I'm glad they had the first bailout, else I'd have never known my truly awesome 1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue! I've only had one Mopar product and it turned out to be one of my best cars. I would like to purchase a 300-C sometime in the future. Make mine red!
While my '11 Grand Cherokee was in the shop getting some hail damage repaired, I got a chance to drive a 300, same V6 that's in the Jeep. I was suprised how much I liked the car! It was very nice but my Jeep is more stable in high winds, which I thought was strange. Still, the 300 is a VERY nice ride. Can only imagine what it would be like with the Hemi!
That's kinda odd, that the 300 would be more susceptible to cross winds than the Jeep...I'd think the GC's higher stance would put it more in peril.
I like the 300, although the Charger's really more to my liking. I saw one today in refrigerator-white, and even liked it! I'm trying to hold off on buying another car for as long as possible, and even then, common sense tells me to go for something more sensible, like a 4-cyl intermediate. But, my mind keeps going back to the Charger!
My neighbor is in medical sales, has been for over 25 years, and he gets a new company car every 2 years.
Each selection period, he has a short list of fairly well equipped makes/models to pick from, and 3 years ago he got a jet black 300. Last year, he picked a Toyota Camry. Before then, he has driven a mix of domestic and imported models. Prior to the 300, he also had a Camry (which he purchased for his college age daughter after the 2 year period was over).
In his opinion, the Camry looked like the better car on the selection list, but he said the 300 was the best company car he has ever experienced. He really liked the ride and the power (V-6, I think).
We'll see if these actually lead to recalls. Two out of 177,000 vehicles so far, for the Cruze...slightly higher for the Jeep. It's always interesting to read the comments posted on that site; many often funny!
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
My best man was a Chrysler regional service manager in the mid-'80's. At some point near then, Fifth Avenues were assembled in the old AMC plant in Kenosha, WI. He was asked to fill out questionnaires on various new Chryslers he drove. He was convinced that AMC built better Fifth Avenues than Chrysler did!
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Drove the SRT back in 2008...nice ride but the interior was far less refined back then. Love the interior on your JGC. Extremely upgraded!
My 'Bro has the '04 but had nit problems like the wiring sleeve in the door was prone to wire damage since it moves in the hing area. Had to splice some wires back together and the odo went berserk and still reads 5 mph low. Just had it back to the dealer to tighten the rocker arm bolts which loosened and caused an errant reading on the ECM. Truck ran like junk until repaired.
Agreed. This sounds very suspicious to me. Perhaps another April Fools?!?
Perhaps sales will re-ignite now?
My Cruze caught fire after an oil change
I don't even know where to start? First of all, I'm happy to be alive. I was driving home from the office on Friday afternoon when I was flagged down by a frantic motorist screaming at me to get out of my car because I was on fire. I didn't notice because the flames were blowing under the car. When I stopped the car to pull over I soon noticed I was in trouble due to the black smoke pouring out from under my hood. By the time I got out of my car it was shooting flames from underneath. Two nice ladies walking down the street saw this and had already called 911 so the fire department was already on the way. Within minutes the car was fully engulfed in flames right when the firemen showed up. Unfortunately it was too late, the car is gone. Oh ya, I forgot to mention that I had just had an oil change from the dealership. I'm not pointing fingers but it seems strange that this happened when it did. Since this has happened I have been investigating online and have found that this is happening more than we think. Why is Chevy not doing anything about this? I'm not the first person this has happened too. If I was on the highway when this happened I would probably be burned to death. I have been a long time Chevy customer and I feel very frustrated and let down. Will it take someone burning to death before they do something? A picture tells a thousand words by my video will tell the story. Check out the video link below
Only guy I knew that had a truck catch on fire had been driving a long stretch on a gravel road.
Apparently his "simple" carb couldn't handle the vibration, fell apart and leaked gas on the manifold.
I bet social media and publicity has increased the number of recalls as much as anything. Back in the day, if a BMW burned down a house in Topeka, would you hear about it in Providence? When a car hiccups these days, there's a Facebook and Twitter campaign and 14 class action law firms trolling for clients.
I like the new Charger as well, especially all those LEDs in the rear. The V6 in the 300 I drove had plenty of power and I believe it gets around 31 hwy. Not bad for a large sedan! The new Jeep has an IRS set up in back, and sits on a Mercedes chassis . . . perhaps that is why it's so incredibly stable in a cross wind.
The YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" has been used in many marketing classes/seminars to demonstrate the power that social interaction websites have in today's marketplace. Much more effective than the letter writing campaigns used 20 years ago...
Not to side track the topic, but iwant, could you tell me a little bit more about how you like your Jeep? Is it the V6 or V8. What sort of mileage, problems, etc.
I'm seriously contemplating a V6 Limited but I would like to get some more feedback.
Regarding the hood prop rod issue, I wonder how many average recent car owners know (or even care) if their hood is propped open by a rod, spring loaded hinges or the shock-type mechanisms?
While a prop rod may have been seen as a sign of lesser quality 25 years ago, I would wager that most folks could care less these days. In fact, I wonder what percentage of new car salesmen could accurately tell you which model cars they sell have prop rods or self supporting hood props.
I consider myself a "car person", but that issue would have zero influence on my selection process today. As cars are continually moving towards lighter materials, the rooftop and hood areas are 2 places where weight can easily be reduced by the use of lighter materials (aluminum, composites, etc).
The hood on my daughter's 08 Altima is no where the weight of the one on the 1973 Pontiac Catalina I once owned. I wouldn't want either to fall on me, but I feel sure the Altima hood have a far less impact on me if it did.
Hhmm prop rods reminded me of my moms 52' Buick special with the side lifting hood (held by prop rod). It was a serious hood with the straight eight engine and got interesting when one lifted one side only to find it hadn't latched properly on the other and was kind of waving in the wind until you messed with it. :surprise:
I Remember the GM pickups in the 1970's (or was it the 1980's?) that had the extra strong hood hinge springs, coupled with the weakness in the hood just before the front of the hinge attachment point. It became rare to see one without a buckled hood after a couple of years
Eeek! I did that with my 2002 Cadillac Seville STS! I forgot to replace the oil filler cap after changing my oil, made a 120 mile round trip and had oil splashed up underneath a good portion of the hood. It ruined the insulation and I had to replace it. It took me a good part of an afternoon to re-detail the engine compartment! What a mess!
I got mine with the V6. It's a Laredo with the base 4x4 (AWD). Got cloth seats, nothing too fancy, and there's actual rotary knobs for A/C, radio, headlights, etc. I drive 70% hwy/30 % city and get 21 mpg. I wish it had the torque that my 4Runner had, but it's fine once you get used to it. I took it to Utah last Sept. and it got 24 mpg on the long hauls. It was very comfortable too and had enough cargo space for my wife's luggage. And (touch wood) it hasn't had to go to the dealer for anything! I've got nearly 15 K on the clock. I'm glad I bought it. It's my first domestic since 1998.
When I see an inexpensive car that doesn't need a prop to hold the hood open, I think "wow, nice touch". When I see a prop rod on anything in 2012, I think, "kind of cheesy".
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
I forgot to replace the oil filler cap after changing my oil
That happened to my Expedition about a month ago. Had the oil changed at my local service center (not a quickie lube) and for some reason I just decided to check the oil about 3 weeks after the change. The oil cap was sitting on top of the air box on top of the engine. Surprisingly no oil was lost or splatter anywhere. I had driven about 500 miles w/o the oil cap on. At least they did put oil in as it was right at the full line.
Interesting info. Sounds like the UAW are in need of a bailout now.
With membership down to a quarter of the union’s peak size in 1979, dues are not enough to pay the bills at the UAW. The UAW continues to tap into savings to pay for its day-to-day operations, Reuters says.
According to the UAW’s annual financial filing with the U.S. Labor Department, 16 percent of the UAW’s cash receipts came from investment and asset sales in 2011, while union dues represented 47 percent.
The UAW’s membership increased slightly by 4,107, or 1 percent, to 380,719 last year. The UAW is still America’s richest union, but most of its $1 billion plus wealth is tied up in its strike fund. “As a result, the UAW was forced to sell stocks, bonds and other assets to pay for its day-to-day operations during the most recent U.S. economic downturn as the number of dues-paying members fell,” Reuters says.
