized car!
Now if I REALLY liked everything else about the car, I guess I could deal with the backseat issue. But the Impala, while a decent car, just doesn't stir me up that much. At this point if I were to get a new car, it would probably be either a Charger or an Altima...both cars that I like the style and performance of, but could still seat four adults my size in comfort.