Everything is compromised by those huge wheels. The cars people place these silly things were never designed for them. You throw off the speedometer, odometer, brakes, steering, suspension, etc. I imagine they're tough on the tranny and differential as well! I doubt many people do any modifications to compensate.
and the benefits of the tailgate disappearing instead of folding down was a great idea I think.
Had a Chevrolet Caprice station wagon with a double hinged rear door that had a power window. Was very functional. Used it both ways as the situation called for. It was a very practical car with chair height very comfortable front and rear bench seats. It had the dopey little folding 3rd seat which we never used. Hauled a lot of stuff in it including 4x8's.
a nice green early 1980s Chevrolet Caprice Classic sporting huge rims that could've been a big as the wheels on an old west stagecoach!
I see big suvs with monster wheels and very low profile tires. Reminds me of bicycle tires, kind of wimpy, not macho. Lots of these big wheels are chromed and probably weigh a substantial amount. How does one change a flat tire? Have to be a weight lifter to take off, put on these wheel/tire combos.
I know the Chevy gets (got?) most of the credit back then, and the B-O-P and Cadillacs were very neat that year too, but I think the '77 Caprice was just perfect packaging. In fact, out my window today I saw (again) a very clean, gold (ick but factory-correct) '77 Caprice Classic sedan blow down our street, sitting perfectly at all four corners, no visible rust, no visible smoke, and looking about like a two-year old car. To me, that styling has stood the test of time way better than anything else '77.
To this day, I'd love a '77 Caprice coupe, scooped-out spoke wheel covers, F41 suspension with pinstripe whitewall Goodyear tires, 350 engine and Custom interior (Buick-level). Trouble is, there doesn't seem to be any really nice ones out there.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Remember "99 Luftballoons"? I might have the title wrong, but then I hated '80's pop. The songs were meant to supplement the video, instead of the other way around! LOL
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
It was a 77 and it was loaded with all options. Wife and I bought it used and had it for many years until we moved up to a Suburban that served us very well. These vehicles served very well for the utility aspect we needed. However, there were issues with both of these vehicles that we lived with. We had Chevrolets side by side along with our Hondas and Acuras for about 19 years. The superiority of engineering, reliability and quality of the Honda/Acura brand over GM/Chevrolet was very evident to us.
Just saw a new commercial for VW CC. The setting was a big city street scene ending at an office building. No stupid sliding sideways. No driving through an abandoned old big factory. No crashing through a wall. No ripping up a beach. No sliding on a make-believe gravel streets area in a Hollywood phony town. How could a German car maker make a commercial without all of these stupid backdrops? A commercial that actually mimics how vast majority of Americans ACTUALLY use cars.
I would like for BMW to arrange for me to get a coffee refill on a nearby long straight rural road with a military tanker plane flying low with a boom filling up my coffee cup through the stupid sun roof opening I never use that is mandatory on all models of the car brand that I buy. I want that coffee refill on a Saturday morning driving into a nearby town for supplies.
Honda/Acura brand over GM/Chevrolet was very evident to us.
Allowing that, would you concede that Honda/Acura just simply did not build a similar vehicle at the time, and that availability of service was far less and costs higher for the same services than the Chevrolet?
Also, would you concede that you would expect engineering to be different between a 1977 vehicle and something built two decades later?
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Just saw a RX commercial (why do they need them??) where the egg is racing around in a small room, not hitting above maybe 25-30mph but with dubbed engine noise, and the wake from the car is being used to turn the pages of a giant book. How horrible and unrealistic! Nobody is going to use their trophy wife conveyance for such a purpose. We need a commercial to show how the target consumer actually uses the car.
Maybe the trophy wife comes back to the McMansion in her RX laden with tons of overpriced merchandise from the boutique shoppes at the tacky suburban megamall just at the same time her whipped hubby gets the credit card bills in the mail? She tells him about her shopping adventures as he bawls inconsolably at the insurmountable balances on each of those statements.
Funny how they call such women "trophy wives." I would consider marriage to one of these creatures as a severe penalty!