Even after adding new members, the UAW is forced to rely on investment sales to pay for day to day operations. Organizing the transplants is key to the UAW’s survival. Failure to do so will result in more money drainage. Already, the balance sheet looks lopsided:
The UAW reported assets of $1.04 billion in 2011 and liabilities of $7.1 billion. Cash receipts and disbursements both fell about 6 percent to roughly $258 million each.
The hood on my daughter's 08 Altima is no where the weight of the one on the 1973 Pontiac Catalina I once owned. I wouldn't want either to fall on me, but I feel sure the Altima hood have a far less impact on me if it did.
I had the hood off of my '69 Bonneville when I changed its hinges. I have no idea how much it weighed, but I was able to lift it by myself. It didn't seem *that* heavy. But back then, I was around 24 years old, worked out regularly, and had a logistics job that kept me pretty fit. Eighteen years later, I sit at a desk, have intermittent back problems, a trick knee, and a shoulder that goes out on occasion. Maybe I got it from lifting that Bonneville's hood by myself.
Overall, for any given size, cars are probably a lot heavier than they were back in the day. But, a lot of that weight gain is due to more standard features, better safety, and so on. So, while weight gets added in some areas, it's only natural, I guess, that they have to take it away somewhere else.
Also, even though they seem expensive, relative to inflation cars are actually pretty cheap IMO, once you factor in all the safety, performance, features, etc they offer these days. Even in recent years, the advances have been pretty incredible. For example, my old 2000 Intrepid, a base model, had an MSRP of $20,950, including freight. Adjust for inflation, and that's about $28,628 today.
However, today a 2012 Charger has a base MSRP of $26420 including freight. And that's with a larger, more powerful 3.6 V-6 that's EPA rated the same as the little 2.7 my Intrepid had. 5-speed automatic, where my car just had a 4-speed. ABS and traction control, which my car didn't have. Front and rear head and side impact airbags, where my car just had the two in the dashboard. Tire pressure monitor, rear cupholders and door pockets, overhead console, power outlet in the rear, dual zone a/c, interior air filtration, trip computer, external temp display, 6 speakers (mine just had 4), alloy wheels, and probably a bunch of other stuff that my car didn't have.
So, adjusting for inflation, you get a car that has all that extra stuff, for about $2400 less! But maybe that's not the best example to use, as the 2011+ Charger did go back to a hood that doesn't need a prop. :P And, it's a heavy car, at around 3900 lb, whereas my Intrepid was only around 3400.
I guess they had to cut corners somewhere, though, although the only obvious place that I can see it is in the roof. The Charger has those ugly exposed strips that run front-to-back and cover the seams, like how all cars do nowadays. My Intrepid, in contrast, was all finished off.
I'd imagine if you compared just about any 2012 car to its 2000 counterpart, you'd see similar advancements.
The Asian makes wouldn't know good styling if it walked up to them and hit them in the face with a lead pipe.
Oh yeah. The Americans have it nailed with superb styling such as the Pontiac Aztek, last Buick Riviera, GM bottlenose minivans, GM dustbuster minivans, Cadillac Cimarrons, Cadillac Cateras, last gen Malibus, guppy fish Chevy Impalas of the mid 90's, fat and ugly and overweight Firebirds and Camaros of early 2000's before they were killed off, the guppy Pontiac GTO resurrection, etc, etc, etc. GM, especially, has tried to foist grotestquely designed vehicles on Americeans over the last 3 decades.
I don't believe GM will be given another bailout now that the economy is improving, so the new mgt team needs to produce and I do see some improvements over there.
I didn't believe our Gov't would give GM a bailout nor Chrysler a second bailout, but it happened anyway.
I find it hard to believe any previously bailed out company will not be given multiple bailouts in the future given that history has already proven this to be the case (study Chrysler). Not only does history tend to repeat, but it sets a precedent.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
I guess they had to cut corners somewhere, though, although the only obvious place that I can see it is in the roof. The Charger has those ugly exposed strips that run front-to-back and cover the seams, like how all cars do nowadays. My Intrepid, in contrast, was all finished off.
I hate those long ugly black strips on the roofs of cars. My Audi A3 doesn't have them, I imagine no Audi's do if the A3 does not.
