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Why? I know for a fact that during a hill climb in the deep stuff; both of my BMWs would have been undriveable with the TCS shut off. That said, since I never once got stuck, I cannot comment on the efficacy of the TCS system for helping you get a car unstuck.
"Never heard of a FWD car having to be backed up a hill. You're starting to make me question your driving skill! LOL"
Yeah, I'm such a bad driver that I can get RWD cars up those hills but not FWD cars. ;-)
Think about it this way, if the hill is steep enough, weight transfer is going to be rather significant and the front wheels will unload to the point where they can no longer transfer enough power to the road surface. I'm thinking of two different driveways here in my neighborhood as well as a certain hill up in Boyne City, MI, which was the first hill where I employed the "backwards up the hill" thing.
At the time I was driving a 1981 Audi 4000 4M 5-Speed, and was heading to a fireside assignation with a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and... Well, you get the idea. Anyway, I came around this curve and headed up the hill that separated me from my destination and... I got maybe a third of the way up. I backed down to the bottom and around the curve, picked up much more speed than I had the first time around and... I got maybe half of the way up. I tried a couple of more times until I got to the point where I dared not carry any more speed through the curve and still only managed just over half of the way up. Not to be deterred (some would say in desperation), I reasoned that by turning the car around I would have the whole weight transfer thing working in my favor. Sure enough, once the car was heading up in reverse I was able to back right on up the hill. It couldn't have been easier. I've since had to employ that little trick virtually every time I climb one of my neighbor's driveways when they are even marginally covered with something slippery. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
For most of us driving is getting from point A to B and not on the quarter mile.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
I'm down in Texas where distances are measured in 'six packs' and the major cities are about 200 miles apart - it has gotten to the point that I actually prefer the 3-4 hour drives to wasting time in the airports. Perhaps has something to do with the cars we drive?
I know - it must be the 56% front/44% rear weight distribution, since that is not 53/47 like the Dodge Charger.
Of course, it is the fact the Crown Vic has a real frame. I'm waiting for the first time my local police tries to push a car out of traffic using a Dodge Charger (wait, none of my local police have yet to buy a Charger - they must enjoy getting stuck in the snow with the Crown Vic.) My township police just ordered their fleet for 2007 - bought 4 more Crown Vics.
I've driven a Grand Marquis for years in the snow - never much of a problem. On especially bad days (once or twice a year), I put about 300 lbs of sand in the trunk, and take it out when it's not needed. Or one could go with winter tires - tons of used steel wheels available if that is your thing.
The real issue is women (such as my wife) are intimidated by driving in the snow, so they think front wheel drive is better. Even with her Toyota, I've lost count how many times she's gotten stuck trying to pull into and up the driveway in the snow. I have to get the little fella up the drive for her.
All that said, however, still do see a lot of them (without sirens) attached, so there must still be those out there that will buy 30 year old cars new. Do I hate CVs, no - just think they are slow and ponderous, space inefficient, lacking of any current technologies/safety features, and gas guzzlers.
In every car I've driven, I've always come in at right about 90% of the average of the EPA city and highway mileage. After my 1994 Grand Marquis, I had a 2000 Dodge Intrepid rated 18/26 that got about 20 mpg - my current 2002 Grand Marquis rated at 17/25 gets around 19 mpg - mostly commuting in rush hour traffic 36 miles round trip from the suburbs to the middle of downtown. If that is gas guzzling, than my Intrepid was a gas guzzler as well. The Corolla gets around 28 mpg in the same driving (I've driven it for a tank of gas to compare), so I don't think it does that badly.
Some of the attributes you might dislike are what I like about the car - ponderous to you might be smooth, quiet, with good road isolation to me, lack of technology means long, dependable, inexpensive operation to me. I'm assuming by technologies you mean no head curtain airbags or stability control - it has the others that I can think of, whether I wanted them or not.
Heck, I'd like to dump the ABS, autodim mirror, and the autotemp climate control on my next one - all kind of gimmicky to me. I'm on the fence about traction control.
It could use some updates, but if an example of updating is the Mercury Montego - I'd rather not that Ford ruins the car by trying to improve it.
We just have different tastes, which luckily can both be filled in the current marketplace. :shades: If Ford drops the platform, I guess I'll have to buy used, as they do last a very long time, which is why you see them everywhere.