Maybe all that starts when it's "cheaper to keep her" :shades:
Saw that ad again today. I was wrong, it's an RX in a larger room with dubbed engine noise being driven oddly. Probably impresses the target customer anyway.
Maybe the trophy wife comes back to the McMansion in her RX laden with tons of overpriced merchandise from the boutique shoppes at the tacky suburban megamall just at the same time her whipped hubby gets the credit card bills in the mail?
Add in that she comes back with her two kids in tow. Also, likely that the husband is not whipped and is successful and she is also successful in her life, marriage, children, career maybe making $90-100K. She could be one of many teachers here in N Illinois who do quite well or perhaps a dentist or doctor.
Only 2 short months till the annual touching and heart-warming Lexus Christmas commercials. All of you can hum or whistle the wonderful Lexus Christmas melody now.
My biggest smirk is that the driver appears to be 25 years too young for the car. But the rest, inoffensive.
Unlike the RX ad as you say, which is offensive for those of us with any eye towards detail. The squeals and engine noise are almost funny, as if they are trying to be ironic.
Funny thing is this plays on some of the stereotypes fin likes to talk about.
Check out the husband looking at the wife for approval, she nods "no" and they cross the house off their shopping list.
Also, at 1:52 she seems to have more than a little cosmetic work done, eye brows waxed and maybe some collagen in those puffy lips. Probably a chemical peel for that smooth skin, too.
Yes, I like an underdog, but that's not what is going on here.
Suzuki is an underdog. Kizashi is a very decent sedan you can still get with a manual that noone even knows about. They will fail and exit the US market within 2 years, sadly.
This case is the opposite. People almost seem offended by Toyota's success. Must be because they target the type of female in those GLK ads, you and lemko conclude.
Would you buy a Kizashi though? Reminds me of Saab - everyone loves them until it's time to open the wallet. Suzuki is even worse than an underdog, it seems the parent company wants them to fail here.
I think Toyota offends car enthusiasts because it relied on beige lowest common denominator sleds for success for so many years. Add some of the Lexus counterpart to that - badge snobs in isotanks who claim not to be badge snobs, then add in the designer handbag on wheels, and there will be mocking. Deal with it :shades:
Sedan only, AWD forces automatic, so a definite No.
Beyond that they need real engines. They are so doomed.
Toyota offends car enthusiasts
Shouldn't we stand up for what's happening to German cars now, then?
You shop CPO so for you the effect is delayed, but ..
* steering feel is going * throttle responsiveness is lost * they park themselves now, too * they virtually drive themselves (lanes, cruise, braking) * they've retreated upscale (price, weight, content) * wheels are bling * auto start and shake violently stop
Yet I hear no protest from you, the enthusiast. I bet we'll hear in in 2015, when the 2012s go to the CPO market.
So, no Suzuki. Bad corporate planning has doomed them. At least some of the bikes are still decent.
Sounds like you list some BMW issues. I've never owned one of those. And if anything, it sounds like they are just devolving to Lexus-like standards in order to woo affluent (read: boring) diverse customers.
MB: moderate steering feel, not sporty - historical standard. Always had a heavy throttle too. No self parking that I have seen. All cars are heavier and loaded. Generally boring wheels. No auto start/stop. So nothing for me to complain about other than weight and bulk (and price). In 2015, I'll probably have my current car, unless I find a huge deal.
I'd recommend the all-Detroit minimal techno-house Paxahau but they just can't keep their net radio webstream up. Funny to see what replaced the Motown sound down in Detroit.
On MB, it is throttle weight as much as travel. Going from the fintail to a W126 many years ago was a different world. The old car has a light pedal, as it has a revvy engine, and needs to rev to get moving. The tank though - like there was a brick under the pedal. E55 is kind of like that too. But - in a car like the E55 where passing 2K rpm makes you go too fast, it is kind of a mellow driving aid. I prefer it to a too light pedal. I remember my grandma had an Olds with a pedal that would shoot you forward with a cm of travel - then in typical 80s GM 6cyl fashion would run out of breath around 50mph.