I saw the new Ford Focus 5-door that's supposed to compete with the A3 in ST form I suppose, but it has those ugly black strips on the roof (strike 1) (defective dual clutch transmissions; strike 2). Almost 3 strikes and it's barely come out yet. Heck, it's a Big 3 car, that's strike 3 for me. It's out.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Also, even though they seem expensive, relative to inflation cars are actually pretty cheap IMO, once you factor in all the safety, performance, features, etc they offer these days. Even in recent years, the advances have been pretty incredible. For example, my old 2000 Intrepid, a base model, had an MSRP of $20,950, including freight. Adjust for inflation, and that's about $28,628 today.
I think you're spot-on there.
Funny.... My brother-in-law refuses to buy a new/nearly new car, even though he easily has the means to do so. His logic is that he refuses to pay an amount today that would have bought an entire house 50 years ago. He's 68, and he still has every car he has ever owned (although few of them still run anymore).
He would rather drive a junker and risk constant breakdowns than have the security of a reliable, safe ride.
I went through a phase where I really liked the final, 95-99 Riviera. Nowadays though, whenever I see one, it seems as though the styling hasn't aged all that well. I think the proportioning is a bit too extreme, and the rear-end tapers too much. Still wouldn't mind having one, although I don't put it up on the same pedestal that I used to. I think that styling worked much better on the '97-05 Park Ave, and the '97-04 Century/Regal though.
btw, small world, a co-worker of mine had to junk his triple black 96 SS which was garage kept and meticulously maintained. But the underbody rusted out on the thing to the point of it being unsafe to drive and uninsurable. :sick:
His logic is that he refuses to pay an amount today that would have bought an entire house 50 years ago. He's 68, and he still has every car he has ever owned (although few of them still run anymore).
My dad felt the same way. They bought their house for $23K in 1968. The last new car they bought was 1973, for $2900. After that, it was a series of used cars (1 MB, 2 Toyotas). In 2003, mom wanted one last new car, and dad was appalled as to how expensive they were.
They ended up getting an '03 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 for something like $17K. 9 years later it has under 30K on the clock.
Does this guy live near the ocean? Does he clean the undercarriage of the car? It doesn't matter how well you keep the top part of the car if you fail to clean the undercarriage and leave it caked with salt and mud.
I looked at a 98 Riviera when I went looking for a new Trans Am. Thought the Buick was nice enough but went with the T/A. Unfortunately only had the T/A for 15 months as it was in the dealer's garage more than it was in mine.
Back in the 70s, a buddy had a 73 (I think) Riviera with a 501 cid motor that he had bored out and blueprinted, so he said. If that car had wings, it would be able to fly!
I was actually planning on driving out to look at a used '95 Riviera on the day I ended up buying my 2000 Intrepid. My uncle needed me to drive him to the dealership to pick up his truck from servicing. My original plan was to do that, and then drive to the other dealer to check out the Riv. But then my uncle suggested that while we were here, to look at the new cars and trucks. And, one thing led to another, and before I knew it I was signing my life away for the next 60 months at 0.9%!
Sometimes I wonder how that Riviera would have lasted, if I had bought it. I think it had around 70,000 miles on it and they wanted around $10,000. And, it was supercharged. Can't remember if it had a sunroof or not. I went on to put 150,000 miles on the Intrepid before it got totaled. I wonder if that '95 Riv would've had another 150,000 left on it?
Last year, I remember seeing a nice '95 or so Riviera for sale at the spring swap meet in Carlisle PA. IIRC it was fairly high mileage, like 125,000 or so, but it really nice shape, and the seller only wanted around $2500-3000 for it.
For ugly styling, I can't think of much that compares to the Nissan Xterras that had random bulges and lumps all over them.
While I don't see the Xterra as particularly aesthetic looking, I also don't see it as being bad enough to pick as an example of ugly. IMO it's not even the worst Nissan - the Juke would have to be #1 in Nissan's lineup.
Each manufacturer seems to have hits-and-misses. I'd say with the exception of Jaguar and Maserati, and a couple of others, styling for the rest of the world = average. Some good, and some bad models.
What I do like in an auto is light-weight. I commend Subaru and Toyota for bringing out the Subaru BRZ and Scion. Are you listening GM? It's why I'm not rushing out to buy a 4,000 LB pillbox-visibility Camaro.
While I don't see the Xterra as particularly aesthetic looking, I also don't see it as being bad enough to pick as an example of ugly. IMO it's not even the worst Nissan - the Juke would have to be #1 in Nissan's lineup.
