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I mean really, $25,000 for a compact car? Inflation has been low the last 6 years, and in 2006 Audi released a luxury compact car that bare bones stripper model started at about that price! The writer is nuts.
Can't you still get a GTI for that much though? 200 HP and 207lb/ft of torque has to to rip the Cruze to shreds on the straights and the twisties.
I hate to say this, but:
I can understand picking a car based on the comfortableness of the seats, but you know your OLD and OUT OF SHAPE if your car buying choice is altered by how easy it is to get in and out of.
It doesn't surprise me that a Buick would cater to the old and out of shape crowd
And I, for one, appreciate that you don't bring it up repeated.
And, Fezo, don't tempt him, please!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The guy clearly has been around a Civic by his many 'Civic' comments in the review of the Cruze.
It's as well balanced as the MSM is. :sick: It's like hearing the open mike before the press conference with the folks plotting what negative theme to apply to the press conference, no matter what of good substance comes up. In this case, someone thought the Cruze drove nicely, usw, but that of course has to be countered by negatives and all the other competing brands mentioned in a positive light in case someone got the idea they might want actually, God forbid, check out the Cruze and drive one at a store.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Well, scanning over some of the other reviews this guy has done, it doesn't seem he's reviewed a single vehicle that he doesn't really like...
As Steve pointed out, this is an issue with all reviewers for all time because of the wining and dining that automakers bribe/pay them with. Also, if they hand select the car that they will be testing/reviewing, odds are it'll be a "specially" QA/QC'd model.
This is why I love Consumer Reports. First, they don't accept a review if the vehicle hasn't been purchased randomly and unknowingly by the manufacterer, and they have been dissing cars left and right for years and years when no one else has. I mean really, in the 90's a lot of cars weren't just crap, but complete utter absolute crap, and most magazines were raving about all of them. Some people are just WAY TOO easy to please!
Well if it breaks after two days and falls right into your hand, that's another problem! :P
[rimshot]!
:shades:
Even if that occurs, you can rest easy, knowing that steering wheel was made in the good ol' USA.
LOL!
Yeah! Three recalls in two months on their latest product! All right!
Actually, that wouldn't keep me from buying one if I liked it. Let me run over to the Ford forum and see your comments about that.
It's one of the cars I've suggested my younger daughter evaluate, as she's getting a new ride next May when she graduates from Duke.
She prefers a smaller-sized car, and I think she would be happy with a Cruze, but I suspect she will prefer a different model. She currently has an 09 Versa Hatchback SL, and she really likes the versatility of the hatch option.
But, we'll see ...
I was just razzing you a bit...
Focus seems to sell plenty of hatch variants. Mazda seems to do fine with the 3 hatch. Toyota sells plenty of Matrix and Scion tC hatches. Subie would have mass defections if they didn't have an Impreza hatch, AWD or no. Honda sells tons of Fits, and Hyundai just released the new Elantra GT.
But GM? "Americans don't buy hatchbacks!"
I just looked up some specs on the EPA website, and I think I see one reason they don't offer a Cruze hatchback here. The Cruze is, marginally, a midsized car, with 94 cubic feet of passenger volume and a 16 cubic foot trunk. The EPA classifies a midsized car as one having 110-120 cubic feet of combined interior volume.
The Ford Focus has 90 cubic feet of passenger volume and the sedan has a 13 cubic foot trunk. That's pretty small. So, in that size range, a hatchback probably makes more sense. And in hatchback form, the Focus increases to 23 cubic feet.
Now, you'd think that the Cruze hatch would be even better, since it's bigger, it would give you even more cargo volume. But, larger hatchbacks usually don't sell all that well.
Also, the Chevy Sonic, which is supposed to be the subcompact car, is actually bigger than it looks. The hatch has 91 cubic feet of passenger volume, a touch more than the Focus. And 19 cubic feet of cargo volume.
So, maybe GM thinks a Cruze hatch wouldn't sell all that well, and at the same time might be redundant with the Sonic?
As for the Matrix, I just looked it up...94 cubic feet of passenger volume, 20 cubic feet of cargo space. But, annoyingly, the EPA doesn't classify it as a hatchback, but rather a small wagon.
Does the Matrix sell very well? I don't really notice very many of the current generation models out on the streets, while Corollas are almost *too* common.
As for the Mazda3, according to the EPA specs the 4-door sedan is rated at 94/12, while the hatch is 95/17. So in its case, it seems like the hatch is almost mandatory, since the sedan is going to have a pretty tiny trunk.
Still, it would be nice if GM would at least give the Cruze hatch a chance, and see if it catches on.
Allstate, maybe? Or was that just a trunk opening? I do remember one advantage of the Allstate over the Henry J was that the Allstate had an opening, where with the Henry J, you had to access the trunk through the back seat.
There's an old lady at work who recently traded her '99 or so Tracker in on a new Sonic hatchback. I actually don't mind it...as far as hatches go. She got silver, which was also the color of her old Tracker.
I don't think so anymore. The Pontiac Vibe seemed to have sold well several years ago.
GM seems to be extraordinarily gun-shy about hatches, and has been for a long time. It's really weird.
When I think 'hatch', I think of the area around the rear window opening too, not just the trunk area. I'm thinking that wasn't the case with the Allstate. Of course, most sedans today have the trunk pass-through/folding rear seat feature, anyway. The whole difference would be some height and the size of the opening.
Astonishing to me that an American would not promote something being made in the U.S. Duh.
Uplanderguy, you know cops can't drive. :P
Again, it seems doubtful an ad writer would write in a review, "The Accord has some catching up to do."
I would expect that more in a long-term test, which I think is the exception to the rule, although I know I've seen long-term tests in magazines where they comment about returning the car to the manufacturer after the end of the long-term test.
I'd promote something being made in the USA if it was worth promoting.
I won't promote garbage.
Frankly, The Big 3 embarrass me as an American.
How did it ever get so bad! Why did they let it get so bad!??!
GM doesn't help itself by releasing a Malibu ECO way too early and having it flop compared to the competition, especially when the competition doesn't need fancy quasi-hybrid technology to beat it. That was a mistake, and they might have been better off just killing the ECO trim.
I believe they are going to have to undersell cars (underpricing them) and then over deliver. That is the only way they are going to be able to command a profitable price in the future. If they can over deliver on value, then the next time you go to buy a vehicle, you can be more willing to risk more money on them.
Speaking of which, why am I typing here, I think I'm going to take my A3 for a fast spin on the back roads near San Diego today.
I'd say that a pretty large sized asterisk you have there in the parenthesis. :shades:
Little tip: the number of recalls on one model don't matter one bit. Why you ask? Because it's still only one model.
Read up on the Escape launch. It's being called a lousy launch.
Now moving over to GM, they seem to be getting awful aggressive on 2013 price increases. The Asians, not nearly as much. The Asians are climbing back up, GM not so much. How is this pricing strategy going to enhance GM down the road???
One of their leftover 2012's caught my eye: This blue 2LT model with a sunroof and suede interior for $21,770. Its MSRP is $28,095.
They also have a couple V-6 models with leather and a sunroof for around $24K. Here's one of 'em. Nice car, although I'm trying to stay away from white.