MB had the poorly thought out (and now seem to be gone) commercials that pretty much said "I was dumb and my car saved me"...but isn't as loud about it as others. And I don't want to hear about empty FWD suits so long as the ES Supercamry exists Maybe with potential future FWD cars, MB is chasing the boring retiree market that is soon to be a much larger part of sales.
The one Suzuki dealer in Philly doubles as a used car lot. I see a lot more used cars than new Suzukis. They do have a very diverse used car lot. You can get anything from a Kia Rio to a Rolls-Royce!
Thanks. I've been too busy to really keep up with the auto show circuit and other developments.
The video is a bit light on details but a cruising range of 880 kms (550 miles) would be nice. I hope for the NA market they move the plug to the driver front area; that would be more convenient for the average person who pulls into a garage.
Granted it's all CG but if the shape is accurate it looks like Mitsu went over the design with an eye towards aero efficiency; surfaces seem a bit smoother than the current models. And the grill area is reminiscent of the pre-2010 design.
It looks like the electrics will drive the front & rear wheels while the ICE will drive just the fronts. That should keep AWD complexity down on the hardware side (without really making the software that much more complex).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMEuG2dhE_o&feature=relmfu has a few more details including some hints at the revised interior. Looks like they've kept the 3rd row but revised it. Also made the second row fold flat v. flip forward so cargo space should be improved.
I remain concerned about the price point. Nicely loaded I wonder if they'll be able to bring it here for under $40K before government incentives. Battery packs are still rather costly.
It is electronic music, but not the dreary cure for insomnia of new age. I like ambient techno and trance music, especially good for working or driving. It is usually up-tempo, and makes me think of being in Europe.
Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
Check out the SLK at 1:45. I think it's the man in yellow from Curious George driving it.
That video doesn't reinforce any faith in humanity.
Had a Chevrolet Caprice station wagon with a double hinged rear door that had a power window. Was very functional. Used it both ways as the situation called for. It was a very practical car with chair height very comfortable front and rear bench seats. It had the dopey little folding 3rd seat which we never used. Hauled a lot of stuff in it including 4x8's.
I see big suvs with monster wheels and very low profile tires. Reminds me of bicycle tires, kind of wimpy, not macho. Lots of these big wheels are chromed and probably weigh a substantial amount. How does one change a flat tire? Have to be a weight lifter to take off, put on these wheel/tire combos.
304 million kids watched that on YouTube. More hits than any commercial I can think of.
I know the Chevy gets (got?) most of the credit back then, and the B-O-P and Cadillacs were very neat that year too, but I think the '77 Caprice was just perfect packaging. In fact, out my window today I saw (again) a very clean, gold (ick but factory-correct) '77 Caprice Classic sedan blow down our street, sitting perfectly at all four corners, no visible rust, no visible smoke, and looking about like a two-year old car. To me, that styling has stood the test of time way better than anything else '77.
To this day, I'd love a '77 Caprice coupe, scooped-out spoke wheel covers, F41 suspension with pinstripe whitewall Goodyear tires, 350 engine and Custom interior (Buick-level). Trouble is, there doesn't seem to be any really nice ones out there.
I suppose dorky things existed before youtube. 20 years ago, MC Hammer was still big :shades:
I'm sure German pop is as tacky as K-pop. Ever listen to Kraftwerk? They were big when I was in high school. About as soul-less as music can get:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5B8VtmZN9c
No teasing please, but my wife looks a *lot* like Nena. Twins separated at birth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9whehyybLqU
She even had hair like that in the 80s. Maybe I fell in love subliminally?
Kraftwerk was really something in the mid 70s, when it was new. An innovator. One of their album covers features a fintail, too.
And it goes well with a vintage driving video:
http://youtu.be/_-IbxoPxI5o
It was a 77 and it was loaded with all options. Wife and I bought it used and had it for many years until we moved up to a Suburban that served us very well. These vehicles served very well for the utility aspect we needed. However, there were issues with both of these vehicles that we lived with. We had Chevrolets side by side along with our Hondas and Acuras for about 19 years. The superiority of engineering, reliability and quality of the Honda/Acura brand over GM/Chevrolet was very evident to us.