I thought the Xterra looked okay when it first came out, but didn't like the restyle, when it went to the pseudo-round headlights. I think the current one is okay though, although it's been around since 2005 so I guess it's overdue for a restyle.
I agree, the Juke is pretty far out there, style-wise. Same for the Cube. And I always thought the styling on the Versa and Sentra just seemed off, somehow, although the latest Versa seems like a pretty big improvement.
Comments
I agree about the political side of it, and the medding of the Fed, too.
I like the 300, although the Charger's really more to my liking. I saw one today in refrigerator-white, and even liked it! I'm trying to hold off on buying another car for as long as possible, and even then, common sense tells me to go for something more sensible, like a 4-cyl intermediate. But, my mind keeps going back to the Charger!
Each selection period, he has a short list of fairly well equipped makes/models to pick from, and 3 years ago he got a jet black 300. Last year, he picked a Toyota Camry. Before then, he has driven a mix of domestic and imported models. Prior to the 300, he also had a Camry (which he purchased for his college age daughter after the 2 year period was over).
In his opinion, the Camry looked like the better car on the selection list, but he said the 300 was the best company car he has ever experienced. He really liked the ride and the power (V-6, I think).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2012/04/01/jeep-wrangler-chevrolet-- - cruze-fires-spark-federal-investigations/
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120401/AUTO0103/204010316/NHTSA-opens-engin- e-fire-probes-into-Chevy-Cruze-Jeep-Wrangler-vehicles?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cte- xt%7CFRONTPAGE
My 'Bro has the '04 but had nit problems like the wiring sleeve in the door was prone to wire damage since it moves in the hing area. Had to splice some wires back together and the odo went berserk and still reads 5 mph low. Just had it back to the dealer to tighten the rocker arm bolts which loosened and caused an errant reading on the ECM. Truck ran like junk until repaired.
Regards,
OW
U.S. Studies Fire Reports in Wranglers and Cruzes
Regards,
OW
"Two Cruze Engine Fires May Be from Not Replacing Oil Filler Caps" doesn't do much for paper sales!
But making it sound like SIX fires may sell more views or more papers.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Perhaps sales will re-ignite now?
My Cruze caught fire after an oil change
I don't even know where to start? First of all, I'm happy to be alive. I was driving home from the office on Friday afternoon when I was flagged down by a frantic motorist screaming at me to get out of my car because I was on fire. I didn't notice because the flames were blowing under the car. When I stopped the car to pull over I soon noticed I was in trouble due to the black smoke pouring out from under my hood. By the time I got out of my car it was shooting flames from underneath. Two nice ladies walking down the street saw this and had already called 911 so the fire department was already on the way. Within minutes the car was fully engulfed in flames right when the firemen showed up. Unfortunately it was too late, the car is gone. Oh ya, I forgot to mention that I had just had an oil change from the dealership. I'm not pointing fingers but it seems strange that this happened when it did. Since this has happened I have been investigating online and have found that this is happening more than we think. Why is Chevy not doing anything about this? I'm not the first person this has happened too. If I was on the highway when this happened I would probably be burned to death. I have been a long time Chevy customer and I feel very frustrated and let down. Will it take someone burning to death before they do something?
A picture tells a thousand words by my video will tell the story. Check out the video link below
My Cruze caught fire after an oil change
Pix/video included. Notice the explosion at:26 sec into the video...
Regards,
OW
They've still got a ways to go to catch up with the foreign makers' recalls of this year.
IMO, as cars increase in their complexity, so will recalls...
That's true for all manufacturers.
Apparently his "simple" carb couldn't handle the vibration, fell apart and leaked gas on the manifold.
I bet social media and publicity has increased the number of recalls as much as anything. Back in the day, if a BMW burned down a house in Topeka, would you hear about it in Providence? When a car hiccups these days, there's a Facebook and Twitter campaign and 14 class action law firms trolling for clients.
The YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" has been used in many marketing classes/seminars to demonstrate the power that social interaction websites have in today's marketplace. Much more effective than the letter writing campaigns used 20 years ago...
I'm seriously contemplating a V6 Limited but I would like to get some more feedback.
Much appreciated!