Ford has done its best keeping the car as modern as possible, especially considering a chassis that I believe dates back to 1980. The newer versions handle OK with the rack and pinion steering and updated suspension. However, they just can't compete with the newer designs. Now, if ford dumped in the 5.4 V8 from the Navigator, independent rear suspension, 18" Rims, and some bucket seats, we could have competition for the HEMI, LOL.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
And I don't think you need to worry about the CV disappearing anytime soon, if 100,000 unit sales is a benchmark of sorts for a 'successful' model then Ford will continue to beat the bejeepers out of that just with police car sales. And even it they do take it off the market, there is still the 300 - a traditional RWD design with many of those features that should be in the CV, had Ford wanted to. There should always be a market for the traditional American V8 big sedan, they do have some advantages and well as disadvantages.
The government here has taxed and regulated businesses and citizens so much here that carmaking is not a profitable business any longer. The only way car companies make money in the U.S. these days is in their finance divisions.
It's a shame. But not a surprise.
I think the problem lies in global sales. I really don't think that the Big 3 U.S. makers sell that well in the global market...compared to the foreign auto makers.
Foreigners have plants here because the U.S. makes credit so easy almost anyone can buy a new car. But it is all with borrowed $.
So the cars are made here close to the customers who will "buy" them.
The profits go back to Japan.
The profits may go back to Japan, but they are still subject to the same taxes as the doemestic plants.
I think I read that foreign factories were lured here by making tax concessions, kinda like towns do with big stores or auto dealerships or sports franchises.
I'm sure there are lots of variables playing in to the domestic car makers faltering in the industry. Maybe in Ford's case, they are just spread so thin. They seemed fine when they only had Mazda under the umbrella, but then they had to jump out there and get Land Rover and Jaguar too.
Who knows. :confuse:
I really don't know what Nissan is thinking with the Maxima at this point. They've made upgrades to the Altima bring it darn near close to being the same size as the Maxima, as well as giving it more power with a 270 hp Altima available.
However, for the sake of an argument...lump the Maxima in there. Not sure what kinda goodies you'll get in one for under $30K though. I do know one thing you'll get...a rough ride!!! It's a sports sedan!!!
You would be hard pressed to find anybody in Kentucky (Toyota), Ohio (Honda), Tennessee (Nissan), Alabama (MB and Hyundai) that wouldn't tell you that those respective manufacturers not only are welcome but are likely the best things that happened to them in the last hundred years or so. The economic 'trickle down' effect of employment is common sense, and you don't need to be a 'tax expert' to figure this one out. And if it bothers you that Hyundai probably got a helluva tax break for the privilege of spending $700 million in Alabama, and provide jobs for a few thousand people, you really need to talk to somebody who lives there and more importantly sends their kids to school there!
http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=91107&acode=USB60MEC021A0&restor- e=false
That's including delivery. $17,044. Big, RWD, and yes, it may be old school technology, but it's a lot more car than any midsize GM.
The problems existing for domestic companies? It's simple and has 3 letters.
LOL, you have just made my day...
So true though.
Here are the numbers:
Azera Charger
Front Headroom (in.) 40.20 38.70
Rear Headroom (in.) 38.20 36.20
Front Legroom (in.) 43.70 41.80
Rear Legroom (in.) 38.20 40.20
Front Shoulder Room (in.) 57.90 59.30
Rear Shoulder Room (in.) 57.10 57.60
Front Hip Room (in.) 55.50 56.20
Rear Hip Room (in.) 55.10 55.50
The truth is: Azera is not midsize and your beloved Charger is not XL. Both of them are large sedans.
Its spec is more towards the new Sebring.My wheelbase is almost as long as your car at 120in.If you go buy the outside specs the Charger is alot larger.When the Azera grows up,maybe you will be allowed to be with the large cars.
That's an extra 2.5 inches than the midsize Azera.
Check it out at http://www-5.dodge.com/vehsuite/VehicleCompare.jsp
Not only the Azera is classified as a large car, the Sonata is also classified as a large car, something you probably wouldn't want to believe either
Front dimensions for the Azeras are larger than the Charger. See, I can do the same
Why are we even discussing this? The Azera is a large car. If you don't like it, take it up with EPA.
The Charger is bigger in the "hip" area not only in the rear but also at the front.
I am 6' tall (average) but I don't like to sit like a girl when I drive.