I would like for BMW to arrange for me to get a coffee refill on a nearby long straight rural road with a military tanker plane flying low with a boom filling up my coffee cup through the stupid sun roof opening I never use that is mandatory on all models of the car brand that I buy. I want that coffee refill on a Saturday morning driving into a nearby town for supplies.
Allowing that, would you concede that Honda/Acura just simply did not build a similar vehicle at the time, and that availability of service was far less and costs higher for the same services than the Chevrolet?
Also, would you concede that you would expect engineering to be different between a 1977 vehicle and something built two decades later?
Funny how they call such women "trophy wives." I would consider marriage to one of these creatures as a severe penalty!
Saw that ad again today. I was wrong, it's an RX in a larger room with dubbed engine noise being driven oddly. Probably impresses the target customer anyway.
Add in that she comes back with her two kids in tow. Also, likely that the husband is not whipped and is successful and she is also successful in her life, marriage, children, career maybe making $90-100K. She could be one of many teachers here in N Illinois who do quite well or perhaps a dentist or doctor.
Only 2 short months till the annual touching and heart-warming Lexus Christmas commercials. All of you can hum or whistle the wonderful Lexus Christmas melody now.
Many here will go out of there way to find something not to like, but the ad itself is actually a good one.
Not nearly as good. Fake tire squeels are a bit annoying, even.
It makes a sharp turn yet it's supposed to be going quickly, and there's no body roll, so ths CGI just ends up looking fake.
As bad as the ES one is good.
Unlike the RX ad as you say, which is offensive for those of us with any eye towards detail. The squeals and engine noise are almost funny, as if they are trying to be ironic.
Funny thing is this plays on some of the stereotypes fin likes to talk about.
Check out the husband looking at the wife for approval, she nods "no" and they cross the house off their shopping list.
Also, at 1:52 she seems to have more than a little cosmetic work done, eye brows waxed and maybe some collagen in those puffy lips. Probably a chemical peel for that smooth skin, too.
Enjoy!
Again, plays on all the stereotypes fin keeps talking about, super mom = non-working trophy wife.
Seems like M-B is more than happy to appeal to them, and in fact targets that demographic specifically.
I'll say it again - I don't see why the RX gets singled out and picked on, it's all assumptions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHtptQtOtSA
Note the pulled back eyes on the passenger, they look surgically enhanced.
Again, M-B seems to actually feature the demographic you're talking about in their ads.
This is fun.
I'll stop searching, too easy. :P
Maybe MB is just being honest and realistic? Moreso than the Lexus Christmas ad with big wheel kid ending up in an ES.
I notice supermom's hired help wasn't shown.
Lexus ads seem to be tech focused, down to the music and CGI. Target IT workers and gagdet fans.
M-B ads seem female focused, she is boss. Target the type of female you joke about often.
Tech and lack of driving involvement, that does sound like Lexus. It's not a car, it's a big tablet with wheels.
I wonder if Toyolex could have ads so honest regarding the end user (notice I didn't say buyer).
Suzuki is an underdog. Kizashi is a very decent sedan you can still get with a manual that noone even knows about. They will fail and exit the US market within 2 years, sadly.
This case is the opposite. People almost seem offended by Toyota's success. Must be because they target the type of female in those GLK ads, you and lemko conclude.
Funny. On many levels.
I think Toyota offends car enthusiasts because it relied on beige lowest common denominator sleds for success for so many years. Add some of the Lexus counterpart to that - badge snobs in isotanks who claim not to be badge snobs, then add in the designer handbag on wheels, and there will be mocking. Deal with it :shades:
Sedan only, AWD forces automatic, so a definite No.
Beyond that they need real engines. They are so doomed.
Toyota offends car enthusiasts
Shouldn't we stand up for what's happening to German cars now, then?
You shop CPO so for you the effect is delayed, but ..