While a prop rod may have been seen as a sign of lesser quality 25 years ago, I would wager that most folks could care less these days. In fact, I wonder what percentage of new car salesmen could accurately tell you which model cars they sell have prop rods or self supporting hood props.
I consider myself a "car person", but that issue would have zero influence on my selection process today. As cars are continually moving towards lighter materials, the rooftop and hood areas are 2 places where weight can easily be reduced by the use of lighter materials (aluminum, composites, etc).
The hood on my daughter's 08 Altima is no where the weight of the one on the 1973 Pontiac Catalina I once owned. I wouldn't want either to fall on me, but I feel sure the Altima hood have a far less impact on me if it did.
,
Back to social media, I should have mentioned that the most active company monitoring and posting here on Edmunds is GM.
That happened to my Expedition about a month ago. Had the oil changed at my local service center (not a quickie lube) and for some reason I just decided to check the oil about 3 weeks after the change. The oil cap was sitting on top of the air box on top of the engine. Surprisingly no oil was lost or splatter anywhere. I had driven about 500 miles w/o the oil cap on. At least they did put oil in as it was right at the full line.
With membership down to a quarter of the union’s peak size in 1979, dues are not enough to pay the bills at the UAW. The UAW continues to tap into savings to pay for its day-to-day operations, Reuters says.
According to the UAW’s annual financial filing with the U.S. Labor Department, 16 percent of the UAW’s cash receipts came from investment and asset sales in 2011, while union dues represented 47 percent.
The UAW’s membership increased slightly by 4,107, or 1 percent, to 380,719 last year. The UAW is still America’s richest union, but most of its $1 billion plus wealth is tied up in its strike fund. “As a result, the UAW was forced to sell stocks, bonds and other assets to pay for its day-to-day operations during the most recent U.S. economic downturn as the number of dues-paying members fell,” Reuters says.
Even after adding new members, the UAW is forced to rely on investment sales to pay for day to day operations. Organizing the transplants is key to the UAW’s survival. Failure to do so will result in more money drainage. Already, the balance sheet looks lopsided:
The UAW reported assets of $1.04 billion in 2011 and liabilities of $7.1 billion. Cash receipts and disbursements both fell about 6 percent to roughly $258 million each.
Let's see how this affects the Small 3.
Regards,
OW
I had the hood off of my '69 Bonneville when I changed its hinges. I have no idea how much it weighed, but I was able to lift it by myself. It didn't seem *that* heavy. But back then, I was around 24 years old, worked out regularly, and had a logistics job that kept me pretty fit. Eighteen years later, I sit at a desk, have intermittent back problems, a trick knee, and a shoulder that goes out on occasion. Maybe I got it from lifting that Bonneville's hood by myself.
Overall, for any given size, cars are probably a lot heavier than they were back in the day. But, a lot of that weight gain is due to more standard features, better safety, and so on. So, while weight gets added in some areas, it's only natural, I guess, that they have to take it away somewhere else.
Also, even though they seem expensive, relative to inflation cars are actually pretty cheap IMO, once you factor in all the safety, performance, features, etc they offer these days. Even in recent years, the advances have been pretty incredible. For example, my old 2000 Intrepid, a base model, had an MSRP of $20,950, including freight. Adjust for inflation, and that's about $28,628 today.
However, today a 2012 Charger has a base MSRP of $26420 including freight. And that's with a larger, more powerful 3.6 V-6 that's EPA rated the same as the little 2.7 my Intrepid had. 5-speed automatic, where my car just had a 4-speed. ABS and traction control, which my car didn't have. Front and rear head and side impact airbags, where my car just had the two in the dashboard. Tire pressure monitor, rear cupholders and door pockets, overhead console, power outlet in the rear, dual zone a/c, interior air filtration, trip computer, external temp display, 6 speakers (mine just had 4), alloy wheels, and probably a bunch of other stuff that my car didn't have.
So, adjusting for inflation, you get a car that has all that extra stuff, for about $2400 less! But maybe that's not the best example to use, as the 2011+ Charger did go back to a hood that doesn't need a prop. :P And, it's a heavy car, at around 3900 lb, whereas my Intrepid was only around 3400.
I guess they had to cut corners somewhere, though, although the only obvious place that I can see it is in the roof. The Charger has those ugly exposed strips that run front-to-back and cover the seams, like how all cars do nowadays. My Intrepid, in contrast, was all finished off.
I'd imagine if you compared just about any 2012 car to its 2000 counterpart, you'd see similar advancements.
United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Regards,
OW
Oh yeah. The Americans have it nailed with superb styling such as the Pontiac Aztek, last Buick Riviera, GM bottlenose minivans, GM dustbuster minivans, Cadillac Cimarrons, Cadillac Cateras, last gen Malibus, guppy fish Chevy Impalas of the mid 90's, fat and ugly and overweight Firebirds and Camaros of early 2000's before they were killed off, the guppy Pontiac GTO resurrection, etc, etc, etc. GM, especially, has tried to foist grotestquely designed vehicles on Americeans over the last 3 decades.
I didn't believe our Gov't would give GM a bailout nor Chrysler a second bailout, but it happened anyway.
I find it hard to believe any previously bailed out company will not be given multiple bailouts in the future given that history has already proven this to be the case (study Chrysler). Not only does history tend to repeat, but it sets a precedent.
I hate those long ugly black strips on the roofs of cars. My Audi A3 doesn't have them, I imagine no Audi's do if the A3 does not.
I saw the new Ford Focus 5-door that's supposed to compete with the A3 in ST form I suppose, but it has those ugly black strips on the roof (strike 1) (defective dual clutch transmissions; strike 2). Almost 3 strikes and it's barely come out yet. Heck, it's a Big 3 car, that's strike 3 for me. It's out.
http://www.ncconsumer.org/Kohls%20truck%20recall.html
I think you're spot-on there.
Funny.... My brother-in-law refuses to buy a new/nearly new car, even though he easily has the means to do so. His logic is that he refuses to pay an amount today that would have bought an entire house 50 years ago. He's 68, and he still has every car he has ever owned (although few of them still run anymore).
He would rather drive a junker and risk constant breakdowns than have the security of a reliable, safe ride.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess...
For ugly styling, I can't think of much that compares to the Nissan Xterras that had random bulges and lumps all over them.
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btw, small world, a co-worker of mine had to junk his triple black 96 SS which was garage kept and meticulously maintained. But the underbody rusted out on the thing to the point of it being unsafe to drive and uninsurable. :sick:
My dad felt the same way. They bought their house for $23K in 1968. The last new car they bought was 1973, for $2900. After that, it was a series of used cars (1 MB, 2 Toyotas). In 2003, mom wanted one last new car, and dad was appalled as to how expensive they were.
They ended up getting an '03 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 for something like $17K. 9 years later it has under 30K on the clock.
Back in the 70s, a buddy had a 73 (I think) Riviera with a 501 cid motor that he had bored out and blueprinted, so he said. If that car had wings, it would be able to fly!
Sometimes I wonder how that Riviera would have lasted, if I had bought it. I think it had around 70,000 miles on it and they wanted around $10,000. And, it was supercharged. Can't remember if it had a sunroof or not. I went on to put 150,000 miles on the Intrepid before it got totaled. I wonder if that '95 Riv would've had another 150,000 left on it?
Last year, I remember seeing a nice '95 or so Riviera for sale at the spring swap meet in Carlisle PA. IIRC it was fairly high mileage, like 125,000 or so, but it really nice shape, and the seller only wanted around $2500-3000 for it.
While I don't see the Xterra as particularly aesthetic looking, I also don't see it as being bad enough to pick as an example of ugly. IMO it's not even the worst Nissan - the Juke would have to be #1 in Nissan's lineup.
Each manufacturer seems to have hits-and-misses. I'd say with the exception of Jaguar and Maserati, and a couple of others, styling for the rest of the world = average. Some good, and some bad models.
What I do like in an auto is light-weight. I commend Subaru and Toyota for bringing out the Subaru BRZ and Scion. Are you listening GM? It's why I'm not rushing out to buy a 4,000 LB pillbox-visibility Camaro.
I thought the Xterra looked okay when it first came out, but didn't like the restyle, when it went to the pseudo-round headlights. I think the current one is okay though, although it's been around since 2005 so I guess it's overdue for a restyle.
I agree, the Juke is pretty far out there, style-wise. Same for the Cube. And I always thought the styling on the Versa and Sentra just seemed off, somehow, although the latest Versa seems like a pretty big improvement.