* steering feel is going
* throttle responsiveness is lost
* they park themselves now, too
* they virtually drive themselves (lanes, cruise, braking)
* they've retreated upscale (price, weight, content)
* wheels are bling
* auto start and
shake violentlystopYet I hear no protest from you, the enthusiast. I bet we'll hear in in 2015, when the 2012s go to the CPO market.
Lexus had no soul to begin with.
The Germans are the ones selling out right now.
Sounds like you list some BMW issues. I've never owned one of those. And if anything, it sounds like they are just devolving to Lexus-like standards in order to woo affluent (read: boring) diverse customers.
MB: moderate steering feel, not sporty - historical standard. Always had a heavy throttle too. No self parking that I have seen. All cars are heavier and loaded. Generally boring wheels. No auto start/stop. So nothing for me to complain about other than weight and bulk (and price). In 2015, I'll probably have my current car, unless I find a huge deal.
He bought something else.
In college I got a valet parking gig so I'm familiar with the heavy throttle. First couple of inches did nothing.
Nowadays that's called Eco mode.
I'd recommend the all-Detroit minimal techno-house Paxahau but they just can't keep their net radio webstream up. Funny to see what replaced the Motown sound down in Detroit.
Can't blame them for giving their target buyer what they want, though.
On MB, it is throttle weight as much as travel. Going from the fintail to a W126 many years ago was a different world. The old car has a light pedal, as it has a revvy engine, and needs to rev to get moving. The tank though - like there was a brick under the pedal. E55 is kind of like that too. But - in a car like the E55 where passing 2K rpm makes you go too fast, it is kind of a mellow driving aid. I prefer it to a too light pedal. I remember my grandma had an Olds with a pedal that would shoot you forward with a cm of travel - then in typical 80s GM 6cyl fashion would run out of breath around 50mph.
MB had the poorly thought out (and now seem to be gone) commercials that pretty much said "I was dumb and my car saved me"...but isn't as loud about it as others. And I don't want to hear about empty FWD suits so long as the ES Supercamry exists
One reason I have a Sirius/XM subscription is the lack of decent electronic music on radio in this country. Easier to find in Europe anyway.
Is that like what "new age" music was? Does the sleepless area have any decent country and western stations? :P
I remember those. I high school I dated a girl who owned a Beretta, that car was like that. The result was 19mpg in a compact car.
Our 2002 Legacy had an abrupt throttle, the worst part about that car. Fortunately our other 2 Subies have more linear throttles.
Is M-B chasing the Supercamry, and you're in denial? Resistance is futile. Consider these boards therapy.
Came across this classic ad.
I say go even more classic and bring back the Datsun name for the next small pickup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hSmDMtXXZIA
That's for you, fushigi. :shades:
Now we see where Range Rover drew inspiration for its new head and tail lights (kidding of course, but Mitsu was first).
In the video you catch a quick glimpse of torque vectoring.
Overall a departure from the current model, but at least that remains.
The video is a bit light on details but a cruising range of 880 kms (550 miles) would be nice. I hope for the NA market they move the plug to the driver front area; that would be more convenient for the average person who pulls into a garage.
Granted it's all CG but if the shape is accurate it looks like Mitsu went over the design with an eye towards aero efficiency; surfaces seem a bit smoother than the current models. And the grill area is reminiscent of the pre-2010 design.
It looks like the electrics will drive the front & rear wheels while the ICE will drive just the fronts. That should keep AWD complexity down on the hardware side (without really making the software that much more complex).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMEuG2dhE_o&feature=relmfu has a few more details including some hints at the revised interior. Looks like they've kept the 3rd row but revised it. Also made the second row fold flat v. flip forward so cargo space should be improved.
http://www.edmunds.com/auto-shows/paris/2012/2014-mitsubishi-outlander-plug-in-h- ybrid-for-us-2012-paris-auto-show.html
I remain concerned about the price point. Nicely loaded I wonder if they'll be able to bring it here for under $40K before government incentives. Battery packs are still rather costly.